> Fortune Favors The Bold
>  by TheEquestrianWing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Genesis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fortune Favors The Bold

Note: This first chapter takes place 25 years before the first episode.

In the land of Equestria, life was wonderful. For hundreds of years, the inhabitants had coexisted together in peace and harmony. Hardships such as war, pestilence, poverty, and famine were virtually nonexistent. Many visitors and travelers from other countries viewed Equestria as the closest thing to an genuine utopia.

The individual primarily responsible for the Equestrians' enduring prosperity was their ruler, Princess Celestia. She had been on the throne for nearly a millennium, and in all that time, no one had ever challenged her authority. Countless generations of Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi had revered, praised, and loved her unconditionally. Many more generations would continue to do so, and this ubiquitous love and respect towards Celestia would last until the end of her reign, which would not be for at least several more centuries, since she was an Alicorn.

To most, this may have seemed like a delightful prospect. However, universal adoration came with a steep price to Celestia. From the moment she came to power, Celestia made it her personal goal to watch over all of her subjects. She observed them as they were born, as they grew up, as they created families of their own… and as they died. Celestia saw numerous advantages in the fact that she was immortal, but they were all hindered by the devastating knowledge that her subjects were not. She had made hundreds of friends during her reign, but none of them had been around long enough for her to get very close to them. Millions of equines had resided in Equestria over the course of her rule, and she had outlived all of them. This prospect devastated her, but she managed to cope with it by watching how her subjects mingled together. Seeing them exhibit such strong affection for each other set her conscience at ease. Still, she could not help but feel despairingly alone.

One would think that after nine centuries of this, Celestia would have given up on finding love of her own. After all, what would be the point of letting a stallion into her life for a short time if he would just ultimately depart from her and leave her alone forever? She could not imagine living with that kind of pain.

As far as she knew, there were no other Alicorns in Equestria. No male ones, at any rate. There had not been any for at least 600 years. As a result, Celestia had virtually abandoned any hope of ever having a husband. Despite this, she still had an omnipresent desire to take a mate. This wish was not based on lust or any other sexual nature. Instead, it was formed out of another wish she had always carried. Quite simply, Celestia wished to experience the joys of parenthood. As much as she dreaded the idea of remaining single and childless forever, Celestia had become convinced that she would never have a proper heir.

But fate decreed that she would indeed get one. Nine hundred and seventy-five years after Celestia became the sole ruler of Equestria, a foal came into her life. That is where our story begins.

…

Princess Celestia had a very high tolerance threshold for pain. She could raise and lower the Sun and the Moon every day without breaking a sweat. She could kick through a solid wall of concrete with her back hooves. She could impale a tree with her horn. She could even throw her weight against a diamond as large as a boulder and smash it to pieces without so much as flinching. Many of her subjects believed that there was nothing in the world that could make Celestia feel pain.

This was a quite inaccurate assessment. If there was anypony who knew this, it was Celestia's personal physician Purple Heart. The doctor and his assistant Grace Giver were currently with their leader, helping her with a most unusual matter. She was not suffering from any sort of disease or disability. Instead, they were helping her give birth. Unfortunately for all parties involved, it was hardly an easy delivery.

To say that Celestia was in pain would be an understatement. What she was experiencing was nothing short of pure agony. She had been in labor for over thirteen hours. Her contractions were erratic, and her breathing was irregular and difficult. She was frequently slipping in and out of focus. Her entire body was covered in sweat. Every now and then, she had released a bloodcurdling cry. Several times, the royal guards positioned outside the door had been tempted to rush in. But they were under strict orders not to enter until both Celestia and Dr. Purple Heart gave them permission. The Princess would not allow anything or anypony to interrupt the operation.

At one point, Celestia managed to stabilize her breathing long enough to speak coherently. She gazed over at Dr. Purple Heart and asked him weakly "How much longer, Doctor?"

"I'm afraid I cannot give you a proper estimate, Your Highness," the medical expert dismally informed her, pressing his hooves against the sides of her abdomen, "There is some good news, however. The foal has definitely shifted position and is nearing the border of your birth canal. I'd say you'll be able to see your child within another two or three hours. No less than an hour."

Celestia groaned in annoyance and muttered "You're sure it cannot happen any sooner than that?"

Grace Giver took a clean towel and wiped the perspiration off the Alicorn's face. Then she stated "I assure you we're doing everything we can, Your Majesty. The birth-giving process is different for all types of ponies. Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi births are simple, primarily because they occur every day. But an Alicorn has not given birth for centuries. Because of that, our knowledge on the subject is very limited."

"Don't worry about what we don't know, Grace," Purple Heart advised his assistant, "What really matters is what we do know already. I haven't come this far just to quit on account of lack of experience. As long as we keep the Princess comfortable and intently monitor the progress of her child, this process will have a successful conclusion."

"You're right, Doctor," Celestia remarked in agreement, sitting up a bit, "If I must go through this for another few hours, so be it. The pain is overwhelming, but for my sake and my child's sake, I will tolerate it."

Purple Heart grinned and said "That's the spirit, Your Highness. I can promise you with 100 percent certainty that it will not be long before you'll be carrying your child in your hooves instead of your womb. Just listen to my instructions, and everything will turn out fine for you and your foal."

Purple Heart was true to his word. A little more than two hours later, Celestia gave birth to a son. He was an average-sized foal with a gold coat, a maroon mane, and silver eyes. He also had a small horn on his forehead and a tiny pair of wings on his back. To Celestia's delight, he was an Alicorn just like her.

Celestia had been lying flat on her stomach to give birth, and she had been stuck in that position for almost two-thirds of the day. Grace Giver helped her get into a much more comfortable position on her bed while Purple Heart gave her foal a quick health exam. When he was done, he informed Celestia that her son was perfectly healthy. Then he wrapped the newborn in a blanket and gave him to his mother.

Celestia had seen plenty of babies throughout her lifetime, but she had never given them much thought. Words could not even begin to describe the sudden love she felt for the one in her hooves. She had not even known him for a half-hour, and he already meant so much to her.

"Congratulations, Your Highness," Purple Heart said to his ruler.

"Thank you, Doctor," Celestia declared, her gaze still fixed on her newborn son, "This would not have been possible without you and Grace."

"It was our pleasure, Princess," Grace Giver assured her, "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Not yet," she responded, "I must admit; I have not really given it much thought. I wanted to wait until the foal was born so I would know the gender."

"Makes sense," Grace Giver commented, "Whenever you've decided, be sure to let us know. Otherwise we won't be able to write out his birth certificate properly. After all, what good would it be without a name?"

"I suppose I cannot dispute that point," Celestia remarked. There was a brief period of silence in the room. Then she told the physicians "Unless there's anything else, I would like to be alone with my child for a little while."

"Certainly, Your Highness," Purple Heart assured her. He and Grace Giver began gathering up their equipment, and then he stated "If you or your son need anything, you may summon us at any time. We'll be on reserve for you in the medical wing."

"Very well," Celestia acknowledged.

Purple Heart and Grace Giver moved away from the bed and approached the entrance of the room. Grace Giver pushed open the door and stepped outside first. She held the door open for her boss. However, he did not pass through the doorframe. He told her "You go on ahead, Grace. There's something I wish to discuss with Her Majesty in private."

"Alright, Doctor," the Nurse complied, "In that case, I'll see you in the medical wing."

Purple Heart nodded his head and closed the door. Then he turned back to his ruler and walked back over to her. Celestia noted a bit of concern in his eyes and asked him "Is there something on your mind, Doctor?"

"Forgive me, Your Highness," he implored her, "I know that you are under no obligation to hear my questions, and that you have every right to refuse to answer them, but there is something that I would like to know."

"What might that be?" Celestia asked curiously.

Purple Heart did not respond straightaway. He spent some time contemplating how to present his inquiry. Part of him was impelled to be discreet, but he ultimately decided it would be best if he was straightforward. For a moment, he casually gazed off to the side. Then he took a deep breath, returned his attention to Celestia, and inquired "Who's the father?"

Celestia was expecting him to ask this question. Out of courtesy for her, Purple Heart had avoided asking it during the course of her pregnancy. Still, she knew that she would inevitably have to discuss this topic was somepony else. Now that her foal was born, Purple Heart figured there was no need for her to remain silent about it.

All the same, Celestia hesitated. From her perspective, she had every reason to do so. She looked down at her son, and gazed lovingly into his silver irises. Then she turned back to Purple Heart and told him directly "You would not believe me if I told you."

Purple Heart raised an eyebrow in interest, and then he observed "That's a most peculiar response, Your Highness. I was expecting you to either tell me the father's name or insist that it was none of my business."

"It's still the truth," Celestia informed him, "I can assure you that this was not an instance of asexual reproduction, Doctor. My child does indeed have a father, but I am not certain it would be wise to reveal his identity just yet."

"Well, the choice to do so is yours entirely, Princess," Purple Heart reminded her, "If you do not wish to tell me, I understand. All the same, my job requires that I inquire about the colt's father. I can assure you that I respect doctor-patient confidentiality as much as I respect you. If you do tell me, you have my solemn vow that I will never pass that information on to another soul for as long as I live."

"I believe you, Doctor," stated Celestia, "So believe me when I say that I trust you with my life. However, there are certain elements surrounding this matter that you are unaware of. I must take these elements into consideration before I can open up on it to anyone. Let me be alone with my son until tomorrow morning. By the time I've chosen a name for him, I will have decided whether or not I will tell you who fathered him."

Purple Heart was content with this arrangement. "As you wish, Your Majesty. As I said, it is your decision."

Celestia nodded in acknowledgment and told her physician "You may go now."

Purple Heart bowed his head in respect and departed from the chamber without another word spoken.

…

Later that night, Princess Celestia was still on her bed. Now she was lying on her back, staring upwards at the canopy. She had risen the moon a few hours earlier; the vast majority of her subjects were already asleep or in bed. However, Celestia doubted that she would be getting very much sleep herself that night. While she was still aching and exhausted from her elongated labor, she was too preoccupied with other affairs to worry about something as mundane as sleep. All she could do was ponder and reflect.

One might think that the whole of Equestria would be celebrating the birth of her son. They probably would be… if his birth was public knowledge. In actuality, almost no one in the entire country even knew of his existence. Celestia had no husband, no mate, no lover; not even a consort. Her child had been the product of a free union. To avoid creating a scandal, Celestia had taken steps to ensure that as few ponies as possible were aware of her pregnancy. This would have been difficult enough if she had been an ordinary mare. But as the undisputed ruler of Equestria, covering up her condition was nearly impossible.

The average gestation period in a mare of any race was between 330 and 345 days. Unicorns tended to give birth earlier, as the magic in their blood slightly sped up the rate of development. Pegasi normally gave birth later, as they need more time to grow their wings. Earth Ponies typically foaled in the middle of this interval, which was one of the reasons why they were the strongest of the three major races. However, there are some equine pregnancies that last almost an entire year. Celestia's was one such case. Another week and her son would have been born on the same day he had been conceived.

During the first four months of her pregnancy, Celestia managed to conceal the bump on her own. From the fifth month onward, it gradually became more conspicuous. To get around this, she wore long, loose dresses whenever she was in the company of her subjects. She had a few close calls with some of the more "casual" members of the Canterlot elite, but this ploy worked until the middle of the eighth month. By then, not even her most spacious gown could hide her bump. Fortunately, she had another solution at her disposal; she was a master of illusion spells. Every time she went outside the castle, she cast one on her abdomen to make it appear as smooth as it had been before. No one ever found out.

Hiding the bump was actually the easiest part. The other symptoms of pregnancy were a touch more difficult to deal with. Often she became disoriented or nauseous, sometimes whilst in public. She was more liable to become agitated or provoked, which posed a serious problem whenever she got into a heated discussion with the officers or bureaucrats. The most notable difference was her change in appetite, primarily her fondness for cake. She had always had a weakness for cake, but during her pregnancy, she acquired an unnatural craving for the delicacy. This desire was so extreme that she had her chefs serve nothing but the confectionary at the Grand Galloping Gala. Most of the cooks were confused by this unusual request, but the head chef, Haute Cuisine, made certain that his subordinates obeyed her wish.

Haute Cuisine was amongst the top five chefs in Equestria, and he was one of the few ponies that Celestia had entrusted with the secret of her pregnancy. He had organized a long-term meal plan for her so that both she and her foal would receive proper nutrition until the latter was born. She had followed the eating schedule to the best of her ability, but she still slipped in an extra piece of cake every now and then.

Near the start of her gravidity, she had the finest carpenter in Canterlot construct a special crib that could accommodate a baby Alicorn. This carpenter, a stallion named Wood Reaper, was another person that was aware of Celestia's condition. He had installed the crib in her room a couple months earlier. It was positioned about a meter to the left of the front of her bed.

She shifted her body ninety degrees counterclockwise and rested on her side so that she was directly facing the crib. Right now, her son was sound asleep in it. He looked so peaceful. So calm. So innocent. So gorgeous. When she first discovered she was carrying him, Purple Heart had indirectly proposed an "alternative" to going ahead with the pregnancy. Celestia had immediately shot down this option; she refused to even acknowledge that Purple Heart had suggested. However, several times throughout the course of her pregnancy, she was somewhat compelled to question the plausibility of her decision. Now that she had brought him into the world, she felt no regrets. In fact, despite how many mixed feelings she had about the whole situation, she found herself looking forward to what the future would hold for her and her child. She could imagine parenthood would not be easy. Then again, neither was leading a kingdom.

Of course, there were still two things that had to be resolved. Firstly, she needed to decide on a name for her son. This was relatively simple to accomplish. In the time since Purple Heart had left her room, Celestia had considered several ideal names for her son. She was not going to select one until she addressed the second matter as well. However, this item of business was quite a bit more complex than the first one, and unlike the first one, she could not solve it on her own.

In the midst of the silence, her son slowly woke up. He started wailing softly. Celestia reacted immediately. She sat up, scooted closer to the crib, raised her right hoof, and delicately stroked her son's forehead. She cooed gently "Shhhh… it's alright, my dear. It's alright. Mother is here for you."

Her son was not hungry, cold, or uncomfortable. He was just scared. Of what, it would be hard to say. Fortunately, his mother's caresses and words had a soothing effect on him. He continued crying for about twenty seconds, but after that, he gradually eased down. Celestia continued to rub his forehead even after he stopped, just to ensure that he was nice and relaxed.

A minute later, Celestia thought she felt a gust of wind pass through the room. It was indeed wind, but it was not an actual breeze. Naturally produced wind would have felt cool and it would have flown in at a steady pace. The wind that struck her back was dry and only lasted for a few seconds. It was the type of airwave that is produced when something or someone lands on the ground. Without even turning around, Celestia could tell that something – or rather, somepony – had in fact landed on the balcony to her room.

Keeping her gaze focused on the crib, she uttered over her shoulder "I was beginning to think you would not show."

"My apologies for being so late," a deep voice responded from behind, "I thought it best to wait until the last patrol passed through before I approached you."

Celestia lightly scoffed and remarked "Fortunately for you, I'm a very patient mare."

"I know you are," stated the deep voice, "Fortunately for you, I'm even more patient. If I had to wait any longer for those patrols to leave, I probably would have come here anyway, regardless of whether or not they were still in the vicinity."

"That would have been very foolish of you," she pointed out, "The night patrols are very by-the-book. They view any unauthorized flyers as trespassers, and they treat them as such. If just one of my guards spotted you, it would have only taken about five seconds for at least twenty of them to surround you."

"It would have been worth it, as long as I got to see you," he insisted.

Celestia lightly chuckled at this blunt statement. Then she rose to her feet and turned to the wall that faced the right side of her bed. Standing right there on the balcony was a stallion immersed in shadow. He was slightly taller than her, he had a long horn on his forehead which emanated a slight mauve aura, and he had a massive pair of wings which had cumulative wingspan of more than two meters. He was a male Alicorn. Because of his stance relative to the moonlight in the background, all Celestia could make out from her position was his silhouette. But she could plainly see that he was smiling at her.

She smiled as well and trotted over to him. She wrapped both her front legs around his shoulders. He wrapped his own front legs around her shoulders as well, and the two of them embraced warmly. They remained in that position for about fifteen seconds.

When they pulled apart, Celestia looked up into the stallion's mauve irises. She told him "Even though you managed to avoid detection, you still took a dangerous risk coming here."

"You're worth more than a few risks, my Princess," the male Alicorn contended as he retracted his wings, "Nothing could have kept me away from you. Nothing. Especially on tonight of all nights."

"That's one thing I love about you," Celestia told him, "You're so persistent."

"Is that the only thing?" he asked cheekily.

"What do you think?" she retorted in an equally cheeky fashion.

"In my opinion, I must have some other admirable qualities," he declared, "And even if I didn't, I'm certain I've given you something else that you can appreciate."

"Indeed you have," she confirmed. She gestured over to her bed and offered the male Alicorn "Come; let me show him to you."

He grinned eagerly and told her "That's why I came here; to see him."

"Oh, I thought you came here to see me," she wittily remarked.

"I'm here to see both of you," he clarified.

Celestia led her companion over to the crib. When they arrived in front of it, they saw that the foal's eyes were closed, but he was breathing regularly, so he was still awake. The male Alicorn studied the newborn colt closely. He remained grinning and perceived "He's beautiful… almost as beautiful as you."

"Thank you, but I hope you're concentrating on more than just his appearance," Celestia stated.

"Oh, I am," he guaranteed her, "He seems to be quite healthy. That's rather fortunate, considering how long it's taken you to have a child. After 975 years of ruling this land by yourself, you have finally started a suitable line of succession. Even better is the fact that he has both wings and a horn. He must be the first Alicorn born in… how long?"

"Well, it hasn't been that long since a female Alicorn was born," Celestia announced, "However, I'd say he's the first male Alicorn born in well over a millennium. Our son is like a bronze star in a sky full of dim ones."

The shadowy stallion scoffed at that last statement. She turned to him and asked curiously "Is there something amusing?"

"I like the way you say that; 'our son,'" he enlightened her, "It has a lovely ring to it."

"You know, if you really do enjoy it that much, it could stay that way," Celestia proposed.

Up until this point, the stallion had retained a very upbeat expression on his face. But after that last statement, his grin faltered and in its place he bore a much more stern countenance. He gradually directed his head towards Celestia and muttered austerely, "We've been over this, and we agreed that that is not a viable option."

Celestia turned to him with a bit of an annoyed appearance on her own face. She stated "I know you've resisted this idea since the first time I suggested it, but I still think it deserves some more discussion. Tell me again, why are you so opposed to going public with your role in this matter?"

"I've given you three very valid reasons why, my dear," the male Alicorn elucidated, "For one, we have radically different social standings. You are the solemn ruler of Equestria. Aside from you, no one else even knows that I'm alive. Imagine how that would look to the common folk: a complete stranger appears out of nowhere, and inseminates their princess. They would burn me at the stake for that."

"As long as I vouched for you, no one would dare lay a hoof on you," Celestia swore to him.

"I have no doubt of that, but there are two more factors we must account for," the male Alicorn went on, "Secondly, how would you plan on breaking the news of our involvement to the public? Especially after hiding your… condition from everypony for this long?"

"I've written a speech that tells our whole story," Celestia apprised him, "It covers everything. How we first met, how we became affiliated, how I sought you out for counsel, how our relationship became more than professional, and how… this little colt was the result of it. I'll also include our reasons for keeping all of this a secret."

"When would you present this speech?" asked the male Alicorn.

"Ideally, as soon as possible," Celestia decreed, "Tomorrow, perhaps. Now that our child has been born, we have no reason to keep this quiet for any longer."

"Not everypony may be so willing to discover the truth," he theorized, "In the long run, it would probably be better for all of us if the nature of our relationship – as well as its existence – remained a secret between the two of us. Aside from that, our son's relative well-being should remain our primary concern here. It is highly likely that our coming forward could somehow pose a threat to him."

"I realize that," she admitted, "However, I'm confident that it would be much better if we came forth with the story ourselves, rather than let somepony else discover it on their own accord. Without us to properly illustrate the events as they happened, anypony who stumbled upon it by themselves might get a terribly wrong impression and present the story in the wrong image to the public. If that was to happen, we'd have a massive scandal on our hooves that effected every level of our culture."

"Trust me, a scandal is the last thing I'd want to create," he insisted, "However, if we may have one on our hooves either way. Have you been listening to your subjects' friendly banter?"

"No, I have not," Celestia replied, "Unless their conversations include information vital to local or national security, I do not make it my business to pick up on gossip. Why do you ask?"

"There have been rumors spreading all throughout the land," he informed her.

"Rumors?" she repeated in confusion.

"Yes, rumors," he confirmed, "They began about seven months ago. While you may have successfully hidden your pregnancy from everypony, the changes in your behavior and mannerisms did not go unnoticed. They've become quite a source for gossip."

"How bad are these… rumors?" she uneasily enquired.

"Most of them revolve around the theory that you are ill or fatigued," he responded, "Some have hypothesized that you are seeing someone, but as far as I can tell, they have no clue that it's me. A couple others have even suggested that you are dying."

"Dying?" she remarked. "That's about as far away from the truth as they could get. Not only am I very much alive, but I've also created a new life."

"Still, you could have fooled them," he told her candidly, "Although I did not approach the castle until a few minutes ago, I arrived on the outskirts of Canterlot very early this morning and I waited there for most of the day. Even from that distance, I thought I could hear your screams during the birth-giving process. There was so much… anguish in them. Occasionally, it sounded as though you were actually dying."

"Well, I was trying to give birth to a fifteen-pound colt over a period of as many hours," Celestia sarcastically disclosed, "Did you think he would just teleport out of me or something?"

"Of course not," he assured her, "I was not expecting it to be an easy birth, anyway. But that's not the point; let's not get off-topic."

"I don't think we are," she debated, "Now that the pregnancy has run its course, there is no need for any more rumors to be generated. The rumors that are already out there are very much controllable. I say we take advantage of that and clear up all the ambiguities while we can."

"If our only problems were our social standings and that, I would be more than willing to go along with your speech," he assured her, "However there is still one more issue that we must account for. This third one is the most critical, and I am quite certain there is very little anypony can do about it. That includes you and me."

Celestia sighed in annoyance and thought aloud "Are we seriously having this conversation again?"

"Yes, we are," he flatly remarked, "I know we've had it several times over, but I feel we should have it once more."

"There's literally nothing we can say about this topic that hasn't already been said," Celestia argued.

"Then apparently, I haven't emphasized the severity of it enough," the male Alicorn proclaimed, "Princess, earlier on, I referred to myself as a 'complete stranger' to Equestria. This whole mess probably would have been far less complicated if I really was a complete stranger to this land. Unfortunately for both of us, I'm not."

Celestia stepped up to her companion, looked up into his eyes, and asked him somewhat irately "Why do you insist on reflecting on the past?"

"Because I would be a monster if I just forgot all about what I did," he forthrightly declared.

"Everything you 'did,' you did centuries ago," Celestia disputed, "Nopony who's alive today was around when that happened. Not even me. Don't you think you have punished yourself for those actions long enough?"

"There are some crimes that can never be forgiven by the passage of time," he countered, "And some that cannot be atoned for by any means. You must believe me when I say it would be for the best if I remained in hiding."

"I know that your actions generated a great deal of fear and controversy, but I have no reservations about your past deeds," she affirmed, "It was an impossible decision, and while it might not have been the moral thing to do, it was still the ethical thing to do."

"Tell that to the descendants of the victims," he snapped back. "It would be bad enough if they knew I was still living. You cannot even begin to comprehend how disastrous it would be if they discovered a… monster was courting their leader."

"You are not a monster!" Celestia asserted, "You are a benevolent and honorable stallion. Now listen to me; if you continue living in isolation, I am absolutely certain that you will go mad. You may have lasted this long, but I know for a fact that you will lose your mind eventually. I've seen it happen before."

"I know you have, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone," the Alicorn revealed, "However, Princess, you must understand something. I don't care what happens to me. As of right now, my only concern is for the well-being of you and our son."

"If you honestly love him, why would you just leave him?" Celestia demanded.

"To protect him, and to protect you," he responded, "You must realize that not everypony is as forgiving as you. If you vouch for me and give that speech, you may be able to win many of your subjects over. But there is no way you'd be able to convince all of them. Some will definitely see me as the same horror I once was. Worse yet, they may even be led to think that you betrayed them. I'm sorry, but I cannot risk setting any of the fallout on you."

Celestia absorbed his words. As much as she wanted to persuade him that he was needlessly worried, she could not deny the authenticity in his argument. Earlier on, she had told him that she admired his persistence. This was one situation when she actually dreaded it. Once he made a decision, there was very little she could do to sway his mind.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled steadily. Then she stated "If you honestly believe this is for the best, then I understand. It's just… well…"

Celestia stared at the far wall for about thirty seconds, but the male Alicorn kept his focus on her face. He noticed a single tear came to her eye. He took a step closer to her, rubbed the tear away, and queried "What is it?"

Celestia sniffed once, and then spoke her thoughts to him with a note of sadness in her voice "How do you suppose this would look? I conceived a child out of wedlock, went to incredible lengths to keep his existence a secret, and I cannot even reveal the identity of his father to anyone. The people will think I'm some type of harlot."

"Do not ever say that!" the Alicorn snapped, placing his right front hoof on her shoulder, "You are a wonderful mare. You've governed this land for centuries. You've been pivotal in averting countless crises. To call you a harlot… that would be an abomination."

"Then what must I do?" she inquired, another tear coming to her eye, "If you have a better idea, I'll consider it."

"I actually do have a few potential solutions," he explicated.

"Such as?" she inquired.

There was a brief moment of quietness, and then the male Alicorn asked "How many people were even aware of your pregnancy?"

Celestia answered straightaway "Haute Cuisine, Wood Reaper, Purple Heart, Grace Giver, and a dozen of the Royal Guard."

"Anypony else?" he asked

"No, just them," Celestia avowed, "They're all honest mares and stallions; they wouldn't tell anypony else without my consent."

"Perhaps you could keep this matter limited to those sixteen ponies," he proposed, "After all, this is a big castle; more than enough room to privately raise a foal in."

"It isn't that big," Celestia contradicted him, "If you're suggesting that I keep our son hidden in here, you can forget about that idea. I cannot hold anyone prisoner in this castle, especially not my own child. Even if I tried, somepony outside of my inner circle would most certainly catch on sooner or later."

"In that case, you could claim you decided to adopt a foal," he proposed "After all, after centuries of being by yourself with no one to personally care for, nopony could blame you."

"That might work if he was an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, or a Pegasus," she irately remarked, "But how many people would believe that any orphanage in Equestria had a baby Alicorn in its care?"

"Didn't you use an illusion spell to hide your bump?" he pointed out, "You could use another one to conceal his wings or his horn. Or both."

"Out of the question," she firmly declared, "I have nothing against the other types of ponies, but if I did that to our son, I would be taking away something that makes him unique. He's the only male Alicorn to be born in over a thousand years. Aside from that, we'd just be creating another secret, another lie. I'm done with all these secrets and lies."

The Alicorn sighed in frustration and uttered "Then we only have two other options available. I could take him from here and raise him on my own."

"I'm sure we can both agree that that idea would never work," Celestia proclaimed, "For one thing, Purple Heart and the others would demand to know what happened to him. There's nothing that suggests they would all believe me. It would also be yet one more secret and one more lie we could do without. Plus, I did not carry him in my womb for almost a year just to abandon him. He's Canterlot Royalty, not something to be given away or cast out."

"You're right," he concurred, "In addition to that, he shouldn't be forced to live the life of an outcast. As someone who has lived that life for centuries, I would know that it is far from glamorous or desirable. To tell you the truth, I didn't have a lot of faith in this idea to begin with. I just wanted to acknowledge it as a possibility, in case we couldn't decide on a better one."

"So what's your final scheme?" she asked in interest.

"You can rewrite your speech," he recommended, "Erase any mention of me from it, and keep the focus on you and our child. You can simply refuse to tell the public about the father's identity."

"What if the people won't accept that?" Celestia conjectured.

"They'll have to," he insisted, "You're the leader of this country. You do not have to answer to anypony. If you're so confident that they'll understand your reasons for hiding your pregnancy, then logically, they should also understand your reasons for hiding the name of the stallion responsible for it."

Celestia spent a few minutes thinking about his argument. So far, this idea sounded safer and more useful than any of the others. After all, her companion was correct in that she had the exclusive right to deny answers to any questions, regardless of who asked them. He had convinced her that it would be wise to keep his existence a secret, and she had convinced him that it would be a huge mistake if she kept quiet about their son's existence. It would appear they had finally found an ideal solution.

"Alright, I suppose this arrangement could work," Celestia thought aloud, "However, there is something I'd like to know. What would you do?"

"I would simply go back into hiding," he openly informed her, "Not indefinitely, but at least until we have everything resolved. It would be for the best if no one ever knew I'm the father. Not even our son."

Celestia glared at him, as if to say "Seriously?" Of course, she did not even have to ask that question to know the answer. She merely nodded her head and stated "Alright, we'll play it out like that. However, I cannot guarantee the long-term effectiveness of that idea. It may work for a while, but eventually, somepony is going to start investigating. For all we know, our son may be that 'somepony.'"

"I wouldn't be surprised of that," the male Alicorn admitted, "Especially if he inherited your sense of curiosity."

She smirked at him and commented "It was my sense of curiosity that led me to you in the first place."

"I know," he remarked, "If he does have your curiosity, as well as my so-called 'persistence,' he will inevitably start searching for the truth at some point."

"If that does happen, what should I do?" Celestia inquired.

"Just let him search," he advised her, "You can refuse to tell him, but it would be wrong to keep him from learning the truth on his own."

"Now that is something we can both agree on," Celestia perceived, "Until he actually does start looking, I presume you will want me to avoid mentioning you to him or anypony else?"

"That is correct," was all he said in response.

There was another interval of silence in the room. Finally, the male Alicorn gazed into Celestia's eyes and told her "I suppose I've lingered here long enough. I should be leaving now."

She nodded her head solemnly in understanding. Then she asked "When will I see you again?"

"I don't know," he confessed, "But I can promise you this is not good-bye. I give you my word."

"I believe you," she told him, "Just stay safe out there."

"Don't worry about me," he asserted, I'd successfully avoided detection for hundreds of years."

"Well, I found you," she reminded him.

"Yes, but I would have been a fool to think I could hide from you forever," he countered.

"That's why I know you'll come back," she added in, "Because otherwise, I'll just come to you."

The stallion remained smiling and he placed his front hooves on the regal mare's cheeks. He brought her face closer to his and kissed her passionately on the lips. They remained in that position for well over a minute, and both of them savored every second of that connection.

When they pulled apart, the stallion released Celestia. He then turned his attention to the crib. He stepped up to it, leaned down, and kissed his son on his forehead, just above his horn. The foal stirred a bit, but he did not make a sound. The Alicorn whispered softly, "I hope to someday speak to you face-to-face, my son. Until that day comes, be strong and do right by your mother. I love you both so much."

Then he regained his full height, walked around the bed, and stepped back onto the balcony. He expanded his wings, but just before he could take off, Celestia called out "Wait!"

He turned back to her and asked "What?"

"There's still one thing we did not discuss," she informed him, "His name."

"Oh, you're right," he agreed. He looked off to the side for a moment to think, and then he told her "I have one in mind. Earlier on, you referred to him as 'a bronze star in a sky full of dim ones.' Why not go with that?"

"'Bronze Star?'" she assumed.

He nodded his head in validation. "What do you think?"

Celestia grinned and replied with "I like it. It has a wondrous tone to it."

He nodded his head again. Then he uttered "Until next we met. I love you, my Princess."

"And I love you, my Lord," she replied.

The male Alicorn turned to his front and looked around at the sky. To his relief, the patrols were still away from this side of the castle. He began vigorously flapping his wings, and then he rose up from the balcony and flew off into the night. Celestia watched him as he faded into the distance. Then she turned around and headed back into her chamber.

Now she was left alone with her son once more. She approached her bed and laid down on it. It only took a few seconds for her to get comfortable. As she laid there, she thought about everything she had discussed with her clandestine paramour. There were still many issues that she had to deal with on her own. For starters, she would have to rewrite her speech and present it to the common people. Then she would have to confront the public's reaction.

However, she was now fairly confident that she could manage the situation. At the very least, she was much more confident than she had been an hour earlier. Tomorrow she could deal with her problems. For now, she just wanted to put aside her worries and rest.

When she was relaxed, Celestia turned to the crib, and she saw that her son had fallen back asleep. She softly uttered "Sleep well, my sweet Prince Bronze Star."

A little while later, she joined her child in a blissful slumber.

> The Warrior And The Prince
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty-five years later

It was the day before the annual Summer Sun Celebration. All the inhabitants of Equestria were busy preparing for their most cherished holiday. The residents of Canterlot were especially looking forward to the ceremony, as this year marked its 1000th anniversary. Every building and street was finely adorned with decorations. Merchants were selling rare goods from all over the land at special discounts. Many of the laborers had been given the day off from work to spend time with their families. Basically, the whole of the capital city was bustling with benign activity.

With one lone exception.

Although the town itself was very much crowded with vacationers and natives, the castle was relatively empty. Around half of the Royal Guard had been given the day off. The other half would be given the following day off, but for the present, they were all on-duty. However, there were not enough of them to cover the entire castle with the normal level of security they used. Since they were spread so thin, they had to close off certain sections of the castle and classify them as restricted until further notice. They would remain closed down until the Summer Sun Celebration ended.

On a normal day, at least fifteen of the Royal Guard patrolled every section of the castle. In the ten restricted sections, there were only four guards apiece. All forty of them had been instructed to closely monitor any and all signs of motion throughout the hallways. It was already the early afternoon and as far as they could tell, nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

One of these restricted sections included the Starswirl the Bearded Wing. Two of the guards in that section were posted near the entrance to that secret chamber. One of them was stationary; the other was pacing through the adjoining hallways.

So far, the pacing guard had passed by the stationary guard six times in the past two hours. It took him five minutes to pass through each of the four corridors surrounding the Wing; twenty minutes altogether. That was twenty minutes down to the second. His immobile partner would know; he had timed him just for fun. Sure enough, one of his rotations around the Wing took exactly twenty minutes.

However, the stationary guard was beginning to think he had lost track of time. Because unless he had miscounted, it had been twenty-six minutes since he had last seen his partner. He was six minutes overdue, soon to be seven in a few seconds. That struck him as rather odd. He knew his partner very well; he was not one to idle or deviate from his routine. At least not without checking in first. If he had spotted anything abnormal and chosen to engage it, he would have sounded the alarm first.

After waiting for another three minutes, the motionless guard decided he had waited long enough. Somepony had to take action. Since the other two guards in this section were over a hundred yards away, he took it upon himself to investigate.

He stepped away from the entrance to the Wing and trotted down the corridor. When he arrived at the end of it, he made a right turn and proceeded down the next corridor. Unlike the previous passage, there were no windows in this one, so it was covered in almost complete darkness. The guard had to squint his eyes to see clearly in front of him.

Just before he reached the end of the corridor, he stumbled over something. Something rather large and rough. The guard paused to examine the object. After a moment, he noticed something perplexing: the object appeared to be moving. It also seemed to be emanating a very soft airstream sound, almost as if it was respiring. The guard used his horn to conjure up a beam of light and he directed it towards the object on the ground. It took him less than a moment to realize what, or rather who, it was. When he did, he jumped back in alarm.

His partner was lying sprawled out on the ground. His eyes were closed and he had a huge abrasion on his forehead, as if someone had struck him there with a blunt instrument. He was not dead, but he was definitely unconscious; somebody had knocked him out cold. The other guard was so preoccupied by the sight of his defeated associate that he did not even hear the sound of very light hoofsteps coming up behind him.

The guard was about to run off to warn his colleagues. But before he could so much as turn around, he was seized from behind by a figure. Despite his alarm at this sudden burst of activity, the guard had been trained to deal with these situations. He reached behind himself and attempted to grip his attacker by the neck. Unfortunately for him, the attacker had expected him to resist. With his left front leg, he took ahold of the guard's free front leg. Then he wrapped his right front leg around the guard's neck. Once he had a firm grip, he pulled back hard. The guard put up a valiant struggle, but his assailant had the upper hoof on him. No matter how hard the guard tried to resist, his attacker would not relent.

After about thirty seconds, the guard succumbed to a lack of oxygen and passed out. When the shadowy figure noticed he was out, he released his grip and carefully lowered the stallion to the ground. After this, he turned around and headed to the end of the corridor. He moved very quickly, but he was so nimble and stealthy that he barely made any noise at all.

When he arrived at the end of the hallway, he peaked his head out and looked in both directions. After ascertaining that the coast was clear, he turned to the right and sprinted down the next corridor. There were no candles in any of these hallways, but there was one window. The figure ran directly past it, and a small amount of light shined over him for a fraction of a second. Anyone who looked through the window at just the right moment would have gotten a good glimpse of him, and they would have been able to tell three things about him. For one, he was completely covered in black. He had a black vest, a black jacket, black pants, black boots, and a black mask. He also wore a black saddle bag and a black belt with an assortment of tools. However, this was the least interesting of his three notable aspects. The other two were far more intriguing, especially when put together. There were two parts of his body – aside from his eyes – that were not covered in black. One was his forehead, and the other was his back. This was because he had a horn on the former, and a pair of wings on the latter. He was an Alicorn.

He ran for a few dozen more meters, and once he entered the next restricted section of the castle, he halted. He quietly backed up against a wall and removed a scroll from his saddle bag. He unrolled the scroll, and then he used his horn to conjure up a bit of light. He held the paper close to his eyes so that he could examine its contents.

It was a roster of the guards who were on duty in the restricted sections during the afternoon. There were check marks next to the first twenty-three names. The Alicorn took a small pen from his belt and used it to place a check mark next to the twenty-fourth name. Then he put the pen away, rolled the scroll back up, and extinguished his light. As he put the scroll back into his saddle bag, he whispered to himself with a note of satisfaction "Twenty-four down, sixteen to go."

He was referring to the forty members of the Royal Guard who were scattered throughout the ten restricted sections. So far, he had already disabled two dozen of them, meaning he had cleared out six whole sections without compromising his cover. He just needed to clear out four more sections and his objective would be accomplished.

"Next stop, the Astronomy Wing," he elected.

The following section was not as large as the Starswirl the Bearded Wing, but it was quite a bit more precarious. The Alicorn felt it would be wise to get to a higher position before he went on any further. He spread his wings and began robustly beating them. Then he gradually elevated into the air until he covered about two-thirds of the distance between the floor and the ceiling. Then he flew on silently towards the next section.

When he arrived there, he quickly spotted one of this section's guards near the base of a staircase. Throwing caution to his movements, he hovered overhead for a few seconds and concentrated on the ground. Then without any warning whatsoever, he dived towards the guard with impressive speed. It took the Alicorn less than five seconds to take ahold of the guard, swiftly knock him out, and land steadily on the ground.

He spent a minute studying his new surroundings, and he soon noticed something odd. He commented quietly "Hmmm… this is strange. Why would he be stationed down here in the first place? There are plenty of good lookout spots in this Wing, but this is definitely not one of them. You can barely see anything from here."

He was in fact correct. From the base of the staircase, very little was visible from any angle. However, from the platform at the top of the staircase, one could clearly discern everything on the ground below. This included the base itself.

At this time, another of this section's guards had arrived at this platform. He spent a few seconds looking around in various directions, and eventually, he happened to gaze straight down. Despite the fact that the ground floor was covered in almost complete darkness, he could clearly tell that his colleague was down there. After looking a little closer, he also noticed that his comrade was not alone.

"You there, halt!" the guard bellowed.

The Alicorn immediately shifted his focus upward. The guard at the top of the staircase had already stared descending the staircase. The figure in black did not panic; he merely uttered under his breath in agitation "I should've known it wouldn't be this easy."

He had hoped to get through his mission whilst remaining totally undetected, but apparently that was no longer an option. However, he did not allow this unforeseen complication to worry him. He would simply adapt to any and all new difficulties. At this moment, he had two options: to engage the guard in combat, or to flee from the scene. He knew how the guards worked; if he started running from one of them, the guard would not break off pursuit until he caught the intruder. Unfortunately, the Alicorn did not feel that his other option was not much more appealing. If he stayed around to fight the guard off, he would risk creating too much noise and alerting the other guards in the vicinity.

He had to pick between his two options very soon, though; the guard would be upon him in less than half-a minute. Ten seconds later, he made his decision. He had not retracted his wings just yet, so he figured he may as well use them. He ascended into the air with great speed and intercepted the guard before he was even halfway down the stairwell. The guard attempted to overpower him, but the Alicorn was ready to deal with some resistance. After a few seconds, he slammed the guard against the wall and struck him across the neck. The effect was instantaneous; he knocked the guard out cold.

Unfortunately, as the Alicorn had anticipated, the struggle had generated quite a bit of noise. In the distance, he could hear voices. They were barely audible at first, but before long, he could discern certain phrases such as "What was that?" "Someone's being attacked!" "Sound the alarm!" "Shut this section down! Now!" From his position in the center of the staircase, he could tell that the voices were getting progressively closer to where he was.

"Dammit," the Alicorn muttered.

Although there were only two more guards in this section, it would not be long before reinforcements arrived. Once that happened, he would not be able to take on all of them by himself. He had no choice but to bolt from the scene before they spotted him.

He rose back into the air and ascended to the top of the staircase. Once he reached it, he alighted onto the platform and took off galloping down the corridor. Although he now felt a little anxious and tentative, he did not lose his composure. He made certain that his hoofsteps did not echo throughout the corridor, and he restricted his route to the shadows. Unfortunately, he could hear the faint sound of the hoofsteps approaching him from behind. The guards must have been on his trail.

Before long, he had entered the next restricted section. Shortly after this, he heard more hoofsteps, but these ones seemed to originate from somewhere in front of him. The figure in black quickly concluded that the guards in the Astronomy Wing must have already alerted the guards in the other sections, and now they were trying to create a perimeter to keep him contained. The hoofsteps sounded far away from him, but based on their gradually increasing volume and depth, they were coming at him fast.

The Alicorn quickly gathered that the guards were closing in on him from both directions. He might have had a chance of successfully eluding the guards for a while if he continued running, but eventually, he would be forced to enter a direct confrontation with them. The longer the chase lasted, the more likely that that would happen. His only other option was to hide. Although he did not like lingering in any one spot for too long, he figured it would be easier to devise another strategy if he did not have to concentrate on navigating through the castle's hallways as well. Of course, even if he did manage to disappear, the guards would keep searching for him until they found him or until they were convinced he was no longer in the castle.

After weighing the pros and cons of either option, the figure in black decided it would be a better idea to find a secure place to lay low. He stopped running and began looking all around the area for anything that could serve as a temporary refuge. Soon, he spotted an opening in the space between two suits of armor. He ambled over to the opening and peered into it. It was a little narrow, but it was wide enough to accommodate him.

He turned around so that he had his back to the opening and he slowly backed into it. He wanted to remain facing the corridor so that he could directly watch out for the guards. He walked backwards until he was about three meters in. Then he stopped and waited. Thirty seconds later, the guards from this section passed by the opening. None of them seemed to pay it any mind. The Alicorn listened as their hoofsteps grew fainter. However, he soon heard another bunch of hoofsteps approaching from the opposite direction. Twenty more seconds later, all the hoofsteps ceased at once. Apparently, the guards from the previous section had encountered the guards in this section.

"Did you see him?" one of them demanded.

"No, did you?" retorted another.

"Nope, other than us, this hallway is empty," a third declared.

"Where in Tartarus is he?" snapped another one.

"He should have been right here," another one proclaimed, "There's nowhere he could have gone. Nowhere."

"Well, spread out and find him!" the highest-ranking officer ordered the others, "Level this entire section if you have to!"

"Yes, sir!" the others acknowledged.

The Alicorn managed to overhear all these remarks. He took the last one as his cue to move on. He gazed over his left shoulder and his right shoulder, and he discovered that the opening was much deeper than he believed it to be. From his stance, the rest of the passage appeared to be totally clear.

He kept his gaze concentrated on the entrance to the passage and slowly backed further into it. Occasionally, he glanced over one or both of his shoulders to make certain he was in the clear, and every time, he confirmed that he was alone. Every now and then, one of the guards ran by the opening, but each of them seemed to ignore it completely. This struck him as a little bizarre. Their commander had instructed them to search everywhere in that section. He figured that one of them had to be observant enough to notice the passage.

Ultimately, he chose not to question his luck. It probably would have been wise if he had done so.

The Alicorn predicted that the passage had another entrance. Turns out it did. The passageway ran all the way into the next section. When he approached it, he gazed over his shoulder again. It appeared that nopony was there. However, because his wings were still expanded, they were blocking his line of sight. Somepony was standing directly in the center of the entrance, as if he was waiting for him. Like the Alicorn, he was also covered in shadow. Anyone standing by the stallion would only be able to determine two things about him: he was a Unicorn, and he clutched an object in his right front hoof.

When the figure in black reached the entrance, the second figure grabbed him from behind. Before the Alicorn had time to shake off his attacker, his attacker wrapped his left front leg around his upper body. Immediately after, he raised the object in his right front hoof up to the Alicorn's throat. The winged-and-horned stallion quickly realized that the object was a small knife.

"Not another move," the Unicorn warned him sternly, "You try anything and there will be blood. You understand that?"

The Alicorn was rather stunned that he had been caught off his guard. He managed to coax out "Yes… yes, alright. I understand. Who are you? One of the Royal Guard?"

"Unfortunately, no," the other stallion scornfully replied, "Unfortunate for you, I mean. I'm much, much worse than them. You see, the Royal Guard adhere to certain standards. They'd go to great length to capture you alive and unblemished. I, on the other hoof, have no problem with using more extreme methods to deal with intruders."

The Alicorn tentatively inquired "What do you mean by 'extreme?'"

The Unicorn grinned wickedly and raised his knife slightly. Then he stated "You see this fine piece of metal? It's one of my favorite 'tools.' Portable, durable, and very light. Its size and structure makes it ideal for this kind of work. You probably don't think I could inflict a great deal of damage with such a small blade, but trust me, I can."

"What are you going to do?" the figure in black apprehensively asked his attacker.

The Unicorn placed his knife back against the front of the Alicorn's neck and informed him "First, I'm going to make a shallow incision along the right side of your throat. Then I'll do the same on the left side. That alone could make you bleed out within five minutes. But I'm not stopping there. Oh, no; I'm just getting started. It just so happens that the tendons that connect your head to your shoulders are located in three distinctive places along your neck. Those are two of them. The third is right here."

When he said this last remark, he brought his knife around and placed it against the back of the Alicorn's throat. Then he went on: "After I've scored the sides of your neck, I'll plunge my weapon directly into the back of your neck. Then I'll dig in until I've cut through the top of your backbone. With those three simple moves, I could decapitate you."

The Alicorn took in everything the assailant told him. To say it made him feel uncomfortable would be an understatement. He was left speechless by these ruthless, ominous threats. There was no doubt in his mind that his attacker meant business.

"Now I don't want to do that to you," the assailant claimed, "But if you do not capitulate, I will."

"Alright, alright, I understand," the Alicorn declared, "What are your demands?"

"What happens next is your choice," the stallion told him, "So, tell me, what's the logical thing to do here? Are you going to surrender and keep your head? Or are you going to assume that I'm bluffing and risk finding out the hard way that I'm not?

The Alicorn did not answer straightaway. Initially, he was hoping to find another way out of this situation. He quickly recalled that the Royal Guard were still searching for him. If they happened to come across the pair, they would certainly want to arrest him, but they would not let the attacker harm a hair on his mane. That would even give him an opportunity to escape. After a few seconds of silence, he thought aloud "How about you give me some time to think?"

"So that my colleagues can find us?" the assailant presumed, "You can shake off that idea. I've given them orders to stay away from this area until I say otherwise. It's just you and me. You want time? You've got three seconds. Three, two, one… Okay, time's up. Do you give up or not?"

If he had any time, even fifteen seconds' worth, the Alicorn would have tried to think up another way out of this disaster. But the knife-wielder wanted a response and he wanted it now. So reluctantly, he chose to give in. The Alicorn dropped his tense façade and remarked drily "Fine, you win."

He did not sound nervous or agitated. Instead, he sounded rather disappointed. He was.

The Unicorn, however, was rather pleased. Almost immediately, he released his grip on the Alicorn, lowered his weapon, and smirked. Then he stated casually "Smart choice, Your Highness."

"Well, I know better than to screw with you, SIG," the Alicorn remarked, turning around to face the other stallion, "Especially since I know how proficient you really are with a knife."

"Yeah, if there's one thing I know, it's knives," the Unicorn commented.

"As well as how to scare the living daylights out of people," the Alicorn added in as he retracted his wings, "For a second or two there, I thought you were actually going to chop my head off if I didn't yield."

"I wouldn't dare do that," the Unicorn assured him, "I'd never harm you, sir. Never. Surely you know me well enough by now to be certain of that."

"I know you wouldn't, SIG," said the Alicorn, "But still, you sounded as though you meant serious freakin' business when you went into graphic detail about how to decapitate a pony."

"I apologize if I startled you, Your Highness," the Unicorn affirmed, "But I had to sound authentic so that you would take my threat seriously. An actual hostile would have spared you the description of what he planned to do and just gone ahead and done it."

"Well, in that case, it's a good thing there aren't any 'real' hostiles here today," the Alicorn observed.

"Speaking of which, the others are still waiting on us," the Unicorn realized. He sheathed his knife into a belt he wore around his waist. Then he turned out into the hallway and called out "Okay, everypony, stand down! Training session's over! Get the lights on!"

From the end of the corridor, a gruff voice pronounced "You heard him; lights on, people!"

Over the next few minutes, a great deal of natural and artificial light filled the corridors in all ten of the restricted sections. Once the area was fully illuminated, the Alicorn and the Unicorn proceeded down the hallway. The Unicorn was a middle-aged stallion with a pine green coat, an orange mane, and teal eyes. His cutie mark was a golden shield with a pair of silver swords crossing over it. His name was SIG Sauer. He was one of the best combat personnel in the whole of Equestria. He had a prolific career in the army, the Royal Guard, and several intelligence agencies. Although he no longer worked for any of these organizations, he was employed by the Canterlot Royalty in various capacities. Currently, he was functioning as the head recruits trainer. He supervised all the drills and programs for all the advanced military units when they were working out.

Before long, they had regrouped with the members of the Royal Guard that had been stationed in the restricted sections. All forty of these stallions had volunteered to be part of the drill. This "intruder" fiasco was all part of an elaborate test designed to hone their abilities to remain vigilant and ready to react. However, the person who was supposed to get the most out of the drill was the figure in black.

SIG Sauer turned to the Alicorn and noticed that he was still wearing his entire disguise, including his headgear. He stated informally "Sir, since the lights are on, you can your mask off now."

"Oh, right," noted the Alicorn as he brought his front hooves up to the bottom of his mask. As he gripped the edges of the mask and pulled it up over his head, he perceived "I've had it on for so long that I almost forgot I was wearing it."

"I know the feeling," SIG informed him, "The longer you have it on, the more it feels like it's imbedded into your skin. I've carried out a few operations where I've had to wear a mask for a lot longer than a few hours. I've even gone as long as almost two full days wearing one."

"That's lovely, SIG," stated the Alicorn wryly. By this point, he had fully removed his mask. Everypony in the room could see his face now. He was a young stallion in his mid-twenties. He had a gold coat, a maroon mane, and silver eyes. Although he was an Alicorn, he was about the same height as the average member of the Royal Guard. He was Princess Celestia's son, Prince Bronze Star.

Bronze Star was as respected and adored as his mother by all the people in the land, especially the soldiers. Although he was not officially a recognized member of the Equestrian military, he played a role in most matters pertaining to national security and defense. He had a seat on his mother's Council, which was by no means a ceremonial position. He had most certainly earned his place there.

Ever since he was fifteen, he had been trained by SIG Sauer in many different tactics. He was well-versed in stealth, melee, defense spells, attack spells, hoof-to-hoof combat, martial arts, and several other fields. Ten years of devout soldierly training had certainly paid off. He was one of the most dexterous and prominent combatants in all of Equestria. He had even been given control of a Special Ops team called the Firebrand Regiment, which, in his opinion, was the finest private military group anypony had ever seen.

"How is it you're always the one that gets him, SIG?" one of the Royal Guard queried.

"Fine luck on my part, I presume, Hammer Shaft," the pine green stallion speculated.

Bronze Star rolled his eyes and cheekily said "Sure, SIG. From what I recall, you've consistently maintained that there is no such thing as luck."

"In the field, no," SIG Sauer declared, "During an exercise, perhaps. After all, while anything is liable to happen during an actual mission, everything that takes place during a drill is within your control to some degree."

"A fine argument," Bronze Star concurred, "It's especially true in my case, when you cannot afford to rely on anypony but yourself."

"On that note, how many of our colleagues did you manage to incapacitate this time, Your Highness?" asked another guard.

"Officially, twenty-four," Bronze Star declared, "The last section I totally cleared out was the Starswirl the Bearded Wing. I took out two more in the Astronomy Wing, but my cover was compromised shortly after that. So I suppose those two technically don't count."

"Still, two dozen is quite impressive," a third guard complimented him.

"I think that's a new record for you, sir," a fourth party noted.

"I think you're right, Stone Cracker," the Alicorn Prince coincided, "I myself am rather pleased with how much I've improved. We've been doing this once a year for the past ten years, and this is probably the first time I've managed to take out more than half of the forty units stationed down here."

"At the very least, it's a significant improvement on the very first drill," SIG Sauer wittily remarked.

"You mean the one where I was unable to take out a single guard before I was caught?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Yes, that's the one," SIG affirmed, "But to be fair, you were only fifteen at the time, and you were still in the preliminary stages of stealth and hoof-to-hoof combat."

"All the same, ten Summer Sun Celebrations have passed since then, and I still cannot best you, SIG," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Nopony's perfect, Your Highness," the middle-aged stallion reminded his leader.

"We should probably go and revive our coworkers," Stone Cracker proposed.

"Excellent suggestion," Hammer Shaft agreed, "Can't let them sleep on the job."

"I didn't hide them after I knocked them out, so they shouldn't be too hard to locate," Bronze Star informed them. He reached back into his saddle bag and pulled out the roster of the guards on duty in the restricted section. Then he handed it to Hammer Shaft and told him "Anypony who has a check mark next to their name is one of the twenty-four I managed to disable. Since the list also includes where they were stationed, it might make your search a little easier. There's also two more along that large spiral staircase in the Astronomy Wing."

"I'm surprised you decided to start on the section that was furthest in, sir," Stone Cracker observed as he examined the list over Hammer Shaft's shoulder "My group and I were positioned there, and we were expected you to arrive there hours ago."

"What would the point be if I started in the most obvious place?" Bronze Star countered, "That's my one of my newest policies; when operating under a stealthy approach, you should strike from the most unlikely angle. That way, the element of surprise is on your side."

"No wonder you managed to evade us for so long," commented another guard, "You really have a knack for keep a low profile."

"As somepony who's rarely ever been out of Canterlot, I'm inclined to agree," the prince wittily remarked.

Before long, the stallions heard two pairs of hoofsteps approaching from one of the adjoining hallways. Another of the Royal Guard was soon upon them. He gazed around at his colleagues and asked them "Is the prince down here?"

"Right here, Blade Bearer," the gold Alicorn replied.

"Ah, good to see you, sire," the guard approached Bronze Star and bowed his head for a moment. Then he brought it back up and notified him "Your mother has requested an audience with you."

"About what?" enquired the prince.

"She would not say," Blade Bearer responded, "All she told me was to have you come up to the throne room as soon as you were finished with the drill. Since the lights are now on in the restricted sections, I assume that you are."

"You are correct," the Alicorn confirmed. He turned to his trainer and the other officers of the Royal Guard and declared "SIG, you're with me. I presume the rest of you guys can wrap everything up here without me."

"We'll get right to work, sir," stated Hammer Shaft as he looked down at the roster in his right front hoof. He announced "The Astronomy Wing is the closest section; we'll start there."

Hammer Shaft, Stone Cracker, and all the other guards except Blade Bearer left the vicinity to go seek out their unconscious colleagues. They predicted that most of them would have a concussion or an unpleasant headache, but Bronze Star had been careful not to inflict too much damage onto any of them.

A minute later, Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, and Blade Bearer were left alone. The Alicorn Prince looked down at his entirely black garb for a few moments, and then he thought aloud "I should probably change my attire before I speak with my mother. Let's swing by the locker room first."

SIG Sauer and Blade Bearer agreed to this suggestion. The three stallions trotted through the corridors and navigated their way to a stairwell in the next section. After going up two flights of steps, they stepped off the stairwell and proceeded down another hallway. They stopped outside of a door labeled "Trainee Locker Room."

SIG Sauer turned to the Royal Guard and stated "Blade Bearer, would you mind waiting out here? I would like a moment in private with the prince."

"Very well, sir," the armor-clad stallion approved, "I'll be right outside this door if you need me."

Blade Bearer posted himself to the side of the door and stood his ground there. At the same time, Bronze Star pushed open the door to the locker room and held it ajar for his trainer to pass through. Once both stallions were inside, the Alicorn released the door and let it close on its own. Then he went over to one of the lockers in the center of the room. He opened it, tossed his mask inside, and removed a towel. As he wiped away the sweat from his face and mane, he announced to SIG Sauer "I think I'll take a quick shower before I put on my formal apparel."

"Go right ahead, sir," SIG Sauer perceived, "Wouldn't look good if you appeared in front of your mother drenched in sweat, after all."

"Yeah, no kidding," Bronze Star commented. He swiftly went to work getting undressed. In this order, he removed his saddle bag, his boots, his jacket, his vest, and his pants. After removing the last article of clothing, one could clearly see that his cutie mark was a cluster of large yellow stars outlined in black and grey. They were arranged in a particular pattern, as if they formed a constellation.

Bronze Star took out a gym bag from the locker, stuffed his workout clothes into the bag, and placed the bag back into his locker. Next, he wiped a few clammy locks of his mane out of his eyes, stepped into one of the shower stalls, and used his horn to activate the valve. His magic aura was silver, as his irises were the same color. Warm, clear water started flowing from the nozzle and onto Bronze Star's head and body. As the Alicorn washed himself, he called out to his trainer "So, what did you want to discuss?"

"First off, how come you didn't just teleport out that passage when you were surrounded?" stated SIG Sauer, "You've proven to be a master at disappearing and reappearing."

"Is that a serious question, SIG?" the Alicorn audaciously remarked, "You know as well as I do that teleporting in or out of the castle without my mother's authorization is strictly prohibited."

"I would have thought she'd make an exception for you," SIG Sauer conjectured

"If I asked for an exception, she might grant it," Bronze Star admitted, "But I don't see any especial need for one when I've already got a pair of wings and four hooves to get me around the place. Besides, where's the fun in taking the easy way out?"

"I appreciate your optimism and your sense of thrill, sir," the Unicorn assured him, "However, taking the 'easy way out' would have spared you that unpleasant encounter with me at the end of the passage."

"I guess I can't dispute that," Bronze Star coincided, "Hammer Shaft did raise a good point, though. I find it peculiar that it's always you who gets me. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Probably because I've know your weakness since you first started training," SIG speculated, "It's always the exact same thing, even though I have incessantly advised you to improve upon it. As you may recall, I was standing directly behind you when you reached the end of the passage, but when you looked over your shoulders, you failed to notice me. Remember, Your Majesty, if you cannot see everything around you, you have no chance of navigating through a solo operation. You have to account for your blind spots."

"That's much easier for you to accomplish," Bronze Star declared, "You don't have a pair of wings obstructing your peripheral vision."

"True, but the Pegasi on my detail have learned to work around that hindrance," SIG Sauer apprised him, "Doing that is easier than you may think; all you have to do is keep them folded while you are moving on the ground. That way you'll be able to see clearly out of the corners of your eyes."

"What if I have to make a quick getaway and teleporting isn't an option?" the Alicorn theorized.

"Then keep your wings folded, but be ready to expand them and take to the air at a moment's notice," the Unicorn recommended, "My operatives need only a couple seconds of reaction time to accomplish this feat. This should be even simpler for you."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," Bronze Star assured his trainer. He switched off the water, stepped out of the stall, and grabbed another towel from a nearby rack. As he dried himself off, he turned to SIG Sauer and observed "You really take these things seriously, don't you?"

"I certainly do," the Unicorn confirmed, nodding his head, "As should you, sir. Anytime you have an opportunity to hone your skills, you should use it."

"I'll remember that, too," Bronze Star assured him. Once he was totally dry, he hanged his towel up on a rack and walked back over to his locker. There he removed a vest, two pairs of soft shoes, and a crown. All six of these items were etched in silver and jade, and the crown held a lime green amethyst in its center.

Bronze Star began by slipping on the shoes. As he fastened them onto his hooves, he thought aloud "I assume you there is something else you'd like to tell me other than some instruction on how to better my flaws? A top-secret intelligence report, perhaps?"

"Actually, yes," SIG Sauer disclosed, "How did you guess?"

"You asked Blade Bearer to wait outside the room," Bronze Star pointed out, "You wouldn't have done that unless you had something to share with me that's supposed to remain confidential."

SIG Sauer lightly nodded, and then he smirked and remarked "You're rather perceptive, sir."

"I have to be, considering how busy I am," Bronze Star responded. After he got his shoes on, he picked up his vest and slid it over his head. Once he straightened it out, he looked over at his trainer and queried "So, what do you have for me?"

SIG Sauer walked over to another locker, opened it, and removed a file from it. He held it out to his protégé and informed him "What you're about to read arrived just last night. It's been in our possession for less than sixteen hours. In the time since then, we've had the information sourced. Its authenticity has been verified by our top five intelligence agencies."

"Does it concern that suspect we've had our eyes on?" Bronze Star presumed as he received the file into his front hooves.

"If you mean Material Study, then yes," SIG Sauer answered, ""We've also uncovered strong evidence which seems to confirm your theory that he's not acting alone."

Bronze Star opened the file and began flipping through it. It contained pictures of a light blue stallion with an orange mane and a notable amount of facial hair. The entire file was centered on this stallion. As Bronze Star studied the contents of the file, SIG Sauer continued to debrief him: "In the past three months, he has been through Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, and Balitmare. He's bought cartloads of minerals, isotopes, and lab equipment from ten different stores in those towns. At first glance, he just appears to be a professor or a scientist staying in the cities to do some experiments. However, we've also got copies of his hotel records. According to the log books, he's had at least one guest visit each him at each of his suites. We've run background checks on them, and most of them turned up with nothing. However, the last person who paid him a visit was a mare named Lavender Dazzle, who – it just so happens – is also on our watch list."

"Any idea what their meeting was about?" asked Bronze Star as he continued looking through the file.

"Nothing firsthand, but we're fairly confident it must have something to do with all the chemicals he's been purchasing," SIG Sauer conjectured, "Dr. Material Study is a very renowned specialist in his field, but he's not rich enough to afford all those special commodities."

"So somepony else must be providing him with his finances," Bronze Star hypothesized.

"That's my theory, too," SIG Sauer professed, "At this point, we're not certain if he's directly connected with Lavender Dazzle's work, or if he's just in it for profit. Until we know which, we're going to assume that his level of involvement is as vast as we originally believed it to be."

"Any idea what Material Study's next move might be?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Yes, one of our undercover operatives managed to swipe a copy of his personal itinerary off of him when he left Baltimare," SIG Sauer apprised him, "He'll be arriving in Hoofington in fifteen days, apparently to do some more shopping and rendezvous with a few more contacts. However, immediately after that, he'll be coming straight here. His schedule did not specify what he would be doing here, but we can draw up several reasonable ideas."

Bronze Star nodded his head in acknowledgement, closed the file, and looked back up at SIG Sauer. Then he asked him "What would you recommend we do?"

"Until we can declare otherwise, we should treat Material Study as a hostile of malicious intent," SIG Sauer proposed, "We cannot allow him to set hoof in Canterlot. Our best course of action would be to catch him while he's in Hoofington. Then we can get him to talk. We'll learn firsthoof what he's up to."

"Who would be running the operation to pick up Material Study?" inquired Bronze Star.

"That would be my team, sir," SIG Sauer replied, "We've already got the entire procedure planned out, and we've got backup strategies at the ready in case the first one goes south. We've spared no detail in these plans. All we need is your sanction to go ahead with them."

"In any case, you have it," the gold stallion informed him, "How soon can you have your platoon assembled?"

"All my units are already in the capital," stated the pine green stallion "I've instructed them to remain in the city in case of an emergency. That way I'd be able to gather them and prep them for anything at a moment's notice. Even if we started preparing for the operation, we'll need a few days to make all the necessary arrangements. But in any event, we'll be ready long before Material Study arrives in Hoofington."

In addition to being Bronze Star's personal combat trainer, SIG Sauer was also the leader of the aforementioned Firebrand Regiment, the squad that answered directly to the young prince. Bronze Star had appointed SIG Sauer to that position himself. He had very good reason to. After ten years of comprehensive and earnest training, Bronze Star had developed a type of special bond with the ex-military officer. Other than his mother and a few members of her staff, there was nopony in all of Equestria that the young prince trusted more.

"We can discuss this matter in further detail later on," Bronze Star decided, handing the file back to his trainer, "For now, my mother is waiting on me."

"Sounds fine to me," SIG Sauer concurred.

Bronze Star turned to the door of the room and was about to leave, but SIG Sauer hastily told him "Don't forget your crown, sir."

"Oh, yes; silly me," Bronze Star quickly remembered. He turned around to pick up his crown, but SIG Sauer had already picked it up for him. The Unicorn used his teal magic aura to lift the crown up into the air and gracefully place it on the top of the Alicorn's head. Bronze Star simply scoffed and said "Thanks, SIG."

"Anytime, sir," was all SIG Sauer said in response.

The two stallions then departed from the locker room, and Blade Bearer began leading them to the throne room. For the present, Bronze Star was no longer functioning as a soldier. Now, he was reassuming a much larger role as one of Canterlot's leaders.

> A New Challenge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Castle was massive. It had been the largest building in Equestria for almost a thousand years. Its architects had spent three years just to design the blueprints, and the construction phase itself had occupied a timespan of five decades. While parts of the fortress had been renovated, augmented, or severed over the centuries, most of the original structure was still intact.

Due to its gargantuan size, it was easy for somepony to get lost in its labyrinth of hallways. At this time, Blade Bearer was leading SIG Sauer and Bronze from the locker room in the lower levels to the throne room in the upper levels. The quickest and most direct route required for the three stallions to navigate through at least fifty corridors and six flights of stairs.

Fortunately, none of the three stallions needed an escort. Most of the Royal Guard were very well-acquainted with the outline of the castle. Blade Bearer had been on the force for nine years, and although SIG Sauer no longer worked for them, he still had an impeccable memory of the castle's outline.

For Bronze Star, traversing through this path was even easier. He had been born in the castle, he had been raised in it, and he had lived in it for his entire life. He had been through every single hallway in the castle so many times that he had virtually memorized the whole layout. The only person who knew its layout better than Bronze Star was his mother. Considering how she had resided in the building for centuries, it was unlikely that Bronze Star's familiarity with the castle would ever surpass hers.

To Bronze Star, the most amusing part about the castle's massive size and its complex structure was its unpredictability. That is, you never knew who or what you were apt to come across at any time.

For instance, when Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, and Blade Bearer arrived on the floor of the throne room and turned around the corner of the wall next to the stairwell, they encountered a young female Unicorn. Her coat was lavender, her mane was violet with a pink stripe and a purple stripe down the center, and her eyes were light purple. Her cutie mark was a six-edged pink star. Bronze Star would recognize her anywhere, and vice versa.

She was Twilight Sparkle, one of his closest friends and his mother's personal apprentice.

"Good day, Twilight," the gold Alicorn greeted the lavender Unicorn.

"Oh, hi, Bronze," the magic student replied, smiling. She noticed the other two stallions and said "Oh, hello, SIG. Hello, Blade Bearer."

"Morning, Twilight," SIG Sauer acknowledged.

"Greetings, Miss Sparkle," stated Blade Bearer.

"Where are you gentlecolts headed to?" Twilight inquired.

"The throne room," Bronze Star informed her, "My mother just summoned me there."

"Really?" Twilight remarked, raising an eyebrow, "Small world; Spike just got a message from her. She beckoned me there, too. She didn't give me a reason why, though."

"She didn't tell me why she wanted to see Bronze Star, either," Blade Bearer informed her.

"Maybe it's for the same reason," SIG Sauer told the two younger ponies, "Otherwise she would have asked for you at different times."

"That's not an irrational assumption," Bronze Star concurred, "But rather than speculate on why she wants to see us, let's go ahead and see her."

"Good idea," Twilight Sparkle agreed to this proposal, "Mind if I accompany you?"

"Not at all," Bronze Star replied.

The mare joined up with the three stallions, and the four of them trotted down the next hallway. They moved in silence for a couple minutes. When they were about halfway between the stairwell and the throne room, Bronze Star broke the silence. He thought aloud "What do you suppose she will have to discuss with us?"

"It will probably be something that pertains to the Summer Sun Celebration," SIG Sauer theorized.

"Or she might wish for some input on a certain topic from ponies she trusts," Blade Bearer proposed.

"Whatever the reason, it must be very important for Celestia to involve both of us," Twilight Sparkle pointed out to the Alicorn.

Soon, the small group reached the throne room. There were two Unicorn stallions standing guard at the entrance. They stepped aside, used their magic to open up the doors, and allowed the four to enter.

With the possible exception of the ballroom, the throne room was the biggest room in the entire building. The two long walls were ornamented with dozens of stained-glass windows. While most of the windows were blank, the ones at the far end of the room were elaborately detailed. All of these windows were significant in that each one of them was meant to capture a specific event in the past. There was a great deal of history to be found in this hall, and the windows had been built in a way that they formed a straight timeline. You could say that the closer one got to the throne, the further back in time one went.

Since Celestia had witnessed all of these events, it would seem appropriate that her throne be positioned at the very end of the hall. She was sitting there right now, and three stallions were standing at the base of the throne. Two of them were Unicorns; they were members of the Royal Guards in armor. The third stallion was a very tall but thin Pegasus. He had a palomino coat, a white mane, and azure eyes. His cutie mark was a partly-unrolled white scroll with one word on it: Honor.

He was Bellerophon, Celestia's chief of staff and most reliable advisor. He was also Bronze Star's consultant in matters of politics and diplomacy, as well as one of the few ponies that the prince trusted as much as SIG Sauer. Some would say that Bronze Star was even closer to Bellerophon than he was to SIG Sauer. After all, while the prince had known his trainer for eleven years, he had known his mentor for as long as he could remember.

Bellerophon's predecessor was a mare named Righteous Decree. She had served as Celestia's chief of staff for forty-two years. She would have continued aiding her princess, but she had passed away during her forty-third year of service. Bronze Star never knew her; she had died shortly before his third birthday. However, whenever his mother brought up Righteous Decree, she always spoke of her with utmost respect.

After the period of mourning for Righteous Decree, Celestia had quickly busied herself with searching for somepony to replace her. Scores of ponies had applied for the position, and many of them had ample qualifications, but none of them met Celestia's expectations. Then Bellerophon arrived on the castle's doorstep. Almost immediately, she thought of him as a most interesting character. He had no prior experience working for the intelligence bureau, the military, or any other part of the government, but the counsel and insight he gave on every cultural aspect was phenomenal. Celestia doubted that she had ever met anyone so wise or intelligent. Which was saying something, as she had met several of the founders of modern theories of science. After having just one lone thirty-minute conversation with the palomino stallion, Celestia chose straightaway to hire him. Bellerophon had been faithfully serving her and her son ever since.

At this point in time, he was conversing with Celestia on a certain topic. This topic happened to involve the two young ponies who had just arrived in the room. When he noticed the lavender Unicorn and the gold Alicorn approaching them, Bellerophon pointed them out to the princess. Celestia smiled at their visitors and stated "I'm so pleased to see you both."

"Likewise, Your Highness," Twilight Sparkle humbly stated, bowing her head in reverence. Bronze Star bowed his head as well, even though he was under no obligation to do so. He simply preferred to show his mother the same respect everypony else did.

"Is everything alright, Mother?" inquired Bronze Star, "Blade Bearer mentioned that you wanted to discuss something with me. Twilight told me she got the same message through Spike. I can only assume that you want to speak to us about the same subject."

"You are correct, Bronze Star," Celestia confirmed her son's suspicions.

"Based on what Bronze told me, and based on your wording in the letter to me, whatever you have to tell us must be urgent," Twilight Sparkle discerned.

"It is urgent," Celestia affirmed, "But not in the way you may think. It's not a matter of national security. It has to do with the Summer Sun Celebration."

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were a little surprised to hear this. The latter raised an eyebrow and asked "What do you mean, Princess?"

"As you know, the Celebration takes place on the longest day of the year," Celestia went on "And while most of the festivities occur here in Canterlot, the actual ceremony is usually in another city."

"Sure we know that," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Last year it was in Appleosa. The year before that, Cloudsdale, and the year before that, Manehattan."

"This year, it will be in Ponyville," Celestia added in.

"Ponyville, huh?" remarked Twilight, "That's not very far from here. Only about fifty miles."

"I would say between fifty and sixty miles," Blade Bearer cut in.

"To be precise, approximately 55.4 miles," SIG Sauer corrected him. That was another one of his many accomplishments; he knew the exact distance between any two cities in the country.

"Okay, we're starting to get off-track here," Bronze Star bluntly stated, looking over his shoulder. He then turned back to his mother and requested "Please, go on, Mother. What were you saying?"

"It's come to my attention that you and Twilight Sparkle have almost never been outside of Canterlot," Celestia explicated, "And you've certainly never attended any of the Summer Sun Celebrations held outside the city."

"Well, with all due respect, we are well-aware of that," Twilight pointed out, "Neither Bronze nor I regret being unable to show up at those ceremonies. Staying here during them was our own choice."

"I know, and if this was any other year, I would not protest if you decided to remain in Canterlot again," Celestia informed her son and her apprentice, "However, this marks the 1000th anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration. If given the opportunity, nopony should have to forego appearing at the ceremony this year on such an auspicious occasion. Least of all, the two of you."

"Do you wish for us to come with you to Ponyville?" Bronze Star assumed.

"I would like for you to be at the ceremony with me," Celestia answered him, "But I would actually prefer it if you travelled to Ponyville before I did."

"What do you mean, Your Highness?" asked Twilight.

It was here that Bellerophon spoke for the first time. He responded for his ruler: "Every year, after Princess Celestia selects the location of the ceremony for the Summer Sun Celebration, she has a committee go to the town at least a day in advance. This committee is tasked with overseeing the preparations and ascertaining that everything and everypony stays on-track."

"Yes, I know of this," Bronze Star remarked, "Aren't you normally on the committee, Bellerophon?"

"Indeed he is," stated the white Alicorn mare, "My chief of staff always goes."

"How many other ponies are on this committee?" queried Twilight Sparkle.

"Typically, three," Celestia replied, "In addition to my chief of staff, I send along a security officer, a qualified inspector, and the town's ambassador, who is usually already there. However, Ponyville's ambassador retired last week, and I still have yet to appoint a new one. However, I have an idea for a temporary replacement."

"Who might that be?" asked Bronze Star.

Nopony gave an instant verbal response to the prince's question. At first, he was beginning to think that he would not get an answer. But within the next minute, he noticed something intriguing; his mother and his mentor were gazing directly at him and smirking a bit. It did not take long for him to put two and two together and realize that this was his answer. He uttered in slight confusion "Me?"

"I don't see why not," Princess Celestia debated, "After all, you have more than enough merits to apply for the position. You're very experienced in negotiation and public relations, you can defend yourself and your own, you take all your responsibilities seriously, and I know how much you've always wanted to visit another city."

"Well, I suppose I cannot deny any of that, Mother," Bronze Star admitted, "I'm honored that you think I'm so capable. I would happily accept your proposition. But there's just one… no, three small problems."

"What might they be?" asked Celestia.

"This, this, and this," Bronze Star replied, gesturing to his horn, wings, and crown respectively, "There's no telling how the residents of Ponyville – or any other town, for that matter – would react if a member of the Canterlot Royalty started representing them."

"I would imagine they would view it as an honor," Bellerophon observed, "If you're worried about making a good first impression, sir, I do not believe you would have any difficulty in that regard. You and your mother are respected by almost everypony in Equestria."

"I realize that, Bellerophon," said Bronze Star, "However, the people in this country have known my mother for centuries, as she visits all the cities regularly. I – on the other hoof – have never even been to any of the other provinces. One thing I like about Canterlot is how I'm able to walk the streets of the city without turning heads."

"How so?" inquired Princess Celestia.

"The people here respect me as more of an equal than a superior," Bronze Star specified, "I believe that's because they're accustomed to my presence. However, Ponyville and all the other towns are not. If I went to any one of those settlements, it would probably take some time for them to get used to me. The absolute last thing I'd like to do is draw attention to myself, even if it's cordiality and praise."

"I understand what you're saying, Bronze Star," Celestia assured her son, "Ever since I first ascended to power, I was faced with the same unconditional affection from everypony else. It was a little overwhelming, but I learned to adjust to it as time went on. Of course, I cannot expect you to get used to it in twelve hours."

"I think I may know a way to remedy this problem," Bellerophon thought aloud. Everypony turned to him and watched him, as if they expected him to continue. He did not announce his thoughts to all of them. Instead, he walked up the few steps at the base of the throne, leaned closer to Princess Celestia, and whispered into her ear. She listened intently and absorbed everything he said.

Once he was finished, she lightly shrugged and remarked "I suppose that might work."

"What did he say, Mother?" inquired Bronze Star.

"In his own words, Bellerophon suggested that we 'modify your façade to make you less conspicuous,'" Celestia explained. "His idea is that I could use my magic to help you blend in with the common people."

"How would you do that?" said the gold Alicorn.

"Well, I could employ an illusion spell to hide your horn or your wings, or both," Celestia informed him, "Since you're just a little taller than most ponies of your age, you should be able to pass yourself off as a Pegasus, a Unicorn, or an Earth Pony."

"That sounds like a fair idea," Bronze Star admitted, "However, isn't it possible for anypony within reaching distance to discover my horn or wings? Say for example, somepony may accidentally brush a hoof against my forehead or back. They would probably become inquisitive if it appeared as though I had an invisible appendage somewhere on my body."

"You wouldn't have to worry about that," Celestia assured her son, "My illusion spells do far more than simply cloak the targets. They also rearrange the targets' molecular composition so that they cannot be physically disturbed by anything they come in contact with. Essentially, the objects completely disappear, but they are still there at the same time."

Bronze Star spent a minute thinking about this proposal. Then he gazed up at his mother, nodded his head, and smirked in satisfaction, saying "Alright, Mother. These terms are suitable. You've got yourself an ambassador for Ponyville."

"Excellent," was all Celestia said. She was clearly very pleased that her son had accepted. After a few seconds of silence, she announced "Now we can move on to the next item of business for the committee. We'll be needing a qualified inspector. That is where you come in, Twilight."

The lavender Unicorn was mildly surprised to hear this. "Why me, Your Highness? Why not use somepony who is formally licensed to conduct this line of work?"

"Believe me, I considered sending a licensed superintendent at first," Celestia informed her student, "However, the purpose of the Celebration is to uphold the tradition and history of Equestria. Other than myself, I cannot think of a single pony who is more versed in the customs and cultures of our country than you. In addition to that, you pay admirable attention to detail, you never let tasks go undone, and I have no questions about your devotion to your work."

Twilight Sparkle was flattered to hear Princess Celestia list off her numerous capabilities. However, part of her was inclined to think that there was something more to this matter; something that Celestia had not yet revealed. After all, while Bronze Star had always possessed a desire to visit another city, Twilight Sparkle had never even shown any interest in leaving the capital city. It would make sense for him to be on the committee, but why her? This was especially odd when considering how just a couple hours earlier, Twilight had informed Celestia about a certain prophecy. Evidently, her ruler was not taking her warning seriously.

Despite her skepticism, Twilight Sparkle was not one to question her leader. She chose to look on the bright side. By going to a new town, it would be an opportunity for her to learn about the citizens and their way of life. This would allow her to increase her pool of knowledge. She also realized that if Celestia was confident that Twilight could handle the duties of the ceremony's inspector, then it probably would not take very long for her to carry out those tasks. She would still have plenty of time to investigate the legend of Nightmare Moon further.

Ultimately, Twilight Sparkle looked up at Celestia and told her "As you wish, Your Highness. You can count on me to do the job."

"I know I can, my faithful student," the white Alicorn remarked. There was silence for a few seconds, and then Celestia commented "Guess all we still need is a security officer."

SIG Sauer stepped forward, raised one of his front hooves, and declared "I'd like to volunteer for that position, Your Majesty."

Everypony in the throne room was surprised to hear this from the trainer, particularly Bronze Star. Princess Celestia focused on him and stated "I know I could trust you to get the job done, SIG Sauer. But aren't you a little… shall we say, overqualified for it?"

"I do not see it like that, ma'am," the green Unicorn elucidated, "I've been to Ponyville before. It's a relatively quiet and peaceful town. Unlike most other settlements, it has almost no police force. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem throughout the rest of the year, as crime is virtually nonexistent there. But anything could happen during the Summer Sun Celebration. This kind of scenario is not for amateurs or normal constables. You'll need somepony who's experienced in dealing with high-level threats. I have been involved in this line of work long enough that I can usually avert disasters before they even happen. Plus, I work exclusively for the Canterlot Royalty. Not to sound haughty, but I do believe I'm the most logical candidate for the position."

"No one is disputing your competence, SIG," Bronze Star disclosed, "Truthfully, there is nopony I would rather have by my side during a hostile situation than you. But are you certain you'd be able to properly focus, what with that other assignment you're working on?"

"What other assignment?" queried Bellerophon.

"Just some business outside of Canterlot," SIG Sauer replied to the chief of staff. Then he said to the prince "In answer to your question, sire, everything is under control. Even if I ordered my team to begin making preparations right now, it would be at least four days before they're ready to move. Aside from that, we have two whole weeks before the strike window opens. I'm quite certain that my subordinates can handle the arrangements without me. I can afford to take a day off to accompany you to Ponyville."

Bronze Star shrugged and thought aloud "I suppose that's all the assurance I need. What do you think, Mother?"

"I think we just filled the last open slot on the committee," Celestia answered cheerfully, "Now that we have covered everything of importance, you are all dismissed. The committee is scheduled to depart for Ponyville in approximately two hours. Bellerophon is already prepared to leave. I'd suggest the three of you quickly put together whatever necessities and supplies you'll need to spend the night in Ponyville."

"Will do," Twilight Sparkle acknowledged, "As soon as I get back to my suite, I'll have Spike start packing."

"I'll just need to acquire some equipment from my cabin and I'll be ready," SIG Sauer proclaimed.

"Packing will be simple for me, too," Bronze Star avowed, "But before I stop by my quarters, Mother, do you suppose you can go ahead and perform that spell to hide my horn and wings? If I'm going to appear in public with a bare forehead and a bare back, I want to get used to the sensation."

"Certainly, Bronze Star," Celestia remarked, "However, before I proceed, you should be aware that there is a downside to this spell. After I use it to conceal your horn and wings, you will not be able to use magic or fly. You will not even be able to feel them until I reverse the spell. Are you certain you'd be alright with that concept?"

Bronze Star needed a couple minutes to think about this prospect. Eventually, he told his mother "It would probably be difficult to adjust to the change, but yes; I do believe I can cope without my horn or wings. I mean, Earth Ponies have always managed to propser without magic or flight. There's no reason why I can't adapt to their level for a while. Besides, this won't be a long-term alteration. So, yes, Mother; I can accept those limitations."

"Very well; that is all I needed to hear," Celestia pronounced. She rose up from her throne, descended the steps at its base, and stood directly in front of her son. She instructed him "Close your eyes, stand absolutely still, and clear your mind. If this is to work, we must both be properly focused."

Bronze Star obeyed this command. He shut his eyes, froze in his stance, and rid his mind of any superfluous thoughts. Celestia did all this, as well. Twilight Sparkle, SIG Sauer, and Blade Bearer all took several steps backward to give the Alicorns some space. Bronze Star informed his mother "I'm ready."

After fifteen seconds of complete silence, a golden aura appeared on Celestia's horn. It started out miniscule and hazy, but it gradually grew in size and in brightness. When it was about the size of a soccer ball and as bright as a new flashlight, Celestia tilted her head forward. The magic aura instantly changed into two thin energy beams, and they flowed straight forward. One of them came in contact with Bronze Star's horn; the other came in contact with his wings. Once the energy beams had surrounded his horn and wings, they continued getting progressively larger and brighter.

Before long, the other ponies in the room had to cover their eyes and gaze away to avoid being blinded by the glow. Even then, its scope and radiance kept increasing. Soon, Bronze Star was totally enveloped in the energy beams and their hue was as white as Celestia's coat. There was a huge flash of light, and immediately after, the energy beams dissipated into nothingness.

Nopony opened their eyes for a good thirty seconds, including Bronze Star and Celestia. The gold stallion slowly raised his right front hoof up to the center of his forehead. Sure enough, it was bare. Also, he could feel a breeze across his back, which felt a few pounds lighter.

Bronze Star grinned and opened his eyes. He quickly noticed that everypony else had already opened theirs as well. They were all staring at him, as if they were intrigued by his new appearance. Celestia was merely pleased to see that the spell was a success. She anxiously asked him "How do you feel?"

"I'm a little disoriented, but my head's clearing up," he responded, "I'm just glad it worked. Thank you for it, Mother."

"My pleasure, Bronze Star," Celestia assured him, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

"Yes, just one more thing," the gold stallion apprised her, "Since I'm taking on a new appearance, we should probably invent a new identity for me as well. After all, disguising me physically will not be enough to convince anypony that I am not Royalty."

"Smart thinking, Your Highness," Bellerophon stated, "Only a few ponies know you by appearance, but virtually everypony in Equestria knows your name. Any preferences for a new one?"

"Off the top of my head, I think 'Gold Streak' would be a fine choice," Bronze Star professed.

"Seem appropriate enough," Twilight Sparkle commented, "I've always thought of your coat as more gold than bronze."

"Then I'll go with that," Bronze Star decided, "Now I just need a way to convince people that it actually is my name."

"You can leave that to me, Your Highness," Bellerophon announced, "As an ambassador, you'll need to have a few certain documents on-hoof to prove you are affiliated with the government. Since I'm the one who always oversees the manufacture and distribution of these documents, I can have a set of them created with the name 'Gold Streak' designated as the owner. The documents should take no longer than an hour to produce; they'll be ready by the time we leave for Ponyville."

"Alright, thanks, Bellerophon; I'll make sure to acquire them then," Bronze Star told the palomino Pegasus. He paused for a moment, and then he smirked at his mother and told her "I do believe everything has been resolved. I'll be upstairs getting ready for the committee's departure. I know I won't see you until the ceremony, but I'll still be thinking of you when I'm in Ponyville."

Celestia smiled at her son, leaned closer to him, and nuzzled her head against his now-smooth forehead. He happily accepted and returned the sign of affection. When they separated, she said "I'll be thinking of you, too."

With that, Bronze Star bid his mother farewell, turned around, and headed towards the exit of the throne room with Twilight Sparkle and SIG Sauer. On the way there, he took in a deep breath and let it out very slowly. He obviously had a lot on his mind at this time. He had always wanted to travel to another city, but he never imagined he would be going to one under a different identity. Although he had willingly accepted all this secrecy, he had a strange feeling that something might still go wrong. But this was not simply because he had chosen to hide his identity. It was also because he realized he would be entering what was basically uncharted territory as a stranger. As a member of the Canterlot Royalty, life in the castle made him feel welcomed and esteemed. He hoped he could somehow acquire that same feeling as an ordinary civilian in the town of Ponyville.

> Parting Ways
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and SIG Sauer went their own ways at the entrance of the throne room. Twilight headed for her suite, SIG Sauer travelled to his cabin, and Bronze Star proceeded towards his quarters.

As he trotted through the hallways, Bronze Star noted that several of the guards gave him odd looks. He could hardly blame them; this was the first time they had ever seen him without his wings and horn. However, he was not concerned that they would mistake him for an imposter. He was still dressed in his royal attire, and everything else about his appearance was the same, including his cutie mark. That was more than enough to ensure the guards that he was in fact their prince.

Fifteen minutes later, Bronze Star arrived at his room. He removed a key from his vest with his left front hoof and used it to unlock the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. After closing the door behind him, he quickly went to work packing.

"Alright, let's see here…" he muttered to himself, "What to bring, what to bring…"

According to his mother, he was only supposed to remain in Ponyville for a few days, if not just overnight. However, he always liked to be prepared, so he gathered up enough supplies to last him for a week. But even that was not very much. For a stallion who had everything in life given to him, Bronze Star actually managed to get by on very little. He preferred it that way, as he also believed in being conservative.

He knew he would not be needing a lot of apparel in Ponyville, as the majority of the citizens did not wear clothes on a regular basis. Bronze Star just took three outfits: one of his training uniforms, a business suit, and a set of casual garb. The shirts to these outfits all had two holes in the back where his wings would have been. Those would have to be patched up in the near future, but he decided to wait until he got to Ponyville to handle this.

For obvious reasons, he would not be bringing along his royal attire. He saw it ideal to change out of it while he was in his room. Once he had his other clothes assembled, he quickly got undressed. He placed the two pairs of soft shoes at the base of his bed, hung the vest on a hook on the wall to the side of his bed, and placed the crown on the nightstand next to his bed.

Other than clothing, Bronze Star did not have much more to pack. First, he went into the washroom and collected some toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste. Then he went back out into the main room and approached a desk on the wall opposite his bed. He gathered up some quills, ink, and parchment, as well as a clipboard and knapsack to hold them all. Next, he approached a chest near the balcony and acquired some bags of money and a belt of tools from it.

After this, he trotted over to a bookcase and removed three books. One was entitled A Traveler's Guide to Ponyville. Bronze Star felt this one could help him incorporate himself into the town. Another was called Legends Of Pre-Equestria Lore. This was one of his personal favorites. It was a compilation of many interesting myths and factual occurrences from an era in the distant past. The third one was labeled The Noble of the Horseshoes. This was another one Bronze Star always enjoyed; it was an epic tale of a band of ponies who came together to defeat a merciless dictator by destroying a horseshoe containing all his power. Originally, it had been released in three installments, but Bronze Star's version had all three in one volume.

Bronze Star carried all these objects over to his bed and set them down. Then he reached under his bed, pulled out a suitcase, placed it on top of the sheets, and opened it up. He then loaded all his supplies into the case, making sure to stuff it so that he would not waste any space. As it turned out, he managed to fit all his supplies into this one suitcase. He even had about an inch of room left on top. That gave him an idea to bring along one more thing.

He reached under one of the pillows on his bed and pulled out another key. Then he walked over to a cabinet next to his desk, used the key to unlock it, and slid it open. Inside were dozens of assorted folders. Bronze Star flipped through them until he found two particular files near the center. He removed these file, shut the cabinet, and locked it back up.

Bronze Star went back over to the bookcase, placed the key between one of the three new spaces in the shelves, and moved another book over it. He always hid this key in a new spot after he used it.

Then he trotted over to his suitcase, carefully placed the folders on top of the contents, shut the lid, and fastened the clasps.

Bronze Star was now finished with packing. All he had to do now was wait. There was still an hour and twenty minutes until the committee was supposed to leave.

Bronze Star spent most of this time pondering on how he would present himself to the residents of Ponyville. If he was going to be their ambassador for any length of time, he had to prove he was qualified for the position. He stood in front of the mirror and practiced saying things such as "Good morning, sir. My name is Gold Streak. I am the new ambassador to Ponyville. Pleasure to become acquainted with you."

Then he remembered that Ponyville's mayor was a mare. Saying 'sir' would have been imprudent.

After rehearsing these lines for about a half-hour, Bronze Star decided to take a break and step outside. There was a door opposite the entrance to the room that connected to a balcony. He walked over to this door, opened it, and stepped out onto the platform.

Bronze Star's room was located on the front of the castle. He had a fantastic view of the city from it; probably the best one in the whole castle. He never got tired of this spot. He could spend all day studying the city from a bird's eye-view without getting bored. He approached the end of the platform, rested his front hooves on the rail, and stared out into the distance.

At first, he enjoyed the sight in solitude. Then he received some unexpected company. Ten minutes after he went outside, a shadow briefly passed over Bronze Star. He gazed up and noticed a hawk was flying about a hundred feet over his head. The hawk swooped down from the sky and flew directly towards him. When it got close enough, it broke off its path and hovered in the air above his head. Then it slowly descended and landed on the rail next to Bronze Star.

The hawk may have appeared menacing, but he was quite friendly to those he knew. It just so happened that he knew Bronze Star very well. He happened to be the prince's pet. Bronze Star smiled at the bird and said "Hello, Colonel. I was hoping to see you."

The hawk's full name was Arthur D. Hawkins, but Bronze Star liked to refer to him as "Colonel." There was a very interesting reason as to why that was. When he first started training with SIG Sauer, Bronze Star liked to imagine that he had a partner during some of the exercises. He personally believed it would be childish to have an imaginary friend, so he decided to get an animal companion. He settled on a hawk, as he admired them for their allegiance, ferocity, and dexterity. Hawkins became his pet shortly after. When they were alone in his quarters, the prince occasionally pretended the two of them were in a combat situation together. He called his bird "Colonel" to make it seem more realistic. Bronze Star had ultimately outgrown these fantasies, but he kept using the title to address his pet.

Colonel bowed his head lightly to show he was pleased to see the prince as well. However, he immediately noticed there was something different about his master. His wings and horn were missing. Bronze Star noted the hawk's concern and informed him "No cause for alarm. I'm just changing my look for a while. What do you think of it?"

Colonel tilted his head to the side and studied his master from this angle. A moment later, he flapped his wings in place, which meant he was unsure what to think.

Bronze Star scoffed and told the hawk "Don't worry; this isn't permanent. I'll be using magic and flying in the sky with you again soon enough. For now, I'm staying like this. However, that's not half as interesting as the reason why I am. You want to know why?"

Colonel nodded his head. He was clearly intrigued by his owner's appearance, and he was curious to learn why he did not have his wings or his horn at this time.

"My mother's given me a very important task," Bronze Star expounded, "As you know the Summer Sun Celebration is tomorrow. The main ceremony will take place in Ponyville. But before my mother arrives there, she'll have a committee go ahead and survey the town. This year, I'm on the committee. You're looking at the new temporary ambassador to Ponyville."

Although he could not give an articulate response to anything Bronze Star said, Hawkins could understand him perfectly. He was a very intelligent and empathetic animal. His master had often confided in him when he felt he could not confide in anypony. He had shared many personal secrets and desires with Hawkins, one of which was his yearning to visit another town. This wish was something Hawkins could easily relate to; he took great pleasure in having wide open spaces to hunt and soar through. Obviously, the prince was elated by the prospect of travelling to Ponyville. He was content that his master was content.

"Now, the Celebration will be over by tomorrow night, so I probably won't be gone very long," Bronze Star apprised his pet, "Do you think you'd be able to hold the old fort down while I'm away?"

The hawk vigorously nodded his head. He always enjoyed looking after his master's room for him whenever he was away. While all the doors to Bronze Star's quarters were sealed tight whenever the prince was out of the room, there was a small space that appeared above the balcony in periodic intervals. This opening showed up for five minutes every three hours. It was about two feet in diameter; just big enough for the hawk to pass through with his wings outstretched. Nobody else had this kind of free access to Bronze Star's room.

"I know I can trust you," Bronze Star professed, "You're so good at keeping watch that I'm beginning to think I should recommend you for the Royal Guard. Imagine that, huh? That'd be something. Seriously, though; I don't think there's ever been a more reliable animal in this castle than you."

Colonel did not care very much for praise or admiration, but he took great pleasure in the knowledge that Bronze Star thought so highly of him. In his mind, the prince was more than just his master; he was his friend as well. Definitely his dearest equine friend, if not his dearest friend altogether.

Bronze Star turned to stare at some mountains in the distance and thought aloud "There's something you should know, though. I'm not entirely certain how long I'll be in Ponyville. This is supposed to be a short-term assignment, but if they are unable to find an ideal replacement, I may stay on as ambassador for an extended period of time. If I'm there long enough, maybe you could come and stay with me."

Colonel screeched in gratification at this suggestion. In a way, he shared his master's desire to travel. He did not have a wish to visit a new town, but he always liked seeking out new territory to scout and rummage for prey. Plus, he was interested in discovering what Bronze Star would be doing as the ambassador to Ponyville. He found that his master's work was always interesting in some way.

Bronze Star sighed in enjoyment and continued to admire the view of the city. He could see the ponies rushing through the streets on the ground below. There were far too many to even attempt to count them, but that was alright with Bronze Star; their number was of little importance to him. He was certain that the streets of Ponyville would be less busy, but not by much. At any rate, it would not be long before he joined their company. He would no longer be a mere observer; he would be a full-fledged partaker instead.

He wanted to enjoy the scenery while he still could. So he spent the next several minutes watching the city and all the activity. A multitude of sounds and noise could faintly be heard from the streets, but the balcony to Bronze Star's room was nice and quiet. He rested his chin on top of his folded front legs and leaned against the support of the balcony. He stayed in that exact position for nearly a half-hour, and he barely moved a muscle in all that time.

Then out of nowhere, he heard a loud thumping noise, causing him to jerk to attention. Colonel speedily rose off the rail and bore his claws defensively. He and his master gazed inside the room, keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

Several seconds later, the thumping noise came again. This time, Bronze Star and Colonel were able to pinpoint the source. It was coming from the other side of the main entrance. They quickly realized that this loud thumping noise was just the sound of somepony knocking on the door.

Bronze Star eased down and called out "Come in!"

A moment later, SIG Sauer entered the room. He had changed out of his exercise uniform. He still wore his belt, and he was carrying two black saddle bags; one on either side of his midsection. He immediately noticed the prince was out on the balcony. He grinned in his direction and proclaimed "Hello, Your Highness. I hope I'm not intruding."

"You're not, SIG," Bronze Star assured him, "The Colonel and I were just admiring the view. Care to join us?"

SIG Sauer shrugged and commented "I suppose so."

The pine green stallion sauntered across the room towards the balcony. On the way, he spotted the suitcase on the bed. He passed under the arch, approached the disguised Alicorn, and leaned on the rail next to him. They stood in silence at first, and then the Unicorn stated "I was coming to check up on you to see if you were almost ready. Since you're all packed up, I guess I don't really have to ask."

"Nope, I'm ready to head out at any time," Bronze Star affirmed.

"Good, we're leaving in about twelve minutes," SIG Sauer revealed, "That'll give us enough time to further discuss that matter we discussed earlier."

"You mean our scheme to capture Material Study?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Correct," SIG Sauer replied, "All nine members of my team have been informed that you've given the green light on the plan. Since Walther is next in the chain of command after me, I've given him provisional control of the unit. If they encounter any setbacks while we're in Ponyville, he'll be sure to apprise us. But he doesn't expect any problems; this is a relatively simple operation."

"It's supposed to be, at any rate," Bronze Star remarked, "Still, we cannot assume that it will be that easy to arrest Material Study. He may appear harmless, but looks can be deceiving, and nothing and nopony can be taken for granted."

SIG Sauer lightly nodded his head, turned to his front, and glumly thought aloud "I cannot deny that policy. If anypony knows it to be true, it would have to be me."

Bronze Star knew very well what the pine green stallion meant. He patted SIG Sauer on the shoulder and told him "I'm sorry if I reminded you of… that event."

"It isn't your fault, sire," SIG Sauer insisted, "I don't even know why that thought came to my mind. I'd like to say 'Let's just forget about it,' but how could I forget about that?"

"I don't think you should ever forget," Bronze Star declared, "But what you should do is take pleasure in the fact that such a thing has not recurred in the time since then."

"You're right, Your Highness," stated SIG Sauer. He stood up straight, retained his normally stern expression, and said in an impassive tone "I apologize for exhibiting that moment of weakness."

"It wasn't weakness; it was civility," Bronze Star debate, "And you don't have to apologize to me for that. Remember, if you ever need somepony to talk to, I'm willing to listen."

"I appreciate the offer, Your Majesty," SIG Sauer assured him, "But you shouldn't bother yourself. I'd hate to make my problems your problems."

"SIG, you may be my trainer, but I am still your prince," Bronze Star pointed out, "Since you're my subject, one of my royal duties is to make your problems my own and help you resolve them any way I can."

"I would be a fool to argue that, sir," SIG Sauer admitted, "I guess it's only right that we be there for each other."

"My thoughts exactly," Bronze Star said brightly. They stood in silence for a little while longer, and then the gold stallion inquired "Has Bellerophon been brought up to speed on the operation?"

"Yes, I spoke with him just before I came here," SIG Sauer answered him, "On that subject, I have something for you."

SIG Sauer then removed one of the saddle bags on his back and handed it to Bronze Star. As he did, he elucidated: "When I told Bellerophon that I was going to see you after our meeting, he asked me to bring this to you. Inside the bag are all the documents you'll need as the ambassador to Ponyville. All of them have 'Gold Streak' as the label."

Bronze Star placed the bag on his back and pronounced "Thanks. I was beginning to wonder when I would get those papers. Out of curiosity, what's in the other bag?"

"Just some more documents," SIG Sauer disclosed, "They're for me, though. I'll need them to prove that I'm licensed to oversee security matters. It's also got some equipment and weapons, which I only plan to use in case a crisis emerges."

"Are you expecting one to?" enquired the prince.

"Nope, but one can never be too sure," the pine green stallion responded. After another few seconds of quietness, he declared "We should probably get going soon. We wouldn't want to miss the transport."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided. He turned to Colonel and gestured him to come forward. The hawk lifted himself off the rail, glided towards his master, and landed carefully on his shoulder. Colonel had talons as sharp as razors, but he handled them with extreme care so that he could avoid jabbing Bronze Star with them. Once he was perched on the gold stallion's shoulders, the prince and his trainer turned around and trotted back inside. Bronze Star proceeded to shut and bolt the door to the balcony.

Then he went to retrieve his suitcase. Since he would have had to pick it up with his moiuth, SIG Sauer used his magic to carry it for the prince. Bronze Star turned to his pet hawk and told him "Well, Colonel; looks like you're in charge for now. I'll 'report in' soon. Until then, keep this place secure, alright?"

Hawkins nodded his head sturdily. After that, he rose off his master's shoulder, flew across the room, and landed in an open cage which served as his bed.

Bronze Star and SIG Sauer left the room together. The gold stallion was sure to close and lock the door on their way out. Once it was sealed tight, he turned to his trainer and asked him "Where are we headed now?"

"Landing Platform 4," SIG Sauer apprised him, "We're travelling to Ponyville by chariot. Twilight Sparkle and Bellerophon are already there."

"Well, we should not force them to wait on us," Bronze Star advised.

"I concur," said SIG Sauer.

Without another word, the two stallions trotted down the hallways towards Landing Platform 4. They arrived there about six minutes later. They were just in time; the committee was supposed to depart in less than one minute. Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle and Bellerophon were right there. They were standing by a large gold chariot in the center of the platform.

Twilight Sparkle was embracing a large white stallion. He had a blue mane with an aqua stripe, azure eyes, and a dark blue shield with six-edged violet star as his cutie mark. He was Twilight's older brother and the current Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor.

When they came apart, Shining Armor smiled down at his sister and told her humorously "Try not to have too much fun in Ponyville without me, L.S.B.F.F."

Twilight Sparkle gazed up at him sadly and professed "I'm not worried about having too much fun. I'll miss you, B.B.B.F.F."

He smiled, rubbed her cheek with his right front hoof, and told her "I'll miss you, too, Twilie. But promise me you'll at least try to enjoy yourself."

"Alright, I will," Twilight Sparkle assured him.

There were three other people on Landing Platform 4 at this time. Two of them were members of the Royal Guard. Both of them were white Pegasi in full armor, and they were harnessed to the front of the chariot. They would be flying the committee to Ponyville. The third person was a short baby dragon with purple scales, green spikes, and a tan hide. He was Spike, Twilight's assistant.

At this time, Spike was the only person seated in the chariot. He let out an impatient groan, turned to face the ponies, and beckoned them "Hurry up, you guys. We've got a schedule to keep!"

Bronze Star lightly rolled his eyes and bluntly remarked "Whatever you say, Spike."

After storing their luggage in the chariot's trunk, Bronze Star and SIG Sauer opened the door to the chariot and climbed in. Twilight Sparkle followed them shortly after, and Bellerophon closed the door after her.

"Aren't you getting in, Bellerophon?" enquired Spike.

"No, there's only room for four, Spike" the tall palomino Pegasus pointed out, "Due to my height, I doubt I'd fit with three of you anyway. I'll just fly alongside the chariot."

"That's fine, as long as you can keep up, Bellerohpon," SIG Sauer wittily professed.

"Oh, I'm quite confident I can get around on my own, SIG Sauer," the chief of staff retorted. He spread his wings, fluttered them energetically, and shot up into the air. For a brief moment, he seemed to have vanished, but in a flash, he reappeared a hundred feet in front of the chariot.

Although he spent most of his time standing at Princess Celestia's side, Bellerophon was definitely not lethargic. Even the best of the famed Wonderbolts could not outfly him. He smugly grinned and yelled to his colleagues "Now we must hit the air. We've got a long day ahead of us."

The three ponies and the dragon saw no reason to linger for any longer, so Bronze Star ordered the two stallions at the front of the chariot "Let's get going."

The two armored Pegasi extended their wings and sprinted down the platform with the chariot in tow. When they arrived at the edge, they dove off, took to the sky, and flapped towards Bellerophon. When soon reached the palomino stallion, he joined them and flew in the direction towards Ponyville.

Spike turned to the gold stallion and stated "So, Bronze, Twilight told me about what you're doing. I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised."

"About what?" asked the prince.

"I can't believe you'd give up your wings and horn just to travel somewhere," Spike clarified, "That's a lot to sacrifice for a little vacation time."

Bronze Star scoffed and stated "First off, this is work, not vacation time, Spike. Second, having magic and the ability to fly may seem like a big deal to you, but I can do without it for a while. I have to if I'm going to blend in with the citizens of Ponyville. Third, this change is totally reversible; I don't intend to be an Earth Pony forever. And fourth… I assume Twilight's also told you that I've changed my name for a while, too. For the time-being, you should call me 'Gold Streak' or just 'Gold.'"

"Okay, I get ya… Gold," Spike tentatively responded.

Bronze Star smirked at the baby dragon. However, his smirk faded slightly when he turned to Twilight Sparkle.

The lavender Unicorn had moved to the back of the chariot and placed her front hooves on the side. She was gazing back towards the landing platform, where Shining Armor was still standing. The Captain of the Royal Guard planned to watch the chariot until it faded into the distance. Even though the white Unicorn had encouraged his sister to be happy, he was still sad to see her leave so suddenly. He really was going to miss her while she was gone. Just as she would certainly miss him and their parents.

Bronze Star easily detected the hint of sadness in Twilight's eyes. He moved over to her, placed his hoof on her back, and told her "Don't be so morose, Twilight. I understand what you're going through. This is my first time to another province, too. Just keep this in mind: even though you'll be away from everypony in Canterlot, Spike and I are still here for you."

"Thanks, Bronze… I mean, Gold," Twilight said over her shoulder, "But I'm not distressed because I'm leaving my family. I'm distressed because… I'm worried that they won't be safe while I'm gone. You see, I'm almost certain that something's going to happen tomorrow. Something that will affect the lives of everypony in Equestria. Something that will change the course of history. And there's no telling if anypony will be able to stop it."

> Introduced
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star was intrigued by Twilight Sparkle's testimony. It was strangely vague and notably ominous at the same time. If he heard this from anypony else, he probably would have dismissed it as needless anxiety or a fib. However, he and Twilight Sparkle had been friends ever since Celestia had taken in the latter to be her apprentice. She may have been compulsive, but she was not one to invent stories or spread rumors without mitigating evidence. If she had a feeling something unusual would happen, he had to believe it. "What are you basing this theory on, Twilight?"

Twilight Sparkle spent the next several minutes recounting her activities from the past few hours. It all started very early that morning in the garden of the castle. She had been there by herself reading a book about the history of Equestria. Specifically, the part about when and how the country's ruling body had gone from a biarchy to a monarchy. She was very familiar with this story; she had heard it many times before. But what really stood out to her this time was the mention of a set of objects known as the "Elements of Harmony," which had been used to imprison Nightmare Moon in the moon itself. That compelled her to do a little research, which in turn led to her discovery that the Elements of Harmony were used to quell the fabled notorious Mare in the Moon. Twilight quickly became convinced that the Mare in the Moon and Nightmare Moon were the same mare, and that on the one-thousandth anniversary of banishment – which happened to be the one-thousandth anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration – she would return to Equestria and subjugate the population to eternal darkness.

This was why Twilight had appeared so bothered during the meeting in the throne room. She was even more bothered right now. Despite her best efforts to convince Celestia of the legitimacy of her hypothesis, the lavender mare had failed to get the Princess to hear her out. Because of this, Twilight taken it upon herself to investigate the matter further.

"If it turns out I'm right, then Nightmare Moon will be free by tomorrow at sunrise," she wrapped up her explanation, "I have until then to find proof that will either confirm or deny my suspicions. I'm actually hoping that I'm wrong about this, but I'm not going to just wait around to find out."

"Won't you be a little too busy, seeing as how my mother's put you in charge of overseeing the preparations of the ceremony?" Bronze Star pointed out.

"I'm very good at multitasking, Bronze… er, 'Gold,'" Twilight brusquely responded, "I once studied for four exams in one night, and I took them all the following day. I managed to get perfect scores on all of them. With that in mind, I'm quite confident I can accomplish Celestia's assignment and my own objectives at the same time."

"What about the Princess' memo, Twilight?" Spike interjected.

"What memo?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Just before we left, Princess Celestia sent me a personal note," Twilight Sparkle apprised him, "It appears to be her attempt to 'discourage' me from pursuing anything more on Nightmare Moon. She believes I'm wasting my time."

"So do I," Spike commented, "Maybe it would do you some good if I repeated it for you, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle rested her head on her front hooves on the side of the chariot and muttered in exasperation "Fine, Spike. Go ahead."

At that, Spike took out a scroll and unrolled it. He cleared his throat and blithely read aloud "'My dear Twilight, there is more to a young pony's life than studying, so I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. And, I have an even more essential task for you to complete: make some friends!'"

Spike was trying to sound sanguine, but his optimism was not having a profound effect on Twilight Sparkle. She merely rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance.

By the time Spike was finished reading this message, Bronze Star happened to look up. Ponyville was directly in his line of sight. It must have been in Bellerophon's as well; for he announced to the stallions pulling the chariot "This settlement does not have a designated landing platform. We'll make our touchdown in the town square."

The two members of the Royal Guard acknowledged this statement and redirected their flight path towards the center of the town. As he continued flying alongside the chariot, Bellerophon told the other members of the committee "You'll each find your individual assignments in your knapsacks. As soon as we're on the ground, we'll go our separate ways."

Bronze Star and SIG Sauer nodded their heads in compliance. Twilight Sparkle listened to him, but she did not physically respond. She was still sulking a bit. Spike soon noticed this and stated "Look on the bright side, Twilight. The Princess arranged for you to stay in a library. Doesn't that make you happy?"

Twilight then raised herself up, brightened up a little, and said "Yes, yes it does. You know why? Because I'm right! I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can, then get to the library to find some proof of Nightmare Moon's return."

Spike appeared to be somewhat bothered by how firm Twilight seemed to be in this declaration. He asked tentatively "Then... when will you make friends, like the Princess said?"

Twilight Sparkle discreetly answered him with "She said to check on preparations. I am her student, and I'll do my royal duty, but the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends."

SIG Sauer had been listening in on their conversation. He smirked and told the female Unicorn "Twilight, this may sound strange coming from me, but you worry too much. While I did say that anything could happen during the Summer Sun Celebration, I find it unlikely that we'd be faced with an ancient demon who wants to permanently extinguish daylight. If this town is in any danger, I'm certain we'd be able to handle the threats."

"SIG's right; there's no need to get worked up just yet," Bronze Star concurred. He was trying to sound reassuring. Obviously, his piece of advice was not what Twilight wanted to hear, if the expression on her face was any indication. After a few seconds of silence, he stated "Tell you what; once I'm done with all my tasks, I'll swing by the library and lend you a hoof on your research. But if we turn up with nothing, will you agree to let the matter go?"

"I suppose that's acceptable," Twilight thought aloud, "However, if we actually do find something that confirms my theory, will you help me bring the evidence to your mother?"

"Sure," Bronze Star guaranteed her, "Until then, let's just worry about what we're supposed to do."

By now, the two members of the Royal Guard had landed on the ground. Bellerophon set down next to the chariot and waited for his colleagues to disembark. Once Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and SIG Sauer were out of the vehicle, the two white Pegasus stallions raised up on their hind legs and whinnied. Twilight Sparkle stepped up to them and said appreciatively "Thank you, sirs."

They both huffed in gratitude and proudly stood up straight. Twilight Sparkle, Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, and Spike turned their attention to Bellerophon. The large palomino Pegasus informed them "Now's the part where we split up. You all have your… instructions."

SIG Sauer went to the back of the chariot and removed his knapsack from the trunk, along with Twilight's and Bronze's. He tossed the bags to their respective owners, and then he opened up his own and removed a document labeled "Safety Examiner's Agenda." He declared "Looks like I'm off to the barracks. I have to gather whatever security forces this place has and use them to secure the perimeter around the town."

Bronze Star opened up his knapsack next and extracted a folder labeled "Envoy's Roster." He looked over the papers inside and proclaimed "I'm heading to the embassy. Once I'm settled in, I'll be meeting with some of the department heads on the City Council. I'll be debriefing them on the most recent events in Canterlot, and they'll be filling me in on the most recent events here."

Twilight Sparkle used her magic to open up her knapsack and Spike took out an article with the title "Official Overseer's Checklist." He studied it for a few moments, and then he informed the lavender Unicorn "We'll be all over the town, Twilight. Our first stop is at a farm on one of its borders."

"I'll be in Town hall, discussing the situation and the specifics of the ceremony with the mayor and the rest of the City Council," Bellerophon notified his colleagues, "We'll have a lot to debate about, so our appointment may last several hours. Even if it doesn't, I'll be staying at Town Hall until tomorrow at sunrise. The rest of you can come to me at any time if you encounter any obstacles or setbacks."

The four ponies acquired their baggage from the back of the chariot. Bellerophon was the first to depart. He rose back into the air and flew off to the north towards the town hall.

When he had all his materials, SIG Sauer approached the two guards and ordered them "Both of you, come with me. Since this town does not have a large security force, we could use some reinforcements. Having a couple members of the Royal Guard around could make a huge difference."

The two stallions consented to SIG Sauer's directive, as he had authority over them. They moved the chariot off to an alleyway where it would not be in anypony's way. Then they detached themselves from it and went with SIG Sauer to the west towards the barracks.

Bronze Star was now left alone with Twilight Sparkle and Spike. After a short period of silence, he stated "Well, I shouldn't keep the City Council waiting. I guess I'll see you guys at the library."

"Okay," Twilight approved. With that, Bronze Star took his knapsack and suitcase, and he trotted to the east towards the embassy.

When he was about a block away, he looked over his shoulder and noticed that Twilight and Spike were still in the town square. However, they were not alone. A light pink mare with a poofy pink mane had approached them. At first, it appeared as though she was talking to the Unicorn and the dragon. But without any warning, she jumped ten feet into the air and zipped away from the scene. Twilight and Spike watched her leave in stunned silence, and then they simply headed to the south towards the aforementioned farm.

Bronze simply chuckled and uttered under his breath "Looks like she's already making friends."

…

The walk to the embassy was not long, but Bronze Star enjoyed it. There were ponies walking through all the streets, and none of them paid him any mind. He was grateful for that; this was the first time he had been in public without anypony gawking over him. This compelled him to believe that he had a reasonable chance of living a civilian life in this town.

When he reached the embassy, he wasted no time in getting settled into his room. It only took him about fifteen minutes to unpack. However, he spent another ten minutes finding a secure hiding spot for the two folders he had extracted from the filing cabinet in his quarters back home. Ultimately, he chose to place them in the medicine cupboard in the washroom. He would work on a better hiding spot later. For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

The ambassador's room was located on the second floor of the embassy. After he hid those folders, Bronze Star headed downstairs to the seminar room. The City Council was already assembled there. This was not the entire Council; just the members whose departments contributed to the government on both the local and federal levels. They had been talking amongst themselves about various subjects, but when Bronze Star entered the room, they quieted down out of respect.

The Council was seated at a rectangular table. There were six chairs on the long sides and one on the short sides. There were twelve department heads in total; each one of them occupied one of the chairs on the long ends. The names of their respective departments were imprinted on the fronts and backs of their chairs. The two chairs on the short ends were empty. The chair furthest away from Bronze Star had "Mayor" as its label. Bronze Star knew that this chair would remain empty for the duration of the meeting, seeing as how the mayor was currently speaking with the rest of the Council and Bellerophon at Town Hall. The chair closest to him was labeled "Ambassador." He calmly approached this chair and sat down in it.

"Good day, Mr. Ambassador," greeted the mare in the "Economic Development" chair.

"You may simply refer to me as 'Gold Streak,' ma'am," he informed her, "On that note, I would like to know how I should address each of you."

The twelve mares and stallions all gave Bronze Star their names and positions. Most of their titles were self-explanatory, such as "Finance," "Housing & Buildings," "Public Safety," "Environmental Protection," "Land Use," and "Transportation." After formal introductions were exchanged, they proceeded to debate with their new ambassador on official business.

Bronze Star expected this meeting to last about an hour or two. It probably would have, had this not been the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. Because of this, there were a lot more subjects that needed to be covered in more explicit detail. Half of the time, Bronze Star was informing the department heads of everything that had been going on in Canterlot which pertained to their fields. The other half of the time, they apprised him of everything that had happened in Ponyville which deserved the notice of the central government. Many complex questions were swapped; most of them received adequate answers, and the rest were currently indeterminate.

Altogether, about five hours elapsed from when the meeting began and when it ended. One would think that Bronze Star would be relieved once it was over. Quite the contrary, he vocally stated that he looked forward to speaking with the Council again. As ambassador to Ponyville, he was required to meet with them once a week to conduct a barter of information. After working out a proper date and time, the thirteen ponies departed from the seminar room.

Bronze Star led the Council members to the main entrance of the building. He held the door open for them and bid each one of the mares and stallions good day as they left. Once they were all gone, Bronze Star prepared to close the door behind them. However, just before he shut it, he noticed two more ponies were standing just outside the front gate, and one of them was SIG Sauer.

Rather than stay inside the embassy, the disguised prince decided to leave it and rendezvous with his friends. He swiftly shut the door behind him and approached the front gate. The pine green Unicorn quickly spotted the gold stallion and waved at him with his right front hoof.

When he passed through the front gate, Bronze Star saw that the person in SIG Sauer's company was a female Earth Pony. She had a red coat, a lilac mane, grey irises, and a law-enforcement badge for a cutie mark.

"Good evening, SIG," Bronze Star casually greeted his trainer, "Who's your friend?"

"Sir, I would like you to meet Noble Edict, the chief of security in Ponyville," the Unicorn introduced his companion, "Noble, this is Gold Streak, the town's newly-appointed ambassador."

"Ah, pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Ambassador," the mare remarked, holding out her right front hoof to Bronze Star.

The gold stallion took her hoof in his and shook it vigorously, saying "The pleasure is all mine, ma'am."

After the hoof-shake, Bronze Star asked the two of them "So, is the town secure?"

"Yes, absolutely secure," SIG Sauer replied, "Or at least, as secure as it could be, considering the limited amount of resources at our disposal."

Noble Edict chuckled and stated "Sir, I understand that our security efficiency is not up to the standards of Canterlot Castle, but it is more than sufficient to accomplish what needs to be done here. My people know how to do their jobs."

"I'm not questioning your staff's competency, Noble," SIG Sauer candidly assured her, "I am merely taking into account the concerns of one of our colleagues. She's fairly certain the apocalypse will soon be upon us, or something like that. As a result, she's worried that everypony in Equestria is in imminent danger."

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow in perplexity and commented "The apocalypse, huh? Well, I'm not sure we're equipped to deal with that."

"He's exaggerating," Bronze Star assured her, "However, he's not lying about our colleague's anxiety. Come; trot with us. We'll tell you the full story."

The three ponies then left the embassy and headed towards the library. On the way there, SIG Sauer and Bronze Star explained that Twilight Sparkle had learned about a possible connection between the legend of the Mare in the Moon and the historical significance of Nightmare Moon. By the time they reached the library, they had told her everything.

When they were finished, Noble Edict merely shrugged in amazement and commented "This is all quite fascinating. I don't know how much of it is real. For the sake of daylight, let's hope none of it is."

"You don't seem that convinced that it's a hoax, Miss Edict," Bronze Star observed.

"Well, the other day… I saw something," Noble Edict informed him, "Something that may be connected to this whole 'Nightmare Moon' affair."

"What was it?" inquired SIG Sauer.

"It may be best if we wait until I met your associate to disclose that information," Noble Edict suggested.

"Fair enough," Bronze Star coincided. As the three ponies approached the front door, SIG Sauer remarked "Between you and me, I'm actually quite glad that Twilight's staying here."

"I hear you," Bronze Star frankly stated, "After sitting in a board room having a prolonged conversation with twelve members of the City Council, it'll be a relief to have some peace and quiet for a while."

With that, he opened the door to the library and stepped inside. Immediately, his ears were overwhelmed by the collective sounds of scores of voices talking over each other. The reason for that was quickly made clear: the library was not empty. In fact, there were dozens of ponies all around the front room. Some were socializing, some were eating, and some were playing games. It was as if there was a huge party going on.

Noble Edict and SIG Sauer entered after Bronze Star, and the latter cheekily noted "Apparently, we'll have to wait a little longer, sir."

"Evidently," Bronze Star muttered in disappointment, "Oh well; let's see if we can find Twilight and Spike in this mob."

The two stallions and the mare moved through the crowd of ponies. After about a minute of aimlessly searching, they spotted Spike at the far end of the room, talking to five young mares. The first was an orange Earth Pony with a blonde mane, green eyes, a brown cowgirl hat, and three apples for a cutie mark. The second was a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow mane, magenta eyes, and a cloud with a lightning bolt for a cutie mark. The third was a white Unicorn with a purple mane, blue eyes, and three diamonds for a cutie mark. The fourth was a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane, teal eyes, and three butterflies for a cutie mark. The fifth was a pink Earth Pony with a pink mane, light blue eyes, and three balloons for a cutie mark. Bronze Star recognized the last mare as the pony he had seen talking to Twilight earlier.

He slowly approached the group and said to the dragon "Hey, Spike. Getting to know the townsfolk?"

"You could say that, Gold," Spike drily commented, "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you to arrive for over an hour."

"Sorry; the meeting at the embassy lasted a little longer than I thought it would," Bronze Star informed him. He gazed around the room and inquired "Where's Twilight?"

"Upstairs, doing some research," answered the dragon, pointing at a door over his shoulder, "But she asked not to be disturbed. It might be best to just let her be for now."

"I gotta say, that filly seemed a mite… shall we say, standoffish," the orange mare remarked openly.

"Oh, don't mind her," said Bronze Star, "She's just a little bashful around new faces."

"Oh… okay, we can understand that," the yellow mare timidly pronounced, avoiding eye contact with the gold stallion.

At that moment, the pink mare turned to Bronze Star and SIG Sauer. Her eyes dilated in surprise, as if they had appeared out of thin air. SIG Sauer enquired in apprehension "Are you alright?"

Immediately after this, the pink mare jumped into the air and gasped in surprise. Then she dropped to the ground and spoke in a very fast pace: "Oh my gosh, hi there! I have no idea who you are! But that's good; that means I don't know you! And if I don't know you, that means I have a chance to make a new friend. I love making new friends. It's like the best thing ever, don't you think? What's your name? My name's Pinkie Pie. What's yours? I so very happy to get to meet you; you and I are going to be such great pals. I cannot wait to get to know you better. We'll-"

The cyan mare quickly stepped up to the pink mare and placed her front hoof over her mouth.

"Control yourself, Pinkie," the cyan mare urged her friend.

The pink mare slowly nodded her head and eased down.

"We'd like to apologize for her eccentric behavior," the white mare told Bronze Star and SIG Sauer. "She tends to become overexcited very easily."

"But we can assure ya, she means well," the orange mare stated, placing her hoof on the pink mare's shoulders. She then stepped forward, tilted her hat towards the stallions, and proclaimed "My name's Applejack, by the way."

The white mare stepped forward, twirled her mane once, and stated "And you may call me Rarity."

"I'm Flut…Fluttershy," the yellow mare whispered softly, hiding her face behind her mane.

The cyan mare lifted herself into the air and proudly declared "You may have heard of me before. I'm the one and only Rainbow Dash!"

"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell," SIG Sauer wittily professed, at which Rainbow Dash glowered in irritation.

"And I'm Pinkie Pie!" the pink mare yelled giddily.

"We know," Bronze Star bluntly retorted. He gestured to the pine green stallion and announced "This is SIG Sauer, and I'm Gold Streak."

At that remark, all five mares – including Fluttershy – bore an expression of fascination.

"Really?" stated Rainbow Dash, "So you're our new ambassador?"

"That's correct," Bronze Star confirmed.

"Oh, that's just… lovely," Fluttershy happily avowed.

"It's not just lovely!" Pinkie Pie shouted energetically, bouncing up and down "It's unbelievably amazing! Now he's both our friend and a pony in high places!"

"Umm… I suppose you could say that," Bronze Star remarked, trying to sound humble.

"Well then, on behalf of the entire town, we'd like to officially welcome you to Ponyville, sugar cube!" Applejack merrily broadcasted.

"We hope you enjoy your stay here, darling," Rarity declared, "Celestia knows we certainly will."

Bronze Star smiled widely and commented "You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear you say that."

He had meant this like he said it. He was unequivocally elated to see that these mares were so warm and receptive. He had been in Ponyville for less than six hours, and he had already made substantial progress in integrating himself into their society.

He wondered if there were more ponies in town like these mares. Before long, he would discover that there were not. In fact, these five ponies were quite different from everypony else in Equestria. There was something about them that made them profoundly unique and special. But Bronze Star did not know of it yet. Neither did they.

> Foresight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although Bronze Star had already made some significant progress in transitioning from royal life to civilian life, he figured that he could integrate himself much further by interacting with the residents of Ponyville. He felt that partaking in the party would be a good way to begin this endeavor. He made a mental note to speak to Twilight Sparkle later on. For now, he wanted to ease back and enjoy some social merriment.

He decided to start by striking up a conversation with the five mares. All of them seemed to have radically different personas, which implied that their interests may have been equally diverse. With that in mind, he was initially uncertain about how to open up the discussion. However, he quickly noted that all of the mares appeared to be in their early twenties. That implied that each of them must have had a job. So perhaps they would like to talk about their work.

"So, what do you mares do for a living?" he inquired in interest.

All five of them opened their mouths at once, as if they were going to answer in unison. Bronze Star held up his hoof and requested politely "One at a time, please."

Rarity spoke first. She told Bronze Star with a note of pride in her voice "Well, darling, I run the fanciest dress emporium in Ponyville, Carousel Boutique."

"I've heard of that shop," stated Bronze Star, "Your designs have attracted quite a bit of attention in the capital city.."

"Oh, that's simply divine!" Rarity squealed in happiness, "I've always wanted to make a name for myself in the fashion industry."

"Well, I wish you luck in that pursuit," Bronze Star told her, "It's always good to have ambitions."

"Can't argue with that," Rainbow Dash remarked. Right now, she was hovering in the air above Bronze Star's head. She publicized "I manage the weather patterns in the sky. Everything that falls from the clouds to the ground is produced by me. Rain, snow, sleet, the works."

"The weather in Canterlot is fairly consistent," Bronze Star explicated, "Clear skies are pleasant, but they can be a little monotonous at times. It'll be nice to have some variety."

Fluttershy had her turn next. Despite her somewhat insecure demeanor, she managed to look Bronze Star in the eye and tell him "I have my own animal shelter at my cottage, just outside the neighborhood. There are dozens of different types of animals there. Dogs, cats, mice, birds, and critters of all sorts, including my pet bunny Angel. Do you have a pet?"

"Actually, yes," Bronze Star replied, "I have a pet hawk. His name is Arthur D. Hawkins, but I call him 'Colonel.' He's as fierce and faithful as animals come."

"Did you bring him with you?" asked Fluttershy.

"No, he's still in Canterlot," the gold stallion informed her, "Depending on what happens here, I may have him move in with me at the embassy."

Out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie jumped in between him and Fluttershy and blurted out rapidly "I actually have not one, but two jobs! I work with Mr. and Mrs. Carrot and Cup Cake at Sugar Cube Corner, and I throw parties! However, I only get paid for throwing parties if somepony asks me to throw one. I don't really get paid for throwing parties on my own. But it's time-consuming and it keeps me busy, so I guess it counts as a job. I love my work; it's the best part of my day! And my night!"

"I see," Bronze Star muttered awkwardly. He gazed around the room and perceived "I take it you were the one who arranged this party?"

"Yes, indeedily!" she confirmed happily. She then procured a cupcake out of nowhere and handed it to Bronze Star, saying giddily "Here, have a free cupcake."

Bronze Star accepted the cupcake and scoffed in amusement. Then he turned to Applejack and stated "Guess that leaves you."

"Yup," she coincided, beaming slightly, "I work at my family's ranch, Sweet Apple Acres. We grow the finest apples in all of Equestria. Here, try one."

She picked up an apple from a nearby table and gave it to Bronze Star. He accepted it with his free front hoof and took a large bite. He chewed it a few times and swallowed hearitly. He raised an eyebrow and declared "Mmmm… Wow, this is… I can honestly say this is the best apple I've ever eaten."

"Why, thank ya kindly," stated Applejack, "I'm flattered to hear that."

"Well, it's the truth," Bronze Star assured her, taking another bite, "You should be proud of your agriculture. As well as the defining role it has played in Ponyville."

"What do you mean?" asked Applejack in mild confusion.

"Wasn't Sweet Apple Acres the very first establishment to be put up in this town?" Bronze Star observed.

"Yeah, my Granny was there when it was founded," Applejack answered him, "How did you know this?"

"I did plenty of research on the history of this town," Bronze Star elucidated, "From what I've read, the Apple family has contributed more to its development than any other clan. That's quite an accomplishment."

Applejack lightly shrugged and said "I suppose it is. I never really saw it that way."

"Oh, why do you always have to be so humble, AJ?" Rainbow Dash remarked snappily, landing next to the farm pony, "The guy's giving you a compliment; you should welcome it."

"There's nothing wrong with modesty," Bronze Star told the weather pony, "To be frank, it's a relief to meet somepony who doesn't take every opportunity to gloat about her achievements. That's quite rare in my line of work. Most of the time, the only people I confer with are policymakers, delegates, or military officials. Whenever they're not discussing governmental reform or national politics, they're marveling over their most recent triumph. That can get very tedious at times."

"I find that a little hard to believe," Fluttershy stated tenderly, "I'm not saying you're a liar… It's just… well, you seem to be a stallion who values his work very highly."

"I am," the gold stallion remarked, "I'm a very busy pony. I cannot abide the idea of being unproductive."

"That's rather… splendid of you," Pinkie Pie professed. For once, she was speaking in a tranquil and discreet voice.

"I must say, darling, you're a lot livelier than our last ambassador," Rarity pointed out.

"Yeah, and you're awful young for somepony with that much responsibility, sugarcube," Applejack noted.

"I'm not that young," Bronze Star revealed, "I'm twenty-five."

"That's a surprise," Fluttershy muttered softly, "Most of the representatives from Canterlot tend to be middle-aged."

"A pony's age is not directly proportional to his capabilities in the workforce," Bronze Star professed, "I can assure you; I'm suitably qualified for this position. If I wasn't, Celestia would not have assigned me here."

This last remark caught the attention of all five mares.

"The Princess sent you herself?" Pinkie Pie queried.

"Yes, she did," Bronze Star affirmed, "She directly selects all her emissaries."

"How well do you know her?" asked Rarity.

"Very well," Bronze Star replied, "But that's all I can say. I cannot tell you about anything about the nature of my relationship with Princess Celestia, or anything that goes on at the castle. I'm under oath not to discuss any of that outside of Canterlot."

The five mares were content with this response, albeit a bit disappointed. Before long, they changed the subject. For a while, they talked more about their personal lives. For obvious reasons, Bronze Star did not contribute much to this topic. Fortunately, he had no shortage of engaging themes to converse on.

Altogether, the conversation lasted for approximately two hours. After that, Bronze Star left the group and went around the room to meet some of the other ponies. He encountered some rather interesting characters, including a beige Earth Pony with a fluctuating voice, a mint green Unicorn with a strange interest in creatures with opposable digits, and a grey cross-eyed Pegasus.

Sometime after midnight, Bronze Star recalled that Twilight Sparkle was still upstairs working by herself. He was starting to tire of the party, so he decided he may as well to go upstairs and assist his friend with her research. He noticed SIG Sauer and Noble Edict were standing in a corner of the room speaking to each other; most likely on business matters. He went over to them and stated "I'm going to talk to Twilight. You guys wanna come along, or would you prefer to stay here?"

"We'll remain down here," Noble Edict responded, "A festivity this large in a space this small needs supervisors. Plus, we're a little preoccupied with reviewing the security measures for the ceremony."

"Alright," Bronze Star agreed, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

He trotted over to a door on the opposite side of the room, opened it, went through it, and closed it. The noise in the front room faded a modicum, but it was still very audible. This next room had two stories. The first floor was circular and had shelves of books adorning the walls, much like the previous room. The second floor was wider, and there was a lot of furniture spread across it. There were no lamps or candles in this room; the only source of light was the glare of the moon which entered through the window on the upper level. Bronze Star could barely make out Twilight lying on a bed in the center of the higher level.

Bronze Star ambled over to the staircase at the far end of the room and climbed to the top of it. When he was at the same altitude as Twilight, he asked rhetorically "Could you use some help?"

His sudden outburst startled her a bit, but when she realized it was him, she eased down and said gratefully "Sure."

Bronze Star moved over to a seat next to the bed and sat down. He noticed that Twilight had a tall pile of books next to the bed. She was trying to read one of them, which proved to be a bit of a complication due to the racket and lack of light. It was difficult enough just to glimpse through the books.

"You don't seem particularly comfortable with your studying environment," Bronze Star observed.

"Probably because of how loud and dusky it is in here," Twilight Sparkle sarcastically commented.

"Well, there's plenty of room at the embassy," Bronze Star notified her, "If you want a more private, brighter place to work, we could move there."

"That sounds nice, but it would be a little time-consuming," stated Twilight, "The embassy is located all the way across town. It would take us a while to lug all these books there. We can make do with what we've got here."

"If you insist," was all Bronze Star said in response. He held his front hoof out and requested "Give me a book."

She nodded, used her magic to pick a book off the top of the pile, and transferred it to Bronze Star's hoof. He went to work examining its contents as Twilight returned to her book.

Twilight had been unable to find anything that focused exclusively on the Elements of Harmony. She had to resort to books that pertained to Nightmare Moon, the Mare in the Moon, or that had been written before Celestia became the sole leader of Equestria. She knew there were more books in the front room, but she did not want to go back out there while the party was still going on. Her current pool of information was not very vast, but Twilight was holding out hope that one of her sources would at least mention the Elements of Harmony.

Bronze Star had more luck than her. Two hours later, he was skimming through a book entitled "Ancient Mystical Tools of Defense and Attack." Halfway through, he came across a page that contained the phrase "Elements of Harmony." He decided to thoroughly read the whole column. It turned out the Elements of Harmony were only a minor part. The passage mainly focused on about another object that was sometimes used alongside the Elements. A detailed illustration of this object was included.

"I think I found something," he announced to Twilight.

She looked up from her book and gazed in his direction. He scooted closer to her and held the book so that they could both make out the contents of the page. Twilight focused on the illustration first. It appeared to be a drawing of a cloak or a cape. She inquired in interest "What is it?"

"It's called 'The Shroud of Valor,'" Bronze Star enlightened her, "According to this, the Elements of Harmony could be used to vanquish malevolent forces. However, the wielder of the Elements was still vulnerable to an attack when they were in use. The Shroud of Valor was utilized to shield the wielder from any threat of hostile retaliation."

Twilight Sparkle was impressed by this knowledge. She asked in curiosity "Does it say when or where the Shroud of Valor was last used?"

Bronze Star turned to the next page of the book and continued reading. Then he stated "The locations are excluded, but here's a list of all the known dates the Shroud of Valor was employed. The last one was exactly one thousand years ago today. The same day Nightmare Moon was banished."

"And the last time the Elements of Harmony were used," Twilight pointed out. She lightly grinned and stated "This is probably the best resource we've gotten all night, Bronze. I'm going to browse through the shelves again and look for anything that relates the Shroud of Valor. If we can find it, we may be able to find the Elements of Harmony, too."

"Now that's good wishful thinking," commented Bronze Star.

Twilight had managed to find two more books that focused primarily on the Shroud of Valor, and six others that mentioned it in certain sections. She and Bronze spent most of the next hour methodically studying these books. At one point, Bronze happened to look at the clock next to the window.

"It's three in the morning," he announced, "The sun will be up in three hours."

"That means we've got three more hours to find some conclusive evidence about Nightmare Moon's return," Twilight presumed.

Bronze Star chuckled and remarked "Twilight, I appreciate your resolve, but you should probably take a break from this exhaustive research and get some rest. You've been awake for nearly twenty-four hours."

"So have you," she pointed out.

"Yes, but Alicorns don't require as much sleep as other ponies," Bronze contended, "My mother once stayed up for a whole week without any sign of fatigue."

"Well, aren't you supposed to be passing yourself off as an Earth Pony?" Twilight disputed, "You know, seeing as how you're going undercover and all."

"That didn't stop you from calling me 'Bronze' a moment ago," he countered. He placed his hoof on her shoulder and told his friend "Twilight, I'm not trying to sound overbearing or anything like that. I just don't think it'd do you any good if you keeping put all this pressure on yourself. At this rate, you'll have worn yourself out by the time of the ceremony. I'm sure you don't want that."

Twilight reflected on Bronze Star's assessment, and she had to admit that he was making a very valid and logical argument. Despite her desire to continue her research, she did not want to be too drained to attend the ceremony. So she gave in and stated "Alright, I guess I'll lie down for a few hours. I cannot guarantee I'll get any sleep, but I will try to settle down."

"I can always count on you to make the smart choice," Bronze Star proclaimed, smirking. He cleared off the books on the bed so that Twilight had plenty of room to spread herself out. Then she stretched her front and hind legs, yawned loudly, rested her head on the pillows, and closed her eyes. Bronze Star pulled the comforter over her and gently patted her on the shoulder. He informed her "I'll be out in the front room if you need me. I'll tell the others to keep it down a little."

"Thanks," she muttered without opening her eyes, "I guess I'll be seeing you around."

Bronze Star quietly descended the staircase, approached the door on the ground floor, and went back out into the front room. He had braced himself for the huge wave of commotion on the other side, but he made certain to shut the door quickly so that it would not bother Twilight.

He found that the crowd had decreased to about half of its original size since he left the room. Spike hanging out with a young filly. She was an Earth Pony with a yellow coat, a red mane, a large pink bow in her hair, and no cutie mark. As Bronze Star approached the two of them, the baby dragon soon noticed him. He cordially remarked "Hey, Gold. How's Twilight doing?"

"She and I have made some progress on her research," Bronze Star apprised him, "However, I've managed to convince her to take a break. Do you suppose you could get everypony to decrease the level of noise in here for a while?"

"I could try," Spike proposed, "But I can't promise anything. These ponies really know how to party."

"So I see," commented Bronze Star. He gazed around the room as if he was looking for somepony in particular. He was actually searching for two ponies, but he could not spot either one. He turned back to Spike and enquired "Have you seen SIG Sauer and Noble Edict?"

"Yeah, they left about thirty minutes ago," answered Spike, "You see, a group of Royal Guard arrived shortly before that. SIG told me that he and Noble needed to go to Town Hall to give the officers their assignments."

"Alright, thanks," stated Bronze Star approvingly. He headed over to the library's front entrance and called over his shoulder "If Twilight comes downstairs, tell her she can find me at Town Hall."

"Got it!" Spike acknowledged.

Bronze Star then left the library and made his way through the city streets. Since it was three o'clock in the morning, there was very little activity going on outside. The streets were nearly deserted and most of the houses had all their lights off. But Bronze Star wagered that it would not be long before the whole town was up again.

Soon he reached Town Hall. Unlike the rest of the neighborhood, this building was bustling with activity. There were Earth Ponies on the exterior of the first floor, Unicorns on the veranda of the second floor, and Pegasi flying along the roof. Half of them appeared to be in Royal Guard armor. The rest of them were wearing uniforms of typical security officers. A stallion dressed in the latter type of apparel was standing at the main entrance.

When Bronze Star approached the front entrance, the stallion stepped in front of him and told him in a gruff voice "Sir, this area is restricted until 0500 hours. Only people with government clearance may enter before then."

"Right," Bronze Star commented. Fortunately for him, he was still wearing his knapsack from earlier. He snapped it open, removed a thick folded piece of leather, and gave it to the security guard, saying "Here you are."

The stallion took the piece of leather and unfolded it. This was Bronze Star's badge as the envoy to Ponyville. After a few seconds, the guard handed it back to Bronze Star, stepped to the side, and told him apologetically "Oh, pardon me, Mr. Ambassador. Go right in."

There were many more ponies inside Town Hall. This crowd was not limited to the Royal Guard and Ponyville's security force. The Mayor and all of City Council were gathered there as well. They were reviewing the intended outline of the Summer Sun Celebration with Bellerophon.

SIG Sauer and Noble Edict were near the center of the lobby, supervising all the activities of the guards. The gold stallion approached the two of them and proclaimed "I see you two have wasted no effort in securing this place."

"Indeed not, sir," Noble Edict concurred, "In fact, if we bring in any more of the Royal Guard, we may as well declare martial law."

"It may seem that way, Noble," SIG Sauer perceived, "However, if we did declare martial law, we would not use the Royal Guard. There's a private division of the army that's specially trained for that line of work. We call them the Constabulary Contingent."

"Is that so?" stated the red mare, intrigued, "I was unaware that there's an entire section of the army dedicated to public law enforcement."

"I didn't say martial law was the Contingent's only directive," SIG Sauer clarified, "If it was, we wouldn't have much use for it. There hasn't been an insurrection in this country for centuries, and civil unrest has no place in Equestria. The Contingent exists mostly as a precautionary measure, in case of a sudden national crisis or something. Once you've been in the military for at least three years, you can apply for admission into it."

"Were you ever part of that troop, sir?" inquired Noble Edict.

"No, my career in the military was limited to the regular army and Special Forces," SIG Sauer expounded, "The commander of the Constabulary Contingent once tried to recruit me, but I turned his offer down. However, my son was recently accepted into the Contingent. He tells me that the exercises and programs are difficult, but he has not regretted his decision."

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow in fascination and remarked "You have a son in the military?"

"Yes, he's been a soldier for almost five years," Bronze Star replied for his trainer, "You could say that SIG's entire family is involved in some very prestigious organization whose fundamental purpose is to serve the greater good. His daughter is enrolled in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She's actually a classmate of our associate Twilight Sparkle. She has an aptitude for medicinal spells, and her ambition is to become a doctor."

"An admirable goal," commented Noble Edict, "We could always use more physicians. After all, the public relies on people like myself and Mr. Sauer to keep them safe, but what they really need are more people who can keep them well."

"My daughter sees it that way, as well," SIG Sauer professed.

"How old are your children?" queried Noble Edict.

"My son is twenty-two, and my daughter is nineteen," SIG Sauer responded, "Even though the three of us lead very busy lives and don't see each other that often, I'm just as close to them as I was when they were foals. Don't tell anypony else this, but they're the only things in the world that I value more than my work."

"What about your wife?" stated Noble Edict cheekily "Are you and she not on good terms?"

SIG Sauer grimaced at this remark. He appeared angered by it at first, but after a moment, he just turned away from Noble Edict and frowned in despair.

The red mare asked in concern "What? Did I say something to offend you?"

Once again, Bronze Star answered for his trainer. He leaned up to Noble's ear and whispered "Let's just say that he and his wife are not on any terms. But they were on very close terms when she was still around."

Noble Edict quickly realized what the gold stallion meant. She turned to SIG Sauer and told him "I'm so sorry, sir. I can't believe I just said that…"

"It's alright, Noble; you didn't know," the pine green stallion interrupted, gazing back at Noble Edict, "I suppose the fault is partly my own. After all, we've been together for almost every minute of the past fifteen hours, and I never once thought to mention that I had children until now. However, I would prefer it if we did not talk about my wife."

"Alright, then we'll just talk about something else," Noble Edict decided.

"In that case, perhaps we can discuss that thing you saw the other day, Noble," Bronze Star proposed.

"What thing, Mr. Streak?" she asked in confusion.

"Earlier on, you said you saw an anomaly that you believed may have been related to Nightmare Moon," Bronze Star reminded her.

"So I did," she assented, "To be honest, I'm not entirely certain what it was. All I do know is that it was highly abnormal and of unknown origin."

"Tell us what you witnessed," SIG Sauer requested.

"It happened in the early morning, just after I completed the night shift at the hospital," Noble Edict recounted, "I was walking home when a bright blue flash of light erupted in the sky. The ball of light descended to the ground with tremendous velocity, like a meteor. It landed somewhere in the Everfree Forest. I went to investigate, and I found a huge spherical cluster of energy in a clearing. It emanated a strange humming sound which got progressively louder as I got closer to it. I managed to get close enough to physically touch the energy cloud, and once I did, the humming sound ceased. Despite being made of energy, the surface of the cloud was solid. I examined it from all sides, and it did not appear to pose any discernable threat. Ultimately, I left the energy cloud, but I decided to keep it under watch until further notice. I couldn't afford to spare anypony from my own detail, so I sought out three volunteers – deputies, if you would – to attend to the energy cloud. They're not trained, but they're all reliable. I've instructed them to return to town and alert me if anything new happens with the anomaly."

"Intriguing," Bronze Star observed, "That's definitely not something you'd encounter every day. However, what makes you believe this energy cloud is related to Nightmare Moon?"

"Truthfully, nothing," Noble Edict admitted, "However, Nightmare Moon's actions would probably be the most rational explanation for the energy cloud's presence. If she was able to blot out the Sun for a short time, it would be relatively simple for her to create a stable ball of energy."

"That's certainly a logical observation," stated SIG Sauer, "However, we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. Perhaps we should send a magic expert to conduct a more thorough examination of the cloud."

"We can do that after the Summer Sun Celebration," Noble Edict recommended, "For now, our priority is to provide security for the ceremony."

Bronze Star and SIG Sauer agreed to this arrangement. After about twenty minutes, the pine green stallion and the red mare went to conduct another inspection of the grid formed by the Canterlot Royal Guard and the Ponyville security officers. There were still two more hours until the sun was supposed to rise; Bronze Star wanted to find another way to pass the time. He soon noticed that Bellerophon was no longer conversing with the Mayor and her staff. So he chose to spend the next two hours with the chief of staff.

They talked about a variety of subjects, such as what they had accomplished since they arrived in town, what they planned to do after the ceremony, how the quiet life in Ponyville compared to the eventful life in Canterlot, and how Bronze Star had adapted to living as an Earth Pony. An hour before the sun was supposed to rise, the doors of Town Hall were open to the public. Bronze Star and Bellerophon decided to go upstairs where they could continue speaking in relative silence.

While they were upstairs, Bronze Star brought up the matter of Nightmare Moon. Bellerophon was more than willing to listen, so Bronze Star recounted everything he and Twilight Sparkle had learned in the past few hours. At first, the young prince thought the palomino Pegasus would choose to dismiss the whole Nightmare Moon affair as needless worrying. However, as Celestia's chief of staff, Bellerophon took all threats to her reign very seriously, even if the only proof of one was in the form of a prophecy.

Princess Celestia was scheduled to arrive just ten minutes before she was supposed to raise the Sun. Bellerophon asked Bronze Star if he would like to speak to his mother on the affair once she reached Town Hall. The young prince figured he may as well. After all, he had promised Twilight Sparkle that he would help her bring any new news of Nightmare Moon to Celestia. While their evidence was debatably circumstantial, it was still enough to present a case. So he decided to just wait patiently until his mother got in.

Five minutes before the six o'clock, Bellerophon came back to Bronze Star and informed him that his mother had just gotten in and that she was prepared herself in the mayor's office. The young prince went to go see his mother, but he arrived at the mayor's office, there was nopony there. He found this rather perplexing, as did the guard who stood outside the office. This guard had seen Celestia enter the room, but he had not seen her exit. Bronze Star checked in with the guards posted at the other entrances to the mayor's office, and none of them reported seeing her leave.

This was rather strange. Celestia's whereabouts were always monitored by the Royal Guard, yet none of them could account for her current location. However, Bronze Star saw no cause to panic; he simply concluded that his mother must have proceeded to the lobby without her bodyguards. To ascertain this speculation, he made his way to the indoor balcony on the second floor. But halfway there, he heard a prissy voice – it sounded like Rarity's – yell "She's gone!" This was followed by a high-pitched scream.

Suddenly, a dark blue light filled the entire building, but it glowed the brightest in the lobby. Bronze Star faintly heard a deep, booming feminine voice coming from that same room. He galloped as fast as he could in that general direction.

Soon, he reached the balcony. But his mother was not there. Instead, there was a tall black Alicorn with a dark vest, dark blue boots, and a dark blue crown that doubled as a mask. She was gazing down at the crowd of ponies below. She had her back to Bronze Star, but he had a fair idea as to who she was.

The black Alicorn bellowed crossly yet amusingly "Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?"

A voice which Bronze Star recognized as Twilight's responded from the ground below "I did. And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!"

There was a collective gasping all across the room. Nightmare Moon grinned and stated "Well, well, well; somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here."

Twilight tentatively replied with "You're here to... to..."

She was unable to finish; like everypony else in the building, she was absolutely speechless. Nightmare Moon just chuckled and announced in a very menacing tone "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!"

She broke into a maniacal laugh, which was accompanied by the crashing of thunder and the striking of lightning.

So the rumors were true. Twilight Sparkle had been correct all along. Nightmare Moon had returned, and she was there to reclaim her hold on Equestria. For now, the Sun was gone. So was Princess Celestia. Equestria's beloved leader had disappeared right under the notice of her protectors. But she would not vanish forever. Not as long as her subjects and her son had something to say about it.

> A Decisive Strategy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmare Moon continued chortling wickedly as the ponies on the ground below stared at her in horror. Amidst the crowd of frozen ponies, the Mayor boldly stepped forward and shouted "Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!"

Three Pegasi Royal Guard ascended into the air and speedily soared towards Nightmare Moon. The corrupt Alicorn turned towards them and yelled menacingly "Stand back, you fools!"

Just before the three Royal Guards reached her, she summoned another round of lightning. She easily repelled the three stallions and sent them plummeting to the ground. She broke into laughter once more, cherishing this victory. She gazed around the room, as if she was daring the rest of the Royal Guard to approach her. She was powerful enough to take all of them on without breaking a sweat. However, while she could see all the Royal Guard in the lobby, she had yet to notice Bronze Star.

The gold stallion stealthily charged towards the black Alicorn and lunged onto her back, catching her totally off-guard. Nightmare Moon ceased her laughter and turned her attention towards him. She tried hard to get away from him or throw him off, but the young prince was resilient.

Bronze Star's military workout programs had covered a variety of ways to overpower, disarm, and subjugate his opponents. This was one situation where this training proved to be an asset. He placed his back hooves on Nightmare Moon's wings to prevent her from flying away and he seized her by the throat to keep her from turning towards him to use magic. Then he attempted to force her into a posture of submission.

As he struggled with Nightmare Moon, Bronze Star demanded heatedly "Where is the Princess? Where is she? Answer me! NOW!"

Despite the vigor and relentlessness of his approach, he got no answer. All the black Alicorn did was gaze at him out of the corner of her eye and bellow in outrage "You DARE to attack me! Release me at once or you will perish in misery!"

Bronze Star was not the least bit intimidated by this threat. He just tightened his grip on Nightmare Moon's throat and shouted furiously "WHERE IS CELESTIA? Tell me or YOU will be the one in misery!"

Less than five seconds later, the glow emanating off of Nightmare Moon's body increased in brightness. It made her appear slightly translucent. As a result, Bronze Star suddenly found his grip on her throat loosening. Once he lost his grip, Nigthmare Moon aggressively jerked her upper body backwards and flung him off her back. And off the balcony as well. Bronze Star sailed halfway across the room and landed painfully in the center of the ground floor.

Despite the ache he felt from the fall, Bronze Star quickly returned his attention to the balcony above. He discovered that Nightmare Moon was no longer standing there. Instead, she was floating. She had transformed into a sparkling cluster of dark blue energy. Before anypony else had time to react, the energy cluster jolted through the air, burst through the front entrance of Town Hall, and departed from the premises.

Rainbow Dash flew after the energy cluster a few seconds later, as if she intended to pursue it. Applejack called out urgently "Rainbow, be careful!" Obviously, she had not been heard by her hotheaded friend.

Even after the energy cluster left, Bronze Star kept his sight on the main entrance. He picked himself up off the ground and grunted in frustration. SIG Sauer, Twilight Sparkle, Noble Edict, and Bellerophon rushed over to him. The palomino stallion queried in concern "Are you alright, sir?"

"I'm fine," Bronze Star answered his mother's chief of staff, "Don't worry about me. We have bigger problems to worry about than my well-being."

There was a short period of silence between the five ponies. They were in what was perhaps the quietest spot of Town Hall. The majority of the other ponies in the lobby were frantic. They were whispering amongst themselves and cowering in terror. There was a ubiquitous atmosphere of discomfort, anxiety, and fear all around the room.

Although he did not show it, Bronze Star was just as afraid and agitated as the other ponies. However, he had to retain his composure and keep his head straight if they were all going to get through this crisis. He let out a troubled sigh and turned to Twilight Sparkle. He told her in absolute sincerity "You were right, Twilight. It was Nightmare Moon all along. We should have listened to you and taken your warnings more seriously. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that we didn't."

"You don't have to apologize, Bro- I mean, Gold," Twilight Sparkle assured him. She wanted to address her friend by his actual name, but since Noble Edict was within earshot of her, she stopped herself in time. "At any rate, that doesn't matter now. All that does matter is that we spend our time finding a way to put a swift end to this catastrophe."

"She's right," Noble Edict concurred, "We have to do something, and we have to do it right now. Every second we just stand idly by, this situation will only get worse."

"Let's just hold on a minute," SIG Sauer interceded, "This is not a time for rashness. We cannot simply say we're going to accomplish something and try to do it without a well thought-out method of approach. What we really need to do is formulate a plan. Before we leave this room, we should decide how we're going to handle this situation."

The pine green stallion then turned to the gold stallion, as did the lavender mare and the palomino stallion. When Bronze Star noticed that all the focus was on him, he asked in perplexity "What?"

"Sir, Princess Celestia is missing," Bellerophon pointed out, "That means that until she is found, you're the one who issues the commands. Therefore, it would be most appropriate if you were the one who decided how we should proceed."

Bronze Star realized that Bellerophon was in fact correct. Even in his current guise as the ambassador to Ponyville, he still had authority that superseded that of anypony else in town. On the downside, the only people there who knew his real identity were Twilight, Bellerophon, SIG Sauer, Spike, and a few members of the Royal Guard. On the upside, these individuals were some of the few he felt could be fully trusted at present.

He looked around at the four ponies in front of him and announced to them "Right now, we're in more danger than we've ever been in. There's no point in denying that. All the same, we have an obligation to protect this country and uphold the law. Worst case scenario, it may be up to the five of us to avert a nationwide disaster."

The others all nodded their heads in agreement. SIG Sauer inquired "What must we do, sir?"

"The way I see it, we have three objectives: defeat Nightmare Moon, rescue Princess Celestia, and preserve the tranquility of the public," Bronze Star perceived, "Those aren't listed in order of precedence; each one of those goals is as important as the other two."

"How should we handle them?" asked Twilight.

"Let's start with preserving the tranquility of the public; at least that one is directly within our grasp," Bronze Star decided. He gazed around the room at the frightened groups of ponies. Then he turned to the two security overseers and told them "SIG, Noble, I'll be relying heavily on your ability to maintain order and peace. I need you to get this crowd under control. Do whatever you can to calm these ponies down. We cannot afford to create a mass panic; that will only make this much worse."

"You can count on us, sir," Noble Edict ensured him, "Should we contact Canterlot for reinforcements?"

"We could try calling for help, but I am almost certain we wouldn't get any," Bronze Star responded, "The Royal Guard in Canterlot must have noticed that the sunrise has not yet occurred. They know that the only reason why the Sun would be overdue is if Celestia was missing, or if there's an imminent threat to the whole country. By now, they've probably mobilized the Constabulary Contingent. If so, they've got the capital city locked down tight. We're on our own."

"Very well," SIG Sauer commented, "I suppose we can manage with the units we already have. Besides, we all saw how easily Nightmare Moon fought off those three guards. The best we can hope to achieve with our current units is keep the inhabitants of this town safe."

"I'll leave that goal in your capable hooves," Bronze Star informed the red mare and the pine green stallion, "If Nightmare Moon comes back, do not engage her. Just do what you can to keep her away from the civilians."

"Aye, sir," Noble and SIG stated in unison, saluting him.

There was a brief interval of silence, and then Bronze Star went on: "As for our other objectives, they go hoof-in-hoof. Overthrowing Nightmare Moon is the key to locating the Princess and bringing back the Sun. Obviously, a direct physical confrontation with her would be foolish and ineffective, if what just took place between me and her on the balcony is any indication. We're going to need a more practical tactic to defeat her."

Bellerophon turned to the lavender Unicorn and stated "Twilight, you're the one who forecasted this fiasco. You've done more research on Nightmare Moon than the rest of us. What can be done to stop her?"

"I still believe what I thought before," the young mare proclaimed, "Our only hope is to find the Elements of Harmony."

"Twilight, those relics have been lost for centuries," Bellerophon pointed out, "Do you honestly expect to find them within the course of a few hours?"

"Right now, we don't have a choice," Twilight adamantly debated, "Trust me, Bellerophon; I'm not just desperately reaching out for a solution. Gold and I have already found some decisive evidence that suggest the Elements of Harmony can be recovered. Our most promising resource is the library in this town; it has a very broad range of literature. I haven't even looked through the history section just yet. There's bound to be something in those selves that can at least give us a clue about where to find them."

"If you're so certain of this, then I trust your judgment, Twilight," Bronze Star remarked. He turned to the palomino Pegasus and ordered him "Bellerophon, I want you to help Twilight with her research."

"Forgive me if I speak out-of-turn, sir, but do you really believe I would be most useful there?" Bellerophon asked rhetorically.

"Yes, I do," Bronze Star replied, "You've got more background knowledge on Equestrian history than anypony else I know. If there's somepony who could trace the Elements all the way to their current location, it would have to be you."

Bellerophon had to admit that the young prince had a point. He nodded his head and declared "As you wish, sir. It shall be done."

Bronze Star nodded his head in approval. Next he said to both Bellerophon and Twilight "Once you've acquired a promising lead, meet me at the embassy. I'll be there getting ready."

"Ready for what?"

"For whatever happens next," was all the gold stallion said in response. Despite the bluntness of his answer, the others did not press him for specifics.

"It would probably be best if nopony goes anywhere alone," Noble Edict advised, "Mr. Sauer and I will be staying here, and Miss Sparkle and Bellerophon are headed to the library. Mr. Streak, I'm going to assign somepony on my security detail to accompany you."

"As long as whoever you pick is trustworthy, that's acceptable," stated Bronze Star.

Noble Edict summoned one of her agents over to the group and apprised him "The ambassador needs to return the embassy. I want you to escort him there for his protection."

"It will be done, ma'am," the stallion assured her.

"We'll be leaving in just a moment," Bronze Star informed the guard. He looked around the area at his four colleagues, and then he stated "You all have your directives. Accomplish them swiftly and proficiently. Haste is of the utmost importance, as are results. Now let's move out!"

The group broke off into pairs. Bronze Star and the security officer galloped out of Town Hall first. They headed down the most direct route to the embassy. A couple meters away, Spike had fainted. Twilight Sparkle used her magic to pick him up and place him on her back. After this, she and Bellerophon left the building and made their way to the library. Their departure was noticed by Rainbow Dash, who was still hovering in the air outside.

Inside the lobby of Town Hall, there was a stage connected to the wall opposite the main entrance. SIG Sauer and Noble Edict had climbed onto this stage so that they were standing above everypony else. It had been almost ten minutes since Nightmare Moon had exited Town Hall, but the tension in the room had not subsided even marginally. SIG Sauer bellowed loudly "Mares and gentlestallions! Mares and gentlestallions, may I have your attention please?"

The overall volume of the noise gradually decreased over the next two minutes. Soon, there was not even a soft murmur to be heard. Everypony in the room – civilians and guards alike – had turned to SIG Sauer and given him their undivided attention.

"Thank you," SIG Sauer remarked gratefully.

"Who are you?" demanded a random bystander.

"My name is SIG Sauer," the pine green stallion disclosed. He removed his badge from his knapsack and held it up for everypony to see, saying "I am a government officer who works for the Canterlot Royalty. I know that what just happened was traumatizing for you to witness, but I'm here to ensure your safety."

"Are you Royal Guard?" inquired another bystander.

"Former," he responded, "However, the Royal Guard answer to me. That's why as of right now, their only goal is to protect all of you and see that you all make it through this crisis."

"What about the Princess?" a third bystander asked restlessly.

"My people are already on that," responded SIG Sauer, "We have some of our best operatives searching for her. They will not rest until she is found. In the meantime, my task is to guarantee that no harm comes to any of you."

"Well, how do we know we can trust you?" another bystander challenged.

At this, Noble Edict stepped in and spoke for the pine green Unicorn: "This stallion has been with me for the past eighteen hours tightening this town's security measures. I can vouch for him."

There was a short interval of quietness, and then another person stated "That's good enough for me. If Noble trusts him, I suppose I can, too."

All over the room, there were mutters of agreement. SIG Sauer let it go on for a few seconds, and then he gestured for silence. When the room was quiet again, he announced to the crowd "I would ask that you please remain calm and proceed in an orderly fashion to your houses. You'll be safest in the comfort of your own homes. Once you're there, take measures to ensure that nothing can force its way in. Lock the doors, bar the windows, barricade every single orifice that could be used as a point of intrusion. Stay inside until the Royal Guard give the all-clear."

As the ponies in the room began to comply with SIG Sauer's orders, Noble Edict jumped off the stage to properly direct them. She called out "You heard him, people! Gather with your families. Stay together at all times. There's no telling how long this crisis will last. If you do not have a dwelling that is outfitted for long-term survival, move in with a friend who does. My security team will periodically check in on you and ascertain the durability of your shelter."

In the time since SIG Sauer had spoken out, only four more ponies had left Town Hall. These four were Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. They spotted Rainbow Dash hovering over their heads. Applejack called out to her friend "Hey, Rainbow, did ya see where Nightmare Moon went?"

The cyan Pegasus landed next to the orange Earth Pony and answered her with "No, she disappeared from my sight before I had a chance to follow her. Then Twilight Sparkle left with that large Pegasus. They appeared to be running towards the library."

"Did anypony else leave before them?" asked Fluttershy in interest.

"I think I saw the ambassador run out a few seconds earlier," "But I don't see where he went."

"I think they're hiding something from us," Pinkie Pie pronounced, "I mean, did you see what happened to the ambassador? He just liked jumped right onto that Nightmare Moon's back and sized her up. That was totally unbelievable! Not to mention exciting. And after he was thrown off and fell to the ground, he didn't seem to be hurt. He must be really tough."

"I do concur with that notion at least," Rarity thought aloud, "Our new ambassador is definitely more than a typical bureaucrat."

"Well, he was strong and brave enough to face on Nightmare Moon," Applejack recalled, "Maybe we should speak to him. He may have a better idea of what's goin' on than the rest of us."

"No, I say we track down Twilight Sparkle, first," Rainbow Dash proposed, "She was the only one who recognized Nightmare Moon on sight. There's also something about her that I find suspicious."

Applejack rolled her eyes and commented "Rainbow, just because somepony can explain this here phenomenon, that doesn't make her an accessory or nothin' to it."

"Well, we'll find out," Rainbow Dash proclaimed. Before the others had a chance to respond, she shot up into the air and flew off towards the library. Her friends follow her closed behind. Or at least as close as they could manage on their hooves.

…

When Bronze Star reached the embassy, he asked his security attendant to wait outside the main entrance and remain there until he came back out. The guard complied with his request and kept watch near the front gate.

Bronze Star entered the embassy and went upstairs to his room. Once there, he removed his knapsack and hanged it by its strap on the wall. Then he picked up his suitcase and set it down on the bed. He opened it and dug through its contents until he found his training uniform. Like the one he wore that morning, this set of clothing was entirely black. Bronze Star proceeded to get dressed. He slipped on the pants, the vest, the jacket, and the boots. He decided to leave the mask off for now. After he was dressed, he put on a saddle bag which was full of combat gear. Then he picked up a belt of assorted tools and weapons and fastened it around his waist.

When he was finished, he gazed at himself in a full-length mirror on the wall. He definitely looked as though he was ready for action. He just hoped he actually was and that his eyes were not deceiving him. He had been training with SIG Sauer for ten years, and this was the first time he would be using his skills in the field without some prior notice. He would also be going out there without his wings or horn.

Fortunately, some of his exercises had been specifically designed to exclude the use of magic and flying. SIG Sauer had proposed them so that if his wings or horn were somehow damaged and rendered temporarily inactive, he would have a suitable alternative means of fighting his opponents and successfully bringing them down. Although SIG had not foreseen the possibility that Bronze Star's horn and wings would be gone altogether, his teachings would prove to be invaluable in the coming hours.

Bronze Star sighed and uttered under his breath "I'd better get out there."

"Out where, sir?" came a voice from behind.

Bronze Star looked over his shoulder and saw Bellerophon standing in the doorframe. Despite his stern frame of mind, the gold stallion smirked and commented "You're here already, Bellerophon? It hasn't been twenty minutes since we split up at Town Hall."

"I would have been here even sooner, but I was detained by the security guard," the palomino stallion revealed, "Since Noble Edict gave orders for everypony to stay in groups of two or more, he was suspicious because I arrived here by myself."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and presumed "Twilight didn't come with you?"

"No, she didn't," Bellerophon replied, "However, you'll be pleased to know that we have a lead on the Elements of Harmony."

Bronze Star clapped his front hooves together and stated in satisfaction "That's great. Where are they?"

"While it's too early to say for certain, we're confident they're hidden somewhere in an old abandoned fortress," Bellerophon enlightened him, "Before your mother had Canterlot Castle built, she resided in another citadel in the Everfree Forest. This was before the Forest became an overgrown wasteland, mind you. Fortunately, this particular edifice is only about ten miles outside of Ponyville. Twilight's going out to locate and search this fortress as we speak."

"What?" Bronze Star observed in surprise, "She went out by herself? Without backup?"

"No, as far as I know, she is not working alone, Your Highness," Bellerophon informed him, "Did you by any chance remember having a conversation with five young mares yesterday? Specifically, a farmer, a weather maker, a wildlife preserver, a designer, and an entertainer?"

"Actually, yes," Bronze Star affirmed, "Other than Noble Edict and some of the City Council, they were the first ponies I met in this town. Why do you ask?"

"Those same five mares showed up at the library while Twilight and I were doing some research," the chief of staff explained, "Twilight and I decided to let them in on what we were doing. The pink one managed to spot a book that focused exclusively on the Elements of Harmony. A book which both of us had overlooked. From it, we came to learn about the significance of the aforementioned fortress."

"Alright, so I take it those mares went with Twilight?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Well, she did ask for their help in finding the most direct path leading into the forest," Bellerophon started out tentatively, "However, she and I had a moment to speak in private before I left. She told me she has no intention of putting those other mares in danger. It would not surprise me if she asks them to turn around and come back to town once they bring her to the border of the forest."

"That's unacceptable," Bronze Star decreed, "My mother is missing, the sun's rays have been extinguished, and we're up against a legendary supernatural entity. The only things that can undo all that are some lost relics. With so much at stake, it would be senseless for Twilight to put all the responsibility on herself. She'll need all the help she can get."

The young prince picked up his mask off the bed and approached the door. As he left the room and trotted towards the staircase, Bellerophon enquired "Where are you going, sir?"

"To the border of the Everfree Forest," Bronze Star replied, "If Twilight's heading in there, I'm going with her."

"What?" Bellerophon remarked in astonishment. He caught up with the younger stallion and told him "Your Highness, I must protest. You of all ponies cannot afford to put yourself in harm's way."

"Oh?" Bronze Star commented sardonically, "Why is that?"

"Like you said, your mother is missing," Bellerophon expounded, "Legally, that makes you the ruler of Equestria by default. At least until Celestia is returned to us."

"What about my cousin?" Bronze Star suggested, "Couldn't she fill that role?"

"Cadence is an excellent diplomat and a munificent aide, but she isn't officially a recognized leader," Bellerophon pointed out, "But you are. Equestria needs a leader, and as of right now, you are the only one who can occupy that position. In fact, if you weren't undercover, the Royal Guard would have already moved you to a secure location."

"Well, unfortunately for them, they don't know my location," Bronze Star cheekily stated, "I'll make sure it stays that way for now. You know why? Because there is no way in Tartarus that I'm going to voluntarily sit in some quiet private room flanked by dozens of bodyguards while one of my friends is out there risking her life to save this country. Why do you think I'm dressed like this, anyway?"

Bellerophon had noticed that the gold stallion was clad in black, but up until now, he had not given any real thought as to why. "So, this is how you were 'getting ready?'"

"Correct," Bronze Star confirmed, "This was part of my plan. After I donned appropriate apparel for entering a combat situation, I would wait here until you and Twilight acquired a viable lead about the Elements of Harmony. Once you found one, I would help investigate that lead. I still fully intend to carry out that arrangement. Now that you guys have something, I can be of use."

"Sir, while I admire your willingness to contribute, in my opinion, you'd be of more 'use' if you stay here and take charge," Bellerophon disclosed, "You said it yourself; maintaining peace and order is just as imperative as eliminating Nightmare Moon and rescuing your mother."

"I've already given SIG Sauer and Noble Edict that task," Bronze Star reminded the older stallion, "The two of them are more qualified to handle it than I; they have more experience in dealing with these types of threats. I'm quite confident they can manage; they've got Ponyville's entire security force and dozens of the Royal Guard to assist them. At best, Twilight only has Spike and five of the local residents assisting her."

"She didn't bring Spike along," Bellerophon apprised him, "He passed out shortly before we left and Twilight thought it best to put him in bed."

"Okay, then she only has five mares to assist her," Bronze Star noted, "Five mares whose help she may be unwilling to accept, at that. All the more reason why I should join her. Look, Bellerophon; I know that you are concerned about the state of Equestria. I am as well; that is precisely the reason why I want to help Twilight go after the Elements. If we don't retrieve them, we may never see the Sun or my mother again. Believe me, I value your input and I totally respect your views, but this is my decision."

There was a long period of awkward silence between the two stallions. Ultimately, Bellerophon expelled a deep sigh and declared "Very well, sir. If you're that committed to this plan of yours, I will not stop you. But under one condition; I'm accompanying you on this mission."

Bronze Star opened his mouth to protest, but he was quickly interrupted by the palomino Pegasus: "Sir, I would prefer it if we stopped the argument right here. Every moment we linger here, Nightmare Moon gets stronger. This circumstance is non-negotiable. I swore to serve and protect your mother and the integrity of the office of the Canterlot Royalty. Therefore, I swore to serve and protect you as well. I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Bronze Star did not want to drag his mentor into this matter. However, from his experience, he knew that Bellerophon could be just as persistent as him, if not more so. Aside from that, if he turned down the older stallion's offer, he would be contradicting his own point about how Twilight would need all the help she could get to locate the Elements of Harmony. He gazed up at Bellerophon and declared "Alright, you're in. Now let's find Twilight before she enters the forest."

The two stallions proceeded downstairs and exited through the main entrance. The security guard was still there. Bronze Star told him "I want you to return to Noble Edict. Tell her and SIG Sauer that I am with Bellerophon, and that we're going after 'Nightmare Moon's bane.' Use those exact words."

"Yes, sir," the security guard complied. As he left through the front gate, he called out to the gold stallion and the palomino stallion "Good luck out there."

Bronze Star nodded his head in acknowledgement, but when the guard was out of earshot, he muttered solemnly "We'll need a lot more than luck if we're going to get through this night."

Ten minutes later, the two stallions arrived at the edge of town. Conveniently, Twilight Sparkle was already there, as were Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. The six mares were in the center of the path which led directly into the Everfree Forest.

Pinkie Pie giddily squealed "Whee! Let's go!"

"Not so fast," Twilight stopped her, "Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own."

At that, Applejack interceded and countered with "No can do, sugarcube. We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple."

She trotted into the Forest first. Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Rarity followed close behind and muttered "Umm-hmph" in agreement.

Pinkie then added in "Especially if there's candy apples in there."

Twilight gave her a strange look, to which she only replied with "What? Those things are good."

Then she happily pranced into the woods.

Twilight gave an annoyed sigh and was about to enter the Forest as well, when Bronze Star called out "Room for two more? Or is it mares-only?"

Twilight Sparkle and the other ponies had not even noticed him and Bellerophon approach. However, she appeared to be glad to see the two of them. She admitted "I would be a fool to turn down such an offer from you. But we should get moving before we lose the others."

"Bellerophon told me you were hoping to lose them," Bronze Star remarked.

"Maybe, but if I wanted to, I would have done it out here, not in there," Twilight Sparkle apprised him, gesturing towards the forest.

"Well, looks like we're stuck with them," Bellerophon wittily observed, "Don't be so quick to label them as burdens, Twilight. Give these mares time, and I'm certain that each one of them will prove her worth."

"I'm sure they will," Twilight concurred, "Still, that doesn't stop me from worrying about what might happen in there."

"At any rate, we've got a country to save," Bronze Star reminded her, "A word of advice: use your anxiety to fuel your motivation. That's what I always do."

Twilight Sparkle took this helpful tip into account. Then she proceeded down the path alongside Bronze Star and Bellerophon. Soon they caught up with the other five mares, and together, the eight of them ventured further into the unknown depths of the Everfree Forest. What awaited them, they did not know. But whatever did happen in there would change their lives forever.

> A Solution For Everything
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

SIG Sauer and Noble Edict had made substantial progress in securing Ponyville. The mayor and City Council were moved to a bunker located beneath Town Hall. All the civilians had been evacuated from the building and moved to their houses. There were some residents and tourists who were staying on the outskirts of the town, such as the Apple family. The Royal Guard escorted these individuals to their dwellings and aided them in fortifying their shelters. Then they took posts all along the perimeter of the town.

While the Royal Guard had been tasked with keeping the inhabitants of Ponyville safe, Noble Edict's staff was responsible for locking the town down. They had instructions not to let anypony enter or leave the town without being searched and cleared first. At the center of it all, SIG Sauer was the one regulating the actions of the security forces. Currently, he was in the town square speaking with an officer who supervised all passage to and from the district. He asked her "Has the train depot been closed off?"

"Yes, sir," the officer informed him, "As per your orders, we also sent out a priority-one telegram to all the other stations across the country. We've alerted them to a nationwide shutdown of the railroads. It will remain in effect until the Sun rises."

"Very good," commented the pine green stallion, "Now that you've handled that, I'd like you to conduct an inspection of the town's perimeter. Look for any gaps in the Royal Guard's blockade. If anypony new happens to arrive, redirect them to the custom house. The ponies there should be able to accommodate them once they've been examined."

The officer acknowledged this command and departed from the area. SIG Sauer was left by himself for a couple minutes, but technically, he was not alone. At any one moment, at least half a dozen of the Royal Guard and Ponyville's security officers could be found on every street. Many of them were balancing several errands at once, so very few of them could afford to remain stationary.

Noble Edict had gone back to Town Hall to acquire a certain list from the assessor's office. This list was a record of the town's population; it contained the names of everypony who either lived in Ponyville or planned to stay there during the Celebration. Noble Edict had proposed using this list to make certain that nopony other than Princess Celestia was missing.

Amidst all the activity in the town square, SIG Sauer spotted Noble Edict approaching him from the direction of Town Hall. She was carrying a very large rolled-up scroll on her shoulder. When she reached him, SIG Sauer asked "Is that the entire roster?"

She nodded her head and stated "I apologize that it took so long. It's against regulation to remove the original version of the populace manifest from Town Hall; only duplicates can be taken out. The assessor wasn't in his office; he and his family were moved to their house. So I had to make a copy of the list myself."

"Well, I appreciate the effort," SIG Sauer informed her, "What's really important is that we have the list. Now we can use it to ascertain that everypony is accounted for."

"How would you like to proceed, sir?" inquired the red mare.

"There are many ways we can do this," SIG Sauer noted, "However, the simplest would be to divide the list up into different sections and then distribute those sections to the units who are stationed in the corresponding districts. That way we can take attendance everywhere at once."

"I'll get my people right on that," Noble Edict approved, "By the way, SIG, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it, Noble?" he asked in interest.

"As you may recall, I assigned an agent to go with Gold Streak to the embassy," Noble Edict apprised him, "I encountered that agent at Town Hall a couple hours ago when I first began copying the list. He told me that the ambassador is with Bellerophon, and that the two of them have gone after 'Nightmare Moon's bane.'"

When she saw the look of mild confusion on SIG Sauer's face, Noble quickly added in "The ambassador instructed him to use that phrase. But he has no idea what it means. Neither do I."

"They must be going after the Elements of Harmony," SIG Sauer hypothesized, "If so, that's probably a good thing. They would not have chosen to go looking for the Elements unless they actually had a reliable lead on their whereabouts. Now that they're out searching for them, they must be reasonably confident that they have the correct location."

"Let's hope they're right," Noble Edict pronounced, "For everypony's sake, especially theirs. The agent mentioned that as he left the embassy, the two stallions were heading towards the Everfree Forest."

"They're going to the Everfree Forest by themselves?" SIG Sauer assumed in surprise.

"Not according to the agent's testimony," Noble Edict replied, "Bellerophon told him that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had been at the library when he and Twilight Sparkle were there. Nopony's seen those six mares since they left Town Hall, so it's highly likely that they went with him and Gold Streak."

"Well, a company of eight is much better than a company of two," SIG Sauer professed, "Still, it may have been imprudent for them to go into the Everfree Forest without backup. What's worse, they didn't reveal where they were going. If we knew that, we could have at least sent them some assistance."

"I'm not too sure about that," Noble Edict theorized, "Even if we did know where the ambassador and the others went, I'm not certain we'd be able to help them. Our forces are spread thin enough as they are here. We cannot spare anypony."

"I suppose that's true," SIG Sauer admitted, "Oh, well. Gold Streak and Bellerophon know how to deal with danger, Twilight's very good with magic, and most of the other mares seemed capable of defending themselves. As long as they're careful, they should be alright."

"I'm inclined to agree," Noble Edict thought aloud.

The red mare was about to leave the area to gather her staff and divvy up the populace manifest. Right before she could move, a voice called out from down the block "Noble! Noble! Miss Edict!"

Noble Edict and SIG Sauer turned towards the source and saw a young stallion running towards them. When he was about ten feet away, Noble enquired "What is it? Is everything alright?"

"No, I do not believe so," the stallion replied. He was about to explain what he meant by this statement, but he gave SIG Sauer a suspicious look, as if he had just noticed the pine green Unicorn was there. He asked inquisitively "Who might I ask are you?"

"This is SIG Sauer," Noble Edict answered for her colleague, "He works for the Canterlot Royalty. SIG, this is Dense Miasma. He's one of the three volunteers I assigned to watch over that ball of energy I encountered the other day."

SIG Sauer gave a nod of confirmation towards the younger stallion. Dense Miasma returned the gesture, albeit somewhat hesitantly. Then he disclosed "That's why I'm here. The energy sphere; it's… changed."

"What do you mean 'changed?'" asked Noble Edict in perplexity.

"A short time ago, it grew in size by about twenty-five percent," Dense Miasma explicated, "An inscription appeared near the base of it, too. We couldn't make any sense of it, so we thought it best to bring this directly to you."

"Alright, thank you for coming to me with this," Noble Edict said graciously. After a brief pause, she remarked "Since you came alone, I presume that Petal Picker and Soapstone are still with the sphere?"

"Yeah, we didn't want to leave the sphere unattended, in case it continued to change," Dense Miasma claimed, "So we decided that only one of us would leave. We agreed on me because I'm the fastest runner. However, Petal Picker and Soapstone are expecting me to return soon. We shouldn't keep them waiting for too long. I would appreciate it if you came back with me."

"That's not possible right now," Noble Edict notified the young stallion, "An emergency situation has just come up. Princess Celestia and the Sun are missing, and the individual responsible for their disappearance is at large and extremely dangerous. Because of that, I need to stay here and keep Ponyville safe."

"So you can't afford to send anypony at all?" Dense Miasma assumed.

"No, I'm afraid not," she confirmed apologetically.

Truthfully, Noble was somewhat interested in this subject, but she did not consider it to be of high-value. On the other hoof, SIG Sauer found one particular detail of it intriguing. He stepped up to Dense Miasma and queried "When exactly did this happen?"

"At approximately six o'clock," the younger stallion recounted, "Say, wasn't that the same time the Sun was supposed to rise?"

"Yes, it was," SIG Sauer informed him, "That was also the time that Nightmare Moon showed up."

"Nightmare Moon?" Dense Miasma remarked, "A mythical creature is behind all this?"

"That's correct," stated the pine green Unicorn, "She showed up in Town Hall and threatened to permanently blot out the Sun. We tried to apprehend her, but she transformed into a cluster of dark blue energy and bolted out of the neighborhood."

"Really?" Dense Miasma stated in fascination. SIG Sauer nodded his head, and then Dense proclaimed "Not ten minutes after the energy sphere grew in size, another cloud of energy zipped by over our heads. It appeared to be composed of the same type of energy you just described."

"It must have been Nightmare Moon," SIG Sauer concluded. He turned to the red mare and proposed "Noble, I think we should investigate this."

"Sir, with all due respect, that's out of the question," Noble Edict objected, "Our security forces have enough on their hooves already. All the Royal Guard and everypony on my detail are much too busy. We cannot afford to lose even one of them."

"Very well," SIG Sauer coincided, "Then I'll go."

"What?" Noble almost shouted.

SIG held up his hoof to stop her and told her "Before you protest, I suggest that you view this scenario in perspective. You and I have the same job: to maintain order and peace. We can only effectively accomplish that for so long by staying here. We both know that Nightmare Moon has no interest in one lone town. She's been waiting for an entire millennium to return to Equestria; she must have developed other plans. It's our duty to stop her from carrying out those plans. In order to do that, we must delve further into the heart of all this. We can start by investigating the energy sphere. It cannot be a coincidence that Nightmare Moon passed over it ten minutes after it expanded in size."

As resistant as Noble Edict was to SIG Sauer's idea, she could not deny that he was on to something. While staying in Ponyville and keeping the residents safe would prevent a panic from arising, it would do very little to bring back either the Sun or Celestia. Aside from that, SIG Sauer had authority over her. If he decided to leave the town, the most she could do to stop him was protest. She could not order him to stay. Plus, she knew this town much better than he did. It occurred to Noble that Ponyville only really needed one person to oversee the safety of the public. Between the two of them, she was better qualified.

"Alright, sir," Noble Edict complied, "If you believe this energy cloud is worth investigating, go right ahead. But please, do not be gone for too long. Just give the sphere a quick inspection and come right back here."

"Understood," SIG Sauer affirmed.

"We'll do our best to be back here within an hour," Dense Miasma proclaimed.

Noble Edict took this statement into account. Then she watched as the two stallions left the area and headed towards the Everfree Forest. Once they vanished from her sight, Noble removed the scroll from her shoulder and went to disperse its contents amongst her staff.

…

At this point in time, it had been three hours since Bronze Star, Bellerophon, and their six female companions had gone searching for the Elements of Harmony. They had already ventured several miles into the Everfree Forest. On the upside, the old abandoned fortress was now within their line of sight. On the downside, making it this far had been anything but easy. The group had encountered many obstacles and dangers along the way.

When they first entered the Everfree Forest, the ponies had discussed everything they had already learned with each other that was relevant to their situation. Bronze Star discovered that there were six Elements of Harmony: honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, loyalty, and an unknown sixth one. In turn, he and Twilight Sparkle illuminated the others on the Shroud of Valor and how it had been used to protect the previous wielder of the Elements. There were also some additional facts that only Bellerophon knew, thanks to his extensive knowledge of Equestria's history. He was more than willing to share these bits of information with the others.

Shortly after they finished going over what they knew, the group continued marching on in silence for a while. At one point, Bronze Star abruptly doubled over and groaned in mild discomfort. The others quickly came to his sides to make certain he was not hurt.

"Are you alright, sir?" the palomino stallion asked anxiously.

"Yeah, I'm quite well, Bellerophon," Bronze Star responded, wincing slightly and clutching the area between his left front and hind legs. After a moment, he stood up straight and divulged "My side is just a little sore. I landed on it pretty hard when Nightmare Moon tossed me off that balcony."

"Wow, just a 'little' sore?" Rainbow Dash uttered in amazement, "That's really something. I don't know anypony who can withstand that kind of pain. Except for me. And maybe Applejack."

"I suppose I should take that as a compliment, Rainbow," Applejack drily remarked. The cyan mare glared at her incredulously, as if to say "Seriously?" The orange mare then chuckled and commented "I'd hate to sound arrogant, but I suppose I can't deny that."

Fluttershy was standing next to Bronze Star when he had tripped. Since his back was turned to her, she could see the gaps in his uniform. She patted him on the shoulder and said "Ummm, excuse me, Gold, but are you aware that you have two large holes in the back of your jacket?"

Bronze Star realized she was referring to the openings for his wings. He had not been prepared for this question, but he was great at improvising. He turned to the yellow mare and casually informed her "Oh, yeah, I am aware. They're not just in my jacket; they're in my vest, too. Those have been there for a while. Happened when I was out exercising one morning. I've been meaning to have them repaired, but haven't gotten around to it yet."

"If you want, darling, I could sew those holes up for you whenever we get back to Ponyville," Rarity offered.

"I'd really appreciate that, as long as it's not any trouble," Bronze Star told her.

The white mare just smiled knowingly.

"But before we get back to Ponyville, we've got a country to save!" Pinkie Pie joyfully declared. She bounced further down the path and called over her shoulder "Come on, girls! And Gold and Bellerophon! Let's keep moving!"

The other ponies could not help but adore the pink mare's optimism. They followed her down the path in a straight line. Before long, Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were leading the group. When that happened, the lavender mare leaned over to the gold stallion and whispered into his ear "Nice save back there. I don't think they suspect a thing… 'Ambassador Streak.'"

The young prince smirked, nodded in agreement, and suggested "We should keep it that way."

Of course, a lingering bruise and the risk of the five Ponyville mares discovering Bronze Star's true identity were by far the least of the group's problems. Before long, they would encounter half a dozen perils and hindrances.

After traveling for a couple miles, Bronze Star gazed off into the distance and announced "I think we're nearing the edge of a cliff."

Bellerophon rose into the air to get a better view of the group's surroundings. He returned to the ground thirty seconds later and stated "You're right. The path ends about a hundred feet up ahead. We'll have to find a way down the mountain."

"That might be hard," Pinkie Pie remarked "Because we've got no idea where we're going."

"What are you talking about?" Bronze Star inquired as the group continued moving.

"Well, this is the first time we've set hoof in the Forest," Fluttershy revealed.

"So, none of you have been in here before?" Twilight Sparkle presumed.

"Ugh, Heavens no!" Rarity retorted, "Just look at it. It's dreadful!"

"And it ain't natural." Applejack supplemented, "Folk say it don't work the same as Equestria."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight Sparkle inquired in worry.

By this point, the group had reached the end of the path. They stopped for a moment to gaze over the cliff and search for an alternative route to the ground below. While they stood there, Bronze Star could have sworn he saw a cloud of mist sink into the grass

Rainbow Dash then emerged from the shadows and said ominously "Nopony knows. You know why?"

She was trying to play a practical joke on the others. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity appeared to be scared, but the others were unamused.

"Rainbow, quit it," Applejack stated in annoyance.

This did not stop the Pegasus. She slowly approached the three frightened mares and said in a dramatic tone "'Cause every pony who's ever come in… has never… come… OUT!"

Immediately after she said this, the ground had collapsed underneath them. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Bellerophon quickly rose into the air, but Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Bronze Star slid down the mountain in the rockslide.

The three winged ponies quickly rushed to save their companions. Rainbow Dash picked up Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy pulled Rarity to a halt. Bronze Star managed to recover on his own and jumped into the air. Bellerophon flew by and grabbed the young prince's extended front hooves.

Applejack wrapped her teeth around a sturdy branch to stop her fall. Twilight was the only one who slid all the way to the border of the mountain. When the farm pony saw this, she released her grip on the branch and went to Twilight's aid.

Twilight held on for dear life and begged Applejack to tell her what to do. The Earth Pony convinced her that the only way they would both survive would be if the Unicorn let go. Twilight was hesitant at first, but she complied with Applejack's suggestion.

She fell a considerable distance, but then Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy swooped in and intercepted her long before she reached the ground. She sighed in relief. Fluttershy's grip almost slipped for a moment, but she managed to hold on tight enough.

"Sorry, girls," Fluttershy said sincerely to Rainbow and Twilight, "I'm not used to holding anything more than a bunny or two."

Bellerophon flew under the three mares, held out his front legs, and told the two winged mares "Here, let her go. I've got her."

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy released Twilight, and the large palomino stallion caught her. Due to his size and strength, he was easily able to carry the young mare by himself.

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Bronze Star were already at the base at the mountain. Applejack used a series of small platforms to jump down to their level. Bellerophon transferred Twilight to the ground and landed next to the group, as did Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Now all eight ponies were back together.

On the plus side, they were still on the proper course to the abandoned fortress. However, the avalanche was just the first of the six unforeseen complications. The next one was a touch more hazardous; a wild manticore appeared. He was standing directly between them and the rest of the path. They had no choice but to get past him.

They employed several different tactics to achieve this goal. Rarity tried striking him down, Applejack tried subduing him, and Rainbow Dash tried disorienting him. None of these approaches worked. Bronze Star had a net in his supply pack. He proposed luring the beast into it so they could entrap him.

Bellerophon distracted the manticore while Pinkie and Twilight helped Bronze Star set up the net between two trees. Once it was in place, Bellerophon directed the creature towards the large mesh. The manticore was not very intelligent; he ran right into the net. However, the net was not strong enough to hold him. He managed cut through it as if it was made of threads.

The group then thought of overwhelming the manticore by closing in on him all at once. However, Fluttershy stopped them before they could surround the beast. Then, something interesting happened. The animal lover calmly approached the manticore, spoke softly to him, and removed a huge thorn from his paw. In response, the manticore picked up the much smaller Fluttershy and licked her mane affectionately. He stopped being hostile altogether and let the ponies pass. Shortly after, the thorn disappeared. The only remnant of it was the cloud of dark blue energy.

The group's third impediment was perhaps the most bizarre one. Even more bizarre was the way they resolved it. After travelling another mile, they entered a tightly-packed cluster of trees. They were so close together that not even the moonlight could get through. As such, the group had to walk in total darkness for a while. Bronze Star removed a torch from his supply pack, but when he lit it, he found that its range was somehow restricted to one feet in any direction. So he extinguished the flame and put the torch away to save it for later.

When the ponies were partway through the woods, a dark blue light glided by their hooves. Once it faded away, the nearby trees appeared to come to life. They glared at the ponies with countenances of malice and rage, and they looked as though they were about to attack.

Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash screamed in terror. Bellerophon stood around the mares protectively, as if to shield them. Bronze Star pulled a hatchet from his belt and eyed the trees closely. If any of them made a hostile gesture, he was prepared to defend his companions.

The trees seemed to be frozen in place, but Bronze Star was not taking any chances. He rushed toward the nearest tree and raised his hatchet into the air. However, just before he could strike, the sound of laughter filled the air. Everypony turned and saw Pinkie Pie guffawing at one of the trees.

Pinkie's actions deeply confused the other ponies. What she did next confused them even more: she burst into song. Ironically, the song was about chuckling when confronted with a daunting threat. Oddly enough, this seemed to be the solution. The others chuckled at the trees, and one-by-one, their malevolent appearances vanished. Once the song was over, all the mares were rolling on the ground laughing. Bronze Star and Bellerophon could not help but snicker as well. It had been a long time since either of the stallions had seen anything this humorous.

The fourth obstruction was only slightly less strange. The group encountered a lengthy river with an abnormally tumultuous tide. Swimming across it was out of the question. Bellerophon offered to fly everypony over the rapids, but the most he could carry was two at a time. The others did not like this idea; they were uncomfortable with splitting up the group before they knew what awaited them on the other side. Bronze Star had a rope in his supply pack and a grappling hook on his belt. He suggested tying the rope to the hook, tossing the hook across the water, and using the rope to ford the river. This might have worked, except that they had no idea how much space was between them and dry land. The rope might not have been long enough, or Bronze Star's throw may have been inadequate. Aside from that, the currents may have been too strong to resist.

Once they were out of ideas, they located the source of the problem. Further up the stream, a flamboyant serpent was flailing about in the water, sniveling hysterically. The ponies approached him and inquired as to what his problem was. He claimed that a purplish or dark blue cloud of smoke had sailed past him and severed half of his mustache. Now he felt disgraced.

Most of the ponies were generally unsympathetic to his grief, but Rarity stepped in and offered a way to remedy the dilemma. She removed on of his scales, sliced off most of her tail with it, and used her magic to attach it to the area above the serpent's upper lip. He was delighted by this and calmed down very quickly. Once the tide subsided, he allowed the ponies to use his body to cross the river.

Soon, the group arrived at a clearing. From there, Twilight managed to spot the abandoned fortress in the distance. It was less than a mile away. The magic student eagerly ran towards it; the others followed her close behind.

In her haste, Twilight had failed to notice that there was a gorge between them and the castle. She tripped over the ledge and almost tumbled down into the chasm, but Rainbow Dash grabbed her tail and pulled her back up.

Now the group came to their fifth determent, sixty feet of empty space. The Pegasi could easily traverse this distance, but the Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and the disguised Alicorn needed an alternative. From what they could see, the only way across the gorge was a bridge. The bridge had collapsed, but one end of it was still attached to the supports. It happened to be the end on the group's side of the canyon.

Bellerophon presented the same offer he made before; he was willing to carry everypony across the chasm. Although there was no water between the group and their target this time, there was a huge cluster of mist on the other side of the gorge. The other ponies did not want to divide the group up before they knew what was there. Besides, they figured it would be easier and less time-consuming to repair the bridge.

Rainbow Dash volunteered to do this job. She flew down to the hanging end of the bridge, picked it up, and transferred it to the supports on the other side. The others watched as she tied one of the ropes in place. She was about to tie the other one when she abruptly halted. She gazed around in all directions, as if she was expecting an ambush or something.

Bronze Star and the others watched her intently. At one point, she turned away from the bridge. Three mysterious figures appeared in front of her, and she appeared to have a conversation with them. The other seven ponies could not hear what she was saying or see who she was talking to, but she seemed to be engrossed. Thirty seconds later, Rainbow turned back to the bridge and picked up the other rope, but one of the figures stopped her.

Soon, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle saw that the three figures had dark blue manes. They called out to her in urgency. Suddenly, the mist shifted and blocked Rainbow Dash from the group's view. As this happened, Twilight implored the athletic pony not to listen to the imposters.

Bellerophon was about to fly across to assist Rainbow Dash, but Bronze Star stopped him. His reasoning was that he was concerned that those three figures might take Rainbow hostage if they tried to intervene. All they could do was wait.

Less than a minute later, the crooked bridge became level with the ground. Then the mist dissipated and revealed Rainbow Dash had successfully fixed the support. She was also on her own; the three figures had vanished. The other seven ponies crossed the bridge and joined her on the other side.

Three hours and ten miles after they first entered the Everfree Forest, the group was so very close to the abandoned fortress. However, they were not there just yet. Before they got there, they would have to overcome their sixth and most treacherous trial.

The eight ponies cautiously approached the dilapidated building. Right when the main entrance was practically within their grasp, they heard a strange rumbling sound. Soon after this, the ground beneath their hooves began to vibrate in a most interesting fashion. For one second, the ground shook. The next second, the shaking ceased. Then the ground shook again. Then it stopped. This pattern continued for a while, and the tremors became consistently stronger.

"Oh my gosh, it's an earthquake!" Pinkie Pie shrieked.

"No, it's not an earthquake!" Twilight countered, "If it was, the ground would be shaking without interruption!"

"Then what in tarnation is causing this?" Applejack demanded.

"The only explanation is that this tremor is artificially created," Twilight conjectured.

"It… it… it is," Fluttershy nervously stammered. The others turned to her and saw that her gaze was fixated on something above their heads. She slowly pointed in the same direction and yelled "Look out!"

The others quickly turned towards the source of the disturbance. When they saw what it was, the color almost drained from their faces. A twenty-foot ogre was approaching them. He was clad in rags and he held a five foot club covered in spikes.

He stopped in front of the ponies and gazed down at them, as if he was studying them. After twenty seconds of tense, deadly silence, the ogre roared in rage, lifted his club into the air, and charged towards the ponies.

> Indisputable Fidelity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Disperse! Quickly!" Bronze Star shouted.

As the ogre got closer, the eight ponies scattered in all directions. Most of them ran for cover. Bronze Star and a couple others were looking for a way to fight back against the ogre.

"What should we do?" Pinkie Pie asked frantically, bouncing around the area, "What should we do?"

"Just keep moving!" Bellerophon advised the others, "Ogres have a limited attention span! If there's too much activity going on, we may be able to confuse him! Once that happens, we might spot his weakness if he has one!"

Bronze Star and the six mares took this tip into account. They scurried all over the open area. Every now and then, one of them shot a jeer towards the monster to divert his attention away from the others.

A normal ogre would have been unable to keep track of so many ponies at once. However, this ogre seemed to be a touch more clever than the average one. He snarled loudly again and stamped his foot hard against the ground. This tremor was so powerful that all eight of the ponies lost their balance and fell on their flanks.

"So much for that great idea," Rainbow Dash remarked sarcastically from the ground.

"On your hooves, now!" Bronze Star ordered, rising up hastily, "If you stay still, you're just making yourself an easier target!"

Before long, all eight members of the group were up off the ground. They continued darting around the area, but this would only keep them safe from the ogre for a short time.

"Whatever will we do now?" Rarity asked in a dramatic yet serious tone.

"See if you can get closer to him," Bronze Star suggested, "But not too close! If you spot anything that can be exploited as a means to bring him down, let me know!"

The other ponies busied themselves with this task. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity were only willing to get within twenty feet of the ogre. Fortunately, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Bellerophon, and Bronze Star managed to get much closer than that.

At one point, Bronze Star ran directly behind the ogre. He was literally within reach of the creature. He could have sworn he spotted a large blemish on the back of his left leg. But before he got a clearer view, the ogre turned around and swung his club directly at the gold stallion. He missed, but one of the spikes of the weapon grazed the side of Bronze Star's head. It left a shallow cut along his temple. Bronze Star groaned and slowed down his pace for a moment. That moment was all the ogre needed to properly concentrate. He focused on the young prince and raised his club high into the air.

Before he could strike, Applejack lunged towards Bronze Star and pushed him out of harm's way. While she did this, Bellerophon and Rainbow Dash flew in front of the ogre's face to distract him. This gave Applejack and Bronze Star time to get away.

Once Bronze Star regained his coordination, he turned to Applejack and told her "Thank you for that. You probably just saved my life."

"Ah, don't mention it, sugar cube," Applejack responded, smiling pleasantly, "By the way, I think I saw an open flesh wound behind the ogre's right knee."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and queried "You're sure it was his right knee?"

"Yup, it may be dark out here, but my eyes don't deceive me," the mare with the hat confirmed.

"Alright, excellent work, Applejack," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He turned back to the open area and called out "Everypony, find some shelter!"

"But Bellerophon just said –" Twilight began.

"I know what he said!" Bronze Star interrupted her, "Now listen to what I'm saying! I have a plan to defeat the ogre, but I need your cooperation! Get yourselves to safety! Now!"

The palomino stallion and the six mares obeyed Bronze Star's command. They scurried off to a cluster of trees and concealed themselves amongst the large branches. The ogre paid them no heed; now that he was alone in the clearing with Bronze Star, he planned to focus all his attention on the gold stallion.

He looked down at the pony dressed in black and approached him slowly. The ogre was at least four times larger than the pony, not to mention far stronger and deadlier. At this time, there was nothing he desired more than crushing the pony to pieces.

Bronze Star was not the least bit intimidated by his foe. He merely grinned in amusement and taunted the beast with "Come and get me, you half-witted, oversized mongrel!"

The ogre could not understand these words, but he was more than willing to carry them out. He raised his club into the air, charged towards Bronze Star, and waved his weapon towards the ground. Despite his rapid approach, Bronze Star did not move a muscle. Then at the very last second, he dove under the ogre's legs. Then he reached into his supply pack, pulled out his mask, and slipped it on. After that, he drew a machete from his belt.

Once again, he stood absolutely still and waited for the ogre to turn around. Once the creature was facing him again, Bronze Star dove forward and dug his machete into the giant's right kneecap. The effect was instantaneous; the ogre yelped in agony and almost lost his balance. While the ogre was slouched over, Bronze Star jumped onto his left leg, climbed up it, and stabbed him in the thigh. The ogre shrieked again, and while he was distracted by this newfound pain, Bronze Star climbed up his back.

Over the next two minutes, the ogre struggled to get the gold stallion off of him. He tried shaking him off, reaching back at him, and even waving his club backwards. Nothing worked. Bronze Star gradually climbed higher up the giant's back until he reached his shoulders. Then he took his machete and sliced at the back of the ogre's head. This sudden action was enough to seriously befuddle the ogre, but not enough to bring him down. Bronze Star's next move solved this problem. He shifted his position on the ogre's back and stabbed him below the throat.

At this, the ogre dropped to his knees, and then fell flat on his back. Bronze Star leaped off of him just in time. Before the ogre had a chance to recover, Bronze Star jumped onto his chest and struck him repeatedly in the face with his front hooves. Ogres had tough skin, but Alicorns could pack very powerful punches.

Bronze Star beat the ogre for an entire minute before he relented. By then, he had knocked the beast senseless. Then he drew his machete again and lifted it into the air. He prepared to plunge his blade into the ogre's neck to finish him off. But something about his adversary caught his attention and made him hesitate.

The ogre was still conscious, as his eyes were slightly open. His eyes were actually what stopped Bronze Star from killing him.

One of Bronze Star's hobbies was learning about all the strange creatures that lived in Equestria. He had once read a comprehensive volume about the physiognomy of ogres. According to that book, their pupils were always one of three colors: black, yellow, or red.

This ogre's eyes were dark blue.

Bronze Star was deeply confused by this irregularity. At first, he speculated that this ogre had a rare illness or a genetic mutation, but there was no record of any such thing happening.

Bronze Star thought back to several instances in the past few hours when he had seen other objects that were tinted dark blue. After that, the real reason for the ogre's distinctive eyes quickly dawned on him. For that reason, he chose to spare the ogre's life. So he lowered his machete and sheathed it in his belt. Immediately after this, the ogre's eyes turned yellow and a cloud of dark blue smoke exited from his ear. It bolted away and disappeared from sight.

Bronze Star hopped off the ogre and nonchalantly sauntered away. He then called out "Alright, everypony. The coast is clear!"

Bellerophon and the six mares slowly came back out into the opening. All of them had witnessed the clash between the gold stallion and the ogre. Needless to say, they were absolutely speechless.

When he reached his companions, Bronze Star thought aloud "No need to worry about the ogre. He won't be bothering us anymore."

"I should say not, considering the huge flank-whopping you just gave him," Applejack noted irreverently.

"Wherever did you learn to fight like that, dear?" Rarity questioned in astonishment.

"It's just an acquired skill," Bronze Star claimed.

He tried to make this answer sound candid and sincere, but it did not have that effect on the five mares from Ponyville. None of them were convinced that it was the truth.

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that?" Rainbow Dash remarked in doubt.

"It's one thing to know how to fight," Fluttershy professed, "A soldier or one of Royal Guard might have the ability to bring down a rampaging ogre. But I've never heard of a diplomat who had the prowess to do that single-hoofedly."

"She does have a point," Pinkie Pie coincided, "It's unlikely that a representative from Canterlot could pull off what you just did. Unless… you're more than just our ambassador."

Pinkie Pie zoomed closer to Bronze Star and eyed him suspiciously. Then she stated in a tone of melodramatic skepticism "You are just an ambassador, right? Or do you work for somepony other than us?"

Bronze Star was not caught off guard very often, but this was one rare instance when he was. He considered making up another explanation, but he realized that these mares could see straight through a phony allegation. Ultimately, he sighed and retorted with "I suppose I may as well tell the truth; I'm certain all of you can be trusted with it. Believe me, I am the ambassador to Ponyville. However, I'm also a member of Princess Celestia's Council, as well as her inner circle. The ponies on those boards are required to go through basic military and combat training. Mostly to be used in the event of an emergency, such as the one we're in."

"Well, that's understandable," Fluttershy commented. The others gave mutters of agreement.

"Why didn't you just tell us that earlier?" inquired Applejack.

Twilight Sparkle could see where Bronze Star was going with this. She stepped in and answered for him: "In Canterlot, having a position on Celestia's Council is considered to be one of the highest honors imaginable. Being in her inner circle is an even greater privilege. For that reason, the names of the people on those boards are supposed to remain confidential. You see, that's about as close as you can get to the Princess without being directly related to her."

Bronze Star almost scoffed at the irony in Twilight's last statement, but he prevented himself. He did not want to have to explain that as well. However, there was still one more small matter we would have to account for.

In all the turmoil, Bronze Star had not yet removed his mask. Since he was facing the other ponies, all of them could see there were three openings on it. Rainbow Dash informed him "Hey, Gold, there's a hole in your mask. Other than the eyeholes, I mean."

It only took Bronze Star a second to realize she was referring to the orifice that his horn was meant to go through. He quickly pulled off his mask and gazed down at it, pretending to seem surprised. Then he slid it into his supply pack and proclaimed "Thanks for letting me know, Rainbow. Must have happened when I climbed up the ogre's back."

"With all due respect, I don't believe so," Rarity countered, "I can spot a flaw in a pony's attire from a hundred feet away, darling. That third hole was already in your mask when you put it on."

"In that case, I have no idea how it got there," Bronze Star asserted.

"Or…" Pinkie Pie began falteringly. She gazed at Bronze Star shiftily and queried "You don't have a hidden third eye, do you?"

"Not as far as I know," Bronze Star drolly retorted.

Despite the absurdity of her question, Pinkie Pie was actually quite serious when she asked it. She leaned up to his forehead and stated shiftily "Can you see me? Hello? Are you there?"

"I don't have a third eye, Pinkie," Bronze Star brusquely assured her, "My uniform just has some notable blemishes in it. I'll get them patched up when we return to Ponyville. All that matters right now is that we get into that fortress."

The other ponies agreed to this proposal. A few seconds later, they heard a weak yet alarming groan. They turned back out to the center of the clearing and saw that the ogre was the source of the commotion. He was still lying flat on his back, moaning in discomfort.

The mares were startled by this sudden outburst. Bronze Star eased their worries by saying "Relax; he won't get up. I didn't permanently disable him, but he'll be out for several hours. At any rate, he's not our problem. In fact, he wasn't our problem to begin with. That's why I spared him; he was possessed."

"'Possessed?'" the six mares inquired in unison.

"Correct," Bronze Star elucidated, "Although ogres are violent creatures, they typically don't attack first unless provoked. The only reason this one did was because he was forced to."

"By who?" queried Bellerophon.

"By the same individual who was responsible for the avalanche, the thorn, the trees, the serpent, and the bridge," Bronze Star responded, "It was Nightmare Moon. She's been trying to dissuade us ever since we entered the Forest."

"Why would she do that?" Rainbow Dash enquired in perplexity.

"The only fathomable explanation is that Nightmare Moon sees us as a threat," Bronze Star speculated. He turned to the fortress and announced "There's no doubt about it, now. The Elements of Harmony are definitely in that building. And despite Nightmare Moon's best efforts to throw us off, all she's doing is prolonging the inevitable. We're going to find the Elements, and we're going to stop her TODAY."

…

Several miles north of the fortress, SIG Sauer was following Dense Miasma along another path in the Forest. So far, the two stallions had not come across anything nearly as problematic or dangerous as the things Bronze Star and his group had come across. In fact, other than an occasional rodent, they had not come across anything at all. SIG Sauer was hoping that would change soon; they had already been galloping for close to thirty minutes.

"How much further to the sphere?" SIG Sauer asked, a little peevishly.

"It should be less than a mile away," Dense Miasma informed him, pointing down the road, "I'm sorry this is taking so long. I know we'll get there soon. I didn't mark the trail, but I'm confident we're almost there. And I'm pretty sure we're not lost."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Dense," the older stallion assured him, "It's easy to misjudge distance in a place like this. Everything about the environment looks very similar, most of the paths are tarnished, and there are no outposts to rest at."

"Can't argue with any of that," stated Dense Miasma. After a moment of silence, he scoffed and said "It's actually kind of funny. Until three days ago, I never once thought I would ever enter this place. But when Noble Edict went around asking for 'volunteers' to watch after some 'anomaly,' I figured I may as well get out and have some excitement. Plus, I wanted to do the town a favor for taking me in."

"Oh, so you haven't lived in Ponyville your whole life?" SIG Sauer presumed.

"Actually, I just moved here two weeks ago," Dense Miasma disclosed, "So did Petal Picker and Soapstone. The three of us share an apartment just outside of town."

"Are they family?" SIG enquired.

"No, but we went to school together," Dense Miasma expounded, "We were roommates at the University of Neightown. Truthfully, I'm not on good terms with my real family. Believe it or not, neither are Petal Picker and Soapstone. We came to rely on each other for support and aid. So after we graduated, we stayed together. Not long ago, we decided to move to Ponyville."

"For the Celebration?" stated the pine green stallion.

"Not entirely," Dense Miasma enlightened him, "The Celebration helped influence our choice, but the primary reason we came here was because we were looking for work. Since Ponyville's a great deal smaller than most of the other settlements in Equestria, we figured it must have a larger demand for labor."

"Makes sense," was all SIG Sauer said in response.

Dense Miasma looked over his shoulder and stated "What about you? Do you have family?"

"Yes, but I haven't seen most of my relatives in years," SIG Sauer replied, "My job always keeps me busy. Whenever I'm not in Canterlot training new recruits or overseeing national security, I'm out on assignment someplace else. That leaves me very little time for family. Or a social life. Not that I ever really cared much for the latter."

"What about the former?" stated Dense Miasma, "Surely you place a high value on your family?"

"Yes, family is extremely important to me," SIG confirmed, "While I'm not on speaking terms with all of my kin, I am on fair terms with a considerable percentage of them. Even so, it's been a long time since I've paid any of them a visit. Partly because almost all of them reside in the settlements. In fact, the only ones that live in Canterlot are my son and my daughter."

"Oh, I didn't know you were a father," Dense remarked. He looked back at the older Unicorn and asked him in interest "What's it like, being a parent?"

"I don't typically discuss my children with ponies I just met," SIG Sauer explicated, "But I already made an exception with Noble Edict earlier today, so I suppose I can make one with you, too. In answer to your question… it's actually somewhat hard to express in words. But I'll do my best."

The two stallions continued trotting through the Forest, but Dense Miasma kept his gaze on SIG Sauer as the latter stated "Have you ever been in a race or a tournament? Or some other type of competition that you vigorously prepared for and looked forward to with great anticipation? And if so, did you manage to win or at least place in that competition?"

"Well, one time at the University of Neightown, I participated in this tourney," Dense Miasma recollected, "I spent many weeks exercising to prepare for it, and even more time eagerly looking forward to it. It was composed of over a dozen types of vigorous sports. The match I entered was supposed to be an all-stallions bout, but that didn't stop Petal Picker and Soapstone from showing up to cheer me on. Their presence really boosted my morale; I did very well in the competition. I wasn't the champion, but I did make runner-up."

"Well, do you remember the great wave of satisfaction you felt upon completing the contest?" SIG Sauer asked rhetorically.

"Oh, yeah," Dense Miasma shamelessly affirmed, "I don't think I'll ever forget it; I celebrated all night long. But what does all this have to do with how it feels to be a parent?"

SIG Sauer then explained his point: "The preparation you put into that tourney is trivial compared to how much preparation would be needed to get yourself ready for parenthood. The time spent waiting for the big day to come would be far more stressful and wearisome. However, even if you were the winner of that competition, I can assure you that the pride you felt when you received your medal would be nothing compared to the pride you would feel when you hold your newborn child for the first time. I underwent that exact sensation when I first held my son and my daughter."

Dense Miasma raised an eyebrow in fascination and thought aloud "That's an incredible way of putting it, sir."

"I'm glad you think so," stated SIG Sauer, "In my mind, that's the best way to describe parenthood to a person who is not yet a parent. In a sense, you should classify it as 'winning.'"

"Winning at what?" queried the younger stallion.

"Life," was SIG's concise but direct answer, "Life is precious. There is no greater accomplishment than creating a new one. That's a personal victory that must be cherished."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Dense Miasma pronounced, "Maybe later you and I can talk about this further."

"Perhaps, but let's get to that energy sphere," SIG Sauer proposed.

"Not to worry, sir," Dense Miasma proclaimed, "It's right up here."

The stallions walked on in silence for about twenty seconds. Soon they could hear a calm humming sound. It got increasingly shriller as they walked further down the path. A hazy glow could be seen through the trees up ahead. When Dense Miasma and SIG Sauer reached the end of the path, they arrived at a huge clearing. There was almost nothing on this patch of land: no trees, no bushes, no rocks, no animals, not even a puddle.

All the same, the clearing was not entirely empty. In the center of it, there were two young mares standing close to a giant sphere of dark blue energy; one on either side of it. This sphere was quite large; it had to be at least ten feet in diameter. Despite its dark blue hue, it had to be the brightest thing SIG had seen in hours.

Dense Miasma gestured for SIG Sauer to follow him. As they entered the clearing, the younger stallion called out "Petal, Soap, I'm back!"

The two mares turned around and looked in their direction. The one on the right breathed a sigh of relief and remarked in mild annoyance "Dense, where have you been?"

"Ponyville, or have you forgotten?" Dense Miasma replied somewhat mockingly, "Anyway, what's important is that I'm back. I brought somepony to help"

The two mares watched as the two stallions approached them. The one on the left gazed at SIG Sauer and questioned "Who might you be?"

"My name is SIG Sauer, ma'am," was the pine green Unicorn's answer, "I work for the government."

Right now, it was just light enough that SIG Sauer could clearly make out the appearances of the three ponies. The mare on the right was an Earth Pony with a mauve coat, a brown mane, red eyes, and a clay sculpture for a cutie mark. The mare on the left was a Pegasus with an ochre coat, a violet mane, yellow eyes, and a bouquet of flowers for a cutie mark. He also got a good look at Dense Miasma. He did not notice this earlier, but the younger stallion was a Unicorn with a cerulean coat, a grey mane, black eyes, and a mass of fog for a cutie mark.

"Noble Edict was not available, so he came with me instead," Dense Miasma explained, "I'm confident he'll be able to help us with this matter."

The two mares seemed to be content with their friend's statement, so they calmed down.

The Earth Pony nodded in SIG's direction and said "Name's Soapstone."

"And I'm Petal Picker," stated the Pegasus.

"Good morning, ladies," SIG Sauer acknowledged. "At least, it will be once the Sun's up."

"Well, it's already after nine o'clock and it's nowhere to be seen," Soapstone pointed out.

"That's very unusual, especially for the Summer Sun Celebration," Petal Picker noted.

"He claims it's Nightmare Moon," Dense Miasma informed them.

"I don't claim anything; it is Nightmare Moon," SIG Sauer remarked, "Over three hours ago, she appeared in front of the entire town. I was there when it happened. I do not have time to go into detail about everything that's going on. All you need to know is that Princess Celestia is currently missing, and it's my job to find her. At present, I don't have any solid leads, but I have reason to believe that this energy cloud may give me one."

"I guess that's a reasonable assumption," stated Soapstone, "We've been watching this thing for the past three days, and up until a few hours ago, nothing about it changed. So it would make sense if Nightmare Moon is responsible."

"Can't really see what she would want to do with this sphere, but I suppose you'd know better than us," Petal Picker observed, "If you really think something about it could bring back the Sun and Celestia, feel free to check it out."

SIG Sauer nodded and turned his attention towards the energy cloud. He stated firmly to the other three ponies, "For your own safety, I would ask that you move back."

Petal Picker, Soapstone, and Dense Miasma obeyed this request and took several steps away from the energy cloud. Now that SIG Sauer had some room, he got a closer look at the energy cloud.

It was composed of the same type of sparkling dark blue energy as Nightmare Moon. It was also larger than SIG Sauer originally thought. Instead of ten feet, it had to be at least fifteen in diameter. The humming sound it produced had evolved into a high-pitched shriek. Any louder and it could be classified as white noise. The cloud was hovering about ten inches off the ground, but nothing was holding it up.

The energy cloud was indeed shaped like a perfect sphere. However, a small rectangular prism was attached to the base. Because of its position, it stood out rather conspicuously. On this prism were four nine-syllable sentences:

One moment for contact to begin

From darkest past comes future's decree

The blood of a friend keeps one within

The blood of a fiend will set one free

SIG Sauer read all of these sentences twice, and then he said over his shoulder "Is this that inscription you referred to?"

"Yeah," Dense Miasma affirmed, "Before I left, we spent a while trying to make sense of it on our own. But we have no idea what it means."

"Do you have any ideas, sir?" Soapstone asked SIG Sauer.

"Well, for starters, it's a riddle," the pine green Unicorn perceived, "That alone tells us plenty. All riddles are fundamentally the same. The wording is supposed to be cryptic, but when you think about it, the solution is very simple."

"So do you think you'd be able to solve it?" queried Petal Picker.

"I'll certainly try," SIG Sauer guaranteed her. He looked down at the inscription and studied all four lines closely. He rubbed his chin as he thought deeply on their meaning. He uttered "'One moment for contact to begin'… 'contact'… has anypony else shown up here in the past few days?"

"No, other than Noble, you're the only person we've seen," Petal Picker answered.

"Have you heard any voices?" the pine green stallion enquired, "Screams? Yells? Anything of the sort?"

"Nope, there's no noise except for the cloud's obnoxious humming sound," Soapstone apprised him.

"Well, 'contact' must refer to a means of communication," SIG Sauer professed. After a moment of thinking, he theorized "Could it be possible that the humming sound is actually the energy cloud itself trying to converse with us?"

"We thought of that, but we don't think it very likely," Dense Miasma disputed, "There's no pattern to the noise, other than that it gets louder as we get closer to the cloud. And that could simply be a reaction to motion."

"Alright, so that brings us nowhere," SIG Sauer declared, "We'll come back to this line, but I have a feeling that finding its meaning would help us solve the next line, as well."

"Why is that?" said Soapstone.

"'From darkest past comes future's decree'" SIG Sauer muttered, "Think about that. People don't use 'past' and 'future' in the same sentence unless they're talking about a cause-and-effect relationship. Maybe once we've made 'contact,' something about the 'past' will determine the course of the 'future.'"

"That would certainly fit the description," Petal Picker coincided, "But what about the future would be determined?"

"That must be where the other half of the riddle ties in," SIG Sauer hypothesized, "On that subject, there's something about the last two lines that seems… contradictory. Both hint at the possibility of bloodshed. But only that of a friend or fiend. The first 'keeps one within'; the second 'will set one free.'"

"A most interesting choice of words," Dense Miasma thought aloud, "It's as if it's talking about a prison."

"Actually, it does seem like that," SIG Sauer commented. He spent another minute studying the sphere and thinking, but then he noticed something strange. A large silhouette was stretched out along the front side of the sphere. SIG Sauer looked around the area, but there was nopony in the clearing other than himself and the other three ponies. He quickly realized that whatever was casting the silhouette was actually inside the sphere.

SIG Sauer moved in for an even closer look. He soon discovered that it was not an object that was casting the silhouette. He announced to the others "Wait a minute… There's somepony inside this thing."

"What?" Soapstone remarked in surprise, "Are you sure?"

"Very," SIG Sauer replied. Soon, another thought occurred to him. There was the word 'contact' in the first line of the riddle. Up until now, he had assumed that 'contact' referred to verbal communication. But there were multiple ways to define that word. He wondered… maybe in this context, it referred to physical contact. Case in point, maybe physically touching the sphere was the key.

To determine the validity of this idea, SIG Sauer slowly lifted his right front hoof up and placed it against the bottom of the sphere.

Immediately after he made contact with the energy cloud, he saw a very bright light that momentarily blinded him. After the light subsided, his eyesight quickly cleared up. When it did, SIG Sauer looked around and discovered that he was alone and in a different place.

He was no longer outdoors. Instead, he was standing in a hallway. A strangely familiar hallway at that. He studied his new surroundings, hoping to find some indication of where he was. When he could not locate any useful clues in his immediate area, he trotted down the hallway to expand his search.

Near the end of the hallway, he came across a portrait of an elderly stallion. He recognized this stallion; he was Rigid Hunter, the director of the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency (ETNA). He recognized the portrait as well; he used to walk past it every morning when he worked for ETNA. Assuming the portrait was in its proper place, SIG concluded that he had to be at ETNA's headquarters in Canterlot.

But he had not set hoof in this building in seven years. Not ever since… the tragedy.

"You!" a booming voice yelled from the adjoining corridor.

This sudden outburst alarmed SIG, but what alarmed him even more was that he recognized that voice. It was his own.

SIG Sauer hurried over to the next hallway and gazed into it. A pine green stallion was viciously beating an azure mare.

SIG Sauer was now convinced that this was a flashback. He had witnessed this same exact scene once before. But he had been a direct part of it back then. The stallion down the hall was him from seven years ago. The mare he was beating… he would never forget her face. She had haunted his memories ever since this day.

He watched as his past self gripped the mare by her throat, slammed her against the wall, and held a knife to her throat. His past self yelled in rage "How could you do this, you… you… you monster! I trusted you! I saved your life! And this… this is how you repay me? By stabbing me in the BACK!"

"It's not my fault you were so easy to manipulate," the mare replied without any display of emotion, "You shouldn't take this so personal. This was just business."

"'Business?'" SIG's past self muttered through gritted teeth, "People are dead because of your business! People I cared about! People you swore to protect! Do their lives mean nothing to you? Is there anything about you that's for real? Anything AT ALL?"

"Actually, yes," the mare answered nonchalantly, "I really was following orders. I can promise you one thing: if you kill me, you'll never know who my real boss is."

SIG remembered all of this very well. He had spent five minutes contemplating whether or not to stick his knife into that mare's neck. She absolutely deserved to die, and the law would have been on his side if he killed her. But he had sworn an oath to do everything possible to protect the citizens of Equestria. If he did not learn the name of this mare's true employer, her boss would simply find somepony else to in infiltrate the ETNA. So despite his overwhelming desire to kill the mare, SIG Sauer had chosen to let her live. He had summoned a security team to arrest her.

As she was being taken into custody, the mare had gazed back at SIG and called out with a note of heartlessness "Say 'hello' to that nosy mare of yours for me. She's waiting for you in your room."

The first time he heard that remark, SIG Sauer was quite perplexed. But it did not take him long to grasp what she meant. As the security team carried the mare away, SIG Sauer watched as his past self bolted in the opposite direction. He had navigated through the corridors until he came across a door with the label "Chief of Field Operations." This had been his office.

SIG watched as his past self shoved open the door and ran inside. He gazed around frantically, as if he expected to find somepony there. At first, it appeared to be empty. Then he noticed the chair at his desk was turned away from him. He had slowly approached his desk. Very slowly, as if something about it unsettled him. When he reached the chair, he spun it around so that it was facing him.

A female Unicorn was slouched over in the chair. She had a plum coat, an indigo mane, teal irises, and a silver peace symbol for a cutie mark. She was not moving, and she was barely breathing.

SIG Sauer watched as his past self picked up the mare in his front legs. He held her close and said desperately "Wysteria? Wysteria, honey! Are you alright?"

The mare was conscious at this time, but that would change very soon. She was fading away quickly; she had just enough strength to gaze up at SIG Sauer. She managed to bring a small smile onto her face and tell him "I… I'm sorry about this morning."

Earlier that day, the two of them had had gotten into an argument. She had been the one who started it, and it had not ended well for either of them.

SIG Sauer had sorrowfully replied with "I don't care about that. None of it matters now. I've already forgiven you. Please, stay with me. I love you… so much."

Somehow, Wysteria managed to remain smiling and tell the pine green stallion "I… I… I love you, too. With all my heart."

Shortly after that, her smile had dropped, her eyes clamped shut, and her body went limp.

By this point, SIG's eyes were flowing with tears. He begged Wysteria "Don't go, please… Come on, sweetie, wake up. You gotta wake up! Please, you have to be alright! The kids need you! I need you!"

He had tried shaking her, resuscitating her, and straight-out pleading, hoping that something he did would revive her. To his dismay, nothing worked.

The current SIG Sauer could not bear to watch any longer. Going through this event once was terrible enough. He could not imagine enduring it a second time. So he marched solemnly out of the room. When he was out in the corridor, he came face-to-face with Nightmare Moon.

SIG Sauer was still wearing his belt. He reached for his knife, but before he could grab it, the black Alicorn warned him "Do not bother. Do you honestly believe you could harm me here? Surely you must realize that this is all an illusion."

"A very detailed and accurate illusion of an actual event," SIG Sauer heatedly contradicted her. He lowered his front leg and demanded "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because out of all your memories, you consider this one to be your blackest," Nightmare Moon explained to him, "Despite your attempts to shut it away, it brings you pain every single day. Unbearable, torturous pain."

"What do you care about my pain?" SIG Sauer shouted furiously.

"I can help you ease it," Nightmare Moon ambiguously proposed, "You miss your wife. That much is obvious. I can reunite you with her."

SIG Sauer scoffed in astonishment and snappily retorted with "So, what are you saying? That you can bring my wife back? I highly doubt that; you don't have the power to resurrect the dead!"

"Perhaps not in reality," Nightmare Moon audaciously remarked, "But anything is possible in this realm. Here I can offer you a suitable alternative. The next time you go to sleep, I can ensure that your next dream is about you and your wife. I can make this dream last for as long you'd like. You'd be able to care for her, love her, grow old with her… whatever you'd like. I can give you back the life you were so wrongfully deprived of."

"What of my children?" SIG Sauer barked, "Do you truly believe I would ever abandon them for a simple fantasy?"

"No, I would not expect you to," Nightmare Moon frankly disclosed, "However, there is more to this proposition. Whenever your children next fall asleep, I can connect their dreams with yours. You could dream of your wife; they could dream of their mother. Now just imagine that. Your son and your daughter would be able to spend time with both of their parents. That happened very rarely even when your wife was alive, if your other memories of her are any indication."

There was a tense interval of silence before the black Alicorn went on with "Think of this, SIG Sauer. You've devoted your entire life to protecting Equestria's government. What has it gotten you? Respect? Praise? Acknowledgement? That may be enough to appease you, but was all that worth losing the mare you love?"

"I've asked myself that question many times," SIG Sauer remarked, "And every time I do, the answer is always no. However, as horrible as that loss was, I have come to accept it, and I've managed to move on."

"If that was true, this would not have been your blackest memory," Nightmare Moon proclaimed. She started moving towards the pine green stallion and stated portentously "I do not think you fully comprehend just what it is I'm offering you here. I'm giving you the option to live the rest of your life with your wife and children. The four of you, together, incapable of being broken apart. You'd be able to make up for all that lost time. I can make that happen. All you have to do is back away from the energy cloud."

SIG Sauer had to admit that this offer did sound quite appealing. However, he had several reservations about it. For one thing, there was no way he could trust Nightmare Moon to keep her word. She had no loyalties to anypony, and she was more than likely deceiving him. Aside from that, Nightmare Moon was a criminal, and SIG Sauer had always believed in a strict policy of refusing to negotiate with criminals. Plus, as much as he longed to see his wife again, he knew she was gone. No matter how realistic Nightmare Moon tried to make her seem in his dreams, it would not be the real her. Lastly, there was the matter of the string attached to this proposal. That was what really caught his attention.

SIG Sauer looked up at Nightmare Moon and asked suspiciously "Why do you want me to back off? What's so important about the energy cloud? Does it have to do with the person inside it?"

Nightmare Moon seemed to be perplexed by this statement. She remarked innocuously "What are you entailing? There is no 'person' inside that cloud."

SIG Sauer could tell she was lying. Then he stated irreverently "'From darkest past comes future's decree.' What I just witnessed must be the 'darkest past." So now you're giving me two options. Whichever one I pick must be 'future's decree.' Even more interesting is how you're trying to influence my decision. You're offering me so much in exchange for something that apparently amounts to so little. There is no rational explanation for that. Unless…"

He paused for a long while and thought about the scenario very closely. There were a few gaps, but he managed to piece them together with the information he already had. Eventually, he had everything figured out. He leered up at Nightmare Moon and declared "Princess Celestia is in the sphere, isn't she?"

Nightmare Moon did not even try to deceive him this time. She grinned wickedly and replied with "Yes, she is. Now you must decide what you will do about that. Will you make a vain attempt to liberate her, or will you back away and let her be? For your sake, you'd better chose the latter."

"I will not," SIG Sauer boldly declared, "I don't care what you do to me. I'll never betray Princess Celestia. Not for anything."

At this, he reached for his knife again and mumbled angrily "Now, end this illusion right now, or we'll find out the hard way if I real can harm you in this realm."

Nightmare Moon was not intimidated by this threat, but she chose to comply with his wish. She spoke emotionlessly "Very well."

Immediately, SIG Sauer saw the same prodigiously bright light from before. When it subsided, he was back in the Everfree Forest with Dense Miasma, Petal Picker, and Soapstone.

He noticed that the three younger ponies were gazing at him in astonishment. Justifiably so, as from their point of view, he had not moved a muscle or spoken a word in the past twenty minutes. They tried getting a response out of him, but he did not even seem to notice them in all that time.

"What happened, sir?" queried Petal Picker.

"It would take too long to explain," SIG Sauer responded, "But I know what we have to do."

"What might that be?" asked Soapstone.

"We have to destroy this thing," the pine green stallion declared.

The others were surprised to hear this. Dense Miasma asked "Why do you say that?"

"Princess Celestia is inside it," SIG Sauer informed him, "Nightmare Moon is using the energy cloud to hold her prisoner. That's the whole reason it was planted here in the first place. So we have to get this thing open. Right now."

"You are certain of this?" Dense Miasma assumed.

"Of course I am," SIG Sauer confirmed, turning back to the energy cloud, "Without a single doubt, this must be done."

The cerulean Unicorn, the ochre Pegasus, and the mauve Earth Pony all looked around at each other. A few seconds later, Dense Miasma lightly sighed, stepped behind SIG Sauer, and declared "Very well. Then you leave us no choice."

"What?" SIG Sauer remarked in great confusion. Concerned, he turned around to face the younger Unicorn. Without warning, he felt a sharp jab in his ribcage. It was so sudden and unexpected that it almost took his breath away.

At this moment, SIG Sauer and Dense Miasma were directly facing each other. The young stallion bore an evil smirk accompanied by an expression of sadistic pleasure. He was holding his right front hoof against the spot on his torso where SIG Sauer felt the rush of pain. He slowly looked down and saw that Dense Miasma had stabbed him with a thin knife just five inches away his heart.

"That hurt?" Dense Miasma asked rhetorically. "'Cause this sure will!"

He dug his knife another inch into SIG's chest and then released his grip on the weapon. SIG Sauer collapsed onto his back, the knife still protruding from his chest cavity.

Although he was in tremendous pain, SIG Sauer brought himself to lean his head forward. Petal Picker and Soapstone carried the same aggressive countenance as Dense Miasma, and they had drawn a similar type of knife. The two mares kept their distance, but the stallion knelt down in front of SIG and told him menacingly "Do not resist this, sir. Stay on the ground. If you make any trouble for us, I will hunt down your children and make them suffer."

Normally, SIG Sauer would have tried to strangle anypony who so much as threatened his children. The only thing stopping him here was the knife in his chest. All he could do from the ground was scowl hostilely. He demanded furiously "Who… who are you people?"

"We're believers, sir," Dense Miasma informed him, "Believers in the glory of night. We have been waiting a long time for this to happen. This is a very memorable occasion. Nightmare Moon has come here to bring prosperity and amity to this land. We will not allow anypony to stand in the way of that. Not Celestia, not Noble Edict, and certainly not you."

> Turning The Tables
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

SIG Sauer was no stranger to hurt. All throughout his career, he had suffered a multitude of injuries and damages. More than a few of them had been particularly life-threatening. He was very well-acquainted with terror, too. He had been involved in many situations where he had to put himself in danger. On occasion, he had gone in knowing there was a huge probability that he would not live through the event.

Although there were many perilous occupational hazards that came with his job, SIG Sauer did not let them bother him. He had been trained to resist interrogation, and he often voluntarily put himself at risk to protect others.

SIG could bring himself to tolerate the knife in his chest, and no matter how hopeless his current dilemma seemed, he was not going to panic. He was an expert at withstanding pain, and fear was practically a foreign concept to him.

However, SIG Sauer was not immune to shock. He was quite capable of being surprised. At present, he was completely astounded. One could hardly blame him. After all, he had just been led into a trap by a group of ponies who appeared to revere Nightmare Moon as an idol.

SIG Sauer grunted through strained breaths "How long have you been planning this?"

"Long enough to leave no margin for error," Dense Miasma responded bluntly.

"Well, I'm afraid your efforts are in vain," SIG Sauer remarked cheekily, "Do you honestly believe you'll get away with this? If so, you may as well declare war on Equestria. Every single pony in this country will be searching for Princess Celestia. It will only be a matter of time before this location is discovered, and once it is, your scheme will be terminated."

"I highly doubt that," Petal Picker observed, "This area is very well-hidden. By the time somepony else stumbles across it, it will be too late."

"Noble Edict knows about this place," SIG audaciously reminded them, "She might send out a search team if we fail to return to Ponyville soon."

"No matter," stated Soapstone, "If she or any of her staff comes along, we'll deal with them. You must realize that we will not hesitate to silence anypony who stands in the way of Nightmare Moon's return."

"Then why haven't you finished me off?" SIG Sauer inquired, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"Because we still need you, Mr. Sauer," answered a voice from off to the side.

SIG Sauer lifted his head a little more and gazed in the direction of the voice, as did Petal Picker, Soapstone, and Dense Miasma. They watched as two figures stepped out of a cluster of trees and into the clearing. One of them was a very large, musclebound stallion with a towering figure. The other was a mare dressed in a cloak with the hood drawn over her head. The latter had been the one who spoke.

These two new ponies gradually approached the four near the energy cloud. Soapstone and Petal Picker backed away to give them room to pass. The huge stallion stood between the two of them, and the hooded mare stopped next to Dense Miasma. She gazed down at SIG Sauer and briefly examined him with her eyes. SIG was not certain of this, but it actually appeared as though she was looking at him with a form of… admiration.

"Just who in the name of Tartarus are you?" he enquired crossly.

"My name is unimportant; think of me as Nightmare Moon's messenger," the hooded mare answered, "Also, try not to talk too much; it will put additional pressure on your stab wound and make you weaker. I would prefer to keep you alive and conscious for now."

After an extended period of silence, the shadowy mare continued with "I have heard of you, SIG Sauer. You are a war veteran, a patriot, and a legionnaire. Most of all, you are a pawn of Celestia. Therefore, you are exactly what we need."

"Need for what?" demanded SIG Sauer.

"Isn't it obvious?" the mare said somewhat mockingly, "Think of the last two lines of the riddle. 'The blood of a friend keeps one within,' and 'the blood of a fiend will set one free.' Those statements are meant to be taken literally."

"Okay, so you need actual blood," SIG Sauer presumed.

"Correct," the hooded mare confirmed, "But not just any type of blood. It must be the blood of either a certain individual's friend or fiend. In context, whose friend and whose fiend do you suppose the riddle is referring to?"

"I would have to guess Nightmare Moon's," SIG Sauer perceived, "After all, she's the one who planted the energy sphere."

"While that's certainly a logical assumption, you are incorrect," the mare disclosed, "'One' is not the person who created the energy sphere. Instead, it is the person being held prisoner inside of it."

"You mean Princess Celestia?" stated the pine green Unicorn.

"Yes," the hooded mare confirmed, "To reiterate, a friend's blood would 'keep her within,' and a fiend's blood could 'set her free.' As you have probably gathered, my colleagues and I have no love for your leader. We are determined to keep her inside of that sphere. In order for that to happen, we need to provide the sphere with a sample of blood from a living, breathing individual who has irrefutable allegiance to Celestia. Of the six ponies here, you're the only one who meets those criteria. Therefore, we can use your blood to permanently shut the sphere."

"You are badly mistaken if you think I'd ever let you use me against my ruler," SIG Sauer spat angrily.

"You make it sound as though you have a choice," the mare remarked sardonically. She peered over her shoulder and commanded "Tough Titan, get him up."

"As you wish, ma'am," the large stallion acknowledged. Up until now, he had not spoken a word.

Tough Titan slowly walked around her and Dense Miasma, and then he approached the wounded stallion. He reached down, gripped SIG Sauer by his sides, and lifted him into the air. Although the pine green Unicorn was not in much of a condition to put up a struggle, Tough Titan was not going to give him an opportunity to do so. When he was facing SIG Sauer, he spun him around, seized his front legs, and forced them over his head.

Once Tough Titan had SIG Sauer restrained, he turned to the hooded mare so that both of them were facing her. After that, she gradually neared SIG Sauer until she was directly in front of him. Then she reached forward, took ahold of the knife in SIG's chest by the hilt, and extracted it slowly. SIG Sauer moaned quietly, but he managed to endure the pain. Once the blade was out of him, the hooded mare held it in front of her eyes and examined it closely. She smugly declared "Looks as though Dense Miasma cut you pretty deep. This should more than suffice."

"Wonderful," SIG Sauer sarcastically remarked. After a moment, he smirked and questioned "Just how exactly do you plan on submitting the blood to the sphere, anyway? I don't see any openings in it. Not even a crack in the surface."

"All I have to do is hold this knife up to the tablet with the inscription, and a small vessel will appear below it," the hooded mare elucidated, "I will simply hold the knife up to the bowl and allow your blood to trickle in. Once it's received just a few drops, Celestia will be stuck inside forever. Then, of course, you will be disposed of."

SIG Sauer scoffed at this last remark. The mare in the hood raised an eyebrow and queried "Is there something you find amusing here?"

"Yes, you," the pine green stallion remarked cheekily, "You claim to know me. If that's true, then you'd know that I'm a soldier who is always ready to die for his country."

"Well, luckily for you, I can assure you that that will indeed be your fate," the hooded mare retorted.

"Maybe, but there is one small problem," SIG Sauer countered, "Since I'm a soldier, there is something else you should know about me. In tight situations, I can do something to gain the upper hoof on my adversaries."

"Just what might that be?" the mare asked dully.

"This," SIG Sauer replied softly. He tilted his head upwards at the sky and closed his eyes. Without warning, a huge burst of red energy shot out of his horn. It sailed a hundred feet into the air and exploded like firecrackers. The other five ponies hastily covered their eyes to avoid being blinded. SIG Sauer could feel Tough Titan's grip loosen on him. When it did, he thrust his head backwards and struck the huge stallion underneath the throat. This caused Tough Titan to release his hold altogether. Now that he was free, SIG Sauer opened his eyes and focused his attention on the mare in the hood. He stepped up to her, swiped the knife from her hoof, and punched her squarely in the face. His blow was so powerful that he knocked her out cold.

Once the hooded mare was on the ground, SIG Sauer turned to face her associates. Each of them had recovered from the disorienting effects of the burst of red energy. Petal Picker and Soapstone were pointing their knives menacingly at the pine green stallion. Dense Miasma and Tough Titan were unarmed, but they were more than capable of fighting with their hooves.

Although he was now unrestrained and equipped with a weapon, the odds did not look very high in SIG Sauer's favor. He was a middle-aged stallion with a stab wound, and he was up against four young adults who were in better physical condition than him. However, he had never been one to judge his chances of victory in a conflict by reflecting solely on his disadvantages. Besides, he had come out on top in tighter situations.

SIG Sauer grimaced angrily and muttered through gritted teeth "You are traitors. All of you. You will be charged with conspiracy to commit treason, and you will be summarily executed for it."

"That a fact?" Dense Miasma sneered, "You're the only witness to this affair. The only material the courts could use to convict us is your word. Once you're dead and Celestia is trapped in that sphere, there will be no evidence against us."

"Oh, trust me, I'm the least of your worries right now," SIG Sauer disclosed, "That burst of energy I fired was not just a diversionary tactic. It doubles as a distress beacon. In total darkness, it can be seen for up to twenty miles in any direction. So even if you manage to kill me, it won't be long before this place is swarming with the Royal Guard."

At this revelation, the other four ponies seemed to become somewhat tense and nervous. SIG Sauer noticed this and smirked in satisfaction. Then he announced "So now, you've got three options. One, retreat and hope we never find you. Two, surrender and throw yourselves to the mercy of the courts. Three, go ahead with your original plan and try to use me to seal the energy sphere. At least with the first two choices, you'll have a chance of survival. But if you take the third one, you may as well sign your death warrants. Because I have no qualms whatsoever about killing traitors."

…

Back at the fortress, Bronze Star, Bellerophon, and the six mares had arrived at the front of what appeared to be the throne room. The building was ancient, derelict, and covered with vines, but it did not appear to be in danger of caving in. So the group deemed it safe to enter.

After passing through the main entrance, they spotted a huge pedestal in the center of the throne room. There were six small platforms attached to the podium; five of them held a large stone orb. These orbs were made of solid granite, and each one of them had a three-dimensional octagon imbedded on one side. They were exactly what the group had come for.

As the ponies approached the platform, Applejack remarked in amazement "Whoa."

What she said pretty much summarized what everypony else was thinking. The farm pony turned to the magic student and told her invitingly "Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?"

Twilight Sparkle was walking at the back of the group. She slowly passed between her companions and uttered in delight "The Elements of Harmony, we've found them!"

"Let's get a closer look at them," Bronze Star suggested.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Bellerophon flew up to the orbs and removed them from their resting spots on the pedestal. As the Pegasi transferred the stone balls to the ground, Twilight warily urged them "Careful, careful!"

Once all the orbs were gathered in front of the group, Pinkie Pie thought aloud "One, two, three, four… There's only five!"

"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow Dash inquired in concern.

In response, Twilight Sparkle announced "The book said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed."

The others found this answer quite ambiguous. Applejack queried in confusion "What in the hay is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea," Twilight replied. She stepped up to the five orbs and tilted her head towards the stone balls. Once her horn was aimed directly at them, she closed her eyes and instructed the others "Stand back. I don't know what will happen."

The other seven ponies moved several steps away to give the lavender Unicorn some room. However, they did not feel this would be enough to allow her to focus properly. Applejack trotted back over to the front entrance and proposed "Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate."

The rest of the group followed her outside in an orderly fashion. Twilight was left in solitude to somehow produce a "spark." Although her acquaintances were more than fifty feet away from her, they were ready to rush back in at a moment's notice.

"How long do you think this will take?" asked Fluttershy.

"As long as Twilight needs," Bronze Star surmised.

"Let's hope 'long' is not too long," Rarity mentioned, "Right now, time is a luxury we cannot afford."

"No need to worry, Rarity," Bellerophon pronounced, "Twilight Sparkle is well-versed on many types of magic. If anypony can figure out this predicament, it's her. However, we cannot expect her to find a solution straightaway. She will need a few minutes at least."

Bronze Star and the five mares agreed to be patient. They stood idly by the entrance, waiting for Twilight to produce some results. After a minute, Applejack proclaimed "Hey, take a gander over there."

Everypony turned to look in the direction she was pointing. In the distance, a huge red flash of light ascended high above the trees and exploded in the sky.

"Ooooo, pretty," Pinkie Pie commented giddily.

"Why are there fireworks going off?" Rainbow Dash enquired in bewilderment, "Isn't it a little early to celebrate?"

"Oh, it's never too early or too late to celebrate anything, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie claimed happily, "One time, I threw three parties for my sister to celebrate her birthday. But only one of them was on the actual day she was born. The others took place a week before and a week after. I wanted to throw a fourth party on the same day as the second one, but I thought that would be a little too-"

"Pinkie, I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but I don't think now is the time to talk about this," Fluttershy calmly interjected.

"Alright, I can wait," the bubbly pink mare concurred. She soon quieted down.

Although it had been more than thirty second since the explosion, the red light in the sky had not dissipated in the slightest. Bronze Star focused on it closely and declared "Those aren't fireworks. That's the Equestrian military's universal distress signal."

"You mean like an S.O.S.?" presumed Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, only much more exigent," Bronze Star affirmed, "The only reason anypony would cast it is if they are in mortal peril."

All five of the mares became somewhat unsettled upon hearing this news.

"Is it coming from Ponyville?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

"No, that's much too close to be Ponyville," Rarity observed.

"I think it's coming from somewhere else in the Forest," Applejack perceived.

"Oh no, this is horrible," Fluttershy muttered anxiously, "Somepony could be in serious trouble."

"Well, whoever he is, he must be Equestrian military," Bronze Star concluded, "If he's in need of aid, we should send him some."

The gold stallion then turned to the palomino Pegasus and stated "Bellerophon, I want you to go investigate."

The chief of staff was surprised to hear this command. He remarked in perplexity "With all due respect, sir, why must I go? I'm not a soldier or Royal Guard. I've never been in any branch of the Equestrian military. In fact, I have not even been in many combat situations, either."

"True, but you are the fastest flyer I know," Bronze Star explicated, "Plus, you're as large as an Alicorn of your age. Your speed and size might leave a deep impression on whoever is threatening our colleague over there. That may be enough to encourage the attacking party to back off. Even if it's not, at least our friend will be reassured that help is on the way."

"That is certainly a logical and practical viewpoint," Bellerophon admitted, "Truthfully, I'm not that unconfident in my physical abilities. However, I'm still quite hesitant about leaving you and the mares alone by this fortress. In a way, it would feel as though I was abandoning you all."

"Oh, if you're worried about us, you shouldn't be," Applejack assured the chief of staff.

"Yeah, we can totally watch our own flanks," Rainbow Dash validated.

"If you have to go stop somepony from getting hurt, we don't mind," Fluttershy insisted.

"Are you certain of that?" Bellerophon asked skeptically

"Well, six times Nightmare Moon tried to stop us, and six times she failed," Rarity recalled.

"We've already made it this far," Pinkie Pie mentioned, "We already have most of the Elements of Harmony. Before long, we may have all of them. We can go on by ourselves for a little longer."

"And in case you've forgoteen, I incapacitated an ogre a few minutes ago," Bronze Star wryly pointed out, "Trust me, Bellerophon; we can handle this."

After a few seconds of consideration, Bellerophon lightly shrugged his shoulders and asserted "Based on the events of the past few hours, I would be a complete fool to think that the six of you could not survive on your own out here. I'm convinced that you are more than capable of keeping yourselves and each other safe. Since none of you have any objections, I shall go and explore the area around that distress beacon. If one of our own is in trouble, I will provide whatever aid I can. Just promise me that you will deal with Nightmare Moon once you have all six of the Elements of Harmony."

"I give you my word," Bronze Star guaranteed him. The five mares gave the large stallion the same pledge. Once they did, Bellerophon extended his wings, rose up into the sky, and rapidly flapped to the north towards the red light. Soon he vanished from their sight.

Bronze Star was now alone with the five mares from Ponyville. They paced near the entrance of the fortress in uninterrupted silence for another minute.

Ultimately, Fluttershy broke the silence with "Twilight's been in there for a while now."

"Maybe she's encountered a hitch," Applejack theorized.

"I'm going to check up on her," Bronze Star decided, "Make sure she's alright and such."

None of the mares protested this idea. The gold stallion trotted back into the throne room and began to approach the lavender Unicorn. He was about to ask Twilight how her progress was going, but before he could open his mouth, he noticed that a cloud of dark blue smoke was rising up through the ground near her feet. It was quickly surrounding the stone orbs.

Bronze Star immediately realized what was going on. He sprinted towards the center of the room and yelled in urgency "Twilight, look out!"

Twilight opened her eyes and discovered the source of her friend's warning. She promptly screamed in shock and disarray.

"Twilight!" the mares edgily shouted in response.

The dark blue smoke gradually altered itself into a fast-spinning vortex. As it increased the speed of its rotations, it completely engulfed the stone orbs.

"The Elements!" Twilight cried in apprehension. In a desperate maneuver to save the stone orbs, Twilight dove forward to try intercepting them from the vortex. By now, Bronze Star had reached her, and he tried to help her retrieve the stones.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the vortex disappeared, along with everything in its immediate area, including Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and all five of the orbs.

The other five mares Ponyville had reentered the throne room, but found that they were alone.

"Twilight? Gold?" Fluttershy called out in worry.

"What?" Applejack yelled in perplexity

"Where did they go?" Rarity asked frantically.

"What happened?" Pinkie Pie shrieked.

"What's going on?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

Of course, these questions went unanswered. The only thing the mares could tell for certain was that Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were now missing, and so were the Elements of Harmony.

> Sacrifice Of Heroes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Less than ten minutes had passed since SIG Sauer had ignited his distress beacon and armed himself. Very little had happened since then. He was still confronting his new opponents, but neither side had attacked yet. Although they outnumbered him four-to-one, he was more than capable of evening out the odds. However, he had an injury to account for, so he decided that his best strategy would be the one which involved moving around as little as possible. Because of that, he was hoping that one of his opponents would attack first. Obviously, they needed a little encouragement.

"It won't be long before we have company," SIG Sauer apprised them tauntingly, "If you are going to pick an option, you better decide now. So, what's it going to be? Retreat? Surrender? Or option three?"

Dense Miasma slowly stepped forward and declared "We have been waiting days, weeks, months, even years for this to happen. In order to close itself, the energy sphere will need the blood of one of Celestia's allies, but it will only accept the blood if the donor is still alive. However, that does not imply that the blood has to be yours. Whenever your reinforcements come along, we'll battle them until one of them is wounded in close proximity to the sphere. Then we'll use his blood. There; problem solved. So we don't need you anymore."

Dense Miasma gazed around at his three colleagues and ordered them sternly "Kill him."

Petal Picker, Soapstone, and Tough Titan simultaneously charged towards SIG Sauer with the intent to eliminate him. The pine green Unicorn held the dagger defensively and waited for them to get within two feet of him. Once they were upon him, he drove them back with a powerful wave of the dagger. Although he was focusing on all three of them at once, he planned to take them out individually.

Soapstone was the most unruly; whenever she got close to SIG, she hacked at him viciously. As he parried her blows, he scrutinized the Earth Pony's actions to find an exploitable flaw in them. Ten seconds later, she swiped her knife at SIG's torso, but she missed by several inches. Before she had a chance to rejoin, SIG Sauer gripped Soapstone by her mane, pulled her head back, and slashed her throat open with the dagger. When he released her, she dropped to the ground and quickly bled out.

Petal Picker used a shrewder method of fighting. Her approach relied more on tactics than force. While she was more heedful and strategic, her style employed a limited number of maneuvers. SIG Sauer soon recognized a pattern in the Pegasus' behavior and spotted a fatal error. At one point, she thrust her knife towards SIG's forehead. He dodged her attack, knocked her front leg out of the way, and plunged the dagger into her abdomen. He twisted the weapon around and let it go. Petal Picker collapsed onto the ground and did not move.

Tough Titan proved to be more difficult to defeat than either of the mares. He did not carry a weapon, but he did not need one. His skin was tough as nails, and his strength was three times that of a normal stallion. A single solid punch to SIG's face or chest would have been enough to incapacitate him. The pine green Unicorn just barely managed to avoid being struck down by the larger stallion.

Tough Titan did not appear to have any weakness, but SIG Sauer had a ploy in mind to bring him down. It was a ploy he did not enjoy using, but it had never failed him before.

SIG Sauer drew his special knife from his belt and held it in an aggressive stance. When Tough Titan rushed towards him with his right front hoof raised, SIG made his move. He jumped forward and waved his knife twice at Tough Titan's upper body. He left two cuts in the larger stallion's throat; one on either side. The cuts were long but quite shallow, and they did nothing to slow Tough Titan down. In actuality, they were not meant to be lethal for him. However, his next injury most certainly would be.

Infuriated by the feeling of pain in his neck, Tough Titan aimed a punch at SIG Sauer's head and swung with all his might. SIG Sauer ducked under the larger stallion's front leg, scurried behind him, and jumped onto his back. Then he lifted his knife high into the air and stabbed Tough Titan in the back of the neck. The large stallion groaned in misery, but he was still standing on his hooves. SIG's next move would remedy that.

SIG Sauer raised his right front hoof high into the air and slammed it against the hilt of his knife. As a result, the blade sunk further into Tough Titan's throat, and a deafening "SNAP" sound was produced. This indicated that the knife had pierced the top of Tough Titan's vertebrae and severed it from the rest of his spinal column.

Tough Titan stood absolutely still for about ten seconds. Then his head slid off his shoulders and rolled across the ground. Shortly after, his decapitated body crumpled as well.

There were now three corpses scattered across the ground. SIG Sauer stood above them triumphantly. He leaned down to the hugest one, extracted his knife, and wiped the blade clean. Then he turned back to Dense Miasma and cockily pronounced "Now it's just you and me."

Inwardly, the cerulean Unicorn was saddened and enraged for the loss of his associates. However, he managed to contain his grief and his fury. He glared at SIG Sauer with an icy stare, as if he was contemplating a variety of brutal ways to slay him. Ultimately, he merely grinned and stated haughtily "You'll find I am a little more experienced at skirmishing than my colleagues. You remember our conversation from earlier on? You might question the authenticity of some of the things I said, but what I told you about the University of Neightown was not fabricated. I really did compete in that tourney, and I really did place second in one of the events. You know which event that was?"

"Throwing knives at people's backs?" SIG Sauer scathingly conjectured.

Dense Miasma lightly shook his head and revealed "Mixed martial arts."

After he said this, he abruptly did a hoofspring forward and landed in front of SIG Sauer on his hind feet. The older stallion prepared to strike the younger stallion with his knife, but Dense Miasma did a roundhouse kick to SIG's side, throwing him off balance.

SIG Sauer momentarily stumbled, but he recovered without delay. Dense Miasma threw an upper cut towards SIG's chin, but the pine green stallion blocked his blow and pushed him back. While SIG Sauer was not very familiar with mixed martial arts, he was an expert in hoof-to-hoof combat. He would not go down without a struggle.

A vicious brawl quickly ensued; it lasted almost three whole minutes. Punches were thrown, kicks were delivered, and blows were exchanged all over. Both stallions were equally determined to win this conflict, and both proved to be extremely capable fighters. Dense Miasma had the advantages of youth and flexibility on his side, but SIG Sauer was able to compensate with his understanding of army tactics and adroitness. The fact that he was armed and Dense was not provided him with little reassurance. Dense Miasma did not even need a weapon to spar with SIG Sauer.

Near the end of the third minute, Dense Miasma's front leg shot forward and struck SIG on his open wound. SIG Sauer silently groaned and staggered backwards. Dense Miasma took this opportunity to lunge forward and trip the older stallion. SIG fell flat on his back; Dense stood over him to pin him down.

SIG Sauer tried to stab Dense Miasma in the shoulder, but Dense intercepted his right front hoof and held it back. He tried to wrestle the blade away from SIG, but the pine green stallion had a tight grip on his weapon. This gave the cerulean stallion an idea. He wrapped both of his own front hooves around SIG's right front hoof and turned it towards the older Unicorn so that his knife was pointed at him. Then he pushed straight down as hard as he could.

SIG Sauer realized that Dense Miasma was trying to make SIG stab himself in the throat. His left front leg was still free, but Dense's throat was out of reach. Thankfully, knife was not. He quickly grabbed ahold of its handle with his left front hoof and tried to pull it away from him. He put up substantial resistance to counter Dense Miasma's force, and if he was unharmed, it may have been enough. However, SIG could feel the strain on his injury getting tighter, and it weakened him considerably. Dense Miasma smirked evilly; he was confident that he now had the upper hoof. He gradually pushed the knife closer to SIG Sauer's neck.

When the tip of the blade was less than an inch from SIG's throat, a sickening "crunch" sound filled the air. Subsequently, the smirk on Dense Miasma's face faltered and he froze in his position. Then he released his grip on SIG's knife, and he did not blink, breathe, or move in any way. SIG Sauer was perplexed by this new behavior. Dense Miasma had been so close to finishing him off; it would make no sense for him to relent.

Then he noticed some movement behind the cerulean Unicorn. A figure was standing over them. One of its front hooves was pressed against the flipside of Dense Miasma's head. When Dense Miasma slumped forward, SIG Sauer discovered that he had been stabbed straight through his skull with a switchblade.

The figure pushed Dense Miasma's body off of SIG Sauer and leaned down in front of the pine green Unicorn. It inquired restlessly "Sir, are you alright?"

SIG Sauer recognized the figure's voice. "Noble?"

"Yes, SIG, it's me," Ponyville's chief of security affirmed. She gazed around the area, and then back down at her wounded colleague. She asked in worry "What in Tartarus happened here?"

"We were deceived," was all the pine green Unicorn said at first. He tried to look behind Noble Edict, and then he queried "Did anypony else accompany you here?"

"No, I came alone," she told him. She then spotted the open wound on SIG's chest. "Oh, my Celestia… SIG, you've been stabbed!"

"I noticed," the stallion remarked sarcastically. Then he got serious and explicated "But that's not important. Listen to me; I've found Princess Celestia. It may be up to you to rescue her."

"What are you talking about?" Noble Edict queried in a mixture of curiosity and puzzlement.

SIG Sauer was about to clarify what he meant. Before he could, he saw some activity in the air above the clearing. His distress beacon had started to fade, but it was bright enough for him to see that somepony was flying amongst the remnants.

He tapped the red Earth Pony on her shoulder and whispered to her in necessity "Somepony's up there!"

Noble Edict looked up at the sky at the corner of her eye, and she saw what her colleague saw. She quickly retrieved the knife she had used to kill Dense Miasma and stood over SIG Sauer. If they were still in danger, she was prepared to defend her hurt colleague.

A minute later, the winged creature descended to the ground and landed between the security officers and the energy sphere. It became apparent that he was an abnormally large Pegasus with a palomino coat. Upon this discovery, SIG Sauer and Noble Edict knew who he was.

"Bellerophon, what are you doing here?" SIG inquired.

"We saw your distress beacon," the tall stallion answered.

"'We?'" Noble Edict restated.

"Before I came here, I was in a group of eight," Bellerophon specified, "The others were the ambassador, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. We were searching for the Elements of Harmony in another part of the Forest when we spotted the red lights. The ambassador sent me to survey the area."

"Will he and the mares be alright on their own?" queried Noble Edict in concern.

"I believe so," the palomino Pegasus replied, "We managed to track the Elements to an abandoned fortress several miles south of here. Presently, all but one of them are accounted for. The missing one should be reacquired shortly."

"Good, and not a moment too soon," SIG Sauer proclaimed. He pointed to the energy sphere and announced "While the others are preoccupied with the Elements, we must do everything we can to open that sphere."

"Why is that?" Bellerophon enquired. Up until now, he had not wondered why SIG Sauer was lying on the ground. He noticed the stab wound in the pine green Unicorn's chest and questioned anxiously "And how did this happen?"

"SIG Sauer was assaulted," Noble Edict told the tall Pegasus.

SIG Sauer gestured to the bodies scattered across the ground and said "These ponies; they tried to kill me. Had Noble Edict not arrived when she did, they may have succeeded."

"Why did they want you dead?" Bellerophon demanded.

"Same reason they were guarding that sphere: they are followers of Nightmare Moon," SIG Sauer disclosed.

While this did answer one question, it raised so many others. SIG Sauer gave Noble Edict and Bellerophon a brief but thorough summary of everything that had occurred in the area since Dense Miasma had brought him there. He covered everything, including the riddle, his vision, Nightmare Moon's attempt to bribe him, the discovery of Celestia's whereabouts, Dense Miasma's betrayal, the revelation of the cult, and the subsequent scuffle.

"Nightmare Moon is responsible for everything that happened here," SIG Sauer expounded, "In order to keep Princess Celestia ensnared in that cloud, Dense Miasma and his colleagues needed a blood specimen from one of her devout followers. They ended up choosing me."

"Thank goodness they did not succeed," Bellerophon commented. He looked around at the five cultists' bodies and asked "Are they all dead?"

"The one in the cloak isn't," SIG Sauer informed him, "She's just unconscious."

Bellerophon smiled in approval and thought aloud "Excellent. She could be the solution to this."

"What makes you say that?" asked Noble Edict.

"According to SIG Sauer, the blood of one of Celestia's living allies would trap her inside the energy sphere," Bellerophon pointed out, "That is what is meant by 'the blood of a friend keeps one within.' However, recall that 'the blood of a fiend will set one free.' By the previous logic, what do you suppose the blood of one of Celestia's living enemies would do?"

Noble Edict and SIG Sauer could easily tell what he was implying.

"Let's try to revive her," the Ponyville chief of security proposed.

Bellerophon walked over to the hooded mare and lifted her up off the ground. Noble Edict approached them and rubbed her front hooves together. While the palomino Pegasus held up the hooded mare, the red Earth Pony harshly slapped her across the face and shouted "Wake up!"

The hooded mare slowly stirred back into consciousness. Despite feeling slightly dizzy from being knocked around twice, she gathered her bearings and realized she was being restrained. She struggled to break free, but Bellerophon was much stronger than she was.

"What is going on?" she demanded heatedly.

SIG Sauer slowly picked himself up off the ground and limped towards the mysterious mare. He gave a wicked grin and informed her "Your little scheme failed. All your cohorts are dead."

The mare was shocked to hear this, but she did not show her discontentment. She stated smugly "That makes little difference. Your precious princess is still trapped inside that sphere. Even if it is not permanently sealed, you'll never get her out of there."

"Oh, I beg to differ," SIG Sauer snappily retorted. He drew his knife and held it close to the mare's head, as if he was going to slit her throat. Instead, he held the blade against her left front leg and stated "We have already established that the blood of one of Celestia's allies would 'keep her within.' My blood would certainly have that effect, as would the blood of both my colleagues here. However, what would happen if we gave the sphere your blood?"

A worried expression came across the hooded mare's countenance, and she mumbled "I haven't the slightest idea."

"Well, I bet it would 'set her free,'" SIG Sauer perceived, leaning in closer, "The key to opening that energy sphere is coursing through your veins."

SIG ran his knife along the mare's front leg and sliced a segment of her skin open. Ignoring her whine of pain, he drew some of her blood and coated his knife with it. When the entire blade was red and dripping, SIG Sauer turned to the energy sphere and approached it slowly. As he did, he gazed over his shoulder and stated cheekily "Ironic, isn't it? You've spent so much time preparing this plot, but it turns out you'll be responsible for its failure."

When he reached the energy sphere, SIG held his knife near the inscription. In response, a small, circular basin materialized above the tablet. SIG was about to deposit the hooded mare's blood into the bowl, but out of nowhere, he felt a sudden rush of pain to his midsection. He doubled over, clutched his side with his free front hoof, and dropped to the ground.

Noble Edict rushed forward to the pine green Unicorn's side and asked agitatedly "SIG, what's wrong?"

Underneath her hood, the mare was grinning wickedly. Although Bellerophon was still restraining her, he had been distracted by SIG Sauer's collapse. The mare had a chance to break free from the large Pegasus' grasp.

She ran forward until she was ten feet away from the others. Then she reached into her pocket, pulled out a small pill, and turned back to the other ponies. She saw that Bellerophon was about to rush towards her in attempt to recapture her. She held the pill up to her mouth and warned him threateningly "Do not come any closer!"

"Or what?" Bellerophon snapped crossly.

"I'll bite on this," she calmly responded, holding up the capsule.

"Consuming a medicine tablet is not a very compelling incentive to get us to back off," Noble Edict observed brazenly.

"This is not a medicine tablet," the hooded mare explained, "This capsule is full of a very rare but very deadly type of poison. All of my group's weapons are laced with this poison. When Dense Miasma stabbed Mr. Sauer, he infected him with it. As you can see, it's already taken effect. If left untreated, he'll be dead within an hour. However, the poison is only slow-working if it's delivered into the bloodstream. If ingested, it can kill the user instantaneously."

"Why would do you think we'd care if you commit suicide?" Noble Edict queried, "We already have a bit of your blood."

"True, but my blood can only open that sphere if I'm alive," the mare reminded them, "A dead person's blood has no effect on it. So basically, if I kick the bucket, you lose your key."

"You'd take your own life just to prevent us from releasing our leader?" Bellerophon assumed in astonishment.

"Yes, I would," the mare candidly replied, "You're not the only ones who are willing to die for their cause."

There was a long, tense interval of quietness. The only audible noise was the humming sound produced by the energy sphere. Finally, Noble Edict queried grumpily "So… where do we go from here?"

"Well, we could just stand here and wait for each other to let their guard down," the hooded mare proposed, "However, if we did that, Mr. Sauer will ultimately expire. I said he would succumb to the poison in an hour. He may not even have that long. So we need a faster, more practical resolution."

"What do you propose?" Bellerophon demanded.

The hooded mare looked around at him and Noble Edict. Then she told them "I will allow you to get Mr. Sauer medical attention, but under one condition. One of you will place your own blood into the basin. I do not care which, but one of you will do it. If you refuse, you will watch Mr. Sauer die. If you try leaving this place before giving your blood, I will swallow this pill. If you move in any direction other than towards the sphere, same bad result."

Bellerophon and Noble Edict were at a loss for what to do. They had sworn to be faithful to Equestria and its leaders, and they knew that SIG Sauer would rather die than condemn Celestia to eternal imprisonment. However, if they were responsible for his death, they did not believe they would be able to forgive themselves. Not many others knew this, but in the past, both Bellerophon and Noble Edict had been culpable for the loss of other people they cared about. Neither of them wanted to live with more of that guilt.

Fortunately for them, they did not have to make a choice. SIG made it for them. Although he was weakened, the pine green Unicorn managed to lift himself up a bit and fire a disarming spell at the hooded mare. The poison capsule flew out of her hoof and landed in some tall grass.

The mysterious mare was surprised by this action, but she hurried over to the tall grass and rapidly searched it for the capsule.

"Noble, stop her," SIG Sauer ordered the red Earth Pony. Noble Edict nodded her head, galloped over to the mare, and pounced onto her. She struggled to pull the hooded mare out of the tall grass, but the latter proved to be quite stubborn.

SIG Sauer picked up his knife, held it up to the palomino Pegasus, and weakly told him "Bellerophon, it's up to you now."

After Bellerophon took the knife, SIG Sauer collapsed onto his stomach. The tall stallion promptly approached the front of the energy sphere, held the knife over the bowl, and inspected it. The blood had begun to set in place, but it had not yet dried. Bellerophon shook the knife over the bowl, hoping that the combined efforts of gravity and his own force would be enough to get the blood off it.

By this point, the hooded mare had managed to push away Noble Edict and locate her pill in the tall grass. She hastily brought it up to her mouth and slid it between her lips. Just as she bit down on the poison capsule, Bellerophon managed to dispense a few drops of her blood into the basin.

…

After Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star vanished from the throne room, they reappeared in another part of the fortress a few seconds later. When they regained their composure, they looked around and discovered that they had materialized inside a tower. While they were no longer with the five mares from Ponyville, they were still not alone.

Nightmare Moon was standing on a platform at the far end of the tower. The Elements of Harmony were spinning around her body, and bolts of lightning crashed all around her. As the Elements dropped to the ground, she let out an evil laugh, as she believed she had triumphed over the two young ponies. However, they would not make it that simple for her.

Twilight Sparkle grunted and brushed her hoof against the ground. Bronze Star could tell what she was planning, and he had gotten the same idea. So he emulated her behavior.

Nightmare Moon was unimpressed by the implication of their actions. She remarked in utter disbelief "You're kidding. You're kidding, right?"

They were not. Together, Twilight and Bronze charged towards Nightmare Moon. In response, the black Alicorn jumped off the platform and raced towards the two young adults. As the distance between them got smaller, Bronze Star whispered to Twilight Sparkle "You go for the Elements. I'll hold her off."

The lavender mare acknowledged this and continued running alongside the gold stallion. As they got closer to Nightmare Moon, she tilted her head forward and her horn started glowing. Then there was a bright flash of light which stunned Nightmare Moon. When it subsided, Bronze Star was upon her and Twilight Sparkle had disappeared from her sight.

However, she had not disappeared altogether. She had teleported to the platform with the Elements. She gazed down at the orbs, and lowered her head towards them. She focused all her attention on them and concentrated all her efforts on making a spark. When her horn produced nothing, she groaned and mumbled "Just one spark."

While she was busy with this, Bronze Star bought her some time by diverting Nightmare Moon. The young prince did not have time to pull a weapon from his belt, so he had to resort to using nothing more than his own hooves to fight her.

The confrontation did not go favorably for Bronze Star; the black Alicorn was at least fifty percent bigger than him, and her fighting style was much more forceful. Bronze Star was not concerned that she would overpower him. All he worried about was keeping Nightmare Moon preoccupied long enough for Twilight to find the last Element.

"Come on, come on," Twilight muttered agitatedly. Her horn was emitting its usual luminescent glow, but nothing resembling a spark had appeared yet.

Further down the room, Nightmare Moon was winning the struggle with Bronze Star. At one point, she picked him up by his legs, lifted him into the air, and flung him off to the side. The gold stallion landed hard against the wall. His entire body was left in aches, but his head and back got the worst of it. As he slid to the ground, Bronze Star felt really glad that he did not have his horn or wings at this time. Otherwise the impact would have been much more painful.

While Bronze Star was out of commission, Nightmare Moon turned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. She quickly noticed what the young Unicorn was up to, and she aimed to stop her. The black Alicorn shifted into a cloud of dark blue smoke and sped towards the other end of the tower.

Just before she reached Twilight Sparkle, a single spark emanated from the lavender mare's horn. Immediately after, Nightmare Moon materialized in the center of the orbs. The suddenness of her appearance startled Twilight, and she was thrown backwards off the platform.

By now, Bronze Star had composed himself and gotten to his feet. He quickly trotted over to his friend and helped her up. When the two of them turned back to the platform, they noticed that a type of electric wave was spreading through the Elements of Harmony and levitating them off the ground. It was as if they were reacting to the spark. Nightmare Moon looked down at them and cried out in fright "No… no!"

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle smiled in relief, but their respite was short-lived. A mere five seconds after it appeared, the electric wave evaporated and the Elements dropped back to the ground.

Twilight gasped and said in mystification "But… where's the sixth Element?!"

Nightmare Moon only responded with another wicked chuckle. Then she reared back on her hind legs and slammed her front hooves against the platform. In response, all five of the orbs shattered into pieces.

"No…" Bronze Star whispered under his breath.

Nightmare Moon gazed down at the two young ponies and stated mockingly "You little foals! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your Sun! The night will last forever!"

Then she broke into another maniacal round of laughter.

Needless to say, the other two ponies did not reciprocate her actions. Twilight Sparkle was downright distraught. Bronze Star was as well, but he was also a bit confused. He thought Did she really just imply that Twilight and I have a son? How is that possible when she and I have never even… Then he realized Nightmare Moon was referring to Sun as in day, not as in male offspring. He rebuked himself for being so misleading, and for thinking about such an extraneous thing at a totally inappropriate time.

Before Twilight and Bronze could accept defeat, they heard five voices from behind. They turned around and spotted a staircase on the wall opposite the platform. As the voices got nearer, five shadows were expanding along the wall next to the staircase. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle quickly realized the shadows and voices belonged to Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

"Don't worry, Twilight, we're here!" Pinkie Pie called out.

"Don't worry, Gold, we'll be there!" Applejack shouted.

Despite the apparent hopelessness of their situation, Twilight and Bronze were touched by their companions' profound concern for their well-being. Their presence brought the two of them some comfort. In addition to that, ever since they had arrived at the border of the Forest, the five mares had been watching out for them and each other. They had provided reassurance, empathy, cheerfulness, philanthropy, and dependability from the beginning.

Twilight remembered the role each one of the five mares had played, and she realized there was a correlation. When she put all the events of the past few hours together, she gasped in amazement. Bronze Star then noticed a spark in her eye.

Twilight grinned, turned back to Nightmare Moon, and remarked "You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here."

By now, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash had gathered behind Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle. They spread out so that Nightmare Moon could see them all at once. The shards of the broken orbs at Nightmare Moon's feet started levitating off the platform. The black Alicorn noticed this and muttered in shock "What?"

Twilight Sparkle then announced "Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty!"

The shards from one of the orbs sailed towards the orange mare and circled around her.

Twilight went on with "Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness!"

A cluster of shards from another orb glided towards the yellow mare and rotated around her.

Twilight continued with "Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter!"

Another orb's worth of shards floated towards the pink mare and orbited around her.

Twilight proclaimed "Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity!"

Yet another bunch of shards from a fourth orb soared towards the white mare and revolved around her.

Twilight wrapped up with "And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!"

The shared of the last orb drifted towards the cyan mare and whirled around her.

Bronze Star sneered smugly as Twilight Sparkle jubilantly declared to their foe "The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us."

By now, the fear was evident in Nightmare Moon's eyes. She desperately proclaimed "You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!"

"But it did!" Twilight Sparkle correct her, "A different kind of spark."

The lavender mare turned to the five other mares and explained "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... are my friends!"

After she made this statement, a bright ball of light appeared near the top of the steeple. Bronze Star and the six mares watched as it slowly descended to the ground. Nightmare Moon had to look away, it was so radiant. Soon the light dimmed, revealing a sixth orb. When it was about a meter above Twilight's head, she stated "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!"

Twilight and the other five mares were then lifted into the air by an unseen force. Bronze Star watched in awe at the event that unfolded next. The stone shards that were spinning around the five mares from Ponyville each turned a different color. Fluttershy's were pink, Pinkie Pie's were blue, Rainbow Dash's were red, Applejack's were orange, and Rarity's were purple. After changing their hue, the shards gathered around the respective mares' necks and transfigured into gold necklaces. The sixth stone orb shifted into a gold tiara and rested on top of Twilight Sparkle's head. Now all six Elements of Harmony were present and ready for use.

However, before the Elements of Harmony could be activated, there was a brief interval when the mares were left exposed and vulnerable to an attack. Because of this, Nightmare Moon had a short window of opportunity to strike at them first. She chose to take advantage of this chance.

She aimed her horn at the center of the room and a yellowish-white aura appeared at the tip of it. Nightmare Moon was conjuring a notorious incineration charm. It was the deadliest spell she knew. When released at full force, it burned its target at 500 degrees Kelvin. Nopony had been known to survive direct physical contact with the spell for even a fraction of a millisecond. The spell was so disastrous that its use had been outlawed eons ago. In fact, anypony outside of the Canterlot Royalty was forbidden from even learning it.

Nevertheless, every member of the Canterlot Royalty was familiar with this spell. Although Bronze Star's mother had never allowed him to perform the spell or acquire the knowledge to perform it, she had taught him many aspects about the spell, including how to recognize when somepony was about to use it.

When Bronze Star spotted the yellowish-white aura on Nightmare Moon's horn, he immediately knew what she was planning. She was going to use the incineration spell in an attempt to burn the mares to death.

Based on what he knew of the spell, the caster required a total of fifteen seconds to fully charge it. He had that long to find a solution.

There was no way to counter the spell. A hundred fierce blizzards could not cancel out its sweltering heat. There were no known charms, potions, or incantations that could protect anypony from the spell.

He considered taking out the source, but Nightmare Moon did not seem to be paying any attention to Bronze Star. She was too far away for him to engage her in combat again. Even if he sprinted towards her right now, by the time he reached her, it would be too late. She would have fired the spell.

Twilight and the others were immobile and unresponsive at present; they had no chance of moving themselves out of harm's way. Bronze Star thought about moving them on his own, but they were levitating too high above his head. Plus, even if he had wings or a horn, he doubted that fifteen seconds would have been enough time to move just one or two of them.

Bronze Star concluded that there was only way he could prevent the spell from reaching the mares. It would have to hit something else first. He frantically looked around the room for something he could throw between the mares and Nightmare Moon, but there were very few portable objects in the room. None of them were large enough to stop the spell.

Except one.

Upon coming to this realization, Bronze Star knew what needed to be done.

Just as Nightmare Moon launched the spell, Bronze Star closed his eyes and dove in front of the mares.

The stream struck his entire body at full force, but he managed to shield his friends from its devastating effects. The six mares watched as the gold stallion was engulfed in the flames. They were still incapable of mobility or speech, but if they could move their lips, they would have screamed.

Nightmare Moon was aggravated that she did not hit Twilight Sparkle or any of the other mares, but she did feel some satisfaction in thinking that if she went down, she would at least take one of their allies with her.

Bronze Star expected to be immersed in overwhelming pain. After all, after just a few seconds, the flames should have cremated his clothes, melted his muscles, boiled his blood, singed off his hair, and seared his flesh clean off his bones. Strangely enough, none of these things happened. Something very different and completely unforeseen happened instead.

Ten seconds after he was struck, Bronze Star was surrounded by another large white light. This one glowed brighter than the Sun itself, and it appeared to be absorbing Nightmare Moon's spell. If one looked closely, they could see that Bronze Star was totally unharmed from the flames. He was not even sweating.

Inside the ball of white light, an even brighter light flashed near Bronze Star's neck. It lingered there for a moment, and then it slowly expanded along his back. As it spread out, the brighter light seemed to leave something in its path. Sure enough, an actual object was materializing along Bronze Star's back. Despite being unable to see or move, the gold stallion was able to detect its presence. He felt as though a loose article of clothing was being fastened around his throat and growing past his shoulders.

When the brighter light reached the tip of Bronze Star's tail, it faded away. Bronze Star slowly opened up his eyes. Every part of his eyeballs – the irises, the retinas, and the sclera – was now glowing brightly. Bronze Star gradually raised his front hooves into the air, and then he swung them forwards. The ball of white light dissolved, and the incineration spell rebounded, causing it to snuff itself out.

After the fires were extinguished, the mares made their move. Their eyes started glowing like Bronze Star's, and each one of them expelled a different stream of color from the gems on their jewelry. The six streams then formed a rainbow and spiraled into the air. When it approached the ceiling, the rainbow bolted towards Nightmare Moon. The dark Alicorn shouted in terror "Nooo!"

The rainbow touched the front of the platform and encircled itself around Nightmare Moon. She desperately tried to escape, but she was already trapped. She screamed "Nooo!" again as the rainbow completely enveloped her.

The six mares could feel the full power of the Elements of Harmony surging through their bodies. They levitated through the air and allowed the power to guide their actions. When Twilight opened her eyes, one last white light shined through the room, and then there was absolute silence.

When the light subsided, all seven of the young ponies were lying across the ground. None of them was hurt, but they were all slightly disoriented.

Bronze Star rubbed his eyes, rose to his feet, and turned to the mares. One-by-one, they pulled themselves up off the ground as well.

"Ugh, my head," Rainbow Dash moaned.

"Everypony okay?" queried Applejack.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Rarity exclaimed in elation.

Bronze Star turned in her direction and saw that her tail had miraculously grown back. She shook her plot a few times to get reacquainted with it. Fluttershy approached her and stated merrily "Why Rarity, it's so lovely."

"I know!" Rarity remarked in happiness, "I'll never part with it again."

"No, your necklace," the quiet Pegasus clarified, pointing to Rarity's neck, "It looks just like your cutie mark."

"What?" Rarity was perplexed, but then she noticed the necklace around her neck. She also noticed she was not the only pony wearing one. She told her friend "Ooh. So does yours."

Fluttershy looked down and gasped in pleasant surprise.

Pinkie Pie bounced towards the others and called out "Look at mine! Look at mine!"

"Aw, yeah," Rainbow Dash commented proudly.

Bronze Star just smirked in amusement and declared "I must admit; you mares look rather elegant in those necklaces. And tiara, in Twilight's case."

"Gee, thanks!" Pinkie Pie responded, "I like your new look, too."

"Huh?" Bronze Star said in confusion as he stood up a little straighter. As his body shifted position, he thought he could feel something on his back.

He gazed over his shoulder and discovered that he was wearing a long, flowing cape. The exterior was a cross between light tan and yellow, and the interior was a greyish-black. Its lining was white as bone, and the collar was fastened around Bronze Star's throat with a platinum brooch.

Bronze Star knew what he was wearing. Several hours ago, he had seen a picture of it when he helped Twilight Sparkle with her research. It was the Shroud of Valor.

He was amazed to discover that he was clad in this legendary artifact. However, his amazement was replaced by bewilderment when he noticed a rather large lump in the Shroud. It was as though there was a mass between the garment and his back. Curious as to what it could be, Bronze Star slid the cloak off to one side.

When he realized what the mass was, Bronze Star was vastly surprised. As he wondered how this could have happened, he rubbed his right front hoof against the center of his forehead. It was then that he discovered that this region of his body was no longer bare either.

Rarity's tail wasn't the only thing that had grown back. Somehow, the illusion spell on Bronze Star's horn and wings had been removed. They were now visible to everypony in the area. Bronze Star would have considered concealing his horn and wings again, but Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash had already gotten a clear view of them. Now they were staring at him in profound astonishment.

> Reunification
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star nervously looked around at the five stunned mares. Each one of them was gazing at him inquisitively. More specifically, they were staring at his wings and horn. Of course, he could hardly blame them. If he saw somepony sprout new appendages, he probably would have been shocked as well.

After an awkward period of silence, he glanced off to the side, rubbed the back of his head, and conjectured "I guess I have some explaining to do."

"Quite so," Applejack bluntly agreed.

Bronze Star thought about making something up, but he was not certain that the mares would actually believe him. He turned to Twilight Sparkle for help. Seeing the desperation in his eyes, she merely sighed and suggested "I suppose we should just tell them the truth, Bronze."

"'Bronze?'" said Rainbow in perplexity, "Did she just call you 'Bronze?'"

"I thought you told us your name was-" Fluttershy began.

"Yes, that was what I told you," the gold stallion interrupted her, "But some of the things I said at our first meeting aren't entirely true. However, Twilight is right; it would be wrong of me to continue keeping the facts from all of you. After everything the seven of us have been through together in the past few hours, you deserve to know the truth."

The five mares stepped closer to Bronze Star and listened intently. He tentatively contemplated how to start his explanation, and ultimately, he began with "Firstly, I think a proper introduction is in order. As you have probably already surmised, my name isn't Gold Streak. It's Bronze Star."

Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie gave a collective gasp at this. In response, Bronze Star scoffed and bluntly stated "Apparently, you've heard of me."

"Of course we have, darling!" Rarity enthusiastically remarked, "You're a member of the Canterlot Royalty!"

"Not only that; you're Princess Celestia's son!" Pinkie Pie jubilantly exclaimed.

"Yes, that's correct," Bronze Star candidly admitted. He was trying to sound as though the matter of his true identity was no big deal, but the mares were not bothering to contain their excitement.

"Well, I'll be darned," Applejack remarked in amusement, "All this time, we've had a prince in our company, and none of us ever suspected it."

"I take it this is your actual appearance?" Rarity presumed, gesturing to Bronze Star's form.

"Yes, I've had these wings and this horn since the day I was born," Bronze Star apprised them.

"This explains the holes in your jacket," Fluttershy recalled.

"And the one in your mask," Rainbow Dash added in.

"But it doesn't explain why you hid them," Pinkie Pie pointed out.

"That was his decision," Twilight Sparkle enlightened the mares, "This happened when Princess Celestia appointed him and me to the Summer Sun Celebration's inspection committee. Bronze was concerned that if he went to Ponyville like this, his presence would be too distracting, and that it would impede the townsfolk from completing the preparations. However, he still really wanted to come, so Bellerophon came up with a solution that would allow him to blend in without drawing attention from the locals."

"So, what exactly did you do?" Rainbow Dash inquired in interest.

"We used an illusion spell," Bronze Star replied, "One that doesn't just cover the targets. It also renders them incapable of being detected through physical contact. For almost all of the past twenty-four hours, I haven't even been able to feel my wings or my horn."

"Why do you suppose they're visible now?" queried Fluttershy.

"The Elements of Harmony must have neutralized the spell," Twilight Sparkle hypothesized.

"That would make perfect sense," Bronze Star acknowledged. Inwardly, he had a more unpleasant but still plausible theory. His mother was the one who cast the spell. He had read somewhere that many spells wear off when serious harm is inflicted onto their caster. He wondered if it was possible that something happened to his mother; something very grim and horrible.

He decided not to share this idea with the mares. They had already been through a tremendous ordeal, but at the end of it, they had triumphed over a supposedly invulnerable enemy. He did not want to spoil their good mood by generating more anxiety.

Pinkie Pie asked curiously "So, what's with the cape?"

Bronze Star informed her and the others "Earlier on, shortly after we entered the Everfree Forest, you may recall that Twilight and I described an artifact known as the Shroud of Valor. This is it. However, as to why I'm wearing it, I have no idea."

"Oh, I think you do, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle declared, "And even if you don't, I certainly have one."

"What do you mean, Twilight?" asked Bronze Star.

"Nightmare Moon tried to attack us, but you threw yourself in front of us before she could," the lavender mare in the tiara reminded him, "I'm certain you know as well as I do that she tried to use an incineration spell on us. You must have known there was only way that stepping in could have ended for you. Yet you decided to go ahead and intervene."

"Well, I had to choose between the six of you and myself," Bronze Star pointed out, "It was an easy choice."

All of the mares – including Twilight – were flabbergasted when they heard this, but in a good way.

"You were willing to give your life to save ours?" Applejack assumed.

"Even though you've known us for less than a day?" Rainbow Dash supplemented.

"Yes, I was," Bronze Star affirmed, "I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Nightmare Moon would have killed you. So I did what I had to do to prevent that."

"That's so sweet," Fluttershy softly uttered.

"You're… so amazing," Rainbow Dash muttered, containing her awe.

"I never thought I'd be in somepony's debt," Rarity observed, "Now we're all in the debt of a prince!"

"Don't know how we could ever thank ya, sugar cube," Applejack stated happily.

"We can start by saying 'thanks,'" Pinkie Pie proposed. She turned to the gold stallion and remarked, "Still, that must have been really scary, putting yourself in harm's way like that."

"I was somewhat hesitant," Bronze Star disclosed, "But I managed to cast aside my fear."

"That's why you're wearing the Shroud of Valor," Twilight Sparkle pronounced. She looked around at the others and explicated "It is written that only an act of selfless, benevolent, indisputable fortitude can summon the Shroud of Valor. Bronze Star has done plenty of valiant things since this fiasco began. He confronted Nightmare Moon when nopony else would. He defeated that ogre single-hoofedly. He sent Bellerophon to aid whoever generated the distress beacon. However, what he did just now was probably the most courageous act that anypony has done in a long time. By risking his life on the spot like that to save the rest of us, he practically became the embodiment of bravery. That was enough to bring forth the Shroud of Valor."

"That does make sense," stated Rainbow Dash, "But I'm still a little confused. How exactly did the Shroud of Valor keep us safe?"

Bronze Star answered this question: "In ancient times, the Shroud of Valor had a variety of different functions. Its most popular form was a type of mystical shield. While the Elements of Harmony may be powerful beyond comprehension, they are not imperishable. For that reason, somepony decided that it would be appropriate to pair the Elements of Harmony with the Shroud of Valor. That way, the Shroud could protect the wielders of the Elements from even the most extreme dangers. Just as it did today."

The five mares from Ponyville were deeply fascinated by this knowledge. Each of them gazed down at her respective necklace with a look of amazement.

Applejack turned to the mare in the tiara and told her "Gee, Twilight! I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship."

"Indeed you do," came a strong, majestic voice from the right side of the chamber.

Bronze Star and the six mares turned in the direction of the voice. At first, that part of the tower seemed to be deserted, as nopony was there. Then the group was met with a wonderful sight.

Through the windows, they could see a bright yellow light climbing up the horizon. It quickly expunged the surrounding darkness as it ascended. The Sun was rising in the distance. That provided a huge amount of relief to the mares, but the presence of the Sun was not what pleased Bronze Star the most. He realized that since the Sun had returned, that could only mean that a certain somepony had as well. A moment later, his notion was validated.

When the Sun reached its peak in the sky, another white light flashed through the tower. When the light faded, Princess Celestia appeared in its place. She stood before the seven young ponies and smiled down at them.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy all bowed to her in reverence. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle remained standing, but they were overcome with joy.

"Princess Celestia," the lavender mare gasped.

She eagerly trotted over to the white Alicorn, but Bronze Star reached her first. He stated in elation "Mother! I… I was so worried about you. I'm so happy you're alright!"

Princess Celestia smiled down at him and said "I'm happy to see you're safe as well, Bronze Star. And I'm so proud of you. You've done a marvelous job of performing your royal duties."

Although he was still very enthusiastic, Bronze Star became a little perplexed by this statement. He asked his mother "What do you mean?"

"In my absence, you saw the town of Ponyville through this crisis," Celestia elucidated, "You never lost sight of your goals, you led these mares through the Everfree Forest, you overcame Nightmare Moon's efforts to stop you, and – as the garment you're wearing indicates – you demonstrated incontestable courage in all that time. You represent everything a true leader of Equestria should represent. I am honored to call you my son."

Bronze Star felt a tear of happiness and pride come to his eye. He threw his front legs around the Alicorn, hugged her tightly, and told her "I love you, Mother."

Celestia closed her eyes, returned the embrace, and told her son warmly "And I love you, my dear Prince."

The five mares in necklaces all went "Awwwwww…"

When Bronze Star pulled apart from his mother, the mare in the tiara stepped forward and had her turn to embrace the large mare. Celestia continued to smile and announced "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it. "

Although she did not refer to it directly, Twilight knew she was referring to the discovery of the Elements. She muttered in surprise "But... you told me it was all an old pony tale."

Princess Celestia calmly reminded her "I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart."

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were intrigued by this. Celestia had forecasted this. She had not sent them to Ponyville just to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Her real motivation for doing that was much greater. In her own way, she had enabled them to acquire the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor and use them to stop Nightmare Moon.

Celestia turned to the front of the tower and added in "Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!"

Bronze Star and the six mares looked in the same direction. In all this time, they had not noticed that they were not alone. Although Nightmare Moon was gone, a slightly smaller Alicorn was lying at the base of the platform. She was surrounded by a small cloud of black smoke which was rapidly dissipating. She had a cobalt-type coat, an indigo-type mane, and light blue eyes. She was wearing two pairs of dark blue slippers, a black vest with a crescent moon on it, and a black tiara. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon surrounded by a patch of black. Bronze Star thought she looked strangely familiar. He tried to think where he had seen her before.

When she was addressed by name, the blue mare looked up and gasped in surprise. Princess Celestia gradually approached her and stated in her usual authoritative tone "It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister."

"Sister?" everypony else repeated in unison. Bronze Star then remembered where he saw the blue Alicorn before. Back in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, she had been in several of the stained-glass windows. Whenever she appeared in one, she had almost always been alongside Celestia. Bronze Star had always wondered who she was, but nopony ever told him, not even his mother. Now he understood why.

Celestia crouched down next to Princess Luna and asked her "Will you accept my friendship?"

There was a tense interval of silence as the white Alicorn waited for an answer. Bronze Star and the six mares leaned forward in interest, and Pinkie Pie leaned so far forward that she tripped. She fell onto her chest and said "Whoa!"

Luna gazed down at the ground for a short while. Then she rose to her feet, stood against the larger mare, and exclaimed "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!"

She nuzzled against the white mare as tears started flowing from her eyes. Celestia's eyes quickly became wet as well. She sniffed once and said in response "I've missed you, too."

Bronze Star and the mares were touched by this display of affection. Pinkie Pie pulled a handkerchief out of nowhere and used it to blow her nose. Then she sobbed hysterically for about four seconds. Immediately after, she brightened up and announced "Hey, you know what this calls for?"

The other eight ponies turned to her, expecting her to continue. However, all they got was silence.

"What, Pinkie?" inquired Rainbow Dash.

"I'll tell you when we get back to Ponyville," the pink mare responded lightheartedly.

"That may be for the best," Twilight Sparkle remarked, "Although the Sun is back in the sky, Ponyville still needs to know that Princess Celestia is safe."

"Twilight's right," Bronze Star coincided, "We should get back to the town as soon as possible. But first, we should probably find Bellerophon."

Celestia turned to her son and queried "Why do you say that?"

"Less than an hour ago, we spotted a distress beacon," Bronze Star explained, "I sent Bellerophon to answer it, and he hasn't come back yet. I want to ascertain that he's alright."

"Oh, he's fine, Bronze Star," Celestia assured the gold stallion.

"How do you know that, Mother?" Bronze Star asked her.

Before the white Alicorn could respond, Princess Luna raised an eyebrow and muttered in interest "'Mother?'"

Although Luna had been present during Bronze Star's reunion with his mother, the blue Alicorn had not heard anything that had been said in the tower until her sister addressed her by name. She had noticed that Bronze Star was an Alicorn, but she had not considered the possibility that they were related.

Celestia gestured for her son to come forward. He complied and trotted towards the two mares. When he reached them, Celestia formally introduced her son and her sister to each other. "Luna, this is your nephew, Bronze Star. Bronze, this is your aunt, Princess Luna."

At first, Bronze Star and Luna merely gazed at each other, unsure of what to say. Then Bronze Star smiled and extended his right front hoof. Luna tentatively took his hoof in hers, and he shook it firmly. She slowly smiled in return and stated calmly "I don't know what to say… except thank you. Thank you for saving me from my own madness."

"There is no need to thank me," Bronze Star informed her. He gazed over his shoulder and stated "These mares are the ones who truly deserve your thanks. Still, I am delighted to meet you, Princess. I hope we'll have time to get better acquainted later on. But first, there is something else we need to discuss."

Bronze Star turned back to Celestia and enquired "How do you know Bellerophon is fine, Mother?"

"Essentially, it was because of him that I am here," Celestia expounded, "Do you by any chance know a mare named Noble Edict?"

"She's Ponyville's chief of security," Bronze Star replied.

"Did Noble Edict tell you about a cloud of energy she found in the Everfree Forest?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, she said it appeared out of nowhere a few days ago," the gold stallion recalled.

"I was being held prisoner inside that energy cloud," Celestia apprised him, "It was Bellerophon who made possible my release, along with Noble Edict and SIG Sauer."

"Noble and SIG were there, too?" Bronze Star noted.

"SIG Sauer was the one who launched the distress beacon," Celestia informed him, "Noble Edict and Bellerophon arrived shortly after. Together, the three of them managed to liberate me from the energy cloud."

"Well, bless them for that," Princess Luna commented.

Celestia lightly scoffed at this. Then she finished her explanation with "Once I was free, I did not linger for long. However, from what I could tell, Bellerophon was unharmed. As was Noble Edict."

"What about SIG Sauer?" Bronze Star inquired.

Celestia did not respond straightaway. Instead, she gazed off to the side, as if she was worried about how her answer would affect her son. This silence was enough to tell Bronze Star that something was wrong. He stepped forward and asked ruggedly "What happened?"

Celestia sighed and explained to her son "SIG Sauer was assaulted when he went to investigate the energy cloud. I do not know who his attackers were, but they wanted him dead. Although he managed to hold them off, one of them stabbed him in the chest."

"Is he…?" Bronze Star began anxiously.

"As far as I know, he is still alive" Celestia guaranteed the gold stallion, "However, when I left the site, he was quite weak and barely conscious. I ordered Bellerophon and Noble Edict to take SIG Sauer back to Ponyville so he could receive medical treatment."

Bronze Star took in everything his mother said. He looked around at the mares and declared "We have to get back to Ponyville now."

He started trotting over to the staircase on the other side of the tower. Before he was halfway there, Twilight Sparkle stopped him and said "Bronze, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Your wings and horn are still visible," the lavender mare pointed out.

"So?" Bronze Star remarked a bit sarcastically.

"Don't you think the citizens of Ponyville will be a little… surprised to see that their ambassador has grown some new appendages?" Twilight Sparkle conjectured.

The male Alicorn realized she was right. Although Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash now knew who he really was, the rest of Ponyville was still oblivious to his true identity. He wanted to keep it that way, but that would not be possible if he showed up in Ponyville with his current guise. Before he went anywhere, he had to do something about that.

Bronze Star turned back to Celestia and asked her "Mother, do you suppose you could cast that illusion spell again?"

"I could, but not right now," the white mare replied, "A spell of that magnitude can only be performed once every twenty-four hours. I used it shortly before noon yesterday, and it's not even ten o'clock yet. It'll be at least two hours before I can cast the spell again."

"Okay," Bronze Star acknowledged. He let out a deep sigh and thought aloud "Looks like I'll need an alternative. How else can I keep my wings and horn hidden until twelve o'clock?"

"I might have half a solution," Twilight Sparkle proclaimed, "If you keep your wings folded and wear the Shroud of Valor over them, you may be able to let them go unnoticed."

"That sounds like a good idea," Bronze Star stated. He retracted his wings and pulled the Shroud of Valor over them. Then he adjusted the cloak so that the lump was unobtrusively concealed. After this, he pronounced "All I need now is something to cover my horn. Anypony got any ideas?"

Initially, nopony had anything to say. Then Applejack trotted over to the gold stallion, removed her Stetson, and held it out to him. She freely offered "You could borrow my hat, sugar cube."

Bronze Star was a little stunned by this proposal, but he was not resistant to it. He looked the orange pony in the eyes and asked her "You sure about that, Applejack?"

"Course I am," the farmer replied, "You just saved me and my friends from certain death. This is the very least I could do to thank you."

"Go ahead and take it," Rainbow Dash advised, "AJ doesn't part with her hat very often."

Bronze Star merely shrugged and accepted the Stetson. He placed it on his head so that it covered his forehead. Fortunately, it was tall enough to hide his horn. Once it was on properly, he asked the mares "How do I look?"

Rarity looked away and held her hoof over her eyes. She muttered in displeasure "I must say, that hat does not go with that exercise uniform or that cloak."

None of the others considered herself a fashion critic, so they had no complaints about Bronze Star's disguise.

"Now that that's settled, shall we travel to Ponyville?" Princess Luna proposed.

This was the third time somepony had made this suggestion. This time, nopony objected to it.

…

It had taken Bronze Star and the six mares more than three hours to find the Castle of the Two Sisters in the dark. In the light, they managed to get back to Ponyville with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in under one hour.

When they arrived at the border of the Everfree Forest, Luna requested for the group to stop. She was hesitant about going any further because she was nervous about how the locals would react to her presence. In a way, she had the same problem as Bronze Star, but it was not her wings or horn that she was worried about showing in public. Instead, it was her face, but there was no way she could hide that.

Luna knew that there was no way she could avoid appearing in public, but whenever she did, she wanted to leave everypony with the right impression of her. She felt that just showing up so suddenly would not have been an ideal way to accomplish that goal.

Bronze Star suggested letting the Ponyvillians know in advance that Luna was coming, and that she was coming with Celestia. He proposed that he and the six younger mares feed this news to the town while the two princesses remained at the edge of the Forest. The eight mares all approved of this strategy, so they agreed to it.

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash went back to Ponyville together. They thought about how they would break the news that Celestia was returning and that she was bringing her long-lost sister with her. They considered just spreading the word throughout the town, but they felt that this approach would be too time-consuming, even if they split up. So instead, they decided to gather everypony in one place, and once the entire town was present, Bronze Star would make an announcement.

When they entered the town, they immediately discovered that the overall mood was much livelier than it had been when they left. The townspeople were starting to come out of their homes, and the Royal Guard had loosened up their security grid. Noble Edict's officers were still patrolling some of the larger civic buildings. Bronze Star and the mares soon reached the center of the neighborhood and separated there. They each headed to a different part of the town and went door-to-door instructing the ponies in that area to assemble in the town square.

Bronze Star encountered Bellerophon near Town Hall. The palomino stallion was talking with the mayor, but when he noticed the gold stallion approaching him, he excused himself from their conversation and gave the prince his attention.

Both stallions were very busy, but they took a moment to fill each other in on certain events. Bellerophon informed Bronze Star that SIG Sauer had been rushed to Ponyville Hospital. Although he was no longer in any danger, Noble Edict had stayed with the pine green Unicorn. In turn, Bronze Star enlightened Bellerophon on how he and the six mares managed to locate all of the Elements of Harmony and use them to vanquish Nightmare Moon. He also explained the relevance of the Shroud of Valor.

When Bronze Star mentioned that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were at the edge of the Everfree Forest waiting to enter the town, Bellerophon suggested sending out a chariot to carry them in. Bronze Star liked this idea. After all, Celestia and Luna were going to appear in public together for the first time in a millennium; they may as well make a grand entrance.

Bellerophon left Town Hall to find a chariot and two available members of the Royal Guard. Before he left the building, Bronze Star informed the mayor that he planned to make an announcement in the town square. Since most of the townsfolk were still unacquainted with him, he was hoping that she could formally introduce him to them. She gladly agreed to do so.

Twenty minutes later, Bronze Star met up with the six mares in the town square. He saw that the town square had been decorated with streamers, banners, balloons, and many other adornments. Evidently, Pinkie Pie had been multitasking. He also noticed that Twilight Sparkle had removed her tiara, and the other mares had removed their necklaces. They had done this because the townsfolk had been asking too many questions about the Elements. For now, they were keeping them in the library.

Bronze Star did not have this problem. Nopony seemed particular interested in the Shroud of Valor. The most he got from anypony was an occasional derisive comment about his attire. Truth be told, he was expecting those. A cowboy hat, a combat uniform, and an antique cloak could hardly constitute a matching set of clothes.

One of the mayor's aides had moved a podium to the middle of the town square. The mayor stepped up to it and cleared her throat. Then she broadcasted "My fellow Ponyvillians, the events of the past few hours have been extremely hectic on all of us. Nopony can deny that. However, there is no need to be afraid any longer. The worst is now behind us. The Sun is in the sky, and better yet, the mare responsible for that is very nearby. Here to provide more explicit details on this matter is Ponyville's temporary new ambassador, Gold Streak."

Mayor Mare turned to the gold stallion, held a hoof out to him, and stated "Mr. Ambassador, if you would…?"

Bronze Star nodded and took her place on the podium. He slowly gazed around at the massive crowd before him. With the exception of some of the hospital's staff and Noble Edict's security forces, the entire town was gathered there. He had given speeches in public before, but most of the time, the audience was a small platoon from the army, navy, or another branch of the military. He had never given a speech to a crowd of this magnitude. Plus, back in Canterlot, everypony knew who he was. Here, he was the stranger; only a hoofful of ponies had even met him.

Fortunately, he was used to crowds and new faces. In the long run, he hardly considered these to be complexities. After a few moments' silence, he began his speech with "Please forgive my apparel."

Most of the audience laughed at this opening statement. All of them had noticed Bronze Star's rather unusual appearance, and some were wondering why he was dressed that way. Although it was mostly irrelevant to the matter at hand, Bronze Star just wanted to clear the air before he got to the important part.

Once the laughter died down, Bronze Star continued with "I am pleased to see that you are all still capable of being amused. That's a sign that even amidst this terrible ordeal, you have all retained our hope. And in everyday life, hope is everything. Hope is what drives our ambitions. Hope is what motivates us to prosper. Hope is what sees us through the present. Hope… is why we are no longer in danger."

Bronze Star paused for a moment to allow these words to sink in. Then he continued with "As you know, less than six hours ago, Nightmare Moon appeared in this very town. She eloquently declared that she was hard-set on blotting out the Sun for eternity. As you can see, her plot failed. That is all because of ten very heroic ponies. My colleagues Bellerophon, SIG Sauer, and Twilight Sparkle and I teamed up with your own Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Noble Edict. Working together, we overpowered Nightmare Moon and ended her plot. Now the Sun has returned, and so has Princess Celestia. You'll be pleased to know that she will be here very soon."

At this last statement, many murmurs of excitement, relief, and happiness came from the crowd. Clearly, everypony was elated to hear this news.

After about twenty seconds, Bronze Star raised his front hoof for silence. Then he continued with "You should know that she is not coming alone. When Nightmare Moon was beaten, she did not simply disappear. Instead, she transformed back into Princess Luna, Celestia's sister. Luna has repented for her past actions, and she has renounced her lust for power. She is not to be a target of your fear and contempt any longer. When she enters the town, I would ask that you greet her the same way you would greet Celestia. Is that understood?"

There was a collective mutter of agreement throughout the audience. Some were a little hesitant, but they were willing to comply. Bronze Star smiled and wrapped up his speech with "Please remain where you are. I shall return shortly."

Then he stepped off the podium and trotted towards the Everfree Forest. The six mares accompanied him. So did a few of the other citizens, such as the grey blonde cross-eyed Pegasus Bronze Star saw at the Ponyville library. Despite Bronze Star's request, some of the other ponies were too eager to wait to see Celestia.

When they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest, the group found that Celestia and Luna were not alone. Bellerophon and two Royal Guards had arrived with a chariot, which the princesses were standing on. There was still room on the chariot for two normal-sized ponies, so the princesses invited Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle to ride with them.

Before the Royal Guard started pulling the chariot towards the town, a thought flashed through Bronze Star's mind. He gazed down at Pinkie Pie and asked her "Hey, Pinkie, you remember earlier, when you said 'you know what this calls for?'"

"Yeah, I remember that," the pink mare replied.

"You told us you would give us the answer when we all returned to Ponyville," Bronze Star recalled, "So, what does this situation call for?"

Pinkie Pie gave a wide smile, galloped towards the town, and produced two bunches of confetti out of nowhere. She tossed the confetti into the air and yelled "A party!"

The sounds of jubilant music and cheering filled the air. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and the ponies who had joined them all trotted into town. Bellerophon and the Royal Guard followed close behind. Many of the town's pedestrians waved at the chariot's occupants as it passed by. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle waved in return, but the princesses remained motionless.

When the chariot reached the town square, it stopped. Everypony stamped their feet in praise and delight. Two small fillies took a necklace of flowers, flew up to Princess Luna, and placed the necklace around her neck. The blue Alicorn seemed a little perplexed, but she smiled in gratitude at the fillies. By this point, Spike had joined the crowd. When Bronze and Twilight stepped off the chariot, the baby dragon ran over to the lavender mare and hugged her tightly. Bronze Star smirked and patted Spike on the back.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie gathered behind the three of them. Then they all turned their attention to the chariot. Princess Celestia got off of it and approached the group. She was focusing on all of them, but her attention was primarily on her son and her apprentice.

Bronze Star was grinning as widely as anypony else there. However, Twilight Sparkle did not seem to share his joy. She was perhaps the only person in the entire crowd who was not smiling.

Princess Celestia inquired in concern "Why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?"

"That's just it," Twilight Sparkle responded. She gazed over her shoulder at the others and expounded, "Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them."

Bronze Star understood what she meant, and so did Princess Celestia. Luckily, the tall white Alicorn was very wise; she soon thought up a solution for this dilemma. She said to the young dragon "Spike, take a note, please."

Twilight's assistant quickly took up a quill and parchment. He wrote down everything Celestia said: "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville."

A look of utter joy came across Twilight Sparkle's face. The other five mares gathered around her and cheered in happiness. The lavender mare told her mentor gratefully "Oh thank you, Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before."

Princess Celestia merely nodded in acknowledgement. Then she turned to her son. He was gazing up at her hopefully, as if he was expecting her to say something else. As it turned out, she did. When Spike was ready, Celestia continued with "And furthermore, let the record show that Gold Streak is to be recognized from this day forward as Canterlot's official ambassador to Ponyville. May he continue to represent the qualities of unity and leadership as he represents this marvelous town."

Bronze Star smiled in appreciation as Spike finished the letter, rolled it up, and marked it with the royal seal. All around him, the surrounding ponies cheered. He gazed up at Celestia and stated in a formal tone "It will be my honor, Princess."

…

Although the wave of fear in Ponyville had lifted, there was still plenty of stress to go around. For instance, Ponyville Hospital had been reopened for less than an hour, and the staff already had a new patient. His name was SIG Sauer, and he was a government agent from Canterlot. Some of them had seen him earlier that morning at Town Hall, but outside of his name and occupation, they did not know anything about him. The town's chief of security Noble Edict and Princess Celestia's chief of staff Bellerophon had brought him in. Bellerophon had left shortly after this, but Noble Edict had stayed at the hospital.

At this time, a female Earth Pony with a white coat, a pink mane, blue eyes, a nurse's hat, and a red cross for a cutie mark was seated at the receptionist desk in the lobby. She was studying the contents of a clipboard in silence. Apart from the occasional security guard making his rounds, she had been alone for the past forty-five minutes.

At one point, she heard the front entrance open. The Earth Pony looked up, expecting to see one or two of her fellow Ponyvillians enter. Instead, four members of the Royal Guard stepped inside. The nurse watched as they split into pairs and stood on either side of the entrance. Then Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Bellerophon, Spike, and a few more of the Royal Guard passed into the room.

The white Earth Pony quickly rose to her feet out of respect. Princess Celestia calmly approached the desk and stated "Excuse me, Nurse…"

"Red Heart, Your Highness," the nurse replied, "I believe I speak for everypony in this building when I say that we are relieved to see you."

"Thank you, Nurse," the white Alicorn remarked, "But right now, it is not myself I am concerned for. We are here for one of your patients. I am certain you know which."

Nurse Red Heart nodded, picked up her clipboard, and stated "Come with me, please."

Celestia and her company followed Red Heart through the adjoining corridor. As they walked, she informed them "Mr. Sauer is in the Emergency Room. He's being prepared for surgery right now."

"Who will be performing the operation?" Bronze Star inquired.

"That would be Doctor Sharp Seams," Red Heart responded, "He's the surgeon on duty. If you have any questions about Mr. Sauer's condition, you should direct them to him."

"Where can we find him?" asked Celestia.

"Right here, Your Highness," said a voice from the intersecting hallway. Everypony turned and saw a male Earth Pony approaching them. He had a tan coat, a teal mane, orange eyes, and a scalpel for a cutie mark. He was dressed entirely in scrubs. He turned to the white Earth Pony and told her "I'll take it from here, Nurse."

Red Heart nodded and headed back to the lobby. The tan stallion led Celestia and the others to the Emergency Room. On the way, he apprised them "Mr. Sauer is looking at a minimum of three hours in surgery. The damage inflicted by that knife was extensive. The blade pierced through a cluster of nerves in his midsection. There's also evidence of severely torn ligaments and internal bleeding. An X-ray revealed that at least one of his ribs was broken. We are hoping to begin operating as soon as possible."

"Couldn't you start now?" Bronze Star queried.

"If the stab wound was the only problem, we could," Sharp Seams informed him, "However, there's another, more serious complication we must account for. When Mr. Sauer was stabbed, a deadly poison was administered into his bloodstream. It's slowly eating away at the oxygen in his red blood cells. We've got him on life support for now, but we'll have to remove the poison soon. Otherwise he'll succumb to oxygen deprivation."

"So, what type of procedure do you have in mind?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Ideally, we'll have to fix both problems at once," Sharp Seams explicated, "We're going to patch up the open injury and extract the toxin from his bloodstream simultaneously."

"Sounds like a risky approach," Bronze Star remarked, "Can you give us any type of prognosis, Doctor? Any idea of what SIG's chances may be?"

Sharp Seams did not respond straightaway. They walked in silence for a while, but when they reached the door to the Emergency Room, the surgeon turned to the others and told them "Mr. Sauer's chances are not very promising. But I can assure you that my trauma team and I will do everything we can to save him. If you'll excuse me now, I need to speak to the anesthesiologist."

Doctor Seams opened the door to the Emergency Room and went inside. Although this area was restricted to medical personnel only, there was a window on the wall next to the ER's door. This allowed Princess Celestia and her companions to observe everything that happened inside. Half a dozen other physicians were there, all of them clad in scrubs as well. They were busy moving tools and equipment around an operating table. They were already ready to save a life. All they need now was a patient.

A few minutes later, they got one. Three more doctors wheeled in a bed. SIG Sauer was lying flat on his back on top of it. He was dressed in a hospital gown, and an oxygen mask was over his face. His eyes were shut and he lay totally motionless, but he was still conscious.

The three doctors who brought SIG Sauer into the room rolled him to the center of the room. Three of the other doctors helped them move the pine green stallion from the bed to the operating table. Once he was secure, Sharp Seams inserted an IV into SIG's left front hoof and told one of his colleagues "Alright, put him under."

This doctor – obviously the anesthesiologist – stepped up to the IV bag and used a syringe to administer the anesthesia. The drugs quickly took effect; SIG Sauer felt himself become quite drowsy. However, he still had just enough strength to tilt his head to the left. When he did, he saw Princess Celestia and Bronze Star standing at the window to the room. The sight of his leaders together and unharmed was enough to set his mind at ease, and he managed to form a weak smile on his face.

Bronze Star tried to smile back, but he could not even bring himself to beam. SIG Sauer's smile soon dropped and he lost consciousness. The doctor at the front of the table turned his head away so that it was facing the ceiling. Then Sharp Seams commenced the operation.

Princess Celestia decided that she and her associates did not have to watch anymore. They left SIG Sauer and his trauma team to their work. However, their business at the hospital was not yet concluded. They still needed some clarity on who attacked SIG, and what their motivation was.

The group made their way to the security office, which was where Noble Edict was waiting for them. Princess Celestia ordered her guards to remain outside. Then she, Princess Luna, Bronze Star, Bellerophon, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike entered the room.

Noble Edict was leaning against the wall, shuffling through some files. She looked up at the five ponies and the dragon as they joined her. When she saw Bronze Star, she scoffed and cheekily remarked "I hope that costume is not how you dress everyday… Your Highness."

Bronze Star was alarmed by this remark. "You know…?"

As Noble Edict nodded, Bellerophon enlightened him "Due to some… extenuating circumstances, we saw it necessary to bring her into the circle."

"Don't worry, sir," the red Earth Pony told the gold Alicorn, "I have not told anypony else. The only ones in this town who know are the seven of us and Mr. Sauer."

"Actually, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity all know, as well," Bronze Star informed her.

"I should have guessed, seeing as how you're wearing Applejack's hat," Noble Edict commented.

"Yeah, she was kind enough to lend it to me," Bronze Star illuminated. He removed Applejack's hat, set it down on a table, and stated "I'll give it back to her later. For now, we have business to discuss."

"I'll say we do," commented Spike, "Before you guys came back, the last thing I remember was collapsing at Town Hall. What happened since then?"

"In a nutshell, we eliminated Nightmare Moon, we rescued Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and SIG Sauer was assaulted," Twilight Sparkle apprised him.

"Let's start with that last issue," Bronze Star proposed. He turned to Noble Edict and Bellerophon and demanded "Who's the scumbag responsible for putting SIG in this hospital?"

"Scumbags, plural," Noble Edict corrected him, "There were five of them total. Three of them moved to Ponyville about two weeks ago. Their names were Soapstone, Petal Picker, and Dense Miasma. The identities of the other two suspects are currently unknown."

"What were they doing out there?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Luring SIG Sauer into a trap," Noble Edict replied.

"Why?" asked Bronze Star in concern.

"They needed his blood," Bellerophon replied.

Obviously, these vague, concise answers were rather inadequate. Spike and Princess Luna knew nothing of this matter. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star knew a marginal amount, and Princess Celestia only knew a little more. Even Bellerophon and Noble Edict did not have the full facts, but they did have enough to fill in the blanks on their own. The two of them started at the beginning, and quickly brought the others up to speed.

They covered everything from Noble's discovery of the energy cloud to when she, Bellerophon, and SIG Sauer managed to free Celestia from it. Once they were done with their explanation, everypony and Spike was left stunned.

"This is quite a lot to process," Twilight commented.

"Indeed," Bronze Star observed, "But are you certain that SIG Sauer is safe?"

"Yes, all five of the people who attacked him are dead," Noble Edict notified him, "I sent out some of my agents to retrieve their bodies. My hope is that their autopsies will reveal something more."

"But I thought you just said SIG was no longer in danger," Spike pointed out.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean the danger is gone altogether," Bellerophon clarified, "We suspect that this conspiracy might not be over yet. The amount of planning and detail that went into it is extraordinary. Even more extraordinary was the conspirators' level of commitment to this plot. One of them was willing to take her own life to ensure its success."

"Then she died for nothing," Princess Luna perceived, "Such a shame she chose to throw her life away like that. But I know firsthand what obsession can do to people."

"The difference is that you were saved, Your Highess," Bellerophon pointed out, "That mare was already too far gone when she swallowed that poison. Even if we tried to talk her out of it, she would not have listened to us."

"Well, at any rate, that mare's well-being is insignificant in the long-run," Bronze Star declared.

Now that the matter of the energy sphere had been explained, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle had their turn to recall everything they had been through in the Everfree Forest. Bellerophon was able to assist them up until the part about SIG Sauer's beacon. The two younger ponies had to recount how they had acquired the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor on their own.

Partway through the explanation, Bronze Star got out a quill and three sheets of parchment from his knapsack. He wanted to take advantage of his horn while he still had it, so he used his magic to write on the parchment with the quill. Nopony interrupted him by asking what he was doing.

By the time he and Twilight wrapped up their elucidation, Bronze Star had finished writing on the parchment. He rolled up the three pieces individually and fastened them with the royal seal. Then he wrote down a few more lines on the front of each of them.

Spike stepped up to the prince and asked him in interest "What are you up to, Bronze?"

"There are three people who need to know about what happened to SIG Sauer," the gold stallion revealed, "All of them live in Canterlot, so I'm sending each of them a letter."

"Since they're all in Canterlot, I could mail them for you," Spike offered.

"I appreciate the offer, Spike," Bronze Star told the dragon, "But the recipients are all very close to SIG Sauer. They need to be assured that we are just as concerned about him as they are going to be. I believe the best way to do that would be if somepony physically brought them these letters."

"You can leave that to me, sir," Bellerophon proposed, walking over to the gold stallion, "Your mother and I will be going back to Canterlot once the Summer Sun Celebration is over. I could see to it that the letters reach their destinations. In fact, I'll personally deliver them myself."

"Alright, Bellerophon," the male Alicorn coincided. He held the scrolls out to the tall Pegasus.

As Bellerophon took the scrolls in his front hooves, he stated "Out of curiosity, who are these three individuals and why is it so important that they know about SIG?"

"I've written their addresses and names on the front of the scrolls," Bronze Star illuminated, "Take a look at them."

Bellerophon examined the front of each scroll. They were all addressed to a different foundation. The first was to the Military Enforcement Corps. The second was to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The third was to the Intelligence Bureau. The addresses alone gave Bellerophon an idea as to who the recipients were, and when he read the names, his suspicions were confirmed. Both his questions were answered at once.

Bellerophon looked down at Bronze Star and assured him "You can count on me, my prince. I'll have these delivered by tonight."

"Thank you, Bellerophon" the gold stallion remarked in appreciation, "If any of them have a response, please tell them they can forward it to me through Spike."

Bellerophon acknowledged this request and tucked the scrolls between his wings. Twilight then checked the time and noted it was past twelve o'clock in the afternoon. Enough time had elapsed for Celestia to perform the illusion spell again. When Bronze Star was ready, his mother cast the spell on his wings and horn, rendering them incapable of being detected visually or physically once more.

By now, there were only two more topics that needed to be discussed. First, there was the matter of the artifacts that had been found in the abandoned fortress. Princess Celestia decided she would take the Elements of Harmony back to Canterlot, but the Shroud of Valor would stay with Bronze Star in Ponyville. This was not because she only trusted her son to keep his relic safe. She merely felt that these objects were so powerful that it would be too dangerous for anypony outside of the Canterlot Royalty to possess them. Twilight Sparkle did not protest, and she was certain the other mares would not either.

The other subject had to do with Princess Luna. While the blue Alicorn was overjoyed to have been reunited with Celestia and vice versa, she was still unsure about going with her sister to Canterlot right after the Summer Sun Celebration. She had never been to Canterlot before, but she could imagine that she would attract quite a lot of attention everywhere she went. Even if it was nothing but adoration and praise, she was still not ready for that kind of publicity. She wanted to spend a few days in the company of as few ponies as possible before she faced the huge crowds at the capital city. She was not certain how she would manage this, though.

This time, Bronze Star came up with a solution. He invited his aunt to move in with him at the embassy. He told her that she would be welcome there for as long as she wanted to stay. Luna was a little hesitant at first, but Bronze Star insisted that there was plenty of room and that she would not be imposing. Plus, he wanted to get to know her better. Truth be told, Luna wanted to become more familiar with her nephew as well, so she eagerly accepted Bronze Star's invitation.

Now that everything of precedence had been resolved, the six ponies and the dragon decided to go back outside. After all, the Summer Sun Celebration was still going on; they may as well join in on the festivities. Even Luna agreed to participate.

They stepped out of the office and headed towards the front entrance. Along the way, they encountered one of Noble Edict's operatives. He asked the red mare for a moment of her time, telling her it was urgent that he speak to her. Noble Edict assured him that whatever he had to say to her, he could also say it in front of Princess Celestia, her sister, her chief of staff, her ambassador to Ponyville, her apprentice, and her apprentice's assistant.

The stallion reluctantly agreed and walked alongside her. Then he announced "We just finished retrieving the bodies from the Everfree Forest."

"Excellent," commented Ponyville's chief of security, "Did you have any difficulty bringing them in?"

"No, they were right where you said they were," the stallion informed her. After a moment of silence, he anxiously added in "All four of them."

At that, Noble Edict halted in her tracks, as did the others in her group. She slowly turned to her agent and uttered quietly "Did you say four?"

"Yes, ma'am," he affirmed

"When we left that clearing, there were five bodies," Bellerophon recalled.

"That's why I'm here," the agent apprised them, "When our team got there, one of them was missing."

"Which ones did you bring in?" queried Bronze Star.

"Soapstone, Petal Picker, Dense Miasma, and that huge one with no head," the agent replied.

"What about the cloaked mare?" asked Noble Edict.

"She wasn't there," the agent responded simply.

> Getting Settled
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three days since the Nightmare Moon fiasco. Life had pretty much returned to normal. But because this year marked the 1,000th anniversary of Nightmare Moon's defeat, everypony had expected this Summer Sun Celebration to be memorable in some way. Memorable it was, indeed, and for more than one reason.

On the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, Ponyville had been the only town in Equestria whose entire population was aware of Princess Luna's presence. That changed quickly. Word spread throughout the country that a new Alicorn had come to the land, and that she was Princess Celestia's sister. While there was no real rejoicing or celebrating for return, everypony was thrilled to know that there was another member of the Canterlot Royalty.

The existence of the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor had not gone unnoticed either. Rumors had circulated through the cities of Equestria that these artifacts had been found and used by a group of ponies to vanquish Nightmare Moon. However, very little information about these ponies had been disclosed. In fact, only a few people outside of Ponyville even knew their names.

Bronze Star was grateful for this. He had come to Ponyville for the opportunity to live as a civilian for a while. That would have been impossible if it became common knowledge that Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville had helped save Equestria from eternal night. Fortunately for Bronze Star, most of Equestria was still unfamiliar with the name "Gold Streak." He was able to continue passing himself off as the ambassador to Ponyville without a hitch.

Princess Luna had been living with Bronze Star at the embassy for the past three days. Luckily for them, this arrangement had not turned any heads. Whenever a special guest visited Ponyville, he or she typical stayed at the embassy anyway. Several ponies had passed by the foundation, hoping to get a glimpse of the blue Alicorn. But none of them ever saw her. Luna had stayed indoors for almost all of those seventy-two hours. She had been accustomed to living in solitude for so long that she felt incredibly shy. The only pony she felt wholly comfortable around was her nephew.

On the plus side, Bronze Star and his aunt got along famously. Neither of them had been aware of the other's existence before Celestia introduced them, but they were eager to make up for all that lost time. They spent many pleasant hours exchanging their own personal experiences with each other. Luna told her nephew several interesting tales of Equestria's distant past, and Bronze Star gave his aunt a thorough account of Equestria's recent history.

At one point, Luna had remarked that she was pleased that her elder sister had finally decided to have an heir, and she asked Bronze Star who her "partner" was in this "endeavor." She was surprised when her nephew told her that nopony in Equestria knew the identity of his father. Even he did not know; his mother was hard-set on keeping it a secret. Luna offered to speak to her sister and request that she reveal the truth of Bronze Star's father. Her nephew was appreciative, but he politely declined the offer. Since he could not change his mother's mind, he doubted anypony else could, including her beloved sister. He felt his aunt would simply be wasting her time.

Although Bronze Star and Luna had been alone inside the embassy, the facility's grounds were not deserted. Princess Celestia had assigned half a dozen of the Royal Guard to watch over the foundation. She wanted to ensure that her sister and her son were adequately protected. This was not just a precaution. Celestia was genuinely concerned that the danger was not yet over.

This notion was primarily a result of the sudden disappearance of the hooded mare. Shortly after her agent reported that the hooded mare was missing, Noble Edict had authorized a marehunt. She had search parties all over the Everfree Forest, looking for the hooded mare's body.

The search parties turned up with nothing on the first day, so Noble decided to expand the parameters of the marehunt. She instructed the search parties to expect to find either a body or a living person. There was nothing that indicated the mare was still alive, but there was no conclusive evidence that she was dead, either. Even with these expanded parameters, the search parties were still unable to locate the mare. But until she was found, Celestia was concerned that Luna would not be safe. Hence, the Royal Guard positioned outside the embassy.

Despite these security measures and his mother's anxiety, Bronze Star was not compelled to remain inside the embassy until the search ended. The only reason he had spent so much of the past three in the embassy was that he wanted to become more familiar with his aunt. The blue Alicorn certainly enjoyed her nephew's company, but she knew he had made other friends in Ponyville. Luna did not wish to monopolize Bronze Star's time, so she started encouraging him to get out and mingle with his friends. He did just that on the fourth day after the Summer Sun Celebration.

Bronze Star woke up bright and early that morning. At breakfast, he discussed his plans for the day with Luna. First, he was going to swing by the Ponyville Hospital. Then, he would drop by Golden Oaks Library. After that, he would head to Sweet Apple Acres. That was all he had planned so far, but he anticipated he would have more to do soon.

Luna could understand why her nephew wanted to go to the hospital and the library, but she wondered what business he would have at the apple planation. He enlightened her that he had something that belonged to one of the ponies who lived there, and he wanted to return it to her.

The blue Alicorn had a much lighter schedule for the day. She was just going to stay inside the embassy and do some reading on Equestria's history. Since she had been gone for a thousand years, she had a lot of catching up to do. Needless to say, she would be reading for quite a while.

After breakfast, Bronze Star went to his room to grab his knapsack and a few other things. Once he was ready, he bid his aunt good day, signed out of the building, and headed outside.

It was still early in the morning, but many of Ponyville's residents were out on the streets. Several of them smiled or nodded at Bronze Star as he passed them. He was not certain whether this was because he was the town's ambassador, or because of the role he played in bringing the Sun back. Whatever the reason, Bronze Star was pleased to see he had left a good impression on the townsfolk.

When he arrived at the hospital, Bronze Star found Nurse Red Heart at the front desk. He asked her for a progress report on SIG Sauer's case. Red Heart informed the gold stallion that SIG Sauer's surgery had been completed without any complications, and that he had been moved from the ER to the I.C.U. He still had yet to regain consciousness. Bronze Star would have liked to see his trainer in person, but the hospital's visiting hours did not begin until noon. So Bronze Star simply requested to be informed of any new developments in SIG's condition, and then he left.

Bronze Star found Twilight Sparkle standing outside the front entrance of the library. She was carrying Spike on her back. When she noticed the gold stallion approaching them, she grinned at him and said "Good morning."

"Hey, Twilight," Bronze Star greeted his friends cordially, "Hey, Spike."

"Oh, hi, Bron- er, Gold," stated the baby dragon. He chuckled and added in "Sorry; that's still going to take some getting used to."

"You only have to call me that in public," Bronze Star remarked, "In private, you can still address me by my actual name."

Spike nodded in understanding. Then he asked "Is there anything we can help you with?"

"I'm expecting a message from Bellerophon," Bronze Star informed him, "Knowing him, he'd send it using the most expedient method of delivery available. So I was wondering if you've received any scrolls from Canterlot in the past few days."

"Nope, we haven't gotten any letters since we left the capital city," Twilight Sparkle answered him, "But if we do get anything from Bellerophon, we'll be sure to let you know."

"Alright, thanks," Bronze Star said gratefully. There was silence for a moment, and then the gold stallion queried "You guys going somewhere?"

"Yeah, we're off to Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight replied, "Applejack said she was going to harvest a bunch of apples today, and we offered to help her. We should probably head over there soon; she's expecting us."

"Mind if I come along?" Bronze Star requested. "I was going there anyway after I came to see you."

"Sure, let's go together," Twilight coincided.

The lavender mare, the gold stallion, and the baby dragon then travelled to the western outskirts of Ponyville. In this vicinity, there were fields of apple trees that went on for miles. The edges of the fields were marked by a short wooden fence. At one point, the three friends encountered a dirt path that ran perpendicular to the main road. They turned onto this path, passed under a large sign, and followed the path to a large open area. There was a small cluster of buildings in this area. Most of them were silos, shacks, and stands, but there were two large foundations that stood out. One of them was a house that had been built to resemble a barn. The other was an actual barn.

Applejack was hauling a cart of wicker baskets out of the latter building. The baskets were coming out empty, but they would be going in full. Her Stetson hat was conspicuously absent from her head.

When Applejack noticed the two ponies and the dragon enter, she grinned in their direction, unfastened the cart's harness from her back, and trotted over to them. She told her visitors genially "Mornin', y'all. Glad you could make it."

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting, Applejack," Twilight pronounced.

"No, I was just getting the equipment ready," the farm pony assured her. She then turned to Bronze Star, smiled kindly at him, and lightly bowed her head, saying, "It's a pleasure to see ya again, Yer Highness."

Bronze Star lightly chuckled and stated "You can just call me 'Bronze,' Applejack. Or 'Gold' when we're in public. And there is absolutely no need for you to bow to me."

"Oh, I don't mind bowin'," Applejack insisted, keeping her head lowered towards the gold stallion, "I just feel I haven't properly expressed my appreciation to you for savin' my life and my friends' lives."

"Trust me, you have," Bronze Star countered, "However, now that you're in this position, close your eyes and stay still for a moment. I've got something for you."

Applejack nodded her head in compliance and shut her eyes. Bronze Star then opened up his knapsack and removed Applejack's hat. He held it in both of his front hooves and carefully lowered it onto the orange mare's head. Once it was in place, he told her "Alright, there you go."

Applejack opened her eyes and stood up straight. She placed one of her front hooves on her head and realized she was now wearing her Stetson. She smiled again and commented "Ah, my hat! Thanks for bringin' it back."

"Thank you for letting me borrow it," Bronze Star rejoined, "Sorry I didn't return it sooner."

"It's no prob," Applejack assured him, "I'm just glad to have it back. I feel kinda… exposed without it."

"Well, it certainly looks much better on you than it does on me," Bronze Star observed.

Applejack lightly blushed and gazed off to the side. Then she remarked tentatively "Well… thanks. You flatter me, sugar cube."

Bronze Star just snickered at the orange mare's reaction and patted her warmly on the shoulder. Then he looked over at the cart and thought aloud "Twilight said she and Spike were going to help you gather some apples. As long as I'm here, why don't I help out, too?"

Applejack seemed mildly surprised by this offer. She asked the gold stallion "You sure you'd want to help? Apple buckin' isn't really that excitin'."

"I'm not looking for excitement," Bronze Star informed her, "I've spent most of the last three days inside the embassy. I could use some exercise, fresh air, and sunlight. Right now, working on this ranch seems like the best way to get all three at once. Besides, I don't have anything else planned for the rest of the day. I may as well do something productive."

Applejack smirked and declared "I understand what you mean. I've always lived by the notion that hard work is its own reward."

"Exactly," Bronze Star affirmed. After a few seconds' pause, he proposed "Shall we head out?"

"Sure thing," Applejack responded as she removed six of the baskets from the cart. She gave two of them to Twilight, two more to Bronze, and kept the last two for herself. The three ponies all attached the baskets to their sides so that they could carry them with all four hooves free.

"Where are we off to?" Spike enquired.

"We'll start with the south orchard," Applejack announced, pointing in the direction of said area, "A lot of the fruit in those trees ripened a little sooner than we thought. I'm hopin' to get them all picked before the morning's over."

"Then let's get picking," Bronze Star declared.

The orange Earth Pony led the gold Alicorn and the lavender Unicorn to the south orchard. They stopped at a small grove of Golden Delicious trees, and Applejack proclaimed "Now, before we begin, I must ask; do either of you know the best way to harvest an apple tree?"

"Careful visual examination?" Bronze Star conjectured.

"Magic?" Twilight proposed, her aura appearing on her horn.

"Nope, you gotta give the tree a good, solid buck," Applejack enlightened them, "Here, I'll show you."

She removed her baskets and placed them at the trunk of one of the Golden Delicious trees. Then she stood with her back to the tree and gazed over her shoulder. After focusing for a few seconds, she raised her hind legs and slammed her back hooves against the trunk. Over the next five seconds, all the apples snapped off the branches and neatly dropped into the baskets.

"You see?" stated Applejack, "Easy, swift, and precise. Now you give it a try."

Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star each approached one of the other trees. They set their baskets at the bases of the trees and positioned themselves just as Applejack did. They both took several seconds to concentrate. Then they lifted their hind legs and struck the trunks with their back hooves.

In the midst of her kick, Twilight messed up her footing and hit the tree at an odd angle. She stumbled off to the side and collapsed onto her chest. Most of the apples on her tree quivered, but only a third of them fell off the branches and into the baskets.

Bronze Star's first attempt was much more successful. He thrust all his might into his back hooves and thumped them against the center of the trunk. His blow was even more powerful than Applejack's. Immediately, all the apples came loose and descended. However, only about half of them landed in the baskets; the rest of them scattered all over the ground.

"Not bad," Applejack perceived. She trotted over to the lavender mare and helped her to her feet. She asked in concern "You okay, Twi?"

"Yeah, I think so," the Unicorn replied. She shook out her back hoof and remarked "My hoof stings a little, though. I probably used an insufficient amount of force."

"Considering how so few apples came off your tree, I would say so," Applejack noted.

"I wouldn't blame her," Spike interjected, "Manual labor isn't really her thing."

"That's true," Twilight Sparkle admitted, "I'm mostly doing this for the new experience, anyway."

"Hopefully, I can help you improve your 'experience,'" Applejack professed. She then turned to the gold stallion and informed him "Bronze, you definitely have no problem packing enough strength into your kicks, but your form is a little… disorderly, so to speak. Also, you were a little too aggressive on the tree. It almost seemed like you were attacking it because if you didn't, it would have attacked you instead. Does that make sense?"

"Actually, it makes perfect sense," Bronze Star replied, "You see, this isn't the first time I've bucked something. Part of my military training covers how to disable opponents with my back hooves. However, the method SIG Sauer taught me is quite a bit different. His approach revolves around the proper way to buck moving targets rather than stationary ones."

"Ah, then that's your problem," Applejack perceived, "Buckin' trees ain't the same as buckin' a prowler. You don't need to use as much force here. These trees are stayin' put, and they aren't goin' to harm ya. Just be firm with them, and they'll give you a rich yield."

"I'll keep that in mind," the gold stallion ensured her.

Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and Applejack spent the next few hours harvesting the plantation's south orchard. Of the three of them, the orange mare easily had the best form at bucking trees, but the gold stallion and the lavender mare gradually improved their form.

Spike just passed the time by sitting on Twilight's back. He still managed to contribute by picking out the rotten apples in her baskets and tossing them aside.

Due to their limited carrying capacity, the three ponies were only able to clear six trees at a time. Every time they filled up their baskets, they hauled them back to the barn and loaded them onto the cart. Then they got six more empty baskets and headed back to the south orchard.

Altogether, the three ponies managed to harvest five dozen trees that morning. They made a total of ten trips to and from the south orchard. On their tenth trip, Applejack decided they had done enough farming for one morning. After filling up her baskets, she waited for Bronze Star and Twilight to fill theirs and meet up with her on the dirt path.

Soon, the prince and the magic student caught up to the farm pony. Spike continued to search through Twilight's baskets. This time, he appeared to be looking for something in particular. Every now and then, he cast aside a rotten apple and commented "No. Nope. Nope—"

"Thank you kindly, Twilight and Bronze, for helping me out," Applejack told the other two ponies appreciatively. She hopped in the air and pronounced "I bet Big McIntosh I could get all these Golden Delicious in the barn by lunchtime. If I win, he's gonna walk down Stirrup Street in one of granny's girdles."

She lightly chuckled after she said this. Bronze Star could not help but scoff a bit himself.

Twilight Sparkle smiled and stated "No problem at all, Applejack. I'm glad the goal is lunchtime. All this hard work is making me hungry."

"I know, right?" Spike remarked, tossing another apple aside. He accidentally hit Twilight on the head with this one.

Twilight glared back at the baby dragon, looking highly unamused. Then she declared sardonically "Puh-leez, Spike, you've been lounging on my back all morning while we worked."

"Exactly," Spike retorted, "You three are taking so long, I missed snack-time."

Twilight and Bronze just rolled their eyes as they walked on. A strange gurgling sound abruptly filled the nearby area. Everypony realized it was Twilight's stomach. The lavender mare laughed nervously and muttered "Eh, I guess we better get some food."

"As long as it quells that resounding groan that's coming from your stomach, I have no objections," Bronze Star uttered cheekily.

Applejack gave a hearty laugh at this remark, and Twilight blushed lightly. Spike just resumed sorting through the baskets, saying "Nope. Worm. A-ha!"

At that, he extracted a rather large Washington apple from the left basket and held it in the air. Twilight Sparkle looked back at it, licked her lips, and remarked eagerly "Oh Spike, that looks delicious."

One second later, Spike stuffed the entire apple into his mouth and started munching on it greedily. Twilight narrowed her eyes at her assistant and said crossly "Spike."

After chewing for just five seconds, Spike swallowed the entire apple. Then he looked down at Twilight and innocently stated "What?"

A moment later, Spike's cheeks expanded and he covered his mouth. Then he rose into the air, gave a loud belch and exhaled a short stream of green fire. Two scrolls bearing the royal seal emerged from the embers.

As Spike caught the scrolls in his claws, Bronze Star and Applejack stepped closer to him and Twilight, who proclaimed "They're letters from Princess Celestia."

"Actually, Twilight, only this one is from the Princess," Spike corrected her, holding up the scroll in his right claw. He turned to the Bronze Star, held up the scroll in his left claw, and stated "This other one is from Bellerophon. And it's addressed to you, Bronze."

"It is?" the gold stallion asked in interest.

"Yeah, see for yourself," Spike responded as he handed over the second scroll.

Bronze Star took the scroll in his right front hoof and examined the caption on the front. It read Sent from the throne room of Canterlot Castle by the chief of staff, Lord Bellerophon. For the ambassador's eyes only.

"Alright, thanks, Spike," Bronze Star said gratefully. He reached for his knapsack, opened up the main pocket, and deposited the scroll inside. Then he closed up the knapsack and professed "I've been waiting for that to arrive. I'll take a look at it later. What does the scroll from my mother say?"

Spike unrolled the scroll, cleared his throat, and read it aloud: "Hear ye, hear ye. Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of, eh, yadda yadda yadda, cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest."

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle both gasped and exclaimed "The Grand Galloping Gala!"

Bronze Star was relatively indifferent to this news. He just went "Hmmm" in mock-interest.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle were ecstatic. They jumped up and down in excitement and cheered "The Grand Galloping Gala!"

Spike's reaction was even less enthusiastic than Bronze's. He glowered in annoyance, held his claw up to his mouth, and made a disgusted face.

"Woo-hoo!" Applejack shouted eagerly.

Spike abruptly covered his mouth and belched again. This time, two small golden slips of paper appeared from the green flame.

"Look, two tickets." Spike pointed out as he grabbed the slips of paper in midair.

"Wow, great!" Twilight commented, "I've never been to the gala. Have you, Bronze?"

"Only every single year," Bronze Star bluntly answered.

"Really?" Twilight uttered in surprise.

Bronze Star smirked and explicated "Twilight, as a member of the Canterlot Royalty, I have to attend the Gala. I don't even need a ticket to get in."

"Good for you," Spike mumbled dully.

"Must be sensational," Applejack theorized.

Bronze Star lightly shrugged and stated "It is… in a way."

"So, what's it like?" Twilight queried.

"That's for me to know, and you and another 'lucky' person to find out," Bronze Star cheekily answered.

"Fair enough," Twilight agreed. She turned to her assistant and asked him "Have you ever been there, Spike?"

"No, and I plan to keep it that way," Spike firmly declared, "I don't want any of that girly frilly frou-frou nonsense."

"Aw, come on Spike," Twilight beckoned the dragon, "A dance would be nice."

"Nice?" Applejack interjected, leaning over to the lavender mare. "It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go. Land sakes, if I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chowin' our tasty vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy old roof, and Big McIntosh could replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith could replace that saggy old hip."

Bronze Star admired Applejack's reason for wanting to go to the gala. She did not want to go for the festivities. Instead, she was hoping to find a way to benefit her family's overall well-being.

When she was finished with her soliloquy, Applejack looked up at the sky dreamily and stated "Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala."

At that, Twilight Sparkle stepped up to the orange mare and told her invitingly "Oh, well in that case, would you like to—"

"Whoa!" a voice from above interrupted her.

Bronze Star looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash fall out of one of the apple trees. She roughly landed on both Applejack and Twilight Sparkle. When the dust settled, Rainbow groaned. Then she brightened up and asked excitedly "Are we talking about The Grand Galloping Gala?"

Bronze Star scoffed, trotted over to the mares, and helped them up. When Applejack was on her feet, she glared at the cyan mare and snapped angrily "Rainbow Dash, you told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing, spyin'?

"No, I was busy napping," the Pegasus responded, pointing to a blanket and pillow in the tree she had fallen out of. She then turned to Twilight and keenly remarked "And I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?"

Twilight Sparkle tentatively began with "Yeah, but—

"YES!" Rainbow Dash cut her off, "This is so awesome. The Wonderbolts perform at The Grand Galloping Gala every year. I can see it now. Everyone would be watching the sky. Their eyes riveted on The Wonderbolts, but then in would fly Rainbow Dash! I would draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut. Then, I would mesmerize 'em with my Fantastic Filly Flash. And for my grand finale, The Buccaneer Blaze! The ponies would go wild! The Wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine, and then welcome me as their newest member."

Bronze Star was less than impressed with Rainbow Dash's reason for wanting to go to the gala. Hers sounded more like a fantasy than anything else. He gazed over at Applejack and noticed she appeared to be just as displeased.

The cyan Pegasus inched over to the lavender Unicorn and expounded "Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff. You gotta take me!"

Applejack then grabbed onto Rainbow Dash's tail with her teeth and pulled her away from Twilight.

"Hold on just one pony pickin' minute here," the orange Earth Pony mumbled with her mouth full. She spat out Rainbow's tail and pointed out "I asked for that ticket first."

"So?" Rainbow Dash countered "That doesn't mean you own it."

"Oh, yeah?" Applejack cockily retorted, "Well I challenge you to a hoof-wrestle. Winner gets the ticket."

The two mares rushed over to a stump in the road and stood on either side. They placed their right front hooves on top, gripped each other's tightly, and started pushing. Both of them groaned heatedly, as they were both equally determined to win.

Twilight intervened before the situation got out of control. She stepped between the two mares and yelled "Girls, these are my tickets, I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much. Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?"

"Drummin' up business for the farm?" Applejack proposed.

"A chance to audition for The Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash submitted.

"Money t' fix granny's hip." Applejack specified.

"Living the dream." Rainbow Dash cried.

It would have been an easy choice for Bronze Star, if it was his choice to make. Twilight, on the other hoof, was not used to making these types of decisions. She spent a few moments contemplating the others' arguments, and she thought aloud "Oh my, those were all pretty good reasons, aren't they?"

Just then, her stomach rumbled again. She chuckled and casually remarked "Listen to that, I am starving. I don't know about you, but I can't make important decisions on an empty stomach, so I'll, uh, think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay?"

"Okay." Applejack and Rainbow Dash glumly agreed.

Twilight turned onto the road and headed back towards Ponyville. Spike followed her close behind. As soon as Twilight was gone, Applejack and Rainbow Dash resumed their hoof wrestle.

Before she left, Twilight removed her baskets and placed them on the ground. Applejack had done so as well a couple minutes earlier. Bronze Star was the only one who was still holding on to his baskets. He observed Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they continued their hoof wrestle for a few moments. Neither of them seemed to be winning, so he decided to just leave them to it.

He headed back to the barn and loaded his baskets onto the cart. The cart held a maximum of twenty baskets at a time. Its contents had already been unloaded into the barn twice, and now it was four more baskets away from being fully occupied.

Bronze Star returned to the road to gather up the last of the baskets. When he got there, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still hoof wrestling. However, they were not in the same position as before. Applejack was winning. She had pushed Rainbow Dash's hoof downward to the point that it was just three inches above the surface of the trunk.

The gold stallion was eager to see how the match would end. So he stopped to watch them. Soon, Applejack held Rainbow's hoof just two inches above the surface of the trunk. Bronze Star smirked in amusement at this. While he did not actually cheer for either mare, he was inwardly rooting for the farmer to win.

When Applejack brought Rainbow Dash's hoof to an inch above the surface of the trunk, the cyan mare fully realized she was going to lose. So she improvised a way to turn the luck in her favor.

Just before her hoof touched the trunk, Rainbow spread her wings and flapped them once towards Applejack, sending a strong breeze into the Earth Pony's face. This broke Applejack's concentration only for a moment, but that was long enough for Rainbow Dash to swing her hoof around and slam Applejack's onto the surface of the trunk.

"And we have a winner!" Rainbow Dash haughtily declared, raising her front hooves in triumph.

Bronze Star and Applejack were both very unamused by the Pegasus' tactics. The gold stallion approached her and told her crossly "Rainbow, do you actually think that's something to be proud of? It isn't."

"What's so bad about using my wings to win?" Rainbow calmly asserted, "I just took a short cut."

"Taking 'short cuts' like that wouldn't get you any friends in the military," Bronze Star informed her.

"So?" the cyan mare remarked indifferently.

"The Wonderbolts are a faction of the military," the gold stallion pointed out, "I know for a fact that they would not approve of those types of actions."

Rainbow Dash did not know how to respond to this. Bronze Star was making a really fine point, and his message was getting through to her.

"You have several admirable qualities, Rainbow," the prince told the weather maker, "But you cannot prove them unless you are fair to your friends. That's a true sign of loyalty."

"Okay, Bronze, I'll remember that," Rainbow Dash assured him. At first, she was unable to look Bronze Star in the eye at this time. Then she gazed up at her friends and stated "Well, I'm going back to town. Catch you guys later."

Rainbow Dash then flapped her wings vigorously, lifted herself into the air, and flew towards Ponyville. Applejack and Bronze Star watched her as she faded into the distance.

"I bet ya a hundred bits she's going to find Twilight," the orange Earth Pony declared.

"Just a hundred?" Bronze Star said amusedly, turning to Applejack. She smirked and lightly nodded her head. Bronze Star proposed "If you're serious, we could actually place that bet. It's highly likely that you'd win. But I wouldn't mind losing a hundred bits, and you could use the money."

"Well, when ya put it that way, it sounds more like charity than a stake," Applejack noted, "So nah, let's not place the bet. It wouldn't feel right to accept charity. I'm not really much of a gambler, anyway."

Bronze Star grinned at her and observed "I can see why you're the honest one. You certainly lead an honest life, and you earn an honest living."

"Why, thanks, sugar cube," Applejack replied appreciatively, smiling at the gold stallion. There was quietness for a few seconds. Then the orange mare looked over at the four baskets of apples and thought aloud "Better get these to the cart."

"I'll lend you a hoof," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Wouldn't want you to lose that bet, now would we?"

"Yeah, no kiddin'," Applejack coincided, chuckling lightly.

She and the prince moved over to the four remaining baskets of apples. Applejack put her baskets back on, and Bronze Star shouldered Twilight's baskets. Then the two ponies trotted back to the barn.

When they reached the cart, Bronze Star turned to the mare with the hat and inquired "If you're not fond of gambling, how come you made this bet with Big Macintosh?"

"This was just a friendly wager," Applejack elucidated as they packed the baskets onto the cart, "My brother and I make them all the time. They're always for enjoyment, not for profit."

"I can understand that," Bronze Star perceived, "This is quite an interesting bet. Since you're going to win, I know that Big Macintosh will have to parade through the town in your granny's clothing. But tell me; what would have happened if he won?"

Applejack did not answer straightaway. She appeared to be contemplating whether or not she should actually respond. Ultimately, she sighed and revealed "If I lost, I would have had to trot up to a stallion in public and kissed him on the cheek."

"Really?" Bronze Star muttered, scoffing in amusement, "Was that your idea or his?"

"He suggested it, but I agreed to it," Applejack apprised him.

"Out of curiosity, who would it have been?" he queried.

"I don't really know," she avowed, "The one good thing about that part of the bet was that I would have been allowed to choose who I kissed. There are a few guys in town that I like, but there's nopony that I would really open up to like that. I'm just glad I don't have to make that decision now."

"Well, whichever stallion you picked, I'm certain he would have thought himself a very lucky person," Bronze Star commented wittily.

Applejack was somewhat alarmed by that last statement. Truth be told, Bronze Star was a little stunned himself that those words had come out of his mouth. But he and Applejack had both heard them clear as day, so there was no pretending that they had not been spoken.

"Why do you say that?" Applejack asked in interest.

Bronze Star quickly provided her with an answer. This time, he chose his words much more carefully: "Well, like I said before, you are an honest mare, and not just in terms of telling the truth. By working with you for the past few hours, I've learned that you run a completely legitimate business, you are extremely patient, and you respect everypony who is close to you. That kind of decency is quite rare these days. With all that in mind, if you approached a stallion and showed him some affection, he should appreciate your company and treat you fairly in return."

Applejack listened intently to Bronze Star's explanation. She took a moment to process everything he told her. A smile slowly crept onto her face and she stated merrily "That has to be one of the most thoughtful things anypony has ever said to me. Thank you, sugar cube."

"You don't have to thank me," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I'm just speaking what I believe."

After this remark, there was a short period of silence. The gold stallion and the orange mare stood just a few meters apart from each other and did not exchange any words. Then Bronze Star checked the time and realized that it was almost noon. He suggested that they hurry up and get the baskets of apples inside. Naturally, Applejack had no objections.

Once the cart was in the barn and the contents were unloaded, Applejack pronounced proudly "Looks like we can call it a day."

"Good," Bronze Star commented, wiping the sweat off his brow, "Now that's what I call a workout. Only with some excitement. We'll have to do this again some other time, Applejack."

"Alright," Applejack agreed, "Applebuck Season's coming up soon, but once it's over, come by any time you'd like."

Bronze Star accepted this proposal. After closing up the barn, the two ponies left Sweet Apple Acres and headed back to Ponyville. On the way, they discussed what they would do once they got there. Bronze Star said he was going to swing by the hospital again and look in on SIG Sauer. After that, he planned to get lunch somewhere. Applejack only said that she was going to look for Rainbow Dash and make sure that she was not up to any "mischief." She did not have to specify; Bronze Star knew what she meant.

When he arrived at the hospital, visiting hours had just begun. Bronze Star was able to stop by the I.C.U. and speak to Dr. Sharp Seams. The surgeon informed the gold stallion that the operation had been a total success, but SIG Sauer had not yet woken up. Dr. Seams estimated it would be at least three more days before the pine green Unicorn regained consciousness. There was nothing they could do to speed that up. However, Dr. Seams ensured Bronze Star that the hospital would make SIG's recovery their top priority. That was all the prince needed to be reassured of his trainer's well-being.

Bronze Star was about to leave the hospital when he encountered Noble Edict near the I.C.U. The red mare asked the gold stallion to accompany her to the morgue. Other than having lunch, he had nothing else planned for the afternoon, so he agreed to go with her.

As they passed through the corridors, Bronze Star asked Noble Edict "What's in the morgue?"

"Dense Miasma and his companions," the chief of security informed him, "We've been preserving their bodies there for the past few days. The coroners want to start conducting autopsies on them soon. I've instructed them to wait until you give them authorization."

"Why me?" inquired Bronze Star.

"Because these people launched a coup against your mother," Noble Edict expounded, "They were enemies of the state. What happens to them even after death is for the government to decide. Even though you're not passing yourself off as a member of the Canterlot Royalty, you still represent the capital city as its ambassador to Ponyville. Therefore, you should have the final word in this matter."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided. As they approached the morgue, he turned to his companion and remarked "While we're on the subject of these rebels, have you found any trace of their leader yet?"

"I'm afraid not," she sullenly admitted, "That's another thing I wanted to discuss with you. I'm calling off the search."

Bronze Star was surprised to hear this. He demanded "How come?"

"I'm fairly confident that she's already gone," Noble Edict proclaimed, "Although we didn't find any trace of the mare, we did find this."

At this time, she was carrying a saddle bag marked "Evidence." Noble reached into it and pulled out a large plastic bag. She held the plastic back up for Bronze Star to see. Inside the plastic bag was a smooth grey garment. It was torn near the collar, and there was a small bloodstain on the left sleeve.

"What is that?" Bronze Star queried.

"This is the cloak the mare was wearing," Noble Edict illuminated, "One of my men found it a couple hours ago. He picked it up about three miles away from where we picked up the bodies."

"I'm glad to see we've finally got something," Bronze Star perceived, "However, I would hardly call this a sufficient reason to end the search."

"Take a closer look at the cloak," Noble Edict advised him, "How would you describe its appearance?"

Bronze Star spent about thirty seconds studying the garment closely. Then he noted "Well, other than the rip along the collar and the single bloodstain, it seems to be in fine shape."

"Exactly," Noble Edict affirmed, "But why do suppose we found the cloak without its owner?"

Bronze Star just shrugged and declared "I can't imagine why. Do you have a theory?"

"Actually, I have three," the red mare apprised him, "One, the mare was attacked by a predator and only her clothing was left behind. But if that was the case, the cloak would have been torn to shreds and soaked in blood. So that option is eliminated. Two, in the midst of her getaway, the mare decided her cloak was slowing her down and chose to remove it. However, I doubt she would have had to split the top of the cloak just to get it off. It would have been much easier to just unfasten the buckle and slide the cloak off."

"Alright, so that's two possibilities rejected," Bronze Star observed, "I hope the last one is a bit more promising."

"I feel that my third hypothesis is most likely the correct one," Noble Edict stated, "It wasn't a predator who got the mare out of her cloak, and she didn't remove it herself. Instead… she had some assistance."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and enquired "What sort of assistance?"

"The agent who found the cloak found it next to a trail of hoofprints," Noble Edict disclosed, "The trail was a few days old, and it had no discernable start or end. Forensics is examining the trail right now, but they've already determined that the prints were too large to have been left by a mare."

Bronze Star realized what Noble Edict was entailing. He uttered quietly "You mean she was carried out?"

"Yes," Noble Edict confirmed, "That's why I think we should end the search in the Everfree Forest. We'll never find that mare in there because somepony else found her first."

> Nothing Goes Unnoticed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star processed the deduction that Noble Edict had just presented about their missing suspect. Then he stated "Alright, Noble. If you believe we should call off the search, I'm in agreement. But keep your officers on high alert. Just because that mare is gone, that doesn't mean we've seen the last of her."

"I understand what you mean, sir," the chief of security acknowledged. She returned the plastic bag containing the cloak to her saddle bag, closed it up, and remarked "Although we've lost that mare, we may still learn something from her dead colleagues. We should get to the morgue."

After traversing through two more hallways, Bronze Star and Noble Edict arrived at the morgue. There were six ponies inside this room. Four of them were lying down on steel tables with white sheets draped over them. The other two were medical examiners.

One of the examiners was a male Earth Pony with a magenta coat, an olive mane, and sky blue irises. The other was a female Pegasus with a russet coat, a plum mane, and brown irises. Both of them were clad in scrubs.

When the red mare and the gold stallion entered the room, the two examiners approached them.

"Good Day, Mr. Ambassador," the male physician greeted, holding out his right front hoof. As Bronze Star shook hooves with him, the physician informed him "I am Dr. Curt Tread. This is my colleague, Dr. Gale Torrent."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," the female physician commented as she too shook hooves with Bronze Star.

The young prince nodded his head in salutation. Then he thought aloud "Noble Edict tells me you need my authorization before you began dissecting the cultists."

"That is correct," Dr. Tread confirmed, "We've had their bodies on ice for the past four days, but we would prefer not to delay for much longer."

"By all means, start at your leisure," Bronze Star conceded, "Had I known that you were waiting until I gave the word, I would have come by sooner. Believe me; I'm just as interested as you are in acquiring new evidence."

"In that case, would you like to stay for the autopsies?" Dr. Torrent offered.

Bronze Star had planned to get some lunch after he left the hospital, and the sight of corpses did not quite appeal to his appetite. However, he was just as curious as Noble Edict and her security detail were about these cultists. After thinking for a moment, he answered with "I don't think I'll stay for all four, but I suppose I could stay for one. Which of them was the one stabbed SIG Sauer?"

"That would be this stallion over here," Dr. Tread replied, gesturing to the second bed from the left, "His name is Dense Miasma."

"Could you start with him?" Bronze Star requested.

"Any particular reason why?" queried Dr. Torrent.

"While that hooded mare was calling the shots, I'm inclined to believe Dense Miasma may have been the second-in-command," Bronze Star explicated, "If so, he may have the greatest likelihood of yielding some useful information."

Dr. Tread and Dr. Torrent found this to be a logical pretext, and they agreed to start with Dense Miasma.

Unbeknownst to them, Bronze Star had another reason for choosing to begin with Dense Miasma. This reason was not as empirical; it was much more personal. SIG Sauer was his teacher and his friend. Because of that, Bronze Star wished to look into the eyes of the filth who put SIG in this hospital.

Dr. Torrent rolled a table of forensics equipment over to the left side of Dense Miasma's bed. Then she slowly pulled the white sheet off his body, all the way down to his tail. Dense Miasma's body had become pale and stiff, but his face was still recognizable.

Dr. Tread approached the right side of Dense Miasma's bed. He held a recording device in his right front hoof. Before he commenced the autopsy, he had to catalogue everything he could determine through simple visual examination.

He held down the button on top of the recording device and uttered into the small mic: "Case file #0393, Dense Miasma. Subject is a 27-year-old male Unicorn. Cerulean coat, grey mane, black eyes. Cutie mark: a colorless mass of fog. Cause of death: severe brain trauma triggered by a switchblade to the back of the cranium."

Dr. Tread spent about twenty minutes using this approach as he studied the exterior of Dense Miasma's body. Every five minutes, he and Dr. Torrent gave the corpse a quarter rotation on the bed, and he continued chronicling their findings. As Dr. Tread spoke into his recording device, Dr. Torrent took pictures of Dense Miasma from different angles with a digital camera.

When Dense Miasma was lying flat on his back again, Dr. Tread noticed a faint inconsistency in the deceased stallion's coat. The area along his hindquarters appeared to be slightly lighter in hue than the rest of his hide. It was also much smoother and tidier.

Dr. Tread raised an eyebrow and muttered into his recording device "Fur along subject's flank appears to be flattened out, as if groomed several times over. This same patch of fur contains a mild discoloration, as if bleached with lye."

Dr. Tread thought his nose detected an aroma other than the smell of rotting corpses and additives. He leaned forward and sniffed Dense Miasma's lower region once. He also realized that the edges of the discoloration were quite flaky. He continued with "The scent of the patch of fur is… bittersweet. Bears an odd resemblance to a mixture of starch and tree sap. The skin surrounding the patch seems to be peeling, like a sunburn."

Dr. Tread focused on the patch of fur for about ten seconds. Then he lifted his free front hoof up to Dense Miasma's flank and rubbed it against the left edge of the discoloration. After a few seconds, the side of the patch came loose.

When that happened, Dr. Tread gazed up at his assistant and ordered her "Gale, hand me a No. 18 scalpel."

"Coming right up, Curt," Dr. Torrent affirmed. She turned to the table of tools, picked up the instrument her colleague had asked for, and passed it over to him.

Once he had the scalpel, Dr. Tread returned his attention to Dense Miasma. He kept a firm grip on the handle, he slid the tip of the blade underneath the loose piece of skin on the dead stallion's flank. He spread it very slowly and carefully. As the scalpel was moved further and further inward, more and more of the discolored patch of fur was peeled off.

It only took Dr. Tread a minute to completely flay the discolored patch of fur. Dense Miasma's cutie mark was on this patch, but it was taken off as well. When the patch was removed from his flank, it was revealed that the mass of fog was not Dense Miasma's cutie mark after all.

Dr. Tread dropped the fake skin covering into a small metal basin. Then he said into his recording device "New development: subject had a false cutie mark imprinted on his flank. His true cutie mark is now visible."

Upon hearing this, Bronze Star and Noble Edict approached the right side of Dense Miasma's bed. At first glance, the new image on his flank was indiscernible. His actual cutie mark was quite different than a mass of fog.

Dense Miasma's cutie mark was composed of five interconnected shapes. Two of them were circles. One was yellow; the other was white. The yellow one was three times larger than the white one. The other three shapes were rectangular. Two of them were brown, curved, and at one end, they broke off into five smaller digits. The third one was silver and perfectly straight. The single ends of the three rectangular prisms were touching the white circle, and the silver prism and the ten digits of the brown prisms were touching the yellow circle.

"What do you make of that?" Noble Edict inquired.

"I've never seen anything like it," Dr. Tread perceived, "From what I've seen, most cutie marks are meant to resemble an everyday object. This cutie mark looks more like an insignia than anything else."

"And a most interesting insignia it is," Bronze Star commented, "Why do you suppose Dense Miasma was covering it up?"

"He must've had his reasons," Noble Edict conjectured. There was a brief interval of silence, and then the red mare looked around at the other beds and suggested "Take a look at the others."

Dr. Torrent turned around and partly lifted up the sheet on the adjoining bed. She saw a bouquet of flowers on this pony's flank; Petal Picker's cutie mark. However, her flank was pale and smelled of starch and tree sap. Dr. Tread raised the sheet on the bed furthest left. Sure enough, Soapstone's cutie mark of a clay sculpture was tinted as well. Bronze Star checked up on the bed furthest right. Tough Titan's cutie mark appeared to be a cannon, but it was clearly tarnished.

"They all have the same discoloration on their flanks," Noble Edict noted, "Their cutie marks have been fabricated."

"I know we decided to start with Dense Miasma's autopsy, but let's go ahead and take a look at the others' cutie marks," Bronze Star proposed.

Although this was a mild breach of protocol, Dr. Tread and Dr. Torrent agreed to the prince's suggestion. They removed the discolored patches of fur from Petal Picker, Soapstone, and Tough Titan. Subsequently, the examiners found that the four bodies all had the exact same symbol as a cutie mark.

"This is impossible," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Never in the history of Equestria have two ponies shared identical cutie marks."

"I wouldn't say they're entirely identical," Dr. Tread remarked, "Their shapes and configuration are the same, but they are minutely different in terms of size, colors, and positions."

"Still, they're similar enough to rouse suspicion," Noble Edict declared, "Take a picture of one of these cutie marks. I want to submit it to the research department."

Dr. Torrent switched out her digital camera for a film camera. Then she walked around Dense Miasma's bed and captured a shot of the cerulean Unicorn's cutie mark. When the photograph slid out of the slot, Dr. Torrent removed it and vigorously shook it to enhance the resolution. Once it had optimal quality, she gave it to the chief of security.

As Noble Edict examined the photograph, Bronze Star pronounced "Well, I think I've seen enough here. This is more than enough evidence to leave me content. I'm going to leave you two to your work."

"Shame," Dr. Tread said cheekily, "We were just getting to the good part."

Bronze Star scoffed and retorted with "I appreciate the offer, but I'd prefer not to have a firsthand lesson on equine anatomy."

"Suit yourself, Mr. Ambassador," Dr. Torrent remarked, "We'll keep you apprised of any other details that come to light."

Bronze Star accepted this proposition. Then he and Noble Edict stepped out of the morgue.

As the two equines made their way to the front entrance of the hospital, the gold stallion noticed that the red mare was still studying the photograph.

"If you want, Noble, I could send that to the Intelligence Bureau in Canterlot," Bronze Star offered, "Their archives are much broader than Ponyville's. They may have a greater chance of deciphering that symbol and finding a connection to it sooner."

"Well, personally, I'd prefer to keep this information private," Noble Edict divulged, "However, since you speak for the government, it's still your call. But first I'd like to file this with the research department. Once they've filed it, I'll bring you the photograph. Then you may do whatever you wish with it."

Bronze Star found this to be an acceptable arrangement.

When he and Noble Edict left the hospital, Bronze Star announced "Well, despite just coming out of a room full of corpses, I've managed to hold on to my appetite. I'm going to get some lunch. You want to come along?"

"I'll eat later," Noble replied, "Right now, I still have work to do. I'm off to the apartment complex."

"How come?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Petal Picker, Soapstone, and Dense Miasma were staying there when they lived in Ponyville," she enlightened him.

"Are you going to search their flat?" he presumed.

"No, we've already done that," Noble Edict apprised him, "That was the very first place I sent my crime scene investigation team. We've almost literally torn that place apart looking for clues. Unfortunately, the cultists did a marvelous job of covering their tracks. The cumulative information we acquired from their suite was trivial at best."

"Yet you're going back there," Bronze Star noted.

"I still want to question the landlord, Mr. Lessee," Noble Edict expounded, "Nopony enters that lot without speaking to him first. He may have seen something that nopony else saw."

"Like what?" asked Bronze Star.

"Specifically, I couldn't say," Noble Edict admitted, "But when conducting an investigation of this scope, I have to be absolutely thorough. I don't wish to overlook anything."

"I understand that notion," Bronze Star professed, "If anything new pops up, be sure to fill me in."

"I shall," she guaranteed him.

Bronze Star and Noble Edict then went their separate ways. Noble headed northeast towards the apartment complex, and Bronze travelled northwest to the town square. When he got there, he looked around for a restaurant. In the midst of his search, he heard a voice shout "I CAN'T DECIDE!"

Bronze Star recognized the voice as Twilight Sparkle's and headed towards the source. He found her sitting outside a café with Spike. After the waiter took their order, Bronze Star approached his friends and stated cockily "Indecision is frustrating, isn't it?"

The lavender mare and the baby dragon turned to the gold stallion. Spike gave him a friendly smile. Twilight drearily sighed and responded with "No kidding. If anypony knows that, it's me."

"What's wrong?" Bronze Star asked in concern.

"Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity know about the tickets," Spike illuminated.

"They've all expressed interest in being invited, too," Twilight went on, "Now I have to choose between five candidates for the other ticket instead of two. Ugh, this is a hopeless mess I've gotten myself into."

"Perhaps I could help you pick," Bronze Star proposed. He sat down at the table with them and queried "Did the others give their reasons for wanting to attend the gala?"

"Yeah, and they're all good ones," Twilight informed him, "Fluttershy wants to see the castle's garden. Rarity wants to meet Prince Blueblood. Pinkie Pie wants to partake in the festivities."

Bronze Star had to admit that those reasons were slightly better than Rainbow Dash's reason, but his opinion on who had the best reason had not changed. He told the magic student "If you want my advice, I say you should give the ticket to Applejack. She asked for it first, and she has the only reason to go that isn't out of her own interests."

"Well, that's certainly true," Twilight concurred. There was quiet for a few seconds, and then Twilight questioned sardonically "Is there… another reason you're recommending her?"

Bronze Star blushed slightly at this remark. Apparently, Twilight had noticed how well he and Applejack had gotten along that morning. Twilight scoffed and told him "Relax, Bronze; I don't judge. Applejack seems like a nice mare."

"Yes, but I've only known her for a few days," he pointed out, "That's much too early to be thinking about… that stuff."

Twilight just nodded her head in agreement. Then her smirk faded and she disclosed "I'll take your suggestion into account, but I'll still need some time to think."

"Twilight, if the decision is bothering you that much, I may have an alternative," Bronze Star informed her, "I could speak to my mother. Maybe I could convince her to send you four more tickets. Sure, tickets to the gala are coveted, but they're not scarce. She could easily afford to spare half a dozen of them for you and the others."

"I'd certainly be grateful for that, Bronze," Twilight remarked, "But getting invited to the gala is both an honor and a privilege. It feels wrong to just ask for more tickets. I don't want Princess Celestia to speculate that I'm trying to take advantage of her hospitality."

"I'm quite positive she wouldn't get that idea," Bronze Star inferred, "But if you'd prefer to solve this in your own way, I'll let you."

Twilight Sparkle nodded her head in approval. After some more silence, she sighed again and muttered anxiously "How do I choose? And when I do choose, will the other four be mad at me? I mean, I could give up my ticket and give away two, but that would still leave three disappointed ponies. What if I—"

She was interrupted by the waiter, who had returned with a daffodil and daisy sandwich and a plate of hay fries. He placed them on the table and said "Ah, your food."

Spike started tucking in to the hay fries and Twilight eyed the sandwich hungrily. She told the waiter appreciatively "Oh thank you. This looks so good."

The waiter was about to go back inside, but he noticed a third patron had come to the table. He turned to Bronze Star and asked "Can I get you anything, sir?"

Bronze Star lightly shrugged his shoulders and inquired "What would you recommend?"

The waiter stated in his thick French accent "Ze special of ze day is eggplant steaks grilled with a side of sautéed asparagus and bruschetta."

"Alright, I guess I'll have that," Bronze Star decided.

"Certainly, sir," the waiter responded, "I'll have it out for you shortly."

"Thank you…" Bronze Star began. He leaned forward a little to read the waiter's nametag, and he added in "Savoir Fare."

The waiter nodded and headed back inside the café. Bronze Star turned to Spike and Twilight Sparkle. The baby dragon was still happily devouring his fries, but the lavender mare had not yet started on her sandwich.

"Go ahead and eat," Bronze Star beckoned her, "You don't have to wait for my meal to get here."

"Thanks," Twilight remarked. She used her magic to pick up her sandwich and figured "I'm sure everything will be much clearer once I eat."

She was about to take the first bite when the ponies at the other tables suddenly rose up and galloped towards the café. Savoir Fare held the front door open to allow them entry. Once they were all through, he gazed over Twilight's table and stated "Em, madam? Are you going to eat your food in ze rain?

"It's not raining," was Twilight's response.

Bronze Star looked around the table and countered her statement with "I beg to differ."

The area surrounding the table was dark, grey, and covered with rainclouds. For whatever reason, their table was the only dry and sunny spot in sight.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked in perplexity.

She, Bronze, and Spike looked up and noticed there was a small opening in the clouds. A moment later, Rainbow Dash appeared at the opening and called down "Hi there, best friend forever I've ever, ever had. Enjoying the sunny weather?"

Despite Rainbow's sociable tone, Twilight did not react with the same zeal. She asked shiftily "Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?"

"Whaddya you mean?" Rainbow pronounced, "I just saw the smartest, most generous pony about to get rained on, so I thought I'd kick a hole in the clouds to keep her dry so she could dine in peace, that's all."

"I wonder if she's even noticed you or me yet," Bronze Star muttered to Spike.

"Doesn't look like it," Spike drily observed as he finished the last of his hay fries.

Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes and stated "Rainbow, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra special favors, are you?"

"Me?" Rainbow responded innocently, "No, no, no, of course not."

"Uh-huh," Twilight commented, clearly unconvinced.

"Seriously, I'd do it for anypony," Rainbow insisted.

"In that case, perhaps you'd like to help them out, Rainbow?" Bronze Star suggested, gesturing to a few ponies in the area who were running for shelter.

"Heh heh, eh," Rainbow chuckled guiltily.

Twilight Sparkle glared up at the cyan Pegasus and snapped "Rainbow, I am not comfortable accepting unwanted favors, so I'd appreciate it if you close up that rain cloud right now."

"Ugh, fine." Rainbow mumbled. She zipped up the raincloud, disappearing from sight and immersing the whole area in total darkness at the same time.

"That's better," Twilight called out gratefully. She was about to start eating her sandwich, but the rain reached the table before she could. Her sandwich became soaked, as did her mane. Twilight groaned in frustration, and Spike repressed the urge to laugh.

Bronze Star lightly scoffed and gazed off to the side. He noticed Rarity was standing under an umbrella a few meters away from the table. She announced to the magic student "Twilight, it's raining,"

"No, really?" the lavender mare scathingly retorted.

The grey Unicorn grabbed her from behind, pulled her away from the table, and urged her "Come with me before you catch a cold."

Bronze Star and Spike watched as Rarity escorted Twilight to a building which Bronze Star assumed to be Carousel Boutique. The dragon turned to the gold stallion and told him "I'm gonna follow them."

"Okay," Bronze Star acknowledged, "I'd tag along, but I'm still waiting on my food. I guess I'll just see you later."

Spike nodded, got up from his seat, and ran after the two Unicorns. For a few seconds, Bronze Star was left on his own in the rain. Not wanting to get drenched any more than he already was, he decided to go inside the café. Most of the tables were occupied, but he found a vacant booth near the entrance. When Savoir Fare approached him, Bronze Star informed the waiter that he would take his foot at the booth, and that he would also pay for Spike's hay fries and Twilight Sparkle's sandwich.

A few minutes later, Savoir Fare arrived with his food. The waiter placed the plate in front of the gold stallion and bid him "Bon appetit."

This was the first full meal Bronze Star had eaten outside the embassy while in Ponyville. While the service here was not as excellent as it was in Canterlot, it was much more than adequate. The eggplant steaks were juicy and succulent, the asparagus was cooked to perfection, and the bruschetta was as flavorful as it was fragrant.

Bronze Star ate his lunch in silence. However, he did not quite eat alone. Every now and then, he looked up from his plate. Whenever he did, at least two or three ponies were gazing in his direction. A few were not even trying to be discreet.

Bronze Star chose to ignore these stares. They were infrequent and brief, and he was used to them. Aside from that, nopony was really bothering him. After all, they were just looking towards him.

When he finished his meal, Bronze Star asked Savoir Fare for the check. Once he received the bill, he placed his knapsack on his lap and opened it up. As he searched for his money bag, he found the scroll he had received earlier from Bellerophon. He had not yet looked at it, but by no means had he forgotten about the thing. He decided to read it as soon as he got to a remote area.

Bronze Star soon found his money bag, opened it up, and removed some bits. He used them to pay for his meal, as well as Spike's fries and Twilight's sandwich. He made certain to leave a large tip for Savoir Fare as well. He placed the money next to his plate, closed up his knapsack, and left the café

By this point, the rain had subsided, much to Bronze Star's relief. He casually sauntered through the streets of Ponyville and looked around for a place where he could read his letter in private. He was hoping for a dark alley or an empty building.

Ultimately, he resorted to a bench in the park. While it was technically out in the open, the vicinity appeared to be totally deserted. After ascertaining that he was alone, Bronze Star sat down at the bench, opened his knapsack up again, and removed the scroll.

He slowly unraveled the scroll and examined it. He examined its contents quickly but thoroughly, taking notes as he read. He reread the letter twice to make certain he had not misinterpreted or overlooked anything. The letter was short, but it contained the information he was hoping to obtain.

Most of the message was about SIG Sauer. According to what Bellerophon had written, the three people Bronze Star had asked the palomino Pegasus to tell about SIG Sauer's hospitalization had indeed been informed of it. All three of them would be coming to Ponyville in three days to see both SIG and Bronze Star. They had also been made aware of the fact that Bronze Star had altered his appearance, and that he was living under a different identity.

The rest of the message was about him and Princess Luna. There were questions about how he had adjusted to life in Ponyville, how his aunt had adapted to it, and how the search for the hooded mare was faring. At the end, there was a note from Princess Celestia. In this note, she stated that Canterlot was prepared to give Princess Luna a royal welcome whenever she chose to come to the capital city. However, Celestia made it clear that Luna did not have to travel to Canterlot until she felt she was ready.

When he was finished reading, Bronze Star rolled the scroll up and returned it to his knapsack. He wanted to write a response to this letter straightaway. However, he did not have any quills, ink, or parchment with him at the time. So he had some shopping to do.

Bronze Star headed back into town and made his way to the general store. There he bought everything he needed to write a letter. Once he had all these materials, he went back to the park and wrote a letter of his own. In it, he acknowledged everything in Bellerophon's message, and he declared that he would be ready to greet the three aforementioned individuals. He answered the questions about himself, Luna, and the hooded mare as best he could. He also said he would inform Luna about her welcome party.

Once he finished the letter, Bronze Star wrapped it up with the royal seal and placed it in his knapsack. He planned to send it to Canterlot before the day was out. He could have mailed it from the post office, but he felt this would not have been fast or direct enough. He believed Spike still possessed the most expedient method of delivery. So he decided that whenever he next encountered the baby dragon, he would give him the letter.

Bronze Star had no other plans for the rest of the day. He thought about going back to the embassy, but he had already spent plenty of the past three days in that building. Aside from that, he figured Luna was still preoccupied with her reading. If so, she probably would not want to be disturbed.

With this in mind, Bronze Star decided to spend a few more hours outside before he went back to the embassy. As he reentered the town, he contemplated what he could do there for the rest of the afternoon. He thought about looking for the girls and seeing if they were available. But he quickly recalled that Rainbow Dash had tried to bribe Twilight Sparkle for her extra ticket to the gala. Because of that, he found it logical to hypothesize that Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie may have been endeavoring to reach this same goal. If that was the case, the five mares would probably be much too busy getting Twilight's attention to hang out. As for Twilight, Bronze Star suspected she would be too busy avoiding the other mares.

Since all his friends were preoccupied at present, Bronze Star decided to just spend the next few hours wandering around Ponyville. He found various ways to pass the time.

He visited different stores and browsed through their inventories. Occasionally, he conversed with the vendors and the other customers. Many of them had some very interesting things to talk about.

Later on, he stopped by the market to do some grocery shopping. While there was plenty of food stockpiled at the embassy, there were a few special ingredients it did not carry. Bronze Star needed these special ingredients for later that night. He was planning to make a certain dish from Canterlot for dinner. It was one of his favorites, and he was hoping that Luna would enjoy it, too.

Bronze Star managed to make a few more friends that day. One of them was the grey, blonde, cross-eyed Pegasus he had seen at the library and the town square. This was the third time he had encountered her, and this time he finally learned her name. She was known as "Derpy." He was not certain if that was her actual name or a nickname; she did not say. Although she tended to be a little accident-prone, she seemed like a nice mare.

Bronze Star chatted with Derpy for almost an entire hour. Or to be more precise, she chatted with him. Derpy ended up doing most of the talking. She was rather verbose. Fortunately, Bronze Star did not mind. He knew he could not tell her anything about his own personal life, and he had yet to make one up. So he let Derpy make the conversation mostly about her.

Their conversation lasted until the early evening. When the Sun started to set, they were approached by Noble Edict. The red mare addressed them both with "Hello, Gold. Good evening, Derpy,"

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgment and Derpy stated "Hey, Noble. What's up?"

"Not much," Noble Edict replied. She looked the grey Pegasus in the eyes – which was a little difficult, seeing as how her pupils were pointed in the opposite directions – and told her "If you don't mind, I would like to speak to the ambassador alone."

Derpy seemed a little surprised, but not by the request itself. She turned to Bronze Star and asked in fascination "You're our ambassador?"

"Yes, I am" Bronze Star confirmed. He lightly scoffed and added in "That's about the only thing I've said about myself since this conversation began."

"Oh, okay," Derpy remarked, "Sorry, must have slipped my mind."

"No worries," the gold stallion assured her.

There was a brief period of silence, and then Derpy broke it with "I'll let you guys be so you can talk. I should be getting back to the post office, anyway. We should talk again some other time, Gold."

"Sounds good, Derpy," Bronze Star affirmed, "I'll see you around."

The grey Pegasus bid her friends farewell and left the town square. The gold Alicorn and the red Earth Pony watched her as she disappeared from sight.

When they were alone, Noble Edict turned to Bronze Star and stated frankly "I see you've met our mailmare."

"She seems like a really pleasant individual," Bronze Star perceived, "But I'm curious; how did she get cross-eyed?"

"Nopony knows, really," Noble Edict answered, "Her eyes have been like that ever since she was a filly. Some think she was born that way; others say she was in an accident. But whatever the reason, Derpy doesn't let her eyesight bother her. She doesn't even consider it a disability."

"That's fortunate," Bronze Star commented. There was another short interval of silence, which ended when Bronze Star said "So, what did you want to speak to me about?"

"Some new information about the cultists has turned up," she enlightened him. Currently, Noble was carrying a saddle bag. This one was thinner and sturdier than the one she had at the hospital. She opened it up, removed a folder, and explained "As you may recall, when we parted ways at the hospital, I mentioned my plan to investigate the apartment complex."

"Yeah, I remember you said that," Bronze Star asserted, "Was the landlord helpful?"

"Yes, Mr. Lessee gave us his full cooperation when we started asking questions," Noble Edict explicated, "Naturally, he denied the notion that he may have known anything about what the cultists were up to. He assured us that all he did know was that they were eager to get settled."

"So, what did he have to say?" Bronze Star queried.

"About the cultists, not much," Noble Edict continued, "According to him, Soapstone, Petal Picker, and Dense Miasma pretty much kept to themselves. They didn't share anything with Mr. Lessee other than their names and the claim that they were looking for work. We asked some of the other tenants, and none of them could tell us anything about the cultists either."

"They must've been too busy plotting to interact with the townsfolk," Bronze Star theorized, "Is that kind of behavior unusual for a small community?"

"Typically, yes," Noble Edict expounded, "However, everypony in the apartment complex is entitled to their privacy. Mr. Lessee says that he generally does not care what the occupants are up to, so long as they pay the rent and do not disturb the peace."

"Well, if we didn't learn anything new about the cultists, what did we learn?" Bronze Star queried.

"We learned that although they did not interact with their neighbors, they did not turn away everypony," Noble Edict expounded, "You see, anypony who wishes to enter the apartment complex must check in with Mr. Lessee at the front gate. In the two weeks that they lived in Ponyville, the cultists were visited by a mare. She was their only visitor, but she visited them no fewer than five times."

"What was she doing there?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"Mr. Lessee said she claimed she was there to see the cultists about a business proposition," Noble Edict enlightened him, "She never gave her name or the name of the company she supposedly represented. But she showed Mr. Lessee her credentials, and he found them authentic."

"That doesn't really get us anywhere," Bronze Star pointed out, "Maybe she really was offering them an interview for a job. It was no secret that they were looking for work, after all."

"That is true," Noble Edict admitted, "However, the last time this mare came to the apartment complex, it was just a few hours before Nightmare Moon made her appearance. At that time, Dense Miasma, Soapstone, and Petal Picker were away in the Everfree Forest watching over the energy sphere. Mr. Lessee was aware that their flat was deserted, and when the mare showed up, he informed her that nopony was there. Even so, she insisted that he let her in. She was not there to see the cultists; she was there to retrieve something. Something she needed to recover before the Sun was up. Those were her own words."

Bronze Star was now convinced that Noble was on to something. He rubbed his chin and remarked "Do we know anything about this mare?"

"The last time anypony saw her was the morning of the Summer Sun Celebration," Noble Edict expounded, "As far as we can tell, Mr. Lessee is the only person she interacted with. Fortunately, he was able to give us a very detailed physical description of her. He was so thorough that our forensic sketch artist was able to create a drawing of her that almost perfectly matches her actual appearance."

"That's good news for us," Bronze Star pronounced, "May I see the sketch?"

"Of course," Noble Edict assured him. She opened up her folder, removed a sheet of paper, and passed it over to the gold stallion.

The paper contained a large illustration of a female Unicorn. She was in her early thirties. She had a black coat, an auburn mane, and ruby irises. At first glance, her cutie mark seemed to be an ocular lens. However, there was a small section of grey that surrounded her cutie mark. It oddly resembled the fake patches of fur that Curt Tread and Gale Torrent had found on the cultists' bodies.

"That discoloration on her flank looks oddly familiar, doesn't it?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"Indeed," Noble Edict concurred, "There's one more thing you should know. Mr. Lessee said that whenever he saw the mare, she was wearing a necklace. It was silver, made of beads, and a strange, unusual accessory was hanging from it. He described the pendant as 'one circle reaching out to a larger circle with two trees and a rod.'"

Bronze Star thought about this description for a few seconds, and then he observed "That sounds an awful lot like…"

"This?" Noble Edict finished, holding up the photograph of Dense Miasma's real cutie mark.

"Yeah, like that," Bronze Star confirmed.

"That's what I thought too when I heard it from Mr. Lessee," Noble Edict revealed, "So I showed him this photograph, and he immediately identified it as the symbol on the mare's necklace."

"So her relationship with the cultists must have involved much more than a simple business proposition," Bronze Star drily concluded.

"My thoughts exactly," she asserted.

"Maybe this 'visitor' was actually the hooded mare," he supposed.

"That's certainly a possibility," Noble Edict freely admitted, "But even if that wasn't her, she must have been directly affiliated with the cultists. At any rate, we have another lead on this conspiracy."

"That's good," Bronze Star thought aloud. He gazed down at the picture and enquired "Do you have any idea who this mare is?"

"Not at present," she informed him, "We searched for her in our database, but we were unable to find her. We triple-checked to be certain. She wasn't a property-owner in Ponyville, and there was no record of her ever coming here before. So we are still without a means to identify her."

"Perhaps I can help you there," he proposed, "According to your discussion with Mr. Lessee, that mare had a valid license to hire people. She would have had to be registered with the labor department to carry that license. There must be a record somewhere of where, when, and how she came to acquire it. I am almost certain the Intelligence Bureau in Canterlot will have that record. We should consult them."

"I do like the sound of that idea," Noble Edict thought aloud, "I just want to know; are you certain it would be prudent to bring more people into this investigation?"

"Yes, I am," he answered sternly, "If you're worried about who can be trusted, I understand your concerns, Noble. However, there's somepony in the bureau that can be trusted. I've known him almost as long as I've known SIG Sauer. He's resourceful, he's loyal, and he's a patriot. I can vouch for him."

This was all the assurance Noble Edict needed. She gave Bronze Star the picture and the photograph. As he tucked them into the side pocket of his knapsack, Noble asked him "Can you estimate how long it will take to identify her?"

"Well, I can have this evidence in Canterlot by tonight," Bronze Star stated, "As soon as it reaches the Intelligence Bureau, my guy can start straightaway. It should take him about a day. Two at the most. He'll be coming to Ponyville in three days. So I'll ask him to bring along his findings."

"Alright," she coincided, "Whenever he gives you the results, could you share them with me?"

"Of course," he guaranteed her.

By this point, Noble Edict had told Bronze Star everything she needed to tell him. The sun was barely hanging over the horizon by now. Bronze Star and Noble Edict bade each other good night and parted ways again. Noble went back to her office at the barracks, and Bronze Star started heading to the embassy.

On his way there, he encountered Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and the other five mares. They were all giggling happily about something. Curious as to what it was, Bronze Star decided to investigate.

"Hey, girls," he saluted, "Hey, Spike. What's got you in such a good mood?"

In response, the six mares and the dragon showed the gold stallion that they each had a ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala.

Bronze Star smirked and asked in interest "How did you manage that?"

"Twilight couldn't decide between the five of us, so she returned both the tickets to the Princess," Pinkie Pie explained rapidly, "But Princess Celestia was just like 'you should have said so' and sent tickets for all six of us! Oh, and she sent one for Spike, too. Isn't that amazing?"

"Quite," Bronze Star remarked, scoffing.

"Looks like I should have taken your advice, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle observed, "This whole situation would have been resolved a lot sooner if I asked for more tickets."

"Maybe, but did you learn something from this event?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Actually, I did," Twilight Sparkle proudly disclosed, "Tonight I learned my first valuable lesson about friendship. It wasn't an easy one, but I'm glad I have it."

"That's good," Bronze Star perceived, "And I'm glad all of you will be going to the gala."

"As are we," Rarity announced. She gazed dreamily off to the side and remarked "I cannot even begin to imagine what it'll be like. It'll be so… incredible."

"I'd say that's an accurate label," Bronze Star commented. He paused to look around at the group, and he asked them "So, where are you all going?"

"Twilight hasn't eaten all day," Applejack elucidated, "We're takin' her to dinner to make up for puttin' her under so much distress."

"Would you like to join us?" Fluttershy propounded.

"I appreciate the offer, but I already have plans," Bronze Star responded, gesturing to the bags of groceries he was carrying on his back, "I'm going to make dinner for Luna tonight."

"Oh, alright then," Rainbow Dash said in response, "On that note, how is Princess Luna doing?"

"She's doing quite well," Bronze Star revealed, "She still inside the embassy. Won't be long before she'll be raising the Moon again."

"Give her our regards, won't you?" Twilight requested.

"I certainly will," Bronze Star stated. He then turned to the baby dragon and said "Spike, before I go, can I borrow you for a moment?"

"Sure, Bronze," Twilight's assistant agreed. He stepped up to the gold Alicorn and asked him "What can I do for you?"

Bronze Star opened up his knapsack and removed the letter he had written earlier, along with a quill and some ink. He quickly unrolled the scroll and added a short passage at the very bottom of the page. Then he took the picture and the photograph he had received from Noble Edict, placed them on the letter, and rolled it back up. After he reattached the royal seal, he handed the letter to Spike and told him "This is my response to the letter I received earlier today from Bellerophon. Could you please send it to Canterlot?"

"Sure," Spike replied. He held the scroll in the air, breathed in deeply, and exhaled a short stream of green fire on it. The scroll vanished in the flames, but Bronze Star knew it would soon rematerialize in his mother's study in Canterlot Castle.

"Thanks," he said appreciatively. As he closed up his knapsack, he told Spike and the mares "Well, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow."

After bidding Spike and the mares good evening, Bronze Star continued traversing back towards the embassy. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the mares waving at him. Out of courtesy, he waved back.

It only took him five minutes to reach the embassy. Once he got there, he signed in and stepped inside.

He found Princess Luna in the library, her muzzle buried deep in some history book. She appeared to be engrossed, but she abruptly looked up when she heard somepony enter. However, she quickly realized it was just her nephew, and she smiled at him.

"Good evening, Bronze Star," she greeted him.

"Hello, Aunt Luna," he said in response, "How is your book?"

"Fairly interesting," the blue Alicorn replied, "It's amazing how much Equestria has changed in the last millennium."

"Well, a thousand years is a long time, even for us Alicorns," Bronze Star debated.

Luna lightly shrugged and stated "I suppose that's true."

She noticed the gold stallion was carrying more bags than when he left the embassy. She gestured to them and queried "What do you have there?"

"Oh, just some groceries," he apprised her, smirking, "I hope you haven't had eaten yet."

"I haven't," she disclosed.

"Good, 'cause I'm making dinner tonight," Bronze Star announced proudly.

"Oh?" Luna remarked, raising an eyebrow. When her nephew nodded his head, she smiled and asked in interest "So what are we having?"

"Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings in Broth," he replied, "It's a dish from Canterlot, and one of my personal favorites. I think you'll like it."

"It certainly sounds appetizing," Luna perceived.

"Glad to hear that," Bronze Star stated, "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

He then trotted down the hallway and made his way to the kitchen. Once he got there, he removed his grocery bags and placed them on the counter. He removed a bottle of hoisin sauce, a bottle of sesame oil, and a head of Canterlot cabbage. These were the special ingredients he bought at the market. Everything else he needed for the recipe was already in the kitchen.

Bronze Star went to work gathering up the ingredients. He muttered under his breath "Let's see here. Firm tofu, carrots, Canterlot cabbage, red bell pepper, scallions, fresh ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, one egg, salt, black pepper, wonton wrappers, broth… looks like that's everything. Better get to work."

Bronze Star started with the vegetables. First, he grated the carrots. Then he shredded the Canterlot cabbage. After that, he finely chopped the red bell pepper, the scallions, and the cilantro.

He was in the middle of mincing the fresh ginger when Luna entered the room. When he noticed her, she asked him expectantly "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really," he replied, "Unless you'd like to handle the tofu."

She smiled and told him "I'd be happy to. I love tofu."

"Alright, thanks," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He then instructed his aunt "All you have to do is cut the block in half and press the halves on some paper towels between two plates for twenty minutes. That way, excess moisture can be removed. Once the tofu has been dried, you need to cut it into quarter-inch cubes."

Luna followed his instructions to the last detail. She thought about using magic to speed up the process, but since her nephew was not using his magic, she figured she could get along without it as well.

Once the tofu was ready, Bronze Star deposited it into a glass bowl, along with the egg, the herbs, and the vegetables. Then he measured out and added the appropriate amounts of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. After that, he used his hooves to mash the ingredients together.

When the mixture was ready, Bronze Star used a half-teaspoon to fill the wonton wrappers. Then he folded up the wrappers and set them aside. Once the mixture bowl was empty, Bronze Star transferred them to a stand of tin plates, and he moved the stand to a pot with half an inch of boiled water. He then set the timer for twelve minutes. As the wontons steamed, Bronze Star poured a gallon of broth into a pot and placed it over medium-high heat. By the time the wontons were done cooking, the broth was boiling.

The meal was now ready. Bronze Star got out two bowls from the cabinet and set them on the counter. He distributed half of the broth and half of the wontons into each bowl. He would have carried the bowls to the dining room, but he would have needed both his front hooves to do that. So Luna used her magic to accomplish this task; Bronze Star just got a pair of spoons and two glasses of water. Once the table was set, Bronze Star and Luna sat down to eat.

Bronze Star tucked in to his food straightaway, savoring the taste. He curiously watched Luna as she ate. Even after taking several bites, she appeared to be deciding whether or not she enjoyed it.

"What do you think?" he queried.

"This is delicious," Luna told him giddily, smiling "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"The head chef at Canterlot Castle is a stallion named Haute Cuisine," Bronze Star enlightened her, "He's the finest chef in all of Equestria. He's given me a few culinary lessons over the years. This is one of his favorite recipes. Mine as well."

"I can see why," Luna remarked as she continued to eat, "It's well on the way to becoming one of my favorites, too."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Bronze Star thought aloud. After swallowing a mouthful of broth, he looked up at the blue mare and stated "You know, Aunt Luna, this is just a taste of what Canterlot has to offer. Whenever you go there, you'll be able to experience the full extent of Equestria's modern wonders."

Luna did not respond to this statement right away. But a smile slowly crept onto her face and she declared "That sounds… lovely. Very, very lovely indeed."

She then looked down at her nephew and said admiringly "Thank you, Bronze Star. Thank you for dinner and… for everything else."

Bronze Star was slightly perplexed by that last bit. "What do you mean?" he queried.

"A few days ago, I was very much against the idea of going to Canterlot," Luna clarified, "Primarily because I was afraid. Afraid of what the public's general reaction would be. Afraid that there were people who might not have forgiven me for what I did in the past. Afraid that they would still see me as the monster I once was. But living here with you at the embassy has made me rethink my stance. Because of you, I do not have to be afraid any longer. Because of you, I know that I can find amity, forgiveness, and hope. Through your actions, you have proven to me that goodness can be found anywhere in this world."

Bronze Star did not get emotional very often, but he could not help himself. He was so moved by his aunt's words that he got up from his chair, trotted over to her, and embraced her warmly. She did not reject his advances. Instead, she smiled tenderly and hugged him back. A single tear slid out of her eye and landed softly on her nephew's forehead. It landed right on the spot where his horn would have been.

> Communicating And Responding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dinner, Bronze Star and Luna went back to the library and talked until eleven o'clock. When the clock struck eleven, Bronze Star decided to call it a night. He had a meeting with the City Council scheduled for the following morning, and he did not want to show up to it fatigued. Luna planned to remain awake for several more hours, as she preferred the darkness. If not for the meeting, Bronze Star would have stayed up with his aunt for a while longer.

The gold stallion slept peacefully that night. He woke up at six o'clock, just a few minutes before the Sun rose. After getting out of bed, he took a quick shower, ate a light breakfast, and checked the bulletin for anything new. There was in fact an update on some recent activities in Canterlot. He made a note to share its contents at the meeting.

The meeting was scheduled for seven o'clock, but the City Council had been instructed to arrive a half-hour early. That way, the Royal Guard could inspect the board members and their belongings at the gate. To some, this may have seemed rather unusual. Understandably so, as people who came to the embassy normally did not have to be searched. However, the Royal Guard felt the need to impose an additional layer of security around the building because Princess Luna was currently residing in it. Fortunately, none of the board members protested this action; they agreed to be frisked.

Once the department heads were cleared, they were allowed entrance into the embassy. They assembled in the conference room, where Bronze Star was waiting for them. The gold stallion watched and studied them as they took their seats. They were the same twelve mares and stallions from the meeting that took place on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration. The mayor had not been present for that meeting. For this one, she was.

This meeting did not take up as much time as the one from the previous week. That one had lasted five hours, whereas this one only lasted slightly over two. Nevertheless, there was plenty of material for Bronze Star to discuss with the mayor and her council.

The thirteen legislators had already been brought up to speed on the matter surrounding the cultists. A considerable percentage of the meeting focused on what they could and should do in response to the conspiracy.

The stallion seated at "Housing & Buildings" voiced his apprehension about how easily the cultists were able to move into town. He proposed that they issue a diktat that would allow Mr. Lessee to more thoroughly examine everypony who came to live at the apartment complex.

The mare seated at "Environmental Protection" brought up the fact that the energy sphere in the Everfree Forest had not disappeared, and that its presence could pose a threat to its surroundings. She advocated that they consider quarantining that section of the Forest.

The mare seated at "Public Safety" had by far the biggest concerns. She was greatly unsettled by the knowledge that this whole conspiracy made its way into Ponyville without drawing any attention whatsoever. Since there was evidence that suggested the plot was not yet over, she recommended that they give Noble Edict and her staff more jurisdiction to keep the citizens of Ponyville safe.

Bronze Star reciprocated all of their concerns, but he felt that these precautions were a little excessive. He pointed out that these provisions would greatly limit the number of freedoms available to the citizens of Ponyville. With all this scrutiny in place, they would risk generating civil unrest. The department heads understood his reasoning, but they still insisted that they do something about the conspiracy. So Bronze Star offered a few less restrictive measures that would ensure the town's well-being without taking anypony's rights away. After some consideration, the City Council accepted these measures and moved on to the next item of business.

The meeting was concluded at about 9:15. Once it ended, the twelve City Council members swiftly gathered up their materials, filed out of the conference room, and departed the embassy through the main entrance. The mayor chose to linger for a few minutes. When she was alone with Bronze Star, she approached him and requested "Mr. Ambassador, may I have a word?"

"Certainly, Mayor," the gold stallion replied, sorting through some papers. Once they were organized, he looked up at the older equine and said "What can I do for you?"

"I'd just like your input on something," she remarked, "In four days, we'll be giving out the Pony of Ponyville Award."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and asked in perplexity "What might that be?"

"It's a title that's given out once a year to a resident of this town," Mayor Mare enlightened him, "We choose the recipient based on a number of factors. Their contributions to the public, their treatment of their fellow citizens, how respectable they are as a whole, and several other criteria. Essentially, you could think of the prize as a… well, a 'best pony' award, so to speak."

Bronze Star scoffed and commented "That's a very interesting label. But it seems fitting. Out of curiosity, why are you bringing this up to me?"

"Right now, we're still debating on a list of candidates for the award," the mayor elucidated, "Currently, we only have four. We need a minimum of five before we can distribute the ballot. So I was wondering if you had any suggestions for the fifth spot."

Bronze Star lightly shrugged and declared "I'm not certain I'd be of much help to you there, Mayor. I've only been in this town for a week. That's hardly enough time to get to know the populace."

"I know, but you seem to have excellent judge of character," the mayor perceived, "Aside from that, you've made several friends since you arrived here. Perhaps one of them may qualify for the award."

"Can't really argue with that," Bronze Star remarked, "Could any of the six mares who recovered the Elements of Harmony apply?"

"Yes, all of them except Twilight Sparkle," Mayor Mare replied. Bronze Star was surprised to hear this statement. The mayor noticed his alarm, so she quickly added in "I have nothing against Miss Sparkle. I actually have a lot of respect for her. It's just that whoever wins the award must be somepony who's already lived in Ponyville for at least a year. Miss Sparkle doesn't meet that prerequisite."

"Well, I don't either, so I suppose that's fair," Bronze Star thought aloud. He paused for a short period and then he stated "Could you give me some time to think about this?"

"Certainly; take as much time as you need," the mayor told him, "But if possible, please try to get back to me by the end of the day."

"Very well," the gold stallion coincided.

The two ponies then made their way to the front door. By the time they arrived there, they both felt a slight tingling in their hooves. Initially, they were uncertain where this sensation came from, but they soon realized that the space beneath their feet was faintly vibrating.

Over the next minute, the trembling in the ground became more pronounced. The tremors were soon accompanied by a sound that strangely resembled a thunderstorm. As the trembling got stronger, the noise became louder.

"What's going on?" the Mayor queried in worry.

"I don't know," Bronze Star retorted, listening to the sounds, "But it's getting closer. We'd better head outside!"

The gold stallion and the tan mare burst through the main entrance of the embassy. As they passed through the front gate, they spotted Rainbow Dash in the air. The cyan Pegasus was gazing towards the south. After about ten seconds, she shouted in alarm "STAMPEDE!"

Bronze Star turned to the south and discovered that Rainbow Dash was correct. A large herd of cattle was charging towards Ponyville with alarming velocity. They bellowed loudly as they got closer to the town.

The townspeople did not react well to Rainbow's revelation. Most of them started panicking and scurrying throughout the streets. Several of them took shelter. They locked their doors and covered their windows. Almost everypony else continued scampering and screaming frantically.

However, one person did not seem too bothered. A few meters away, Pinkie Pie was laughing and bouncing on the ground. She uttered in a shaky voice "Hey...! This makes my voice sound silly!"

Twilight Sparkle was in the same area. She noticed the pink mare and she yelled agitatedly "Pinkie Pie, are you crazy?! Run!"

Bronze Star watched as the disarray unfolded in front of him. He leaned over to the mayor and whispered intently "We should probably do something to calm this crowd down."

She nodded in agreement and trotted to the center of the town square. From there, she called out "Everypony, calm down. There is no need to panic."

Unfortunately, her attempt to reassure the people did not have much success. Rarity was the only one who even seemed to acknowledge the mayor. The white mare approached the tan mare and stated dramatically "But Mayor, whatever shall we do?"

Before the mayor had a chance to respond, Rainbow Dash flew closer to the ground, pointed towards the south, and yelled "Look there!"

At that, everypony turned back towards the stampede. All the cows were large, and their coats were composed of various shades of white, grey, black, brown, and tan. However, Rainbow Dash drew everypony's attention to a smaller orange figure who was galloping amongst them.

It only took everypony a moment to recognize this figure as Applejack. She buoyantly called out "YEEHAW!"

When they saw the farm mare, the citizens of Ponyville quickly stopped panicking. Instead, they started cheering for Applejack. The orange mare quickly brought the cows as close together as possible. Bronze Star noticed that a small dog was running alongside her, as if helping her.

Back in town, Pinkie Pie had pulled out a bag of popcorn. She announced excitedly "This is the best rodeo show I've ever seen."

Most of the other ponies just ignored her as she ate her popcorn, but Twilight and Bronze both rolled their eyes.

Once the cattle were grouped together, Applejack hopped onto a cow near the center of the herd. Then she took out a rope and used it to lasso another cow near the front. Once the lasso was in place, Applejack gripped the end of it in her teeth and jumped back to the ground. Then she ran alongside the cow at front and pulled the rope hard. In response, this cow veered strongly to the right. As a result, all the other cows followed her. In the end, the entire herd steered clear of Ponyville.

The ponies in town continued cheering for Applejack as she guided the cows to a field outside of the settlement. Once they were all gathered there, she got them to halt. Everypony watched as Applejack approached the cow at the front of the herd. Bronze Star was curious as to what was going on now, so he decided to investigate. He trotted to the southern border of the town and saw that Applejack was conversing with the lead cow.

The conversation was short, but it appeared to be pleasant, as neither Applejack nor the cow seemed aggravated. Once they were done talking, the cows turned around and headed back to the meadows.

"Applejack!" everypony shrieked in unison.

Bronze Star smiled, walked over to the orange mare, and commented "That was really amazing."

Applejack turned to the gold stallion, returned the smile, and retorted "Thanks. I've had plenty of practice roundin' up animals. I'm just doin' what I can to help the town."

"Did you figure out what started the stampede?" he queried.

"Snake attack," she apprised him, "Can't really blame 'em. Cows an' snakes get along 'bout as well as elephants an' mice."

"Sounds about right," he concurred, "Still, I have to admire what you just did. And I thought I was the brave one."

"Oh, you are," she proclaimed, "I wouldn't really say I risked my life just now. I've done things like this before. So you're still quite a few points ahead of me."

Bronze Star lightly chuckled at this statement. Applejack soon joined him. As they had their laugh, the dog walked up to Bronze Star. He saw that she was a brown and white Border Collie. Around her neck was a red collar with a golden name tag.

"Who's this?" Bronze Star inquired.

"This is my dog, Winona," Applejack informed him. She playfully scratched the collie behind her ears and told her "Say 'hello' to Prince Bronze Star, Winona."

Winona barked happily at the gold stallion. He smiled down at the collie and petted her back. When he got close enough, she playfully licked his face.

Applejack grinned and observed "She likes you."

"I'm already a little fond of her myself," Bronze Star commented as he continued stroking Winona's back.

As he did this, Applejack stated "I assume you don't mind that I told her your actual name."

"Of course I don't," Bronze Star assured her, "I know Border Collies are the smartest canine breed, but they're still as 'difficult' to communicate with as other types of dogs. It's not as though she's going to tell anypony else who I am."

Applejack smirked and said "That's definitely true."

There was a short interval of silence. Then the Earth Pony proclaimed "Well, I have to be gettin' back to the ranch soon. Today's the first day of Applebuck Season, so I've got a lot of work to do. I'll see you later, okay?"

"You got it," he affirmed.

Applejack smiled, raised her front legs into the air, and yelled "Yee haw!"

Then she and Winona took off jogging towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Once they were gone, Bronze Star wiped his face with his front hoof and headed back into town. When he got there, he heard Mayor Mare say "We must do something to thank Applejack for single-hoofedly saving the town."

"I know!" Pinkie Pie announced giddily, "We'll throw her a party!"

The mayor lightly shrugged and professed "I suppose that's a good start. But she just saved the town from being trampled over. I feel she deserves more thanks than that."

At that, Bronze Star widely grinned, approached the tan mare, and told her "Mayor, I think we just found our fifth nominee."

And so they did. When the mayor got back to Town Hall that day, she submitted Applejack as the fifth candidate for the Pony of Ponyville Award. Once the farm pony's nomination was confirmed, the mayor's aides distributed ballots to the townspeople. Over the next three days, everypony in town cast his or her vote. On the evening of the third day, the ballots were collected and counted. All five contenders had plenty of votes, but more than half of Ponyville had voted for Applejack.

Later that night, the mayor announced Applejack as the winner. It was decided that she would receive her award the following morning. Pinkie Pie was permitted to throw her party during the ceremony.

At eight o'clock the next day, the Ponyvillians assembled in the town square. Clearly, Pinkie Pie had been busy preparing for the party. When everypony went to bed the previous night, the area had been bare. Now it was covered with apple-related decorations.

The ceremony had a very large turnout. Just about everypony in Ponyville had shown up. Everypony except Applejack herself. Oddly enough, the orange mare was nowhere to be seen. In fact, nopony had encountered her since the stampede. With the exception of the mayor. Last night, she had gone to Sweet Apple Acres to inform Applejack personally that she won the ballot. She was confident that she would arrive on time to receive her award.

Twilight Sparkle had written a speech to properly present Applejack. The lavender mare decided to go ahead and begin the ceremony while they waited for the farm pony to turn up. After organizing some papers, Twilight gave her speech.

It started out fine, but she was interrupted in mid-sentence three times. First by Rainbow Dash, then by Pinkie Pie, and finally by Fluttershy. The three of them wanted to share the knowledge that Applejack would be aiding them with their flying tricks, baking, and official bunny census respectively.

Obviously, Twilight did not appreciate these disruptions. She hoped there would be no more after Fluttershy. However, she barely got through the next sentence when the mayor stepped up to the podium with a wide grin. Twilight groaned in annoyance, tossed her speech aside, and grumbled "Never mind."

She proceeded to climb off the stage and join her friends in the crowd. Noticing the lavender mare's frustration, Bronze Star scoffed and stated cheekily "Next time, let me give the speech."

"Fine by me," she said in response drily, "You are the better speaker, after all."

Mayor Mare skipped straight to the presentation of the trophy. After taking her spot on the podium, she cleared her throat and announced to the audience "And so, with no further ado, it is my privilege to give the prize, Pony of Ponyville Award, to our beloved guest of honor, a pony of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity. Ponyville's most capable and dependable friend: Applejack!"

Once she finished this sentence, the mayor gestured to a pair of curtains a few meters away. The crowd cheered loudly as the curtains parted. However, the cheering only lasted for a few seconds. It quickly died down when everypony realized that nopony was standing behind the curtains.

Soon, Spike was the only one cheering. He called out "Cool! Way to go Applejack! That was awesome! I mean—"

Then he abruptly stopped. There was an unpleasant period of silence as Spike became the center of unwanted attention.

"Ah-ahem," the mare remarked to regain the crowd's notice.

"Awkward," Spike mumbled.

Bronze Star could tell the baby dragon was deeply embarrassed. However, he knew a way to help his friend out. He brusquely shouted at the top of his voice "OH, YEAH, AJ!"

At that, most of the ponies in the crowd burst out laughing. Even the mayor gave a hearty chuckle. Bronze Star just smirked. His intent had been to divert the unwanted attention away from Spike and turn it towards himself. Evidently, his plan had worked.

"Thank you… Mr. Ambassador," Mayor Mare commented.

"Yeah, thanks, dude," Spike whispered appreciatively to Bronze Star.

"Don't mention it," the gold stallion quietly muttered in response.

Applejack arrived on scene less than a minute later. She was carrying two baskets full of apples. For some reason, she appeared to be exhausted, unkempt, and aloof. This was very different from the energetic, organized, and responsive mare that had saved Ponyville from the stampede.

Applejack was grateful for the award, but she did not convey her enthusiasm very fervently. After nearly drifting in and out of consciousness a few times, she managed to get out "Oh, uh, yeah. Uh, Thanks."

Then she took the trophy and dragged it away.

As the farm pony left, Twilight Sparkle declared "Was it just me, or did Applejack seem a little—"

"Tired?" Rainbow Dash hypothesized.

"Dizzy?" Fluttershy theorized.

"Messy?" Rarity proposed. A few others glared at her, but the white Unicorn insisted "Well, did you see her mane?"

Pinkie Pie interceded and pronounced "She seemed fine to me. Woo! Woo!"

Twilight Sparkle was not as convinced. She rubbed her chin and muttered "Hmmm… I'm not so sure. She looked downright worn out."

The ceremony was over, but the party had not begun. However, the party only lasted for about twenty minutes. This was mostly because the guest of honor was not present.

As the crowd began to disband, Twilight Sparkle declared "I'm going to head over to Sweet Apple Acres and see what Applejack's up to."

Bronze Star would have offered to join the lavender mare, but before he could say a word, he heard a voice call out "Ambassador Streak!"

The gold stallion turned towards the source and saw a tan Earth Pony approaching him. He quickly recognized the stallion as Dr. Sharp Seams. This was the first time he had seen the physician entirely out of uniform.

"Good morning, Doctor," Bronze Star greeted, "What can I do for you?"

"I have some great news," the surgeon informed him gleefully, "SIG Sauer woke up this morning."

Bronze Star was absolutely elated to hear this. He asked hopefully "May I see him?"

"Not just yet," Sharp Seams candidly responded, "As you know, visiting hours are not until noon. I might make an exception for you, but Mr. Sauer also needs some time to regain his bearings. After all, he was in a coma for almost nine days. However, he has requested to speak with you at your earliest convenience."

"Alright, tell him that I'll come by to see him later today," Bronze Star requested, "And that I'll be bringing guests."

"I shall," Dr. Seams avowed, "Are any of them immediate family members?"

"Yes, two of them," Bronze Star illuminated, "Another is a workmate of mine and SIG's. I'll probably be bringing Noble Edict, as well. But nopony else other than those four."

"Very well," Sharp Seams declared, "In any case, I will wait for you to arrive at the hospital."

The young prince acknowledged this, and then he and the doctor parted ways. Sharp Seams made his way back to the hospital, and Bronze Star headed back to the embassy.

The first person he shared the news of SIG Sauer's condition with was not one of his six closest friends in Ponyville, but his Aunt. Princess Luna was actually thrilled to know that SIG Sauer had regained consciousness. She vaguely recalled meeting SIG Sauer as Nightmare Moon, but she had never actually met him as her true self. She asked her nephew to convey her thanks to the pine green stallion for the role he played in rescuing Princess Celestia. Bronze Star was more than willing to do this for her.

At eleven o'clock, Bronze Star grabbed his knapsack, left the embassy, and headed for the barracks. Once he got there, he went to Noble Edict's office. The chief of security was sitting at her desk filing some reports. She gazed up at the door when she heard somepony enter. When she realized it was Bronze Star, she smiled and welcomed him cordially with "Hello, sir."

"Good day, Noble," he rejoined, leaning against the doorframe, "I hope you're not too busy."

"Just reviewing some paperwork," she expounded, "Other than that, I don't really have anything else planned for today."

"Excellent," the gold stallion thought aloud. He stood up straight and enquired "Were you aware that SIG Sauer woke up this morning?"

"No, I wasn't," Noble Edict remarked in pleasant surprise. She smiled and queried in interest "How is he?"

"Dr. Seams says he's doing well," Bronze Star apprised her, "I haven't actually seen him yet, but I'll be swinging by the hospital this afternoon. I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me."

"Certainly," Noble Edict responded, rising from her desk, "Let me just gather up a few things, and then we can go."

Bronze Star nodded in approval and waited by the door. The red mare picked up a saddle bag, placed it on her desk and opened it up. Then she picked up various tools and documents and put them into the saddle bag. Once she was all packed up, she closed up the bag, slung it over her back, and stated "Ready when you are."

The gold stallion and the red mare swiftly departed from the barracks. As they trotted through the streets, he informed her "Before we go to the hospital, we'll be dropping by the train depot."

"How come?" she inquired in perplexity.

"I'm expecting three people to arrive on the next train," he disclosed.

"Who might they be?" she queried.

"Two of them are related to SIG Sauer," Bronze Star revealed, "The third is an agent from Canterlot's Intelligence Bureau. He's the guy I sent the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark and the picture of that mare to. On that subject, I'm certain he's managed to identify her by now."

"Are these three the same individuals you wrote to on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration?" Noble Edict presumed.

"Yes, they are," he confirmed, "Rather convenient for us that SIG woke up on the same day they're supposed to arrive, right?"

"Rather convenient, indeed," she concurred, "However, the next train won't be getting in until 1:30. That's more than two hours from now. Why are we going to the depot right now?"

"Because I really want to be there when it arrives," Bronze Star explicated, "There's always a chance that the train will get in earlier. Even as much as two hours earlier. With that in mind, I say we should head there as soon as possible."

"Understandable," Noble Edict proclaimed, "Nothing wrong with staying one step ahead. And even if the train doesn't get in early, I suppose I could just do more paperwork while we wait."

Bronze Star and Noble Edict walked on in quietness for a few minutes. Then the gold stallion halted in his tracks. When he did this, the red mare stopped next to him and asked "Everything alright?"

He just held up his front hoof to gesture for silence. As he lowered it, he looked around the area and remarked "Do you hear something?"

"No, I don't-" she began. But as she said this, she heard what sounded like a frightened scream. It appeared to originate somewhere above their heads

The two ponies looked upwards and saw Rainbow Dash zooming by in the sky. She was sailed through the air at an alarming pace, but she did not appear to be flapping her wings at all. As she passed over the area, she shrieked "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

Bronze Star and Noble Edict watched the cyan mare until she faded into the distance. Ultimately, she crashed onto the balcony of Golden Oaks Library.

"There's something to be said for grace," Bronze Star commented cockily

"No kidding," Noble Edict concurred, "That was pretty reckless, even for Rainbow Dash."

"I'm guessing what we just saw was one of her so-called 'flying tricks,'" Bronze Star speculated, "Something about it must have gone wrong."

"Too much accumulated velocity, that's my guess," Noble Edict thought aloud, "She's been through worse, though. She should be alright."

"Good, I already have one friend in the hospital," Bronze Star stated, "I'd hate for another one to wind up there so soon."

After this brief dialogue, the gold stallion and the red mare made their way to the train depot without any further breaks. When they got there, they checked the manifest. According to it, the next train was scheduled to arrive on-time.

Bronze Star and Noble Edict chose to just sit down at a bench and wait. The chief of security removed a clipboard from her saddle bag and resumed filling out her paperwork. The young prince had brought a book in his knapsack, so he passed the time by reading.

They spent the first half-hour in silence. Then Bronze Star turned to his associate and stated "I don't recall seeing you at the ceremony this morning."

"Oh, I was there," she assured him without looking up from her clipboard, "I was standing in the back. You just missed me."

"Did you hear me shout?" he asked with a devious smirk.

"Of course I did," she retorted, scoffing a bit, "Everypony in town must have heard you, even the ones who weren't assembled in the town square."

"I was just hoping to save Spike some embarrassment," Bronze Star informed her, "At least that ploy worked."

"Yeah, I suppose it did," Noble Edict perceived, "Too bad you couldn't have done the same for Applejack when she showed up."

"I thought about intervening," Bronze Star disclosed, "But I didn't want to make Applejack look weak at her own ceremony."

"I don't think having somepony step in would have made her appear weak," Noble Edict pronounced, "And even if it did, looking weak would be better than looking like a fool."

"Maybe," he conceded, "What do you suppose was wrong with her anyway?"

"Well, Bronze, I'm guessing she was just worn out," she ventured, "Applejack's always been a hard worker. She's been bucking the trees on Sweet Apple Acres ever since she got her cutie mark. It can be a tiring occupation, but I've never seen Applejack as exhausted as she was this morning. She must have been extraordinarily busy this past week."

"Last time I saw her, she certainly implied she would be busy," Bronze Star recounted, "She said something about 'Applebuck Season.'"

"Ah, that may explain it," Noble Edict remarked, "Applebuck Season is the most laborious period of the year for the Apple Family. From what I've heard, they try to harvest every last tree in their orchards in the span of a single week."

Bronze Star was somewhat alarmed to hear this. He stated in amazement "I've seen Sweet Apple Acres. It has to cover at least fifty acres. Applejack actually plans to collect all the apples from all those trees in one week? That's a rather challenging objective."

"It may seem that way to the rest of us," Noble Edict conjectured, "But the Apple family has been cultivating the fruit in Equestria for centuries. They are perhaps the most experienced farmers in the entire country. Applebuck Season is like a tradition to them. It is not something they take lightly."

"I see," Bronze Star proclaimed. After a few seconds of silence, he professed "Well, isn't that something? Applejack managed to find time to save the town during the busiest week of her year. Because of that, I'm all the more glad she was given the Pony of Ponyville Award."

"I'm glad she won, too," Noble Edict admitted, "She definitely deserved it. I'm certain she was quite appreciative. I know how much an honor it is to receive that award."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I won it myself one year," Noble Edict revealed.

"Really?" Bronze Star asked in interest. When the chief of security nodded, the prince commented "I'm not surprised. You're a fine security officer, Noble. I imagine you must have done something rather significant to win that prize."

"You could say I did," Noble Edict remarked, "However, I would appreciate it if we did not talk about that right now. To me, it's a bit of a delicate subject."

"Alright, I won't press you for details," Bronze Star assured her.

The red mare and the gold stallion spent most of the remainder of the wait in relative quiet. Noble Edict just continued writing out her paperwork, and Bronze Star simply continued reading his book.

The train ended up getting in almost a half-hour early. Once it arrived at the depot, Bronze Star and Noble Edict put away their belongings and trotted over to the center of the platform. The train's doors soon opened and dozens of ponies stepped outside.

"We're looking for two Unicorns and a Pegasus," Bronze Star notified Noble Edict as they watched the passengers disembark, "The Pegasus is in his forties, but the Unicorns are younger than I am."

Noble Edict took this into account. The two of them spent a couple minutes gazing around the area for a middle-aged Pegasus and two young adult Unicorns. Then Noble Edict pointed to a certain section of the depot and inquired "Are those them?"

Bronze Star turned in that direction and looked where she was pointing. Further down the platform, a Pegasus was exiting one of the cars with two Unicorns. The male Unicorn had a jasper coat, a lime green and charcoal stripped mane, melon irises, and a javelin for a cutie mark. The female Unicorn had a chartreuse coat, a cerise and jade stripped mane, peach irises, and an otoscope for a cutie mark. The Pegasus had a mahogany coat, a blue-gray mane, brass irises, and a lightning bolt on top of a clipboard for a cutie mark.

Bronze Star grinned, nodded his head, and answered Noble with "Yeah, that's them."

The two of them trotted towards to the end of the platform. As they made their way there, the Pegasus went back into the train car. The two Unicorns remained on the platform and gazed in several directions, as if they were searching for somepony. Truthfully, they were.

When he was just a few meters away from them, Bronze Star raised his right front hoof in the air and called out "Mauser! Alpine!"

Amidst the noise of the surrounding groups of ponies, the Unicorns heard this call and turned towards its source. They both smiled when they saw the gold stallion approaching them, and they trotted over to him. The moment they reached him, Bronze Star raised both of his front hooves and embraced the two Unicorns affectionately. They happily embraced him in return.

When the three of them pulled apart, the male Unicorn smiled and declared "Glad to be here, Bro-"

Before he could finish, the female Unicorn nudged him in the side and muttered quietly "Don't call him that here."

"Who says I was going to?" the male Unicorn countered, "Maybe I was just going to call him 'bro,' as in 'brother.'"

The female Unicorn lightly rolled her eyes and stated "Seeing as how you've never called him that before, I highly doubt that."

"You know something funny?" Bronze Star interceded, "Twilight made that exact same mistake on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. All she got out was 'Bro' before she corrected herself."

"I remember that," Noble Edict recalled, "I was there when it happened. At the time, I actually did think Twilight was going to call you 'bro,' but she decided that doing so would have been too informal, especially when considering the circumstances."

"That's a reasonable assumption," Bronze Star noted, "But of course, now you know the real reason why she stopped herself, Noble."

"Indeed, I do… sir," Noble Edict smoothly commented.

Bronze Star just smirked in amusement. Then he placed his right front hoof on the red Earth Pony's shoulder, turned to the two Unicorns, and told them "Guys, I'd like you to meet Noble Edict, Ponyville's chief of security."

The jasper stallion and the chartreuse mare nodded in acknowledgment. As she returned the gesture, Bronze Star elucidated "Noble, allow me to introduce my companions, Mauser Sauer and Alpine Sauer."

Noble Edict was mildly stunned to hear this. She raised an eyebrow in fascination and supposed "Are the two of you SIG Sauer's children?"

"That is correct, ma'am," the male Unicorn, Mauser, confirmed, "When we learned about what happened to our father, we tried to arrange to see him as soon as possible."

"I'm just glad the two of you managed to come on the same day," Bronze Star commented.

"Well, I would have come sooner," the female Unicorn, Alpine, disclosed, "But I wanted to wait until Mauser's request for leave was accepted."

"I'm grateful for that, Alpine," Mauser informed his sister, patting her on the back of her neck playfully, "But you didn't have to do it."

Alpine just chuckled, gently pushed her brother's hoof away, and asserted somewhat sternly "I know I didn't. I just figured it was only fair that we get to see Dad together."

As the two siblings spoke together, Noble Edict mentioned to Bronze Star "They seem to get along quite well."

"Oh, they do," Bronze Star affirmed, "Because of them, sometimes I like to wonder what it would be like to have a sibling of my own. Unfortunately, the chances of that ever happening are extremely unlikely."

"Makes sense, considering your mother's… shall we say, marital status," Noble Edict thought aloud.

Bronze Star understood what she meant. So did the two young Unicorns. Mauser presumed "So, she's in on this 'undercover' thing of yours, too?"

"Yeah, and she can be trusted to keep it confidential," Bronze Star informed them.

"So, how many people in this town know your actual identity?" Alpine queried.

"Currently, ten," Bronze Star replied, "Eleven if I count myself. The two of you and Walther bring the total up to fourteen. Speaking of which, where is the old general?"

"He went to get our luggage," Mauser enlightened him, "He knows where the crew stored it, so he should be back soon."

"Ah, there he is now!" Alpine announced.

The four ponies turned to the train and saw the mahogany Pegasus emerge from the same car as before. He was pulling a loaded trolley behind him. The Pegasus wheeled the trolley to the center of the platform and let it rest there. He quickly noticed that although he had left his companions by themselves, they were no longer alone.

He grinned, trotted over to the group, held out his right front hoof to the gold stallion, and stated in a formal tone "It's a pleasure to see you again, sir."

"Thank you, General," Bronze Star remarked genially as he shook hooves with the middle-aged Pegasus, "The feeling is very much mutual."

After the hoofshake, Bronze Star presented the mahogany Pegasus and the red Earth Pony to each other with: "Walther, this is the town's chief of security, Noble Edict. Noble, this is my agent from the Intelligence Bureau, General Walther."

As the Pegasus shook hooves with the Earth Pony, the latter cocked her head in interest and stated "'General,' huh? Which branch of the military?"

"The Wonderbolts, ma'am," Walther enlightened her, "Served in the force for twenty-three years."

"In that case, you'd better mind yourself when we go through Ponyville," Noble Edict stated in a partly serious and partly amused tone, "One of the town's residents is a die-hard worshipper of the Wonderbolts. She'd probably go berserk if she so much as saw you."

Walther lightly scoffed and remarked "Not to worry. I can put up with that kind of attention. Used to get it all the time. Luckily, not so much these days."

There was a brief period of quietness. Then Bronze Star glimpsed at the cart and observed "Seven bags? I didn't think you guys would need that many for a trip."

"Well, Mauser and I packed lightly," Walther revealed, "Can't really say the same about Alpine, though."

"Hey, it's not like I brought useless junk," Alpine debated defensively, "I had no idea how many days of class I'd end up missing. If it's more than two, I'd have to be prepared to study while we're here. I couldn't very well do that without my textbooks and equipment."

"Twilight would certainly agree with you," Bronze Star speculated. He studied the contents of the trolley for a moment, and then he told the others "For now, we should probably place all this luggage in the depot's storage room. We can come back for it later today."

The other four ponies agreed to this proposal. They checked in six of the bags at the storage room. All of them were ordinary suitcases and trunks. However, the seventh one was a steel briefcase with a reinforced chassis and an unbreakable lock. Walther was unwilling to part with this one, and Bronze Star knew why.

Once the bags were secured in the storage room, Bronze Star, Noble Edict, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther navigated their way to the hospital. It took them less than fifteen minutes to get there. When they arrived in the lobby, Nurse Red Heart was there. She appeared to be shifting rapidly between many different files at once.

Bronze Star approached the front desk and began with "Excuse me, I-"

"I'm sorry, sir," Nurse Red Heart cut in without looking up, "But unless this is an emergency, we cannot help you right now."

Bronze Star was surprised to hear this, but he stated patiently "I'm not seeking medical attention. I'm just here to visit one of the patients."

This time, Nurse Red Heart looked up and realized who was talking to her. She slowly rose to her feet and pronounced "Oh, alright, Mr. Ambassador. I apologize if I seem unreceptive. In the past half-hour, over a dozen ponies have been rushed here, all of them suffering from food poisoning."

The gold stallion was alarmed to hear this. He asked anxiously "What happened?"

"We're not certain just yet," Red Heart replied, "However, most of the victims were at Sugarcube Corner right before they were brought here. It's possible they just ingested some bad pastry."

"Will they be alright?" Bronze Star queried.

"We believe so," Red Heart responded, "The worst any of them has is ingestion and upset stomach. However, I'll have to get to Urgent Care soon. Otherwise their symptoms will only get worse."

"I understand, Nurse," Bronze Star professed, "But if it's at all possible, I would still like to see SIG Sauer right now."

"Certainly, Mr. Ambassador," the white Earth Pony assured him, "However, there's a chance that the front desk will be empty soon. So please make sure you sign in now, and that you sign out when you leave."

This was perfectly acceptable for Bronze Star and the others. After all five of them signed in, they headed into the hospital. On the way, they encountered another doctor who was escorting a familiar blonde Pegasus through the hallways. Her coat was all grey, except for her face, which was green.

Bronze Star quickly recognized her. He queried in concern "Derpy, are you okay?"

The cross-eyed Pegasus just looked up at him slowly and muttered softly "Bad muffins."

Then she gave a violent cough and slumped backwards. She continued to moan as the doctor led her to Urgent Care.

At first, nopony made a sound. Then Walther drily proclaimed "Remind me to make my own food while we stay here."

This was probably meant as a joke, but it was equally possible that Walther was being serious.

The five ponies quickly made their way to the I.C.U. SIG Sauer was not there, but Sharp Seams was. He appeared to be the only on-duty physician who was not preoccupied with the situation in Urgent Care. Dr. Seams informed Bronze Star and his companions that SIG Sauer had been moved to the recovery ward earlier that day. He offered to escort the group to SIG's new room, and they happily accepted this offer.

It only took about three minutes to get to SIG Sauer's recovery room. When they got there, Dr. Seams asked the group to wait outside for a moment. Then he opened the door and stepped inside.

Presently, SIG Sauer was sitting up in bed, eating lunch. When the tan Earth Pony entered the room, the pine green Unicorn greeted him with "Hello, Doctor."

"Good day, Mr. Sauer," Dr. Seams rejoined, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than this morning," SIG Sauer responded, "My headache's gone, I no longer feel disoriented, and my appetite has finally returned. The chest pains are still there, but they're completely tolerable."

"Excellent, you've made outstanding progress," Dr. Seams declared proudly. He was quiet for a moment, and then he inquired "Are you well enough to have some company?"

SIG Sauer lightly shrugged and stated "I suppose so. Is the Ambassador here?"

"Yes, and he brought those 'guests' he asked me to mention," Sharp Seams replied.

"Who are they?" the pine green stallion queried.

"There's four of them, and Noble Edict is one," the surgeon explicated, "I've never seen the other three before today. They are a jasper Unicorn stallion, a chartreuse Unicorn mare, and a mahogany Pegasus stallion."

When SIG Sauer heard this, his pupils dilated and he sat up straight in his bed. He calmly placed his food tray on the nightstand next to his bed, and then he politely but sternly demanded "Let them in straightaway. Please."

Dr. Seams nodded in acknowledgement and went back to the door. Then he held it open and gestured for the five visitors to come in.

Mauser and Alpine entered the recovery room first. As soon as they saw their father, they rushed to the sides of his bed and threw their front legs around his upper body. He raised his own front legs and tenderly hugged them back.

"Thank Celestia you're alright, Dad," Mauser murmured softly.

"We were so worried about you, Daddy," Alpine uttered quietly.

"I'm just glad you're here," SIG Sauer guaranteed them, "It's a delight to see you, too."

This hug lasted for an entire minute, but after that, Mauser and Alpine gradually released their grip on their father. When they finally pulled apart, SIG Sauer returned his focus to his other visitors. By this point, Walther, Noble Edict, and Bronze Star had entered the recovery room.

The mahogany Pegasus smirked and trotted over to the pine green Unicorn. When he was at SIG Sauer's bedside, Walther held out his right front hoof. SIG Sauer smirked in return and bumped Walther's hoof with his own.

"It's a relief to see you in good health, SIG," Walther told his colleague. After some quietness, Walther remarked in a somewhat witty and sardonic tone "But what in hay are you doing, loafing around in bed at this hour? Laziness is rather unbecoming for somepony with your occupation, wouldn't you agree?"

Everypony laughed at this statement, including SIG Sauer. When the laughter subsided, SIG Sauer stated cheekily "Oh, relax, Walt. I have no intention of letting you take my place anytime soon. I plan to be back on my hooves in the near future."

"I can definitely make that happen, as long as it's not the very near future," Sharp Seams interjected.

At that, the five visitors turned to Sharp Seams in perplexity. Bronze Star queried "What do you mean, Doctor?"

"Well, as you know, the surgery was a complete success," the surgeon expounded, "I was able to repair the damage caused by the stab wound, and there's no trace of that toxin anywhere in Mr. Sauer's bloodstream. However, he was unconscious for nine days. You cannot expect a pony to just get up and get back to everyday life after being out for that long. Especially in Mr. Sauer's case, when 'everyday life' tends to involve placing one's life in jeopardy. That being said, he'll need some time to recover his strength."

"How do you plan that?" Bronze Star queried.

"Dr. Seams has already discussed options with me," SIG Sauer apprised him, "I decided on a type of restoration program. Over the next few days, he and I will work on improving my motor skills, my reflexes, and my coordination. We'll do that until they've returned to peak efficiency."

"Sounds like a methodical system," Walther perceived, "I just hope it isn't especially time-consuming."

"That's the catch," SIG Sauer disclosed, "While it's a short program, it's also a little slow-paced. But according to the Doctor, it's still my best hope of getting out of this hospital in total health as soon as possible."

"It is," Sharp Seams confirmed, "With this program, I could have you released from the hospital in three days. Maybe even two."

SIG Sauer and the other ponies were satisfied by this statement. There was a bit more silence, and then Bronze Star approached Sharp Seams and requested "Doctor, would you mind if my companions and I had some time alone with Mr. Sauer?"

"Not at all, Mr. Ambassador," the tan Earth Pony replied. He straightened out the collar on his white coat, and he stated "If you need anything, I'll be in the I.C.U."

After that, he left the recovery room and shut the door behind him. As he headed down the hallway, the others listened closely to the sounds of his hoofsteps. Once they faded away, the six ponies resumed the conversation.

With Dr. Seams out of the room, the others did not have to keep referring to Bronze Star as "Gold Streak" or "Mr. Ambassador." Mauser, Alpine, and Walther were particularly glad for this. The three of them had known the gold Alicorn for a long time, and they felt his new appearance would take some getting used to. At the very least, they could still address him by his actual name.

For a while, their discussion was primarily about the Summer Sun Celebration. Mauser, Alpine, and Walther recounted everything that had happened in Canterlot. Althougth they had not been visited by Nightmare Moon, the capital city had been in just as much of an uproar as Ponyville had been.

Mauser recounted that the Constabulary Contingent had been mobilized when the Sun did not rise on schedule. He described how his unit had been tasked with securing Canterlot Castle and guarding the remaining members of the Canterlot Royalty. However, they could only account for Cadance and Blueblood. At the time, only a few members of the Royal Guard knew of Bronze Star's whereabouts, and all of them were in Ponyville at the time. When Mauer's unit failed to locate the Alicorn prince, the Royal Guard initiated a city-wide search for him. The search was ultimately called off when the Sun returned.

Alpine recalled that she taken the night off from studying to socialize with her friends. When the city was locked down, she had stayed indoors with them as instructed. However, an hour after martial law was declared, a few messengers had gone door-to-door through the streets, requesting any doctors and medical students to accompany them. Nopony had been injured yet; this was just being done as a precaution in the event that mass hysteria erupted. Due to Alpine's proficiency with healing spells, she had gone with the messengers. For the next couple hours, she remained on standby at a clinic, waiting for a patient. However, she never got one; the Sun rose before anypony got hurt.

Walther remembered that he had just checked in at the Intelligence Bureau when the alert level was raised. Once he was apprised of the situation, he had been appointed by the director to conduct a countrywide investigation. Naturally, the objective was to determine why the Sun was not up yet. Walther had a carefully thought-out stratagem in mind. The first step was to accumulate information. He accomplished this by dispatching scouts to all the other cities – primarily Ponyville – and having them observe the activities for anything strange. Since the railroads had been shut down at the time, Walther had to resort to sending out the Bureau's fastest flyers. The second step would have been to devote the Bureau's resources to aiding the population of whichever town turned up with the most promising results. The plan never got that far, as the Sun had come back before all the scouts from Ponyville could return.

All-in-all, it had been a relatively uneventful night in Canterlot. Especially when compared to what had happened in Ponyville. As soon as Mauser, Alpine, and Walther finished their explanation, Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and SIG Sauer had their turn to ruminate on what they had been through that night.

SIG Sauer and Noble Edict began by reflecting on the matter of the energy sphere. They covered everything pertaining to the cultists, as well. When they got to the part about how Dense Miasma had tried to kill SIG Sauer but Noble Edict had stopped Dense Miasma by killing him first, Alpine walked over to the red mare and embraced her warmly. Initially, Noble Edict was confused, but the younger mare quickly explained that she was just thanking her for saving her father's life. Mauser did not express his gratitude as strongly, but Noble Edict could tell he was just as grateful as Alpine.

Once SIG and Noble were finished, Bronze Star spoke. He elucidated on how he, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity had recovered the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor. He covered everything, including the trials in the Everfree Forest, the appearance of the Elements during the final encounter with Nightmare Moon, and how Princess Luna had been saved. He tried not to sound arrogant when he got to the parts about how he single-hoofedly disabled the ogre and risked his life to save the six mares. Of course, it was hard to talk casually about such things. Fortunately, none of the others thought him haughty. They were actually quite impressed, especially SIG Sauer.

Out of the six of them, it seemed that Bronze Star had been through the most that night. Once it was over, he was just relieved that the Sun had been recovered and that his mother had been saved. However, he made it clear that their worries were far from over. The threat posed by the cultists was still out there. Bronze Star and Noble Edict were determined to uncover their plot.

Before they could discuss everything they had already learned about the conspiracy, Walther drew everypony's attention to the floor. He pointed out that the ground seemed a little wobbly and unstable. He was not bluffing; the floor was in fact shaking. The pulsations gradually became stronger and stronger. Bronze Star and Noble Edict soon realized what was going on; they had already been through this once in the past week.

Bronze Star and Noble Edict informed the others that a stampede had to be occurring outside. However, these vibrations felt too weak to be caused by rampaging cows. A smaller type of animal had to be making them. The six ponies just calmly waited for the tremors to pass over.

Once the vibrations stopped, they all stood still for a few minutes. Then Bronze Star announced he wanted to find out what just happened. He asked for Noble Edict to accompany him outside and for everypony else to stay in the recovery room.

The gold stallion and the red mare proceeded to the main entrance of the hospital. When they got outside, the streets appeared to be deserted. However, they encountered Twilight Sparkle a few seconds later. She appeared to be cross about something.

Bronze Star intercepted his friend and stated "Hey, Twilight; what happened?"

She pointed over her shoulder and responded irately "THAT happened."

Bronze Star and Noble Edict turned in that direction and saw what she meant. Scores of bunnies were hopping throughout the streets, eating the contents of every flowerpot and garden in sight. Fluttershy was desperately trying to round the critters up, but she had little success.

"How'd that come about?" Noble Edict asked in astonishment.

"It was Applejack," Twilight Sparkle illuminated, "She frightened the bunnies so badly that they ran amok. She was also responsible for Rainbow Dash's accident and all those cases of food poisoning."

"Really?" Bronze Star said in surprise, "Why?"

"She didn't do those things on purpose," Twilight informed him, "She's just been so busy with Applebuck Season that she's been too exhausted to focus on anything else."

"Isn't Big McIntosh helping her?" Noble Edict queried.

"No, she says he got injured," Twilight disclosed.

"So she's farming the orchards by herself?" Noble presumed.

"Yeah, and that's the problem," Twilight answered, "I've offered to help her three times, and all three times, she turned me down. But this is the last straw. It's only a matter of time before she hurts somepony. That somepony could even be herself. So I'm going over to Sweet Apple Acres right now and I'm going to get Applejack to accept my help whether she wants it or not."

"How about I go with you?" Bronze Star offered, "Who knows; maybe she'll listen to me."

"I'd certainly appreciate that," Twilight remarked, "So, yeah; come along if you'd like, Bronze."

The gold stallion solemnly nodded his head. Then he turned to the chief of security and requested "Noble, could you tell the others that I'll be gone for a while?"

"Sure, Bronze," the red mare coincided.

Noble Edict then went back into the hospital, and Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle headed over to Sweet Apple Acres.

When they got there, they found Applejack at the base of a tree. She was gasping and muttering through strained breaths "Must… keep… buckin'... just… a few… more. Must finish harvestin'."

When she had her attention, the lavender mare stated "All right, Applejack. Your applebucking hasn't just caused you problems, it's over-propelled Pegasus', practically poisoned plenty of ponies, and terrorized bushels of brand new bouncing baby bunnies. I don't care what you say, you. Need. Help."

Applejack just grunted and kicked the tree behind her. The apples neatly landed into the surrounding baskets, and the farm mare declared proudly "Ha! No, I don't. Look, I did it. I harvested the entire Sweet Apple Acres without your help. How d'ya like them apples?"

Just then, a large stallion with a red coat, an orange mane, green eyes, and an apple half for a cutie mark appeared at Applejack's side. He bluntly commented "Um, how do you like them apples?"

He was gesturing towards a few fields that the orange pony had overlooked. The trees in those fields were still loaded with fruit.

When Applejack saw these trees, she looked as though she was going to have a heart attack. She started mumbling intelligibly. Amongst her gibberish, the others made out the words "Where'd all the apple...?"

After ten seconds, she collapsed onto the ground.

Bronze Star quickly went to Applejack's side to see if she was alright.

While he did this, Twilight just rolled her eyes and thought aloud "I knew it. I just knew this would happen."

"Join the club," the red stallion commented frankly, "I warned her 'bout overworkin' herself. But she didn't listen to me."

"Guys…" Bronze Star muttered softly.

"Has she always been this stubborn?" Twilight queried.

"Yes, always," the red stallion stated, "As somepony who's known AJ all her life, I can safely make that claim."

"Guys…" Bronze Star repeated with a little more urgency.

This time he got their attention. The lavender mare and the red stallion turned to face him, and the latter asked "What's up?"

"Applejack didn't just give out to exhaustion," Bronze Star informed them, "I think something else is wrong with her. Something much worse."

Twilight Sparkle became deeply concerned when she heard this. She stepped forward and asked in worry "What do you mean?"

Bronze Star slowly turned around, looked the Unicorn in the eye, and uttered unnervingly "She isn't breathing."

> Bonded Tight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A moment earlier, the red stallion had been chewing on a piece of straw. When he heard this last remark, his jaw dropped and the straw fell out. For a few seconds, the only motion in the area was produced by the straw as it descended. The instant the straw touched the ground, everypony snapped to attention. The red stallion muttered quietly "What do you mean?"

"She isn't respiring," Bronze Star replied agitatedly as he turned back to Applejack, "I can't find her pulse, either. Her heart is barely beating. I think she's gone into cardiac arrest!"

"From exhaustion?" Twilight Sparkle remarked in astonishment.

"What the hay else?" Bronze Star snapped, anxiety evident in his voice. He waved his hoof at the other two ponies and demanded "Stand back! Let her have some air!"

The red stallion and Twilight stepped away and watched as Bronze Star removed the baskets from Applejack and cast them aside. After examining her, he declared "She isn't gone yet. I think we can revive her!"

"What should we do?" the red stallion said in desperation, "We better get help!"

"Alright, I'll go get a doctor!" Twilight Sparkle announced.

Before she could take two steps towards the road, Bronze Star stopped her and said "No, Twilight! By the time you get to the hospital and back, it'll be too late. Right now, we're the only ones who can do anything for Applejack."

"Then what are we going to do?" The red stallion demanded.

"I know what to do," Bronze Star professed. He turned to the red stallion and asked him "Can you get water?"

The red stallion nodded and asked "How much?"

"As much as you can carry!" Bronze Star replied hastily, "Please, hurry!"

The red stallion nodded again, turned around, and galloped as fast as his hooves could carry him to the barn.

Once he was gone, Bronze Star looked to the lavender mare and told her "Twilight, come here. I need your help."

"Of course," Twilight assured the gold stallion. She knelt down next to Applejack's other side, and then she queried "What's the plan?"

"Her lungs seem to have collapsed," Bronze Star thought aloud as he rolled Applejack onto her back, "We'll have to reopen them. I'm going to try cardiopulmonary resuscitation."

"Okay," Twilight Sparkle coincided. "What should I do?"

"Tilt her head upwards," Bronze Star instructed her, "That'll straighten out her lungs and allow for a more stable passage of airflow."

Twilight Sparkle acknowledged this, placed her two front hooves beneath Applejack's head, and raised it a few inches into the air. After this, Bronze Star stated "Okay, now keep her in that position."

The gold stallion placed his front hooves on the orange mare's chest and began firmly pressing them against her in rapid succession. He counted the compressions as he did them. When he got to thirty, he stopped. Then he took a deep breath, leaned his head down to Applejack's, and expelled his own breath into her mouth. He let the air out slowly and steadily, allowing it to pass into the Earth Pony's lungs.

After doing this twice, he sat up straight and waited for Applejack to react. When she did not, he lightly patted the side of her face a few times and mumbled determinately "Come on, AJ! Come on! Don't quit on me!"

She still did not respond. Bronze Star started to sweat nervously, but he was not about to give up. So he gave Applejack another round of compressions. Once he got to thirty, he prepared to repeat the breathing. He brought his mouth down to Applejack's and exhaled into her mouth. At first, she appeared as motionless and unresponsive as ever.

Bronze Star inhaled a second time, but just before he let it out, Applejack reacted. Her eyelids shot open and she let out a loud gasp. Bronze Star was looking directly into her eyes when this happened. He recoiled in mild surprise, but he eased down when he realized that the orange mare was awake. Then he and Twilight Sparkle looked down at her and grinned.

Applejack was not as content; her breathing became somewhat labored. She was inhaling and exhaling erratically. Twilight and Bronze Star carefully helped her sit up. To get her attention, Twilight softly spoke "Applejack? Applejack."

"Huh?" Applejack got out in response.

"Oh, good. You're okay," the lavender Unicorn perceived.

The orange Earth Pony was still inhaling and exhaling erratically. Bronze Star lightly patted her on the back and told her gently "Easy, easy! Take shallow, even breaths."

While Applejack was a little bewildered, she could hear and understand the gold stallion. So she calmed down and did as he said. Once she was breathing normally, she asked "What just happened?"

"You fainted," Twilight enlightened her, "At first we thought you just passed out, but Bronze Star noticed you had no breath, no pulse, and a very weak heartbeat."

"Thankfully, I was able to revive you with CPR," Bronze Star added in.

"CPR?" Applejack stated in interest, "You mean mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"

"If that's what you'd like to call it, then yes," the gold stallion affirmed.

"A-hem," a deep voice interrupted their conversation.

Bronze Star, Applejack, and Twilight looked up and saw that the red stallion had returned. In his mouth, he was carrying the handle to a bucket of water. He appeared to be relatively emotionless. Inwardly, he was experiencing a mixture of relief, amazement, and amusement all at once.

"Big Mac, how long you been standin' there?" Applejack enquired.

"Not that long," the stallion replied. He gradually approached the other three ponies and placed the bucket of water in front of them.

"Thanks," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He guided Applejack over to the bucket and beckoned her "Drink. Slowly."

Applejack complied with this order and started drinking from the bucket. She had not realized until now just how thirsty she was and how dry her throat felt. She had an urge to guzzle down the whole bucket at once, but she paced herself and took small sips.

As Applejack drank, Bronze Star turned to the red stallion and flatly observed "I do not believe we've been introduced."

"Nope," the larger stallion concurred. He held out his right front hoof to the gold stallion and declared "McIntosh. Big McIntosh."

Bronze Star shook hooves with him and rejoined with "Good to meet you. My name is Gold Streak."

"I know who you are," Big McIntosh drily commented, "You're the pony who's representin' Canterlot. You're also the pony who helped bring the Sun back. And now, you're the pony who just saved mah sister's life."

Big McIntosh then smiled and patted Bronze Star on the back like a brother. The young prince just scoffed, shrugged, and stated "I don't know about that. She just collapsed and I revived her. I did what anypony would have done."

"Maybe," Twilight Sparkle evoked, "But not necessarily what anypony could have done. I mean, I certainly don't know CPR."

"Me neither," Big McIntosh proclaimed, "AJ's lucky you did."

"Lucky indeed," Applejack agreed. When the bucket was half-empty, she leaned away from it, wrapped her front leg around Bronze Star, and pronounced wittily "I'm thinkin' I should stay near you from now on, sugar cube. This is at least the second time you've saved my flank."

Bronze Star merely chuckled in response and told her "Just happy to be of help."

Applejack continued drinking until the bucket was about a-fifth full. Then she splashed the remaining water on her face. As the cool liquid moisturized her face, she announced "Ho, now that is refreshing. I feel much better now."

"That's good to know," Twilight Sparkle avowed, "But there's still something we have to discuss."

The two farmers and the young prince gave the magic student their undivided attention. Twilight turned to the orange mare and told her "Now Applejack, I completely respect the Apple family ways. You're always there to help any pony in need, so maybe you can put a little of your stubborn pride aside and allow your friends to help you."

It took Applejack less than five seconds to choose her response. She answered solemnly "Okay, Twilight."

Apparently, this was not what Twilight expected to hear. Immediately after, she declared "I am not taking 'no' for an answer – what?"

"I think what happened just now was a sign," Applejack perceived, "I've been workin' endlessly for the past five days. Sure, it's been a productive yield, but… just look at me. I'm completely worn out. To make matters worse, today I made my problem everypony else's problem, too. Heck, if I were less fortunate, I coulda died just now. I'd have to be dumber than a duck with half a brain to reject after that. So, yes, Twilight. Yes, please. I could really use your help."

Twilight Sparkle just chuckled and sighed in satisfaction. After a brief interval of silence, she declared "I'll head back into town and see if the others are available. I'll be back soon."

The others accepted this proposition. They watched as the lavender mare trotted out of the plantation and made her way back into town.

The three ponies waited in silence for a couple minutes. Then Big McIntosh decided to start up a conversation. He looked at Bronze Star and queried "So, how is it you know CPR?"

"I enlisted in the martial services program when I was fifteen," Bronze Star claimed, "CPR was the very first thing I learned. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've ever had to perform it."

Big McIntosh raised an eyebrow and remarked in fascination "You have military training?"

"Ten years' worth," Bronze Star confirmed. Noting Big McIntosh's reaction, he observed "You seem surprised to hear that."

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh retorted, "An' I don't get surprised easily. It's just that… you don't really strike me as the soldierly type."

Bronze Star scoffed and rejoined with "As a politician, I'm already working for my country. That doesn't mean I can't be ready to fight for it, too."

"Makes sense," Applejack noted. "Was SIG the one who taught you?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star replied.

"Who?" asked Big McIntosh.

"She means SIG Sauer," the gold stallion expounded, "He's a retired army officer and government agent who works directly for the Canterlot Royalty. He also used to be part of the Royal Guard. Now he's their head trainer. Mine, too. He taught me everything I know about warfare."

Big McIntosh nodded his head in interest. He could have sworn he heard SIG Sauer's name sometime before that day. He thought back to the previous week, and then he stated "Wasn't SIG Sauer the name of that stallion who helped Noble Edict protect the town?"

"Yeah, he came to Ponvyille with me and Twilight Sparkle the day before the Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star recounted, "Princess Celestia appointed us all to the inspection committee. It was primarily because of SIG that we were able to rescue the Princess from Nightmare Moon. But his heroism nearly cost him his life."

The red stallion was a little stunned to hear that last statement. He questioned "What do you mean?"

"SIG Sauer was attacked by a group of night-worshipping fanatics," Bronze Star explicated, "He managed to survive, but he was critically injured. He's been at Ponyville hospital for the past nine days, and up until a few hours ago, he was comatose."

"But now he isn't?" Applejack presumed buoyantly.

"Yup," Bronze Star asserted, "I was visiting him just before I came here."

There was another brief interval of silence, and then Big McIntosh remarked "I only saw SIG Sauer once; when everypony was at Town Hall. I was in the back, so I didn't get a good look at him. Is he a pine green Unicorn, by any chance?"

"Yes, he is," Bronze Star verified, "Why do you ask?"

"Five days ago, I went to the hospital to get my back treated," Big McIntosh recalled, "They had me stay overnight in the I.C.U. I had a roommate: a pine green Unicorn. He was asleep the whole time I was there, so we never talked. The doctors didn't tell me his name; just that he was recovering from surgery."

"Must have been him," Bronze Star observed.

"Well, what a coincidence," Applejack commented.

"Indeed," the gold stallion coincided. He then turned to the red stallion, gestured to his bandaged back, and said in interest "On that subject, how'd you get hurt anyway?"

Applejack was the one who spoke first. She began with "You remember that bet Big McIntosh and I made five days ago?"

Bronze Star lightly nodded his head, and the orange mare continued with "Well, Big Mac kept his end. After I showed him all the Golden Delicious apples in the barn, he put on one of Granny Smith's girdles and paraded down Stirrup Street. However, all of Granny's clothes are about five sizes too small for him. The girdle greatly restricted his mobility. It was hard even to walk. When he got to the end of the street, he turned around too quickly and strained his back."

"Ouch," Bronze Star muttered, wincing. "That must have hurt like Tartarus."

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh established, "It did at the time. Not so much now. I'll be able to take the bandages off in a few days. Unfortunately, Applebuck Season will be over by then."

"Well, I hope your injury didn't inconvenience you too much," Bronze Star stated sympathetically.

"Nope, I'm alright," Big Mac assured him. Then he grinned and added "Besides, one good thing came out of this."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star queried.

The red stallion answered this question with another question: "Did AJ tell you what she would have had to do if I won the bet?"

"She said she'd have to kiss a stallion," Bronze Star recalled.

"That or she'd have to get a stallion to kiss her," Big McIntosh expanded, "You see, because she had help gettin' the Golden Delicious to the barn, she and I spent some time debatin' over whether or not she actually won the bet. Looks as though we don't have to debate anymore. In a way, we both fulfilled our part of the bargain, thanks to you."

Bronze Star was confused at first, but he quickly realized what Big McIntosh was implying. He just laughed and stated cheekily "I wouldn't regard mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as a kiss."

"Perhaps not, but the key word there is 'mouth-to-mouth,'" the red stallion pointed out, "I'd call that a loophole."

"Fine, fine," Bronze Star amusedly declared, rolling his eyes, "There are some people who refer to CPR as the 'Kiss of Life.' So I guess it technically counts as a genuine kiss."

"Well, even if it doesn't, let me express mah appreciation with another," Applejack remarked happily. She then leaned over to Bronze Star, closed her eyes, and gently kissed him on his cheek.

She caught the gold stallion completely off his guard. After Applejack pulled away, Bronze Star blushed deeply and looked off to the side. A somewhat discomfited grin spread onto his face. While he was not embarrassed, he was a little surprised by what Applejack had done. He had not seen it coming at all. Of course, that is not to say he disliked the gesture. He found that he actually enjoyed it when she kissed him.

After some awkward silence, Bronze Star turned back to the two farmers. Big McIntosh seemed indifferent, but Applejack looked worried that she had done something wrong. When he noticed this, Bronze Star's grin became a bit more benign and he told her appreciatively "Thanks."

Applejack promptly eased down, smiled as well, and said in response "Anytime."

Shortly after, Twilight Sparkle returned to Sweet Apple Acres with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. By that point, Applejack was back on her hooves. When the five mares and the dragon entered the orchards, she trotted over to them and welcomed them.

"Twilight told us what happened," Rainbow declared.

"Are you alright?" Fluttershy inquired in worry.

"I'm quite fine, thanks to him," Applejack guaranteed, looking over her shoulder at Bronze Star, "Still, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, I hope you guys aren't upset over what happened today."

"No worries!" Pinkie squealed giddily. Rainbow and Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

"It's this intriguing?" Rarity professed, "I've been busy all day with making an elaborate dress for one of my clients. Of the four of us, I'm the only one who didn't ask Applejack for help. Yet I seem to be the only one who completed her goal."

"Then it's a good thing you didn't come to me, Rarity," Applejack perceived, "I'm probably the last person you would ask for assistance, anyway."

"Well, if your fashion statement consisted of more than just a hat, maybe I would consult your opinion from time to time," Rarity rejoined.

Everypony got a good laugh at that remark, especially Applejack. To her, that statement was funny because it was true. Other than her Stetson, she did not place a high value on clothing.

Once the group quieted down, Applejack looked around at them and pronounced "Well, if you'd like to help, come with me. I'll show you how to harvest the fruit."

She started to trot over to a cart of empty baskets. However, Bronze Star grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her by saying "Oh no, you don't. You've done quite enough for one day. You're not picking another apple until tomorrow at the very least."

Initially, Applejack protested with "But I have to show 'em the proper way to buck the trees."

"Big McIntosh can show them," Bronze Star countered, "He may not be in any condition to buck the trees, but I'm certain he's more than capable of giving a demonstration of how to buck in general."

"Sure I can do that," the red stallion affirmed, "My back may be sore, but I can still raise my hind legs. I got this, AJ."

"Are you certain you don't want me to help?" Applejack queried in concern.

Before Big McIntosh could respond, Bronze Star interceded and told her "Applejack, you almost literally worked yourself to death. The last thing you should be doing right now is pushing yourself to do more. Just let Big McIntosh take over. I'm confident he can handle this."

Applejack thought about Bronze Star's argument. Part of her wanted to continue to object, but she could tell the gold stallion was hard-set on this point. Ultimately, she lightly rolled her eyes and stated cockily "As you wish, Your Highness."

"I hope that was just sarcasm," Bronze Star bluntly commented.

"It was," she assured him.

That argument aside, Big McIntosh led the other mares to a clearing where he demonstrated the proper form to use when bucking an apple tree. Once the mares got the hang of it, they busied themselves with harvesting the orchards that Applejack had left untouched. After a while, Twilight resorted to just using her magic to pluck the apples from their branches.

In total, the five mares spent about two hours farming the plantation. Twilight stopped once to write a letter to Princess Celestia. When Bronze Star asked what the letter was about, the lavender mare explained that she had learned a valuable friendship lesson from Applejack. She wanted to share it with Celestia while it was fresh in her mind. Once the letter was written, she had Spike send it Canterlot.

Bronze Star made certain that Applejack got some rest while the others worked. He stayed by her side for almost the entire two hours. He may have seemed a little overprotective of the orange mare, but after what just happened to her, one could argue that he had a legitimate reason to be concerned.

Near the end of the second hour, Applejack left the meadows and headed to her barn. Bronze Star accompanied her there. She went inside the building and emerged a few minutes later with a portable table. There were five open bottles of apple juice on the table; each one had a straw in it. The orange mare rolled the table to the border of the closest orchard. Then she stopped and called out to the other five mares "How about y'all take a little break? I got some fine apple juice waitin' for ya!"

The others gladly accepted this offer. After sorting out the full baskets of apples, they made their way to the table and they each approached one of the bottles. As they had their fill of apple juice, Applejack sighed and declared "Girls, I can't thank you enough for this help. I was acting a bit stubborn."

"A bit?" Twilight uttered in disbelief.

Applejack scoffed and admitted "Okay. A mite stubborn, and I'm awful sorry. Now, I know the town gave me the Prized Pony award, but the real award is having you six as my friends."

The five mares smiled in appreciation, and the gold stallion softly patted her on the back.

None of them had noticed this, but Spike had wandered off about an hour ago. He had just returned with a handful of muffins. As he got closer to the seven ponies, Rainbow Dash wiped her brow and stated "Phew! That applebucking sure made me hungry."

"And I've got the perfect treat," Spike said in response, holding up the muffins.

Bronze Star realized that the muffins were half-eaten, and they smelt of garbage. There appeared to be a worm hanging out of one of them. When Pinkie Pie saw what he was holding, she muttered in disgust "Eeew... Spike, I threw those all away. Where'd you get them?"

"From the trash," Spike answered straightforwardly.

"EW!" the six mares shouted in unison.

"Picky, picky," Spike mumbled under his breath. He turned to the gold stallion and offered "What about you, Bronze?"

"I think I'll pass," was Bronze Star's stern reply. There was quietness for about ten seconds. Then the young prince gazed up at the sky. He was not certain what time of day it was, but he figured it had to be sometime in the late afternoon, if not the early evening. He announced to the others "I should probably be going soon. It's getting late, and I want to swing by the hospital before I head back to the embassy."

"How come, Bronze?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.

"Oh, haven't you heard, Twilight?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically, "SIG Sauer is no longer in a coma."

At that, Twilight grinned merrily and stated "Really? When did he wake up?"

"This morning," he apprised her, "During the award ceremony, Dr. Seams approached me and told me the good news. Noble Edict and I have already been by to see SIG once. He seems to be doing quite well."

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Twilight requested, "I'd like to see him, too."

"By all means, come along," he openly encouraged her, "The more, the merrier."

The other five mares looked around at each other, as if they were all getting the same idea. Then they turned back to Bronze Star and Pinkie Pie offered "In that case, how about we come along?"

Bronze Star did not expect to hear this from them. Twilight Sparkle had known SIG Sauer almost as long as the prince had, so it would make sense why she would want to see him. However, the other five mares barely knew the pine green Unicorn at all. He wondered what would motivate them to visit him. It was possible they were equally concerned for SIG Sauer's well-being. It was possible they were looking for an opportunity to get to know him. It was even possible that they were simply being courteous.

Whatever the reason, Bronze Star figured he may as well accept their offer. He looked around at the mares and declared "Sure, you can come if you want. I just hope there won't be too many of us."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Noble and I weren't alone when we first went to see SIG Sauer," Bronze Star elucidated "There were three others with us. I'm willing to bet they're still with him right now. Noble might be there, too. If so, that may be problem. Nurse Red Heart told me that the hospital has a limit about how many visitors a patient can have at one time. I think it's like a dozen."

"It is," Rarity confirmed, "No need to worry, darling. There are eight of us. Noble Edict and SIG Sauer's other visitors are another four. Altogether, we add up to twelve."

"The perfect amount," Rainbow Dash commented.

Bronze Star realized the white Unicorn was correct. "Very well. Let's head on over to the hospital. I want to get there before visiting hours are over."

The others accepted this suggestion. Once all the baskets of apples were loaded into the barn, they left Sweet Apple Acres. Bronze Star led the way back into town. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie followed him close behind.

Spike brought up the rear of the group. On the way back to Ponyville, he held out the rotten muffins and said temptingly "Just a little nibble? Come on."

The only response he got was "Ew! Gross!" from most of the mares.

Most of the walk to the hospital was spent in silence. The only ones who spoke were Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle, and they only spoke two lines apiece.

Shortly after they reentered the town, the lavender mare walked alongside the gold stallion and queried "So, who are the other three visitors?"

"Mauser Sauer and Alpine Sauer are two of them," Bronze Star enlightened her, "I should probably wait until we get to SIG's room before I say the third one."

"How come?" she asked in puzzlement.

He just snickered and murmured "You'll see why."

Twilight was still curious, but she accepted this reason. The group then marched on in silence until they reached the hospital. When they stepped inside the lobby, a nurse other than Red Heart was at the front desk. She permitted the whole group to visit SIG Sauer, but she requested that they be quiet, as the night shift would start soon.

Two minutes later, the seven ponies and the baby dragon arrived at SIG Sauer's room. The door was closed, but they could hear voices on the other side. Bronze Star lightly knocked on the doorframe a few times with his right front hoof.

The door was quickly answered by Sharp Seams. The tan stallion grinned and pronounced "Ah, hello again, Mr. Ambassador. How nice of you to come by again. And I see you've brought more 'guests.'"

The gold stallion lightly nodded his head and said a little apprehensively "I hope this doesn't exceed the limit, Doctor."

Dr. Seams gazed around at the group as if he was counting them. Then he declared "No, you're still within the acceptable amount. Everypony come on in."

He stepped aside and held the door open, allowing the prince and his companions to enter.

Mauser and Alpine were at the left side of SIG Sauer's bed. The pine green Unicorn was sitting up straight and facing his children. They had their front hooves on his sides, as if they were helping him get out of bed. Noble Edict and Walther were at the right side of the bed. They were simply standing by and watching the three Unicorns.

As the seven ponies and the baby dragon entered, the other five ponies stopped what they were doing and turned to the entrance. When Twilight Sparkle stepped into the room, Alpine smiled and called out "Hey, Twilight!"

When she saw Alpine, Twilight smiled as well. Alpine trotted over to her, hugged her, and said "So glad to see you."

The lavender mare scoffed, hugged the chartreuse mare back, and told her "It's good to see you, too, Alpine."

When they came apart, Alpine remained smiling and remarked "I've missed you. And I'm not the only one. A lot of the others told me to say 'hello' for them. Class hasn't been quite the same without you."

"Yeah, I imagine it must be rather quiet up there since they no longer have somepony to correct them every time they make the slightest mistake," Bronze Star perceived.

This remark produced a round of laughter around the room. Even Twilight chuckled a bit in amusement. In actuality, she had gained a bit of a reputation in Canterlot for always trying to fix other people's errors, even if she had not been asked to provide assistance.

Once everypony settled down, Bronze Star turned back to the other five mares and told them "Girls, allow me to introduce a few more of my friends from Canterlot."

He placed his shoulder on the chartreuse mare's shoulder and declared "This is Alpine Sauer, SIG's daughter. She and Twilight are classmates at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns."

"Hi," Alpine stated very sweetly. The five mares greeted her in the same manner.

Bronze Star next pointed to the jasper stallion and continued with "That's Mauser Sauer, SIG's son. He works for the armed forces, specifically the Military Enforcement Corps."

"Evening, ladies," Mauser remarked politely, saluting the mares. Rarity and Fluttershy blushed slightly, but Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash calmly saluted him in return.

Bronze Star then drew their attention to the mahogany stallion. He began with "And, of course, this is…"

That was all he got out before he was interrupted by a high-pitched screech. At first, he thought it was the sound of a mouse screaming in agony. When he turned back to the mares, he discovered the real source.

Rainbow Dash was holding her front hooves over her mouth. She appeared to be extremely excited about something. As such, she was trying to prevent herself from squealing, and she was only having partial success.

"Is she alright?" Walther whispered to Noble Edict.

The red mare just sniggered and warned him "Brace yourself."

The cyan mare soon fell silent. Then she muttered softly "Oh… my… gosh…"

Immediately after this, she bolted over to the male Pegasus and stammered "You're… you're… you're General Walther!"

Walther scoffed and pronounced wryly "That is correct, ma'am. Who – might I ask – are you?"

"I'm your biggest fan!" Rainbow Dash shouted in elation at a fast pace, "You're a Wonderbolts legend! I know all your favorite strategies and maneuvers! I've memorized your entire list of accomplishments! Every battle, every race, every competition you've ever been in; if it's worth knowing about, I know it! I've learned all your flying patterns! And made a few minor improvements to some of them, but enough about me. Let's talk more about you! How are you?! What are you doing here?!"

Rainbow Dash was speaking so quickly and shaking so much that she almost made Pinkie Pie look serene. Noble Edict stepped up to the cyan mare and advised her "Dash, calm down."

Those three words were enough to make Rainbow Dash come to her senses. She had said that entire passage without pausing to breathe. As she caught her breath, she snickered uncomfortably and muttered "Sorry, I… I guess I got a little carried away."

"Let's hope it doesn't extend beyond 'a little,'" Twilight Sparkle leered.

Rainbow Dash turned back to her friends and saw them staring at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. She firmly uttered in denial "You guys didn't just see that."

"See what?" Bronze Star rejoined, humoring her.

Walther patted Rainbow Dash on her shoulder and told her "It's alright, ma'am. You don't have to explain yourself. You're not the first one who's reacted that way in front of me."

"That's certainly true," Bronze Star concurred, "In his prime, Walther couldn't go anywhere without drawing the attention of at least half a dozen crazed Wonderbolts fans."

"If I was lucky," Walther pointed out, "If I was unlucky, it would be closer to a full dozen. While it was enjoyable at first, all that attention got to be a burden after a while."

"At least you don't have that problem too much these days, huh, General?" Bronze Star commented slyly.

"Thankfully, no, sir," Walther responded drolly, "In fact, I think this is the first time in years that somepony has reacted… impulsively, for lack of a better word, to my presence."

"I'm really sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," Rainbow Dash told the mahogany Pegasus, "It's just that… I really admire the Wonderbolts. They've always been my idols. Especially the ones that hold the rank of General. I'm just incredibly honored to meet you."

Walther grinned down at her and stated "Then I'm honored to meet you as well, Miss…"

"Rainbow Dash," Bronze Star announced, "This is Rainbow Dash."

He then gestured to the four mares near the front of the room and informed Mauser, Alpine, and Walther "And that's Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie."

Everypony showed everypony else an appropriate amount of acknowledgment. Now that all the introductions had been given, Bronze Star looked around at the six ponies who had already been in the room and queried "So, what are you guys up to?"

"We decided to go ahead and begin Mr. Sauer's restoration program," Dr. Seams illuminated as he trotted over to the right side of the bed, "The first step is to restore his full mobility. In order to do that, we'll have to get him back on his hooves. Master Sauer and Miss Sauer were helping me get him out of bed when you knocked on the door."

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star commented.

"Shall we continue, Doctor?" SIG Sauer proposed.

"If you think you're up to it, Mr. Sauer," was the Doctor's candid response.

The pine green Unicorn nodded his head in confirmation. The tan Earth Pony smiled in approval. Alpine walked back over to the left side of the bed and stood next to Mauser. They held their father by his sides while Sharp Seams placed his front hooves on SIG Sauer's back. When they were ready, he instructed the two young Unicorns to begin carefully pulling their father up and out. At the same time, he gently pushed SIG Sauer forward.

Three minutes later, the middle-aged Unicorn was on all four hooves. He had a bit of twitch in his back hooves, but he quickly got it under control. Once he was no longer shaking, Mauser and Alpine released their grip on SIG Sauer. He stumbled a bit at first, but he managed to stand up straight and avoid falling over.

"Good work," Sharp Seams observed, "Now, if you can, try to take a few steps forward. Go very slowly and carefully."

SIG Sauer did as he was instructed. He looked down at his front hooves and gradually lifted the right one into the air. He moved it forward and placed it on the ground a few inches in front of him. He began putting weight on his hoof, being wary not to go too fast. He winced slightly when he felt a twinge in his hoof, but he could put up with the strain.

He allowed himself a thirty-second break. Then he repeated the process with his left front hoof, his right hind hoof, and his left hind hoof. After that, he did the whole thing several times over.

Ten minutes after he started, SIG Sauer was almost trotting normally. Sharp Seams decided that this was sufficient progress for the day. As Mauser and Alpine helped him sit down on the side of the bed, Dr. Seams smirked and announced "I'll tell you one thing, Mr. Sauer. You're one tough stallion. I don't think I've seen anypony with your kind of resilience."

"Then I'm guessing you've never been to Canterlot, Doctor," SIG Sauer conjectured, "Several of my colleagues and I have been trained to withstand extraordinary levels of pain. We are capable of getting hurt, but we never stay down for long. We have an excellent rate of recovery."

"Well, that's probably good news for both of us," the tan Earth Pony disclosed, "At this rate, I'll be able to release you from the hospital the day after tomorrow."

"Now that is definitely good news for both of us," the pine green Unicorn perceived.

Sharp Seams nodded his head in agreement. After a minute of silence, he glimpsed over at the clock on the wall. When he saw the time, he declared "I'll have to go now. The night shift is about to start soon, and they need a surgeon on-duty in the Emergency Room. If you need anything, Mr. Sauer, just press the button on the side of your bed. Somepony will be here within two minutes."

SIG Sauer acknowledged this statement. Sharp Seams then made his way to the door. When he got there, Bronze Star stopped him and stated "Doctor, before you go, I have a request."

"What might that be, Mr. Ambassador?" Dr. Seams queried.

"I would like you to forward Mr. Sauer's hospital bills directly to the embassy," the gold stallion expounded, "All of them. The ones for his operation, his stay in this building, and his rehabilitation. All of Mr. Sauer's medical expenses will be paid for by the Canterlot Royalty. Princess Celestia herself asked me to tell you that."

"Certainly, sir," Dr. Seams affirmed, "I'll have them delivered to you as soon as Mr. Sauer is released from my care."

Bronze Star was content with this response. The surgeon departed from the recovery room and closed the door behind him. Once he was out of the ward, Bronze Star was able to drop the act.

"Princess Celestia didn't ask you to say that, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle noted.

"You're right, Twilight," he admitted, "I made that decision on my own. I always look out for my own, even if that means handling their bills."

"That's very generous of you, sir," SIG Sauer stated, "But you don't have to do that."

"Well, I want to do it, SIG," Bronze Star assured him, "It's because of you that my mother was returned to us. You may claim you were just doing your job, but I feel compelled to show my appreciation for that. Besides, I easily have the means to provide for your medical expenses."

"You're certainly in an ideal position to do so, sir," Noble Edict remarked.

"My point exactly, Noble," Bronze Star coincided, "That's one of the best things about my status. You can speak for the Canterlot Royalty and be one of them at the same time without attracting unwanted attention."

"Well, I commend you on how well you've adapted to civilian life, Your Highness," Walther thought aloud, "When I was younger, I tried to go undercover myself a few times. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much luck as you."

"Considering your sprawling popularity from back then, I'm not surprised," Bronze Star rejoined.

"That was the primary reason my efforts at a covert operation never worked out," Walther disclosed, "That and the fact that I didn't have the option to change my appearance like you. That probably would have made things easier."

"Perhaps," Bronze Star commented, "But I can't really imagine you with a smooth back, Walther. You've always told me that your wings are one of your biggest assets."

Walther lightly shrugged and admitted "Yes, and that claim has always been true. My wings don't just get me around. They also help me locate my resources."

Bronze Star's last statement had caught Rainbow Dash's attention. She stepped up to the gold stallion and stated "Hold on a second, Bronze. How is it YOU know Walther?"

Bronze Star turned to the cyan mare and sincerely replied "He works for me."

Rainbow was surprised to hear this. "He does?"

As Bronze Star nodded his head, Noble Edict stated "You told me he works for the Intelligence Bureau."

"Yes, because I placed him there," Bronze Star enlightened the red mare, "You see, the Intelligence Bureau is responsible for gathering information from all over the country. While the Bureau itself is not a military-based organization, a number of officers from every branch of the armed forces work there. Those officers provide correspondence between the two establishments. Whenever the soldiers in the field come across anything that pertains or could pertain to national security, they deliver their findings to their colleagues in the Bureau."

"I've been on both sides of that relationship," Walther took over the explanation, "It's been twenty-nine years since I joined the Wonderbolts. However, I only really regard the first twenty-three as my years of service. Those were the years when I flew all over Equestria. Sometimes I went solo; sometimes I worked with a squad. Most of the time, I was tasked with investigating threats and accumulating knowledge. Nothing ever evaded my notice."

"That's probably how you gained the nickname 'Watching-You Walther,'" SIG Sauer remarked amusedly.

"What have you been up to these past six years?" Rainbow Dash asked in interest, "I always read the 'Wonderbolts: Where are they now?' articles, and you're not in any of them."

"For good reason, my dear," Walther apprised her, "The Intelligence Bureau is built on secrecy. For the last six years, I have been working in Canterlot as a Wonderbolts liaison at the Bureau. I leave most of the evidence-collecting in the field to the flyers of the next generation."

"But he's still very good at finding things," Bronze Star declared.

"Indeed, sir," Walther concurred, "On that note, there's something I have for you."

"What might that be, General?" Bronze Star queried.

Walther did not respond straightaway. Instead, he gazed around at the others, particularly Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. It was as though he was deliberating something. The gold stallion detected some skepticism in his countenance.

"You can speak openly, Walther," Bronze Star assured the middle-aged Pegasus, "I can trust everypony here to keep my identity a secret. So they can be trusted to remain quiet about whatever information you have as well."

"If you say so, Your Highness," Walther accepted. He turned to his side and picked up the steel briefcase he had brought from the train station. He placed it on an empty table, reached back to his right wing, and plucked out one of his feathers. At least, it looked like one of his feathers. If one looked close enough, they could see it was actually a key disguised as a feather. Walther took the key, inserted it into the lock, and gave it a complete 360-degree rotation. The lid of the suitcase then popped up an inch. Walther slowly opened it up and removed a folder. He turned to the gold stallion and gestured for him to come over. When Bronze Star reached the mahogany stallion, Walther held out the folder and stated "There you are."

As the young prince took the file, he inquired "Is it about that mare?"

"Yes, sir; it's about her," Walther confirmed.

"Wait, who are we talking about here?" Pinkie Pie interceded curiously.

"The people who attacked SIG were part of a cult," Noble Edict elucidated, "Three of them were living in the apartment complex in the two weeks preceding the Summer Sun Celebration. I interviewed the landlord, Mr. Lessee, and he informed me that the cultists were frequently visited by a mare. We have strong reason to believe that this mare was involved in their affairs. At the time, we knew nothing about her, not even her name. Fortunately, Mr. Lessee was able to give our sketch artist a vivid physical description of her."

"I sent Walther a copy of the sketch so that he could identify her," Bronze Star expounded.

"You'll be pleased to know I was able to do much more than just identify her," Walther proudly disclosed, "Take a look at what I managed to dig up."

Bronze Star opened up the folder and looked over its contents. They were very detailed and elaborate. As the gold stallion examined them, Walther announced "Her name is Hazy Wisp. She was born to an aristocratic family originally from Vanhoover. She received her education at the University of Neightown, where she took a double-major in business and law."

"The University of Neightown?" SIG Sauer noted, "That's where Dense Miasma claimed he, Soapstone, and Petal Picker went to college."

"I'm fairly certain that's not a coincidence," Walther asserted, "After she graduated and received her diploma, Hazy Wisp went to Canterlot. There she applied for a contractor's license from the labor department. Her request was rejected twice, but it was approved the third time. Once she had her license, she wasted no time in putting it to use. Over the next several years, she ran her own messenger service. It was a relatively successful enterprise. She had scores of employees who transported special deliveries to every corner of the country."

"That hardly sounds like the lifestyle of an extremist," Twilight Sparkle declared.

"That's what I thought, too," Walther stated, "I studied every single transaction made by Hazy Wisp's corporation. At first, there did not appear to be anything that suggested she is involved in this conspiracy. Or that she ever did anything to break the law. Then I took a look at the company's manifest. That's when I started striking gold."

"What did you find?" Noble Edict queried in interest.

"After she acquired her contractor's license, Hazy Wisp rarely ever left Canterlot," Walther explained, "Her messengers did all the travelling for her. She kept a logbook of where she sent her employees, as well as who she sent. I managed to get my hooves on a copy of this logbook, and I found that somepony had unsuccessfully attempted to erase the very last entry. According to what was left of it, three of Hazy Wisp's newest workers came to Ponyville less than a month ago. Guess who they were?"

"Three of the four ponies who are currently in the morgue?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Correct," Walther confirmed, "It would appear as though Soapstone, Petal Picker, and Dense Miasma were not looking for work after all. Hazy Wisp was their boss. Also, you know that other cultist, Tough Titan? He was in the company manifest, as well. Turns out Hazy Wisp employed him as her bodyguard. He accompanied her almost everywhere she went."

Bronze Star grinned in satisfaction and declared "Hazy Wisp must have been the mare in the cloak."

"I agree," Walther concurred, "While it may be too early to say for certain, I believe that Hazy Wisp is the mastermind behind this plot. She may be the key to uncovering the rest of this conspiracy. We find her, we find out who else is involved."

"Excellent work, Walther," Bronze Star commended the mahogany Pegasus as he looked through the folder, "I'm quite pleased that you were able to find this much information about Hazy Wisp. If we had the time, I'd go over the contents of this entire folder with you right now. Unfortunately… that might not be possible."

"Why do you say that, sir?" Walther queried in perplexity.

"Based on the length of these documents, it would take hours to cover all this material," Bronze Star observed, handing the folder back to Walther "It's a little late for us to commit ourselves to that much work. I didn't intend to be here this long anyway. I just wanted to stop by to see how SIG was doing. Now that I know he's getting better, I should probably be heading back to the embassy soon."

"Do you have plans for the evening?" Noble Edict assumed.

"Actually, yes," Bronze Star affirmed, "I'm having dinner with my aunt."

"You mean–" Twilight Sparkle began. She was interrupted by a loud knock on the door to the room. Everypony turned their attention towards the door. Twilight was the closest to the entrance, so she was the one who answered it. She used her magic to turn the doorknob, and she slowly swung it open. When she came face-to-face with the person on the other side, the lavender mare stepped back in surprise and muttered "Princess Luna?"

Sure enough, the blue Alicorn was standing directly before the magic student. She was accompanied by two of the Royal Guard; one on either side of her. She stepped up to the door, nodded her head once, and spoke softly "Hello. I hope I am not disturbing you."

"Certainly not, Your Highness," Bronze Star assured her, trotting closer to the door, "Please, come in."

Princess Luna gently smiled and entered the room. She had to duck down a little to avoid bumping her horn on the doorframe. Once she was inside, she returned to her full height. She then gazed over her shoulder and told her guards "You may wait outside."

The two armored stallions nodded and shut the door. Once it was closed, Princess Luna turned back to the others. For about twenty seconds, nothing happened. Then one-by-one, eleven of the ponies and the baby dragon bowed to her. SIG Sauer was the only one who did not bow. He still rose to his hooves out of respect. He would have bowed as well, but his injury made it difficult for him to crouch down.

"Please, as you were," Luna bade them.

The others obediently stood up straight. For thirty seconds, nopony spoke. Then Bronze Star broke the silence with "So, what do we owe this visit?"

"I wished to… shall we say, pay my respects," the blue Alicorn tentatively began. After a short pause, she gazed around the room and queried "Are you certain I am not intruding?"

"Of course not, Princess," Twilight Sparkle guaranteed her, "You have as much a right to be here as any of us. You aren't getting in the way of anything."

"Except…" Spike interposed, "I thought this place only allowed twelve visitors at once. Wouldn't she make thirteen?"

"Shut up, Spike," Bronze Star mumbled quietly.

"Shutting up," the dragon uttered in compliance.

"He is right, though," Twilight Sparkle pointed out, "Maybe some of us should go."

"My animals need to be fed, so I think I'll leave," Fluttershy mentioned.

"I suppose I may as well," Rarity pronounced, "I'm meeting with a client in the morning."

"I've got parties to plan," was all Pinkie Pie said.

"I'm going to head out, too," Rainbow Dash announced. She gazed over at Walther and told him "We gotta together and talk sometime while you're here. Whenever you're available, come by my house. I live in a cloudominium to the north of town."

Walther scoffed, nodded in acknowledgment, and stated "Alright, Miss Dash. I'll be sure to swing by."

After he said this, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash departed from the recovery room.

Bronze Star stepped up to Applejack and proposed "You should probably head home, too. You've been through a lot this past week, and you deserve to have a good night's sleep."

Applejack grinned knowingly and remarked "If you say so, sugar cube. After what happened today, I would have to be thick as a nail to ignore friendly advice, especially when it's from you. Thanks again for what you did for me back at the farm."

"You're quite welcome," he assured her, smiling.

The orange mare then exited the recovery room and headed towards the hospital's entrance. Bronze Star then closed the door again and turned back to the remaining six ponies in the recovery room.

"What DID you do for Applejack?" SIG Sauer inquired in interest.

"I'll tell you later," Bronze Star assured. He looked to his aunt and recalled "You were saying something about 'paying your respects?'"

"That is correct," the blue Alicorn confirmed. She turned towards SIG Sauer and slowly advanced over to him. The pine green Unicorn was almost as tall as she was. Mauser and Alpine took a couple steps back to give them the two of them some space. Luna looked into their father's eyes and told him "Mr. Sauer, earlier today, I found out from Prince Bronze Star that you woke up this morning. When he told me he planned to visit you sometime today, I asked him to express my appreciation to you for the role you played during the Summer Sun Celebration. However, in the hours since then, I have had time to think, and I've decided it would be more appropriate if I came to tell you that myself. So please know that you have my eternal gratitude for what you did."

"I am extremely flattered to hear that, Your Highness," SIG Sauer guaranteed her, "But you did not have to come all the way out here to tell me that. I was just doing my job."

Bronze Star rolled his eyes and muttered exasperatedly "There he goes again, with that 'strictly business' routine."

Walther scoffed at that statement. Everypony else was indifferent to it. Princess Luna leaned closer to the pine green stallion and told him "Mr. Sauer, I applaud you for your modesty, but there is absolutely no need for it. It is because of my nephew and his friends that I was saved that night, but it is because of YOU that my sister was saved. I cannot tell you how glad I am that both of us were rescued. However, if you could only able to save one of us, I would have wanted it to be Princess Celestia."

SIG Sauer was mildly surprised to hear this. So were the others to some degree. Ultimately, the pine green stallion rejoined with "Really, Your Higness?"

"Yes," Luna affirmed, "I love my sister dearly. If I had to choose between her and myself at the time, I would have much rather remained lost in my own madness than doomed her to eternal imprisonment. Aside from that, she is the one with an heir. While I have not known my nephew for very long, in the time I have, I have become quite fond of him. I never would have forgiven myself if I took his mother away from him."

"What really matters is that you didn't," Bronze Star reminded his aunt, coming to her side, "Nopony in this room harbors any ill will towards you, Princess. Me least of all. You are not Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon was a totally different person. The only thing you and she have in common is that you prefer night over day. The similarities end there. To compare you to her any further would be to compare a pony to a beast."

Luna absorbed her nephew's words and reflected on them. Eventually, she turned to him and asked "Do you honestly mean that?"

"Without a doubt," he swore to her.

At that, a smile crept across Luna's face and she stated "Thank you. I am relieved to hear you say that."

"That's one admirable thing about Prince Bronze Star," Walther declared, "He always says what's on his mind, and it's always what everypony wants to hear."

"I'm inclined to agree, Mr…" Luna stated, turning to the Pegasus.

Bronze Star then realized the blue Alicorn only knew half the people in the room. He trotted over to the mahogany stallion and declared "Aunt Luna, this is General Walther of the Wonderbolts."

The General grinned and gave Luna a nod of acknowledgment. She smiled in return. When she turned back to SIG Sauer, the pine green stallion had his right front hoof on the jasper stallion's back and his left front hoof on the chartreuse mare's back. He stated merrily "I would like to introduce my children as well, Your Highness. This is my son, Mauser, and my daughter, Alpine."

"Delighted to meet you, Princess," Mauser proclaimed.

"My pleasure," Luna said in response, smiling, "Your father is a true hero. You must be proud of him."

"Oh, we are, Your Highness," Alpine genuinely professed, "We always have been."

Luna nodded in approval. After a moment, she inquired "Are you from Canterlot?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Mauser replied smugly, "Born and raised there."

"Same here," Walther avowed, "I've been all over Equestria in my lifetime, but the capital city has always been my home."

"I've never actually been there," Luna disclosed, "What is it like?"

"It's a beautiful place," Alpine apprised her, "You'd have to actually go there to grasp the full scope of its wonder."

"That's what I've been told," the blue Alicorn stated, "When did you arrive in Ponyville?"

"This afternoon," Noble Edict answered for the others, "They got here by train. Bronze Star and I welcomed them at the depot."

"Speaking of which, our luggage is still in storage down there," Alpine pointed out, "We should probably go back for it sometime soon."

"I agree," Mauser declared, "However, we never really worked out where we're going to stay while we're in Ponyville. Before we get our bags, we should probably decide on that first."

"Well, there are plenty of openings at the apartment complex," Noble Edict proposed, "I'm certain Mr. Lessee would be willing to accommodate you."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," SIG Sauer skeptically remarked, "I mean, if those cultists were able to blend in without any problems, who knows who else may be residing in that area?"

"Mr. Lessee assured me that he's being much more selective about who he lets in," Noble Edict informed the pine green Unicorn.

"You don't have to worry about us, Dad," Mauser assured his father, "We aren't expecting any problems while we're here."

"Yeah, there's no need to become overprotective of us again, Dad," Alpine coincided.

"I do not believe your father is being overprotective," Luna perceived, "He is simply being wary. That I can respect. While we're on this subject, perhaps I can offer a suitable alternative."

"What might that be?" Walther enquired.

Luna paused for a moment, and then she replied "The three of you can come stay at the embassy."

Mauser, Alpine, and Walther did not expect to hear this. Bronze Star was downright stunned that those words had come out of his aunt's mouth. But in a way, he was pleasantly surprised as well.

"That is a very generous offer, Your Highness," Walther acknowledged, "However, are you certain we would not be imposing?"

"Of course not," Luna insisted, "The only people who are living there at the present are myself and Bronze Star. There is plenty of room for three more ponies. And even four, if SIG Sauer needs somewhere to reside once he is released from the hospital. In addition to that, my nephew has been helping me prepare for whenever I move to the capital city. He has taught me all about the customs of the Canterlot Royalty, but I still know very little about how the common people live. What better way to familiarize myself with their culture than by spending a few days living with a few people who have lived as civilians in Canterlot?"

Mauser, Alpine, and Walther could not deny that there was a fair amount of logic in Luna's reasoning. Plus, they did not feel it would be right to refuse such an offer from a princess. Luna seemed determined to have them over as guests at the embassy. Ultimately, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther agreed to move in at the embassy for the next few days. Bronze Star did not object to this in any way. He was actually glad that his aunt had come up with the arrangement and presented it first. To him, it was a sign that Luna was another step closer to reintegrating herself into her past role as a leader of Equestria.

> The Degrees Of Familiarity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

SIG Sauer's guests stayed with him for another half-hour. After that, Nurse Red Heart came by the recovery ward and informed them that visiting hours were over. They agreed to leave so that the pine green Unicorn could get his rest.

The six ponies trotted to the hospital's front entrance together. Once they were outside, Noble Edict broke off from the group and went back to her office at the barracks. The other five planned to head back to the embassy. Walther, Mauser, and Alpine stopped by the train depot first to pick up their luggage. Bronze Star and Princess Luna went straight to the embassy, as did the two Royal Guards who had accompanied the latter to the hospital.

By now, the Sun had set. The town was immersed in darkness and there was almost nopony out on the streets. Luna ordered her guards to trudge behind her and Bronze Star by about ten meters. This allowed the two Alicorns to speak freely as they walked.

"When will Mr. Sauer be back on his hooves?" she queried.

"Dr. Seams estimates another two days," he answered, "Maybe one and a-half. It'll depend on how the restoration program goes. As well as SIG's morale."

"Why his morale?" she said.

"Often, SIG's motivation is determined by his overall mood," he clarified, "Thanks to you, I'm certain he'll be in a very good mood for a while."

"Why is that?" Luna inquired.

"SIG Sauer has worked for the government for decades," Bronze Star expounded, "He's one of the most patriotic stallions I know. To him, the highest gift of honor is gaining the gratitude of a member of the Equestrian Royalty. You gave him that just now."

Luna smiled at that, and she stated "I'm delighted to hear that. I was hoping my visit would have that sort of effect on him. To think that before I went to the hospital, I was actually debating whether or not showing up there would have been a good idea."

"Well, I'm glad you decided it was," Bronze Star told the blue mare happily, "I'm proud of you, Aunt Luna. Coming to thank SIG personally was a very bold gesture. It couldn't have been easy to appear in public like that."

"I will admit I was skeptical at first," Luna professed, "For a time, I was even concerned that my presence might have had a negative effect. But I managed to overcome my apprehension. Now I feel much more confident about making public appearances."

"That's great," Bronze Star commented, "How long before you'll be ready to face the capital city's crowds?"

"It may not be long," she conjectured, "Maybe a few weeks. There are still some items of business I would like to discuss about Canterlot before I go there. Most of them pertain to how the common people live. SIG Sauer, his children, and General Walther should be able to help me with those points."

"What about me?" Bronze Star enquired, "Is there anything more I can do to assist?"

"You've already given me plenty of aid," Luna assured him, "However, there is perhaps one thing you could help me with."

"Certainly," her nephew affirmed, "What might it be?"

"Yesterday, I was reading a book about formal exchange etiquette," Luna disclosed, "I came across a passage about something known as the 'Royal Canterlot Voice.' The information on it was vague at best. Do you suppose you'd be able to enlighten me?"

Bronze Star lightly chuckled in response. Then he commented cheekily "Yeah, I can tell you plenty about THAT. I could demonstrate it for you, too. But considering the lateness of the hour, I wouldn't recommend that. Not unless we wanted to wake up the entire neighborhood. We should probably wait until morning to get into this."

Luna was content with this proposal. Their discussion ended there and they continued trotting in quietness.

That night was a pretty quiet night in general. Soon, Luna and Bronze Star arrived back at the embassy. Alpine, Mauser, and Walther got there a few minutes later with their luggage. When they arrived, the two Alicorns showed the two Unicorns and the Pegasus to the guest chambers. After the three of them got settled in, they had dinner with Bronze Star and Luna. After dinner, they all retired to their rooms and called it a night.

The next two days were relatively uneventful. While Luna remained in the embassy in all that time, the other four ponies spent plenty of time out in the neighborhood.

Mauser had not been on vacation in over a year. He had enough leave time accumulated to last for two weeks. He intended to take advantage of this break while it lasted. He spent most of the time interacting with the locals and browsing through the town.

While Alpine planned to enjoy their trip as well, she also planned to get some learning in while she was in Ponyville. After breakfast, she collected her school materials and went to Golden Oaks Library, hoping that she and Twilight could study together. The lavender Unicorn was more than happy to have a partner to hit the books with.

After SIG Sauer's children left the embassy, Walther came to Bronze Star and offered to go over the information he had on Hazy Wisp with him. The gold stallion accepted this proposal, but he suggested that they involve Noble Edict in their discussion. After all she had done, Bronze Star felt she deserved to be kept up to date.

Walther agreed to this proposal. After acquiring his steel briefcase from his room, the veteran Wonderbolt and the young prince made their way to the barracks. They found the chief of security in their office, as if she had been waiting for them.

The three ponies spent the next few hours going over Walther's findings on Hazy Wisp. They covered pretty much everything, but to save some time, they only briefly skimmed through the details that seemed trivial or insignificant. They focused primarily on what seemed relevant. Interestingly, Hazy Wisp had no criminal record, no history of resisting the government, and no established belief in any ideologies. Neither did the vast majority of her employees. Hazy Wisp had not been seen since the Summer Sun Celebration, but her employees were still all over Equestria. Even though their employer had vanished, Hazy Wisp's employees were still running the business. This implied that somepony else was giving out the orders. However, there was no chain-of-command in Hazy Wisp's corporation. This bid the question; who was keeping it alive?

Currently, they did not have enough evidence to conduct an investigation of the company, but Walther's discoveries and Mr. Lessee's testimony were enough to call for the detaining of its creator. Noble Edict advised that they issue a warrant for Hazy Wisp's arrest. Walther supported this idea; he had the capacity to issue such a warrant on the federal level. Bronze Star approved this, but he asked that they not make the warrant a public one. He wanted to limit the number of people who knew about Hazy Wisp's involvement in the cultist conspiracy to ponies who worked for the government.

When the three ponies finally wrapped up the matter of Hazy Wisp, Bronze Star turned their attention to her necklace. He was curious to know what Walther had uncovered about that symbol around Hazy Wisp's neck.

Unfortunately, Walther's research in this matter was nowhere near as favorable. He had found next to nothing on the symbol. That is not to say he did not try. He looked everywhere through the Intelligence Bureau's archives, but he never came across anything that even partially resembled the insignia. He could not even speculate on what it was supposed to represent. To him, it was nothing more than a cluster of five shapes.

Although Bronze Star was somewhat disappointed, he was very permissive. After all, Walther was one of the best investigators he knew, but even the mahogany Pegasus had limits on what he could accomplish on his own. Bronze Star could not and did not expect him to solve this entire conspiracy by himself.

Walther assured the prince that he would keep his eyes open for the symbol in the future. Still, he was not very enthusiastic about the chances of encountering it again. Noble Edict and Bronze Star would look out for the symbol as well. They were more confident that they had not seen the last of it.

After the meeting at the barracks, Walther and Bronze Star went back to the embassy. Walther headed back outside after dropping off his briefcase. Bronze Star decided to stay there for a while. Since it was the middle of the day, he figured this would be the best time to introduce Luna to the Royal Canterlot Voice.

The blue Alicorn did not take long to learn the Royal Canterlot Voice. She took very well to using the royal "we." She definitely had no problem using enough volume. Compared to her, Bronze Star's version of the Voice was like a whisper.

Bronze Star spent much of the afternoon to help his Aunt practice the Royal Canterlot Voice. Occasionally, a random pedestrian or neighbor appeared outside the embassy's front gates to complain about the noise. None of them protested more than once when they realized this "noise" was actually Princess Luna speaking.

The following day, SIG Sauer was released from the hospital at nine in the morning. Bronze Star, Mauser, Alpine, Walther, and Twilight Sparkle greeted him at the front entrance. Although he had made a full recovery, Sharp Seams recommended that he take it easy for the next few days. In accordance with Bronze Star's earlier request, Dr. Seams forwarded SIG Sauer's hospital bills directly to the embassy.

Despite the tan stallion's suggestion, SIG Sauer was not compelled to spend the rest of the day just lounging around. He had been lying on a hospital bed for most of the past twelve days, and he was elated to be back on his hooves. However, Bronze Star made the pine green Unicorn vow that he would not do anything physically demanding too soon.

SIG Sauer spent the day out on the town with Mauser and Alpine. Bronze Star would have joined them, but he felt the three of them deserved to be by themselves. After all, it had been months since the three of them had been available for an entire day, and it had been even longer since they had an opportunity to spend some quality time together.

So while SIG Sauer was with his children, Bronze Star decided to go ahead and handle SIG's hospital bills. He headed over to the embassy and acquired his money bags. When he first came to Ponyville, he had brought a fair amount of gold from Canterlot. He had spent it wisely during his stay. The current remainder was more than twice the amount needed to account for SIG Sauer's medical expenses. However, Bronze Star made a note to replenish his supply sometime in the next month, just in case something else came up.

In the evening, the Sauer family and Walther returned to the embassy. Oddly enough, this was the first time SIG Sauer had gone inside the embassy since he arrived in Ponyville. Before that day, the closest he had come to the building was just outside the front gates. That was when he introduced Bronze Star and Noble Edict to each other.

Now SIG Sauer would be temporarily moving in. Bronze Star was glad the building was so big. There was more than enough room for all six of its current inhabitants to have their space. And all six of them valued their space very much, especially Luna.

Nothing particularly interesting happened over the course of these two days. However, the next day did witness a fair amount of excitement.

In the early morning, Alpine Sauer and Twilight Sparkle decided to do some more schoolwork together. Alpine suggested doing it outdoors, where they could get some sunlight and air. Twilight liked this idea, and she proposed that they go the park. She claimed that area reminded her of the courtyard in Canterlot's School for Gifted Unicorns.

Bronze Star had another meeting with the Mayor and City Council that day. This meeting lasted for about an hour and a-half. During it, several of the council members asked Bronze Star to convey their appreciation to SIG Sauer for all he had done, as well as their relief that he had recovered from his injury. He assured them that he would do so the next time he saw the pine green stallion.

As it turned out, Bronze Star encountered SIG Sauer shortly after the meeting ended. Once the gold stallion showed Mayor Mare and her staff to the door, SIG Sauer and Mauser Sauer came downstairs. They planned to go on a long run, and they invited Bronze Star to join them. Since he had nothing else on his schedule for the rest of the day, he accepted.

While Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were glad to get out, they both had an unexpected run-in with a certain hyperactive pink mare.

Twilight and Alpine spent much of the morning in the park lying on a bench, reading a book on the history of the clashes between magic and science. They read in silence for a while, and then Twilight looked up at her friend and inquired "So, has anything exciting happened in Canterlot lately?"

"Well, there was that announcement Princess Celestia made," Alpine recalled.

"What announcement?" the lavender mare queried.

"The day after the Summer Sun Celebration, Princess Celestia informed the public that her sister returned to Equestria," the chartreuse mare replied, "Ever since then, the capital city has been eagerly preparing for Princess Luna's arrival. She'll certainly be given a royal welcome whenever she gets to Canterlot."

Twilight smiled and stated "She'll be delighted to know that."

"She already knows," Alpine disclosed, "Mauser and I told her about it yesterday. Sure enough, she was very pleased to know that the people of Canterlot are looking forward to her arrival."

"Well, good for her," Twilight remarked merrily, "Other than these preparations, has anything else been going on?"

"Nothing I would call memorable," Alpine stated, "Then again, I was a little distracted in the days leading up to when we got to Ponyville. Probably because in the back of mind, I could not ignore the fact that my father was in a hospital."

"I understand what you mean," Twilight assured her, "If I was in your position and my father was the one who got attacked, I'm certain I would have been distraught, too."

"Any mare would," Alpine debated, "I know that my Dad's job often involves him putting his own life in danger, but I still can't imagine losing him. Especially since I've already lost my mother."

There was a sort pause as Alpine gazed off to the side. Twilight could see that the other magic student seemed a little dreary. She frowned, placed her hoof on her friend's shoulder, and told her "I'm sorry I brought this up."

"It's okay, Twilight," Alpine notified her friend, suddenly brightening up a bit, "Why the hay are we even talking about this? Right now, I should just be glad my father is out of the hospital."

Twilight smiled, nodded her head in agreement, and commented "I take it he's doing well?"

"Yeah, very well," Alpine affirmed, "His stay in the hospital made him feel a little sluggish, but he's already regained his strength. In fact, he and Mauser are going running today. They'll be jogging all over the town."

"Well then, maybe they'll jog by us sometime today," Twilight conjectured.

"Maybe," Alpine endorsed.

The two mares continued reading in silence for a while. Then they had a visitor. However, it was not Alpine's father or brother. Instead, it was Pinkie Pie.

The pink mare entered the park cheerfully as if she did not have a care in the world. When she spotted the two Unicorns on the bench, she bounced over to them and called out "Hello, Twilight! Hello, Alpine!"

Alpine gazed up, smiled, and stated "Good morning, Pinkie Pie."

"Hi, Pinkie," Twilight uttered without looking up from the book.

"What'cha up to?" the pink mare.

"Reading," Twilight bluntly responded.

"What about?" Pinkie Pie queried.

"Historical examples of when magic and science have proven to go hoof-in-hoof," Alpine informed her.

"Ooooo, sounds like fun," Pinkie declared.

"You could call it that," Alpine slyly commented, "I bet Twilight would agree. Her idea of having a good time is taking a few hours to learn about Equestrian history."

"I would feel offended, Alpine," Twilight pronounced, "But I don't see that as an insult. And I can't really deny that what you say is true. That IS my idea of a good time."

Alpine scoffed and patted her friend on the back, lightly shaking her head in amusement.

As she did this, Pinkie Pie stepped forward and stated "Do you know what MY idea of having a good time is?"

"Throwing parties?" Twilight drily presumed.

"How'd you know?" Pinkie Pie said in astonishment.

"A wild guess, perhaps" Alpine proposed.

"Well, being wild can make you be lucky," Pinkie Pie proclaimed, "Speaking of parties, we haven't officially welcomed you, your brother, or General Walther to Ponyville yet, Alpine."

"What does that have to do with parties?" the chartreuse mare queried in confusion.

"I always hold a party when somepony new arrives in town," the pink mare clarified, "Hey, Twilight, remember that party I threw for you when you first got here?"

"How could I not?" Twilight rejoined, smirking, "You're the only person I know who has the bravado to host a party in a library."

Pinkie Pie seemed a bit confused at that last statement. She remarked "What's 'bravo ado?'"

"Bravado," Alpine corrected her, "It refers to boldness or nerve."

"Oh, okay," Pinkie acknowledged, "Still, we should really decide when to throw a 'welcome to Ponyville' party for Alpine, Mauser, and General Walther."

"Well, we'll probably be in Ponyville for a week or two," Alpine disclosed, "I'll be good with whatever date you'd prefer."

"How about tomorrow afternoon?" Pinkie immediately proposed.

"Sure, Pinkie," Alpine conceded, "First you should check with my brother and the General. If they're available, we can go with tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, goodie," Pinkie thought aloud. There was an interval of silence, and then the pink mare queried "So, have you enjoyed being in Ponyville so far?"

"Oh, yeah; definitely" Alpine answered her. She sat up a bit and looked around the area, saying "It's funny, really. When I first heard that Twilight would be staying here, I was quite surprised. I mean, I never would have thought that she of all ponies would ever choose to study abroad. But now that I'm here, I can see why she decided that. Ponyville is a very lovely place. It's peaceful, sparsely populated, and its humble appearance complements the natural beauty of the surrounding meadows. In fact, being here is actually making me consider studying abroad, too."

"If you came here, I certainly wouldn't protest, Alpine," Twilight revealed, "After all, you're like the only pony in our class who doesn't talk about me behind my back."

While Alpine was grateful that Twilight approved her idea to study abroad in Ponyville, she was a bit surprised by the cynicism of that last statement. She told her friend reassuringly "Twilight, just because some of the others gossip about you, that doesn't mean they all think badly of you. Most of them are probably just jealous that Princess Celestia didn't pick THEM as her personal apprentice."

"That's what I've always suspected," Twilight proclaimed, "Even though I've never gloated about having the Princess as my mentor, I couldn't help but feel that a few of our classmates are a little resentful of me. Oh well; at least here, I don't have to put up with them."

"Nope, you certainly don't, Twilight," Pinkie conferred, "Here in Ponyville, nopony goes out of their way to make anypony else feel disliked or belittled. Even though there are times when not everything goes right. But most of the time, everything does! Let me tell you about a funny thing that happened a couple weeks ago…"

Pinkie Pie then went into a rant about everything that happened recently which excited her. Since she was easily excited, she was speaking for quite a while. Before long, Twilight and Alpine decided to ignore her and just pretend to keep listening.

At one point, Pinkie Pie talked about a stunt she had seen Rainbow Dash perform the other day. She recollected "Hoof-biting action overload! She was like a stunt superstar, flying higher and higher, and then Rainbow Dash swooped down-swoosh-and right before she hit the ground-shoom-she pulled up-vrrrmmm!"

"Uh-huh," was all Twilight said in response.

"Cool, Pinkie," Alpine bluntly commented.

The pink mare unceasingly continued with "And then she looped around and around like whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo!"

"Uh-huh," Twilight repeated. Alpine did not even bother giving a verbal response that time.

At this moment, Rainbow Dash flew over their heads. Pinkie Pie spotted the cyan Pegasus and noticed she was on a collision course for a mountain. She quickly trotted after her friend to warn her.

Once the pink mare was out of the park, Twilight muttered agitatedly "Phew. I thought she'd never stop."

Alpine just smirked and professed "She may be hyperactive, but it's hard to get bored around her. I like her already."

The two Unicorns resumed reading their textbook in silence. That was the last they saw of Pinkie Pie before noon, when they went back into town. This time, they only saw her for about fifteen seconds. She was looking for Rainbow Dash, and she asked the two of them if they had seen her. Twilight pointed out that the cyan mare was directly above their heads. Sure enough, she was resting on a cloud. But that quickly changed after Pinkie Pie spotted her. Five seconds after the pink mare called out to her winged friend, Rainbow Dash hastily bolted away from the area. Pinkie Pie calmly bounced after her.

Rainbow Dash tried several times to get away from Pinkie Pie. She tried hiding in Golden Oaks Library, Sweet Apple Acres, and the town swimming hole. Somehow, the Earth Pony always managed to inexplicably catch up to the Pegasus. It was as though she was defying the laws of physics. Eventually, the cyan mare stopped trying to escape and asked the pink mare what she wanted.

All Pinkie Pie told her was that she was needed a favor, but she assured Rainbow Dash that they would have fun. She did not tell her what exactly she had in mind; all she did say was that it involved Spike and a raincloud.

By this time, Bronze Star, Mauser, and SIG Sauer had finished their run. The three stallions got in a fairly decent workout, as they had been all over the district that morning. As they reentered Ponyville, they slowed their pace to a steady trot so that they could catch their breath. They decided to have a casual conversation about recent events.

"So, let me get this straight," Mauser stated, "When she saw how much work was left, she just passed out and stopped breathing right in front of you?"

"That's right; she almost literally worked herself to death," Bronze Star confirmed.

"Yet you managed to revive her with CPR?" SIG remarked.

"Yeah, but I had to administer it twice," Bronze recalled, "I was staring directly into her eyes when she regained consciousness. Caught me totally off guard."

Mauser chuckled and commented "That must have been something."

"I'm just glad it worked," Bronze Star disclosed, "It's been ten years since I first learned CPR, and I failed the test three times before your father passed me. Remember that, SIG?"

"Hard to forget, sir," the pine green stallion retorted amusedly "That was mostly because your compressions were too rough. Any firmer and you probably would have cracked the patient's rib."

"Well, give him some credit, Dad," Mauser contended, "Don't Alicorns have like twice the strength of Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi?"

"Yes, but the ability to control and use one's strength is key to being a soldier," SIG Sauer debated, "I'm certain you already knew that, Mauser."

"Oh, yeah," the jasper stallion confirmed, "The drill sergeant at boot camp nailed that into my head on the fourth or fifth day. When I joined the Constabulary Contingent, I heard even more of it from Commander Hard Hull. He put much more emphasis on that policy than the drill sergeant. Anypony who didn't get it was given an official reprimand."

"That's Commander Hard Hull for you," SIG Sauer remarked, scoffing, "He has a notorious reputation for his lack of leniency and empathy."

"Don't I know it," Mauser stated, rolling his eyes lightly, "Thankfully, I haven't gotten on his bad side yet. That's more than I can say about several of my fellow officers. Some of them have taken to calling him 'Commander Hard-Ass.'"

"Really?" Bronze Star said in amusement.

"Yeah, but only behind his back," Mauser replied, "They'd never say it to his face. Nopony in the force is THAT stupid. Or that troublesome."

"That's good," Bronze Star commented.

The three stallions continued trotting in quietness for a while. Soon, they passed Town Hall. SIG Sauer noticed that Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were outside the building. Rainbow Dash was in the sky holding a raincloud, and Pinkie was on the ground directing her on where to place it. They looked as though they were up to something.

"Speaking of troublesome, what do you make of that?" the pine green stallion pronounced.

The jasper stallion and the gold stallion looked towards Town Hall. Pinkie Pie continued instructing Rainbow Dash on where to move the raincloud. Ultimately, the cyan mare became very annoyed and demanded that the pink mare pick a spot and stay with it. Pinkie Pie nervously agreed.

"Let's take a look," Mauser proposed.

The three stallions approached the building until they were about fifty feet away. Then they stopped and observed as Spike exited Town Hall with an armful of scrolls. When the baby dragon stepped outside, Pinkie Pie hid and signaled Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus gave the raincloud a swift kick. Immediately, there was a rumble of thunder and a crash of lightning.

The noise and the bolt had the intended effect on Spike. He yelled in surprise and stood absolutely still for a few seconds. Then he started hiccupping.

As this happened, Pinkie Pie burst out laughing and said "Oh, Rainbow Dash, we startled Spike into getting the hiccups."

When she realized what they had done, Rainbow Dash chuckled as well. The three stallions who witnessed this affair snickered as well. Even Spike got a giggle out of it.

"Good one, Pinkie *hiccup* Pie," the baby dragon chuckled, "*hiccup* You're always pulling a fast one *hiccup* on me."

He picked up one of his scrolls, but he hiccupped again and it was engulfed in green flames by mistake. He shouted in alarm.

Pinkie Pie seemed a little concerned at that. She asked worriedly "Oh no, you're not hurt, are you?"

"Ne-*hiccup*-eh, don't be *hiccup* silly," Spike assured her, "Dragons are *hiccup* fire-proof."

"Oh, okay, good," Pinkie stated in relief.

After a moment of silence, she and Rainbow Dash resumed laughing.

Spike began gathering up the scrolls, but he hiccupped again, causing the entire bunch to be engulfed in his green fire breath. He muttered "I wish the same thing *hiccup* were true with scrolls."

Pinkie and Rainbow just kept laughing. Spike kept trying to collect the scrolls, but every time he picked one up, he hiccupped again, causing it to disappear.

By now, Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, and Mauser had approached Town Hall. The gold stallion perceived sardonically "Never a dull moment in this town."

The baby dragon noticed the three stallion, grinned, and stated "No *hiccup* kidding, Bronze."

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash quickly got themselves under control. When they realized they had company, they turned their attention to the stallions. Rainbow Dash came closer to the ground and said "Hey, SIG, I didn't know you were out the hospital."

"I've been out for more than a day," SIG Sauer apprised her, "Dr. Seams released me from his care yesterday morning."

"That's great!" Pinkie Pie declared, "We should totally throw you a party to celebrate!"

"Uh, alright then," SIG Sauer stated in slight bewilderment, "But what exactly would the theme be?"

Pinkie Pie thought a moment, and then she replied with "It's too late to have a 'get better' party, since you're already well. Maybe a 'welcome back' party, but I mostly just throw those for ponies who have been away. How about a 'welcome back to the world of the healthy' theme?"

"That sounds excellent," SIG Sauer stated in approval.

"Great," Pinkie Pie remarked, "Now we just need to work out a date. I would schedule it for tomorrow, but I'm already planning another party for your children and General Walther."

This statement caught Mauser's attention. He inquired "What do you mean?"

"You've been here for three days, and she still hasn't given you a 'welcome to Ponyville' party," Rainbow Dash specified, "That's probably a record for the longest she's ever gone without throwing a party for a new arrival."

"I think it is," Pinkie Pie concurred, "I already spoke with your sister, Mauser. She said she's free tomorrow. What about you?"

"Yeah, I should be available," the jasper stallion stated, "Knowing the General, he'll be there, too."

"Good, very good," Pinkie Pie declared, "Now that we've handled that, I need to decide when to hold SIG Sauer's party."

"Why not tomorrow?" SIG Sauer suggested, "I wouldn't mind if you held it at the same time as the other one."

"You sure?" Pinkie Pie queried.

"Quite," he assured her, "It would save you some time and resources, I would have a chance to celebrate with my children, and it would give me an excuse to have a drink with the General."

"Okay, I suppose I could make the party a double-themed one," Pinkie Pie thought aloud, "I'll hold it tomorrow afternoon at Sugarcube Corner."

"I'll be sure to come by," SIG Sauer declared.

Mauser smiled, patted his father on the back, and commented "Nice to see you getting some excitement into your life, Dad."

As the pine green stallion scoffed as his son's remark, Bronze Star turned to Rainbow Dash and asked her "So, Rainbow, have you and Walther gotten a chance to talk?"

"Not yet," the cyan mare revealed, "After my… outburst at the hospital, I decided I should give him some space for a while. I don't want him to think I'm totally obsessed with him."

"I wouldn't worry; the General isn't one to harbor a grudge," SIG Sauer disclosed, "But if you'd prefer to wait, you can always speak to him at the party tomorrow."

"Alright, I look forward to it," Rainbow asserted, grinning. After a brief period of silence, she turned to the jasper stallion and said "By the way, Mauser, how well do you know General Walther?"

"Well enough to consider him a friend," Mauser replied, "My father and Bronze Star know him a lot better, though. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you and Walther were ever in a combat situation together," Rainbow Dash explicated, "After all, he's in the armed forces, and Bronze Star mentioned that you're in them, too."

"We serve different branches," the jasper stallion enlightened her, "The General represents the Wonderbolts. I work for the Military Enforcement Corps. They have very little in common."

"Oh, okay," Rainbow commented.

"On that subject, how has the Corps been working for you, Mauser?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Despite Commander Hard Hull's unpleasant demeanor, it's been going quite well," Mauser informed his friend, "It's much more intricate than the regular army, the navy, the Wonderbolts, or Special Forces, though. Unlike the other factions of the military, the Corps involves upholding the law. At times, it seems like I'm more a police officer than a soldier."

"Have you had to arrest anypony yet?" Pinkie Pie inquired.

"Well, last week, two young mares tried sneaking into the castle," Mauser recollected, "I wasn't the one who apprehended them, but I was tasked with questioning them to determine their motives. Commander Hull suspected they were spies or revolutionaries. Turns out they were just a couple of schoolfillies doing a dare."

"A dare?" Rainbow Dash asked in perplexity.

"Yeah, they were members of a sorority at one of the city's universities," Mauser elucidated, "They claimed that their house sisters challenged them to sneak into the castle, and they insisted that they couldn't refuse the dare."

"Unbelievable," SIG Sauer said in astonishment, "Apparently, breaking and entering is a fad now."

"That or modern fraternities and sororities have no regard for public property," Bronze Star proposed.

"What happened to the two mares, anyway?" Rainbow Dash queried in interest.

"Both the Royal Guard and Commander Hull wanted to press charges," Mauser recalled, "The district attorney even proposed criminal prosecution. However, Princess Celestia herself stepped in before anything happened. She gave both mares a royal pardon for their actions."

"She did?" SIG Sauer queried in bafflement.

Mauser nodded his head in confirmation and disclosed "I was there when she ordered Commander Hull to release them. The Commander felt she was being too merciful, but he agreed to let the mares off with a warning. Then he ordered me to escort them out of the building. You want to hear the most amusing part?"

"What's the most amusing part?" Pinkie Pie questioned eagerly.

Mauser smirked and responded with "Just before we left, Princess Celestia flashed a smile at the mares and told them 'Next time, try not to get caught.'"

The others were surprised to hear this. Rainbow Dash muttered in disbelief "She actually said that?"

"Yeah, and I had to make an effort not to laugh," Mauser affirmed, "I couldn't believe it myself."

"I'm actually not that surprised," Bronze Star pronounced, "My mother may be the undisputed ruler of Equestria, but she has a fairly large sense of humor."

In all this time, Spike had been attempting to retrieve his scrolls. Every single one of them had been cast away by his green fire breath. He drearily thought aloud "Let's *hiccup* hope so. She's *hiccup* probably buried in scrolls *hiccup* right about now. *hiccup* Literally."

"I'll send her a note explaining this later," Bronze Star assured the dragon, "I'd write it now, but SIG, Masuer, and I just finished a four-hour run. All I want to do right now is take a shower. I'm going back to the embassy to get cleaned up."

"You go ahead, sir," SIG Sauer suggested, "We'll meet you there later."

Bronze Star nodded, bid the others good day, and left the area.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash quickly went back to having a laugh at Spike's expense. Pinkie thought it was the most hilarious thing she had ever seen. That is, until Rainbow Dash kicked the cloud again and startled Pinkie into getting the hiccups as well. Although the joke was on her, Pinkie thought this was even funnier. When Rainbow found out that Pinkie loved to pull pranks, the cyan mare asked the pink mare if she wanted to hang out and pull some more pranks on other people. The hyperactive mare perkily accepted.

SIG and Mauser watched the two mares as they headed towards the town's joke shop. Mauser lightly shook his head and observed "Somepony should probably keep an eye on those two. Make sure they don't hurt anypony. Or themselves."

"Oh, they'll be fine," SIG Sauer avowed, "There is a difference between jokesters and sadists. There's nothing wrong with a few pranks. In my early days in the military, I myself pulled a few on my fellow officers."

"To tell you the truth, I've done that, too," Mauser shamelessly disclosed, "But you never know, Dad. There are times when pranks can go dangerously wrong."

"If you're that concerned, Mauser, then go ahead and be their lifeguard," SIG encouraged his son, "That is your job, after all. But keep in mind there's also a difference between sentries and stalkers."

"I know the difference, Dad," Mauser guaranteed his father, "I don't plan to monitor their every move. I just want to make certain that their pranks don't get out of hoof."

"Suit yourself," SIG Sauer remarked, "I'll be at the barracks if you need me."

The pine green stallion departed from the area, and the jasper stallion headed over to the joke shop. Spike was left on his own to get rid of his hiccups.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie left the joke shop ten minutes later with two bags of merchandise. They wasted no time putting their supplies to use.

Mauser spent the next couple hours watching Pinkie and Rainbow. His goal was to ensure the safety of their actions, not spoil their fun. He gave the two mares plenty of space to have their freedom. In the long run, all their pranks were relatively harmless.

They started by delivering a bouquet of flowers laced with sneezing powder to Carousel Boutique. They rang the doorbell and ran off. Rarity answered the door and eagerly accepted the flowers. Immediately after smelling them, she went into a violent sneezing fit. Rarity was annoyed by this, but when Pinkie accidentally spilled the sneezing powder and sneezed herself out of the area, the white Unicorn lightened up.

Next, Rainbow and Pinkie swung by Gold Oaks Library and switched the regular ink with disappearing ink. Twilight Sparkle and Alpine Sauer were crafting a certain potion. Twilight wrote down the recipe as Alpine mixed the ingredients in a beaker, but when the words vanished from the paper, the two mares quickly lost their place and the mixture in the beaker exploded. Although Twilight and Alpine were bothered by this setback in their work, they had to admit it was somewhat entertaining. Mauser was pleased to see that his sister got a laugh out of this prank.

After this, the two mares trotted over to Sweet Apple Acres and used several cans of paint to recolor the apples in some of the trees. Applejack was stunned when she saw what had become of her produce. She angrily chased Pinkie and Rainbow away by chucking the painted apples at them. However, when one of the apples landed in a water barrel, the paint washed right off. When she saw that the paint was not permanent, Applejack chuckled in amusement.

Rainbow and Pinkie decided to pull one more prank and call it a day. Rainbow Dash advised using a telescope and a duck-shaped squirt toy. Pinkie Pie eagerly agreed. They went down by the river and set up their equipment. As it turned out, somepony was already there. However, when Rainbow Dash announced that it was Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie advised that they abandon the prank. She knew how sensitive the yellow mare was, and she did not want to hurt her feelings. Rainbow Dash agreed, albeit reluctantly.

She still wanted to find another victim to prank. Pinkie Pie already had one, and it turned out to be Rainbow herself. Unbeknownst to the cyan mare, Pinkie had lined the rim of the telescope with wet dirt. When Rainbow pulled away from the telescope, there was a large black circle surrounding her eye. This caught her off guard, but she got back at Pinkie by offering a high-hoof and pulling her hoof away at the last second. The two mares got a good laugh at each other's expense.

All-in-all, their pranks that day were innocent and risk-free, much to Mauser's relief. He felt as though his anxiety had been unwarranted, but he did not feel as though he has wasted his time. He overheard Pinkie suggest that they pull more pranks the following day, and Rainbow happily approved of this idea. Mauser decided that the situation was under control and that he did not need to watch over them anymore.

During dinner at the embassy that night, everypony talked about what they had done that day. Alpine had spent most it doing experiments with Twilight Sparkle. Walther and Bronze Star had been explaining the obligations between the military and the Equestrian Royalty to Princess Luna. SIG Sauer had been brought up to date on the latest developments in the cultists' conspiracy by Noble Edict. When Mauser had his turn, he just said that he had passed the time by "getting to know the locals." His father was the only one who knew what he actually meant.

The following morning, the embassy's six residents woke up at various times, but they all had breakfast at approximately the same time. As they ate, they discussed their plans for the day. Alpine mentioned that she and Twiight were going to get in a little more studying before the party. Bronze Star and SIG Sauer would head out to the Everfree Forest to do some training. Princess Luna stated that she was going to practice the Royal Canterlot Voice, despite her nephew's insistence that she had already perfected it. Walther just said that he needed to go somewhere, but he assured everypony that he would be back in time for Pinkie Pie's party. Mauser remarked that he aimed to "get to know the locals" some more, but he planned to do it "more directly."

After the first meal, everypony began their day. Luna stayed inside the embassy, Alpine trotted over to Golden Oaks Library, Bronze Star and SIG Sauer headed to the Forest, and Walther flew off to the north of Ponyville. Mauser had no specific destination in mind, so he just strolled through the town.

For the next few hours, he interacted with townsfolk and passed through the shops. Shortly after noon, he ate lunch at a fine restaurant. After that, he stopped by an ice cream parlor and ordered a pecan milkshake. He spent the next half-hour sitting at one of the tables outside the parlor. He slurped down his milkshake, watched various ponies passed him by, and enjoyed the overall mood of the moment in general. There was no doubt about it now; he was finally in vacation mode.

Twenty minutes later, the ice cream parlor had another customer. Mauser smiled at her and greeted her with "Hello, Pinkie Pie."

The pink mare quickly noticed the jasper stallion. She smiled in return and calmly retorted "Hi, Mauser."

She appeared to be happy, but Mauser could tell that something was bothering her. He waited in silence as Pinkie ordered a strawberry milkshake. Once she got it, she looked around for a place to sit. Mauser offered "Care to join me?"

"Sure," Pinkie accepted.

She placed her milkshake next to Mauser's and sat down next to him. After taking a few sips, she sighed in despair.

"Is something wrong?" Mauser inquired, "And how come you aren't with Rainbow Dash?"

"Both those questions have the same answer," she notified him, "Rainbow's spending the day with another of her friends."

"Who?" he enquired.

"A gryphon she knew from Flight Camp," she replied, "Her name's Gilda."

"Why can't you just hang out with both of them?" he proposed.

"Oh, I TRIED to," Pinkie assured him, "But Gilda made it clear she didn't want me around,"

Mauser was surprised to hear this. He presumed "And Rainbow didn't try reasoning with her?"

"Rainbow Dash didn't even notice," Pinkie elucidated, "Gilda was only mean to me when her back was turned."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Mauser proclaimed, "But if you don't mind me asking, what exactly did Gilda do?"

"She popped a bunch of my balloons, she told me to 'buzz off,' and she wouldn't even give me a chance to speak to Rainbow," Pinkie Pie described the affair, "I was just at the library talking to Twilight about this. She and Alpine both think I'm overreacting."

Mauser scoffed and commented "Well, my sister has no shortage of friends; I'm not surprised she would think that. Can't really say the same about Twilight, though. Back in Canterlot, the only friends she really had were me, Alpine, Bronze Star, and Spike. And maybe my Dad, when he was off-duty."

"Yeah?" Pinkie Pie remarked in interest, "Get this: Twilight thinks I'm the one who should improve HER attitude."

Mauser raised an eyebrow in surprise and uttered "She actually said that?"

"Yeah," Pinkie confirmed, "She also said that maybe I should just leave Rainbow and Gilda alone and let them catch up."

"Well, there, she may have a point," Mauser thought aloud. He held onto his milkshake and stated "Let me make an analogy. You see this milkshake right here?"

"Yeah, it's a pecan one," Pinkie Pie observed, "Good choice. But what about it?"

"This is the first milkshake I've had in four years," Mauser informed her, "In the time since then, I've almost forgotten how much I liked them. But now that I've had one after so long, I'm reminded of my fondness for milkshakes. In fact, I find that I'm enjoying this one much more than any other I've ever had."

"That makes sense," Pinkie Pie coincided, "I couldn't imagine going four whole years without a milkshake."

"That's not my point," Mauser expounded, "My point is that when you try something you enjoy after being deprived of it for so long, you may find that you like it even more than when you last tried it. The same thing applies to one's friends. If you've gone a long time without seeing a very close affiliate of yours, wouldn't you be overjoyed whenever you next saw her? So much so that you'd want to keep her to yourself for a while?"

"I suppose I would," Pinkie Pie professed, "That's a very good point, Mauser. Maybe Twilight is right. Maybe Gilda isn't a big meanie grumpy mean-meanie-pants. Maybe I'm just a big jealous judgmental jealous-jealousy-pants."

She sighed and sipped her milkshake again. Mauser snickered and remarked "That's a unique way of putting it. But it seems appropriate."

A couple minutes later, two figures flew over their heads. Mauser looked up and realized they were Rainbow Dash and a gryphon, whom he assumed to be Gilda. They landed about twenty meters away from the ice cream parlor. Rainbow Dash laughed and stated "That was sweet. Ugh, I gotta take care of a few weather jobs around here. Shouldn't take long. Just, uh, hang out in town and I'll come find ya."

"That's cool, I guess," Gilda responded, "I'm gonna go chow down."

"Later," was all Rainbow Dash said before she ascended back into the air and flew away.

Mauser Sauer and Pinkie Pie observed Gilda as she walked over to a stand of vegetables. Soon after, an elderly mare approached the stand from the opposite direction. She had a green coat, a white mane, orange eyes, an orange apple-encrusted bandana around her neck, and an apple pie for a cutie mark. Gilda noticed her and hid behind the stall. The green mare reached the stand and sniffed the produce. A moment later, Gilda's tail shot out through the vegetables. The elderly mare shouted in alarm "Aaah! A rattler, a rattler! Run for the hills! Everybody forsake yourselves!"

She turned to run away, but her pace was so slow that I could hardly even be regarded as trotting. As the elderly mare went away, Gilda emerged from behind the stall and told the vendor "This stuff ain't fresh, dude."

Pinkie Pie was astounded by what she just saw. She muttered angrily "Aw, poor Granny Smith, she didn't know it was a joke. How mean."

"Maybe," Mauser stated, "As much as I respect the older generations, I thought it was a little funny."

Pinkie Pie considered this, and she muttered in agreement "No, no, I can't misjudge her. It was kind of a funny prank, I guess."

"There you go," Mauser encouraged, taking another sip of his milkshake.

He and Pinkie turned back to Gilda and watched as she came closer to an apple stand. As she passed it, she casually wrapped her tail around one of the apples, brought it up to her mouth, and stuffed it into her mouth whole.

As she chewed the apple, Pinkie Pie gasped and declared "I did misjudge her. She's not only a meanie mean-pants, she's also a thief."

"Quite so," Mauser concurred, a note of disapproval in his voice, "Frightening an old mare is one thing. But taking a commodity without paying for it is a crime."

"Nonononono, she might give it back," Pinkie insisted, trying to be tolerant, "It's just a joke."

At that, Mauser glared at Pinkie incredulously and told her "At this point, I don't think the owner would WANT it back. For Gilda's sake, she'd better go back and pay for it."

Mauser and Pinkie Pie soon noticed that Fluttershy was leading a mother duck and her ducklings through the street. By now, Gilda had left the marketplace, and she was moving through the street as well. She was walking directly towards the yellow mare.

Fluttershy was too busy guiding the ducks to notice the gryphon. She softly told them "Alright little ones, this way, this way. Mama duck, you're free and clear."

Just then, the gryphon intercepted the Pegasus. She yelled impatiently "Hey."

Fluttershy quickly turned around, looked up at, and stated apologetically "Please excuse me."

Gilda ignored her and mumbled furiously "I'm walkin' here."

Fluttershy could tell gryphon was upset with her. She mumbled nervously "Oh, um, I'm sorry. I-I-I was just trying to..."

Gilda rolled her eyes and uttered mockingly "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Why don't you just watch where you're going, doofus?"

The yellow mare was really getting scared by now. She stammered "B-b-b-but I... I..."

Gilda did not even give her a chance to say anything more. She just breathed in deeply and roared in her face. The effect on Fluttershy was instantaneous. She bleated and started sobbing.

Mauser decided he had seen enough. He got up from the table, trotted over to the scene, and stepped between Fluttershy and Gilda. He glared up at the gryphon and barked heatedly "Back off. Now."

"Or what?" Gilda snarled sharply.

"Or I'll make you wish you never came to this town," Mauser threatened.

"Oooo, I'm so scared," Gilda remarked sarcastically, "Why don't you buck off before you embarrass yourself?"

"I'm not the one who should be embarrassed," Mauser shot back, "You know, I could arrest you for what you just did."

"Yeah, right," Gilda snapped, "You're not a cop."

"No, but I do work for the Military Enforcement Corps," Mauser informed her, "That gives me authority to act as a police officer in every city of Equestria."

"Whatever," Gilda bluntly stated, "What would you even charge me with?"

"Disturbing the peace, pilfering goods, and unprovoked verbal harassment," Mauser tensely pointed out, "And that's just for what I've seen you do in the last five minutes. If I was around you longer, I'm certain I could work up quite a few more charges."

"Like I'd want a tight-ass like you stalking me all day," Gilda derisively commented.

"You think I'm bluffing?" Mauser proclaimed crossly, "I sure as Tartarus am not. I could arrest you right here, right now. But I'm going to cut you a break. So I'd suggest you move along before I lose my patience."

Gilda scoffed and uttered "Ugh, please, all these lame ponies are driving me buggy. I gotta bail."

At that, she spread her wings, rose into the air, and flew away from the area. Mauser watched as the gryphon flew away. Then he turned to Fluttershy. The yellow mare was crouched on the ground, lightly sobbing. Mauser leaned down to her, placed his hoof on her shoulder, and told her calmly "It's okay. She's gone now."

Fluttershy slowly opened up her eyes and looked up at the jasper stallion. He was smiling at her gently. She slowly smiled in return, sniffed once, and said to him softly "Th-thank you."

"No problem," he said assuredly. Mauser helped her up and asked "Are you alright?"

"I'm… I'm fine," she informed him, "I…I just… don't like… being treated so… so… so poorly."

"If you want, I could actually arrest Gilda," he proposed, "I really do have the means to make that happen, and I've already seen her do enough to warrant an arrest."

"No, that… that wouldn't solve anything," Fluttershy remarked.

"Are you sure?" Mauser questioned.

"Yes," she affirmed, "I don't want to give her another reason to be mad at me."

Mauser could understand this sentiment. He remained smiling and told her "Alright, I understand, Fluttershy. But if you change your mind or if you need anything, feel free to come to me."

"Okay, I will," she acknowledged, "Thank you, Master Sauer."

He chuckled lightly and stated "Just call me Mauser."

"Alright… Mauser," the yellow mare said in response. She had stopped crying by now, but she was blushing a bit.

Once Fluttershy departed from the area, Mauser walked back over to his table at the ice cream parlor. Pinkie Pie grinned at him and declared "That was very nice of you, Mauser."

"I just couldn't stand to see somepony get badgered like that," the jasper stallion pronounced, "You were right about Gilda, Pinkie. She is a real pain in the flank."

"Not only that," Pinkie Pie uttered fumingly, "She's a grump, and a thief, and a bully. The meanest kind of mean meanie-pants there is. I can take it, but no one treats Fluttershy like that. No. One."

"I say we do something about Gilda," Mauser advised, "I offered to arrest her, but Fluttershy doesn't want me to."

"I don't want you to, either," Pinkie disclosed, "If anything, arresting her would just cause more trouble."

"Then what should we do?" Mauser requested, "If you've got an idea, I'm willing to listen."

Pinkie Pie grinned deviously and told him "This calls for extreme measures, Pinkie Pie style."

Mauser smirked and beckoned her "Go on."

Unsurprisingly, "extreme measures Pinkie Pie style" involved little more than throwing a party. Pinkie Pie arranged to hold a party for Gilda later in the afternoon. However, she had not forgotten that she already planned to throw another party that same day. Since that party was already a double-themed one, Pinkie figured there was nothing wrong with making it a triple-themed one instead. Ideally, it would involve welcoming Alpine, Mauser, and Walther to Ponyville, celebrating SIG Sauer's release from the hospital, and greeting Gilda for her visit to the town all at once.

The party was held at Sugarcube Corner. It was open to the public; nopony had to be invited to attend. It had a modestly large turnout. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were among the first to arrive. Mauser, Alpine, and Twilight Sparkle showed up shortly after. Fluttershy appeared after most of the other attendees. Bronze Star and SIG Sauer got back from the Everfree Forest just in time to partake in the festivities.

Fluttershy privately expressed her concern to Pinkie Pie that having Gilda at the party might not have been a good idea. The pink mare dismissed the yellow mare's worry and insisted that the situation was under control.

Soon after this, Gilda got to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie welcomed her with a hoof-shake… and gave the gryphon quite a shock. Pinkie was wearing a hoof-shake buzzer on her hoof. Rainbow Dash got a kick out of that one, and Gilda feigned amusement, but she suspected that Pinkie was up to something.

At this point, there was still no sign of Walther. Pinkie Pie was a little concerned, but SIG Sauer ensured her that the General would not miss this event. With that reassurance, Pinkie decided to go ahead and begin the party, seeing as how four of the five guests of honor were already there.

After presenting Alpine, Mauser, SIG Sauer, and Gilda to the other guests, Pinkie Pie bid them to help themselves to anything they would like.

Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer quickly began enjoying the festivities. The three Unicorns had an excellent time. The same could not quite be said for Gilda. From the moment the party started, the gryphon became the victim of a number of practical jokes.

First, she consumed a vanilla lemon drop filled with pepper. She tried washing the overwhelmingly hot taste out of her mouth with punch, but the first cup she picked up turned out to be a dribble glass. Several of the ponies got a good laugh at this. After Gilda managed to quench her thirst, she pretended to be amused, but she was a little irritated by what just happened.

Next, Rainbow Dash tempted the four guests with a stack of presents. Gilda eagerly went first and opened a cylindrical box on top. As soon as she removed the lid, a bunch of spitting snakes popped out and startled her. This aroused another round of laughter around the room. The present had no tag identifying the giver, but Gilda had a feeling she knew who sent this gift, as she eyed Pinkie Pie suspiciously.

A short time later, Pinkie Pie proposed that they skip ahead to the cake. Mauser and Spike both offered to blow out the candles, but Gilda stepped in first. She managed to extinguish the flamed wax sticks with a single blow. However, the wicks relit after a couple seconds. Confused, Gilda inhaled deeply and blew them out again. The candles were quickly relit. Gilda tried again and again to extinguish the flames, but they kept flickering back on almost immediately after she put them out. It quickly became apparent that the cake had been covered with re-lighting birthday candles. Several of the ponies in the room gradually went into another fit of giggles.

While Spike literally dug into the cake, Gilda pulled Pinkie off to the side and warned her not to cross her. Pinkie was not one to be intimidated by threats, especially subtle ones.

Applejack proposed that they play pin-the-tail-on-the-pony next. Rarity and Alpine both asked to go first, but Gilda interceded and declared that she would have the first turn. However, she was a little uncertain after Pinkie blindfolded her and spun her around several times. When Gilda stopped spinning, she had no idea where she was standing relative to the poster of the pony. Pinkie recommended that she walk straight ahead. The gryphon chose to ignore this advice, as she was convinced this was yet another prank. So she turned around and walked in the opposite direction. That proved to be both a foolish mistake and a profound error in judgment. Gilda had not taken two steps before she slipped on a piece of cake and crashed into a table. Somehow, the fake tail ended up getting pinned on Gilda's beak.

After this last incident, Gilda finally lost her temper. When she was back on her claws, she roared in fury and voiced her disdain for everypony in the room. She focused most of her anger on Pinkie Pie; she accused the pink mare of deliberately setting her up, and she derided her for using such pathetic pranks to try to get on her bad side. She announced that she and Rainbow Dash needed nothing to do with anypony else there, and she proclaimed that she and Rainbow would leave the party.

However, she could not speak for both of them. After Gilda's eruption, Rainbow Dash revealed that she was the one who set up all the "pathetic" pranks. She had not intended them to be for just one person; it was just coincidence that Gilda had been the victim of all of them. The gryphon did not buy this; she was certain that Pinkie Pie was responsible. Pinkie was shocked to hear that; she had no such desire to humiliate Gilda. She claimed that all she wanted to do was encourage Gilda to be friendlier around other ponies.

Rainbow Dash then stood up for Pinkie by calling Gilda out for her rotten behavior, her judgmental mindset, and her unfair treatment of Rainbow's other friends. She realized now that the Gilda she knew back at Summer Flight Camp was not the same Gilda before her. She advised Gilda to either chill out and try being more open-minded, or leave Ponyville and look for some other "cool" friends.

Gilda was at a loss for words. She felt betrayed by the cyan mare, and she could hardly even work up a proper comeback. Ultimately, she decided she would leave the town, and she told Rainbow Dash that she would cut off their friendship until she stopped being so "lame."

With that, the gryphon exited Sugarcube Corner. She quickly rose into the sky and flew away from Ponyville.

A lot of the ponies in the room were astounded by what they had just seen. For a few moments, they chattered amongst themselves about Gilda's uncivilized display. After a while, Rainbow Dash turned to face the other ponies and coyly spoke to them "I'm sorry, everypony, for bringing Gilda here. I didn't know how rude she was. And Pinkie Pie, I'm really sorry she ruined that awesome party you put on for her."

Pinkie Pie just smiled knowingly and stated assuredly "Hey, if you want to hang out with party poopers, that's your business."

Rainbow Dash smiled back and retorted "I'd rather hang out with you. No hard feelings?"

Rainbow held out her right front hoof to Pinkie Pie. The pink mare held hers out as well and repeated "No hard feelings."

Then they shook hooves… and both of them received an electrical surge. Oddly enough, they had both been wearing a hoof-shake buzzer. Once they pulled apart, there was a short period of silence. Then Rainbow and Pinkie burst out laughing, as did everypony else in the room.

The laughter lasted for a good long while. When it finally subsided, Rainbow Dash heard a deep voice behind her say "That one never gets old, does it?"

The cyan mare quickly turned around to see who said that. To her surprise, General Walther was standing in the doorway. He was leaned against the wall on his hind legs, and he had his front legs folded over his chest. He lightly smirked, as if he was amused.

Walther's sudden appearance had caught Rainbow Dash off guard. She grinned nervously and stated "Oh, hello, General. When… when did you get back?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," the mahogany Pegasus replied. He then looked around the room and declared "My apologies to all for my tardiness. I would have gotten here sooner, but I had a previous engagement of greater precedence elsewhere."

"You don't have to make excuses, General," Pinkie Pie assured him, "We're just happy you made it. Come on in and join the fun!"

"As you wish, Miss Pie," Walther cheekily remarked.

He lowered his front legs so that all four of his hooves were on the ground. As he trotted inside, Rainbow Dash inquired "How long were you standing outside the building?"

"Since your gryphon friend had her little meltdown," Walther disclosed, "I thought it best to let you resolve that dispute before I came inside. I must say, you handled the situation very well, Miss Dash. Telling one of your old friends off like that could not have been easy."

"It wasn't," Rainbow admitted, "Gilda and I have been friends for so long. I've kept in contact with her since Summer Flight Camp, and today was the first time I've seen her in years. I liked her and I missed her, but if she's just going to keep treating my Ponyville friends like scum, I don't want anything to do with her."

"That's commendable of you," Walther perceived, "In the past, I've had to dissolve several of my own friendships. The reasons for doing so varied. But I've never cut off ties from any of my peers without just cause to do so. While I can't say I knew Gilda or spoke to her, I heard enough of your argument to surmise that she is a somewhat unreceptive and unforgiving individual. With that in mind, you certainly had just cause to cast her out, Rainbow. In case you were wondering, no; you are not to blame for her attitude. Even though you invited her here, she was in control of her actions. Whatever she did to deserve your contempt, she did of her own accord."

Rainbow Dash was somewhat glad to hear the mahogany stallion say this. Part of her had actually been considering that she may have been a little hard on Gilda, but Walther's analysis of the scenario reasserted her that she was not.

She grinned appreciatively at Walther and told him in a somewhat formal tone "I'm glad you… approve of my actions, General."

"Don't mention it," Walther candidly told her. He approached the refreshment table and picked up a glass of punch. Then he turned back to the cyan mare and declared "Now, I seem to recall you suggesting back at the hospital that we have a talk sometime while I'm in Ponyville. We both seem to be free at the present, so how about we have it now?"

Rainbow Dash brightened up and replied excitedly with "That sounds great!"

The two Pegasi walked off to a corner of the room to have a casual discussion. As they did this, Twilight Sparkle trotted over to Pinkie Pie and told her repentantly "Hey, Pinkie. Sorry I accused you of misjudging Gilda. Looks likes I'm the one who misjudged you."

"It's okay Twilight, even you can't be a super smart smarty smart-pants all the time," the pink mare guaranteed the lavender mare. Then she looked around the room and announced "Come on, everypony, there's still a whole lotta party to finish."

Everypony in the room cheered merrily. Despite the fuss Gilda had made, the party quickly got underway again. The attendees soon put Gilda out of their minds and concentrated on enjoying the party. SIG Sauer, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther proved to be much more appreciative guests of honor than the gryphon.

At one point, Twilight Sparkle decided to compose a letter to Princess Celestia about a friendship lesson she had learned from Pinkie Pie. Once it was written, she had Spike deliver it to Canterlot. Then the lavender mare and the baby dragon returned to the party.

Many times throughout the celebration, another pony fell victim to another prank. But every time this happened, everypony – including the victim – just laughed. The number of victims quickly piled up overtime. Before long, it seemed as though Bronze Star was the only pony there whom nopony had attempted to prank.

Two hours into the party, Pinkie Pie brought out a pony-shaped piñata. She encouraged the attendees to have some fun with it. Once she had it hanging from the ceiling, she queried "Okay, who's going to take the first swing?"

Initially, nopony responded. While many of the attendees liked piñatas, several of them were fairly certain that this was going to be another prank. Their hesitation did not stop Pinkie Pie from seeking out a victim. She looked around at the assembled ponies. Eventually, her eyes stopped on Bronze Star. She grinned and proposed "How about you, Gold Streak?"

Bronze Star was surprised that the pink mare put him on the spot like that. "Why me?"

"Because why the heck not?" Pinkie debated.

"Come on, Mr. Ambassador," SIG Sauer incited him cockily, "Show us how it's done."

Bronze Star was still somewhat hesitant to volunteer, but when he gazed around the room, he saw that he was getting a number of encouraging looks from the other ponies. This number was gradually increasing overtime. Ultimately, Bronze Star gave in. He lightly rolled his eyes and stated "Alright, alright; if you insist."

Several ponies cheered in excitement at that. Bronze Star looked around the room again and queried "Does anypony have a club or a stick or something I could use?"

A female Earth Pony then stepped forward and held out a baton to Bronze Star. She asked him "Would this do, sir?"

Bronze Star examined the baton visually and nodded his head in approval, saying "Yes, that'll do nicely. Thank you."

The mare just smiled in acknowledgment. Bronze Star slowly reached for the baton with his right front hoof. He calmly wrapped his hoof around the free end. Once he grabbed the long rod, something completely unexpected happened. The moment he tightened his grip around the baton, the half he held retracted into the half the mare was holding. Underneath the baton, there was a long serrated blade.

Bronze Star did not even have time to notice the blade before his hoof came into contact with it. The blade was extraordinarily sharp. As soon as his hoof touched it, his hoof was cut open. The gold stallion reacted instantaneously.

"YE-OW!" Bronze Star shouted in shock and pain, pulling back his hoof, "Son of a bitch!"

Everypony who witnessed this was startled. Especially the mare who offered the baton. She looked down at the rod in surprise and then back up at the gold stallion. She muttered "I'm… I'm so sorry, Mr. Ambassador. I just found this thing lying on the table over there. I thought it was just an ordinary baton.

Bronze Star did not seem to be paying her much attention. He was concentrating more on his injury. His hoof stung quite a bit, and blood was flowing out of the cut. He grumbled in frustration and shook his front leg vigorously to numb the pain. He muttered edgily "What idiot left this weapon out in the open? Is this supposed to be a prank?"

"If it is, it isn't one of mine," Rainbow Dash assured him.

"Or mine," Pinkie Pie proclaimed.

"I don't really CARE whose idea it was," Bronze Star stated, gripping his right front hoof with his left front hoof, "Could somepony please get me something so I can stop the bleeding? Maybe a towel or a rag?"

"Here, Mr. Ambassador," the mare with the baton proposed, offering him a white linen.

Bronze Star smiled and accepted the linen. As he used it to clean his cut, he told her gratefully "Thank you, again, Miss…"

"Rhomb," she notified him, "Dapple Rhomb."

Dapple Rhomb had a purple coat, a crimson mane, sky blue eyes, and a three-dimensional parallelogram for a cutie mark. She was wearing a black overcoat which covered most of her upper body.

"Right," the gold stallion acknowledged, "Thanks for this."

"I'm just happy I was able to repair the damage I caused," she stated, "I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Relax, you didn't," Bronze Star claimed. As he continued wiping away the blood, he looked around at the surrounding ponies and told them "You hear that, everypony? No harm's been done."

Several of the ponies sighed in relief at this statement.

A couple minutes later, Bronze Star managed to finish cleaning his wound and get the blood to clot. He still needed to bandage the injury, but he decided to wait until later to see to that.

When he was finished using the linen, Dapple Rhomb stepped up to him and offered "I'll take that, sir."

"Very well," he coincided, handing back the linen. By this point, it was soaked in blood.

When Dapple Rhomb received the linen, she announced "I'll go throw this out. You all go on without me; I'll be back soon."

Bronze Star nodded his head in response. He watched as Dapple Rhomb trotted to the front entrance and exited. The gold stallion smirked, looked around at the other ponies, and proposed "Now let's find an actual stick so we can beat that piñata senseless!"

This statement was all that was needed to set everypony's minds at ease. The jovial atmosphere from before quickly returned to the party.

Outside the building, Dapple Rhomb approached a dumpster to the side of the building. She looked as though she was going to open up the lid and toss the bloodied linen inside. This was not what she actually did. When the coast was clear, Dapple Rhomb reached into her overcoat and pulled out a plastic bag. She shook the bag out and carefully slipped the bloodied linen inside. Then she sealed up the bag and slid it underneath the dumpster.

After hiding the bag, Dapple Rhomb casually sauntered back into Sugarcube Corner. Less than five minutes after she went back inside, a stallion walked through the area. He circled the building a couple times, and at one point, he stopped by the dumpster. After making certain he was alone, he reached underneath the dumpster and pulled out the plastic bag. Without opening the bag, he examined the contents. When he saw the bloodied linen, he grinned deviously. He hastily departed from the vicinity. As he trotted away, he gazed down at the linen and muttered under his breath "Now let's see what we can learn from you."

> Covert Activities
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other than Gilda's breakdown and the incident with the piñata, nothing else went wrong during the party. By the end of it, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther certainly felt quite welcomed to the town. Despite SIG Sauer's stern demeanor, the pine green stallion enjoyed it as well. He even had a drink of punch with Walther. There were no alcoholic beverages offered at the party, but a mare named Berry Punch brought a bottle of vodka and offered them some to "enhance" the quality of the punch. The two stallions normally preferred to keep a clear head, but since they were both off-duty, they figured they may as well help themselves to a little spirit.

Although the party began in the early afternoon, it went well into the late evening. It was about eight o'clock when the attendees started to leave. By nine o'clock, very few ponies were left. That was when Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, Alpine, Mauser, and Walther decided to head out. They thanked Pinkie Pie for the party and departed from Sugarcube Corner.

The five ponies made their way back to the embassy. On the way, Alpine commented "These Ponyvillians certainly know how to party."

"No kidding," Walther remarked, "I haven't had this much respite in a long time."

"Just don't get too used to all this relaxation, Walt," SIG Sauer advised his colleague.

"Oh, don't worry, SIG" stated the mahogany stallion, "I have no intention of letting my guard down while we're here."

"Neither do I," Mauser declared, "But I'm more concerned about falling victim to a practical joke than laziness. In addition to parties, Ponyvillians really know how to pull pranks."

"Which can sometimes get out of hoof," Bronze Star remarked, gesturing to his injured hoof.

"Are you alright, sir?" Walther asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the prince assured the veteran Wonderbolt, "It hurt like Tartarus when I first got cut, though. It still hurts a bit when I put my weight on it, but I can put up with the pain. I'll get it bandaged when we return to the embassy."

"Good," said Walther, "As soon as you're done with that, I'd like to speak with you and SIG Sauer. When I was out today, I came across something the two of you should know about."

Bronze Star nodded in acceptance. There was about a minute of silence, and then Alpine turned to the Pegasus and asked him "On that note, where were you this morning, Walther?"

"Canterlot," was Walther's candid response.

"What were you doing there?" Mauser inquired.

"I was there on business," the mahogany stallion replied, "Beyond that, I'm not at liberty to say."

Mauser lightly scoffed and muttered "I might've guessed."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alpine asked her brother.

"Where I work, people tend to be quite unwilling to discuss their jobs," Mauser disclosed, "You know how many times I've asked one of my associates what they are up to, but all I got is 'I'm not at liberty to say?' Several dozen. And that's just since I joined the Constabulary Contingent. Including the times from before then, the number probably goes into the hundreds."

"Well, what can you expect, Mauser?" SIG Sauer told his son, "People who work for both the government and the armed forces are often sworn to secrecy. They have to be careful and selective about who they can share information with."

"I know that, and I respect the need for privacy," Mauser assured his father, "Believe me, Dad; I'm not complaining. It's just that sometimes I feel as though I'm being kept in the dark."

"I understand the sentiment," SIG Sauer remarked, "I felt the same way when I first started working for the government. But I quickly realized that before I could ever be given any knowledge about what was going on around me, I would have to prove that I could be trusted to hold on to it. As my experience in the force increased overtime, so did my colleagues' faith in me. Nowadays, there is rarely ever a matter of national security that I don't know about."

"So if you were to ask the General what he was up to today, you would get a response other than 'I am not at liberty to say?'" Alpine presumed cheekily.

"Indeed he would," Walther answered for his colleague, "In fact, I intend to fully discuss the matter with your father later on. You see, he's the one who sent me to Canterlot in the first place."

"Oh?" Mauser remarked in interest, "That so?"

SIG Sauer nodded in confirmation. "I needed him to pick up a package. Beyond that, I cannot say any more. There are only three ponies in this whole town who are authorized to know what it was, and two of them are the General and myself."

"Who's the third?" Alpine enquired.

"Who do you think?" Bronze Star sarcastically retorted, gesturing to himself.

"Oh, yeah," Alpine commented, feeling a little dumb, "I should have known."

Bronze Star just scoffed and stated "Don't kick yourself, Alpine. The answer probably wasn't that obvious, anyway. Still, being Equestrian Royalty comes with the advantage of automatically being entitled to know about almost everything that goes on in the country."

"Just 'almost' everything, sir?" Walther noted.

"Yes," the gold stallion affirmed, "I say that because there are some affairs that my mother knows about, but nopony else does. Including me. Not that that bothers me, mind you. I value discretion as much as she does, and if she ever discovered something exceptionally important, I can count on her to be straightforward about it with me."

"That just goes to show how prominent a certain amount of trust is in all relationships," SIG Sauer observed, "Often times, one is inclined to be more trusting towards family members than coworkers."

"Very true," Bronze Star remarked, "But how much trust would you show to a colleague that you happen to be related to?"

"You're asking the wrong stallion, Your Highness," SIG Sauer bluntly stated, "Ask Walther. He's been there."

"Yes, but I'd rather we NOT go there," the mahogany Pegasus interjected, "I'd prefer not to speak casually about my own relationships."

"Alright, that's fine by us, General," Bronze Star assured his colleague. After a few seconds of silence, he queried in perplexity "How did this discussion begin, anyway?"

"I believe it started with Alpine making a comment about enjoyable Pinkie Pie's party was," Mauser recounted, gesturing to his sister.

"That's right," Alpine perceived, "And somehow, that one remark evolved into a conversation about trust."

"Rather intriguing, isn't it?" SIG Sauer pronounced, smirking.

"Yes, it is," Bronze Star concurred, "I suggest we just stop talking and continue trotting in silence. We can talk when we're back indoors."

"Good idea," said Walther. The three Unicorns agreed, too.

A couple minutes later, the group arrived at the embassy. They found Princess Luna in her usual spot in the library. However, she was not reading a book like she normally was. Instead, she was sitting absolutely still in a chair. She had her eyes shut tight and she was breathing very softly. She did not even seem to notice the others when they entered the room.

Bronze Star trotted over to the blue Alicorn and placed his right front hoof on her shoulder. He uttered softly "Aunt Luna?"

The female Alicorn immediately opened up her eyes and looked down. She smiled at her nephew and stated cordially "Oh, hello, Bronze Star. When did you get back?"

"Just now," he informed her, "What have you been up to?"

"Up until a couple hours ago, I was reading," Luna replied, "In the time since then, I've just been sitting here meditating."

"Ah, okay," Bronze Star commented, "That's always a good way to pass the time."

Luna smiled and lightly nodded her head. Then she noticed Bronze Star's wound and her smile faltered. She inquired anxiously "What happened to your hoof?"

"Cut myself," he apprised her calmly, "It happened at the party."

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" she enquired in concern.

"A little," he admitted, "But I can handle it."

"Good," Luna commented, easing down quickly. After a moment, she asked "So, apart from the injury, how was the party?"

"It was quite fun," Bronze Star answered, "If merrymaking was a recognized talent, Pinkie Pie would probably be Equestria's most renowned expert on the subject."

"You got that right," Walther cheekily remarked.

Luna looked up and noticed the other four ponies were standing out in the hallway. She beckoned them "Please, come in."

Mauser, Alpine, SIG Sauer, and Walther complied and entered the room. As they got comfortable, Bronze Star announced that he would get his hoof wrapped up.

So while the others mingled, the young prince trotted upstairs to his quarters and went into the bathroom. He opened up the medicine cabinet and removed a bottle of disinfectant and a small roll of gauze. He set the objects down on the counter and examined his wound.

The cut was larger and deeper than he originally thought. He was quite surprised by its size. As an Alicorn, he had an extremely sturdy hide. There were not many things that could penetrate his skin. Military-grade melee weapons could do the trick. Anything blunter would not have any effect on him.

The way he saw it, there were two possible explanations for how he came to acquire this injury.

His skin might have been becoming sensitive. This was very unlikely, as he was in great shape. The other possibility was that the blade that sliced his skin was military-grade. That seemed just as unlikely, if not more so. It was illegal for anypony outside of the armed forces to possess such a weapon, much less make one into a gag item. Aside from that, he had never heard of anypony concealing a knife in a baton.

Then again, he HAD closed his hoof around the blade. With that in mind, it could have been possible for him to cut himself, even if the knife was just a standard serrated edge. Even so, he was curious as to how that baton ended up in Sugarcube Corner. He would have asked the Cakes or Pinkie Pie if they knew where the object came from, but he had never gotten around to it.

Ultimately, Bronze Star decided to just shake off his concern about the baton and concentrate on repairing the damage inflicted by it. Part of his military training covered how to treat injuries. He only knew the basic methods, however. Thankfully, the basics were all he needed at this time.

It took him about two minutes to sterilize and bandage the cut on his hoof. Once he was finished, he picked up the roll of gauze and the bottle of disinfectant and returned them to the medicine cabinet.

He was about to close the cabinet's door when he spotted something behind the first aid kit. He slid the kit out of the way to get a better look, and he discovered there were two yellow files there. Those were the same two files he had brought from Canterlot. He had hid them in the medicine cabinet when he first got settled in the embassy. In the time since then, they had been sitting there unnoticed.

However, Bronze Star would need the files tonight. He removed them from the cabinet and closed it. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the library. Luna had started meditating again. Alpine and Mauser were reading, and SIG Sauer and Walther were conversing quietly. The gold stallion entered the room and sat down.

Fifteen minutes later, Alpine gazed over at the clock on the wall. Then she closed her book, stood up, and announced "I think I'll turn in for the night. Could somepony knock on my door if I'm not up by six?"

"Sure, honey," SIG Sauer assured his daughter, "That's when your brother and I normally get up anyway."

"Since when do you wake up that early, Alpine?" Mauser enquired.

"I don't plan to make a habit of it," Alpine declared, "Twilight and I are going to start a little project tomorrow. We want to get a head start, as we're expecting it to be a little time-consuming."

"Is it a school project?" SIG Sauer queried.

"Technically, no," Alpine expounded, "A month from now, our class is supposed to write an essay on which type of magic we excel the most in. I already know that my expertise is in healing magic. Twilight, however, is not quite certain what field she does best in. To find out which, she wants to try her hoof at performing as many types of magic as possible. While she does this, Spike and I will be monitoring her and taking notes."

"Alpine, there are literally dozens of different types of magic," SIG Sauer pointed out, "It could take you hours to try them all."

"Hours?" Alpine remarked cockily, "I don't think so, Dad. Twilight emphasized that she doesn't want to rush through this project. So you'll probably be seeing very little of me, her, and Spike over the next few days."

"Well, I hope with fares well," Walther remarked, "Tell Twilight we said 'hello' and 'good luck.'"

"I shall, General," Alpine guaranteed him. With that, the chartreuse mare left the library and headed up to her room.

Not long after, Mauser and Princess Luna decided to call it a night as well. They bid their companions good night and retired to their quarters. Bronze Star listened for the sounds of doors closing, and when he heard them, he turned to SIG Sauer and Walther. He held up the files and declared "We need to talk."

When they saw the files, the two older stallions knew exactly what he meant.

"I agree," SIG Sauer commented, "We've already put this conversation off for long enough."

"Then let's have it now," Bronze Star proposed, "Walther, do you have that 'package' from Canterlot?"

"It's in my quarters, sir," the mahogany Pegasus replied. He stood up from his seat and said "I'll be right back."

The veteran Wonderbolt trotted out of the room. For a couple minutes, the prince and his trainer were left alone. They sat in silence for most of the time. Then SIG Sauer started chuckling softly.

"What's so funny, SIG?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"Not funny as much as ironic, sir," SIG Sauer informed the younger stallion. He sat up in his chair and said "Take a look at my midsection, then take a look at your hoof."

Bronze Star was confused by this request, but he decided to go along with it. He leaned forward and studied the pine green Unicorn's upper body. There was a large scab in the center of his chest. This was all that remained of the stab wound he had received on the Summer Sun Celebration. Bronze Star then turned to his front hoof. The one that was bandaged.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow in perplexity and stated "I fail to see any irony, SIG."

"Then allow me to enlighten you," SIG Sauer offered, "Ponyville is perhaps the most peaceful town in Equestria. At least, it's been given that reputation. Yet in the time since we arrived here, both you and I have had an incident with a knife."

"Oh, I see what you're saying," Bronze Star stated in understanding. He jokingly added in "Maybe this town isn't as innocent and harmless as it appears to be."

"Or maybe it is, and you and I should just be more careful around sharp objects," SIG wryly supposed.

"That's smart thinking," Bronze Star conceded, "On the plus side, at least you and I can be 'scar chums' until we've healed."

SIG Sauer chuckled again and repeated "'Scar chums?'"

"Yeah, it's like 'saddlebag buddies,' only with scars," Bronze Star affirmed, "I know it's a stupid term, but I didn't coin it."

"Then who did?" the pine green Unicorn inquired.

"I believe that'd be me," a third voice answered.

The two stallions turned to the entrance of the room and saw that Walther had just returned. He was carrying a small box over his shoulder. He closed the door to the library, trotted over to a rectangular coffee table in the center of the room, and placed the box on the table. Then he stated "Sorry if I kept you waiting. I had to make sure the package was well-hidden when I dropped it off here this afternoon. Took a while to dig it up."

"No worries," Bronze Star assured him, "We've got all night to talk."

"Excellent," Walther commented. At this time, Bronze Star was sitting at a chair facing one of the short ends of the table. SIG Sauer was sitting at a couch facing one of the long ends. Walther sat down at a chair facing the other long end.

As the mahogany Pegasus got settled, SIG Sauer said to him "So, before we begin, I'd like to know something. How did you come up with the label 'scar chum?'"

"It started three years ago, during that mission at Foal Mountain," Walther began plainly, "You remember that one?"

"Of course I do," SIG Sauer responded, "I never forget an assignment."

"Neither do I," Walther stated, "At any rate, you may recall that that was one of our more… hazardous jobs. Although none of us were killed, almost all of us received some type of injury. Heckler and Koch were so banged up that were both put in a doctor's care for almost a month. As you may recall, they did not take kindly to their hospitalization."

"No, they did not," SIG Sauer averred, "But who could blame them? I'd hate to be out of commission for that long, too."

"We all would," Walther perceived, "Anyway, when Heckler and Koch were finally allowed to return to work, they both had a little 'memento' from their stay at the hospital. Heckler had a lengthy scar along his back between his wings, and Koch bore a scar along his forehead. Needless to say, they did not appreciate these blemishes. So I tried to lighten the mood by suggesting that they could be 'scar chums.'"

SIG Sauer got a good laugh at that. "And how did they react?"

"Surprisingly, it did a lot to improve their moods," Walther recalled, "They found it quite amusing, and it helped them get over their resentment. They even decided to apply the label 'scar chums' whenever two or more of the team got bruised in the future. It must have been somewhat catchy, because it wasn't long before everypony else was using it, too."

"Everypony except me," SIG Sauer pronounced slyly, "I'm surprised I never heard that term before."

Bronze Star illuminated "Walther considered mentioning it to you, but he felt you would have classified the expression as just plain 'dumb.'"

"It IS dumb," SIG Sauer declared, "Incredibly dumb. But I have to admit, it's also mildly amusing. Just don't make a habit of using it."

"I don't plan to," Walther stated cockily, "And I won't, as long as our people don't get harmed on a regular basis."

"That's a reasonable aim," Bronze Star observed, "Of course, we can't guarantee that any of them can avoid getting hurt altogether. As experienced as they are, they're bound to encounter some type of extreme danger sooner or later."

"Very true; we've all got the scars to prove that," Walther avowed, "Thankfully, there shouldn't be any 'extreme danger' on our next job."

"That's good," Bronze Star commented, "Now would be a good time to change the subject. How about we focus on the job?"

"That's why we're here," was SIG Sauer's blunt response. He turned to his colleague and bid him with "General, if you would?"

SIG Sauer had addressed the Pegasus by his title to signify that they were now discussing business. Walther promptly sat up and positioned himself in front of the box. It was locked with a padlock, and the General was the only one who knew the combination. After entering the five numbers, he unfastened the bolt and removed the lock. Then he carefully removed the lid, reached inside the box, and removed a glass vial filled with a colorless liquid, a folder with the label "Confidential" on the front, and a set of blueprints for a tall building.

He placed the three objects on the center of the table. Then he looked up at Bronze Star and asked him "Which would you like to start with, Your Highness?"

"The folder," Bronze Star decided, "It's always best to cover the classified material first."

"Very well," Walther accepted this. He took ahold of the edge of the folder and opened it up. Inside were a few small stocks of assorted papers. The stack on top contained a picture of a bearded stallion. Bronze Star recognized him straightaway. He opened up one of his own files and placed it next to the folder. There was a nearly identical picture of the same stallion on top.

"So, what has our 'affiliate' Material Study been up to?" Bronze Star queried.

"The usual stuff," Walther disclosed, "Wandering through towns, purchasing equipment and minerals, meeting up with business associates, the works. At least, that's what Material Study was doing seven days ago. For most of the past week, he's been at his country home just outside of Galloping Gorge."

"Were you able to keep him under surveillance?" Bronze Star asked.

"Yes, I've had two of our stealthiest operatives watching over him," Walther disclosed, "They had a bit of difficulty blending in, seeing as how there's nothing but wilderness out there. But the two of them managed to avoid detection and monitor Material Study's actions closely. He couldn't scratch his muzzle without them noticing."

"So what was he doing out there?" SIG Sauer questioned.

"According to the operatives' report, he spent many hours every day in his workshop," Walther elucidated, "Unfortunately, the workshop was one of the few rooms in Walther's country home that was windowless. So our operatives could not physically see what he was up to. But that did not stop them from finding out what was going on in there."

"What was going on in there?" Bronze Star enquired.

"He was mixing up various chemical compounds," Walther disclosed, "They did what they had to do to determine which compounds specifically. At first, the best they could do was examine the house's waste disposal. One night they were able to sneak into his workshop and get a good look at his inventory. They even managed to acquire several samples. Our analysts in Canterlot finished studying the compounds this morning. Most of them turned out to be poisons and nerve agents. Very potent ones, I might add. They included a full list of what they found. Take a look at it."

Bronze Star flipped through the pages until he found a page entitled "Workshop Reserves." He skimmed through the list. There were plenty of hazardous compounds included in it. Tabun, digoxin, ethylene glycol, VX, batrachotoxin, just to name a few.

Bronze Star was stunned. As he passed the list to SIG Sauer, he noted "Even a small amount of most of these could kill you."

"True," Walther affirmed, "Material Study must have known that, but apparently, he wasn't content with a small amount. He made enough of those compounds to fill an entire barrel of each one."

The gold stallion placed his hoof on the glass vial and presumed "Is this one of the compounds?"

"Yes," Walther replied, "Nitromethane, to be precise. It's one of the few that wasn't a poison or a nerve agent. Its most common use is actually a cleaning solvent. However, it's known to be an extremely flammable substance. One spark is all it takes to produce an explosion."

Bronze Star quickly withdrew his hoof from the vial and bluntly stated "I'll keep that in mind. So where does this get us?"

As SIG Sauer looked over the list of compounds, he professed "Well, although these compounds are all quite deadly, their creation and manufacture is not outlawed. However, nopony makes them in quantities as large as this unless they plan to inflict some serious damage. Material Study must have another agenda."

"That's a reasonable theory, SIG," Bronze Star concurred, "However, I find it unlikely that Material Study would aim to use those compounds himself. He has never been very outspoken about his political ideologies. I'm not that certain he even has one. So what possible motivation would he have to harm anypony?"

"I understand what you mean, sir," Walther asserted, "Our operatives actually have acquired evidence that strongly suggests Material Study plans to get rid of all his compounds just as soon as he finishes creating them."

"Were they able to procure a list of his potential customers?" Bronze Star hypothesized.

"Yes, but I wouldn't call it a list; he only has one intended customer," Walther revealed, "However, this particular individual is not so much a buyer as a business associate. A very affluent associate. According to our operatives, she intends to purchase Material Study's entire stash."

"Who is this associate?" SIG Sauer queried.

"Somepony we've already connected to Material Study," Walther enlightened him.

"Let me guess," Bronze Star requested. At that, he took his other file, opened it up, and set it down next to the file on Material Study. There was another picture on top of the contents of this file; this one was the photo of a mare. Bronze Star pointed to the picture and conjectured "Is this her?"

"Yes, sir," Walther confirmed, "Lavender Dazzle has become more than just a contact to Material Study. Now she is his client, as well."

"So she's gone from protesting against the government to dealing in toxic substances," Bronze Star observed, "Quite a steep transition, even for her."

"Do we know how the deal will be carried out?" SIG Sauer queried, giving Walther back the list.

Walther nodded his head in response. He flipped through the papers in the folder until he came across a dozen pages that were held together by a paperclip. As he extracted these pages, he explained "One notable thing about Material Study's country home is how isolated it is. He doesn't even get mail out there. The whole time he was there, he only had one visitor. It happened to be Lavender Dazzle herself."

"Really?" Bronze Star remarked, raising an eyebrow, "A moment ago, you said Material Study is still making more of those chemical compounds. Why would Lavender Dazzle be visiting him before he was finished?"

"While she may have changed her trade, she still prefers to discuss her business face-to-face ahead of time," Walther replied, "She only stayed at Material Study's house for a few hours, and they spent most of that time in his workshop. Our operatives managed to find a way to eavesdrop on their conversation. They learned quite a few interesting bits of information from the two."

"Like what?" asked Bronze Star.

"For one thing, whenever Material Study sells his compounds, he is not going to give them to Lavender Dazzle directly," Walther illuminated, "Instead, he'll be passing them along to another pony first."

"Who might this intermediary be?" SIG Sauer queried.

"We don't know," Walther disclosed, "According to our operatives' testimony, Lavender Dazzle never referred to him by name. She only described him as a 'strict, cautious, hardhearted stallion who is just as eager as she is to put the compounds to use.'"

"Do we have any idea who she was referring to?" said Bronze Star.

"We have compiled a list of suspects," Walther admitted, "However, we may not have time to narrow them down."

"Why is that?" stated Bronze Star.

"Because by the time we ran through the list, Material Study will have already gotten rid of his stash," Walther explained, "As SIG Sauer has told you, Material Study will be arriving in Hoofington in two days. He'll be staying there for another four days. On the third day, he'll be meeting up with Lavender Dazzle's associate and selling his items."

"Well, for obvious reasons, we can't allow him to carry out that transaction," Bronze Star declared, "Did Lavender Dazzle ask Material Study to do anything else after he gives away his compounds?"

"She instructed him to go to Canterlot, as per his original itinerary," Walther recounted, "But she advised him to go dark before he got there. She mentioned that her associate has those same orders. She expects both stallions to go into hiding for a few weeks and to contact nopony in that time. She doesn't want them to resurface until they hear from her."

"So nopony would notice if they went missing," SIG Sauer observed, "Not even Lavender Dazzle herself."

"Good, then we can still carry out our original plan to apprehend Material Study," Bronze Star noticed, "While we're at it, we should take in this contact of Lavender Dazzle's, as well."

"We've come to the same conclusion, sir," Walther disclosed, "We cannot afford to let those compounds fall into the wrong hooves."

"Alright, so how shall we proceed?" SIG Sauer queried.

"We've already devised a plan to capture Material Study and Lavender Dazzle's associate," the General informed his colleague. He took the blueprints of the building, smoothed them out across the table, and continued with "This is an outline of the Rosebud Hotel in Hoofington. The meeting is scheduled to take place five days from now in a suite on the eleventh floor."

"Odd how they would chose a public building to exchange volatile substances," SIG Sauer commented.

"Oh, the actual exchange won't occur here," Walther expounded, "Lavender Dazzle advised Material Study to hide his stash somewhere in the city and then go to the hotel. He'll receive half his payment at the meeting. After that, he'll reveal where he hid the compounds, and after the contact acquires them, he will give Material Study the other half of his payment."

"Should we arrest the two stallions before, during, or after they arrive?"

"Ideally, during their meeting," Walther declared, "We'll need Material Study to reveal where he hid his stash. Once he gives up its location, we'll move in."

"How will we get somepony to listen in on their conversation?" Bronze Star queried.

"Well, we can't bug the room without informing the hotel staff," "Our best hope would be to have somepony posted outside the room. I'll have Caracal flying outside the window. She should be able to pry it open just enough to overhear the conversation."

"As long as she can do it without anypony noticing, I'm all for that," Bronze Star stated.

"She can get it done," Walther assured him, "Anyway, Peacemaker will be standing outside the front entrance of the hotel. As soon as Material Study reveals where his stash is, Caracal will let him know. Then Peacemaker will give the signal to move in. Heckler, Koch, and Carabine will then enter the suite and arrest both stallions."

"Alright," stated Bronze Star, rubbing his hooves together, "This seems like a fairly straightforward operation."

"It should be," Walther commented, "But there's one minor complication. Lavender Dazzle mentioned that her contact is a very careful stallion. By 'careful' she means 'paranoid.' He surrounds himself with protection everywhere he goes."

"By protection, I assume you mean 'bodyguards?'" SIG Sauer presumed.

"Precisely," Walther affirmed, "Dazzle told Study that her contact will show up to the meeting with a total of five. One of them was referred to by name: Maelstrom."

SIG Sauer's eyes lit up at this statement. Bronze Star noticed this and queried "Something wrong, SIG?"

"I know that stallion," the pine green Unicorn explicated, "Not personally; only by reputation. He's an attendant-for-hire who takes his job extraordinarily seriously. Whenever somepony seeks out his services, he does whatever he deems necessary to protect them. And I mean 'whatever.' He doesn't care if his client is on the run or a wanted felon. As long as they pay him, he is willing to go so far as committing murder to keep them safe."

"He actually has been suspected of killing at least a dozen people over the course of his career," Walther added in, "We've tried putting him away, but there has never been enough evidence to convict him. He's exceptionally good at covering his tracks. We're quite confident he was responsible, though."

"Will his presence pose a threat to the team's well-being?" Bronze Star queried in concern.

"I've taken measures to ensure that it won't," Walther disclosed. He pointed out certain sections of the blueprints as he went on with "There's a tall building across the street. Beretta can set up on the roof and observe the meeting from afar. If anything goes wrong, she can help thin out the numbers on Material Study's side. Glock will be guarding the hotel's back entrance, in case any of them attempt to escape. Even if they get by the rest of us, they'll never get past him. In the unlikely but still possible event that we are overwhelmed, Ruger will have the H.P.D. on standby. She'll be ready to summon them at a moment's notice. I'll be coordinating the entire operation from the roof of the hotel to make sure that everything goes according to plan."

"Looks like everypony on the team has a job to do," SIG Sauer remarked, "Everypony except me."

"Yeah, about that…" Walther tentatively began. After a brief interval of quietness, he looked his colleague in the eye and told him "SIG, don't take this the wrong way, but it may be for the best if you sat this one out."

The pine green Unicorn was surprised to hear this. He frowned and muttered "Whatever would impel you to think that, Walt? You've already brought me up to date, and I can make preparations just as quickly as everypony else."

"I'm not questioning your competency, SIG," Walther guaranteed him, "But consider some recent events. You were stabbed in the chest less than two weeks ago. You shouldn't be overexerting yourself so soon after recovering from surgery. Aside from that, Mauser and Alpine came all the way down here to see you. It's been a long time since you had a chance to spend time with both of them. You should take advantage of that. Most importantly, there's something else you should be preparing for."

"What might that be?" SIG Sauer asked.

Walther grinned deviously and told him "Princess Luna is not the only one who is grateful for what you did during the Summer Sun Celebration. Princess Celestia and Lord Bellerophon wish to commend both you and Noble Edict."

"Commend us how?" SIG Sauer said, obviously intrigued.

"Celestia plans to hold a ceremony in your honor," "She has not decided on an official date, but she aims to have it sometime in the near future. It would be bad form indeed if you were caught unprepared on the day she announces it."

SIG Sauer was somewhat stunned to hear this. After processing it all, he lightly scoffed and said in amazement "I suppose that's true. If Celestia ever summoned me to Canterlot, I would be there in a heartbeat."

"You still wouldn't get there as quickly as me, though," Walther leered flippantly.

SIG Sauer sniggered in amusement and commented "Perhaps not."

He then turned to the gold stallion and told him "This is really your call, sir. Should I remain here, or should I go to Hoofington with the rest of the unit?"

Bronze Star spent a while debating on an answer. Ultimately, he sighed and declared "You are one of the best operatives I know, SIG, and I've never doubted your ability. But even with that said, the General raised some very fine points. So I'm inclined to agree with him. It may be for the best that you stay here in Ponyville. Leave this one job up to Walther and the rest of the squad."

SIG Sauer was somewhat disappointed, but he knew he could count on his prince to make the right decision. He nodded his head in acceptance, saying "Very well, sir. I am willing to stand down and relinquish my position for the present."

Bronze Star then turned to the mahogany Pegasus and pronounced "General, under the Absentee Clause of the Official Leadership Statutes, I'm giving you temporary command of the Firebrand Regiment. Effective now until the mission in Hoofington is complete. Do you accept?"

"I do accept this duty, Your Highness," Walther proclaimed in a very serious tone.

"Then let it be so," Bronze Star decreed.

"Let it be so," SIG Sauer repeated.

"Let it be so," Walther agreed.

The three stallions sat in silence for about a minute. Then Bronze Star gazed over at Walther and asked him "Is there anything left to discuss, General?"

"No, I believe we have covered every part of the operation, sir," the veteran Wonderbolt remarked, "However, there is still one thing I need to know from you. How much force are we permitted to use?"

"As much as you need to capture Material Study and that contact," Bronze Star responded straightforwardly, "It is imperative that those two are brought in alive. However, the contact's bodyguards are expendable. If they resist arrest, you are authorized to put them down."

"I understand," Walther asserted, "We will not hesitate to eliminate Maelstrom and the other four bodyguards if they put up a struggle. If there are any casualties, I give you my word they will not be on our end."

"I believe you, Walther," Bronze Star claimed. There was a pause, and then Bronze Star smirked and cockily stated "Just make certain that nopony on the team has to be a 'scar chum' with me and SIG."

Both of the middle-aged stallions got a kick out this remark. They laughed so hard that they almost could not breathe. Thankfully, they stopped guffawing before they passed out. Once they were under control, Walther gathered up the glass vial, the folder, and the blueprint, and he returned them to the box.

As he locked the box back up, Walther announced "In the morning, I'm going to contact Carabine and tell him to begin making preparations. It should only take them a couple hours. Once they're ready, they'll travel to Hoofington right away."

"Alright," Bronze Star commented, "When do you suppose you'll rendezvous with them?"

"Well, the meeting is five days," Walther thought aloud, "However, as long as I get there at least twenty-four hours in advance, I'll have plenty of time to run through the plan with the others, as well as discuss any new developments that might have come up. So I'm not in any particular rush to get to Hoofington."

"In that case, if you're available, I could use your help with something," Bronze Star proposed.

"What might that be?" queried the Pegasus.

"You remember that symbol I showed you?" Bronze Star explicated, "The one Hazy Wisp was wearing around her neck?"

"Yes, I remember it quite well," Walther replied, "I've never seen anything like it. Apparently, neither has anypony else in recorded history, seeing as how I couldn't find it anywhere in the Bureau's archives."

"That's why I'm bringing it up," Bronze Star disclosed, "Although your first search on it yielded dismal results, I'd like to take another look. Something tells me there's a story behind that symbol. If we can find out what it is, it may help us learn more about the cultists. If all else fails, we could just try to decipher it ourselves."

Walther considered this proposal for a minute, and then he told the gold stallion "Alright, sir. While I'm not very optimistic that we'll find anything, I'm willing to search again if you believe we will."

"I do," Bronze Star confirmed.

"Very well," Walther acknowledged.

By this point, the three stallions had been talking business for well over an hour. They chose to end their discussion here. Shortly after, the three of them decided to turn in. They bid each other good night and retired to their rooms. Before going to bed, Walther and Bronze Star made certain to hide their box and files respectively.

Walther and SIG Sauer got to sleep pretty soon. Bronze Star, on the other hoof, lay awake in bed for a while. Although it had been a long day, he was not especially tired. Still, he knew he needed his rest, so he just lied down and tried to relax.

As he got relaxed, Bronze Star's mind wandered back to the conversation about trust he had earlier that evening with Mauser, Alpine, Walther, and SIG Sauer. One part he could not avoid replaying was when he mentioned his special privilege as a member of the Equestrian Royalty. That privilege was his right to be made aware of almost everything that went on in the world.

He had always enjoyed that privilege, but his mother had advised him not to abuse it. Thankfully, he never had. However, sometimes he wondered what it would be like if he had the right to be informed of everything that happened, and not just 'almost' everything.

The reason it had always been 'almost' was that there were some people Bronze Star knew who were a little more protective of their knowledge. Legally, the only people who can withhold information from him were his mother, Bellerophon, and the occasional emissary from another nation. Of course, the emissaries were under oath not to discuss certain information with anypony other than Celestia. Bellerophon shares most of his confidential information with her, as well.

From this perspective, Princess Celestia seemed to be the only one who really kept Bronze Star out of the loop in the long run. Bronze Star never resented this. He had always loved, admired, and respected his mother, as well as the decisions she made. Even if they involved keeping him in the dark. Aside from that, he could not blame her for keeping secrets from him. After all, all parents kept secrets from their children.

However, children often keep secrets from their parents as well. Bronze Star was definitely no exception. There were several things he knew that his mother was unaware of. The true irony in this situation was that Princess Celestia had been the beloved leader of Equestria for over a millennium, but even she did not know everything. There were very few things she did not know, but her own son knew several of them.

For instance, the operation Bronze Star had just discussed with SIG Sauer and Walther. She was totally unaware of anything about it, including its existence.

Bronze Star had been conducting these types of operations for years, but Celesita had never known about them. All she did know was that she had given her son control of the Firebrand Regiment, and that he only used the Regiment with good intentions in mind.

Still, Bronze Star had his reasons for hiding these operations from his mother. Even so, he hoped she would never have to learn of their existence. Otherwise, things might turn out disastrous for both of them.

Bronze Star knew that every time he sent the Firebrand Regiment on one of their special missions, they risked the prospect of failure. If they ever failed, they would risk exposing themselves. Many times, the gold stallion had wondered if this was all truly worth it. This was precisely what he was wondering at this very time.

Ultimately, Bronze Star came to the same conclusion that he always came to. In other words, he decided that all this secrecy and plotting truly was worth the dangers involved, when considering the outcome. He may have had some doubts, but he was able to push them to the back of his mind and ignore them.

After having this debate, Bronze Star soon nodded off and went into a peaceful sleep.

> Showcasng
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The next morning, Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther had breakfast together. Princess Luna was not present because she was still asleep. Or to be more precise, she had just fallen asleep. Bronze Star explained to the others that his aunt told him she used to be nocturnal, and that she was thinking of getting back to that routine. After all, it was only a matter of time before she reassumed her role as the guardian of the nighttime.

After they had their morning nourishment, the five ponies from Canterlot quickly got busy. Alpine grabbed her saddlebag and headed over to Golden Oaks Library. Mauser and SIG Sauer decided to hit the fitness center to get in a workout. Walther and Bronze Star planned to stop by the library, as well. First, the General took a moment to write a short letter. He kept the message brief and clear, and he addressed it to a private security firm in Canterlot. Once he was finished writing, he and Bronze Star headed over to the library.

When they got there, Twilight and Alpine were preoccupied with their project. The two stallions assured the mares that they would not be there for long. All they needed to do was mail a scroll and borrow some history books.

Spike was able to deliver Walther's letter to Canterlot. After that, the Pegasus and the Alicorn gazed through the shelves and picked out anything that pertained to Nightmare Moon, the Mare in the Moon, or anything about the moon in general. They ended up checking out over two dozen books from the library. Once they had all these books, they carried them back to the embassy and got busy reading.

Walther and Bronze Star spent a great deal of time over the next three days doing research. They kept the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark in front of them so that they could remind themselves what exactly they were looking for. They found many interesting passages about theories surrounding the Moon. These were topics such as its creation, its impact, and its evolution. They even managed to find some sections about certain groups who revered the Moon as a type of deity or mystical object. However, none of these groups had been regarded as cults or any other radical organization. And only a few of them had an official symbol. The ones that did bore no resemblance to Hazy Wisp's insignia at all.

Bronze Star and Walther were not willing to call it quits just yet. They continued searching for the symbol. They looked through all the history books twice, but they still could not find anything that looked even partially similar to it.

In the early afternoon of their third day of research, their perseverance had substantially faded.

After skimming through a chapter in a book about an outrageous myth that the Moon and the Sun were once a single entity, Bronze Star sighed in angry defeat. He tossed the book aside, ran his hooves through his mane, and muttered "I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause."

Walther scoffed and pronounced "I could have told you that when we first started this endeavor."

"At the present, I wish you had," Bronze Star admitted.

"I would have, but it wasn't my place to disagree, sir," Walther debated.

"Well, for future reference, feel free to give me your opinion, even if it directly contradicts mine," Bronze Star stated.

"Alright, I will," Walther coincided, "I'll start by saying this: we should throw in the towel right about now."

"That's fine by me," the gold stallion remarked.

The two stallions sat in silence for over a minute. Then Bronze Star suggested "We should probably swing by the library and return these books."

"You'll get no argument from me there," Walther agreed.

The two stallions proceeded to collect the history books. Bronze Star brought along his knapsack, as he had gotten accustomed to wearing it outside the embassy. After all, it contained his badge of office and many of his important documents. He saw it ideal to have those on hoof at all times.

Once all the books were gathered, the two stallions were about ready to go. Before they left, Walther proposed that they find a place to hide the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark. He did not want to leave it lying out in the open. Bronze Star offered to carry it in his knapsack, and the General quickly agreed.

The gold stallion and the mahogany stallion then departed from the embassy and returned to Golden Oaks Library. To their surprise, Twilight Sparkle, Alpine, and Spike were not there. Rather than wait, they decided to go ahead and return the books to their shelves. It took them a while, but they managed to find the proper place for each one.

Shortly after they left the library, Bronze Star and Walther encountered Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer. The three of them were just passing by and talking with each other. Mauser was the one who first noticed the gold stallion and the mahogany stallion. He smirked and proclaimed cheekily "Look who finally decided to give daylight a second chance."

"Ha ha, very funny, Mauser," Bronze Star remarked sarcastically, "We were only inside the embassy for like, two days. And it's not as though we spent every single minute indoors."

"Whatever you say," Mauser commented, rolling his eyes, "Still, these past few days, you two have been almost as reclusive as Princess Luna."

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that that's going to stop," Walther declared, "We've decided that we've wasted enough time searching for a record of that stupid symbol."

"That's a good idea," SIG Sauer avowed, "Truthfully, I doubt we've seen the last of that symbol. We should still keep our eyes open for it. After all, Hazy Wisp or one of her co-conspirators may show up again. So let's focus on the present instead of the past."

"Sage advice, SIG," Bronze Star commented. There was a brief period l of silence, and then the gold stallion turned to Alpine and queried "Are you and Twilight finished with the project?"

"Yeah, pretty much," the chartreuse mare replied, "She got to twenty-six types of magic."

"Twenty-six?" Walther stated, impressed, "Damn, that's gotta be some kind of record. I don't know any other Unicorn who can perform that many varieties of magic. Not even SIG Sauer."

"Well, Twilight's special talent IS magic, after all," Bronze Star pointed out.

"That's true," Walther concurred. He turned to the female Unicorn and said "Anyway, Alpine, has she decided which field of magic she does best in?"

"Not yet," Alpine replied, "She's going to spend the rest of the afternoon reviewing the results of our project. It may be several hours before she makes her decision. Personally, I think her forte may be in illumination magic."

Ten seconds later, the sound of explosions filled the air. The five ponies turned in the direction of the noise. A hundred feet away, there was a cloud of smoke and a dim flash of light in the air.

"I see what you mean," Walther drily commented.

"I don't think that's Twilight, General," Mauser declared.

"Yeah, that's not a magical outburst," Alpine noted, "It looks more like… fireworks."

"Who in Tartarus sets off fireworks during the day?" SIG Sauer asked rhetorically.

"Let's find out," Bronze Star proposed.

The four stallions and the mare then trotted in the direction of the smoke and the flash. Before long, they arrived in the town square. They quickly discovered they were not the only ones who had been drawn in by the explosions. A significant percentage of the town's population was assembled there. They were gathered around a large stage, which was connected to a small wooden trailer. Somepony was standing in the center of the stage.

Bronze Star, Walther, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer navigated their way through the crowd to get a closer look. They found Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity near the front.

"Hey, guys," the baby dragon greeted when he noticed them.

"Hey, Spike," Bronze Star rejoined. "What's going on?"

"Some Unicorn claiming to be the most powerful of her kind is showcasing herself," Spike muttered drily, "Despite her claims, we're not that convinced."

Bronze Star and his four associates gazed up at the stage. Sure enough, a young female Unicorn was standing above them. She had a brilliant azure coat, a pale cornflower blue mane, and dark grayish violet irises. Her cutie mark was a star-tipped wand over a crescent moon. She was dressed in a light purple cloak and magician's hat, both adorned with blue and yellow stars.

The Unicorn haughtily declared "Well, well, well, it seems we have some neighsayers in the audience. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical Unicorn in all of Equestria?"

Rarity spat angrily and remarked "Just who does she think she is?"

"Yeah!" Spike coincided. "Since we all know that Twilight here is—"

"Spike!" the lavender Unicorn interrupted, "Shhh!"

"What?" the baby dragon asked, "What's wrong?"

"You see the way they reacted to Trixie?" Twilight pointed out, "I don't want anyone thinking I'm a show-off."

Then there was a round of fanfare produced from Trixie's chariot. Most of the audience was wowed, but Bronze Star and his friends were not.

"So, 'Great and Powerful Trixie,'" Rainbow Dash sardonically remarked, "What makes you think you're so awesome, anyway?"

Trixie just scoffed and retorted "Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!"

There came another round of fanfare, which was accompanied by a bright burst of fireworks. Again, most of the audience was impressed. Especially two young colts near the front.

"What?" yelled Snips.

"No way!" shouted Snails.

Trixie grinned haughtily and pronounced "When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!"

This statement left a great impression on pretty much everypony in the crowd, particularly Snips, Snails, and Bronze Star.

"Saw, sweet!" the two colts remarked.

"That settles it," the short colt declared.

"Trixie truly is the most talented, the most magical, the most awesome Unicorn in Ponyville," Snails professed

"No, in all of Equestria!" Snails appended.

Bronze Star was impacted by a different reason. He turned to the mahogany Pegasus and remarked "Walther, has there been an Ursa Major attack in Hoofington recently?"

"Actually, we received news of one a couple months ago," Walther revealed, "It was a particularly brutal attack. By the time we were informed of its presence, it had already been wreaking havoc on the town for hours. We were going to call upon the Special Forces to reinforce the town's defenses. But before we could send anypony, we were informed that the Ursa Major had been repelled from the town."

"Who was to thank for that?" Bronze Star queried.

"I'm not certain, sir," Walther stated, "I didn't think it was important to know who solved the problem, as long as it HAD been solved."

"Understandable," Bronze Star perceived.

"All the same, there's no firm evidence that Trixie was actually in Hoofington at the time of the attack," Alpine noted, "She could have just heard about it somewhere and given the story some embellishment."

"That's what I'm inclined to believe," Mauser commented.

Spike was still focused on Snips and Snails. He stated crossly "How do you know? You didn't see it! And besides, Twi—"

Before he could continue, Twilight used her magic to zip Spike's lips. Literally. All he could do was mumble.

Trixie just ignored Bronze Star and Spike. She laughed and told the two young colts "It's true, my enthusiastic little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville."

There was almost complete silence in the town hall. The only sounds that could be heard were that of a few crickets clicking.

"Well, you seem to be popular amongst the crickets," SIG Sauer audaciously remarked, "They're the only ones who are applauding."

Many of the ponies in the audience burst out laughing at that remark, including all of SIG Sauer's companions. Only a few such as Snips and Snails were unamused.

Trixie appeared to be annoyed at first. But then she just chuckled and remarked "Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie? Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians. Anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?"

There came yet another round of fanfare and fireworks. This time, nopony was really amazed. This display was just starting to get old.

Spike unzipped his lips and threw himself at Twilight's hooves. He cried desperately "Please! She's unbearable! Ya gotta show her! Ya just gotta!"

Twilight Sparkle whispered to him firmly "There's no way I'm going to use my magic now, Spike. Especially since—"

"Hmm, how about you!" Trixie called out, pointing to Twilight.

The lavender Unicorn was caught off guard by this. She gulped nervously and took a step back.

Fortunately, Twilight Sparkle did not have to answer this contest. Her friends stepped in for her and challenged Trixie one-by-one.

Applejack went first. She challenged Trixie to a round of doing tricks with rope. The orange mare was very nimble and flexible; she attached a rope to her tail, form it into a lasso, and spun it above and around her entire body. In the end, she roped an apple from a nearby stand, pulled it into her mouth, and ate it whole. This produced a round of cheers from the audience.

Trixie then countered Applejack with a rope trick of her own. She used her magic to animate the rope, as if she had bewitched it. She used it to hypnotize Applejack, and once the farm pony was entranced, Trixie used the rope to tie her hooves together. Applejack called out in alarm, but Trixie stuffed an apple in mouth to quiet her. This produced a round of laughs from the audience.

Bronze Star quickly went to Applejack's aid. As he freed her from her bonds, he jokingly remarked "Wow, Applejack. I didn't know you were in to this kind of stuff."

The Earth Pony blushed as she got back on her hooves and stated "Ummm… I'm not. I just like using rope. It's a very versatile thing."

Rainbow Dash had her turn next. She performed a multitude of adroit maneuvers in the sky. The cyan mare was so fast that it was almost hard to keep track of her. When she was finished, she managed to produce a small rainbow above her head. There came more cheers.

Trixie quickly put an end to this stunt. She used her magic to produce a small rapidly swirling tornado above Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare was quickly caught in the eye of the vortex. She shouted in distress as she was spun around over a dozen times per second. When Trixie finally released her, Rainbow felt as though she was going to hurl. The finally blow to her ego was when Trixie produced a raincloud above Rainbow's head and struck her with a bolt of lightning. There came more laughs.

"Be aware of your surroundings, Rainbow," Walther advised the young mare after she came out of shock, "And try to maintain your bearings, even if you get dizzy. Just a little friendly advice, Wonderbolt veteran to Wonderbolt aspirant."

"Okay, General," Rainbow Dash remarked. She was embarrassed that Walther had seen her get tossed around and ridiculed, but at least he seemed to sympathize with her.

Some of the people in the audience wanted a Unicorn to challenge Trixie. Rarity was reluctant to accept, but she changed her mind after Trixie insulted her mane. In response, Rarity used a variety of materials in the area to form an elegant dress. The audience was deeply impressed, but Trixie shattered her image when she used a spell to turn Rarity's mane green. When she learned this, the white Unicorn burst into tears and galloped away from the scene.

Spike was fed up with this. He implored Twilight to take on Trixie. The lavender Unicorn was just as resistant to this idea as ever. Despite Spike's pleading and insistence, she refused to partake in this contest. When Trixie challenged Twilight herself, she was all the more reluctant. She quickly made up an excuse and bolted away from the area, much to the surprise of Spike.

As the dragon chased after his mistress, Trixie smiled in satisfaction and announced "Ha! Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria. Huh, was there ever any doubt?"

"The more appropriate question is 'was there ever any certainty?'" Bronze Star snappily retorted.

Once again, the audience had a laugh at Trixie's expense. The brilliant azure mare scowled down at the gold stallion and uttered "Just who might you be?"

"The name's Gold Streak," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I'm Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville."

At that, Trixie raised an eyebrow in interest and remarked "Oh, you're from Canterlot, are you?"

"Yes, he is," Walther affirmed, "So am I, as well as these three Unicorns here."

"Well, isn't that something," Trixie stated wryly, "So, tell Trixie something. Do you have anything better to offer than these Ponyvillians? Or are ponies from the capital city just as talentless?"

"Want to find out the hard way?" Alpine audaciously ventured.

"Gladly," was Trixie's response.

"Alright then," Alpine asserted. She turned to Bronze Star and asked to see his right front hoof. He was confused by this request at first, but he complied. Alpine slowly removed his bandage to reveal the cut on his hoof. It had been more than two days, and it had not healed very much. Alpine had the gold stallion hold up his hoof so that everypony could see his injury. Then her horn lit up and she cast a spell on her friend's hoof. When the light faded, everypony gasped in surprise. Bronze Star's cut had vanished.

"What was that?" he enquired in interest.

"Cell regeneration charm," the chartreuse mare illuminated, "I mastered it just this morning."

Most of the ponies there were captivated by this. Unsurprisingly, Trixie was unmoved. She scoffed and cheekily remarked "So you can patch a leak. Big deal."

"Oh, that's not all," Alpine apprised her. She then titled her heads upwards and launched a powerful stream of magic. It sailed into the air until it was a hundred feet in the air. Then it started expanding into a gigantic square. When the shape was almost as large as the town square itself, it stopped growing.

Most of the audience was astounded by the size and structure of the square, as well as its very presence.

"What is that?" Mauser asked his sister in amazement.

"An energy shield," Alpine expounded, "Twilight may know twenty-six types of magic, but there are two I excel in. Healing magic and defensive magic. A raging dragon couldn't get through that square."

"Oh, really?" Trixie cockily rejoined.

She then used her magic to produce an enormous anvil above Alpine's square. Trixie slammed her energy anvil against the energy shield. Almost immediately, the anvil shattered into thousands of pieces and faded away. Alpine was alarmed by this sudden action. So were quite a few others.

Once the energy square completely vanished, Trixie said irreverently to Alpine "Very sturdy shield. Just make sure nothing ever touches it. Otherwise it'll become extremely ineffective."

A lot of ponies laughed at this remark. Alpine just stared at the ground and sighed dismally. SIG Sauer placed his hoof on her back to comfort her. Then he glared up at Trixie and shot angrily "You are reprehensible."

"Oh?" Trixie wittily spoke in turn, "And you, sir, are condemnatory. It's likely you couldn't do any better than that."

"Believe me, ma'am; you wouldn't want to go up against me," SIG Sauer asserted.

"Why is that?" Trixie enquired in interest.

"Because my foremost skill has to do with knives," SIG Sauer sharply barked.

Trixie was stunned by this answer. She conjectured "You mean like… cooking knives?"

"Oh, no, my dear," the pine green Unicorn slyly informed her. He was wearing his belt at this time. He reached behind him and drew his special knife. He held it in the air and told her "I mean these types. The ones that cut through something quite different than food."

Trixie lightly scoffed, saying "Yeah, right. Trixie thinks you just carry that around for show. You've probably never even used one in your life."

"You could not be more wrong," SIG Sauer countered as he returned his knife to his belt, "For the sake of your image, I'm going to keep my weapon sheathed. But if you ever humiliate my daughter again like you did just now, I'll show you just how good I really am with knives."

Trixie appeared to be unaffected by this threat, but underneath her emotionless façade, she was quavering with fright. Several other people there were stunned by SIG's words as well.

After a moment, Trixie turned to Alpine and told her "I meant no offense."

"No hard feelings," the chartreuse mare assured her, smiling lightly.

"Good," Trixie commented in relief.

After this, her face returned to its normally conceited countenance. She announced "In the meantime, Trixie still needs somepony worthy of her talent to challenge her."

She noticed Mauser's cutie mark was a javelin and queried "What do you do? Are you some type of professional athlete?"

"Not even close," the jasper stallion informed her, "I like sports as much as the next stallion, but I've never wanted a career in them. No, I'm a member of the Constabulary Contingent from the Military Enforcement Corps."

"So, what exactly is your specialty?" Trixie enquired.

"Upholding the law," Mauser replied, "Something you seem to have very little regard for."

Despite the candidness of this slur, Trixie did not take offense to it. She bluntly declared "Well, stability and order bore Trixie."

"That's too bad for you," Bronze Star remarked, "Because they're plenty useful in everyday life. And before you ask, my 'special talent' is in policymaking."

"Trixie already gathered that," the brilliant azure mare declared, "She is not going to bother challenging you, either. Politics bore her even more."

"Then she doesn't know what she's missing," Bronze Star humorously perceived.

Trixie just rolled her eyes at that statement. She then looked down at Walther and told him "Guess that leaves you. What do you have to offer?"

"Well, I've been in the Wonderbolts for nearly thirty years," Walther said in a surprisingly modest tone.

Several people in the audience found this quite interesting. Although she did not show it, Trixie was a little impressed as well. "That so?"

"Yes," the mahogany Pegasus established, "However, contrary to most Wonderbolts, my main flair is not flying at ludicrous speed. Instead, I specialize in accumulating intelligence."

"Accumulating intelligence?" Trixie repeated.

"That's right," Walther confirmed, "I am a master of research, history, and deductive reasoning. Whenever I look for something, it rarely evades my notice."

"Hmmm," Trixie muttered in interest, "That is something Trixie can identify with. She appreciates the concept of increasing knowledge as well. She has learned so much in her lifetime that her intelligence must surpass that of anypony else in Equestria."

"Really?" said Walther, clearly unconvinced, "Would she care to prove that?"

"Just give her a chance," Trixie haughtily returned.

"Alright," Walther coincided. He leaned over to Bronze Star and whispered into his ear "Sir, may I see your knapsack for a second?"

The gold stallion found this to be an odd request, but he removed his bag and gave it to the mahogany Pegasus. Walther opened it up, shuffled through the contents, and pulled something small out. Then he closed up the bag and returned it to its owner.

As Bronze Star slung his knapsack over his shoulder, Walther began approaching the stage. Bronze Star quickly realized that Walther had taken out the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark. He stepped up to the mahogany Pegasus and uttered quietly "General, what are you doing?"

"Taking a chance," Walther told him serenely, "Trust me, sir. I know what I'm doing."

Bronze Star was still a little skeptical, but he chose to believe the Wonderbolt and beckoned him "Go on, then."

Walther nodded and turned back to Trixie. He neared the base of the stage and asked the mare "How good are you at interpreting symbols?"

"Extremely good," Trixie replied frankly, "Trixie can look at any symbol and determine its background and meaning."

Walther smirked at this. Then he held up the photograph so that Trixie could see it, and he proposed "In that case, could you tell me what this is?"

Trixie got a good look at the photograph. Initially, she seemed perplexed by its appearance. She asked in bewilderment "What is that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," was all Walther said in response, "Celestia knows I can't make sense of it. Perhaps you can. Unless you lied about your ability."

"The Great And Powerful Trixie does not invent facts!" the brilliant azure mare insisted.

"Very well," Walther commented, "Then tell me, 'Great And Powerful,' what is this symbol's background and meaning?"

Trixie did not answer straightaway. There was a long interval of silence. All eyes were focused on Trixie. She just stared at the photograph, as if she was astounded by it. Walther could tell she appeared to be reluctant to answer him, but her unwillingness might have been a result of anxiety instead of a lack of familiarity with the symbol.

"We're listening," Walther declared.

Ultimately, Trixie just turned away from Walther and mumbled bluntly "I don't have time for these silly guessing games. I am far too busy. Come back later and maybe I'll tell you then."

This was not the answer anypony expected to hear. But nopony protested. The General just said coolly "If you say so, ma'am."

A few seconds later, Trixie retreated to the inside of her trailer. Once she was gone, the crowd quickly dispersed. Soon the only people left in the town square were Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Snips, Snails, Bronze Star, Walther, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer. The two colts planned to wait outside the trailer until their new idol reappeared. The three mares and the four stallions decided they had better things to do with their time. So they quickly left the area.

They trotted in quietness for a while. Then Rainbow Dash flew above the mahogany Pegasus and told him "That was brilliant, General!"

Walther was confused by this remark. "What was brilliant, Rainbow Dash?"

"Your scheme to prove that Trixie isn't as perfect as she claimed to be," Rainbow Dash clarified, "I can't believe I didn't think of that!"

Walther realized what the cyan mare was implying. He disclosed "You misunderstand, Rainbow. I can see how you would be driven to assume that I was trying to make Trixie look like a fool. However, that was not my intent. I actually was consulting her for help."

"What?" the cyan mare remarked in surprise, "Why?"

"Well, as you may have noticed, Prince Bronze Star and I haven't been outside much lately," Walther enlightened her, "This photograph is the primary reason why. We spent most of the last couple days in the embassy, trying to find out more about it."

"Why is that?" Applejack enquired curiously, "What's so important about the symbol?"

"The cultists who attacked SIG Sauer and attempted to imprison my mother had this symbol for their cutie marks," Bronze Star elucidated, "Hazy Wisp was also seen wearing a necklace with the same symbol imprinted on the trinket. We're certain that the symbol has something to do with the Nightmare Moon conspiracy."

"That makes sense," Applejack concurred, "So did you find anything helpful?"

"Nope, not a thing," Walther replied, "Our research led us absolutely nowhere. In fact, just an hour ago, we were ready to give up on it altogether. Now, I'm beginning to think we're finally on to something."

"What makes you say that, Walt?" Bronze Star queried.

"I'd prefer not to explain it out in the open, sir," the veteran Wonderbolt stated, gazing around the area suspiciously, "We should go somewhere more secluded to discuss this."

"Well, later on, we can talk when we return to the embassy," Bronze Star proposed, "But right now I have no desire to set hoof in that building for a while."

"I hear you, sir," Walther coincided, "After sitting in that study and doing nothing but research for two days, I could use some fresh air and exercise."

Rainbow Dash smiled deviously at that remark. She flew in front of the mahogany Pegasus and told him "In that case, perhaps I could be of assistance, General."

Walther inquired in interest "How so, Rainbow?"

"Well, the skies are clear, the Sun is shining, and there's hardly any breeze," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "In other words, it's the perfect weather for flying. How's about a little race between you and me?"

Walther raised an eyebrow and stated "Is that a serious proposal?"

"Of course it is!" the cyan mare insisted, "My biggest dream has always been to fly with the Wonderbolts. Now that you're here, I have that opportunity. There's no way I'd just pass it up."

Walther took a minute to consider this offer. Finally, he smirked and pronounced "Alright, then. If you'd like to go up against me, it's your decision."

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash cheered, punching the air in satisfaction, "Alright! This is so freakin' awesome! Thank you, General!"

"Don't thank me until you've actually flown with me," he suggested, "Where would you like to have the race?"

"I know a good place to start," Rainbow answered, "Come on; I'll take you there."

The cyan mare then turned to her side and flew to the south. Walther quickly rose into the air and steadily flapped after her. Bronze Star, Applejack, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer were interested to see where this would lead, so they decided to follow the two Pegasi.

Rainbow Dash led the group to the meadows along the town's southern border. Once they were all there, Rainbow flew up to the General and stated "Okay, you see that cottage over there a ways?"

Walther and the others turned to look in the direction she was pointing. In the distance, he could see a cottage surrounded by a brook on one end and part of the Everfree Forest on the other end. There appeared to be various types of animals gathered there, and a certain yellow Pegasus with a pink mane was tending to them.

"I see it," Walther affirmed, "Is that Fluttershy out front?"

"Yeah, she lives there," Rainbow Dash explained, "Anyway, her cottage is about a mile away from this spot. What I have in mind is a good old-fashioned roundabout race. We'll fly from here to there and back to here over and over. First to twenty laps wins."

"I like the sound of that," Walther disclosed, grinning, "But let we warn you right now, Rainbow; I take competitions quite seriously. I never go easy on people."

"I know you don't," Rainbow Dash remarked simply, "I don't want you to go easy on me. There's no fun in easy. Give me everything you've got."

"Very well," Walther acknowledged.

"Watch yourself, Rainbow," SIG Sauer advised the cyan mare, "It may have been six years since Walther last flew in a squad, but back then, no Pegasus could outfly him. Not even Bellerophon. I don't think I've ever seen one who could."

"Well, things can change," Rainbow Dash debated.

"True, but never underestimate your opponent," SIG Sauer recommended, "Doing so could be a costly mistake."

"I'll remember that," Rainbow said candidly. She paused for a moment, and then she told Walther "Let me know when you're ready."

"I've been ready for the past three minutes," he retorted.

"Alright then," Rainbow Dash proclaimed, "Let's do this thing!"

The two Pegasi concentrated on Fluttershy's cottage. After another interval of silence, Rainbow announced "Three… two… one… GO!"

Immediately the two of them sped off towards Fluttershy's cottage. They were flying side-by-side for a few seconds, but Walther quickly gained the lead. Rainbow Dash was not about to let him off that easily. She compensated by nimbly soaring through the air. Although Walther reached the animal lover's house first, Rainbow Dash was the first to return to the meadows.

The two of them alternated between first and second place many times over the next several minutes. Their five companions loudly cheered for them as they completed their laps. Walther appeared to be gradually gaining the lead on Rainbow Dash.

By the end of the nineteenth lap, he was ahead of her by more than a quarter of a mile. He waited until the last one to have a little fun with her. At one point, he turned around and started flying backwards to get a look at her. He smirked and called out "Come on, Rainbow. If you're the best flyer in Ponyville, surely you can beat an aging stallion like me!"

"Whatever you… SAY!" Rainbow Dash shouted. She suddenly picked up an additional jolt of velocity and zipped right by the mahogany Pegasus. Walther was momentarily stunned, but he quickly turned to his front and flew after her. Rainbow Dash arrived at Fluttershy's cottage and immediately turned around. Walther did the same just two seconds later.

The two of them were practically side-by-side as they flew back to the meadows. Both were equally determined to win. Whatever the result of this race, it would be extremely close.

Finally, they passed over the heads of their companions and jerked to a halt. As they landed on the ground and caught their breath, the others trotted over to them, still cheering wildly.

"Looks like you've still got the stuff, General," Mauser remarked exultantly, "A clear victory on your part."

"Are you kidding?" Alpine contradicted her brother, "Rainbow Dash easily got here first."

"I'm not too sure about that," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Walther appeared to be slightly closer to us when the race ended. It must have been him."

"As much as I'd hate to disagree with you, sir, I'm afraid I must this time," SIG Sauer countered, "Unless I blinked, Rainbow was definitely in the lead during that last lap."

Truth be told, Rainbow Dash and Walther themselves were not very certain which of them had won. The mahogany Pegasus perceived "Well, since we have no idea who won, let's put it to a show of hooves."

"I'm fine with that," the cyan Pegasus stated, "Apparently, we've already got two votes for me, and two votes for you. We're tied."

"Indeed," Walther concurred. He turned to the orange Earth Pony and told her "Looks like your vote is the deciding one, Applejack. Who do you think won?"

The mare in the hat did not expect to be put on the spot like that. She needed a moment to contemplate her response. She thought back to the very end of the last lap. From what she could remember, Walther and Rainbow Dash had arrived back at the meadows at approximately the same instant.

Ultimately, she sighed and uttered "Rainbow…"

The cyan mare was about to shout in triumph, but before she could, Applejack told her "Rainbow, I'm sorry, but I can recall Walther flew directly over my head a split-second before you did. So I'm inclined to say he won."

Rainbow Dash dropped her jovial façade and instead took on one of disappointment. She glared at her friend and mumbled irately "Wow, thanks, AJ."

"Hey, you asked me who I thought won, and I told you the truth," Applejack contended defensively, "Would you rather I lied?"

"If our positions were reversed, I would have voted for you," Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

"I don't doubt that, since you're the Element of Loyalty," Bronze Star interjected, "But keep in mind that Applejack is the Element of Honesty. She could have said you won, but she didn't. In my opinion, she did the right thing by being straightforward with you, Rainbow. Wouldn't you rather be informed that you did poorly at something than be misled into thinking you did superbly at it?"

Rainbow Dash thought about this for a minute, and then she sighed and stated "I guess I would. Still, I can't help feeling annoyed. I really don't like losing."

"Then don't think of it as losing, Rainbow Dash," Walther advised her, placing a hoof on her shoulder, "Winners and losers only exist in actual competitions. But in a casual race with one's friends, all that matters is that you enjoy yourself. You shouldn't feel as though finishing later in a friendly bout would put you behind. Everypony is victorious to some degree."

Despite Rainbow Dash's extremely competitive nature, she found that the General spoke some very practical and useful words of wisdom. She turned to her idol, smiled at him, and stated "That's a nice way of putting it, Walther. Sorry if I seemed to be making a big deal about it."

"No worries," he assured her, "I was once as competitive as you. But I starting breaking myself of that tendency when my mentor told me what I just told you."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Rainbow Dash declared, "It may take me a while, though. I'm used to taking every race I'm in as a serious contest."

"That's alright for now," Walther avowed, "In fact, sometimes it's good to be competitive. In a way, having the desire to win is similar to having the determination to accomplish one's goals or attain one's ambitions."

"Now that's an idea I can definitely agree with," Rainbow Dash stated. She paused for a few seconds, and then she thought aloud "Well, General, that was a pretty fun race. Even though you beat me."

"Just by an inch or two," Walther debated, "Tell you what. Next time I come to Ponyville, we'll have a rematch."

"I'd like that," Rainbow avowed, "Out of curiosity, why can't we have it today?"

"Because I'm going to Hoofington tomorrow," Walther revealed, "Depending on what time I leave, I may have to fly there. In case I do, I want to conserve my energy so that I won't be worn out by the time I get there."

Rainbow Dash heard his explanation, but she was still focused on the first sentence. She gloomily muttered "You're leaving?"

"Sadly, yes," the mahogany Pegasus confirmed, "I have an assignment in Hoofington that I must accomplish in two days. If not for that, I would be happy to have a rematch today or tomorrow."

"I get what you're saying," Rainbow mumbled, still a little despondent, "When do you suppose you'll be able to come back to Ponyville?"

"It may not be for a while," Walther informed her, "After I've completed my job in Hoofington, I'll be going back to Canterlot. Odds are I'll be busy there for at least the next month."

"Well, that sucks," Rainbow bluntly commented, "But I understand it. Business before pleasure."

"Exactly," he concurred, "If you wish, we can still keep in contact. Later on, we could exchange mailing addresses."

Rainbow Dash quickly brightened up and nodded her head, saying "I'm all for that."

Now that the group had concluded that Walther had just barely won the race, the seven ponies decided to move on and enjoy the day in a less dynamic fashion. They spent much of the afternoon in the meadows. They laid in the grass, gazed up at the sky, and appreciated the peace and tranquility of their surroundings. Walther and Bronze Star were very glad that they chose to come out today. Otherwise they would have wasted this beautiful day in a dark, stuffy room while studying an obscure emblem.

> Driving Force
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the early evening came about, the seven ponies decided to go back into the town. Bronze Star, Walther, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer planned to head back to the embassy. Applejack and Rainbow Dash initially took this as their cue to go home, but Bronze Star and Walther invited them to join them at the embassy for dinner. Rainbow Dash eagerly accepted this offer. Applejack consented to it as well, but first she swung by Sweet Apple Acres and let her family know she would be away for the evening.

While Applejack went to her farm, the other six ponies made their way to the embassy. When they arrived at the gates, SIG Sauer declared that he was going back into town for a few minutes. He claimed that he planned to invite somepony to dinner as well. Nopony asked who, but Bronze Star had a pretty good idea.

Ten minutes later, Applejack returned to the embassy. She was carrying a basket of apples on her back. She explained that since somepony else was making dinner for her, she was compelled to return the favor by making dessert.

Bronze Star and Walther made dinner that night. The meal consisted of lentil soup, braised beets, and mashed potatoes. While the prince and the Wonderbolt were preoccupied with this job, Applejack busied herself with making her grandmother's famous apple cinnamon cobbler.

Mauser, Alpine, and Rainbow Dash had nothing to do while they waited, so they chose to set the table.

By the time everything was ready, SIG Sauer returned to the building. He was accompanied by Noble Edict, which did not surprise Bronze Star. He had expected the red mare to be SIG Sauer's guest. After all, other than Dr. Sharp Seams, Noble was the only pony in town whom the pine green Unicorn would have reason to invite over for dinner.

Once SIG Sauer, Noble Edict, Mauser, Apline, and Rainbow Dash were seated, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Walther brought out the food. Once the three of them were seated as well, everypony tucked in.

For the first five minutes of the meal, nopony spoke a word. Then Noble Edict uttered "These beets are excellent. Who made them?"

"I did, Noble," Bronze Star enlightened her, "Walther made the potatoes, both of us made the soup, and Applejack made the cobbler."

"Well, my compliments to the chefs," the red Earth Pony declared, "I must say, Bronze; for a member of the Canterlot Royalty, you're a fine cook."

"Well, thank you," stated the gold stallion appreciatively, "You should tell that to Haute Cuisine, Canterlot Castle's head chef. I got my cooking lessons from him."

"That would explain why you helped make this meal," Noble Edict noted, "Everypony already knows Applejack's one of the best bakers in Ponyville. But tell me something, General. What business does a stallion with nearly thirty years of military service have in the kitchen?"

Walther scoffed and replied "Well, before I joined the Wonderbolts, I actually had another goal. That goal was to become a great cook."

Noble Edict, Mauser, Apline, and Rainbow Dash were a little surprised to hear this. Bronze Star and SIG Sauer already knew this bit of information, and Applejack was just indifferent.

"Really?" said Rainbow in astonishment.

"Yes, indeed," Walther confirmed, "I know it sounds absurd. After all, the armed forces and fine dining don't exactly go hoof-in-hoof. In fact, I would say the average military instillation's cuisine is just one or two steps above that of a prison's."

"As a retired army officer, I'm inclined to agree," SIG Sauer remarked, "Back in my military days, the food was about as pleasant as the exercises at boot camp."

"As a current army officer, I can validate that the food hasn't gotten any better in the time since then," Mauser commented.

"Makes me glad I never had to sample one of their meals," Bronze Star slyly pronounced, "That's like the one thing my military training doesn't cover. How to eat like a soldier."

"You're better off not knowing, sir," Walther proclaimed. He looked around at the other ponies and told him "Needless to say, my ambitions to become a master of the culinary arts was very short-lived. But I still had a fondness for them after I joined the Wonderbolts. Often times when I was on leave, I would look up a classic recipe and try my hoof at making it. My experience gradually increased over time. Sometimes I would even make meals for my fellow officers."

"Yeah, I remember that time when you cooked for the Firebrand Regiment," Bronze Star recounted.

"The what?" Rainbow Dash queried in bewilderment.

"The Firebrand Regiment," the young prince expounded, "It's a Special Ops team that answers directly to me. When he's not my trainer, SIG Sauer is the squad's commanding officer. Walther is their executive officer. There are eight other ponies on the team; five stallions and three mares. All of them work or have at some point worked for the government, the military, or both."

"That's cool," the cyan mare remarked, "So, what exactly do they do?"

"I can't tell you; their activities are classified," Bronze Star bluntly replied.

"Okay," Rainbow mumbled. Although she was somewhat curious, she was willing to respect Bronze Star's privacy. She turned to back to the mahogany Pegasus and asked him "So, General, do you still enjoy cooking?"

"Oh my, yes," Walther confirmed, "However, it's been a long time since I prepared a meal for another person. I think the last time I cooked for somepony was also the last time my daughter visited me."

This comment took Applejack and Noble Edict by surprise. The latter raised an eyebrow and said in astonishment "You have a daughter?"

"That's correct," he affirmed, "Prince Bronze Star, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG know about her. I'm certain Rainbow Dash knows who she is, as well."

"Why's that?" Applejack queried.

"Because she's in the Wonderbolts, too," Walther expounded.

The cyan mare smirked and stated "Yeah, I know pretty much every flyer in the Wonderbolts. It just so happens that your daughter is on my favorite squad."

"Maybe I've heard of her," Noble Edict stated, "What's her name?"

"Fleetfoot," Walther answered, "She's her squad's third-in-command, after Spitfire and Soarin."

"Oh, so you're Fleetfoot's father?" Applejack remarked in fascination, "Can't really say I'm much of a fan, but I know Fleetfoot's team must be good. Rainbow talks about them all the time."

"Who's her mother?" Noble Edict queried.

"Another Wonderbolt named Zippy Zap," Walther informed her, "She and I met at the Wonderbolts Academy when we were both just cadets. Although there was a rule against fraternization, we quickly developed an interest in each other. Before long, our relationship got a little too personal, and a court martial and Fleetfoot resulted from it. Thankfully, at the time of that fiasco, we were just a few weeks away from graduation. So the board of directors decided not to expel us. However, Zippy Zap and I still had a young filly to care for."

"Is Zippy Zap still in the Wonderbolts?" asked Applejack.

"No, she resigned her commission long ago," the mahogany stallion enlightened her, "After she left the force, she moved back to Cloudsdale where she got a job as a flight instructor for foals. Since then, we've somewhat drifted apart. I can't even remember the last time I saw her. Some would say Fleetfoot is the only thing we still have in common."

"At least she chose to follow in your hoofsteps," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Yeah, Fleetfoot definitely takes after her old stallion," Walther declared, "In a few years, she may achieve the rank of Captain."

"I'm surprised she hasn't already gotten that high up," Rainbow commented, "After all, while she may be a little smaller than average, she's agile enough to outmaneuver almost anypony."

"I'm confident that she'll get there in time," Walther stated, smiling proudly, "After all, she does belong to a lineage of dexterous flyers."

"No argument there," SIG Sauer coincided.

There was a brief interval of silence. Then Walther sighed and dismally said "I just hope that whenever she does get that high up in the ranks, she'll start speaking to me again."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked in perplexity.

"Fleetfoot and I were once very close," Walther glumly disclosed, "When she was a filly, she idolized me. I was the whole reason she decided to join the Wonderbolts. Nowadays… we don't get along as much. She thinks of me as more her superior officer than her father. I try to keep in contact, but she only occasionally returns my letters."

"Did something happen between you two?" Applejack queried.

"Yes, but I prefer not to talk about it," the mahogany Pegasus replied, "All I will say is that I once did something. Something that I thought would help Fleetfoot. Instead, it just made her resent me. I've tried making amends with her several times, but she's never forgiven me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, General," Rainbow told him apologetically, "That's awful."

"Yes, it is," Walther professed, "However, I don't blame Fleetfoot for harboring a grudge towards me. I brought it on myself. So for the present, I'm keeping my distance and letting her stay angry. I just hope she won't be furious forever."

"She shouldn't," Mauser debated, "She should be more understanding of what you did. She should also be grateful that both her parents are alive."

"I agree," Alpine concurred, "You can't say the same about me and Mauser. That's why I believe family should always come first."

"I most certainly agree," Bronze Star interjected, "If you ask me, the thing Fleetfoot should be most grateful for is that she actually knows who her parents are. There are some people who would give a lot to be able to say that about themselves."

"And you're one of them, sir?" SIG Sauer presumed.

"Yes, SIG," the gold stallion affirmed, "You have no idea what it's like, having no idea who is responsible for your own existence. It's not enough to drive you mad, but it is enough to leave your mind wondering incessantly."

"Well, Princess Celestia must have her reasons," SIG observed, "Only she knows what they are. Perhaps some things are never meant to be known by certain people."

"Maybe," Bronze Star uttered softly. There was another period of silence. Then the gold stallion thought aloud "Unless anypony has any objections, I propose that we change the subject."

As luck would have it, nopony objected. Noble Edict gazed around the table before turning to Bronze Star and saying "On that note, may I ask where Princess Luna is?"

"Upstairs in her room," Bronze Star apprised her, "She's been meditating a lot these past few days. She's also started sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. She should be getting up pretty soon, though."

"It's a shame she had to miss this meal," Applejack remarked, "Because it was mighty tasty."

There were mutters of agreement all around the dining room. When they subsided, Bronze Star said "Well, we have plenty of leftovers. I'll take some up to her when we're done here."

"Good idea," Alpine commented.

"So, is Luna comfortable here?" Noble Edict inquired.

"Yes, very much so," Bronze Star responded.

"I'm glad to hear that," Noble remarked, grinning lightly, "Although this building may be one of the largest and most sophisticated dwellings in Ponyville, in my opinion it's hardly equipped to accommodate royalty."

"Well, I seem content here, don't I?" Bronze Star cheekily pointed out.

"Yes, but you're incognito, 'Mr. Ambassador,'" Noble wryly retorted, "Everypony would expect a humble politician to feel at home here. More so than a regal prince. Or princess."

"That's a good point, Noble," Bronze Star admitted, "All the same, my Aunt has come to enjoy living here. She's had plenty of solitude, an opportunity to read up on Equestrian history, and a chance to familiarize herself with the new customs of the Canterlot Royalty. She's actually a bit reluctant to leave."

This time, everypony was surprised by this remark. Rainbow Dash questioned "When will she be leaving?"

"Sometime in the next week or two," Bronze Star revealed, "Maybe sooner. You see, although she loves living here with me, she feels obligated to return to Canterlot soon so she can reclaim her title as the Princess of the Night."

"Well, whenever she's ready to go to Canterlot, we could go back with her," Alpine proposed.

"I like the sound of that," Mauser concurred with his sister, "She may feel more comfortable upon her arrival in the capital city if she was traveling with some ponies who have already been there."

"As well as ponies who are close to her nephew," SIG Sauer added.

"She certainly would appreciate it," Bronze Star conjectured, "If the four of you went to Canterlot with Luna, everything should work out for her."

"'Four?'" Noble Edict said in bewilderment, "There's SIG Sauer, Mauser, and Alpine. Who's the fourth person?"

"That would be you, Noble," Bronze Star candidly replied.

The chief of security did not expect this. "Why me, sir?"

"Two reasons," the prince notified her, "One, you're the individual who's primarily responsible for keeping this town and its inhabitants safe. Two, you've already got some business in Canterlot. Business with my mother."

"Oh, I see," Noble Edict commented, "The other day, SIG Sauer stopped by my office. While he was there, he mentioned something about how Princess Celestia wishes to 'commend' him and me. Is that the business you're talking about?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star confirmed, "According to General Walther, my mother wants to honor you and SIG for the role you played in her rescue. She intends to hold a ceremony the two of you."

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow and said in interest "A ceremony, huh? What would it involve?"

"The usual," Bronze Star illuminated, "An acknowledgment of your past accomplishments, a couple of speeches, and official acclamations for your heroic deeds. Maybe a banquet or something afterwards."

"That sounds nice," Noble Edict perceived, "Seems a bit much, though."

"My mother is very serious about expressing her appreciation," Bronze Star disclosed, "I'd say you earned it. You definitely proved your allegiance during the Celebration."

"And who knows, Noble?" Applejack remarked, grinning, "Maybe she'll dub you a Lady."

"I can see that," Rainbow Dash declared, rubbing her chin and gazing upwards, "'Lady Noble Edict.' It seems quite fitting."

Noble Edict scoffed lightly and said "Probably, but 'Lady Noble' sounds more like a position on Celestia's court. I highly doubt I did enough to earn that title, anyway."

"Well, my mother does not make people Lords and Ladies very often," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I'm not that certain how she decides. Bellerophon was made a Lord after his fifth year of serving as her chief of staff. Several members of my mother's council are Lords and Ladies, as well. My mother might actually make you a Lady, too, Noble."

"If she does, I'll be sure to express my gratitude," Noble declared, "I'm not very certain how, though. My job requires that I be well-versed in public relations, but none of the regulations says anything about how to approach a meeting with royalty."

"Don't worry about that, Noble," SIG Sauer assured the red Earth Pony, patting her on the back, "I've attended this type of rite before. Since I'll be by your side during this one, I can help you through the formalities."

Noble Edict smiled at the pine green Unicorn and told him "Thanks, SIG. That would mean a lot to me."

"Anytime," he asserted, grinning back.

The eight ponies had been eating all throughout their conversations. By this point, they were almost finished. Most of the rest of the meal was spent in relative silence. They did make a few casual remarks about various topics, but nothing that resulted in another full-fledged discussion.

After dinner, everypony helped clean up. Some of them cleared off the table, some of them washed the dishes, and some of them wrapped up the leftovers. Bronze star made sure to set aside a little bit of everything. Once the dining room and kitchen were spotless, the eight ponies decided to socialize in the study. All of them except Bronze Star went there straightaway.

The gold stallion planned to join them soon. He took the plate of leftovers, headed upstairs, and trotted to Princess Luna's door. It was closed, so he knocked on it several times.

"WHO IS IT?" a booming voice yelled in response.

"It's me, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star calmly replied.

He heard hoofsteps approaching him, and a moment later, the blue Alicorn answered the door. She smiled down at her nephew and told him "We apologize if we startled you."

"You didn't," he guaranteed her, "But do you suppose you could cut back on using the Royal Canterlot Voice a bit?"

"If we are disturbing you, we can refrain from using the Voice in your presence," Luna rejoined.

"I see you've made a habit of using the royal 'we,' as well," Bronze Star noted.

"Indeed, we have," Luna affirmed straightforwardly.

Bronze Star scoffed and uttered "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Luna merely smiled and remarked "Yes, I am. What can I do for you?"

"Just wanted to bring you dinner," her nephew replied. He held out the plate of food to her and stated "We got lentil soup, braised beets, mashed potatoes, and apple cinnamon cobbler."

"Why, thank you," Luna said gratefully, taking the plate with her magic aura.

Bronze Star had been holding the plate in his right front hoof. When Luna took it, she noticed he was no longer wearing a bandage. She commented happily "I see your hoof is all better."

"Yeah, Alpine fixed it up with a new spell she learned," he enlightened her, "There may still be a scar, but I can handle scars."

Luna nodded in approval. Bronze Star then lowered his hoof and looked up at her. That's when he noticed something odd. His Aunt's mane was sparkling in a few places. The back part of it seemed to be moving on its own.

Bronze Star was perplexed by this, but he was impelled not to say anything. Out of courtesy, he chose to remain silent.

After a moment of silence, he announced "Well, I'll be down in the study if you need me. Hope you enjoy your meal."

"We believe we shall," Luna declared thankfully. She bid her nephew good night, stepped back into the room, and closed the door.

Bronze Star went back downstairs a moment later. He was intrigued by what he had just seen. A sparkling mane capable of independent movement? There was only one person he knew who had such a mane: his mother. Yet now his Aunt appeared to be developing one of her own. He wondered if something was happening to her. He was a little concerned, but he told himself that if something was in fact going on with his aunt, he would be the first one she informed.

Bronze Star pushed these worries aside and made his way to the study. The other seven ponies had already gotten comfortable there. Walther was reading the contents of a folder. Alpine, Mauser and Rainbow Dash were having a friendly game of cards. Applejack was just lounging on a couch. Noble Edict and SIG Sauer were talking.

"So, SIG, there's one thing I'd like to know about that ceremony," the red mare stated, "Will it be like a presentation to the community?"

"No, these types of rituals are not generally open to the public," SIG Sauer informed her, "Typically, it involves an audience with the Princess in her throne room. The only people who attend are Celestia, her council, some of the Canterlot elite, and a number of Royal Guard. It's a relatively private gathering."

"Good, I was hoping for that," Noble Edict disclosed.

"How come, Noble?" SIG Sauer inquired.

"Because I don't care very much for being the center of attention," Noble Edict explained, "I appreciate it when I receive some recognition for my work, but not to the point where everypony else makes it their business to know about what I'm up to. From what I've seen, people who are given that much attention tend to abuse it rather easily."

"No kidding, Noble," Bronze Star coincided, "One such individual showed up in town today."

"I assume you are referring to Trixie?" Noble Edict presumed.

"Yeah, I am," he confirmed, slightly astonished, "How did you know about her? I didn't see you in the crowd when she was showcasing her abilities."

"That's because I wasn't there," Noble Edict elucidated, "I spent most of the day at the barracks. I found out about Trixie at work. Several times this afternoon, somepony came by my office to file a complaint about her use of fireworks. Some ponies requested that I arrest her for disturbing the peace."

"Did you?" Applejack queried.

"No, I needed more than complaints to take her in," the red Earth Pony recounted, "I could only arrest her if she was using fireworks illegally. She wasn't. She has a valid license to create and use fireworks. She was also cleared to perform in a public area. So she's free to continue showcasing."

"That's a shame," Rainbow Dash grumpily pronounced, "She was being utterly obnoxious today. She went out of her way to embarrass me, Applejack, Rarity, and Alpine during her show. She mocked Twilight, SIG, Mauser, and Bronze. And, of course, she made up some ridiculous bogus story about how she defeated an Ursa Major in Hoofington."

"Ridiculous, perhaps," Walther interjected, "Bogus, perhaps not."

"What do you mean, General?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

The mahogany Pegasus held up his folder and announced "This is a summary of everything that has happened in Hoofington over the past four months. Included is a report of an Ursa Major attack which occurred less than a hundred days ago. The report is composed primarily of the testimonies of the survivors. The description of the Ursa Major itself is vague at best, but the description of the damage it inflicted on the city is rather vivid."

"So, how did the town get through that ordeal?" Noble Edict enquired.

"There are actually several different accounts of what happened," Walther disclosed, "Most of the details tend to vary between them. Such as how long the Ursa Major was there, how much damage it inflicted, and how many casualties there were. However, in terms of how the town's complete destruction was averted, almost all of them focus on the intervention of a Unicorn."

That last statement caught everypony's attention. Anypony who had not been listening before was listening now.

"What does the report say, General?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Again, the accounts differ greatly," Walther illuminated, "Most of them are clearly exaggerating. Some say she physically fought off the Ursa Major. Some say she used a deadly spell to banish it from the town. Some say she obliterated it into nothingness. However, one thing they all agree on is that if it was not for that mare, Hoofington would have been reduced to a massive pile of rubble."

"Incredible," Alpine murmured quietly.

"That's amazing," Mauser uttered in agreement.

"Yes, it is," SIG Sauer proclaimed. "Did the locals say anything specific about the Unicorn? Her age? Her coat color? Her mane color? Her cutie mark? Maybe even her name?"

"Surprisingly, no," Walther revealed, "Almost none of the witnesses provided a physical description of the Unicorn. Apparently, her appearance wasn't nearly as noteworthy as her actions. Plus, she did not stay around for long once the Ursa Major was gone. The locals do not believe she had ever been to Hoofington before that day."

"So, at least part of Trixie's story checks out," SIG Sauer perceived, "She's a travelling performer, so if she was that Unicorn, it would make sense if the townsfolk didn't recognize her."

"I'm still not convinced," Applejack declared, "All we know for sure is that a Unicorn was there. All Trixie has is her word. There's no firm evidence that she was that Unicorn."

"She's right," Rainbow Dash agreed, "There are plenty of Unicorns in Equestria."

"True, but Unicorns account for less than twenty percent of Hoofington's population," Walther pointed out, "The majority of them have families. There aren't many Unicorns who would go there without a reason. All that together suggests the possibility that Trixie may be telling the truth."

"Then maybe we should speak to her," Noble Edict proposed, "We could ask her to describe the event in detail."

"I actually plan to talk to her sometime before I leave for Hoofington tomorrow," Walther disclosed, "But not about the Ursa Major."

"Then what, Walt?" Bronze Star inquired.

The mahogany Pegasus did not verbally respond straightaway. Instead, he closed his folder and placed it on the coffee table next to another folder. Then he picked up the other folder, opened it up, and removed a slip of paper. He held the slip up so that everypony could get a good look at it. They quickly realized it was the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark.

"What would you possibly wish to discuss that with her?" Noble Edict enquired, baffled.

"Bronze Star and I spent most of the past two days and this morning studying this symbol," Walther apprised her, "Since we failed to find anything about it, we were prepared to give up the search this afternoon. However, there may actually be some information about this symbol out there after all. We were just looking for it in the wrong places."

"Why do you say that?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

"Trixie," Walther explicated, "Earlier today, when I showed her this picture, she appeared to be perplexed by it. But underneath her confusion, I saw she was experiencing something much stronger. You know what it was? It was fear."

"Fear?" SIG Sauer remarked in fascination.

"Yes, she was afraid of this symbol," Walther affirmed, "Made me wonder why. I mean, people aren't afraid of anything without reason. That led me to believe that Trixie may actually be familiar with this symbol, and something about it bothers her."

"That's a lot to assume, General," Noble Edict commented.

"I know," Walther professed, "Often times, I have to make grand assumptions off of very little information. But I never make these assumptions unless they have a reasonable chance of being correct."

"Then let's say for a moment this one is correct," Bronze Star proposed, "If Trixie does know something, do you really think she'd be willing to share what she knows with us?"

"Perhaps not," Walther admitted, "Maybe she can be persuaded to help us out."

"You don't mean 'persuaded' as in 'coerced,' do you?" Noble queried anxiously.

"Of course not," Walther assured her, "I only advocate that approach against known criminals. As of right now, Trixie isn't one. What I'm suggesting is that we could 'persuade' her as in 'offer her something in return' for helping us."

"That might work," SIG Sauer thought aloud, "Assuming we actually have something she'd want."

"Everypony desires something," Noble Edict debated, "Trixie is no exception."

"She's right," Alpine declared, "If we can find out what Trixie wants, she may be willing to tell us anything."

"We could stop by her trailer in the morning," Mauser suggested, "All we'd have to do is ask. Even if we don't have what she wants, at least we'll have started getting somewhere."

Everypony agreed to this idea. Here they stopped talking about Trixie and went back to what they were doing before Bronze Star arrived in the study. Walther continued reading his folders. Mauser, Alpine, and Rainbow Dash returned to their card game. Noble Edict and SIG Sauer resumed conversing. Applejack just laid back on the couch. Bronze Star decided to join her, so he approached the couch slowly. She smiled up at him and moved her hind legs to make room for him. He sat down and the two of them got comfortably settled.

For the next half-hour, the atmosphere in the room was relatively peaceful. There were no outbursts, no disturbances, and no interruptions to bother them.

However, at the end of the half-hour, Applejack opened her eyes and sat up straight. She uneasily declared "Do you guys hear something?"

The other seven ponies stopped what they were doing and listened to their surroundings. SIG Sauer muttered "No… wait, yes."

"Sounds like thunder," Alpine remarked.

"Can't be," Rainbow Dash claimed, "We're not scheduled to have a storm for several days."

"Is it a tremor?" Walther theorized.

"If it is, it's an abnormally erratic one," Noble Edict professed.

"Whatever it is, it sounds as though it's getting closer," Mauser noted.

Just then, there was a heavy knock on the front door. Bronze Star went to answer it, and there was a security officer on the other side. He appeared to be greatly shaken, and he uttered urgently "Mr. Ambassador, pardon my intrusion, but I was informed Noble Edict came here for dinner. Is she still here?"

"Yes," the gold stallion replied, perplexed by the officer's behavior, "She's in the study."

The stallion nodded in acknowledgment and trotted past the young prince. When he arrived at the study, he hauntingly told his boss "Noble, I need you to come with me immediately."

"What's wrong, Copper Hollow?" Noble Edict inquired anxiously.

"Ponyville is under attack," the stallion informed her directly, "An Ursa Major just came out of the Everfree Forest!"

At that, Noble Edict jumped of her chair, approached Copper Hollow, and declared "Then there is no time to waste. We have to stop it before it destroys the town."

Before Noble and her agent went anywhere, SIG Sauer stood up and offered "Need some assistance?"

"Yes, please," Noble Edict replied, "If this Ursa Major is anything like the one that attacked Hoofington, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Then you can count on me," SIG Sauer declared.

"Us, too!" Bronze Star pronounced. The gold stallion spoke for everypony in the room when he said that.

"Good," Noble Edict commented, "Now let's get moving!"

Copper Hollow promptly made his way to the embassy's front entrance. Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, Bronze Star, Walther, Applejack, Alpine, Mauser, and Rainbow Dash followed him close behind. After passing through the front doors, Bronze Star ordered the Royal Guard stationed outside the building to remain with Princess Luna and protect her if the Ursa Major reached the embassy. Then the gold stallion left the grounds with the others.

"Where are we off to, Copper?" Noble Edict inquired hastily.

"The town square," Copper Hollow responded, "We must hurry!"

Nopony had to be told twice. The nine of them started galloping towards the town square. Copper Hollow led the way. He filled the others in as they moved through the streets: "The Ursa Major arrived in town just ten minutes ago. I was in my office when I heard screaming. When I went outside to investigate, I saw Snips, Snails, and Spike running through the town. That's when I saw it."

"How much damage has been done so far?" Noble Edict queried.

"The Ursa Major bit off part of the roof of a house, and it's destroyed a wooden trailer," Copper Hollow replied, "It's probably destroyed more since I last saw it."

"Any fatalities?" Noble asked restlessly.

"None yet," Copper assured her, "But the townspeople are starting to come out of their houses. Once they realize what's going on, we'll have a panic on our hooves."

"I want everypony we got ready to face off that beast," Noble Edict proclaimed.

"Most of our staff is suiting up at the barracks," Copper Hollow revealed, "But it may be several minutes before they're prepared."

"Then we've got to hold the Ursa Major off until then," Noble Edict decided.

"Understood," Copper Hollow acknowledged.

Soon, the nine ponies arrived in town square. A few dozen other ponies were already gathered there. Trixie's cart had been demolished; all that remained of it was a pile of broken planks. She was standing near the center of the area with Snips and Snails.

Standing before them was the Ursa. It was massive. It had to be at least thirty percent bigger than Ponyville's tallest building, and twice as large. It had dark blue fur, which appeared to be shimmering. Its claws could slice through trees, and its teeth could devour a grown pony in one bite.

"Holy buck," Applejack muttered under her breath.

"What in the name of hay…" Rainbow Dash gasped.

In the next two minutes, Trixie attempted to stop the Ursa twice. She tried using a rope trick to lasso it and a raincloud to stun it. Both efforts were entirely ineffective. They ended with Trixie, Snips, and Snails running away in terror.

Just then, Twilight Sparkle showed up. She asked in concern "What's going on?"

"We brought an Ursa to town," Snips answered straightforwardly.

"You what!?" The lavender mare shouted in shock.

"Don't worry," Snails told her calmly, "The Great and Powerful Trixie will vanquish it."

All eyes were on the brilliant azure mare. The majority of the ponies there looked to her for a solution. Trixie gradually backed away from the Ursa. After ten seconds of tense silence, she closed her eyes, hanged her head, and declared gloomily "I can't."

Several of the ponies were astounded to hear this, particularly Snips and Snails. They yelled "What!?"

Trixie turned to the assembled ponies and admitted "Oh, I can't, I never have. No one can vanquish an Ursa Major. I just made the whole story up to make me look better."

"Made it up!?" the two colts screamed in disbelief.

Just then, the Ursa growled, stood up on its hind legs, and roared in fury. Most of the ponies in the area gasped in surprise and backed away. None of the nine ponies who had just come from the embassy did. Bronze Star took the initiative and quickly devised a plan to deal with the monster.

He started by telling the chartreuse mare "Alpine, now would be a good time to use that defensive charm of yours."

Alpine nodded and trotted to the center of the town square. She stopped a couple meters away from Snips, Snails, and Trixie. Once she was focused, her horn lit up, and a large burst of magic spouted from it. The stream of magic quickly grew into a large durable square of energy. It was positioned firmly between the Ursa and the citizens of Ponyville.

The Ursa seemed bewildered at first, but then it roared again and began beating against the energy shield with its front paws.

"That should hold it off for a while," Apline called out, "But I don't know how long I can sustain the shield!"

"Hang in there; help is on the way!" Bronze Star pronounced. He then instructed the jasper stallion, the pine green stallion, and the mahogany stallion "SIG, Mauser, run alongside the Ursa Major to divert its attention away from Alpine and the townsfolk. Walther, fly over the Ursa Major for the same reason. Don't get too close, and don't give it a reason to chase after you. Just keep it distracted."

The two Unicorns and the Pegasus complied with this command. Over the next few minutes, they approached the Ursa from all angles. They made certain to keep a good bit of distance between themselves and the monster. The Ursa frequently switched its attention between the three stallions and the energy shield. Ultimately, it just roared again and resumed beating the energy shield.

Bronze Star approached the red mare and her agent and stated "Noble, Copper, do you see anything we could use against the Ursa Major? Any openings or blind spots?"

"I don't see anything of the sort, sir," Copper Hollow disclosed.

"Neither do I," Noble Edict coincided, "It doesn't look as though we can disorient it. Calming it is out of the question. And we don't have the stallionpower to fight it off."

"Then we only have one option," Bronze Star concluded. He trotted over to Twilight Sparkle and told her urgently "Twilight, we need your help."

The lavender mare understood what the prince was asking of her. He wanted her to use her magic to stop the Ursa. Inwardly, she was still resistant to the concept of performing her magic in public. However, she cared far more about her friends' lives than her modest image.

She nodded in understanding and gradually approached the Ursa. She stood next to Alpine and instructed her friend "Lower the shield."

"What?" the chartreuse Unicorn remarked in confusion.

"Just do, Alpine," Twilight Sparkle insisted, "I know what to do."

Alpine was still somewhat hesitant, but she did as Twilight asked and disbanded the shield. Once the barrier was gone, the Ursa gazed down at the two Unicorns and growled at them.

Twilight gulped in apprehension. Then she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated. An aura appeared on her horn a moment later, and her magic was at work. A strong wind passed through the area. In the distance, gentle music was being produced from broken cattails.

The music had a soothing effect on the Ursa. Its growls turned to grunts, which soon turned to a guttural sigh.

"Nice use of number sixteen," Spike complimented her.

While the music was playing, Twilight used another spell on one of the town's water towers. With some difficulty, she removed the storage compartment from the derrick. After emptying it of water, she levitated the compartment through a dairy farm and quickly filled it with milk. Then she sealed the top of it.

"That's new," Spike commented.

Twilight soon brought the makeshift bottle over to the tranquil Ursa. The beast took it in its hooves and began suckling on the top. As it drank, Twilight used another levitation spell to carry the Ursa out of town and into the Everfree Forest. She managed to levitate all the way back to its cave.

Once all this was over, Twilight groaned and released the spell. Once she did, everypony in the area started cheering for her.

"Unbelievable!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"That was amazing!" Spike shouted.

"Heavens to Betsy!" Applejack pronounced, "We knew you had ability, but not that much!"

Strangely, Twilight Sparkle did not appear to hear their praise. She muttered worriedly "I'm sorry. Please, please don't hate me."

"Hate you?" Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity remarked in astonishment.

"You have got to be kidding, Twilight," Bronze Star commented in exasperation.

"Why, whatever do you mean, darling?" Rarity inquired.

The lavender mare explained "Well, I know how much you all hated Trixie's showing off with her magic tricks, and I just thought—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rainbow Dash interrupted her, "Magic's got nothing to do with it. Trixie's just a loudmouth."

"Most unpleasant," Rarity added in.

"All hat and no cattle," Applejack concurred.

These statements seemed to bring some relief to Twilight. "So, you don't mind my magic tricks?"

"Of course not," SIG Sauer assured her.

"I wouldn't have spent the past three days with you if I didn't," Alpine stated.

"Your magic is a part of who you are, sugarcube," Applejack pointed out, "And we like who you are. We're proud to have such a powerful, talented Unicorn as our friend."

"And after whuppin' that Ursa's hind quarters, we're even prouder," Rainbow Dash stated.

"You are?" Twilight uttered hopefully.

"Uh-huh."

"Mm-hmm."

"Mm-hmm."

"Look at the bigger picture, Twilight," Mauser advised her, "You just saved the town from an imminent destruction. Even if you were trying to show off your abilities, we would still be much more impressed by what you did than how you did it."

"He's got a point," Noble Edict remarked.

"Yes, he does," Bronze Star concurred.

By now, Twilight was convinced that none of her friends were cross with her, much to her relief. Her assistant approached her and exclaimed "Wow, Twilight, how'd you know what to do with that Ursa Major?"

"That's what I was doing when you came looking for me," Twilight elucidated, "I was so intrigued by Trixie's bragging that I was compelled to do a little reading up on them."

"So it is possible to vanquish an Ursa Major all by yourself?" Spike presumed.

"That wasn't an Ursa Major," Twilight revealed, "It was a baby, an Ursa Minor."

"That was just a baby?" Trixie uttered in disbelief.

As Twilight nodded, Walther thought aloud "That would explain why its size and appearance didn't match the description of the Ursa Major that attacked Hoofington."

"And it wasn't rampaging," Twilight illuminated. She glared over at Snips and Snails and added in "It was just cranky because someone woke it up."

"Awww..." the two colts mumbled, looking at the ground in guilt.

"Well, if that was an Ursa Minor, then what's an Ursa Major like?" Spike asked curiously.

"You don't wanna know," was all Twilight said in response.

After a short period of silence, Trixie grimaced and scoffed furiously. Then she stood near the center of the town square and declared "You may have vanquished an Ursa Minor, but you will never have the amazing, show-stopping ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

After that, she conjured up a cloud of smoke to conceal herself from everypony's sights. By the time the smoke dissipated, Trixie had started galloping out of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash scowled, ascended into the air, and muttered "Why, that little..."

She was about to fly after Trixie, when Twilight Sparkle stopped her and said "Just let her go. Maybe someday she'll learn her lesson."

The cyan mare eased down and slowly descended to the ground. Mere seconds after she was standing on her hooves, another Pegasus sailed over her head. This sudden action took her quite by surprise. She queried in interest "Who was that?"

"I believe it was General Walther," Noble Edict replied.

"It was," Bronze Star confirmed, "Looks like he's going after Trixie."

"Why?" Spike asked, astounded.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Bronze Star remarked, "Most likely, he's following a lead."

"Oh, alright then," said Spike.

After this, Twilight Sparkle confronted Snips and Snails about their negligence. They were willing to accept responsibility and do whatever they could to make up for it. They were too young to be formally charged with a crime, so Noble Edict let Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle determine their fate. They decided that Snips and Snails could clean up the town square and help repair the roof of the house that got damaged.

As a bit of a joke, Twilight Sparkle used some growing magic to give the two colts and Spike mustaches. Spike was elated, and Snips and Snails took very well to this part of their "punishment."

Soon after this, everypony returned to their homes. Twilight Sparkle planned to write a letter about another friendship lesson she had learned to Princess Celestia as soon as she got back to the library. As a bonus, she had also finally selected which type of magic was the one she excelled at. Unsurprisingly, it was the magic of friendship.

Meanwhile, Trixie had already galloped beyond the outskirts of Ponyville. When she was about three miles away from the neighborhood, she noticed she was being followed. Rather than attempting to elude her pursuer, she decided to confront him. She gazed upwards at the sky and shouted demandingly "What do you want?"

Walther just lowered himself to the ground, set down in front of Trixie, and candidly replied "A moment of your time, if it's not too much."

Twilight scowled irately and snapped "Give me a reason why I should listen to you."

"I'll give you three," he told her, "I'm asking you nicely, I'm probably the only person in Ponyville who doesn't have an extremely low opinion of you, and what I have to say pertains to a matter of national security. It may be in the best interests of both of us that we talk."

Despite how angry Trixie felt at this time, she was strangely compelled to hear the Wonderbolt out. After hesitating a bit, she stated "Alright. But you better not be wasting my time."

"Trust me, I'm not," he guaranteed her.

There was an interval of silence. Trixie eventually broke it with "So, what do you wish to discuss?"

"Today during your show, I showed you a picture of a certain symbol," Walther recounted, "I asked you if you could identify its background and meaning."

"Yes, you did," Trixie stated, "As you may recall, I failed."

"No, you refused," he corrected her.

"What's the difference?" she queried.

"The only way you could have failed was if you truly did not know anything about that symbol," Walther expounded, "I'm fairly certain you actually do know something about it, and you're just reluctant to talk about it?"

"What would drive you to think that?" Trixie asked in interest.

"Well, when I demanded an answer, you referred to yourself in first person," Walther recollected, "There were only two other times during your show when you spoke in first person. The first was when you challenged the audience. The second was when you apologized to Alpine. One was a formal declaration; the other was an effort to make amends with another pony. You also spoke in first person when you told the truth about how you never defeated an actual Ursa Major. Notice a pattern yet?"

"No, I don't see any pattern anywhere," Trixie replied.

"Well, there is one," he enlightened her, "Every time you went from third person to first person, you spoke with sincerity and coherence. If you really were unfamiliar with that symbol, I'm certain you would have continued to speak in the third person when you dismissed my challenge. Yet you didn't. Because of that, I'm willing to wager that you DO know something. Am I right?"

Trixie did not answer straightaway. She took a while to contemplate an answer. Ultimately, she let out a deep sigh and confessed "Yes, you are. I have seen that symbol before."

"Where?" he requested.

"Hoofington," she informed him.

"Oh?" he remarked, raising an eyebrow, "Was this before or after the Ursa Major attack?"

"About a month after," she answered him, "Although my account of how I defeated the Ursa Major was fabricated, I heard rumors that another Unicorn had somehow managed to repel the beast."

"I'm aware of that," Walther disclosed, "They're not just rumors. The authorities took statements from dozens of witnesses. All of them mention the involvement of a Unicorn."

"There actually is a ring of truth to that," Trixie revealed, "I was… shall we say, looking up information on the attack when I stumbled across that symbol you showed me."

"Might I ask the specific circumstances of how you came across the symbol?" Walther requested.

"You might," Trixie stated, "But before I give you that information, I'd like to know if you're offering me anything in exchange."

"You'd certainly have a right to ask that," Walther professed, "After all, from my past experiences, information is seldom given out for free."

"So, if I cooperate with you, is there anything in it for me?" Trixie said hopefully.

"Absolutely," Walther assured her. He paused for a moment, and then he stated "I'll make you a deal. Are you planning on going anywhere in the next few days?"

"I was, but as you may have noticed, my trailer was destroyed," Trixie pointed out, "Everything I own or value was in there. None of it was insured. So now I have nothing to my name and nowhere to go."

"Perhaps I could remedy that problem," Walther proposed.

"How would you aim to do that?" she enquired.

"I have the means to replace what you lost," he illuminated, "I can get you a new trailer, new apparel, new fireworks, new everything. I'll handle all the expenses myself. As a bonus, I'll even apply an insurance policy to it all."

Trixie smiled widely and remarked "If you can actually make that happen, I'll be willing to tell you just about anything you'd want to know."

"Good, we understand each other," Walther perceived. There was another short pause, and then he continued with "I'll be going to Hoofington tomorrow. I have some business there that I must get done. It should be completed by the early evening of the day after tomorrow. Once it's over, you and I can talk."

"So, do you want me to go to Hoofington?" Trixie assumed.

"Correct," Walther confirmed, "Wait for me at the Municipal Building. When I'm done with my other item of business, I'll meet you there. Then we can talk about that symbol in greater detail. Once you've told me what you know, you'll receive your new trailer and everything else."

"Alright, General," Trixie acknowledged, speaking with respect for once, "I'm expecting you to keep your word."

"As long as you keep yours, I'll keep mine," he asserted.

"Then I guess I'll see you in two days," Trixie decided.

"I shall see you then," Walther affirmed.

The brilliant azure mare and the mahogany stallion then parted ways. Walther made his way back to the embassy in Ponyville and Trixie began the long journey to Hoofington.

> Perils And Risks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

General Walther had always been a busy stallion. He had been particularly busy almost every day for the past six years. He was even busier than usual over the next two days.

He woke up early the next morning and packed up his items. Other than his steel briefcase and the package he had brought from Canterlot, he only had one suitcase. Once he had everything packed, he said his good-byes to Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, Rainbow Dash, and everypony else he was acquainted with.

Originally, he had planned to go straight to Hoofington after saying farewell. Last night, he had decided to make another quick visit to Canterlot first. He had promised to replace everything Trixie had lost, and he intended to keep that promise. The brilliant azure mare had given him a list of her lost property before they parted ways. He put in an order for a large wooden trailer, some fireworks, and several other items.

Once he was finished shopping, he brought the objects to the transportation department and requested that they be delivered to the Municipal Building in Hoofington by tomorrow afternoon. He did this for two reasons. One, he was going to travel to Hoofington by a standard passenger train, and none of its box cars were large enough to hold the trailer. Two, he aimed to keep a low profile while he was in Hoofington, and he felt that he would seem quite conspicuous if he went around the city with a trailer in tow.

Once his order was confirmed, Walther travelled to Hoofington and rendezvoused with the Firebrand Regiment. The team had already been informed that Walther had been put in charge temporarily. The team was accustomed to having separate tasks on their assignments. Since SIG Sauer had been temporarily relieved of his command, everypony else in the team had to accept an additional amount of responsibility. Thankfully, they were ready to compensate for setbacks. After all, the entire unit was operated by a very specific chain-of-command.

The Firebrand Regiment was composed of ten ponies, including SIG Sauer and Walther. In addition to being an elite group, they also formed a very close-knit group. While they all had ranks and titles, they just addressed each other by name most of the time. The only occasions when they avoided using their own names was whenever they were in the field.

When they were in the field, they used codenames instead. Their codenames were simple but unambiguous. They were all known as "Omicron," followed by a number. Each person's number was determined by his or her place in the team's chain-of-command. The more authority they had, the higher their given number.

Omicron-1 was a Pegasus stallion named Heckler. He had a brown coat, a beige mane, green irises, and a quarterstaff for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, he had been in the country's border patrol. His previous job had involved monitoring all the activity along the nation's borders, as well as evaluating everypony who wished to enter Equestria and determining which of them could be allowed passage. He had managed to locate and turn away dozens of would-be invaders on the northern border.

Omicron-2 was an Earth Pony stallion named Koch. He had a purple coat, a red mane, grey irises, and an anchor for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, he had been in the Navy. He had been posted on many different ships throughout his commission. Most of them were freighters, frigates, and research vessels. He had even been on a few warships, and the list of his attainments on the sea was extensive.

Omicron-3 was a Unicorn stallion named Peacemaker. He had a scarlet coat, a gold mane, black irises, and a syringe for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, he had been a physician. He had served in the army as a combat medic, and he had saved the lives of many of his fellow officers. He was very knowledgeable on how to make people feel better, as well as how to hit his opponents where it hurt.

Omicron-4 was an Earth Pony stallion named Glock. He had a blue coat, a green mane, yellow irises, and a shield for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, he had worked at Canterlot Castle. As a matter of fact, he was an ex-Captain of the Royal Guard. He had spent years protecting the Equestrian Royalty in the most direct way possible. His scowl was enough to make any potential aggressor back away.

Omicron-5 was a Unicorn mare named Beretta. She had a tan coat, a brown mane, pink irises, and a scope for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, she had been in Special Forces. Her skills as a marksmare alone was enough to earn her a spot on the group. She was recognized as one of the top five best sharpshooters in the country. Every time she fired a projectile, she always hit her target.

Omicron-6 was a Pegasus mare named Caracal. She had a sky blue coat, a light blue mane, dark blue irises, and a tool chest for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, she worked for the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency. She was one of the corporation's top spies and undercover operatives. In her time, she had successfully infiltrated over a dozen criminal organizations and helped bring them to justice.

Omicron-7 was an Earth Pony mare named Ruger. She had a taupe coat, an orange mane, red irises, and a cluster of wires for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, she had worked for the defense department. She was a certified expert in mechanical and electrical engineering. She had been part of a special division who developed various types of armaments and safeguards. When the weapons were tested in the field, she was also the one who supervised their trials.

Omicron-8 was a Unicorn stallion named Carabine. He had an aqua blue coat, a lime green mane, sherbet orange irises, and a flashlight for a cutie mark. Before joining the Regiment, he had worked for the Military Enforcement Corps and a number of security firms. He had a reputation as a master of tactics, and he had a very strategic mind. He could draw up a plan to handle just about any scenario.

Walther was Omicron-9, and SIG Sauer was Omicron-10. Although Bronze Star was not an official member of the team, the Firebrand Regiment still answered to the young prince, and they regarded him as their superior officer. For that reason, they often referred to him as Omicron-11.

Anyway, when Walther met up with his colleagues, they informed him of everything that had happened since they got to Hoofington. Material Study had arrived two days beforehand. They had tried to determine where he hid his chemical compounds, but he managed to conceal his entire stash beneath their notice.

On the plus side, his business transaction was still scheduled to take place in the same room at the Rosebud Hotel. He had booked that suite several days in advance, and he planned to check out the day after he completed the deal. Because of this, the Firebrand Regiment could go forward with their original plan to capture him.

The Regiment was still no closer to finding out who Material Study's buyer was. All they did know was that he was connected to Lavender Dazzle, and that he was somepony they had contended with once before. Beyond that, his identity was a complete mystery.

Although the team had reviewed their plan many times over the past several days, Walther proposed that they go over it one final time. He wanted to make certain that there was absolutely no uncertainty, and that they had accounted for every possible situation. Ultimately, he determined that the Firebrand Regiment was indeed ready to complete the operation.

The next day, they carried out the plan. In afternoon, they made their way to the Rosebud Hotel. When they were a block away from the building, they separated and went to their posts.

Beretta climbed to the roof of the building across the street and set up her firing apparatus. Caracal flew up to the window of Material Study's suite and drifted there. Peacemaker stood outside the front entrance of the building and kept watch on the sidewalk.

Everypony else went inside the building. Ruger stayed in the lobby so that she could monitor all the activity on the ground floor. Glock positioned himself at the back of the building so that he could ensure that the back door was covered. Heckler, Koch, and Carabine made their way up to the eleventh floor. Once they got there, they split up and guarded the exits. Heckler stood by the stairwell in the east wing, Koch stood by the stairwell in the west wing, and Carabine stood by the elevators.

Lastly, Walther got to the top of the building. He would supervise the mission from there. He would also keep an eye on the roof access. That way, all possible escape routes were covered.

When Walther arrived on the roof, there was nopony else there. The maintenance and security staff were not scheduled to come up until the evening. He saw that as a major advantage; he would be able to regulate the mission without any interruptions.

Walther trotted over to the southern end of the roof and kneeled by the edge. He had taken his steel briefcase with him. After extracting his feather key and using it to unlock the case, he opened the lid and dug through the files until he found one labeled "Regiment Roster: Hoofington."

Walther also removed a tiny plastic bag. Inside was a small cylindrical device that was scarcely the size of a bottle cap. He carefully inserted the device into his earhole and locked it into place between his earlobe and eardrum. Once it was set, he muttered softly "This is Omicron-9 to all units. Do you read me?"

Over the next few seconds, eight voices responded "Loud and clear, Omicron-9."

Walther's earpiece was actually a communicator. Every member of the Regiment had one of these devices. They were powered by a mixture of electricity and magic. Ruger had developed these devices so that the group could remain in contact with each other during their missions.

"Okay, guys; this is it," Walther pronounced, "Lavender Dazzle's associate is scheduled to arrive within the hour. Keep in mind that he will be heavily protected. Just remember; Omicron-11 has authorized us to use whatever force we need to bring him and Material Study in. The associate's bodyguards are disposable."

"We have our priorities straight, Omicron-9," Carabine assured him.

"Good," Walther remarked, "Be ready, and, more importantly, be careful. I don't have to remind you that even in the most straightforward operation, things can go wrong. If anything new crops up, report it in straightaway."

"Acknowledged," the other eight replied simultaneously.

"Alright, Omicron-9 out," Walther stated.

The mahogany Pegasus turned back to his briefcase and searched through its contents again. He pulled out a marker and what appeared to be a small blackboard.

This was no ordinary blackboard. There were only two of it in existence. The Firebrand Regiment had one, and Bronze Star had the other. They used the blackboards to correspond during missions. Whenever somepony wrote on one of them, the words magically reappeared on the other one.

Walther removed the cap of the marker and wrote on the blackboard Everything's in place. Once he finished writing, the words lingered for about ten seconds. Then they slowly faded away. It would only take a couple seconds for the words to reappear on the other blackboard, regardless of the distance between them.

At this time, Bronze Star was in the study at the embassy in Ponyville. He had his blackboard on his lap. The only other person in the room was SIG Sauer. The two stallions were sitting in silence, waiting to hear from their colleagues.

When Walther's statement appeared on the blackboard, Bronze Star looked over at SIG Sauer and informed him "They're ready."

"Very well," SIG Sauer remarked.

The highest-ranking active member of the Firebrand Regiment was usually tasked with providing Bronze Star with real-time updates of their missions. For that reason, SIG Sauer normally carried the other blackboard around. The pine green Unicorn had given it to Walther shortly after the mahogany Pegasus was given provisional command of the group.

Bronze Star took out a marker and wrote a single word on his blackboard: Understood.

Walther received this response a couple seconds later. Once he got it, he placed the blackboard back in his briefcase and returned his attention to the edge of the building.

The streets in Hoofington were somewhat crowded and noisy. However, there was relative silence between the Firebrand Regiment over the next half-hour. Nothing especially notable happened in all that time.

Once that half-hour ended, so did the interval of inactivity. Peacemaker looked to the left of the hotel and noticed that six stallions were nearing the building. One of them appeared to be flanked by the others. The scarlet Unicorn stepped off to the side and said into his earpiece "This is Omicron-3, checking in."

"Go ahead, Omicron-3," Walther retorted.

"A group of stallions are approaching from the east," Peacemaker professed, "Five of them are moving in a circle. They seem to be surrounding the sixth one."

"Could that be the buyer?" Heckler inquired

"It might be," Walther admitted, "Omicron-5, can you get a glimpse of them?"

Beretta redirected her scope at the group of stallions and concentrated on their movements. As she followed their movements, she thought aloud "The five outer stallions are totally visible. I can't make out the sixth one, though. His head is covered."

Walther leaned over the edge of the building and focused on the ground below. He could see the stallions, but he was on higher ground than Beretta, and he did not have a scope. So it was difficult for him to make out anything specific about them.

"Does one of them have a claret coat?" Walther queried.

"Actually, yes," Beretta replied, "The one in the back does. Looks like a rather unpleasant fellow."

"He probably is," Walther observed, "As you know, we were able to identify one of the buyer's bodyguards in advance. We were informed that he's a claret stallion. I'm certain that's him."

"That means the stallion in front of him must be his employer," Koch speculated.

"My thoughts exactly," Walther commented. He sat up straight and spoke into his earpiece "Everypony, stand by. The target has arrived."

At those words, the other members of the group snapped to full attention. The main part of the operation had officially begun.

A minute later, the six stallions reached the front of the building. The valet held the door open for them, and Peacemaker watched them as they entered the hotel one-by-one. When they were all inside, he informed the others "Target has entered the premises."

"Omicron-7, verify," said Walther.

Ruger was standing in the middle of the lobby. She observed the group of stallions as they walked through the room. They were still moving in the same pattern as before. All of them wore long coats, and the one in the middle wore a fedora.

When they reached the front desk, the stallion in the center told the receptionist "Excuse me, I am here to meet one of your guests, but I do not know his room number. Could you give it to me?"

"Certainly, sir," the receptionist answered, looking through the hotel records, "What is his name?"

"Material Study," he informed her, "I believe he's on the eleventh floor."

"Yes, sir," she affirmed, "You can find him in Room 1128."

"Thank you," the stallion in the fedora said in response.

He and his companions walked away from the front desk and headed towards the elevators. As they waited for the lift to arrive, Ruger proclaimed into her earpiece "Confirmed; it's the buyer. He's making his way upstairs as we speak."

"How is he getting there?" Walther queried.

"The elevators," Ruger apprised him.

"Omicron-8, they're coming your way," Walther disclosed.

"Got it," Carabine acknowledged. Every member of the Firebrand Regiment was currently wearing a belt of assorted tools and weapons. The aqua blue Unicorn removed his belt and hid it behind a table. Then he backed away from the elevators and leaned against the wall. He was behaving casually to avoid tipping off the buyer and his bodyguards.

When the elevator arrived on the ground floor, the six stallions piled into it. Once the doors closed, Ruger notified the others "They're on their way up."

"I hear you," Carabine avowed.

He waited in total silence for about thirty seconds. Then the elevator arrived, and the six stallions stepped out of it. They did notice Carabine, but they paid him very little mind.

"Good afternoon," he greeted cordially.

A couple of them gave him a nod in response. The rest showed him no friendly gesture whatsoever. They simply trotted past Carabine and headed down the hallway. When they arrived at Room 1128, one of the stallions knocked on the door. It was quickly answered by Material Study.

"Good, you're here," the bearded stallion remarked. He stood aside to allow the six stallions inside. The stallion in the fedora entered first. His bodyguards followed him individually. The claret stallion was the last one to enter. He made certain to shut the door behind him.

Once he was alone again, Carabine retrieved his belt and put it back on. Then he mumbled into his earpiece "Target has made contact with Material Study."

"Very well," Walther declared, "Don't take your eyes off that door, Omicron-8."

"Acknowledged," Carabine asserted.

Walther peeked over the edge of the roof again. He saw Caracal hovering in the air outside the window to Material Study's suite. She was close enough that he could have just called out to her, but he knew better than to shout. Any loud noises of that sort could easily ruin the whole operation.

He muttered into his earpiece "Omicron-6, you're up."

"Affirmative," Caracal responded, "Do you want me to get a visual on the targets?"

"Negative, leave the visual to Omicron-5," Walther advised her, "Right now, all you need to do is listen."

"Roger that," the sky blue Pegasus remarked.

Caracal had been outside of Material Study's suite for almost forty minutes. Although she had been able to hear sounds from within, she had been unable to make out spoken dialogue. With the window closed, there was only so much she could discern. Fortunately, she had a way to remedy this problem.

After receiving her last order from Walther, she removed an object from her belt. It was a headset which was designed to resemble a stethoscope. Or at least half a stethoscope. It did have a full chest piece, but it only had one eartip. Caracal inserted the eartip into her free ear. Then she took the chest piece, held it against the bottom right corner of the windowpane, and lightly pressed down on it. The chest piece clung onto the glass as if it had been glued to it.

This device was designed to pick up sounds through solid surfaces, such as concrete, wood, and metal. It was very useful for overhearing conversations that were supposed to be confidential. Conversations such as the one taking place inside Material Study's suite. Caracal removed her communicator from her other ear so that she could concentrate solely on this discussion.

Material Study and the buyer were sitting at a table in the center of the room. The five bodyguards stood at various spots around the suite. It was rather large and spacious for a pedestrian hotel.

Caracal was able to eavesdrop on the entire discussion. It begun when she heard Material Study say "You certainly are punctual. Neither a minute early nor a minute late."

"Lavender told you I'd be here at a certain time, so here I am," a gruff voice retorted, "Of course, it might have helped if I knew which suite was yours before I got here."

"Oh?" Material Study stated cheekily, "Did you have to go door-to-door looking for me?"

"No, I got your room number at the front desk," the stallion in the fedora informed him.

Material Study scoffed and perceived "That hardly seems like an inconvenience. It couldn't have delayed you by more than thirty seconds."

"I don't care about wasting time," the other stallion declared, "What really concerns me is the shelter of this suite. At least if I knew beforehand that this was where the meeting would take place, I could have had my bodyguards check it out in advance."

"What would be the point of that?" Material Study queried.

"They would've been able to ascertain its safety," the stallion in the fedora replied.

"It seems safe enough to me," Material Study observed slyly.

"To you, maybe," the other stallion debated, "But I prefer to be a little more cautious. You never know. Perhaps you, Lavender, and I are not the only ones who knew about this meeting. There's always a chance that somepony else is listening in."

"I highly doubt that," Material Study countered, "I've been in this room for every minute of this past two days. I searched it myself when I first arrived. It's totally clean. It hasn't been wiretapped or anything. Other than room service and housekeeping, nopony else has been in here since I got settled."

"That does set my mind at ease a bit," the stallion in the fedora pronounced, "All the same, I feel we could have done more to better prepare for this meeting. I cringe to think what might happen if the authorities got wind of what we are doing here."

"Aren't you being a tad overprotective of yourself?" Material Study perceived.

"It is not my own well-being that I worry about," the other stallion declared, "I am far more concerned about my organization's plans. The government could step in and ruin them at any time. Now would be the perfect opportunity for them to do that. That said, I believe my anxieties are very much warranted."

Caracal had overheard everything the two stallions had said so far. She had been listening intently to them this whole time. Her concentration was momentarily broken when she heard Walther's voice over her communicator. He asked her "Omicron-6, what's going on down there?"

"Nothing of precedence, Omicron-9," Caracal informed him, slipping her earpiece back into her ear for a moment, "They're just exchanging Smalltalk for now. I'll get back to you when they start discussing business."

"Verified, over," Walther asserted.

The mahogany Pegasus picked up his blackboard and wrote the words It has begun on it. The words soon disappeared. Walther waited patiently for a response, and twenty seconds later, the words Move in on your call appeared on the blackboard.

Several stories below, Caracal took out her communicator again and continued listening to the discussion between Material Study and his buyer.

"If you're so worried about the government interfering with your plans, why would you even bother with them in the first place?" Material Study queried in perplexity.

"Some things are worth taking a tremendous amount of risk for," the buyer proclaimed, "Just because I am willing to accept the risk, that doesn't mean I cannot worry about its repercussions, as well. You must know that the authorities would love a chance to put away my organization. The tiniest misstep could doom us all."

"Well, that's your problem," Material Study scathingly spoke out, "Look, I don't give a mule's flank about your plots. I don't share your ideals. I don't even have any ideals. I'm just in this for the profit."

"So I see," the buyer remarked in disappointment, "Then you're just a regular mercenary."

"Oh, spare me the lecture on conscience," Material Study spat back derisively, "Sure, I'm a mercenary. But you're a collaborator, and these other gentlestallions are hired grunts. We're all dishonest ponies here."

The buyer did not given a comeback straightaway. After sitting in silence for a bit, he just smirked and stated "Oh, I beg to differ. Not ALL of us are so dishonest."

"What do you mean?" Material Study said inquisitively.

At that, the buyer announced to one of his bodyguards "Maelstrom, come over here."

The claret stallion slowly approached his employer and stopped when he was just two feet away from him. Then he mumbled in a deep voice "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Just stand there for a moment," the buyer instructed him. The claret stallion nodded and remained still. His boss turned back to Material Study and told him "Maelstrom here is the head of my security detail."

"I know, Lavender mentioned him when she came to visit me," the bearded stallion recalled.

"She did that so that you might have some idea of who you're dealing with," the buyer elucidated.

"I DO know who I'm dealing with," Material Study declared, "You think I would have agreed to this transaction if I didn't know whose money I was accepting?"

"No, I do not," the buyer bluntly observed, "But there are people in Equestria who are more dangerous than me and my affiliates. People who do not share our 'ideals,' as you put them, but all the same, people you'd never want to cross. Maelstrom is one of those individuals."

"Really?" Material Study remarked, clearly unconvinced, "That's a little difficult to believe. I've never regarded an attendant-for-hire as particularly menacing."

"I can see why you'd think that," the stallion in the fedora proclaimed, "After all, many attendants-for-hire do their jobs just for money. That's something you have in common with them. However, Maelstrom here is more than your average attendant-for-hire. Every time somepony seeks out his services, he protects them with his own life."

"Commendable of him," Material Study drily commented.

"Yes, but not nearly as commendable as what he does to ensure the well-being of his customers," the buyer proclaimed, "Whenever somepony threatens whoever he is protecting, he goes to great lengths to keep them alive and well. If it comes down to it, he will not hesitate to permanently silence the threat."

There was a brief interval of silence, and then the stallion in the fedora turned to the claret stallion and told him "Maelstrom, tell Mr. Study about your last client."

"Very well, sir," the claret stallion coincided. He then turned towards the bearded stallion, and once he had his undivided attention, he explicated "Before I was employed by this fine gentlestallion, I worked for a gangster. He used to belong to a very powerful organization. When he was in it, nopony dared to touch him. Then one day, he got himself in a lot of trouble. To maintain their image, his organization cut off all ties from him. That solved their problems, but it didn't solve his. Less than a day after he was disowned by his mob family, somepony hired a professional assassin to take him out."

"So, how long did he last?" Material Study inquired.

"Oh, he's still breathing," Maelstrom informed him, "The assassin isn't, though. He made the foolish mistake of underestimating me. He spent weeks looking for my previous employer, and eventually, he found us. When he did, I gave him a warning to back away. But he was determined to eliminate my previous employer, and he moved in for the kill. He was very quick, but I was quicker. He never saw me coming. Mostly because I threw a skewer through his eye."

Material Study listened to everything the claret stallion said. When he was finished, the bearded stallion gazed off to the side of the room and remarked "That's quite a fascinating story. And a rather extravagant one."

Maelstrom narrowed his eyes and perceived "You don't believe me, do you?"

Material Study lightly shrugged and retorted with "No offense, but I find it unlikely that an attendant-for-hire triumphed over a professional assassin."

Maelstrom did not respond immediately. After another period of silence, he scoffed, stepped closer to the bearded stallion, and pulled a small box out of his coat pocket. He placed the box on the table in front of Material Study, and he beckoned him "Open it."

Material Study was slightly confused, but he complied with this request. The box was hardly bigger than a ring case. Material Study picked it up with his front hooves, and popped it open.

When he saw what was inside, Material Study dropped the box and recoiled in surprise. He stared at the box's contents in astonishment for about twenty seconds. Then he gradually looked up at Maelstrom. The claret stallion bore a wicked grin on his face. Material Study muttered in shock "What… is… that?"

"A little memento from the assassin," Maelstrom wittily enlightened him, "While I did throw a skewer through one of his eyes, his other eye was undamaged. I thought it'd be a shame to waste it."

"That's… unhealthy," Material Study commented in disgust.

"Well, look at it this way," Maelstrom cheekily declared, "By holding onto this, I'm essentially preserving what's left of that assassin. I don't just do this job for the money, Mr. Study. I also do it for the prestige. I stick to my own code, and I value my clients' lives as much as my own. Anypony who jeopardizes my boss's safety is not safe from me. That includes people who are not as wary as him. So let me say this: if anything happens to him while we're here, I'll hold you responsible."

Normally, Material Study was not intimidated by threats. But it was not every day that a stallion boasted about killing somepony and gave him a box with an eyeball as proof of the deed. He gazed up at Maelstrom nervously and insisted "Okay, I get the message."

Maelstrom nodded in approval, picked up the tiny box, closed it, and slid it back into his coat. After that, Material Study turned to the stallion in the fedora and asked him in bewilderment "Where do you find these people, Raoul?"

"I have my resources," the buyer candidly responded, "As do you, Material."

While the two stallions continued talking, Caracal decided to check in. She reinserted her earpiece into her left ear and whispered "Omicron-9, come in."

"What is it, Omicron-6?" Walther queried.

"Material Study just referred to the buyer as 'Raoul,'" she informed him.

Walther was surprised to hear this. "Are you sure?"

"I heard it with my own ears," Caracal asserted.

Walther gazed over the edge of the building and muttered "You don't suppose he means…?"

"I don't know, sir," the sky blue Pegasus proclaimed, "His voice is definitely familiar, but I'm not sure if it's him."

Walther turned his attention to the mare on the roof of the building across the street. He inquired "Omicron-5, do you have a visual?"

"Affirmative," Beretta replied. She had her scope concentrated on the window. She had an excellent view of most of the suite. She thought aloud "Material Study and his buyer are seated at a table. Every part of Study is visible from the waist up. But one of the bodyguards is standing between me and the buyer. I can't make out his face."

"I could try to get a visual of the room," Caracal offered.

"Negative, Omicron-6," Walther told her, "Don't risk giving yourself away. If just one of the people in that room spots you, this entire operation will be compromised."

"Understood," Caracal said in acknowledgement. This entire time, she had been listening to both the dialogue between her colleagues and the conversation inside the suite. She turned back to the window and whispered into her earpiece "I have to go now. They just brought up Material Study's stash of chemicals."

"Alright, get back to us when he reveals the location," Walther instructed her.

"I will," she decreed. Caracal then removed her communicator and returned her full attention to the discussion inside the suite.

"So, do you have the compounds?" asked the individual known as "Raoul."

"Yes, I have them," Material Study proclaimed.

"Then where are they?" Raoul enquired.

"They're… close," was all the bearded stallion said at first.

"They're not here, are they?" the stallion in the fedora theorized.

"Of course not," Material Study sharply remarked, "Lavender advised me to hide them somewhere other than here. And even if she didn't, I still would have done so."

"Why's that?" stated Raoul.

"For one thing, many of those compounds are unstable," Material Study expounded, "I know better than to bring over two hundred pounds of volatile substances to a public building. That'd be a hazard to the community's safety. Plus, I needed some insurance."

"What do you mean by 'insurance?'" Raoul queried.

"I need to be assured that I won't be cheated," Material Study answered him frankly, "Although you might not share my thirst for wealth, I know for a fact that your organization needs money just as much as I do. The amount you're offering me is extremely generous. Almost seemed too good to be true."

"Well, I give my word that it IS true," Raoul guaranteed the bearded stallion, "You'll get your money, Mr. Study. But only after this transaction is completed."

"That's not what I agreed to," Material Study pointed out, "The deal was half now, half later."

"I know," Raoul commented, "We will honor that bargain. First, I'd like some assurances in return."

"You mean that before I tell you where the chemicals are, you want me to assure you that they're really there?" Material Study presumed.

"Not only that, but also that you actually have the chemicals," Raoul illuminated.

Material Study frowned and mumbled impatiently "So now we're questioning MY honor?"

"Nopony's questioning anything here," Raoul countered, "I'd like to believe you're a stallion of your word, Material. However, before I show you any money, I'm going to need solid proof that you do in fact have these compounds."

"Lavender Dazzle vouched for me," Material Study reminded him, "Isn't her testimony enough?"

"Not for me," stated Raoul, "Lavender is much lower in our organization's hierarchy than I. Since I speak for a much larger portion of it, I need more convincing of your trustworthiness."

For about a minute, the two stallions sat in uncomfortable silence. Then Material Study smirked and heatedly uttered "Very well, if you insist."

Caracal heard the sounds of furniture being moved and hoofsteps going across the room. She put her communicator back in her ear and muttered "Omicron-5, what's happening in there?"

"Material Study just got out of his chair and walked over to his bed, Omicron-6," Beretta apprised her. She paused for a moment, and then she added in "He's pulling something out from underneath it. Now he's carrying it back to the buyer."

"Can you tell what it is?" Caracal queried.

"It's a small wooden crate," Beretta notified her colleague, "Material Study's setting it down on the table. Now he's removing the lid and pulling out a few glass vessels. They appear to contain various types of liquids."

"Could those be some of the compounds?" Glock hypothesized.

"I believe so, Omicron-4," Caracal responded.

"I'll go ahead and let Omicron-10 and Omicron-11 know," Walther declared, "Call in as soon as you have confirmation, Omicron-6."

"You got it, Omicron-9," Caracal asserted, taking out her earpiece again.

Inside the suite, Raoul raised an eyebrow and stated in perplexity "Why didn't you just tell me you had samples of the chemicals on-hoof?"

"While I like to be prepared, I prefer to just use words when I negotiate," Material Study explicated, "Clearly, I'll need more than words here. So as a symbol of my goodwill, I'll give you these specimens of my products. Is that a suitable arrangement?"

"Yes, it is," Raoul replied. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper that had been creased several times. He unfolded it until it was a smooth sheet.

"What's that?" Material Study queried.

"A list of all the materials we ordered," Raoul informed him, "I'd like to make sure they're all here."

"I thought you might," Material Study pronounced, reaching into the box and pulling out another sheet of paper, "So I went ahead and included a list of the whole inventory in the crate."

"I'd prefer consulting my own copy of the list," Raoul muttered straightforwardly.

"Suit yourself," Material Study wryly agreed, dropping his paper back into the box, "Take as long as you need to look over this stuff. I'm in no rush."

"Very well," Raoul acknowledged.

The next several minutes were spent in relative silence as the stallion the fedora examined the contents of the crate. All of the glass containers had been labeled to indicate what was inside of them. That made identifying the compounds a lot easier.

Every now and then, Raoul picked up one of the flasks and got a closer look. At one point, he considered pulling out the cork of one of them. Before he did that, Material Study advised him "If you're going to open the flasks, don't inhale directly above them. Some of these compounds are deadly enough that the fumes alone could kill you."

"Noted," was all Raoul said in response. He only opened a few of the flasks. Whenever he unscrewed the top of one of them, he held his breath, and the other stallions covered their muzzles as a precaution. As soon as he was finished examining the contents, he sealed the flask back up.

Twenty-five minutes later, he leaned back in his chair, smiled in satisfaction, and declared "They're all here. The poisons, the contagions, the nerve agents, the hallucinogens, the stimulants… everything."

"So, how about you show me something in return?" Material Study suggested.

The stallion in the fedora nodded in agreement and gestured for his bodyguards to approach him. Once they were all gathered around the table, they each removed four bags from their jackets and dropped them in front of Material Study. All of the bags made a metallic clinking sound when they landed on the surface of the table.

The bearded stallion picked up one of the bags and pulled it open. Inside was a pile of bits. Material Study grinned widely at the sight.

As he examined his prize, Raoul proposed "Feel free to count it if you want."

"I think I'll wait until later," Material Study declared, closing up the moneybag and setting it on the table, "It would take a while to count five thousand bits in one sitting, and I wouldn't want to waste your time."

"I appreciate that," stated Raoul, "You'll receive an additional five thousand once we have the rest of your stash."

"I'll tell you where it is in a moment," Material Study assured him, "Before I do, there's something else I must know."

"What might that be?" Raoul enquired.

"I need to know if you and your people are equipped to handle volatile substances," Material Study explicated.

"Of course we are," Raoul snapped impertinently, "Do you think we would have asked for those compounds if we weren't prepared to transport them?"

"I didn't say that," Material Study retorted, "I'm merely being cautious. This is one scenario where the expression 'let the buyer beware' does not apply. I've been working with harmful chemicals for decades, and if there's one thing I've learned about them in all that time, it's that there is always a risk when transporting them."

"How often do things do wrong?" Raoul queried.

"If things are done properly, rarely," Material Study expounded, "If they're done improperly, accidents can happen quite often. Twelve years ago, I worked for a chemical production company in Baltimare. One day, we received a request for a shipment of nitroglycerin from Las Pegasus. At the time, we did not have the necessary safety equipment on-hoof. However, the shipment was urgently needed, so we were ordered to get it to Las Pegasus without the safety equipment. Many of my colleagues and I objected, but our concerns were dismissed. So we had to proceed without the safeguards."

"So, how did that turn out?" Raoul inquired in interest.

"We didn't even get halfway to Las Pegasus before one of the carts collapsed," Material Study recounted, "We were in the wilderness when it happened, but the ensuing explosion could be seen for miles in every direction. Most of the convoy was killed in the blast. Several of the others lost limbs or became comatose. I was one of the few who were not hospitalized. And needless to say, the rest of the shipment did not arrive on time. Because of that, a lot of projects were set back for months. All because we didn't have the safety equipment."

"That's rather unfortunate," Raoul commented.

"Indeed it was," Material Study concurred, "Ever since that incident, I have never taken transportation of harmful chemicals for granted."

"Well, luckily, we didn't order any nitroglycerin," Raoul pointed out.

"I know, but the materials you did order are just as hazardous," Material Study professed, "I need you to assure me that you will handle them with extreme care. As disastrous as that mishap with the nitroglycerin was, it was at least containable, since it occurred in the wild. But Hoofington is a crowded city. If you and your companions experienced a similar mishap here, the results would be catastrophic."

"Then I can assure you that no such misfortune will happen here," Raoul proclaimed, "We have no intention of using those compounds to bring harm to the citizens of Hoofington. We're saving all of them for the citizens of Canterlot."

When Caracal heard that, she muttered under her breath in worry "Oh no."

She put her communicator back in her ear and spoke into it "Omicron-9, are you there?"

"What is it, Omicron-6?" Walther inquired.

"Better get everypony ready, sir," Caracal advised, "Material Study is going to give this 'Raoul' the location of his stash any second now."

"Very well," Walther acknowledged, "Omicron-1, Omicron-2, Omicron-8, move to your secondary positions."

"Roger that," Heckler, Koch, and Carabine replied simultaneously. The three of them moved through the hotel's eleventh floor until they were a few meters away from Room 1128. They were unarmed at the moment, but they were prepared to draw their weapons at any time.

Inside the suite, Material Study stated "Alright, you've convinced me that you can handle transporting the chemicals. Just make sure nothing happens to them before you reach the capital city."

"Nothing will go wrong," Raoul assured him.

"Very well," said Material Study. There was another short pause, and then the bearded stallion revealed "I hid the compounds in a pawn shop three blocks down the road. The name of the shop is 'Tools, Wares, & Trinkets.' The compounds are stored in barrels labeled 'Specialty Vinegar.'"

Raoul took note of all this. So did Caracal. Outside the window, the sky blue Pegasus looked down and waved her hoof at Peacemaker. When he saw this, the scarlet Unicorn waved back in acknowledgment. Then he spoke into his communicator "Omicron-9, I just got the signal from Omicron-6. Material Study has given away the location of his stash."

"Copy that, Omicron-3," Walther acknowledged, "Omicron-8, are you and the others in position?"

"Affirmative, Omicron-9," Carabine responded.

"The buyer and his bodyguards should be leaving soon," Walther apprised him. "The moment they open that door, move in. If you need back-up, I'll send in Omicron-4 to assist you."

"You got it," stated Carabine.

At this time, Heckler was standing to the left of the door to Room 1128, Koch was standing to the right of it, and Carabine was standing directly in front of it. He stood in such a way that anypony who looked through the peephole would not see him.

"Good job, Omicron-6," Walther said approvingly, "Get out of there and fly up to the roof."

He waited for a response from Caracal. When it did not come, he queried "Omicron-6, do you read me?"

"She hasn't put her earpiece back in," Beretta apprised him, "She can't hear us, Omicron-9."

"Well, we have to pull her back," Walther declared, "Omicron-3, see if you can get her attention."

"Copy that," Peacemaker acknowledged. At this time, he was still standing at the front door of the hotel. He tilted his head upward. Caracal was hovering in the air ten stories above his head. He knew how to get her attention.

He approached the wall of the building and pressed the tip of his horn against it. Then he cast a spell on the cement holding the bricks together. The cement began glowing a shade of bright yellow. At first, it was only on the ground floor, but the glow quickly started spreading upwards. Fortunately, none of the ponies on the sidewalk seemed to mind.

Before long, the glowing cement reached Caracal. It did not take the sky blue Pegasus long to notice it. She recognized it as one of Peacemaker's charms, and she gazed downwards to where the scarlet Unicorn was standing.

Once he had her attention, Peacemaker swiftly pointed to his left ear. Caracal soon realized what he meant. She put her communicator back into her own left ear and asked "What's up?"

"We're about to close in," Peacemaker notified her, "Omicron-9 wants you to meet him on the roof."

"Okay, I understand," Caracal affirmed, "I'll be right up."

She turned to the window and reached her hoof up to it to remove the chest piece of her headset. Just before she could detach it, she heard one of Raoul's bodyguards say "Sir, before we leave, I need to take a look at something."

"Very well," Raoul coincided, "What might that be?"

"Come here," the bodyguard replied, "I'll show you."

Caracal expected the bodyguard to say something else, but she did not hear anypony in the suite speak. After a short while, she looked to the building across the street and queried "Omicron-5, did anything just happen in there?"

"The buyer and one of his bodyguards walked off to the side of the room a minute ago," Beretta informed her, "They've moved away from the window, so they're out of my line of sight."

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway," Walther declared, "We've already got the information we need. You can fall back, Omicron-6."

"Roger that, Omicron-9," Caracal stated.

She turned back to the window and placed her right front hoof on the chest piece of her headset. Before she could dislodge it, something caught her eye. The window's latch was surrounded by a small sparkling cloud. By the time she recognized the cloud as a magic aura, the latch was flipped open.

A split-second later, the entire window was surrounded by the same aura and it was pulled open. The chest piece to Caracal's headset was still attached to the glass, and the eartip to it was still secured in her right ear. As a result, when the window was forced open, she was dragged up along with it.

Caracal was caught totally off her guard when this happened. Before she had time to react, a pair of front hooves shot out through the window and seized her by the throat. Caracal found herself face-to-face with a burly Unicorn.

He grinned malevolently and muttered "Well, well, what do we have here?"

"Maybe she's a spy," one of his colleagues conjectured.

"A rather attractive spy…" another of them commented.

"Well, she ain't no filly scout," a third bodyguard observed.

"At any rate, she's seen too much," the buyer declared. He told the Unicorn at the window "You know what to do."

The brawny bodyguard nodded his head and tightened his grip on Caracal's neck. She struggled to free herself from his grasp, but he had a firm hold on her.

From the ground, Peacemaker could see that Caracal was violently shaking. He placed his hoof against his earpiece and demanded "What the Tartarus is going on up there?"

"One of the bodyguards opened the window!" Beretta notified the others urgently, "He's got Omicron-6 by the neck!"

"Take him out!" Walther commanded, "Now!"

"Aye, sir!" Beretta acknowledged.

Beretta had a small box of tiny metallic capsules next to her. She used her magic to pick up one of the bullets and she loaded it into the chamber of her firing apparatus. Then she gazed through the scope and concentrated on the bodyguard who had seized Caracal. Once she had her aim lined up, she used her magic to launch the projectile.

The bullet sailed through the air in a straight line. It struck the bodyguard directly between his eyes, just below his horn. He yelped in surprise and released Caracal. Then he stumbled backwards and collapsed onto his back, dead.

"He's down!" Beretta announced.

"Good," Walther pronounced, "Omicron-6, retreat immediately! Omicron-1, Omicron-2, Omicron-8, get in there now! Arrest Material Study and his buyer! I don't care about the others!"

"Copy that!" Carabine called out.

As Heckler and Koch armed themselves, Carabine pointed his horn at the door to Room 1128 and cast a spell to unfasten all the locks. Then he drew his weapon, and he rushed inside the suite with Heckler and Koch.

"Federal agents!" Carabine shouted, "Get on the ground now!"

By this point in time, Caracal had managed to retrieve her headset and fly away from the scene. Raoul, Maelstrom, and another of the bodyguards were kneeling by the body of their fallen companion. Material Study and the other two bodyguards were standing closer to the door.

The two standing bodyguards chose to ignore Carabine's order. One of them took out a cleaver and the other took out a mallet. They tried to attack the intruders.

The one with the cleaver swung his weapon at Heckler. The young Pegasus dodged the blow and thumped the bodyguard on the back of his head. As the bodyguard stumbled, Heckler grabbed him by his shoulder, pulled him close, drew a dagger from his belt, and stabbed him with it in the side of his neck. A couple seconds later, the bodyguard dropped his weapon and slumped over.

The one with the mallet tried to clobber Koch with his weapon. The Earth Pony darted away from him and removed a long length of thick metal wire from his belt. When the bodyguard came at him again, Koch maneuvered around him and wrapped the wire around his neck three times. Then he pulled on the ends of the wire with all his might. The bodyguard soon fell victim to strangulation.

Now there were three bodies on the ground. Material Study, Raoul, Maelstrom, and the final bodyguard were all on their hooves, facing the three members of the Firebrand Regiment.

"Don't try anything," Carabine warned them, "Or you'll get the same thing."

The four stallions did not need to be told twice.

"Put your hooves behind your heads," Carabine ordered them.

Raoul and his two remaining bodyguards complied with this order. They leaned back and placed their front hooves on the backs of their heads. Material Study did not move a muscle.

"You, too, Mr. Study," Carabine added in.

The bearded stallion nodded his head and slowly lifted his front hooves. At this time, he was standing right next to the table, and all the samples of his compounds were still on the surface of it. He briefly shifted his gaze to the flasks, and then he looked back to Carabine.

Just when his front hooves reached his scalp, Material Study stepped forward, snatched two of the glass containers, and threw them on the ground. They shattered in approximately the same spot, and when the chemicals mixed, they emitted a thick grey smoke.

"Cover your muzzles!" Material Study alerted the others.

Raoul, Maelstrom, and the other bodyguard quickly moved one of their front hooves over their faces. Out of impulse, Heckler, Koch, and Carabine did the same. The smoke rapidly spread throughout the room. In less than ten seconds, it covered everything.

"Run!" Material Study yelled.

He, Raoul, Maelstrom, and the other bodyguard hastily bolted towards the exit. Because of the smoke, it was difficult to see where they were going, but they managed to get past Heckler, Koch, and Carabine.

Once they were out in the corridor, Maelstrom gestured to the left and told the others "This way, quickly!"

As the four stallions galloped down the hallway, Heckler, Koch, and Carabine made their way out of the room. Carabine hastily closed the door behind them. The three stallions had managed to avoid breathing in the smoke, but their exposure to the smoke had not left them entirely unscathed.

Heckler had a bit of a violent cough, Koch felt as though his eyes were burning, and Carabine had suddenly developed a strong thirst for water.

Despite the dryness in his throat, Carabine managed to utter into his communicator "Omicron-9, we have three hostiles down. But we also have a situation."

"Explain!" Walther commanded.

"Some of the chemicals were spilled," Walther apprised him, "The suite is now contaminated with a toxic smoke. Material Study and the others managed to get past us. They're heading towards the western stairwell. We need backup!"

"Hang in there," Walther advised them. After a momentary pause, he stated "Omicron-4, get to the western stairwell. Intercept the group before they reach the ground floor."

"Right away, Omicron-9!" Glock responded.

As the blue Earth Pony made his way to the western stairwell on the ground floor, Walther spoke to Ruger next: "Omicron-7, I need you to get the hotel's head of security. Tell him to shut down the ventilation to Room 1128. We cannot allow the smoke to spread to other suites!"

"I'm on my way!" Ruger coincided. After making certain she had her government credentials with her, she rushed to find the head of security.

By the time she got to his office, Glock had already trotted up four flights of stairs in the western stairwell. As he ascended, he could hear eight pairs of hooves rapidly approaching from above.

As they got progressively closer, Glock paused, stared upwards, and quietly uttered into his communicator "Omicron-9, the hostiles are nearing me. I'm about to engage them."

"Be careful, Omicron-4," Walther urged him.

"Always, sir," was all Glock said in response.

He then hid around a corner and waited. Before long, the four stallions were upon him. Material Study was at the front of the group. Without morning, the blue stallion jumped out into the open and bucked the bearded stallion in the head. The blow was so powerful that Material Study was knocked out straightaway.

When the chemist collapsed onto the ground, Raoul and his bodyguards halted in their tracks. Glock turned his attention to them. He smirked and cockily remarked "Leaving so soon? You only just arrived."

There was a moment of silence, and then Maelstrom took aside the unnamed bodyguard and told him "Hold him off. I'll get our boss to safety."

"Right," said the bodyguard.

Raoul and Maelstrom quickly turned around and galloped back up the stairs. While they made their getaway, the other bodyguard pulled out a short sword and charged towards Glock.

In response, the blue stallion hastily drew a short sword of his own from his belt. He and the bodyguard spent almost an entire minute parrying each other's blows. After that minute, Glock gained the upper hoof. He maneuvered around the bodyguard and clobbered him on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword.

The other stallion was disoriented only for a fraction of a second, but that was enough time for Glock to finish the fight. He grabbed the bodyguard by his sides, lugged him over to the banister, and tossed him over the rail.

The bodyguard screamed as he fell four stories to the ground. When he landed, the screaming stopped. Glock peered over the rail and saw the bodyguard crumpled on the floor.

He grunted in satisfaction at his victory. Then he turned back to the unconscious form of Material Study. As he knelt down next to chemist and frisked him, Glock said into his earpiece "Omicron-9, another of the hostiles has been dealt with, and Material Study is in custody."

"Excellent work, Omicron-4," Walther remarked, "What about the buyer and Maelstrom?"

"They're making a run for it," Glock apprised him, "I believe they're trying to access the roof, sir."

"If they are, we'll be ready for them," Walther assured his colleague, "Speak to you soon."

He had said 'we' because he was no longer the only person on the roof. Caracal had flown up to the roof as soon as she had gotten free from Raoul's first bodyguard. For a couple minutes after that encounter, it had been a little difficult for her to respire. Fortunately, she was now breathing steadily again.

After he spoke to Glock, Walther turned to the sky blue Pegasus and asked her "Are you prepared to fight?"

"Definitely, sir," she answered. There was a short pause, and then she mumbled "I hope I am, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Walther enquired.

"Omicron-10 wasn't kidding about Maelstrom," Caracal informed him, "He's not just an unethical hired hoof. He's a total sociopath as well. At one point during the meeting, he boasted about killing a professional assassin and keeping his eyeball as a trophy."

Walther winced a little at that. Then he eased down and reassured his colleague with "I still wouldn't worry. We've contended with worse. Besides, assassins have nothing on us."

"I really can't argue with that," Caracal sardonically commented, smirking.

The two of them kept their focus on the door to the roof. A minute later, it swung open, and Raoul and Maelstrom stepped outside. They came face-to-face with the two Pegasi. Raoul groaned angrily and muttered "You've got to be kidding me."

Maelstrom was equally irritated, but he did not let his annoyance show. He turned to his employer and told him "We should go back down, sir."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Walther drily stated, "Your colleagues have been neutralized, and you are totally surrounded. If you keep running, all you'll do is prolong the inevitable."

The stallion in the fedora scoffed in amazement and thought aloud "I would expect nothing less from you… General."

Maelstrom seemed somewhat intrigued by that statement. He turned to his employer and said "Sir, do you know this stallion?"

"Yes, Maelstrom," Raoul explained, "He and the other people we've encountered are part of a Special Ops team. I encountered them a few years ago."

"Under slightly more favorable circumstances," Caracal added in, "At least back then, you weren't conspiring to overthrow the government."

"Whoever said I plan to do that now, Caracal?" Raoul inquired mockingly.

"You did," Caracal frankly replied, "I listened to your entire meeting with Material Study. I heard you say it with my own ears."

"Then it looks like you got me," Raoul bluntly observed.

"Yes, we do," Walther commented. He gradually approached the stallion in the fedora and told him "You're under arrest for high crimes against Equestria."

Before the mahogany Pegasus could reach Raoul, Maelstrom stepped in front of his boss and sternly remarked "Actually, he isn't."

"Actually, he is," Walther cheekily countered, "I'd suggest you stand down. Let's not add resisting arrest, assaulting federal agents, attempted murder, and being an accessory to conspiracy to your list. As of right now, the worst you can be charged with is giving aid to a known criminal."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Maelstrom pronounced. He gestured over at Caracal and stated "If she was eavesdropping on us the entire time, then she already knows I'm a killer. You'd be able to use my own testimony to charge me with first-degree murder. I'd rather die than go to prison."

"You might want to reconsider that stance," Walther recommended, "My superior has ordered me to capture your boss and Material Study alive. But he doesn't care what happens to you. That's not to say he just wants you dead. If you cooperate, he may be willing to let you go free."

"Considering what your colleagues did to my coworkers, I find that extremely unlikely," Maelstrom snappily retorted.

"I apologize for the loss of your associates," Walther told him sincerely, "But they refused to surrender. We had no choice but to fight back. You must understand that if you do not stand down, I will be forced to do the same to you."

Maelstrom chuckled and remarked "You think you can beat me, old stallion?"

"Oh, yes," Walther answered straightforwardly, "I encourage you to think carefully about this. Go up against me, and you'll be getting yourself in a whole lot of trouble."

"I'm no stranger to trouble," Maelstrom disclosed, "Aside from that, you wouldn't be the first government agent I've put in the ground."

"I'm not talking about the legal issues," Walther clarified, "I'm talking about your chances of survival. If you attack me, you most certainly won't be leaving this building alive."

"We'll just see about that," Maelstrom muttered heatedly. He cracked the knuckles in his front hooves and popped his neck twice.

The veteran Wonderbolt was prepared for a vicious struggle. He spread his wings and raised his own front hooves in a defensive stance.

Caracal trotted to his side and said reassuringly "I've got your back, General."

"I appreciate that, Caracal," Walther disclosed, "But I've got this. You just make sure Raoul doesn't try to escape."

"You can count on me, sir," she guaranteed him.

The sky blue mare turned her attention to the stallion in the fedora. As she stepped closer to him, she cheekily remarked "How about we see how tough you are without your bodyguards?"

Raoul smirked and said aloofly "Let's not fight, Cara."

"No, let's," Caracal spat back heatedly, "And don't ever call me that again."

"Oh, my apologies," he stated derisively, "Would you prefer 'Dirty Little Whorse?'"

At that, Caracal scowled and murmured "Big mistake."

Then she swung her front hoof at Raoul, striking him full on the muzzle. He stumbled backwards, but he quickly recovered. He turned back to Caracal, glared at her, and remarked crossly "You asked for this."

Without warning, he thrust his front hoof forward and struck Caracal on her throat. He hit her on the exact same spot one of his bodyguards had seized less than twenty minutes earlier. She trembled, but she did not lose her balance. Once she was facing Raoul, she moved in to attack him again.

The two of them were quickly engrossed in a heated scuffle. Raoul was larger and stronger than Caracal, but she was the more agile and more skillful one. Both of them were equally determined to put the other in a world of pain.

However, their dispute was playful wrestling compared to the confrontation going on just five meters away from them.

Only seconds after Caracal and Raoul started exchanging blows, Walther and Maelstrom engaged each other in combat as well. The fight between them was nothing short of deadly.

For the first thirty seconds, they both delivered and blocked a multitude of fierce blows. At one point, Maelstrom socked Walther below his throat. The veteran Wonderbolt almost got the wind knocked out of him. Before he even had a chance to recover, Maelstrom thwacked him on the side of his face and kicked him between his front legs.

After that, Walther collapsed onto his stomach. As he struggled to get back on his hooves, Maelstrom leered down at him "Had enough, old stallion?"

"I'm just getting warmed up," Walther assertively pronounced. Then he delivered a swift uppercut to Maelstrom's chin. That single blow almost knocked the claret stallion onto his back. That gave Walther enough time to stand up and collect himself. Once he was up, he spat out a bit of blood. Then he lowered his head and rammed it against Maelstrom's chest.

Their bout only got more intense from here. However, the conflict between Raoul and Caracal was reaching its end.

In the past few minutes, both of them had inflicted a great of damage onto each other. Raoul was bleeding from his muzzle, Caracal sported a black eye, and both of them were covered with bruises.

The fight reached its climax when Raoul gripped Caracal by her front and back and flung her onto the ground. While she was on her stomach, he got on top of her and held her down.

She tried throwing him off, but he had her pinned down.

Raoul smirked and cheekily stated "This remind you of anything?"

She was not even going to dignify that with a response. She just glared at him out of the corner of her eye and demanded "Get off. NOW."

"I don't think I will," he uttered calmly.

At this time, Caracal's wings were expanded. Raoul was lying directly between them. He took a moment to look at them. Then he smirked again and observed "These wings haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw them. Nice to see you've kept them in good shape."

"It's thanks to them that I was able to spy on you," Caracal informed him smugly.

"What a surprise that you were given the most difficult assignment again," Raoul sarcastically remarked, "How ironic it ended up like this. I suppose you never thought I'd be lying between these wings a second time."

"No, I didn't," Caracal illuminated, "Especially since I didn't like it the first time."

"Oh, don't be like that," Raoul impishly encouraged her, "You may have been doing your job when we last saw each other. But do you expect me to believe you were just following orders that one night? No, you didn't have to go that far to gain my trust."

"Well, I did go that far," Caracal shamelessly admitted, "It was worth it to bring you down."

"I'll bet it was worth it," Raoul taunted her. He leaned in closer to her and whispered "Admit it. When you came to my room that night… you enjoyed it."

The moment he uttered those words, Caracal felt a twist of rage rising up inside her. She reared her body backwards and flung Raoul off of her. He only sailed a few feet through the air before he collapsed onto the ground. When Caracal turned to face him, her countenance was lined with fury. She jumped onto him and began pelting his face with blows. She struck him over and over and over until she had virtually beaten him senseless. When she finally relented, he was still conscious. He still had the same wicked smirk on his face, too.

"Well, go on," he beckoned her weakly yet disdainfully, "Finish it."

"No, I don't think so," she declared triumphantly, "We need you alive. I'm not going to disobey a direct order just so I can get some retribution."

"I thought so," Raoul commented. He sounded strangely disappointed when he said that.

Although the conflict between Raoul and Caracal had ended, the clash between Walther and Maelstrom was far from over.

The mahogany stallion had just decked the claret stallion in the center of his cheek. His punch was so powerful that he managed to knock out one of Maelstrom's teeth when he delivered it. However, apart from that, Maelstrom was not slowed down in the least.

A moment later, he realized that his employer had been beaten. He was impelled to intercede and defend him. But first, he had to deal with Walther.

When the veteran Wonderbolt threw another blow at him, Maelstrom dodged it and moved around him. Then he grabbed ahold of one of Walther's wings and bent the top part of it backwards.

Walther shouted in agony as he felt the digits in his upper wing become displaced. Maelstrom took the opportunity to strike him behind his knees to knock him off his hooves again. This attack had the intended effect; Walther dropped to the ground and moaned in pain.

While he was down, Maelstrom focused his attention on Caracal. At the moment, her back was turned to him. He pulled out a knife from his jacket, raised it in the air, and aimed for the back of the sky blue Pegasus' head.

Just before he could throw the knife, Walther regained his bearings and stopped him. He lifted his hind legs and bucked Maelstrom in his stallionhood. This move also had the intended effect. Maelstrom shrieked in displeasure, dropped his knife, and collapsed onto his knees.

Walther got up and began punching Maelstrom repeatedly on his head and chest. He did not stop until the claret stallion was offering no resistance. But even then, Walther was not done with Maelstrom. Once he was certain that the bodyguard could not fight back, the veteran Wonderbolt finished him off.

Walther then stood behind Maelstrom, wrapped his left front hoof around his throat, gripped him by the right side of his face, and gave his head a sharp twist. A resounding "crunch" sound echoed on the roof, indicating that Maelstrom's neck had been broken.

The claret stallion's body crumpled onto the ground. Walther gazed down at it and stood over it triumphantly. He grinned in pleasure at his victory. Of course, it was difficult to be pleased whilst experiencing aches and shortness of breath. Walther examined his injuries and started taking in deep breaths to even out his labored respiration.

Once he composed himself, Walther slowly trotted over to Raoul and Caracal.

"Are you alright, sir?" the sky blue Pegasus asked the mahogany Pegasus.

"I'm fine," he assured her, "What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Caracal informed him.

"She's way more than okay," Raoul sneered.

"Shut up," Caracal grumbled, kicking him in the side.

Raoul was already in enough pain that this blow had very little effect on him. He just coughed once and scoffed in amusement.

Walther knelt down next to him and calmly told him "As I was saying, you are under arrest for high crimes against Equestria… Sir Raoul Jowl."

"Very well," Raoul Jowl willingly coincided, holding his front legs up in surrender, "I won't offer any more resistance. I'm all yours."

"Smart thinking," Walther stated in approval. He paused for a moment, and then he lifted his left front hoof up to his earpiece and proclaimed "This is Omicron-9 to all units. The operation's objective has been achieved. We have both suspects in custody. Repeat. The operation's objective has been achieved. We have both suspects in custody. Everypony rendezvous in the lobby in ten minutes."

Over the next few seconds, the other seven members of the team responded with "Acknowledged."

All of them spoke this word with a notable amount of contentment and pride in their voices.

Once Walther heard from everypony in the team, he rose to his full height, turned to Caracal, and told her "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to notify Omicron-10 and Omicron-11."

"You got it, sir," Caracal affirmed.

Walther then trotted back to the south end of the roof. He had shut his briefcase shortly before Caracal arrived on the roof. He pulled out his key, used it to reopen the case, and retrieved the blackboard. He picked up the marker and wrote on the blackboard a single word: Success.

The word quickly vanished from the blackboard. Ten seconds later the following words appeared on it:

Splendid. Any casualties?

Walther erased the blackboard and wrote Omicron-6 and myself have sustained minor injuries. Nothing fatal.

These words soon disappeared as well. Bronze Star's response to them was this:

Good to know. What about the other side?

Walther wrote small to fit the following three sentences on the board:

All five extraneous units have been liquidated. Material Study is unconscious. The buyer has been beaten, but he's still coherent and articulate.

These words gradually faded away. Walther had to wait a big longer for a reply this time. Then Bronze Star gave him this:

Outstanding work, Omicron-9. So who is the buyer?

Walther hesitated for a moment. Then he wrote Our old acquaintance Sir Raoul Jowl.

This time after the words left the board, Walther waited even longer than before. Apparently, Bronze Star and SIG Sauer were just as surprised to discover this fact as the mahogany Pegasus had been.

Ultimately, he was given this:

Understood. You know what to do next.

Walther finished the discussion by writing down Acknowledged. I'll check in again soon.

After these words evaporated, Walther returned the blackboard to his briefcase, shut the lid, and locked it back up. Then he picked up his case, placed it on his back, and trotted over to the northern section of the roof.

He gripped Raoul Jowl by his right shoulder and lifted him up to his hooves. Then he remarked sardonically "Hope you feel like traveling. We've got a train to catch in a little while."

"Oh, joy," Raoul cheekily declared, "Where are we going?"

"The same place you planned to go after your meeting," Walther apprised him.

"The capital city?" Raoul presumed.

"Correct," Walther affirmed, "But you'll be going there under very different circumstances than you the ones you originally intended."

"I suspected as much," Raoul candidly professed.

There was a note of frustration in his voice, but he seemed relatively indifferent. Interestingly, Raoul Jowl appeared to undergo a complete personality change. During the meeting with Material Study, he had been extremely timid and overcautious, and he had been vocal about his fear of being apprehended by the authorities. Yet at this time, he did not seem the least bit nervous or unsettled by the fact that he was now in federal custody.

Walther and Caracal swiftly escorted Raoul Jowl down the stairs. When they reached the lobby, they rendezvoused with the rest of the Firebrand Regiment.

Material Study was still unconscious. In order to easily move him around, Heckler and Koch were both giving him a helping hoof.

Ruger and Glock were explaining the situation to the hotel's head of security. At Ruger's request, he had cut off the ventilation to Room 1128, allowing the toxic smoke in there to be successfully contained. Just to be safe, the head of security also ordered his staff to evacuate the guards in the adjoining rooms.

Beretta had arrived just a few seconds prior. She had been the only member of the Regiment who had not set hoof in or on the building during the operation. When the toxic smoke was produced, she had used her firing apparatus to take out the latch on top of the open window. That had allowed the window to slam shut and keep the smoke from spreading to the exterior of the building. Even after that, she had kept her eye on the suite for every moment until Walther gave the all-clear. Once he did, she had packed up her firing apparatus and climbed down the building across the street.

The only members of the group that were not preoccupied with anything were Peacemaker and Carabine. However, that changed once Caracal and Walther arrived on the ground floor. The two Unicorns quickly approached the two Peagsi. Peacemaker noticed straightaway that they were injured.

"Are you two alright?" he inquired anxiously.

"You be the judge," Caracal drily retorted, "You're the medic, after all."

"Very well," Peacemaker coincided, "I should give you both a complete medical evaluation."

"You can do that later, Peacemaker," Walther declared.

Although Peacemaker was primarily focused on Caracal and Walther, Carabine had his attention on the stallion they were escorting. He stepped up to Raoul Jowl and crossly remarked "Well, this is an unpleasant surprise."

"Tell me about it," Raoul flippantly observed. He gazed around the lobby and noticed the other members of the Firebrand Regiment. He scoffed and pronounced "Well isn't this sweet? Looks like almost everypony's here. The only one who's missing is SIG Sauer. Has he been promoted or something?"

"No, he's just busy elsewhere," Caracal proclaimed.

"Well, next time you see him, tell him I said he can go buck himself," Raoul harshly quipped.

"You can tell him that yourself when we get to Canterlot," Walther wittily countered, "Until then, I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, somepony else will shut it for you."

"Whatever you say, General," Raoul muttered irritably.

Shortly after this, the Firebrand Regiment departed from the Rosebud Hotel. Earlier that morning, Walther had contacted the Municipal Building and asked them to keep one of their holding cells vacant. The sheriff had been more than willing to comply with this request.

When they arrived at the Municipal Building, the Firebrand Regiment secured Raoul Jowl and Material Study in the holding cell. Heckler, Koch, and Glock were assigned to keep watch over the two stallions.

The next item of business was the matter of Material Study's chemicals. Since they were already at the Municipal Building, Walther decided to inform the sheriff of the presence of the compounds. He asked for the sheriff's assistance in acquiring the stash. The sheriff was able to spare half a dozen of his deputies to bring in the chemicals. These six officers went with Peacemaker, Beretta, and Caracal to recover the stash from the pawn shop.

At this time, Ruger, Carabine, and Walther were the only members of the Firebrand Regiment who were available. The three of them stood in the foyer of the Municipal Building and lounged there for a while.

"All in a day's work, huh?" Ruger commented.

"Yeah, it's certainly been a busy day," Carabine agreed.

"Well, the day's not over yet," Walther pointed out, "Neither is our work."

"What do you mean, General?" Carabine inquired in perplexity.

"Before we head back to Canterlot, there's somepony I must speak to," Walther clarified.

"Who?" Ruger queried in interest.

"Some self-proclaimed travelling performer," Walther expounded, "She might be able to help us with a different matter of national security."

"Oh, alright then," Ruger stated, "Where is she?"

"Assuming she followed my instructions, she should be somewhere in this building," Walther thought aloud.

"She's right behind you, General," came a blunt voice from behind the mahogany Pegasus.

Walther turned around and came face-to-face with the brilliant azure mare. He lightly grinned and pronounced "Hello, Trixie. I see you're still referring to yourself in third-person."

"I know; I'm trying to break myself of the habit," Trixie informed him. She had noticed that the Wonderbolt was covered in minor injuries. "What happened to you? Were you in a bar fight?"

"Not quite," Walther replied, "You may recall I told you that I had some other business to attend to in Hoofingon. My current appearance is a result of that business."

"I don't think I want to know about it," Trixie perceived.

"Good," Walther commented, "Because even if you asked, I couldn't tell you."

"Then why don't we talk about something else?" Trixie proposed, "Case in point, I want to discuss that bargain we made."

"Very well," the mahogany Pegasus concurred, "I've already replaced everything you lost, including your trailer. I had all the goods transported here yesterday. They should be here by now."

"They are," Trixie affirmed, "I've been staying here as the town's guest for the past day. Shortly after I arrived, the sheriff informed me that a bunch of stuff was delivered here, and all of it was addressed to me. I looked over the contents, and I must say, I was very pleased with what I saw."

"I'm glad to hear that," Walther stated, "Once you fulfill your part of the agreement, all those goods are yours."

"Okay," Trixie said in understanding, "What must I do to earn them?"

Walther removed his briefcase from his back, opened it up, pulled out the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark, and held it up to the brilliant azure mare. He told her "For starters, I'd like to know how you became acquainted with this symbol."

When Trixie saw the picture, she became a little uneasy. Her discomfort did not go unnoticed by the veteran Wonderbolt. After a short period of silence, he beckoned her with "Well?"

She merely sighed and informed him "Okay, I'll tell you. It may take a while to explain everything, though."

"That's fine by me," Walther assured her, "I've got all day."

Trixie softly nodded her head. There was another interval of quietness, and then she began her explanation: "As you know, I wasn't in Hoofington when the Ursa Major attack on the city took place. I didn't even know about the attack until I arrived here. That was months after it happened. I heard all about the fiasco from the locals. I was intrigued by their vivid description of it. I was even more intrigued by their account of how it was resolved."

"I understand what you mean," Walther commented, "I read the report on the attack before I came here. While many of the witnesses' testimonies were contradictory in most places, all of them seemed to match on one single point. They all agreed that it was because of a lone Unicorn that the attack was averted."

"That's right," Trixie confirmed, "Did your report say how she managed to save the town?"

"No, the witnesses' testimonies greatly differed over that," Walther recalled, "Some say she repelled it, some say she subjugated it, some say she destroyed it."

"All of those claims are wrong," Trixie apprised him, "When I was here, I asked around and I managed to get the truth from the locals. You know what she actually did?"

"What?" Walther enquired in interest.

"She just trotted up to the Ursa Major in the midst of its rampage," Trixie elucidated, "Once she was standing in front of it, it stopped wreaking havoc on the city and focused on her. They both stood totally still for about a minute, and then the Ursa Major turned around and marched back to the Everfree Forest. Nopony could explain how she did it. From what they could see, she didn't even cast a spell on the Ursa."

"Now that is nothing short of astonishing," Ruger proclaimed.

"I'm inclined to agree," Carabine muttered.

"Did any of the locals say what the mare did after the Ursa retreated?" Walther asked Trixie.

"Yes," she informed him, "They wanted to show her their appreciation, but she didn't even stay around long enough for them to say 'thank you.' Less than a minute after the Ursa Major went into the Everfree Forest, she ran into it, as well. Nopony went after her. However, I was so fascinated by the Unicorn's actions that I was compelled to seek her out. So after I got the whole story, I went into the Everfree Forest to look for her. I was out there for hours, but eventually, I found her."

"Let me stop you right there," Walther interjected, "While this is all very intriguing, what does this have to do with the symbol?"

"The Unicorn was wearing the symbol around her neck," Trixie enlightened him.

Walther's eyes lit up at that revelation. "She was?"

"Yes, it was imprinted on the trinket of a necklace she wore," Trixie affirmed.

Walther gazed off to the side and rubbed his chin. Then he looked back to the brilliant azure mare and questioned "Do you remember what she looked like?"

"She had a black coat, an auburn mane, and ruby irises," Trixie recounted, "Her cutie mark was an ocular lens."

Walther removed the photograph of Hazy Wisp from his briefcase. He held it up for Trixie to see and asked "Is this her?"

Trixie studied the photograph for a moment, and then she answered "Yes, that's her."

"Did you talk to her?" Walther queried.

"Yeah, but only for a couple minutes," she replied, "I asked her how she managed to overpower the Ursa Major. She claimed she just 'willed' the monster to leave the town alone. I asked her to specify how she came to possess such an ability. She told me that she acquired it from the 'glory of night.' I then asked her if she could teach me that ability or tell me how I could learn it. She claimed she would have been more than willing to share the knowledge with me. But there was a condition attached."

"What?" said Walther in concern.

"She wanted me to 'join their cause,'" Trixie explicated, "Before she taught me anything, she said I would have to devote myself to her organization of 'believers in darkness.' As appealing as the rewards of her offer sounded, I felt that she was asking a little too much of me. So I told her that I would need some time to think about it."

"It's a good thing you didn't accept her offer," Walther disclosed, "This mare is a political dissident. This organization of hers is nothing more than a cult of Nightmare Moon's most dangerous and most obsessive followers."

Trixie was alarmed to hear this. She sighed and mumbled "I should have known something was up with that mare."

"At least now you know," Walther asserted, "Did she tell you where you could find her if you decided to accept her offer?"

"Actually, yes," Trixie recollected, "She said I could find her in the same place I met her before."

"Excellent," Walther commented, "Do you suppose you could take me there?"

"Sure I could," Trixie responded, "But I doubt she's still there; it's been months since I encountered her."

"I realize that," Walther thought aloud, "However, this mare is involved in a huge conspiracy against the government. Even if we cannot find her, at least we'll have another possible lead to continue our investigation."

"That is a good point," Trixie admitted. After a brief interval of silence, she stated "Okay, General. I'll take you to where I last saw the mare. But I would prefer it if we did not go alone."

"Can't say I blame you," the mahogany Pegasus pronounced. He turned to his colleagues and announced "I'm going to go with Trixie to the Everfree Forest. Carabine, I want you to accompany us as backup. Ruger, you stay here. You're in command of the Regiment until we get back."

"I'm with you, General," the aqua blue Unicorn declared.

"Understood, General," the taupe Earth Pony acknowledged.

Walther nodded his head in approval. Then he, Trixie, and Carabine departed from the Municipal Building and made their way to the Everfree Forest. He did not know what they would come across in that overgrown wasteland, but he was confident that they would find something that would lead them somewhere. Somehow.

> Opening Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall, the Firebrand Regiment's mission in Hoofington had been a success. They still had to make certain that their activities in the city were kept private. So before they left Hoofington, the Regiment took steps to ensure that they left no loose ends. The chemical spill at the Rosebud Hotel was quickly cleaned up, and the bodies of Maelstrom and Raoul's other bodyguards had been collected discreetly by the Hoofington P.D.

Near the end of that same day, Walther sent Bronze Star another message with his blackboard. At that time, the General was checking in to inform the prince that Material Study's stash of chemical compounds had been acquired, and that he and Raoul Jowl had been transported to Canterlot. Currently, the two stallions were being held in a private location in the capital city. Whatever happened to them next was Bronze Star's call.

It did not take Bronze Star long to decide what would be done now. Before this day, the gold stallion already had reason to believe that somewhere in Equestria, there was a secret organization with radical intentions. The meeting in Room 1128 had confirmed his suspicions. He was now certain that this organization did in fact exist, and that its members were directly plotting against the government.

Bronze Star felt that Raoul Jowl and Material Study knew enough about this plot to help them uncover it. So, he decided that they would both be questioned thoroughly. He was inclined to believe that neither of the stallions would be willing to talk without some encouragement.

Fortunately, the Firebrand Regiment was well-equipped for this kind of job. Peacemaker was a specialist in all types of interrogation, Heckler had a gift for determining when a person was lying, and Caracal had been trained to think like a criminal.

Bronze Star had authorized the Regiment to do whatever they needed to get Material Study and Raoul Jowl to confess. However, he asked them to wait until SIG Sauer returned to Canterlot to begin the interrogation. His reasoning was simple: the pine green Unicorn had spent all his life bringing people like Material Study and Raoul Jowl to justice. He was well-known for having absolutely no sympathy or tolerance for people who openly opposed the government. Plus, he was perhaps the most "persuasive" individual Bronze Star had ever met. He could get just about any suspect to break.

Walther and the others agreed to hold off on interrogating Material Study and Raoul Jowl until SIG Sauer arrived back in the capital city. After all, they were in no rush. Lavender Dazzle had mentioned that it would be at least a month before she contacted either of the stallions. Until then, they had been instructed to keep a low profile. As such, nopony would have been suspicious if Material Study and Raoul Jowl went missing, and it was logical to assume that Lavender Dazzle's organization was not planning on striking anytime soon.

Later that evening, Walter sent Bronze Star another message. In this one, he described how he and Carabine had uncovered something very interesting in the Everfree Forest with the help of Trixie. The veteran Wonderbolt was confident it was a good lead on determining the whereabouts of Hazy Wisp. The gold stallion requested more specific details, but the mahogany stallion told him that it would be better if they waited until they were face-to-face to discuss the findings. Bronze Star agreed to this, as he trusted the General to properly handle sensitive information.

Nothing especially noteworthy happened over the course of the next week. It did not take the inhabitants of Ponyville long to recover from the Ursa Minor attack. The attack itself was nearly forgotten, but the entire town would remember what Twilight Sparkle had done to resolve the conflict for a long time.

Bronze Star spent most of the next seven days interacting with his friends. That included both the ones he recently made during his stay in Ponyville and the ones he made long ago when he lived in Canterlot. By now, the gold stallion had found that he enjoyed the lifestyle of a civilian just as much as he enjoyed the lifestyle of a royal. Although he sometimes liked being the center of attention, he still preferred it when everypony treated him as their equal instead of their superior.

Near the end of the week, Mauser, Alpine, and SIG Sauer had started talking about returning to Canterlot. Mauser's leave time had almost been used up, and he needed to get back to the capital city soon so he could get active in the Military Enforcement Corps again. The professors at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns had allowed Alpine to carry out her studies in Ponyville, but unlike Twilight, she had not been permitted to study abroad for the rest of the semester. Most importantly, SIG Sauer was needed in Canterlot to continue his duties as the Royal Guard's head trainer, the leader of the Firebrand Regiment, and an upholder of national security. Now that he had fully recovered from his stab wound, there was no reason for him to delay any longer.

The Sauers had agreed that they would go back to the capital city whenever Princess Luna decided to move there. The blue Alicorn was aware of their decision, but they assured her that they were in no rush. They did not want to pressure her into leaving Ponyville before she felt she was ready.

Although Luna was now much less withdrawn than she had been at the Summer Sun Celebration, she still preferred to pass her awake hours in her quarters. She still saw her nephew twice a day: in the morning when she went to sleep and in the evening when she woke up.

Bronze Star had begun to notice some interesting things were going on with his aunt; mainly some changes in her physical appearance. They had started on the night of the Ursa Minor attack. When he brought her dinner that night, her mane appeared to be sparkling and moving. At the time, Bronze Star had assumed that he was just seeing things.

In the past week, he had come to the conclusion that he had not been hallucinating. Luna's mane had indeed started becoming wavy and glittery. It had begun to bear an eerie resemblance to her older sister's flowing mane.

This was just the first of the changes to Luna's physique. Her coat was becoming a darker shade of blue. It had gone from a shade of sapphire to a deep indigo. In addition to that, she was getting taller. She used to be just a couple inches taller than her nephew. Now she was half a foot taller than him. Her horn was getting longer as well. By now, it was nearly as long as Celestia's.

Eight days after the Firebrand Regiment's business in Hoofington, Bronze Star had another meeting with the mayor and City Council. This meeting was relatively short, as nothing much had happened in the past week, and the Ursa Minor incident had been covered in last week's meeting.

This week's meeting was over by eight o'clock. Princess Luna was still awake at the time. She stood at the top of the stairs throughout the meeting. She was not listening in on the discussion; she was merely waiting for it to end. After Mayor Mare and City Council left the embassy, she called down to her nephew and requested to speak with him in private. Naturally, he accepted.

He quickly trotted upstairs and entered his aunt's bedroom. She closed the door behind him and bid him to take a seat. Once Bronze Star was settled in a comfortable chair, Luna she sat down on the side of her bed. A short period of silence followed. In that period, the two Alicorns kept constant eye contact with each other.

Finally, Luna broke the silence with the following statement: "I'm certain you've noticed that I'm… surfacing."

Anypony else would have been confused by this statement. Bronze Star was not confused; he knew exactly what his aunt meant. In addition to being immortal and omnipotent, Alicorns developed in a very different manner from Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. They underwent an extensive process which they referred to as "surfacing."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and remarked "Surfacing? That's what's been going on with you?"

Luna nodded her head and stated in perplexity "Indeed so. You seem surprised to know that."

"I assumed something was up, but I had no idea you were surfacing," Bronze Star explained.

"I find that difficult to believe," Luna thought aloud, "You may be disguised as an Earth Pony right now, but you are still an Alicorn in every other aspect. Surely you must know about surfacing."

"My mother told me about it a couple times," Bronze Star disclosed, "But never in great detail. She mostly described it as a phase that all Alicorns go through."

"Oh, it's more than just a phase, Bronze Star," Luna enlightened him, "It's the stage in an Alicorn's life when one starts to grasp the full extent of their true power. Once they go through it, they possess magic, endurance, and strength that would allow them to have total control over everything in nature."

"That would explain a lot," Bronze Star commented, "My mother told me that after she went through surfacing, she gained the power to raise and lower the Sun by herself."

"That is true," Luna affirmed, "Similarly, when I first went through surfacing, I acquired the ability to raise and lower the Moon by myself."

"Wait, you went through surfacing once before?" Bronze Star inquired in sight bewilderment. As Luna nodded her head, the gold stallion stated "Odd. My mother once said that an Alicorn only undergoes surfacing once in his or her lifetime."

"There's a reason why I'm going through it a second time," Luna expounded, "When I transformed into Nightmare Moon, I was consumed by dark magic. The dark magic took complete control of my mind and body. I was unable to do anything on my own in all that time. Once I was freed by the Elements of Harmony, I regained control of my mind and body. My mind was intact, but a thousand years of inactivity had left my body weak. Somehow, when the dark magic was lifted, I reverted to a younger version of myself. Do you remember what I looked like when we first met?"

"Of course I remember," Bronze Star replied.

"That was what I looked like over a millennium ago, before I underwent surfacing," Luna informed him, "The version of me you see before you now is what I looked like when I actually underwent it."

"Less than a month has passed between then and now, though," Bronze Star pointed out, "I've heard that the surfacing process occurs over a period of several years. You seem to be going through it at a much more accelerated rate. Is your body like… catching up with you?"

"That is exactly what it's doing," Luna confirmed, "I know how old I am, and my body knows that as well. I have the mind of an Alicorn who has been through surfacing, but I have the body of an Alicorn who has not. My metabolic rate has been significantly sped up to compensate for that difference. In other words, I'm going through surfacing – a process that would normally take years – in a matter of weeks."

"Is it painful?" Bronze Star inquired anxiously.

"No," Luna assured him, "Most of the symptoms of surfacing are harmless. As you can see, I'm already experiencing five of them. My mane is moving independently, it's started sparkling, my coat is darker, I've become taller, and my horn is grown. I may exhibit some other symptoms overtime."

"Like what?" Bronze Star inquired.

"It generally varies," Luna responded. "At any rate, it will not be long before I finish going through surfacing."

"How long do you think it'll take?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"Based on the rate of acceleration, I'd say five or six days," Luna observed, "Once the surfacing process is completed, I will have regained my full strength. Then I'll be fully regrown, and I will be able to freely raise and lower the Moon again."

Bronze Star smiled widely at that and stated "That's wonderful, Aunt Luna."

She smiled as well and declared "Indeed it is. I'm telling you this for two reasons, Bronze Star. Firstly, I was aware that you had begun to notice the changes in my physical appearance, and I wanted to assure you that everything was alright with me. Secondly…"

Luna paused here for a moment. Her nephew calmly gestured for her to continue, and she finished with "I have decided that the time has come for me to move to the capital city and reassume my duties as the Princess of the Night."

Bronze Star smiled again when she said this. He told his aunt supportively "That's splendid. More than that, it's magnificent."

"I'm glad you think so," Luna stated, "I just hope I'll be able to make a steady transition to the capital city. I can imagine it'll be quite different living there than here."

"It will be, but I don't think you'll have any difficulties," Bronze Star proclaimed, "You've convinced me that you are up to date on Equestria's modern customs and cultures, and I haven't any doubts in your ability to govern the people. You are fine leadership material. The citizens of Canterlot will be overjoyed when you address them for the first time."

"I imagine they will be," Luna coincided, "One thing that hasn't changed in the last thousand years is how the public displays incontestable love towards the Equestrian Royalty. However, it's not what I'll find in Canterlot that concerns me. The only thing that really bothers me about moving to Canterlot is the fact that… well, the fact that you won't be there."

Bronze Star was stunned to hear that statement. "Really?"

Luna lightly nodded her head and stated "During my stay in Ponyville, I was able to take steps to familiarize myself with Canterlot's standard of living. I have several people to thank for helping me along the way. SIG Sauer, his children, Noble Edict, General Walther, your friends in Ponyville, … and you most of all. Without you, I never would have regained my self-confidence. I don't think I could properly express my gratitude for that in words. I'm going to miss you, Bronze Star."

Bronze Star almost felt a tear of pure joy come to his eye. He rose up from his chair, trotted over to his aunt, and embraced her warmly. She happily returned the embrace and held her nephew close. When they came apart, Bronze Star looked her in the eye and told her "I'm going to miss you as well, Aunt Luna. I'm happy that I've given you such a positive impression of myself. But I don't want my absence to have a dismal effect on you. I mean, just because I'm living in Ponyville right now, that doesn't mean I'll be living here permanently. I'll be going to Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala, and I'll probably visit a few times before then. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to see each other in the coming months."

Luna grinned widely and stated "I'm relieved to hear you say that, Bronze Star. And thank you for your words of comfort. General Walther was right about you."

"What do you mean?" the gold stallion inquired.

Luna straightforwardly clarified "When I first met General Walther at the hospital, he said that you always know what to say, and that it's what everypony wants to hear. Looks like he was correct."

Bronze Star lightly scoffed and said cheekily "I wish that was the case. I won't deny that I'm really good with words; I'm well-known for it. However, even I can't get on the good side of every pony I meet. Some of the Canterlot elite can validate that."

"Well, we all have rivals," Luna pronounced, "You can't expect to please everypony. What really matters is that you make an effort to try. You must always look on the bright side of life."

"I do," Bronze Star affirmed, "That's a policy my mother taught me to embrace. Stay positive, stay proud, and even in the darkest, most unpleasant of times, it helps to stay optimistic."

Luna nodded her head in agreement. There was a short interval of silence between the two Alicorns. At one point, Luna happened to look up and gaze towards the window. The curtains were not drawn, but very little sunlight was pouring through the window. One would think it was still nighttime.

"You mean times like now?" Luna wittily pronounced.

"Huh?" Bronze Star said in response, baffled.

The blue Alicorn gestured to the window. When her nephew turned to it, she thought aloud "You'd think the Sun would be up by now."

"It should be," Bronze Star muttered. He trotted over to the window and gazed outside. It was definitely the early morning, but a significant percentage of Ponyville was covered in shadow. Bronze Star directed his gaze upwards, and he noticed there was something in the sky.

"Take a look at this," Bronze Star proposed.

Luna got up from the bed and approached the window. She peered outside and saw what her nephew saw. A huge black cloud was hovering in the air a thousand feet above the ground. It was opaque, extensive, and it appeared to be spreading.

"Is that smoke?" Luna uttered softly.

"I believe it is," Bronze Star remarked, "But where is it coming from?"

"I don't know…" Luna stated, "But it seems to be getting larger."

Just then, there was a heavy knock on the main entrance of the embassy. Bronze Star hastily made his way downstairs, opened the front door, and came face-to-face with Twilight Sparkle.

"Hey, Twilight," Bronze Star greeted his friend, "Everything alright?"

"Not quite," the lavender mare replied uneasily, "We've got a problem."

"I know; I just looked outside," the gold stallion bluntly stated, pointing upwards, "So where's the fire?"

"No fire," she apprised him, "Something else is producing the smoke. I need you, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer to come with me. I'll tell you what's going on when we get into town."

"Okay," Bronze Star agreed. He went back inside for a moment to get the Sauers. Luckily, he found all three of them in the kitchen. They had just eaten breakfast, and they were in the midst of washing the dishes. When Bronze Star told them about the smoke and that Twilight needed to see them, they decided that the dishes could wait.

The five natives of Canterlot quickly headed into town. Twilight said that she planned to make an announcement. Bronze Star assumed that they were heading for the town square, as that was typically the most ideal place to deliver a speech. However, on this particular morning, there were very few ponies in the town square. Most of the townsfolk was gathered in the park that morning. Because of that, Twilight decided that the park would be the more practical destination.

That was good judgment on Twilight's part. There were scores of ponies in the park, including the other five Element bearers. Applejack, Rarity, and Noble Edict were having a friendly conversation. Rainbow Dash was bouncing a ball on her head, Pinkie Pie was observing the cyan mare, and Fluttershy was ineffectively trying to get the crowd's attention.

Twilight Sparkle had more success. She trotted to the center of the vicinity and called out "Listen up! Smoke is spreading over all of Equestria."

That quickly got everypony's attention. All throughout the crowd, people were mumbling things such as "What?" "Oh no!" "That's awful!"

Fluttershy muttered quietly "That's what I've been trying to—"

"But don't worry," Twilight Sparkle interrupted her, "I've just received a letter from Princess Celestia informing me that it is not coming from a fire."

"Oh, thank goodness." Fluttershy sighed in relief.

Her relief was very short-lived. Twilight then announced "It's coming from a dragon."

Everypony there gave a collective gasp in shock and surprise. Fluttershy had the most unsettled reaction. She uttered fretfully "A... d-dragon?"

She was not the only one who reacted in distress. Soon there was restless murmuring all throughout the crowd. The majority of the ponies there had never even seen a dragon (other than Spike), but they knew enough of them by reputation to feel afraid.

Twilight Sparkle soon noticed their worry, and she proclaimed "I would ask that you please not panic. There is no cause for alarm just yet. Princess Celestia has already devised a plan to handle this matter."

At that, almost everypony calmed down. Except Fluttershy. The yellow mare was shaking in fright.

Once she had the crowd's undivided attention, Twilight Sparkle opened up her letter from Princess Celestia and announced "I need the following ponies to come forward: Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, Alpine Sauer, Mauser Sauer, Gold Streak, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy."

Luckily, all ten of the ponies on that list were assembled in the park, and four of them were already standing right next to the lavender mare. The other six ponies swiftly joined the group. Once all eleven of them were together, Twilight Sparkle continued with "Everypony else, you are free to continue about your day. Act like this is just another average ordinary day. I can assure you that everything will be just fine."

While many of the Ponyvillians were still somewhat uneasy by the knowledge that a dragon was close-by, the magic student had convinced them that the situation was under control. So as per her instructions, they went back to what they were doing before she had arrived in the park.

SIG Sauer then turned to Twilight Sparkle and requested "Would you care to elaborate, Twilight?"

"Let's not discuss this while we're out in the open," Twilight suggested, "I'll explain everything when we get to the library."

"Sounds good to me," Noble Edict commented.

The eleven ponies quickly made their way to Golden Oaks Library. Once they arrived there, they immediately got down to business.

Applejack opened up the discussion with "What in the name of all things cinnamon swirled is a full-grown dragon doing here in Equestria?"

"Sleeping," was Twilight's blunt answer.

The other ten ponies looked around at each other in confusion, and then they all said at the same time "Huh?"

"According to Princess Celestia, he's taking a nap," Twilight elucidated, "His snoring is what's causing all this smoke."

"He should really see a doctor," Pinkie Pie suggested, "That doesn't sound healthy at all."

"Well, Pinkie, I'm studying to become a doctor," Alpine proclaimed, "You're right about that; dragons don't typically exhale smoke when they sleep."

"Well, at least he's not snoring fire," Rarity noted, "What are we meant to do about it?"

"I'll tell you what we're meant to do," Rainbow Dash buoyantly pronounced, "Give him the boot."

She began punching the air with her hooves, saying "Take that. And that!"

Then she accidentally crashed into a bookcase. Bronze Star scoffed in mild amusement and Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes.

"I'd recommend that you not be so hasty, Rainbow," Mauser advised, "Dragons are a force to be reckoned with."

"We need to encourage him to take a nap somewhere else," Twilight expounded, "Princess Celestia has given us this mission, and we must not fail. If we do, Equestria will be covered in smoke for the next one hundred years."

Fluttershy gasped in alarm.

Rarity grunted and remarked "Talk about getting your beauty sleep."

"Can we expect any assistance from Canterlot?" SIG Sauer queried.

"No," Twilight Sparkle replied, "Princess Celestia is confident that we can handle this without reinforcements."

"So, she expects the eleven of us to deal with a fully grown dragon?" Noble Edict presumed.

"Actually, she only expects seven of us to do that," Twilight illuminated, "Those seven would be me, Bronze Star, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy."

"Then what the hay are Noble, Alpine, Mauser, and I doing here?" SIG Sauer inquired in perplexity.

"She wants the four of you to look after the town and Princess Luna," Twilight Sparkle explained, "However, she has made it clear that if any of you wish to assist in the matter of the dragon, you are free to volunteer."

"In that case, you can count me in," Mauser declared, "When I entered the Constabulary Contingent, I received some training on how to defend Canterlot in the event of a dragon attack. Of course, it's different when you're on the offensive side of the equation, but I have a feeling that my expertise on the defensive side can be of use."

"I might be able to help, too," Alpine announced, "Although my specialty is in the biology of equines, I once took a course on the anatomy and temperament of dragons. Perhaps I can find a way to get the dragon to cooperate and stop snoring smoke."

"Sounds like a good idea," Bronze Star commented. He turned to the red mare and pine green stallion and asked them "What about you guys? Are you in?"

"I think I'll stay in Ponyville," Noble Edict pronounced, "I'm not saying that because I have a fear of dragons or anything. It's just that I'm not a combatant. I'm a security officer. My responsibility is to protect the people before the land."

"Normally, I would be more than willing to accompany you, Your Highness," SIG Sauer told the gold stallion, "However, this is a dragon we are talking about. Dragons can be utterly unpredictable. If something goes wrong on the mission, the dragon may decide to take his rage out on Ponyville instead of us. If that happens, somepony will have to be here to defend Princess Luna."

"Those are both respectable reasons to stay behind," Bronze Star perceived, "As much as I'd like the two of you to join us, I wouldn't want to leave Ponyville undefended. I'm certain we'll be leaving the town and my aunt's safety in capable hooves."

"You can trust us, sir," Noble Edict guaranteed him. SIG Sauer nodded in agreement.

"Alright, everypony," Twilight Sparkle professed, rolling up her letter, "I need you to gather supplies quickly. We've got a long journey ahead of us. Let's meet back here in less than an hour."

"Okay, guys, you heard her," Rainbow Dash announced, flying above the others, "The fate of Equestria is in our hooves. Do we have what it takes?"

Bronze Star, Applejack, Mauser, Alpine, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity all muttered in affirmation. Fluttershy just mumbled softly "Um, actually..."

Before the yellow mare got a chance to say anything, everypony except Twilight departed from the library and went their separate ways.

Bronze Star, Mauser, Alpine, and SIG Sauer all headed back to the embassy. They got to their rooms and began making preparations. SIG Sauer started drawing up a plan to reinforce the embassy in case the dragon chose to attack Ponyville. Mauser had brought along his military uniform and gear. He chose to don them, as he considered this assignment an act of service to his country. Alpine anticipated that they would probably need a physician on this job, so she put together a pack of medical supplies.

Bronze Star chose to wear the same thing he wore on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration: his workout attire, a supply pack, and a belt of weapons. He thought about bringing along the Shroud of Valor as well, but he decided that there was no real reason to do so. After all, they would not be using the Elements of Harmony this time.

While he was getting ready, Bronze Star was visited by Princess Luna. When she entered the room, he grinned at her and said "Oh, hello, Aunt Luna. I didn't know you were still up."

"Just because I'm nocturnal, that doesn't mean I can't be awake past the early morning," Luna wittily told him, "Aside from that, I was wondering if you found out anything about that smoke."

"Yeah, Twilight just got a letter from my mother," Bronze Star explained, "Turns out that smoke is being produced by a sleeping dragon."

Luna raised an eyebrow in perplexity and remarked "A dragon in Equestria? I remember when the people of this country were at war with dragons."

"That was a very long time ago," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Not that long for immortal beings like Alicorns and dragons," Luna countered.

"Well, even so, we've been at peace for centuries," Bronze Star informed her, "In the meantime, my mother has tasked me and some of the other people in this town with getting that sleeping one to depart from Equestria."

"Why you?" Luna queried in interest.

"Maybe she only trusts us to get the job done," Bronze Star theorized, "Regardless of why, it's urgent that we accomplish this assignment as soon as possible. The longer he sleeps, the more his smoke spreads over the land. This time tomorrow, the entire country could be covered in shadow."

At that, Luna started chuckling lightly. As Bronze Star fastened his belt around his waist, he looked up at his aunt and asked her "What's so funny?"

"It would seem I wasn't the only one who was determined to cast eternal darkness on this land," Luna enlightened him, "Not a month after you stopped me, this dragon shows up and threatens to do the same thing, albeit indirectly. Then there's the matter of that cult… it's as if everypony is trying to shut out the daylight."

"Well, none of them will succeed," Bronze Star boldly declared, "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Well, what a relief," Luna wryly commented, "I'll sleep better today, knowing that you're on the job."

"Thank you," the gold stallion said appreciatively.

Once Bronze Star was all suited up, he bid his aunt good morning and headed downstairs. He found Mauser, Alpine, and SIG Sauer standing by the front entrance. They were saying their good-byes, as well.

"Good luck out there," SIG Sauer advised his children, "Just remember what I told you: keep well, be safe, remain vigilant, and stay cautious."

"Don't worry about us, Dad," Alpine said to her father, "We'll be alright."

"Yeah, Dad, we'll come home in one piece," Mauser assured his father, "A whole, undivided piece."

SIG Sauer nodded in approval and warmly embraced his son and daughter. Bronze Star then descended the staircase and approached the three Unicorns. When they pulled apart from each other, the young prince told his trainer "I'll take good care of them, SIG."

"I know you will, Your Highness," SIG Sauer stated, smiling lightly, "Anypony who functions under your leadership is pretty much guaranteed to pull through."

"Thanks, SIG," Bronze Star said with a smirk. There was a short period of silence, and then he added in "We'll see you when we get back."

"See you then," the pine green stallion acknowledged.

The jasper stallion, the chartreuse mare, and the gold stallion then left the embassy. They rendezvoused with the other six mares outside Golden Oaks Library. Now that everypony was accounted for and at attention, Twilight Sparkle announced "Alright guys, listen up. I'm mapping out the fastest route, but we've all got to keep a good pace if we expect to make it up the mountain by nightfall."

"M-m-mountain?" Fluttershy stammered nervously.

Twilight Sparkle nodded and pointed to a tall mountain several miles away. The cloud of smoke appeared to originate from its peak. She proclaimed "The dragon is in that cave at the very top."

"Looks pretty cold up there," Applejack perceived.

"You bet it is," Rainbow Dash asserted, "The higher you go, the chillier it gets."

"Good thing I brought my scarf," Rarity noted. She pulled a white and pink striped scarf out of her saddle bag and put it on.

"Ooo!" Pinkie Pie commented, "Pretty!"

"Heh, oh yeah," Rainbow Dash sardonically remarked, "That'll keep you nice and cozy."

"Well, just in case it gets too frigid, I know a few spells that can keep us warm," Alpine informed the others.

"It might be easier to just wear an entire set of clothes," Mauser speculated, "Apparently, Bronze Star and I were the only ones who thought of that."

"Well, we didn't know we'd be going hiking," Pinkie Pie declared.

"I doubt I have any mountain apparel, anyway," Applejack stated.

"I think we'll manage without," Rainbow Dash observed.

Twilight needed a few minutes to compile the best route to the mountain. The others passed the time by talking amongst themselves.

At this time, Rarity was visually studying Mauser's military getup. She appeared to be fascinated by its structure. When she was done, she smiled and pronounced "I must say, Mauser; the armed forces certainly do have an intriguing sense of style."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Rarity," Mauser candidly remarked.

"Oh, it is," the white Unicorn confirmed, "Your costume makes you look rather handsome."

Mauser blushed slightly at that and looked away. He muttered softly "Umm… thank you."

Alpine laughed at her brother's reaction. She patted him on the back and said slyly "What'd I tell you?" Mares love a stallion in uniform."

"Good news for me," Mauser muttered sarcastically, "If only I was actually looking for a mare."

"I don't think you'd have any problems finding one, Mauser," Bronze Star told his friend, "When I first started training with your father, I did a lot of research about the armed forces. I learned several interesting facts. One of them is that all the branches of the military contain a very large percentage of married people, especially the Constabulary Contingent. On average, there are more married than unmarried ponies who work for the Military Enforcement Corps."

"Really?" Mauser remarked in interest, "Wow, I honestly didn't know that."

"Well, it's like Alpine says," Bronze Star stated, "There's nothing more desirable and respectable than a pony who wears military apparel."

"What about a pony who wears a crown?" Mauser cleverly refuted.

Bronze Star opened his mouth to respond, but then he noticed the irony in Mauser's statement. All he got out was "Uh…"

"He's got a point, Bronze," Alpine claimed, "If you had crown right now, you'd easily outshine the rest of us in the popularity department."

"Well, there's no denying that," Bronze Star admitted, "You know something funny? My mother once told me that the first thing people proverbially look for in a member of the Equestrian Royalty is good leadership skills. However, she also said the thing that they physically look for is the crown. Not wings, a horn, or unusual height, but the crown."

"I'm not surprised," Rarity interjected, "I bet we've all desired to wear a crown at some point or other."

"Speak for yourself, Rarity," Applejack remarked, "Only thing I've ever wanted to put on my head is this here Stetson."

"That's why I never refer to you for tips about fashion, Applejack," the white Unicorn stated frankly.

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Mauser lightly chuckled at that. The farm mare just rolled her eyes and said mockingly "Hardy har har."

"Truthfully, I think that your hat suites you rather well, Applejack," Bronze Star disclosed, "While it's humble in appearance, its durability makes it the kind of thing a reliable hard worker would wear."

Applejack smiled and said gratefully "Thanks, sugar cube."

"You're quite welcome," was all Bronze Star said in response.

While this conversation was going on, Fluttershy was trying to get Twilight Sparkle's attention. She seemed to be rather disturbed by the idea of going on this mission, and she was hoping to get herself excused from it. Unfortunately, because of her shy demeanor, she was unable to clearly speak her mind. At one point, she assumed that Twilight had accepted her request to remain behind in Ponyville, but it turned out the lavender mare was just talking to herself. Contrary to that notion, Twilight insisted that Fluttershy come along, as the yellow mare had a way with wild animals which the lavender mare felt would be useful. She also informed Fluttershy that Spike would take care of the animals at her cottage while they were gone.

Before the group headed out, Rainbow Dash approached Twilight Sparkle and voiced her concern that Fluttershy might just impede the mission. Twilight had a little more faith in Fluttershy; she was confident that the yellow mare would be alright once they got started. She just needed a little push.

Once Twilight finished drawing up the group's route, she declared "All right girls, Mauser, and Bronze, move out!"

At that, everypony except Fluttershy began galloping towards the mountain. The yellow mare was caught up in the middle of them, so she was carried along with the rest of the group. She tried to protest, but all she got out was "But... but..." and a scream.

A few hours later, the nine ponies arrived at the base of the mountain. Once they got there, they heard a huge rumbling sound that make the ground shake. Twilight recognized it as the sound a dragon makes when he snores. The mountain was even larger than they thought. Rainbow Dash wanted to go ahead and fly directly to the top, but Applejack stopped her and proposed that the entire group stay together. Reluctantly, the cyan mare agreed.

The group made their way up the side of the mountain. The stone pathway was inclined at a steep angle, but the ponies were very good at keeping their balance.

It was not until the group was fifty feet above the ground that they realized that Fluttershy was not with them. She was lingering at the bottom of the mountain. She was extremely nervous about climbing up the mountain. Rainbow Dash suggested that she just use her wings, and Pinkie Pie helped encourage her.

This seemed to work at first, but then the dragon gave out another loud snore. When that happened, Fluttershy whined in alarm and her wings clamped shut. Then she froze and dropped to the ground.

Some of the others became deeply concerned. Bronze Star, Mauser, and Alpine trotted back to the ground to check up on the stunned Pegasus.

Alpine took a moment to examine Fluttershy. She looked deep into Fluttershy's eyes and waved her hoof in front of her face. The yellow mare did not even blink. Alpine then tested Fluttershy's reflexes by poking and squeezing her hooves and sides. Nothing she did provoked a reaction out of the stunned mare.

As the chartreuse mare continued her examination, Bronze Star asked her worriedly "What's wrong with her?"

"Looks like acute stress disorder," Alpine declared. She talked loud enough so that the entire group could hear her.

"What's that?" Rainbow Dash enquired.

"By definition, it's a psychological reaction that arises in response to a terrifying or traumatic event," Alpine enlightened her, "Essentially, sometimes a person can become so mentally overwhelmed that their body and mind just shut down. They don't even have to take any physical damage for that to occur."

"In the military, it's known as 'combat stress disorder,' or 'shell shock,'" Mauser divulged, "The triggers are very different, but the symptoms are pretty much the same. I've seen this happen before."

"When was this?" Rarity queried in interest.

"Three years ago, when I was serving a six-month tour in Saddle Arabia," Mauser specified, "I was assigned to a convoy that was transported needed provisions and armaments all over the country. We were making our way towards the capital when we came under attack by guerrillas. At one point during the battle, the lieutenant, my spotter, and I got separated from our platoon. It was not long before we were flanked on all sides by the enemy. When that happened, the lieutenant just collapsed in front of us. At first we thought he'd been hit. But we quickly discovered he had just given out from shock."

"That must have been scary," Pinkie Pie conjectured.

"It might have been for the lieutenant," Mauser spoke aloud, "My spotter and I didn't have time to be scared. Somehow, the two of us managed to drag the lieutenant away from the scene before we were completely surrounded. We eventually made it back to our camp, but the lieutenant was completely unresponsive for two days. After that, a psychotherapist showed up, and he managed to bring back to his senses."

"Well, we don't have a psychotherapist," Bronze Star noted, "We don't have two days, either. We're kinda pressed for time here. We need a faster way to bring Fluttershy around."

"Usually, a shot of adrenaline or epinephrine can revive people who experience ASD or CSD," Alpine stated, "Unfortunately, I don't have any of either. Aside from that, I'm not licensed to administer such injections."

"So what can we do?" Twilight Sparkle asked somewhat impatiently.

"Right now, it may be best if we just do nothing," Alpine proposed, "Fluttershy might be able to recover on her own. However, that could still take several hours."

Twilight Sparkle was quite annoyed by this. She muttered "Uh, we don't have time for this."

Applejack then removed the map from the lavender mare's supply pack, unrolled it, and studied it closely. Twilight asked her inquisitively "What are you doing?"

"I'll need this if I'm going to take her around the mountain another way," Applejack straightforwardly responded.

Rainbow Dash groaned and mumbled "Around the mountain? That's going to take them forever."

Applejack ignored this statement and slid down the incline until she reached the base of the mountain.

"Well, the alternative is to drag her up this slope," Bronze Star pointed out, "Going around would be much safer."

"Exactly," Applejack concurred. She took a moment to read the map, and then she announced "There's a pass that spirals aroun' the mountain. It goes all the way up to the halfway point, where the terrain becomes flat. I'll meet you there; y'all can go on without me."

"Hold up, AJ," Bronze Star interceded, "You'll get there faster if you had some assistance. I'll go with you."

"Are you sure about that, Bronze?" Applejack queried.

"Of course I am," Bronze Star asserted, "Between the two of us, we'd be able to carry Fluttershy instead of drag her. That'd allow for much faster movement."

"Good point," Applejack commented.

"I should probably come, too," Alpine declared, "If Fluttershy's condition worsens, I'd better stay by her side."

"You'll get no argument out of me," Bronze Star coincided.

"Me either," stated Applejack, "Like I said, safety in numbers."

"Alright then," Alpine remarked in satisfaction.

Bronze Star turned to the jasper stallion and told him "Mauser, stay with the other mares. Once the five of you get halfway up the mountain, wait there until the four of us arrive."

"You got it, Bronze," Mauser avowed.

Applejack looked upward at the lavender mare and called out to her "Don't worry, Twi. We'll be there lickety-split."

Twilight was still somewhat irritated by this setback, but she did not regret bringing Fluttershy along.

Soon the nine ponies started climbing up the mountain again. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Mauser took the more precarious but quicker route. Bronze Star, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Alpine took the safer but longer route.

It did not take the prince, the farmer, and the medical student long to locate the pass. Once they got there, it was decided that Bronze Star and Applejack would carry Fluttershy together. They were the two strongest members of the whole group, after all. Alpine was given the map so that she could lead the way.

Fortunately, they encountered very few obstacles along the way. The pass was a natural part of the mountain, but the path was so even and clear that one would think it had been paved.

Every now and then, Alpine had her companions stop so she could take another look at Fluttershy. She did this to ensure that the yellow mare was not deteriorating.

The fourth time she did this, Bronze Star inquired "You think it'll be long before she comes out of this catatonic state?"

"She's not catatonic," Alpine informed him as she worked, "Catatonic people respond to certain words or actions. People who suffer from ASD and CSD don't respond to anything until they recover."

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star rejoined, "In any case, how long do you think it'll be before Fluttershy recovers?"

"Well, she's not getting any worse," Alpine apprised him, "She's still completely unresponsive, but she can understand everything going on around her. Her eyes and ears are capable of movement now. At this rate, she should be back on her hooves by the time we regroup with the others."

"Good," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I'm not saying she's a burden, but I'd prefer not to carry her all the way up to the mountain's apex."

"I hear ya," Applejack said in agreement.

The three ponies walked on in silence for a few minutes. Then Applejack turned to the chartreuse mare and stated "So, Alpine, where'd you get the ambition to be a doctor?"

"My mother," Alpine answered directly.

"Was she a doctor?" Applejack queried.

"No, she was a trauma therapist," Alpine informed her.

"A trauma therapist?" Applejack repeated curiously, "Is that like the Emergency Room equivalent of a psychologist?"

"Somewhat," Alpine expounded, "They're quite different from normal therapists. Trauma therapists specialize in providing console and support to people who have been through terrible ordeals and are unable to cope with them. That includes people who are one the verge of… giving up."

"You mean people who have lost the will to live?" Applejack uneasily presumed.

"Yes," Alpine confirmed, "My mother had dozens of such patients. A couple of them actually had plans to end their lives as soon as the meeting with her ended. However, none of them ever went through with it. You see, my mother was very good at her job. She was one of the most empathetic and compassionate people I ever knew. Everypony who went to her received all the support they needed. No matter how difficult the case, she never gave up on any of her patients."

"Damn, that's incredible," Applejack stated in astonishment.

"SHE was incredible," Alpine corrected her.

"Certainly seems that way," the orange mare commented, "If you don't mind me asking… how did she die?"

"She was murdered," was all the chartreuse mare said in response.

Applejack was alarmed by this. She asked softly "By… by who?"

"By a coldblooded monster in pony form," Alpine remarked. There was a notable amount of angst in her voice now. "You see, my mother's killer used to work for the government. She seemed to be a faithful servant of the public, but she turned out to be a mole. She betrayed her country, she betrayed Princess Celestia, and worst of all, she betrayed my father."

"She betrayed your father?" Applejack remarked in perplexity.

"Afraid so," Bronze Star replied for Alpine, "The mare who killed SIG Sauer's wife was his partner when he worked for the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency. His own partner killed the mare he loved. He didn't even discover she was dirty until the deed had been done. That's the worst part of it all."

"I can't even imagine how SIG Sauer must have felt," Applejack thought aloud, "If somepony I knew and trusted was directly responsible for the deaths of my parents, I don't think I'd be able to handle the shock."

"Just hope you never have to go through it, AJ," Alpine stated.

"Oh, I never will," Applejack muttered softly, "Both my parents are already dead. They died in an accident when I was very young."

Bronze Star and Alpine were shocked to hear this. The chartreuse mare turned to the orange mare and told her "Oh, I… I'm sorry, I…"

"It's alright, Alpine; you didn't know," Applejack assured her, "Since you've lost your mother, you must know a bit about how I feel. Just be glad you still have your father. I lost both my parents at the same time."

"That's terrible," Bronze Star declared sympathetically, "I can't tell you how sorry I am, AJ. Nopony should have to endure that. Nopony."

"Thank you for saying that, Bronze," Applejack told the gold stallion appreciatively, "It's true what you say, though; nopony deserves to have both parents taken away at once. But I think the loss of mine was even harder on Apple Bloom than it was on me."

"Who?" Alpine queried.

"My little sister," Applejack explained, "I was just a filly when my parents died, but at least I have many wonderful memories of them to remember them by. However, Apple Bloom was very young at the time. She barely remembers enough about them to miss them at all. She doesn't even remember what it's like to have a mother and father."

"That's even worse than what I've been through," Alpine declared, "I'd much rather remember the death of my mother and miss her than not remember her enough to miss her."

"You think that's bad?" Bronze Star countered, "I don't even know who my father IS. I have no idea if I should even miss him or not."

"Now that's what I'd call a totally undesirable dilemma," Applejack remarked. "At least we all have the ability to move on. As well as the capacity to make do, so to speak."

"What do you mean by 'make do'?" Bronze Star queried.

"Although Apple Bloom is growing up without parents, Big McIntosh and I are making sure she has proper guidance," Applejack clarified, "For the past several years, he and I have been like a surrogate father and mother to her. She sees us as her older siblings and her role models."

"That's admirable of you," Bronze Star proclaimed.

"I just want my lil' sis to have a happy life," Applejack stated. She paused for a moment, and then she turned to the gold stallion and asked him "What about you? Do you have a father figure in your life, Bronze?"

"Actually, I have quite a few," Bronze Star disclosed.

"Really?" Applejack said in fascination, "Like who?"

"Lord Bellerophon, for starters," Bronze Star explained, "I've known him for as long as I can remember. He started working for my mother when I was just three years old. Ever since then, he's been my mentor and my counselor. Another example is Haute Cuisine, Canterlot Castle's head chef. He taught me all I know about the culinary arts, and during our lessons, we have a type of bond that transcends that of teacher and pupil. Then there's Purple Heart, the Surgeon General. He was there when I was born. In fact, he's the stallion who delivered me. He's also the Equestrian Royalty's personal physician. My mother and I trust him to keep both of us healthy. And then, of course, there's SIG Sauer."

Alpine was mildly surprised by this, but in a pleasant way. She smirked and stated "Really? You consider my Dad to be one of your father figures?"

"Oh, yes," Bronze Star confirmed, "He has all the characteristics of a desirable father. He's stern yet reasonable, fierce yet forgiving, unbiased yet unwavering, insightful yet discreet, and strict yet lenient. Aside from that, he's been my coach for the last ten years, and he's one of the most dependable people I know. I trust him with my life."

"You should tell him that," Alpine suggested, smirking again.

"Oh, I'm confident he already knows," Bronze Star informed her, "But I'd like you to tell me something, Alpine."

"What might that be?" enquired the chartreuse mare.

"One thing you and I have in common is that we both have one parent," Bronze Star pointed out, "I have my mother, and you have your father. I consider your father to be the closest thing I have to the real thing. Do you ever feel the same way about my mother?"

Alpine took a minute to think about this prospect. Then she replied with "To be honest with you, I actually have regarded Princess Celestia as a type of mother figure to me. After all, it was thanks to her that I was accepted into the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns on a full scholarship. Plus, after my mother died, she went to great length to give her comfort and support to me and Mauser. And every year on our birthdays, she sends us each a gift. Mauser typically gets a type of weapon or something to help him do his job, and I generally get some medical equipment or something to help me with my studies. At any rate, it's always something useful. So, yes, Bronze. I suppose I do consider your mother to be the closest thing I have to my real mother."

Bronze Star grinned at that and stated "Well, how about that? Your father is like a father to me, and my mother is like a mother to you. In addition to that, you and Mauser are like siblings to me."

"We feel the same way, Bronze," Alpine disclosed, "All that's left is for my father and your mother to develop a fondness for each other."

Bronze Star scoffed and cheekily remarked "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that'll never happen. My mother's relationship with your father has always been entirely professional. I've never seen either of them exhibit even the slightest bit of attraction towards the other. Sure, your father rescued my mother on the Summer Sun Celebration, but he insists that he was just doing his job."

"Oh, well," Alpine casually stated, "I suppose it's a good thing that our parents don't have those kinds of feelings for each other."

"How so?" Bronze Star inquired.

"If things ever got serious between them… well, let's just say you and I would have another reason to think of each other as siblings," Alpine delicately explained, "Not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but I don't think Mauser and I would be too pleased by the implications of it."

"What implications?" Bronze Star queried.

"For one thing, Mauser would probably have to resign from the Military Enforcement Corps, and I would probably have to put my ambition to be a doctor on hold indefinitely," Alpine illuminated, "I've never wanted to be a princess, and I'm pretty sure Mauser's never wanted to be a prince. He loves his job in the armed forces, and I eagerly look forward to the day when I possess my own medical license. I don't think those occupations are sought-after by royalty."

Bronze Star frowned slightly and observed "You make it sound as though the Equestrian Royalty has very few options on what to do with their lives."

"That's not what I meant," Alpine claimed, "Aside from that, I know it isn't true. After all, you became Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville. All I'm saying is that it's one thing to be a politician. It's another one entirely to be a soldier or a physician. The main difference here is that the members of the Equestrian Royalty have always been politicians."

"That is true," Bronze Star contended, "But that doesn't mean they can't be other things. If they wanted to, they could also be soldiers or physicians. Heck, they could be just about anything. Attorneys, inventors, bankers, architects… even farmers."

For the past few minutes, Applejack had been as quiet as Fluttershy. But when those words came out of Bronze Star's mouth, she raised an eyebrow, tapped the gold stallion on the shoulder, and stated curiously "Is that right?"

"You bet it is," he affirmed, smiling, "My mother has always encouraged people to find a way to serve themselves and their neighbors. She also recommends that they do this by doing something they enjoy doing. In other words, she advocates that you pursue your dreams."

"Wow," Applejack stated in amazement, "I had no idea the Equestrian Royalty had so much appreciation for following the heart's desires."

"You'd be surprised, AJ," Bronze Star proclaimed, "There's a lot of things people don't know about the Equestrian Royalty. One of them is that we don't make any judgments based solely on an individual's social status. To me and my mother, a farmer is just as honorable and reputable as a politician."

Applejack could not help but smile at that remark. She patted Bronze Star on the back and told him "I'm deeply moved by that. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Bronze Star assured her, "But feel free to speak your mind at any time. I'd like to hear to whatever you have to say."

"I'll remember that," the orange mare declared.

> Full Of Surprises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Applejack said that, she, Bronze Star, and Alpine continued trotting in silence. About an hour later, they finally made it to the halfway point of the mountain. The other five members of the group were waiting for them there. They had managed to find ways to pass the time. Pinkie Pie had beaten Rarity at thirty-five consecutive games of tic-tac-toe, Twilight Sparkle was outlining a plan for confronting the dragon, Rainbow Dash was flying upside down, and Mauser was resting against a rock.

It was a good thing Bronze Star, Applejack, and Alpine reached the halfway point of the mountain when they did. By that time, they had begun to get tired of carrying Fluttershy.

Once they came within sight of the rest of the group, they gently lowered the stiff mare to the ground. Applejack mumbled while panting "We. Made. It."

At that moment, Fluttershy snapped back to awareness. She regained her bearings and got back to her hooves. She was still as nervous as she had been earlier, but at least she was capable of independent movement again. Bronze Star face-hoofed himself, but Alpine smiled in satisfaction.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash glared at Fluttershy incredulously, and the cyan mare whispered "Told you it was going to take them forever."

Despite this hindrance, the rest of the group was determined to make up for lost time. Earlier, Mauser had scouted ahead to survey the environment and the path so that they would have a clearer idea of what they were up against. He informed the others that the most direct route to the top of the mountain had a certain complication: a few hundred meters upward, the path split apart over a ravine.

A half-hour later, they encountered this break in the terrain. Fortunately, the gap was only a few feet wide. Rainbow Dash effortlessly flew over it, and Bronze Star, Alpine, Mauser, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle easily jumped to the other side.

Here the group encountered another setback; this one involved Fluttershy, too. She was too timid to hop over the chasm, claiming it was so wide. The others patiently tried to convince her that she could easily make that distance. Pinkie Pie even broke into a song for about twenty seconds. The subject was about hopping, skipping, and jumping. As bizarre as that was, it had a positive effect on Fluttershy, and she managed to leap over the gorge. She almost fell when she looked down in midair, but the others were able to pull her up onto the ledge.

From this point onward, it was pretty much smooth sailing until the group neared the top of the mountain. That was when they arrived in an avalanche zone. Twilight explicitly instructed everypony to remain absolutely quiet, lest they risk starting a rockslide.

For a couple minutes, they managed to get by in total silence. But when they were halfway through the avalanche zone, a leaf from a dead tree drifted through the air and brushed by Fluttershy's flank. That took her by surprise and she shrieked "AVALA-!"

Applejack quickly placed her hoof over the yellow mare's mouth. Although that shut her up, her voice echoed all over the area. Nothing seemed to happen once the echo faded, so the group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Their relief turned out to be premature. Just when the group thought it was safe to move on, the ground started shaking. Then pieces of the mountain started rolling down towards the nine ponies. At first, they were just pebbles, but larger and heavier pieces soon followed, such as rocks, stones, and full-sized boulders.

"Avalanche!" the nine ponies shouted in unison.

They scattered all over the area to avoid getting crushed by the rocks. Rainbow Dash was able to fly to avoid getting hit, but the others had to get by on their hooves. Thanks to their military training, Bronze Star and Mauser Sauer were able to dodge the boulders with relative ease, and Applejack had the reflexes and agility of a hawk. However, it was not as easy for the rest of the mares to maneuver through the rockslide. At one point, one of the boulders almost landed on Twilight Sparkle while she was running, but Applejack lunged towards the lavender mare and pushed her out of the way just in time.

The avalanche only lasted for a couple minutes, but by the time it was over, the entire cliff was buried under a pile of rubble. Fortunately, the group had been buried under a shallow part of the pile; they were able to dig themselves out. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, none of them were injured. Rarity lost her scarf, but she brought a spare.

The avalanche set the group back once more. They needed another twenty minutes to climb over the pile of rubble and get to the other side of the cliff. However, once they were on the other side, they encountered a crooked passage. After they trotted up that passage, they finally arrived at the dragon's lair.

Twilight Sparkle had already put together a plan. First, she had Rainbow Dash use her wings to clear smoke. Then she instructed Rarity and Pinkie Pie to prepare to create a diversion, and she had Applejack and Bronze Star stand ready to fight in case things turned violent. She also had Mauser guard the entrance to the cave and asked Alpine to have her medical supplies out.

Lastly, she planned to send herself and Fluttershy into the cave to wake up the dragon and open up negotiations with him. It all seemed like a fairly straightforward operation, and everypony understood what was expected of them.

However, there was a slight problem. Once again, Fluttershy was the cause. It turned out that she was scared of dragons. She was so afraid of them that she was totally unwilling to go into the cave, even if the entire group went with her. The others tried to persuade her that she would be alright, but their efforts were in vain. Applejack claimed that all of them were scared of the dragon, but Bronze Star, Mauser, and Rainbow Dash were quick to deny that statement; they insisted that they feared nothing. Applejack corrected herself by claiming that almost all of them were scared of the dragon, and that Fluttershy had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, the farm mare was unable to calm the wildlife preserver.

Ultimately, Twilight Sparkle decided to go in alone. Fluttershy hid behind a rock at the edge of the platform. The others remained at the entrance of the cave and watched the lavender mare as she trotted inside.

Soon she came face-to-face with the dragon. She was astounded by the sight of him. He was massive; at least one hundred times the size of the average pony. His scales was blood red and tough as steel. His fangs were sharp as razors, and his claws could cut through rock. He was lying on a huge pile of gems. He was sleeping very soundly; his nostrils were expelling smoke rapidly.

Twilight Sparkle softly called out to him "Mr. Dragon? Excuse me. Mr. Dragon?"

Soon, the dragon woke up. He slowly opened his eyes and turned towards the lavender mare. She stated "Oh, good, you're awake. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Twilight—"

The dragon interrupted her by yawning loudly. He inadvertently breathed smoke all over Twilight.

She coughed and muttered "Augh! Puh! Sparkle, and my friends and I are residents here in Equestria. Ponyville, to be exact. We've come her to ask that you find another spot to take your nap. It's just that you seem to be doing an awful lot of snoring, and every time you do you send out a terrible cloud of smoke. *cough* Equestria simply can't survive a hundred years in a dark haze. You understand, don't you?"

The dragon then rose up off his stomach and stretched. Then he scratched his hide and grunted tiredly. He looked as though he was actually going to move.

Twilight Sparkle smiled hopefully and said "So, you'll find another place to sleep?"

Evidently, she got the wrong idea. Once he was done stretching, the dragon lied back down on his bed of gems and huffed out a huge cloud of smoke. Twilight took that as her cue to leave the cave. She turned around and trotted back outside, coughing all the way.

At this point, all the other ponies were coughing, as they had been covered in smoke as well. Rainbow Dash angrily mumbled "So much for *cough* persuading him."

"Now what?" Applejack queried.

Rarity came forward with another idea. She coughed and stated "Obviously, this situation just calls for a little "pony charm". Allow me, girls."

As the white Unicorn trotted inside the cave, Mauser turned to Bronze Star and sarcastically remarked "What are we? Invisible?"

Bronze Star chuckled and cheekily commented "I don't think she's forgotten about us."

Inside the cave, Rarity approached the dragon and gently pronounced "I'm so sorry to interrupt."

Her voice caught the dragon's attention. Once she had his attention, the white Unicorn cleared her throat and went on with "But I couldn't possibly head back home without mentioning what handsome scales you have. And those scales have to be hidden away in some silly cave for a hundred years?"

Her ploy was a little more successful than Twilight's. The dragon rumbled, stood up, and looked himself over. While he did this, Rarity began taking certain treasures from his horde of gems.

As she gathered more, she told the dragon "Personally, I think you should skip the snoozing and be out there, showing them off."

The dragon seemed pleased with this concept. He grinned at the prospect of letting others behold his greatness.

Then Rarity added in "Hmm. Obviously, I would be more than happy to keep an eye on your jewels while you're gone."

That was the wrong thing to say. The dragon quickly realized what was going on. He growled angrily, glared down at Rarity, and swiped at her. He missed intentionally, but that gesture was all that was needed to get the white Unicorn to drop the jewels and retreat. As she galloped out of the cave, the dragon gathered his gems together and lied back down on them.

Once she was outside the cave, Rarity sat down in the center of the cliff. She sulked and murmured gloomily "I was this close to getting that diamond."

Twilight Sparkle scowled and stated crossly "You mean... getting rid of that dragon?"

"Oh, yeah... sure," was all Rarity said in response.

"Well, that's two plans down the drain," Mauser noted.

Bronze Star was pacing at this time. He rubbed his chin and thought aloud "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way."

"What else can we do?" Applejack inquired.

"I say we try a different approach," Alpine proposed, "Consider this: the dragon himself isn't the problem. It's what he's doing that's the problem. With that in mind, I may have a solution. One that doesn't even require him to leave the cave."

"What might that be, Alpine?" Twilight Sparkle queried.

"It's complicated, so listen closely," Alpine advised. She waited until everypony was listening to her, and then she opened up with "First off, do any of you know how dragons breathe fire?"

None of the other eight ponies knew this knowledge, not even Twilight Sparkle or Bronze Star. Fortunately, Alpine remembered everything from her course on dragon biology. She informed the others "Dragons have two stomachs, and they follow the same digestive process as birds. Because of that, leftover food and acid remains in both their stomachs even after the digestive processes have been completed. Bacteria in the intestines feed on these undigested food particles and release intestinal gases composed of hydrogen and methane through fermentation. You getting this so far?"

None of the others were medical students, but they managed to keep up with the chartreuse mare. She continued with "These intestinal gases are produced by most other species, including us. However, ponies and animals are able to expel these gases through certain… bodily functions. However, dragons could actually store the hydrogen and methane in storage sacs. These gases are very flammable. They're essentially the fuel for the dragons' fire."

"If that's just the fuel, how do they ignite it?" Twilight Sparkle queried in interest.

"They use a type of flint," Alpine responded, "You see, dragons don't just gather and eat gems simply because they taste good. When a dragon grinds up gems and large rocks, metal-rich residue is left on its teeth. When the dragon releases the hydrogen and methane gas, the gas mixes with oxygen in the air and ignites against the metallic residue. This combination of rock-grinding and intestinal gas storage is what gives dragons the ability to breathe fire."

The others were deeply fascinated by this knowledge. Rainbow Dash approached Alpine and remarked "This is all very interesting, Alpine. But how does knowing all that get us anywhere?"

"Dragons only breathe fire when they chose to," Alpine illuminated, "They're not supposed to exhale smoke when they sleep. This one might have an illness that causes him to do that. Maybe some metallic residue got caught in his nasal cavity. Or he could be producing too much hydrogen. Or there could be a breach in one of his storage sacs. Whatever the reason, there's a chance that I might be able to cure him."

"That's great, Alpine," Bronze Star stated in appreciation.

Alpine smirked and said "Glad you approve. Now, before I can help the dragon, I'll have to determine what exactly is wrong with him. In order to do that, I'll need to go inside and examine him up close."

"Okay," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Just be careful in there."

"Of course," was all Alpine said in response.

The chartreuse mare then headed inside the cave. The dragon snarled at her as she approached him. Alpine was a little intimidated by this gesture, but she put aside her fear and continued inside. When she reached the base of the pile of gems, she told the dragon softly "It's alright. I'm not going to ask you to leave, and I'm not here for your gems. I just want to examine you."

The dragon was perplexed by this odd request. He narrowed his eyes at Alpine, as if he suspected foul-play. She could tell he did not believe her, so she uttered calmly "It'll only take a couple minutes. I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

The dragon was still suspicious of Alpine's motives, but he lightly nodded his head in agreement.

Alpine took a couple steps closer and her horn lit up. She cast a spell that allowed her to see through the dragon's skin and scales. This enabled her to examine his interiors. She focused the spell on the dragon's head and neck first, and then she moved on to his torso. She took notes of everything she saw. The dragon kept his eyes on her the entire time.

Five minutes later, Alpine disabled the spell, thanked the dragon for being cooperative, and left the cave. Once she was back outside, the other ponies gathered around her.

"So, what's your diagnosis?" Twilight Sparkle queried.

"I was able to find the problem, and it doesn't look good," Alpine sullenly disclosed, "This dragon has a rare condition that forces his intestines to create hydrogen and methane at a much faster rate than usual. His storage sacs are already filled to their maximum with both types of gases. Since the excess gas has nowhere else to go, it's travelling back through his digestive system and up through his lungs. That's what's producing the smoke."

"Is there any way to cure him?" Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid not," Apline professed, "This condition is untreatable. Even if the dragon emptied his storage sacs, it would only be a matter of hours before they were automatically refilled. Then we'd be back where we started. The way I see it, the only way we could get him to stop producing the smoke would be if we cut off the airflow to his digestive system."

"But wouldn't that kill him?" Bronze Star pointed out.

"Of course it would kill him," Alpine bluntly confirmed, "He'd die of suffocation in minutes."

"So?" Rainbow Dash countered indifferently, "At least it'd get the job done."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that, Rainbow," Bronze Star muttered irately.

Rainbow Dash was surprised by the tension in the gold stallion's voice. She asked him in confusion "What'd I say?"

"If my mother wanted the dragon dead, she would have given this mission to Special Forces," Bronze Star clarified, "But she gave the job to US, and she instructed us to get the dragon to LEAVE. That means she's hoping to find a peaceful solution, not one that ends in bloodshed."

"Oh, alright then," Rainbow Dash mumbled in understanding.

There was a short period of silence, and then Applejack thought aloud "So what do we do now?"

"Maybe he'll respond to warnings," Mauser hypothesized, "Let me take a shot at him."

"Be my guest," Bronze Star coincided, "Just keep it to warnings, though."

"Relax, I know what I'm doing," the jasper stallion assured him. He took a moment to straighten out his military uniform. Then he trotted over to the cave. As he entered it, he wittily called over his shoulder "Take notes, ladies. This is the proper way to get rid of pests."

Bronze Star and the mares kept an eye on the soldier as he proceeded further into the cave. When he was a couple meters away from the dragon, he boisterously shouted "Awake, brute!"

The dragon raised his head and glared down at the jasper stallion. He appeared to be furious that he had been disturbed in such a rude manner. The dragon certainly looked intimidating, but Mauser was not afraid of him. He looked the dragon in the eye and boldly declared "Listen up and listen well. What gives you the right to sleep here? You are lounging in a part of Equestria! This land is the sovereign territory of the equines, and you are knowingly trespassing on it! What's more, by producing this smoke, you are creating a disturbance of the peace. What you are doing here could be regarded as an act of aggression towards the people of Equestria. It will not be ignored. I have been sent by Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia to give you a message. This is that message: you are to vacate this area within the hour. If you refuse to comply, I will call upon the Equestrian military to have you forcibly removed! And let me tell you this; my colleagues are not as tolerant of your kind as I am."

Mauser momentarily paused, and then he wrapped up his speech with "So what's it going to be? Will you fly away peacefully, or will we have to drag you out?"

Tense silence followed this statement for an entire minute. Then a wide grin came across the dragon's face and he let out an evil cackle. After that, he raised his left claw into the air and swiped it at Mauser. The jasper stallion was thrown off his hooves, and he sailed backwards through the air. He flew right out of the cave, and he probably would have been thrown off the mountain, as well. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash managed to position herself in the air so that he collided with her.

A moment later, the two of them were lying on the ground. Bronze Star and the other mares galloped over to them to ascertain that they were not hurt.

"Are you guys alright?" Pinkie Pie asked in concern.

"Yeah, I got no aches and pains," Rainbow Dash assured her friend.

"I'm fine, too," Mauser pronounced, "But it would appear that some pests are harder to get rid of than others. He didn't buy my warning."

"I should say not," Bronze Star perceived. He rubbed his chin again and thought aloud "Well, that aside, there's still one thing we haven't considered."

"What's that?" Rarity queried.

"Believe it or not, dragons live by a code," Bronze Star expounded, "They may seem savage, greedy, deadly, and vain, but they still have their own set of principles and their own sense of honor."

"I can validate that," Twilight Sparkle disclosed, "Spike's brought that up a couple times."

"Alright then," Applejack stated, "So what kind of principles are we talking about?"

"For one thing, dragons never turn down a fight," Bronze Star explained, "If another dragon questions his strength or his reputation, he is compelled to face the other dragon in battle."

"Battle?" Rarity repeated in surprise.

"That's correct," Bronze Star affirmed, "With that in mind, I'm going to go in there and challenge him to a duel. That'll get his attention, and he'll know we mean business."

Rainbow Dash smirked and said supportively "I like this idea."

"If you think it'll work, go for it, Bronze," Alpine encouraged.

"Yeah, show that dragon who's boss!" Pinkie Pie yelled giddily.

Bronze Star nodded and turned towards the cave. He started trotting towards it, but before he made it halfway, he was intercepted by Mauser. The jasper stallion cautioned his friend "Hold on a second, Bronze. You're not actually going to fight him, are you?"

"It may come to that," Bronze Star admitted, "If it does, we'll just wait and see. But don't worry; I have no intention of dying. It's tradition that in a fight between two dragons, the loser is spared so that he is forced to live with the shame of defeat. So regardless of who wins, both of us are guaranteed to survive."

"Okay then," Mauser stated in acceptance, "Good luck in there. Especially if things get rough."

The young prince nodded and went inside the cave. The dragon watched him as he approached. When he was close enough, Bronze Star yelled derisively "Well, well, what do we have here? I was hoping to encounter a ferocious, awe-inspiring dragon, not a slothful overgrown lizard."

The dragon was clearly offended by this remark. He scowled harshly at the gold stallion.

Bronze Star lightly scoffed and shouted mockingly "Oh, YOU'RE the dragon? My sincerest apologies. I mistook you for the buffoon."

The dragon growled angrily at that and glared at Bronze Star in fury. Bronze Star was not afraid. He kept up his act and proclaimed in an arrogant tone "You don't look so tough to me. I bet I could beat you in a duel. In fact, that sounds like a good idea. How about a contest? Just the two of us, you and me. We'll fight for claim over this cave. No tricks, no traps; just a good, old-fashioned brawl. Whoever wins the duel gains possession over this mountain and everything on it. Are you in? Or are you too afraid to face me?"

The silence that followed this monologue was even tenser than the silence that followed Mauser's. Bronze Star and the others anxiously waited for the dragon to respond. Ultimately, he did respond, but he did not give the response Bronze Star was looking for.

Apparently, he saw right through Bronze Star's plan. Instead of accepting or denying his challenge, the dragon just grinned wickedly, took a deep breath, and expectorated onto the gold stallion. This took everypony by surprise, especially Bronze Star.

The dragon chuckled deeply and laid back down. Bronze Star just frowned uncomfortably, as he was now covered in dragon saliva. He slowly rubbed some out of his eyes and drily mumbled "Yuck."

After that, he spun around and marched solemnly out of the cave. As he stepped outside, several of the others started snickering at the sight of him. He was somewhat annoyed by this, but he really could not blame them. After all, he figured he must have looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Well, that didn't go well," Bronze Star uttered brusquely, brushing his front hoof against his brow.

"Here, Bronze," Mauser told his friend, tossing him a towel. The gold stallion caught it and put it to use.

"Thanks, Mauser," Bronze Star said gratefully as he cleaned himself up. Once his head and mane were mostly dry, he mumbled "I don't think I've failed so epically at anything."

"To your credit, you weren't thrown off your feet," Mauser pointed out.

"True, but at least you didn't get covered in dragon spit," Bronze Star countered.

"Where'd you learn to talk that way, Bronze?" asked Applejack.

"The Canterlot elite," Bronze Star replied, "They're like the embodiment of arrogance, thoughtlessness, and outspokenness. I don't appreciate talking like them, but I was certain that doing so would convince the dragon to accept my challenge. Boy, was I wrong."

At that moment, the sound of a horn filled the air.

"What in tarnation...?" Applejack remarked.

Pinkie Pie had suddenly adorned on a very strange costume. It was composed of wrapping paper, a rubber chicken, balloons, flippers, and several similar items. She blew into a noisemaker wildly.

"Darling, you look ridiculous," Rarity told the pink mare.

Pinkie Pie just smiled and said "Exactly! Sharing a laugh is a sure-fire way to get someone on your side!"

She stumbled into the cave and called out "Hi!"

The sound of a crash was produced a moment later. Soon after, Pinkie Pie tumbled back outside and drearily informed the others "Apparently he doesn't like laughing, heh. Or sharing."

By this point, Rainbow Dash was extremely impatient with the group's lack of success in getting the dragon to move. She rose into the air and announced to the others "All right, that's it. We tried persuasion… charm… treatment… intimidation… challenges… whatever it is Pinkie Pie does…"

Pinkie Pie blew into her busted horn.

Rainbow Dash firmly declared "It's time to stop wasting time! I'm going in!"

Without another word, the cyan mare bolted into the cave. The others realized what she was doing, and Twilight urgently called out to her "Rainbow! No!"

Rainbow Dash ignored the lavender mare's calling and flew up to the dragon. Then she yelled demandingly "Get! Out!"

Then she rammed her back hooves against the dragon's face.

The dragon was stunned for a moment, and then he gave a violent sneeze. Other than that, he seemed undamaged by the blow. However, this hostile gesture had succeeded in angering the dragon. He growled at Rainbow Dash and stared at her threateningly.

Rainbow Dash slowly backed away from the dragon and muttered guiltily "Heh. Sorry."

The dragon roared in her face. His roar was so powerful that Rainbow Dash was flung out of the cave. She screamed "Who-o-o-o-o-a!" as she landed outside.

The dragon was not finished yet. He climbed off his stack of gems and began stomping out of the cave. The ponies realized he was coming for them, and they all went into a panic. Even Mauser and Bronze Star could not contain their worry.

Soon, the dragon arrived at the mouth of the cave. He slunk outside and rose to his full height. Now that he was visible in the daylight, the ponies saw just how huge and menacing he really was.

Bronze Star, Alpine, Mauser, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all came together in the center of the cliff. They stayed close to each other as the dragon came closer and closer. At one point, he stopped and roared again, expelling a huge cloud of smoke. This blast was so powerful that the eight ponies were thrown backwards against the stone at the edge of the cliff.

The ponies hit the stone so hard that it crumbled into hundreds of tiny pebbles. Needless to say, they felt sore, disoriented, and incapable of fighting back as a result.

Fluttershy had been hiding behind that stone ever since Twilight entered the cave. Now that it had been destroyed, she was within sight of the cave and vice versa. Fluttershy peered over the rubble and noticed that her friends were sprawled out on the ground before her. They were moaning in pain and distress.

The dragon roared again, as if he planned on becoming aggressive again. He did not care that his victims were too weak to defend themselves. He just wanted to make them pay for attacking him.

When Fluttershy saw what he had done, she felt great rage building up inside her. She gazed up at the enormous creature and yelled furiously "How dare you... How dare you!"

Then she did something that nopony saw coming, especially the dragon. Fluttershy flew up to his face and snapped angrily "Listen here, mister. Just because you're big doesn't mean you get to be a bully. You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke, and breathe fire. But you do not- I repeat- You do not! Hurt! My! Friends! You got that?"

The dragon just whimpered. The yellow mare's sudden outburst had left him speechless.

"Well?" Fluttershy said, assuming he had something on his mind.

The dragon finally spoke for this first time. He timorously pointed out "But that rainbow one kicked me."

On the ground, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, smiled, and nodded proudly.

Fluttershy calmly told the dragon "And I am very sorry about that. But you're bigger than she is, and you should know better. You should also know better than to take a nap where your snoring can become a health hazard to other creatures."

The dragon began to respond with "But I—"

"Don't you 'but I' me, mister," Fluttershy sternly interrupted, "Now what do you have to say for yourself? I said, what do you have to say for yourself?"

The dragon could not take any more of this. He whimpered and abruptly burst into tears. By now, the other eight ponies had managed to get back on their hooves. A moment ago, they had been fearing for their lives. Now their biggest concern was keeping themselves dry, as the dragon's tears were falling directly on them.

Fluttershy gently spoke to the dragon "There, there. No need to cry. You're not a bad dragon, you just made a bad decision. Now go pack your things. You just need to find a new place to sleep. That's all."

The dragon quickly realized she was right. He wiped his eyes and nodded his head in understanding. Then he spread his wings and ascended into the air. As he did this, the other eight ponies cheered merrily.

Fluttershy descended to the ground. Her companions approached her and congratulated her. Twilight Sparkle smiled at the yellow mare and told her "You did it! I knew you could do it."

Fluttershy just nodded and smiled in fulfillment. Once the dragon left, she and Rainbow Dash went to work clearing away the smoke in the surrounding area. Within two hours, there was nothing but blue skies as far as the eye could see.

After this, the nine ponies wasted no time in returning to Ponyville. They managed to get back to the town by the late afternoon. Noble Edict and SIG Sauer were there to welcome them. The pine green Unicorn was elated to see that his son and his daughter were totally unharmed. He embraced both of them as soon as they were within reach.

When they pulled apart, SIG Sauer noticed that Mauser's attire was rather dirty. It had gotten that way when the dragon struck him in the cave. SIG Sauer scoffed and slyly remarked "You need to take better care of your uniform, Mauser. If Commander Hard Hull saw it like that, he'd write you up for disorderliness."

Mauser chuckled in amusement and stated "I hear you, Dad. I normally make sure that my uniform is spotless before I report for duty. The situation with the dragon just got a little… messy, so to speak. I know that doesn't excuse this, though. I'll wash my uniform as soon as we get back to the embassy."

"Make sure you do," SIG Sauer said, nodding in approval.

"Hey, look on the bright side, SIG," Bronze Star pronounced, "Mauser just got dirt on his clothing. He didn't get any dragon spit on it. Unlike some of us."

SIG Sauer was confused at first, but when he turned to the gold stallion, the older stallion understood what he meant. Bronze Star's exercise outfit was still soaked in the dragon's saliva, but it had mostly dried by now. SIG Sauer snickered and commented "Such as yourself, Your Highness?"

"Ho, yeah," Bronze Star wryly affirmed, "I've never felt so unclean in my entire life."

"You seem to be handling yourself rather well, though," Noble Edict perceived.

"I am for now," Bronze Star replied, "But I'm hoping to get myself cleaned up soon. Otherwise I'll probably start smelling like essence of dragon."

"Well, at least Spike wouldn't mind that," Twilight Sparkle pointed out.

"True," Bronze Star admitted, "But the rest of the town might be a little more adverse."

"Speaking of Spike, we should probably go find him," Twilight Sparkle declared, "I doubt he's having a lot of fun looking after all those animals. Plus, I've got another letter for Princess Celestia."

"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star commented.

The group of eleven ponies headed to Golden Oaks Library. Rainbow Dash decided to go back to what she had been doing that morning: bouncing a ball on her head to break the Ponyville ball-bouncing record. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stayed outside to watch her.

The other members of the group went inside the library. There they found the baby dragon struggling to control Fluttershy's pet bunny Angel. He panted and mumbled "I said come back here! Ooh! How does Fluttershy put up with you furry little things?"

Twilight approached her assistant and told him "Spike, take a letter."

Spike sighed, released Angel, and commented "With pleasure."

As soon as he had a quill and parchment at the ready, Twilight Sparkle dictated the following:

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was my good friend, Fluttershy, who convinced him to go. This adventure has taught me to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears.

Always your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle."

Spike took all that down, and he was about to roll the scroll up, but Bronze Star stepped forward and bade him "Hold on. Don't send it just yet. There's something I'd like you to add."

"Okay, Bronze," Spike coincided. He picked the quill back up and got ready to continue writing. He declared "I'm ready when you are. By the way, that's a pleasant smell you've got on you."

"Uh, thanks," Bronze Star muttered awkwardly. Then he announced "P.S. The Ambassador to Ponyville is pleased to inform you that your beloved sister, Princess Luna, has decided that she is ready to move to Canterlot and join you at your side. She expects to arrive sometime within the next week. She eagerly looks forward to the event."

Spike wrote this entire passage down word-for-word. Once he was finished, he rolled up the scroll, fastened it with the royal seal, and sent it off to Canterlot.

Noble Edict, Mauser, Alpine, SIG Sauer, and Twilight Sparkle seemed pleasantly surprised to hear this.

Noble smiled and said "So, she's really ready?"

"Yes, she is," Bronze Star confirmed, "She told me just this morning."

"That's good news for all of us," SIG Sauer declared, "Her timing couldn't be any more perfect."

Bronze Star understood what he meant by this statement. After all, SIG Sauer, Mauser, and Alpine were expected to return to the capital city soon, and they had decided not to go back until Princess Luna was ready.

"Has she decided on a specific date?" Alpine queried.

"She estimates five or six days," Bronze Star replied, "That should give the four of you plenty of time to make preparations."

"It's more than enough time," Mauser declared.

SIG Sauer nodded his head. Then he turned to the red mare and asked her "So, Noble, are you looking forward to our audience with Princess Celestia?"

"Oh, absolutely," Noble Edict confirmed, "However, I'm a little concerned about leaving the town without its chief of security for very long."

"It'll only be for a few days, Noble," SIG Sauer informed her, "Surely one of your officers can take over your duties for that long."

Noble Edict lightly shrugged and stated "I suppose you're right. Sometime tomorrow, I'll speak with Copper Hollow. He's a very capable officer; I'm certain he could take my place temporarily."

"Excellent," Bronze Star commented, "You won't regret it, Noble."

There was a brief interval of quietness. Then the gold stallion pronounced "Guys, while we're on the subject of Princess Luna and Canterlot, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Name it, Your Highness," SIG Sauer proclaimed.

Bronze Star looked around at the four ponies other than Twilight Sparkle and pronounced "Other than my mother and Lord Bellerophon, there is nopony in Canterlot my aunt knows. However, she knows and trusts the four of you. So when you get to the capital city, for the first couple days you're there, could you stay close to Princess Luna? You may be able to help her make a smooth transition."

"I could certainly try," Noble Edict declared, "But I doubt I'd feel much different from her. After all, this will be my first time visiting the capital city, too."

"I may be too busy catching up with my classes to even visit her," Alpine revealed.

"And I have no real control over when or where my duty shifts in the castle are," Mauser disclosed.

"Between the four of us, I may have the best availability," SIG Sauer claimed, "However, between the Royal Guard's training and the debriefing with the Firebrand Regiment, I may be extremely busy for the first few days we're there."

Bronze Star sighed and rubbed his chin. Then he thought aloud "I understand what you're saying, guys. You can't help being busy. Even so, I really want to make sure that Princess Luna makes a steady transition to life in Canterlot. I think the best way to do that is to send a certain somepony with her. Somepony she feels comfortable around. Somepony who has been to the capital city before. Somepony who is reliable and dependable. Do you know somepony like that?"

The others took a minute to think about this. Ultimately, it was Twilight Sparkle who came up with a solution first. She approached her friend and told him "No, but I do know somedragon."

"Huh?" Bronze Star and Spike replied simultaneously. But they could both guess what she was entailing.

"Think about this," Twilight suggested, "Spike was born in Canterlot, and he's lived there all his life. As somepony who's known since he hatched, I can vouch for him. He knows the town and the castle as well as I do, he is familiar with the protocol of the Canterlot Royalty, and he has never let me down. Never."

"Aw, shucks, Twi," Spike remarked, blushing lightly.

"Everything she says is true, though," Bronze Star declared. He turned to the baby dragon and stated "So, what do you say, Spike? Would you be willing to go to Canterlot as Princess Luna's guide for a couple days? Both she and I would be extremely grateful if you do."

Spike spent a couple minutes thinking about this. Although he had enjoyed staying in Ponyville, he had begun to feel a little homesick. He missed the old dorm back at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns. He also missed his other friends such as Moondancer. Plus, being permitted to accompany royalty anywhere was considered by all to be a privilege.

Eventually, the baby dragon looked up at the gold stallion and told him "Alright, Bronze. You can count on me. I'd be happy to go with Princess Luna to Canterlot."

Bronze Star smiled down at his friend and said admiringly "Thanks, Spike. She'll be very grateful for that."

Spike smiled back and humorously stated "It's no sweat. As SIG would say, I'm just doin' my job."

All the ponies in the room got a good laugh at that, including SIG Sauer.

> Settling Affairs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Bronze Star got back to the embassy that evening, he let his Aunt know that Spike had volunteered to be her guide and escort in Canterlot. As he predicted, Luna was very grateful for the baby dragon's offer.

Four days after the business with the grown dragon, Princess Luna was totally ready to move to the capital city. Bronze Star used Spike to let his mother know of this, and in response, Princess Celestia sent a train to pick her sister up. This particularly train had a car that was fit for Royalty. Much to Luna's delight, it was both private and secure.

Princess Luna had arranged to get to Canterlot before sunrise. She planned to lower the Moon herself to signal that she had returned to the throne. In order to get there on time, she left Ponyville in the very early morning.

Most of the town was still asleep at the time, but the City Council had gathered at the train staion to give Luna a modest send-off. Mayor Mare gave a short speech bidding the blue Alicorn farewell, and a claim that they were honored to have been a host for her for the past few weeks. Luna was very appreciative for their hospitality, as well as their gratitude.

Although the special train car was meant for Luna, eleven ponies would be travelling with her. Five of them were Mauser, Alpine, SIG Sauer, Noble Edict, and Spike. The other six were the half dozen members of the Royal Guard that Celestia had assigned to the embassy during Luna's stay there.

Before she got on the train, Noble Edict had met with Copper Hollow. She explained to him that she expected him to take over the position of the town's chief of security while she was in Canterlot. This made sense, seeing as how Copper Hollow was her main deputy. He gladly accepted the responsibility, and he assured her that he would keep the town safe in her absence.

Bronze Star also spoke with SIG Sauer and Spike before they left. He talked to them separately and asked both of them for a favor.

He asked SIG Sauer to begin the interrogation on Material Study and Sir Raoul Jowl as soon as possible, and he requested that the pine green Unicorn let him know if he and the other members of the Firebrand Regiment discovered any useful information.

Bronze Star asked Spike to pick up a few of his possessions from Canterlot, as well as a few of Twilight Sparkle's. Since Spike would be coming back to Ponyville within a week, he was willing to do this for the gold stallion. Bronze Star gave him a short list of the things he and Twilight wanted. Most of the items he asked for were in his room, which was always locked whenever it was empty. So he gave Spike the key to his chambers, asking him to keep it very close at all times. Spike promised the young prince that he would not let the key out of his sight.

After this, Noble Edict, Spike and SIG Sauer joined the others in Luna's car. Once all the luggage was packed and all the passengers were aboard, the conductor announced "Next stop, Canterlot!"

The train swiftly departed from the depot and headed north towards Canterlot. Alpine, Mauser, and Spike opened the windows to their car, leaned out, and vigorously waved at Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle. The gold stallion and the lavender mare giddily waved back.

Once their friends disappeared from their sight, Bronze Star and Twilight stopped waving, but they continued watching the train as it left. When it was out of their field of vision altogether, they left the train station.

As they went back into town, Bronze Star remarked "Well, Twilight, looks like it's just you and me."

"What do you mean?" the magic student inquired.

"We're the only remaining people currently living in Ponyville who are originally from Canterlot," Bronze Star enlightened her.

"Oh, right," Twilight Sparkle acknowledged. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"

"No, certainly not," Bronze Star asserted, "After all, you and I came to Ponyville for a different environment and to try new things. But I still think about the capital city often. Don't you?"

"Of course I do," Twilight commented.

"Well, I've found that with Mauser, Alpine, and SIG Sauer around, it's felt a little like home," Bronze Star perceived, "But now that they're going back to Canterlot, the feeling will probably start to diminish."

"Maybe," Twilight Sparkle debated, "That's one way to view it. However, I have a much more sanguine perspective. The capital city is our hometown, but who's to say we can't call someplace else our home at the same time?"

"That's certainly a more optimistic viewpoint," Bronze Star thought aloud, grinning, "Have you started to think of Ponyville as a second home?"

"Yes, I have," Twilight affirmed, "Haven't you?"

"Truthfully, so have I," Bronze Star disclosed, "Sure, Ponyville may not be as quiet, peaceful, and uneventful as we were led to believe, but its lifestyle is wonderful. There's a type of high regard for community and companionship here that doesn't exist in many other places these days. Everypony is very close to their neighbors, and everypony contributes something to the public good."

"That is quite respectable indeed," Twilight observed, "Personally, I can't think of a better place to learn about friendship than this town."

"I hear you there," Bronze Star stated, "At first glance, you'd think everypony in this town was friends with everypony else."

"That may actually be the case," Twilight conjectured, "Although the townsfolk don't always agree on everything, I've yet to see one of them get into an argument with another."

"Same here," Bronze Star said straightforwardly, "Perhaps the people in this town are above petty squabbles and disagreements."

Twilight lightly shrugged and muttered "Perhaps they are."

At the time, Bronze Star really was convinced that the people of Ponyville were capable of resolving their differences without conflict. However, a few days later, he discovered that his theory was quite wrong. The residents of Ponyville were more than capable of having a dispute with each other over many things. Sometimes the subject of their quarrel could even be a seemingly frivolous matter.

Two particular ponies had brought this to his attention. They happened to be two of the mares he was closest to, as well as two of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

One day, Ponyville was scheduled to receive some heavy rain in the late afternoon. In preparation for the storm, Copper Hollow decided to have people go around the town and patch up anything that could compromise anypony's safety. The Pegasi were busy moving the clouds into place, so the Earth Ponies and Unicorns handled the maintenance on the ground. Applejack, Rarity, and Bronze Star had volunteered to check the town square.

Most of the job involved inspecting the trees in the vicinity. Bronze Star inspected each of the trees individually, and whenever he spotted a branch that appeared loose or perilously close to snapping off, he notified the other mares. Applejack used her rope to lasso the branches and pull them down.

For a while, Rarity used her magic to do the same thing. But after a time, she decided to spend her time finding ways to improve the scenery. She levitated one of the broken branches back onto the tree it had fallen off of and wedged it into place. Then she cast a spell to transform the clusters of leaves into equine figurines.

Once she did this, she smirked in satisfaction and uttered "Hah! Perfect."

Applejack was not amused. She lassoed the branch and yanked it back to the ground. Ignoring the white mare's look of surprise, the orange mare spat out her rope and stated "Just take the broken limbs down, Rarity. Don't y'all care about nothin' other than prettifyin'?"

"Somepony has to," Rarity debated. She looked around the area and mumbled "You were making an absolute mess of the town square, Applejack."

"Yeah, well, the storm's gonna make an even bigger mess if we don't prune all these loose branches so they don't tumble down on anypony," Applejack countered.

Rarity scowled and remarked "I simply cannot imagine why the Pegasus ponies would schedule a dreadful downpour this evening and ruin what could have been a glorious sunny day."

Applejack sighed and uttered "Think more practical-like, will ya? They accidentally skipped a scheduled sprinkle last week, so we need a doozy of a downpour to make up for it, is all."

"As long as Rainbow Dash doesn't purposely try to drench us like last time, I have no complaints," Bronze Star commented.

"Me either," stated Applejack in agreement.

All of a sudden, there was a mild rumble of thunder in the distance. A few seconds later, the rain started pouring down. Bronze Star and Applejack were pretty much indifferent, but Rarity did not react very well.

"Oh no!" the fashion designer yelled in distress "My wonderfully styled mane shall be ruined!"

"Ya shoulda hurried up and finished the job already," Applejack drily told her.

Rarity then moved erratically around the clearing, as if she was actually try to dodge the raindrops. She shrieked "Oh! Ah! Oh Ph! It's coming down too fast! Ah! Oh! Oh! Ah! Help me!"

Bronze Star had to hold his front hoof over his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Applejack was just annoyed with Rarity's behavior, and in an effort to get her to stop, she went over to a picnic table and announced to her "Uh, there. Hunker down to yer heart's content whilst I finish things."

Rarity panted and galloped over to the table. She was about to duck under it, but she saw the ground beneath was covered in mud. She shouted "Oh, no, no, no!"

Applejack groaned and mumbled in exasperation "What now?"

"I prefer not to get my hooves muddy," Rarity softly replied.

"Guh," Applejack irately remarked, "There is just no pleasin' ya, is there? Everything's got to be just so."

Rarity scoffed and said "Well, and how does muddying my hooves serve any useful purpose?"

"Y'all wouldn't know useful if it came up and bit'cha," Applejack proclaimed.

Rarity announced and declared "That doesn't even make any sense."

"Does so," Applejack snapped.

"Does not," Rarity retorted.

"Does so."

"Does not."

"Does so."

"Does not."

"Does so infinity. Hah."

"Does not infinity plus one. Heh."

Bronze Star had looked back and forth between the two mares during this exchange of dialogue. At the end of it, he rolled his eyes and pronounced drily "Girls, is now really the ideal time and place for this?"

Applejack and Rarity heard the young prince, but they did not reply to him or turn towards him. They just glared crossly at each other in silence. Then Rarity proposed "What say we go our separate ways before one of us says something she will regret?"

"I reckon y'all are gonna say something you'll regret first," Applejack conjectured.

"On the contrary, I believe it shall most certainly be you who says something you will regret first," Rarity disputed.

"I'm not sayin' anythin'," Applejack decreed.

"Nor am I," Rarity declared.

"Y'all just be on yer way, then," Applejack advised.

"After you!" Rarity offered.

The two mares gradually backed away from each other and moved in opposite directions. Applejack seemed to be moving towards Sweet Apple Acres, and Rarity appeared to walk towards Carousel Boutique. Bronze Star simply remained in the center of the town square and watched as they departed.

Then out of a nowhere, there was another crack of thunder. This one was much louder and closer than the previous one. Bronze Star was a little surprised, but Applejack and Rarity were downright frightened. They yelped in fear and rushed back into the town square. They wrapped their front legs around each other. Bronze Star had been standing between them at that time, so they ended up inadvertently pulling him into their encirclement.

The gold stallion was surprised by this action, but he could not really blame the mares. After all, anypony could be spooked by thunder storms. Still, they both had a very strong grip, especially in times of stress.

Rarity nervously suggested "Perhaps we should stick together for now and find some shelter."

"Uh-huh, perhaps we should," Applejack concurred anxiously, "And fast."

They restlessly gazed around the area, as if they were afraid of the approaching tempest. Bronze Star found himself in an interesting position. Every now and then, he had secretly wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by two mares in a wet and dirty scenario, but this was not what he had in mind.

Presently, he was just worried that Applejack and Rarity would somehow squeeze him to death. He muttered patiently "Girls, if it's not too much to ask, would you mind letting go of my throat?"

"Oh, sorry," Applejack said compliantly, quickly releasing her hold on Bronze Star. He nodded appreciatively, saying "Thanks, Applejack."

Rarity, however, was not as willing to pull away. However, Bronze Star had a solution to remedy this problem.

He smirked and told the white Unicorn "You know, Rarity, it's a scientific fact that stallions are four times more likely to be struck by lightning than mares. You'd be considerably safer if you moved away from me."

At that, Rarity immediately let go of the gold stallion and backed away a few steps. Bronze Star chuckled lightly at her reaction. After he regained his breath, he stated "That's better. Now we can work on finding a safe haven. Any ideas?"

"Well, Sweet Apple Acres is on the outskirts of town," Applejack illuminated "We'll probably encounter a flash flood or something before we get there."

"Carousel Boutique is closer," Rarity pointed out, "But not that much closer. It must be at least five blocks away from here."

"And the embassy is on the other side of town," Bronze Star dismally remarked, "All our places of residence are too far away. We'll need another alternative."

A couple minutes earlier, several other ponies had been in the immediate and adjoining areas. Now there was not a single person to be seen anywhere.

"Looks like everypony else is already indoors," Applejack noted.

"That means everypony's at home," Bronze Star pointed out, "We could try going from house to house and knocking on the doors. Sooner or later, somepony's bound to give us refuge until the storm passes over."

"That might take too long," Rarity hypothesized, "I suggest we find a more… expedient answer to our dilemma."

"Sure, whatever," Applejack sardonically replied, "In the meantime, I'm not interested in gettin' any wetter than I already am. I'm getting under the table."

The farmer then approached the picnic table and crawled underneath it. Once she was in a somewhat suitable position, she declared "Heh. Nice and dry under here, sorta."

Rarity considered getting under the table as well, but then she saw the mud again. In response, she moved away and uttered "Oh! Unacceptable."

Bronze Star sighed and commented "As General Walther would say, we've flown into a vortex of misfortune."

Just then, they heard a voice call out "Applejack! Rarity! Bronze!"

It sounded relatively close. Applejack climbed out from under the table. Then she, Rarity, and Bronze Star looked around the area for the source of the voice. They quickly realized it was coming from Golden Oaks Library. A familiar lavender Unicorn was at the front entrance. She was yelling to the three ponies "Applejack! Rarity! Bronze!"

"Twilight?" the orange mare, the white mare, and the gold stallion stated in unison.

"I think she's inviting us over," Bronze Star observed.

"Works for me," Applejack decided.

"And me, as well," Rarity coincided.

The three young ponies hastily galloped towards the library. Once they got there, Twilight bid them "Come inside, guys, quick."

"Gladly, Twilight," Bronze Star said appreciatively, grinning. A moment later, his grin faltered and he mumbled "But with all due respect, have you gone mad?"

Twilight was perplexed by this question and the way it had been presented. She raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion "What do you mean?"

"What are doing, using my actual name in public?" Bronze Star stated somewhat demandingly. "Somepony could have heard you!"

Twilight Sparkle just snickered and wittily remarked "Do you see anypony else outside right now?"

Bronze Star turned his head in all directions, and he soon discovered that there wasn't a single soul in his field of vision. He then looked back to the lavender mare and answered her with "No, I do not."

"Then your identity is still safe," Twilight Sparkle deduced.

"I suppose you're right," Bronze Star inferred, "Sorry for my outburst."

"No worries," she assured him.

Rarity and Applejack were still standing outside the building. The orange mare looked up at the library, and she pronounced apprehensively "Whoa, nelly. Is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?"

"It is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home like I do," Twilight slyly responded, "Come on in!"

Neither the two mares nor the stallion needed any more beckoning. Rarity smiled and uttered "Hah! We are most grateful for your invitation."

"Thank ya kindly for yer hospitality," Applejack muttered gratefully.

Before Applejack could step inside, Rarity stopped her and pointed out the mud on her hooves. She calmly recommended "Uh, do be a polite house guest and go wash up please, won't you?"

As the white mare entered the library, Applejack grumbled angrily.

Noticing her aggravation, Bronze Star trotted over to the orange mare and enquired "Everything alright?"

Applejack turned to him and expounded "If I gotta spend one more second with that fussbudget Rarity today, I can't be held responsible for what I'm gonna do."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow in bewilderment and he inquired "Applejack, is there some sort of… hostility between you and Rarity?"

"Not really, Bronze," Applejack claimed, "She and I just have… very different ideals for everyday living."

"I guess that's understandable," Bronze Star stated in acceptance. He turned back to the door and called over his shoulder as he walked inside "Come on in when you're clean."

"I will," Applejack said in response.

Inside the library, Twilight Sparkle was talking to Rarity. She commented "Some storm, huh? The Pegasus ponies sure have outdone themselves this time. I hope you, Bronze Star, and Applejack don't have any trouble getting home."

Rarity gazed out the window and muttered disparagingly "It may indeed be a problem."

"Yeah, we'll probably drown before we even get halfway home," Bronze Star stated jokingly.

"Well, you're welcome to stay if need be," Twilight assured them, "Spike is away in Canterlot on royal business. I'm home all alone tonight."

Spike had already been in the capital city for nearly a week, but Twilight and Bronze had not told their friends about the baby dragon's assignment in Canterlot. They did not even seem to notice he was gone. That was the reason for Twilight's brief exposition.

There was a moment of silence following it, and then Twilight gasped excitedly as if she was getting an idea. She perkily proposed "You two and Applejack should totally sleep over! We'll have a slumber party! I've always wanted one of those."

"I'm up for that," Bronze Star agreed, smirking.

Rarity was not so open to this suggestion. She stated "Oh! Uh, goodness. Uh, I do believe I have another engagement scheduled for this evening that completely slipped my mind until just now."

Bronze Star was very unconvinced by this claim.

Rarity gave a nervous laugh and mumbled "Ah, silly me, I can't possibly stay here all night - with Applejack."

Bronze Star was somewhat astounded by this pitiful excuse. He curiously inquired "Rarity, are you and Applejack not on good terms with each other right now?"

"Oh, no, certainly not, Bronze," Rarity insisted, "She and I merely have… shall we say, radically different interests and opinions on certain things."

Bronze Star was skeptical, but he accepted this claim. He bluntly perceived "In any case, you should be able to stay under the same roof as her for one night."

Rarity sighed grumpily and mumbled "Fine."

Twilight Sparkle used her magic to remove a book from one of the shelves. She levitated it over to Bronze Star and Rarity so that they could see it.

Rarity read the title aloud: "Slumber 101: All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask."

"Seems they've got textbooks for everything these days," Bronze Star commented.

"My own personal copy," Twilight Sparkle explicated with an eager grin, "It's a fantastic reference guide. You should see the table of contents. I've been waiting for a chance to use it, and today is the day! This is gonna be so great!"

Rarity peered towards the window out of the corner of her eyes. She saw Applejack washing herself up with a hose. The white mare turned back to the lavender mare and said tentatively "Yes, uh, great."

As she let out another nervous laugh, Bronze Star declared "I'll go check up on Applejack. Go ahead and start without me."

The two Unicorns agreed to this suggestion. Bronze Star trotted to the entrance of the library and stuck his head outside. He saw Applejack standing in a covered area, rinsing off her head, hooves, and body with the hose. He chuckled lightly at the sight and remarked "Isn't it a little pointless to use a hose to clean yourself in the midst of all this rain? That's kind of like searching for a glass of water when you live next to a freshwater lake."

Applejack scoffed in amusement. She looked over at the gold stallion and drily uttered "You may have a point there. Next time there's a huge thunderstorm in the area, I'll just step outside when I want to take a shower."

Bronze Star got a good laugh out of that. Then he asked the orange mare "At any rate, you almost done?"

"Yeah, just give me a couple seconds," Applejack requested.

Bronze Star stood idly by as the farmer finished washing up. Once all the mud was off her body, she shook her head and torso vigorously to dry herself off. When her coat and mane were perfectly dry, she turned to Bronze Star and asked him "So what's going on?"

"Twilight's got an idea for how we can get through the night," Bronze Star informed her. He gestured to the door and proposed "Let's go inside."

The prince and the farmer trotted back into the library. Inside the foundation, they found Rarity with a thick green substance smeared across her face. She was in the process of applying the same substance to Twilight Sparkle's face.

Applejack gasped and uttered in disbelief "What in tarnation... Now wait just a goll-darn minute. Ya make me wash the mud off my hooves, but it's okay for y'all to have mud all over yer faces?"

Rarity rolled her eyes and stated "Silly! This is called a mud mask. It's to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion."

"We're giving each other makeovers!" Twilight proclaimed cheerfully, "Eee-hee! We have to do it, it says so in the book."

At that, the lavender mare levitated her textbook over to Applejack. The orange mare noticed the title and expressed somewhat agitatedly "Slumber 101: Everything You... Oh hey, heh, would'ja look at the time. I gotta skidaddle on home quick. I'm powerful late for, uh, fer somethin'. Uh, g'night."

While she said this, Applejack had gradually advanced back towards the library's open door. By now, she was back outside, but she had yet to get back into the rain.

All of a sudden, there was another crash of lightning and a burst of thunder. It had startled the orange mare so much that she cried in shock and rushed back in straightaway. She then announced to the others "Or maybe I'll sit here for a spell."

"Glad you changed your mind," Bronze Star remarked, smirking.

"Hurray slumber party!" Twilight exclaimed.

Rarity abruptly tossed a pile of the green mud onto Applejack's face, and she proceeded to rub it on. Applejack was not fond of the feeling, but she did not protest. All she did was go "Blahch" in disgust.

Once Rarity finished applying the green mud, she placed two cucumber slices onto Applejack's eyes. The orange mare asked in bafflement "What in the world is this for?"

Rarity sighed and explained sneeringly "To reduce the puffiness around one's eyes, of course."

"Puffiness-schmuffiness!" Applejack said. She then used her tongue to pick the cucumber slices out of her eyes, and she brought them into her mouth. She cheekily added in "That's good eatin'!"

As she loudly chewed on the cucumbers, Rarity glared at her in annoyance. Bronze Star just snickered.

"Would you care for some mud, Bronze Star?" Rarity offered the gold stallion.

"No, thank you," Bronze Star sternly replied, "Not interested."

Rarity chuckled at his blunt response and presumed "Why not? Do you think it's too 'girly' or something of the sort?"

"If so, don't let that bother you, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle advised, studying her book, "It says here that stallions can partake in the makeovers, too. It wouldn't be emasculating."

"I'm not refusing because I think consider makeovers to be emasculating," Bronze Star disclosed, "I'm refusing because… well, if the point of a makeover is to make one look and feel young, it would be pretty meaningless for me to have one."

"Why's that?" Applejack queried.

"I may appear to be an Earth Pony, but I'm still an Alicorn," Bronze Star explained, "So while I do age, I don't grow old. My skin refreshes itself and rejuvenates on its own."

"Wow, fascinating," Applejack commented, "I knew Alicorns were blessed with eternal life, but I didn't know they had eternal youth, as well."

"Believe it, AJ," Bronze Star affirmed, "My mother and my aunt are both over a thousand years old, and neither of them has as much as a wrinkle to show for it."

"Now that's what I'd call the textbook definition of 'aging gracefully,'" Twilight observed.

"They should invent a spa treatment called the 'Alicorn Antidote,'" Rarity proposed.

"What would it do?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"With luck, it would prevent one from appearing to age physically," Rarity theorized.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Bronze Star thought aloud, "But it would probably be quite difficult to procure such a material."

"Maybe, but you never know," Rarity said hopefully.

Bronze Star just shrugged and nodded in acknowledgement. There was a brief interval of silence, and then the gold stallion pronounced "Well, on the subject of eating, I don't believe any of us have had dinner yet. How about I slip into the kitchen and gets us some snacks?"

"Sounds good to me," Applejack frankly agreed, "I'll have anything with apples in it."

"Applejack," Rarity mumbled in urgency.

"What?" Applejack queried, perplexed by Rarity's sudden uneasiness.

"Have you forgotten he's royalty?" Rarity whispered heatedly, "If anything, we should be the ones fetching him food."

"Oh, give me a break," Applejack quietly spat back, "If he wanted us to get him anything, he would have asked us. But since he's offering to get the food, we should let him."

"Well, at least ask him if he's actually alright with it," Rarity crossly advised.

"Fine," Applejack uttered in irritation. She looked over at Bronze Star and inquired "You sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not," the gold stallion guaranteed her, "It'll give me something to do while you girls have your makeovers."

"Okay," Applejack acknowledged. She turned back to Rarity and grinned in appeasement. The white mare just scowled.

Bronze Star took this as his cue to leave the room. He speedily made his way over to the kitchen and told the mares "I'll be right back."

"We'll be waiting," Twilight Sparkle said in response.

The library's kitchen was very well-stocked. Bronze Star took his time to put together a platter of snacks. As he did this, he wondered what was going on with Applejack and Rarity. He had never seen the two mares so aggravated at each other. Both of them had claimed that they were not feuding over anything personal, and he believed them. However, he was fairly certain that they had some disdain for each other's standards of living. He predicted that this was going to be a long night if that was the case.

Twenty minutes after he left the front room, Bronze Star rejoined the mares. He carried in a tray of assorted snacks and stated "It's not what I'd call dinner, but it should suffice."

"Thanks, Bronze," Applejack said appreciatively, helping herself to an apple turnover.

"Thank you very much, indeed," Rarity proclaimed, taking some peeled carrots.

"I'd better check 'snacks' off the list," Twilight Sparkle thought aloud before she tucked into some coleslaw made of cabbage, greens, and marigolds.

Bronze Star started off with a couple hooffuls of a mixture of oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, and dried fruits. As he ate, he looked around the room to see what the others were up to. By this point, the mares had wiped all the green mud off their faces. Their manes were currently done up in curlers. Applejack appeared somewhat bothered by them, but Twilight and Rarity did not seem to mind.

"So, how are you getting along over there, Applejack?" Rarity asked the farmer.

"Just fine, Rarity," Applejack sarcastically informed the fashion designer.

There was no longer any doubt in Bronze Star's mind. This WAS going to be a long night.

"This is so awesome!" Twilight Sparkle giggled. She did not even seem to notice the tension between Applejack and Rarity. She used her magic to remove the curlers from her mane, as well as Applejack's mane and Rarity's mane. Then she picked up her book and used a quill to check off one of the boxes. She spoke to the others "Makeovers, check. Ooh, it says here we have to tell ghost stories. Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" Applejack volunteered. Once the others gave her their attention, she stated ominously "I'd like to tell y'all the terrifying tale of the prissy ghost who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness. Oo-oo! I'm sure y'all are familiar with that one?"

She had glared at Rarity when she said that last statement. The white mare just serenely responded "Never heard of it, but I have a much better one."

The other three ponies turned to her, and then she told them hauntingly "It's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated every pony within a hundred miles! Oo-oo!"

Applejack was very unamused by this. She declared accusingly "That's not a real story. You made it up."

"It is a ghost story, they're all made up," Rarity debated.

Suddenly, there was another crash of lightning and rumble of thunder. This one was so powerful that it extinguished all the lights. Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle screamed in alarm.

Bronze Star calmly lit a candle so that they were not sitting in total darkness. He slid the candle closer to the mares and proposed "If it's horror you want, let me have a go. I know of this one really creepy legend. It isn't really a ghost story, but it is scary enough to qualify as one."

"You've got my interest," Twilight Sparkle notified him. Applejack and Rarity both nodded in compliance.

"Alright," Bronze Star avowed. He thought about how to begin, and then he murmured in a disturbing tone of voice "This is a tale about my mother. I first heard it from my Aunt Luna. According to her, under a very specific set of circumstances, it is possible for somepony to draw out Princess Celestia's primal side. It's a side of her that nopony living has ever seen, and hopefully nopony ever will. This side of her has no control over urges and desires, and when this side of her emerges, nopony is safe from her. There was a time in the distant past when this side of her was drawn out for a long period, and the number of her victims went into the hundreds. This side of her is what Princess Luna refers to as… 'Molestia.'"

The three mares reacted differently to this revelation. Applejack seemed as though she was going to laugh, Rarity appeared to be shocked, and Twilight Sparkle just narrowed her eyes and glared at Bronze Star. She muttered sullenly "Okay, I've heard enough. Bronze, this is a slumber party, not… that OTHER kind of party."

Bronze Star chuckled at that, but he agreed to this request. He wryly remarked "You are no fun, you know that?"

"So I've heard," Twilight cockily retorted, "But I'd rather be tedious than depraved."

"Very well," Bronze Star stated, "You're probably better off not knowing about this tale, anyway."

"I should say so," Twilight coincided. There was another short period of quietness, and then the lavender mare brightened up and pronounced "I've got one! This story is called The Legend of The Headless Horse."

Applejack, Rarity, and Bronze Star gathered around her and listened to what she had to say. Twilight Sparkle stated unnervingly "It was a dark and stormy night, just like this one. And four ponies were having a slumber party, just like this one..."

This story lasted for nearly half an hour. The climax came about at the very end. Twilight Sparkle wrapped it up with "...and just when the last pony thought she was safe, there, standing right behind her, just inches away was - The Headless Horse!"

There was another rush of thunder and lightning, and the room was momentarily covered in darkness. Twilight took advantage of that moment to throw a blanket over her shoulders to make it appear as though her head was missing. When Applejack and Rarity saw her, they gasped and screamed in fright. They clung to each other and Bronze Star for assurance.

Bronze Star was reminded of earlier, when the three of them were outside in the rain. However, at least this time, they were not gripping him by the throat, and they were dry. He did not protest when the mares took ahold of him. He was glad to provide them with some feeling of security.

Twilight quickly turned the lights back on. Then she trotted over to her book and checked off another box, saying "Ghost story, check."

Applejack and Rarity soon realized their close proximity to each other, and they released Bronze Star and each other at the same time. Twilight Sparkle sauntered back over to them and proposed "Now, who wants s'mores?"

"I'll get everything we need," Bronze Star offered. He trotted back into the kitchen to find some graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. As he gathered these items together, he muttered under his breath "At least they won't be able to argue about THIS."

He was wrong. Even with regards to making and eating s'mores, Applejack and Rarity disagreed.

While Applejack roasted the marshmallows, Rarity presented her own personal how-to guide on how to properly assemble the treat to Twilight Sparkle. She warily explained to her "Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate and be sure it's centered - that's critical - and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And done. Ta-da!"

She laughed in satisfaction. Twilight Sparkle was actually somewhat intrigued. She said in astonishment "Ooo!"

Bronze Star and Applejack were not as impressed. The orange mare just smirked and professed "Nah, ya just eat 'em."

She picked the s'more Rarity had just made with her mouth and loudly munched on it. Rarity stared at her in displeasure as she ate it. When Applejack was finished chewing, she swallowed it. Then she let out a loud belch.

Rarity sighed and grumbled "You could at least say excuse me."

"Aw, I was just about to, but you interrupted me," Applejack alleged. She then closed her eyes and casually muttered "Pardon."

Rarity gazed towards the opposite end of the room while Applejack smiled in contentment.

Twilight went over to her book and crossed another item of the list. She announced "S'mores, check. Now the next item of fun we have to do is Truth or Dare."

"This should prove interesting," Bronze Star supposed.

This time, he was correct. Applejack and Rarity wasted no time in using this game as a means to attack each other.

"I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change," Rarity proposed.

"Oh yeah?" Applejack countered, "Well I dare Rarity ta lighten up and stop obsessin' over every last little detail, for a change."

Bronze Star watched them incredulously. Twilight Sparkle was downright puzzled by her friends' actions.

Rarity turned to face the farmer and muttered angrily "I think the truth of the matter is that some pony could stand to pay a little more attention to details."

Applejack fumingly told the fashion designer in response "And I think the truth is some pony oughta quit with her fussin' so the rest of us can get things done."

"Um, I don't think this is how the game's supposed to work," Twilight Sparkle announced. She studied her book and proclaimed "You have to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever any pony dares you to do."

Applejack quickly came up with a wicked scheme. She turned to Rarity and stated "I dares you to step outside and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined again."

Rarity gasped in shock at this dare.

"You have to," Twilight informed her, "It's the rule."

"Hah!" Applejack said triumphantly.

"Fine!" Rarity coincided. She stomped to the entrance of the library, opened the door, and walked outside. The sound of the rain falling down could be heard. It was quickly accompanied by the sound of Rarity crying in distress.

Applejack began snickering at Rarity's discomfort. Bronze Star was a little amused by this, as well. He commented "Nice one, AJ."

A few seconds later, Rarity stepped back inside. She was dripping wet and her mane was drooping. Applejack was downright laughing by this point.

However, her enjoyment was short-lived. Rarity marched towards her and proposed "Okay. I dare Applejack to play dress-up in a frou-frou, glittery, lacey outfit."

Applejack gasped in astonishment, but she was not one to turn down a challenge. She stepped out of the room for a moment, and then she returned wearing a rather flamboyant dress. Bronze Star could not help but scoff; Applejack looked ridiculous in that getup. It reminded him of something his cousin once wore at the Grand Galloping Gala.

"Happy?" Applejack grumbled.

"Very," Rarity replied, smirking.

Bronze Star leaned over to Twilight Sparkle and remarked "You just happen to have that outfit lying around?"

Twilight blushed lightly and gazed away from her friend. Then she averred "It's just a costume I like."

"Then you have a rather unique sense of style," Bronze Star humorously observed.

"Whatever," Twilight bluntly commented. She looked over at Applejack and Rarity and stated awkwardly "Um, do Bronze or I ever get a turn?"

The orange mare and the white mare did not even answer her.

Applejack slyly proposed "I dare ya to enter the next rodeo when it comes to town."

"I dare you not to enter the next rodeo that comes to town," Rarity cleverly refuted.

"I dare ya to not comb your mane a hundred times before bed."

"And I dare you to comb yours just once."

"Alright, enough of this crap," Bronze Star sharply interjected. He waited until Applejack and Rarity were paying attention to him, and then he suggested "Girls, allow me and Twilight to demonstrate the proper way to play this game."

He trotted over to Twilight Sparkle and asked her "Twilight, truth or dare?"

"Hmmm… dare," the lavender mare replied.

The gold stallion grinned diabolically and proposed "I dare you to touch your tail with your horn."

"Uh… okay," Twilight accepted tentatively.

She looked over her shoulder at her tail. There were some ponies who had voluntary control over their tails, but she was not one of them. The most she could do was get it to flop around. Obviously, this was not going to be an easy task.

Twilight started by attempting to lean her head backwards. But no matter how hard she stretched her neck, she could not reach her tail with her horn over either of her shoulders. After a while, she tried lying flat on her back and putting her horn and tail together across her stomach. This was much easier said than done. She had to roll across the ground and alter her stance several times to find the most ideal position. Even then, she had difficulties moving her tail into place, and she was unable to keep an eye on her horn. After all, it was directly above her eyes.

Finally, after more than five minutes of exhaustive and persistent efforts, Twilight managed to brush the very tip of her horn against the end of her tail. She proudly announced "Done!"

By now, Bronze Star was chortling. He almost could not breath, he was laughing so hard. Applejack and Rarity were loudly giggling as well.

Twilight Sparkle felt like a bit of a fool, but she was not about to give up. When she got back to her hooves, she looked over at Bronze Star and declared "Have your laughs now, Bronze. But it's your turn next. Truth or dare?"

"I'll go with truth," Bronze Star answered candidly.

"Alright then," Twilight conceded. She took a few moments to think about what to ask him, and then she grinned evilly. She turned to Bronze Star and queried mischievously "In the time since we've come to Ponyville, have you developed personal feelings for any of the locals?"

Bronze Star had expected Twilight ask him to tell her about a confidential affair of the Canterlot Royalty or one of his private hobbies. He was prepared to discuss those subjects. However, this question had caught him entirely off-guard. He uneasily looked towards Twiight Sparkle and inquired "What exactly do you mean by that, Twilight?"

"Is there anypony in this town you'd like to be more than friends with?" Twilight clarified.

Bronze Star was afraid that this was what she meant. He nervously looked around at the three mares. By now, Rarity had dried off and Applejack had gotten undressed. All the attention was on the young prince at this time. After an unpleasant period of silence, he muttered "Er… well… um… uh… I, uh… well… uh…"

"We're waiting," Twilight said teasingly.

Ultimately Bronze Star sighed and softly declared "I suppose I have developed such feelings for a certain pony."

He was hoping that that response would be enough to satisfy Twilight's inquisitiveness. To his dismay, it was not. The lavender mare leaned closer to him and waved her hoof back and forth, as if she wanted to receive something from him.

"What?" he queried in confusion.

"That wasn't a yes/no question, Bronze," Twilight shrewdly pointed out, "Specify, if you would. What type of feelings?"

"Adulation and admiration," he candidly replied.

"In other words, romantic attraction?" Twilight assumed

"That's correct," Bronze Star affirmed.

"To whom?" she asked in interest.

"A mare," was all he said in response.

"I figured it was a mare," Twilight muttered, rolling her eyes, "Care to describe her?"

"Well, she's probably the best at what she does," Bronze Star tentatively disclosed, "She's also very eloquent, she has a particular lifestyle, and she's friends with both of us."

"Does she have a name?" Twilight asked, somewhat impatiently.

"Of course she has a name," Bronze Star mockingly retorted.

"Again, not a yes/no question," Twilight expressed amusingly, "Come on, quit stalling. Who is she? Who amongst the common folk of Ponyville has been lucky enough to gain the notice of Prince Bronze Star?"

Bronze Star had never seen Twilight so eager to learn a secret. He had tried to avoid answering directly, but he greatly underestimated Twilight's persistence and curiosity. He realized he could only put off answering her for so long. Still, he was hesitant to give a straightforward reply.

Eventually, Bronze Star looked the magic student in the eye and informed her "To be honest, Twilight… I'd rather not say."

"And why is that?" Twilight Sparkle asked him. Her tone was more inquisitive than disappointed.

"Because I'm not certain if she feels the same way about me," Bronze Star explicated, "Aside from that, she might not even be aware about my feelings for her. If so, I want her to know about them before anypony else knows. So until I know whether or not my feelings are mutual, I don't want to discuss them with anypony. If I did, I would probably make both her and myself a target for gossip. Or worse…"

Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle could understand and respect this reasoning. Although they were still hoping for a direct answer, they decided not to continue to press him for one.

Unbeknownst to Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, Bronze Star had another reason for not revealing the name of the mare he fancied. This reason was the fact that she was with him at this very moment. Indeed, she was actually one of the three mares who were currently in the library.

"Okay, Bronze Star," Twilight Sparkle remarked steadily, "Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"It's alright, Twilight; you didn't," Bronze Star assured her. After a short pause, he proposed "Shall we continue playing?"

"Nah," Twilight Sparkle replied, turning back to her book, "I, uh, I think we should check off Truth or Dare and move on. Let's see what our next fun-fun-fun thing is, shall we?"

She studied the contents of the next page, and then she thought aloud "Hm, what does this mean? Pillow fight?"

"Oh, buck," Bronze Star uttered quietly.

"Oh, please," Rarity said in disapproval, "I am not at all interested in participating in something so crude."

A moment later, Applejack threw a pillow at Rarity from across the room. She managed to strike the white mare full in the face. This action quickly changed the white mare's stance. She glared at the orange mare and furiously announced "It! Is! On!"

She then picked the pillow up and flung it across the room. It hit Applejack squarely in the face.

The farmer was momentarily stunned, but she soon regained her composure and glowered at the fashion designer. This signified the official beginning of the pillow fight.

A more appropriate label for what happened would have been "pillow massacre." Applejack and Rartiy spent the next minute trying to belt each other with pillows. Many of their tactics were quite vicious and merciless. Applejack used her lasso to toss the pillows faster, and Rartiy used her magic to toss them in larger numbers. Obviously, they were taking this game much too seriously.

Bronze Star chose not to participate. He feared for his well-being, so he ducked for cover behind a table.

Twilight Sparkle stood in the center of the room reading her book. Unfortunately for her, she was caught directly in the crossfire of the pillow fight.

A minute later, she smiled, stood up straight, and announced "Oh, I get it! Pillow, fight! Fun!"

Then she was immediately hit by two pillows; one from Applejack, one from Rarity.

Despite the softness of the projectiles, they had struck her with great momentum and force. Twilight Sparkle dizzily spoke aloud "Uh, girls? Maybe we should take it down a notch?"

"I will if she will," Applejack avowed as she tossed more pillows towards Rarity.

Rarity struggled to dodge those pillows. She gasped and proclaimed "She started it."

Before long, Twilight was buried under a mountain of pillows. By then, both Applejack and Rarity were out of ammunition. So Bronze Star deemed it safe to come back out into the open. As he stepped out from his safe spot, Twilight managed to extricate herself from the mound of pillows. She spat out some feathers and weakly proposed "Maybe we should just call it a night and get some sleep?"

"That would probably be for the best," Bronze Star coincided. He looked back and forth between Applejack and Rarity, and he queried "What do you think, girls?"

"Yeah, I am startin' to feel a little tired," Applejack pronounced.

"We should probably settle down for the evening," Rarity concurred.

Bronze Star smirked and mumbled under his breath "They finally agreed on something,"

"What was that, Bronze?" Twilight queried in interest.

"Nothing," he quickly replied, picking up the snack platter, "Let's just head upstairs."

The four ponies quickly made their way to the second floor. There were two beds on the top platform. One of them was Twilight's. Spike slept in a basket at the base of her bed. That meant the other bed was vacant, and it had clean sheets as well.

"Four of us, and two beds," Twilight noted.

"This might be a bit of a problem," Applejack theorized.

"'Might be?'" Rarity repeated incredulously.

"Fine, it IS a problem," Applejack gloomily admitted, "We'd better decide on sleeping arrangements before we turn in."

"Well, Twilight should be able to sleep in her own bed," Applejack decisively declared, "So that leaves three of us and one bed. Who should get it?"

"I'd have thought that'd be obvious," Rarity murmured scathingly.

"You?" Applejack irately presumed.

"No, not me," Rarity snapped back. She casually nodded her head towards Bronze Star.

The gesture was not missed by the gold stallion. He lightly smiled and stated "I know what you're thinking, Rarity. It's very considerate of you to offer me the bed. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Element of Generosity. However, I cannot accept the offer."

"Why ever not, darling?" Rarity inquired.

"Two mares sleeping on the floor while I have a bed to myself?" Bronze Star pointed out, "I wouldn't hear of it."

"How would it be any better to force a prince sleep on the floor?" Rarity countered.

"The difference is that nopony would be forcing me to sleep there," Bronze Star expounded, "I would be doing so by my own choice. I'm choosing to give up the bed by my own accord."

"Are you sure of that?" the white mare asked him, slightly doubtful.

"Absolutely," Bronze Star asserted.

There was a short pause, and then Rarity nodded her head in acceptance and stated "Very well. If that is what you wish, I understand."

"So that leaves me and Rarity," Applejack prudently stated, "Which of us gets the bed?"

"You could share it," Bronze Star suggested.

"Share it?" Applejack and Rarity repeated in bafflement.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Twilight Sparkle perceived, "I mean, my bed is just big enough for me. However, the other bed could easily accommodate two ponies."

"That's certainly an advantage," Applejack commented.

"Indeed it is," Rarity pronounced. "But I don't know about… the two of US sharing a bed."

"For once, I agree with you," Applejack mumbled heatedly.

"Well, the alternative is for one of you to share the bed with me," Bronze Star cheekily enlightened them, "Tell me that'd be any less awkward."

Applejack and Rarity both blushed heavily at that statement. Twilight Sparkle blushed a little, as well. Bronze Star could hardly blame them, considering the implications of what he just said. He was almost impelled to blush himself. Luckily, Applejack and Rarity did not complain any more. They were still somewhat reluctant to sleep together, but they agreed to share the bed.

"Now that that issue's been resolved, let's get some rest," Bronze Star recommended.

"We still haven't decided where you'll sleep, Bronze," Twilight pointed out.

"I'll sleep downstairs," he professed, "That huge pile of pillows left over from the pillow fight is still down there. We've got enough of them to make a small fortress. It shouldn't be too hard for me to get comfortable with them."

"Sounds like a plan," Twilight stated in approval, "You want a blanket?"

"Sure," he replied.

Twilight Sparkle trotted over to a closet, removed a folded blanket, and gave it to the gold stallion. Once he received it, he looked around at the three mares and said genially "Have a lovely evening. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," the three of them bade him in return.

Bronze Star then left the room and trotted back down to the ground floor. Initially, he approached the massive pile of pillows slowly, but then he charged towards it and lunged into the pile for fun. Some of the pillows were scattered around the room, but most of them did not move.

He chuckled in mild amusement at this little stunt. In a way, it reminded him of his foalhood. When he was a young colt, he often spent the entire night with Princess Celestia. On those nights, they had some of their best mother-son bonding time. They would pass the time in her room by playing games, making treats, and exchanging stories.

He remembered this one occasion when they made a fortress out of pillows and used it to reenact a scene from their favorite fable. This particular fable was about a noble warrior and a regal princess. Naturally, Celestia was the princess, and Bronze Star was the warrior. The scene they reenacted was the part where the princess was abducted by a jealous suitor and imprisoned in the dungeon of his castle, and the warrior had taken it upon himself to single-hoofedly rescue her.

Most of their reenactment had been performed very well. However, near the end of it, Bronze Star had accidentally stumbled into the fortress and knocked over part of it. He hastily apologized to his mother for ruining the skit. Luckily, she was not upset at all. In fact, she had purposely knocked over another section of the fortress just to make her son feel better. He most certainly felt better, and he was actually quite amused.

The two of them decided to forget about the skit altogether and just demolish the fortress for the fun of it. In the end, they were rolling around together in the remains of the fortress, playfully laughing. Once they had their enjoyment, they calmed down and rested in the pile for a while. They almost fell asleep on it, but the night was still young, and they had a lot more activities planned.

Although Bronze Star was too old to enjoy that sort of thing anymore, he still cherished the memories of those days. He could not remember the last time he and his mother had spent a whole night together. She had suggested doing it again a couple times, but he always seemed to have something going on at the time. Mostly, he was carrying out training exercises with SIG Sauer or maintaining national security with the Firebrand Regiment.

As he got settled in the pillow mountain in the library, Bronze Star wondered if his mother was still open to having another all-night hangout at the Castle. It had been a while since he thought of such a thing. This slumber party with Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle had reminded him just how much he enjoyed those nights with Princess Celestia. It also occurred to him that maybe they could get Princess Luna to join them. It could have been like a small reunion for them.

Bronze Star made a mental note to speak to his mother and aunt about this the next time he went to Canterlot. That probably would not be for several weeks, but he was a patient stallion. For now, he decided to get some rest and think about the future later.

For a while, he laid in quietness. The only sounds he heard were his own inhaling and exhaling. He felt very relaxed and at ease.

Then, just before he drifted off to sleep, he heard somepony shout "Geronimo!"

It only took him a moment to recognize the voice as Applejack's. This was followed by a crash and Rarity yelling "Hey!"

Bronze Star predicted that they were having yet another disagreement, presumably over how to sleep or something equally ridiculous. On the subject, Bronze Star was astonished by how poorly the farmer and the fashion designer got along. He could understand that they had their differences, but it was a wonder they were not at each other's throats by this point. If not for their constant bickering, he felt this would have been a fantastic slumber party.

Bronze Star could faintly make out Applejack and Rarity's voices upstairs. Since there was a closed door and over fifty feet of space between him and them, he was unable to discern what they were saying. They were doubtlessly arguing again. Bronze Star did not even care what the subject of their argument was. He was starting to become very annoyed by their dispute. He picked up one of his pillows and covered his head with it in effort to shut out the noise.

A few seconds later, he could hear Twilight's voice as well. Evidently, she was fed up with Applejack and Rarity's behavior as well. She was vocal about her disdain for their squabbling, and she accused them of making her very first slumber party a disaster. Then she said something in a very cynical tone of voice.

This was soon followed by a bolt of lightning striking the area outside the house and thunder rumbling alongside it. After this, Bronze Star heard all three of the mares gasping in shock and fear. Concerned, he sat up and turned in their direction. There was a bright glow peering from underneath the door, which meant that the lights were on upstairs. He wondered what was going on up there.

From his perspective it sounded as though the mares were trying to fix something. Shortly after, Applejack said something which implied that she had solved the problem. When he heard that, Bronze assumed that everything was alright. Then he decided to ease down and try to go to sleep.

But before he could rest his head on the pillows, there was a loud resounding crash. That was what brought Bronze Star to full attention. He jumped to his hooves and bellowed "What in the name of Starswirl the Bearded's erect horn?"

After that exclamation, he rushed upstairs, kicked open the door, and entered the second floor. To his vast surprise, there was a huge tree branch in the center of the room. The window at the far end of the room was open, and Rarity was standing right by it. She cried angrily while pointing to the tree branch "I tried to tell you it would come crashing down in here."

Applejack climbed over part of the tree branch and snappily retorted "Well, ya should'a tried harder."

Her eyes dilated in shock when she realized the full extent of the mess she had made. She sighed and sincerely told the lavender mare "I'm mighty sorry, Twilight."

The magic student was still engrossed in her book about slumber parties. She announced "It's... Well, it's not okay. There's a giant tree branch in the middle of my bedroom, and the book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch at your slumber party. Or at least I haven't found that entry yet. Ooh... ah!"

"Now's not the time for consulting a manual, Twilight," Bronze Star grimly advised, "Unless, of course, there's anything in there about cleanup."

"Maybe not, but I'll take a look anyway, Bronze," Twilight announced, flipping through the pages.

While she was busy with this, Bronze Star decided to help remove the branch. He could not venture a guess as to how it got there in the first place, but that did not matter to him. All he worried about was finding a way to get rid of it.

Currently, Applejack was the only one who was actively working to move the branch back outside. Bronze Star hastily trotted over to her and offered "Let me give you a hoof with this."

"Thanks," she told him gratefully.

As the two of them worked together to attempt to lift up the tree branch, Applejack looked towards the window. She noticed Rarity was just picking up leaves and trinkets. She heatedly muttered "What in tarnation are y'all doin' over there?"

"Cleaning up this mess some pony made," Rarity sardonically responded, "Who was that again? Oh, right, that's you."

"We gotta do somethin'!" Applejack proclaimed.

Bronze Star turned to the lavender mare and told her "Twilight, we could use a hoof here,"

"I'm on it!" Twilight Sparkle assured him. She rapidly looked through the contents of her book, saying "Baking... BFFs... Brothers... There's nothing in here about branches."

"That's not what I… oh, forget it," Bronze Star mumbled agitatedly. He turned to Applejack and dismally remarked "Looks like we're on our own."

"Or maybe not," she countered expectantly. She grunted as she tried to lift the tree again, and then she looked over at the white mare and demanded "Rarity, for pony's sake, stop sweatin' the small stuff and help us get rid of this thing!"

Rarity did not move so much as an inch towards the orange mare and the gold stallion. Applejack glared at her and remarked "I said hussle over here and help us!"

Again, Rarity ignored Applejack's plea for assistance. The farmer was starting to get desperate to get rid of the tree by this point, so she tried a different approach to get on Rarity's good side. She looked up at the fashion designer and sincerely told her "Look, I'm sorry, alright?"

This time, Rarity looked over her shoulder and queried skeptically "What was that?"

"I said I'm sorry!" Applejack reiterated, "I should'a listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up. Yer annoyin' attention to detail would'a saved us from this whole mess. But right now, ya need to stop bein' so dang fussy pickin' up all the little things and help me and Bronze move the one big thing in here that actually matters! Please!"

Rarity considered lending a hoof to dispose of the tree. After a moment of silence, she fretfully pronounced "Uh. Uh, but I'll get all icky."

Bronze Star and Applejack groaned at that. The latter of them stated vociferously "Consarnit! What the... eh... you... I mean, yes, ickiness is often a side effect of hard work. But y'all need to get over it, on account I just can't fix this mess I made myself. Bronze and I need your help."

Rarity looked at the tree branch, and then she gazed at the window. She realized that her friends really did need her help, and that by helping them, she would be able to clean up the mess more efficiently. She breathed in deeply and boldly declared "Let's do this."

Rarity trotted over to Applejack and Bronze Star, and she got into position alongside them. The three of them were able to lift the branch off the ground. While they did this, Twilight Sparkle informed her "Well, they do have a section about backyard slumber parties. Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?"

None of the other three ponies answered her. Working together, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rarity heaved the branch off the ground and carried it over to the window. They grunted strenuously, determined to dispose of this large object. Little by little, they approached the window and raised the tree branch to its level.

"Come on, just a little more," Bronze Star muttered in encouragement.

After struggling with the tree branch for nearly a minute, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rarity managed to raise it up to the window and push it through. The branch slid out and landed on the ground below with a loud throw. Bronze Star quickly shut the window so that no more rain could get inside.

Aside from some perspiration and deluge, Bronze Star and Applejack were mostly clean. Rarity, however, was covered in tree sap, mud, and needles. When she noticed this, she frowned and whimpered "U-ugh. Oh, I look awful."

Applejack and Bronze Star actually felt for her. Luckily, Applejack got an idea to cheer Rarity up. She trotted over to the snack platter, removed two cucumber slices, and carefully placed them over Rarity's eyes. Then she enquired "Better?"

Rarity was a little unsure at first. But then she just smiled in amusement and said appreciatively "Hmph, thanks."

She then reached her front legs out in attempt to hug Applejack. Of course, with the cucumber slices over her eyes, she could not see. Applejack stepped forward to help her, and she pulled the white mare into a friendly embrace. Rarity happily clasped onto the orange mare in return.

Bronze star smiled in adoration and satisfaction at the sight.

Although the tree branch was back outside, some clusters of leaves had been left behind in the library. They bore a striking resemblance to the equine figurines Rarity had made earlier. Twilight Sparkle peered up from her book and noticed them. She commented in interest "Oh, pretty! Where did these come from? They're not in the book either."

There was a short period of silence, and then all four ponies broke out into laughter.

Once the laughter subsided, Bronze Star enquired "So, what now? Shall we go back to sleep?"

"Nah, I don't feel like sleeping anymore," Applejack illuminated.

"I for one am currently wide awake," Rarity concurred.

"Yeah, I think I'll stay up a little while longer," Twilight Sparkle proclaimed.

"That sounds like a good idea," Bronze Star decided, "How 'bout we go ahead and stay up for the rest of the night? This is a slumber party, after all."

"Sure," the three mares replied simultaneously.

Rarity took a half-hour to clean herself up. While she was in the bathroom, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle filled Bronze Star in on how the tree branch had ended up in the library. As he suspected, it involved a disagreement between Applejack and Rarity. But he did not hold that against either mare, now that they seemed to be getting along.

After Rarity had washed off the mud and dried her mane, she rejoined the others in the main room of the library. Twilight consulted her book for more fun things to do, and she proposed that they pass the time by playing 20 Questions.

For the first round, Twilight Sparkle went first. Bronze Star sat out for this round so that Applejack and Rarity could have an opportunity to work together. Thankfully, the two of them were able to cooperate and help each other this time around.

Unfortunately, even with their combined efforts, they were unable to properly guess what Twilight Sparkle was thinking of, which turned out to be a telescope. However, Twilight and Bronze pointed out that the two of them were now openly accepting and helping each other. The orange mare and the white mare were pleased to discover this.

Twilight Sparkle noted that the whole evening could have gone the same way. In response to that, Applejack and Rarity subtly blamed each other for their disagreements. But straightaway, they refuted these accusations and apologized for their behavior. Ironically, they almost got into an argument over which of them had been the more unpleasant one.

When they realized what they were doing, the two of them and Bronze Star chuckled in amusement

Twilight grinned, sat between the other two mares, and announced "I declare my first slumber party a success!"

Applejack and Rarity bumped their front hooves and cheered happily.

Twilight picked up the open book and checked off a sentence at the bottom of the page. As she did this, she thought aloud "Have fun, check."

Applejack, Rarity, and Bronze Star laughed in amusement again.

The four friends spent the next few hours of the night partaking in various activities. The second half of the slumber part was a significant improvement on the first half. Applejack and Rarity did not come to blows over anything for the remainder of the night.

At about six in the morning, the thunderstorm finally stopped. Less than twenty minutes later, the Sun rose up. As the slumber party drew to a close, Twilight decided to write another letter to her mentor. While Applejack and Rarity played another game, the lavender mare took some parchment, a quill, and some ink. Then she wrote the following:

"Dear Princess Celestia,

It's hard to believe that two ponies who seem to have so little in common could ever get along. But I found out that if you embrace each other's differences, you'd just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all."

As she composed the letter, Bronze Star read it over her shoulder. When she was finished, he observed "Seems like a very informative lesson."

"I think so, too," she remarked, smirking. She wrapped up the scroll with the royal seal and set it aside. She planned to send it off to Canterlot later. Then she got an idea. She looked around at her friends and asked "So, who's up for another slumber party tomorrow night?"

There was a brief interval of silence as she waited for a response. She got one, but not a verbal one. Instead, she got hit in the face by two pillows. Applejack had thrown the first one; Rarity had thrown the second one.

Twilight got the hint. She tentatively stated "Ugh. How about a week from Thursday? Oh, how about two weeks from Saturday? A month from now?"

Applejack and Rarity burst out laughing at Twilight's remarks. Bronze Star and Twilight herself joined in a few seconds later.

After this, Bronze Star went over to the lavender mare and whispered to her "Well, at any rate, Spike's going to freak when he finds out we had a slumber party without him."

"Because he'd enjoy this sort of thing?" Twilight presumed.

"No, because Rarity spent the night over and he wasn't here," Bronze Star specified.

"Oh, that's true," Twilight acknowledged. There was a moment of quietness, and then the lavender mare announced "On that subject, we should probably get to the train station soon."

"How come?" Rarity inquired.

"We're expecting Spike to get there in a couple hours," Bronze Star expounded.

"Spike's out of town?" Applejack said in surprise, "I just thought he was staying somewhere else tonight."

"He was," Bronze Star affirmed, "Just not in Ponyville. He's been in Canterlot for the past week."

"What has he been doing there?" Rarity queried.

"Just some errands," Twilight Sparkle explained, "Mainly, he's been assisting Princess Luna. He volunteered to be her guide and escort for the first few days in the capital city."

"How's that arrangement been working out?" Applejack queried.

"It actually worked out rather well," Bronze Star revealed, "Both Twilight and I got a note from him the other day. He included a report of everything that had taken place during his stay in the capital city. According to it, everything has gone pretty smoothly for both him and my Aunt."

"That's quite fortunate," Rarity commented.

"I agree," Applejack stated, "So, how do you know he'll be coming back today?"

"At the end of the letters, he mentioned that he planned to return to Ponyville this morning," Twilight Sparkle enlightened them, "He's supposed to arrive on the eight o'clock train."

"That's about an hour and a-half from now," Applejack pointed out as she checked the time, "I don't think we have to go to the train station just yet."

"I should think not," Rarity coincided, "We could linger here for a little while longer."

"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star remarked, "Any ideas for what we can do?"

"Well, we ran out of snacks a few hours ago," Twilight noted, "So let's have breakfast."

Nopony protested this suggestion. So the three mares and the stallion went into the kitchen to have the morning meal. Bronze Star and Applejack handled making the food while Twilight Sparkle and Rarity set the table. Within twenty minutes, they were seated and eating together.

As they ate, they had a friendly conversation.

"Well, while some of us might have mixed feelings about the party, I certainly had fun last night," Twilight Sparkle disclosed.

"I gotta admit; I did, too," Applejack agreed.

"It may have started out unenjoyable, but it ended on a very pleasant manner," Rarity perceived.

"I'll drink to that," Bronze Star stated, raising his glass, "We had what I'd regard as first-class fun. Just like my mother used to make."

This comment confused the three mares. They all turned to him and said simultaneously "Huh?"

"When I was much younger, I would often spent whole nights with my mother," Bronze Star explicated, "You could say we had slumber parties of our own. Of course, it was always just the two of us; I'm not entirely sure two people are enough to have a party."

"You could ask Pinkie Pie," Rarity cheekily stated, "She would probably argue that two is enough."

"Heck, she might even say two is more than enough," Applejack cockily theorized.

"Knowing her, she might," Twilight Sparkle agreed, scoffing. She then turned back to the gold stallion and beckoned him "So, Bronze, tell us more. What did you and Princess Celestia do during your so-called 'slumber parties?'"

"Oh, quite a lot of great stuff," Bronze Star recalled, "My mother may be strict, authoritative, and plain-speaking in public, but I know firsthoof that when she's not busy running the country, she can be sweet, playful, and creative."

"That's nice," Rarity perceived, "What sort of things would you do with her?"

"A lot of the same things the four of us did last night," Bronze Star recounted, "The activities included but are not limited to storytelling, 20 questions, hide-and-seek, and the occasional pillow fight. Sometimes the pillow fights got out of control very quickly, though."

Applejack snickered a little and stated "Forgive me, but I'm having a tough time imagining Princess Celestia takin' part in a pillow fight."

"I can hardly blame you," Bronze Star stated, "After all, that's the kind of thing you'd have to see to believe. But trust me; my mother was what you might call a 'formidable adversary' in a pillow fight. However, more often than not, I won."

"Alright, Bronze!" Twilight Sparkle in mock glee, "One might say that even before you began your military training, you were achieving victory in the proverbial battlefield."

"That does sound like something SIG Sauer would say," Bronze Star remarked in agreement.

"Did you ever have a favorite activity or anything of the sort?" Rarity queried.

"Actually, yes," Bronze Star answered her, "Truth or Dare was always my favorite. My mother could come up with some pretty elaborate dares, and it was impossible to keep any secrets from her when I chose truth. But I could be just as imaginative and intrusive as her. However, one night when I was nine, I think I may have… crossed the line."

"Why do you say that?" Applejack queried.

Bronze Star did not reply straightaway. After a few seconds of quietness, he apprised them "Because on one occasion, she chose truth, and I asked her 'Who's my father?'"

The three mares softly gasped at that revelation. Bronze Star went on with "She had a similar reaction to that question. At the time, I was worried that I had angered her or something. So before anything else happened, I suggested that we drop the subject and do something else. She did not protest. I was able to save our evening together, but that was the last time we ever played Truth or Dare."

"Gee, that's too bad," Applejack commented.

"Yes, it is," Rarity coincided, "But I suppose now, you must have some idea of how Princess Celestia felt."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star questioned.

"During our own game of Truth or Dare last night, you admitted to having strong feelings for a certain mare in Ponyville," "But you were, shall we say… reluctant to tell us who she was."

"So I was," Bronze Star recounted, "On that note, I apologize if I seemed to get somewhat worked up over that. It's just that… well, despite being one of the most well-known stallions in the country, I'm not popular with the mares. I have no idea what it's like to court somepony. I've never been on a date. In fact, I've never even been kissed."

"Neither have I, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle reminded him.

"I don't believe anypony in our group has," Rarity observed.

"Not even you, Rarity?" Bronze Star assumed in surprise.

"No, I'm saving my lips for the right stallion," the white mare proclaimed.

"I can respect that," the gold stallion conceded, "That's pretty much what I'm doing, too. This particular mare that I like, while it's much too early for me to think of her as 'the one,' I have become quite fond of her. But I don't want her to be aware of my feelings before anypony else, and I want to know whether or not she reciprocates my feelings before I tell her. That's why I didn't reveal her name last night."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Bronze," Applejack assured him, "To be honest, I think it's commendable, the way you're being so cautious about this."

"'Cautious?'" Bronze Star said in perplexity.

"A lot of stallions tend to be much too direct when approaching a mare," Applejack explicated, "You, on the other hoof, are actually making an effort to be subtle and careful. That's a sign of a pony who cares about his own feelings and the feelings of others. Truth be told, even if you weren't a prince, I don't think you'd have any difficulties with finding yourself a partner."

"Really?" Bronze Star remarked.

"Yeah," Applejack confirmed, "I don't see how anypony couldn't like you. You're hard-working, strong, dependable, compassionate, open-minded, rich, intelligent, courteous, and cunning. You're also well-versed in politics and war, as well as society. Sure, you may have some flaws, but then again, so do we all. I'd say your abilities greatly overshadow your defects."

Bronze Star was touched by this exposition. "Do you actually think all that about me, Applejack?"

"Element of Honesty, remember?" the orange mare brazenly replied, "So yes, I do. You can believe me when I tell you this, sugar cube. That mare you've fallen for… whoever she is, she's very lucky."

Bronze Star gave a pleasant smile and stated thankfully "I'm really glad to hear you say that, Applejack. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Oh?" the orange mare stated, lifting her mug up to her lips, "How come?"

Bronze Star was initially impelled not to answer that question. But he had come this far, and he figured that given the circumstances, now would be as good a time as any to come forward. As Applejack took a drink from her mug, Bronze Star inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, and then he answered her with "Because you ARE that mare."

Applejack had nearly emptied her mug, but when she heard that statement, she lowered her mug and expelled its contents from her mouth in absolute surprise. She had been facing Bronze Star at this time, so she ended up spewing her drink all over the gold stallion. He was just as alarmed by this action as she was by what he had told her.

For a moment, the four ponies sat in a very deep and uncomfortable silence. Bronze Star then looked himself over. His coat and his mane were covered in apple juice and spit. When he fully grasped this concept, he broke out guffawing.

The mares were surprised by his reaction, but then they joined him in laugher. This effectively changed the atmosphere of the scenario from unpleasant to hilarious.

Thirty seconds later, the four ponies calmed down. Then Bronze Star muttered drolly "Well, I didn't expect that."

"I know what you mean," Applejack professed.

"I'll get you a towel, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle proposed.

"And I'll get another towel for the floor and table," Rarity thought aloud.

The two Unicorns left the room to locate some towels. As a result, Bronze Star and Applejack were left alone for a few minutes.

"I'll bet they left us alone on purpose," Applejack observed.

"Well, even if they didn't, let's take advantage of their absence," Bronze Star suggested, "Now that you know how I feel… how does that make YOU feel?"

"Well, I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't surprised," Applejack responded, "So naturally, I am surprised. But in a good way."

"So do you… approve?" Bronze Star asked hopefully.

"'Approve?'" Applejack remarked, chuckling slightly, "Bronze, we're talking about feelings, not ideas. Must you always talk so formal?"

"I can't help it; that's the way I was raised," Bronze Star explained, "I'm used to using words like that."

"It's alright," Applejack asserted, "I actually think it's kinda nice."

"Oh, that's good," Bronze Star commented, "So, you didn't answer my question. Do you mind that I… like you as more than a friend?"

"No, I don't mind," she assured him, "But I'm curious. Why me?"

"The more appropriate question would be 'why not,'" Bronze Star countered, "That'd have a much shorter answer. Other than your stubbornness and your huge dislike of proper apparel and mannerisms, I can't think of a single aspect about your personality that I don't like. Your devotion to your family, your forgiving and caring mindset, your motherly demeanor, and your hardworking lifestyle much more than make up for that. Those are just a few of the things I like about you. I could try to list them all, but we'd probably be sitting here for too long if I did."

Applejack lightly scoffed at that. "Don't worry; I won't ask you to tell me all of them. You've already said quite enough."

"That's not a bad thing, is it?" he presumed a little worriedly.

"No, of course not," she guaranteed him, "I'm actually glad to know how you really feel about me, Bronze. Now we can be truthful and straightforward with each other."

"Indeed," Bronze Star concurred. He leaned forward and placed his hoof on Applejack's. Then he told her "While it is great that we both know how the other feels, I would prefer it if we take things slowly. So for now, let's just stay friends."

"I've got no problem with that," Applejack stated in approval, "We could start by sharing a meal. Say, sometime I could have you over at my place for dinner. You'd get to spend some time with me, my brother, my sister, and my granny."

"I'd like that," Bronze Star informed her, "That'd also be a fine way for me to get to know you and your family better."

"That's the idea," Applejack affirmed, "Come by anytime you want. I'm certain we'd be able to make you feel welcome."

"I'll keep that in mind," he declared, smiling.

A minute later, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity returned with a few towels. Rarity used a few of the towels to wiping the floor and table. Twilight Sparkle gave Bronze Star the other towels. As he dried himself, he comically mentioned "You know, this is the second time in the past two weeks that I've been covered in spit."

"At least it wasn't dragon spit this time," Rarity pointed out.

"True," Bronze Star concurred, "That's certainly an improvement."

"Are you going to be okay, Bronze?" Twilight Sparkle queried in concern.

"Ho, yeah," Bronze Star assured his friend. He gazed at Applejack out of the corner of his eye and added in "Everything will be quite alright."

> A Sign Of Aggression
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The four friends finished breakfast at approximately 7:45. Spike was due to arrive in about fifteen minutes, so Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star planned to go directly to the train station after that. Since they had nothing going on that morning, Applejack and Rarity decided to accompany them.

Once the table was cleared and the dishes were washed and put away, the three mares and the stallion left Golden Oaks Library. Straightaway, they noticed the change in weather. A torrential downpour for the entirety of the previous night, and now there was not a cloud in the sky.

A few other ponies were already outside. They seemed rather glad that the storm was over. Every now and then, one of them passed by Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity. Whenever this happened, the four stallions bade that pony a good morning, and he or she greeted them the same way.

The streets were still mostly empty, so the mares were able to address Bronze Star by his actual name as long as they talked quietly.

"So, you girls have anything planned for today?" Bronze Star queried.

"Well, due to the strength of last night's storm, I'll be busy inspectin' my orchards," Applejack conjectured, "Gotta make sure none of 'em got flooded and such."

"Yesterday morning, I received a huge order from a couple of wealthy clients," Rarity disclosed, "So I'm expecting to spend the day with some fabrics and a sewing machine."

"I don't have much in mind," Twilight Sparkle thought aloud, "I know I'm going to get some more studying in at some point. I'm also going to talk with Spike about Canterlot; he and I have some catching up to do."

"I know how you feel," Bronze Star remarked. He smirked and declared "I'll probably go hunting in the Everfree Forest. With a certain friend of mine."

Twilight Sparkle knew what he meant. She smiled and asked rhetorically "Looking forward to seeing him, Bronze?"

"You bet I am, Twilight," Bronze Star affirmed, "Although I've been thinking about him all week, I didn't realize until now just how much I miss him."

Applejack and Rarity looked at each other in interest. Then Rarity noted "I must say, Bronze Star; you seem even more eager to see Spike than Twilight."

"I'm not talking about Spike, Rarity," Bronze Star revealed, "I'm talking about my pet hawk."

Rarity raised an eyebrow and queried "You have a pet hawk?"

"Yeah, he mentioned that when we first met him," Applejack reminded the white mare, "Don't you remember that?"

Rarity lightly shrugged and stated "It must have slipped my mind."

"It's not your fault for forgetting, Rarity," Bronze Star assured her, "I don't expect you to remember everything about our first meeting. Aside from that, I was only really talking to Fluttershy at the time. She was the one who asked me if I had a pet, after all."

"Now that I do recall," Rarity commented. After a brief pause, Rarity said to the gold stallion "So, where is your pet hawk, Bronze?"

"Up until a few hours ago, he was in my bedroom in Canterlot Castle," Bronze Star expounded, "I haven't seen him since we left the capital city. Originally, I considered bringing him with us, but I didn't know how long we'd be away at the time. Now that our stay in Ponyville is a long-term one, I decided to have Arthur move here with me."

"His name is Arthur?" Rarity presumed.

"Yeah, his full name is Arthur D. Hawkins," Bronze Star informed her, "Or Colonel Arthur D. Hawkins, if you want to be official. You see, I like to think of him as one of the soldiers in the Equestrian military who work under my command. He certainly has the faithfulness, gallantry, and ferocity of a soldier."

"Is he flying here, or is somepony bringing him to Ponyville?" Applejack queried.

"The latter," Twilight Sparkle answered this time, "Bronze and I asked Spike to pick up a few of our things for us before he came back to Ponyville. For me, I asked him to get some of my books, clothes, and personal belongings."

"I asked him to get pretty much the same stuff," Bronze Star stated, "Only difference was that I also asked him to transport Arthur here. Hopefully, he won't have any problems with that."

"What do you mean?" Rarity inquired, "Are you concerned that Spike might forget?"

"No, I'm not doubting Spike's ability; he's very reliable," Bronze Star clarified, "It's just that… well, Arthur is a tough beast. SIG Sauer and I are perhaps the only people he feels completely comfortable around. Whenever he's around somepony he doesn't know, he tends to be more than a little mistrustful of them."

"I can vouch for that," Twilight Sparkle coincided, "It took him a couple years to get used to me. Every time I come by your room, I'm still half-expecting him to swoop down at me."

Rarity seemed a little concerned at that. "Arthur isn't… violent, is he?"

"Oh no, certainly not," Bronze Star asserted, "Hawks are fierce creatures, but they do not attack unless provoked. Since Arthur's a trained hawk, he has total control over his own actions. He isn't aggressive or vicious. However, he tends to be a little protective of me."

"Protective in what way?" Applejack queried.

"Well, one time, I took him to Canterlot Castle's annual garden party," Bronze Star reminisced, "At one point, one of the attendees made a few very rude and hostile remarks about my involvement in the military, as well as my apparel and my taste in animals. In response, Arthur let the guy feel his wings. And his beak. And his talons. Several dozen times. He damn near pecked the stallion's eye out."

"Ouch," the mares simultaneously muttered in displeasure.

"Needless to say, that was the last time I took Arthur near the Canterlot elite," Bronze Star recounted, "But as long as nopony threatens or bothers me or him, he's generally well-behaved."

"Do you think he and Winona would get along?" Applejack queried.

"They might," Bronze Star speculated, "Hawks and dogs have several similar features. They're both great trackers, excellent hunters, intelligent and tactical beings, and they are both very loyal to their masters."

"Maybe the four of us could get together and go critter hunting or something," Applejack proposed.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Bronze Star thought aloud, "However, I'd like to give Arthur some time to get accustomed to Ponyville first. Once he's as comfortable here as I am, we can talk about that."

"Sounds like a nice plan to me," Applejack agreed.

The three mares and the stallion then continued trotting in silence until they reached the train depot. The eight o'clock from Canterlot was due to arrive in less than five minutes. Sure enough, the ponies soon heard the sound of a train whistle in the distance. At first it was faint, but it gradually got louder as the train got closer.

About two minutes later, the train was parked in the depot. Once it had completely stopped, the conductor announced "Ponyville, watch your step!" and the cars' doors slid open. Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rarity kept their eyes open for Spike as the passengers disembarked.

Thirty seconds later, Applejack pointed to a car near the front of the locomotive and pronounced "There he is!"

The others turned in that direction. They could clearly see the baby dragon amidst the crowd of ponies. He was pulling a trolley loaded with suitcases in tow. There were four suitcases and a tall, wide object covered with a sheet.

The four ponies quickly made their way over to Spike. Bronze Star got his attention by calling out "Hey, Spike."

The baby dragon swiftly turned around in response. When he saw the three mares and the stallion, he lightly smiled and uttered softly "Oh, hi, guys. Good to see you all."

"Glad you're back, Spike," Twilight Sparkle told her assistant, "It hasn't been the same without you."

"Thanks, Twi," Spike said gratefully. There was a brief pause, and then he gestured to the trolley and stated "So, I, uh… I got the stuff you asked for. It's all right here."

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle noted that Spike appeared to be a little agitated. Concerned, the gold stallion queried "Is something the matter?"

"Well, um…" the baby dragon began tentatively. He paused for a minute as he thought about how to continue. Then he slowly and nervously looked up at Bronze Star, as if he was worried that what he had to say would have a negative effect on the young prince. Ultimately, Spike sighed and declared "I think you should see for yourself."

He then turned back to the trolley, reached up to the top of the pile of luggage, and gradually removed the sheet. Once the sheet was removed, the object underneath it was revealed to be a birdcage. Bronze Star recognized it as Arthur's birdcage. He stepped forward and peered into the cage. His pet hawk was inside, lying flat on his back and moaning in despair.

Bronze Star gasped in shock and exclaimed worriedly "Oh, my… Arthur!"

He picked up the cage and held it close to his head. He lightly tapped the side of it, hoping to get some reaction out of the bird. Initially, Arthur appeared to be unresponsive. With difficulty, he managed to turn his head towards Bronze Star and look up at him. He was able to recognize his master, and he screeched in mild contentment.

Bronze Star was glad that his pet hawk had responded to him. He turned to the baby dragon and practically demanded "What happened?"

"It wasn't me," Spike hastily proclaimed, shaking his claws, "I swear, I didn't do anything to him!"

"Nopony's accusing you, Spike," Twilight Sparkle assured the baby dragon, "We know you wouldn't harm a thing."

Spike eased down at that. Bronze Star was still quite phased, though. He reiterated his previous statement "Can you please tell me what happened to Arthur? Is he ill? Was he in an accident?"

"I actually have no idea," Spike apprised him, "I didn't see him until yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by your room to get your stuff, and I found him like this. He was sprawled out in the center of the floor."

"Why didn't you take him to a veterinarian?" Twilight Sparkle enquired.

"I thought about that, but I decided against it," Spike answered her, "You see, even with Arthur in his weakened state, it was a real challenge to get him into his cage. He put up quite a struggle until he was inside. So I doubted he'd be any more willing to have a pet doctor place his hooves all over him. I hope I didn't make the wrong call."

"No, you made the right choice, Spike," Bronze Star professed, as he was aware of his pet hawk's mistrustful tendency, "Arthur has a strong dislike for veterinarians. If you took him to one without me, he probably would have just stirred up some trouble. Still, he doesn't seem to be doing too good. We have to take him to somepony who can find out what's wrong with him."

"Well, in that case, we should go to Fluttershy's cottage," Rarity suggested.

"You think Fluttershy would be able to help?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Oh, most definitely," Applejack muttered in approval, "She's got her own private animal center established at her house. Her doors are open to all types of animals, and she cares for all them equally. If anypony can find the problem with Arthur, it'd have to be her."

Bronze Star was quickly convinced to go ahead with this recommendation. Before they went anywhere, the four ponies and the dragon unloaded the luggage from the trolley. Twilight Sparkle used her magic to levitate the suitcases into the air and carry them alongside her. Bronze Star attached Arthur's birdcage to his back so that he had all four hooves free.

After this, the group of five departed from the depot and headed towards the outskirts of town. Applejack and Rarity led the way, as they knew the most direct route to Fluttershy's cottage. They arrived within the next ten minutes.

The yellow Pegasus was sitting outside having a picnic breakfast with her pet bunny Angel, some mice, some rats, a ferret, a porcupine, and several other creatures. Fluttershy and most of the animals were engrossed in the meal, but Angel noticed the group of ponies and the dragon approaching them.

He hopped over to his mistress and rapidly tapped his foot against her side. She looked down at him an asked sweetly "Yes, Angel?"

The bunny pointed out that they had company. When Fluttershy saw five of her friends nearing the house, she got to her hooves, smiled at them, and welcomed them "Good morning, everypony."

"Hello, Fluttershy," the four ponies and the dragon cordially returned

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Fluttershy inquired positively.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Bronze Star responded, "You're not busy, are you?"

"No, my animal friends and I were just eating breakfast," Fluttershy apprised him, "We're almost finished."

"Good, then if it's not too much to ask, I have a favor to ask of you," Bronze Star disclosed. He approached the wildlife preserver, removed the birdcage from his back, and held it up for Fluttershy to see.

As soon as she saw the injured bird inside the cage, Fluttershy recoiled in alarm. However, her surprise was quickly replaced with concern. She looked up at the gold stallion and asked him "Who is this?"

"This is my pet hawk, Arthur D. Hawkins," Bronze Star informed her, "Spike brought him here from Canterlot this morning. He found him in this condition. We don't know what's wrong with him, but he's in a lot of pain. Applejack and Rarity recommended that I come to you, since you're an expert on animals. Do you suppose you could take a look at him?"

Fluttershy did not even hesitate to respond. She grinned gently and said "Why, of course I will."

Bronze Star smiled and told her appreciatively "Thank you so much."

She just nodded her head and trotted over to the front door of her cottage. She pushed the entrance open and beckoned the young prince "Bring him inside."

Bronze Star quickly followed the timid mare into the small building. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike figured that not all of them had to be directly present for this, so they decided to remain outside.

Fluttershy led Bronze Star over to a table at the far end of the room. She instructed him "Place him down here."

Bronze Star complied and carefully set Arthur's birdcage down in front of her. Fluttershy then reached under the table and pulled out a large first aid kit. As she opened the lid, she removed some supplies and requested "Could you take him out?"

"Sure," Bronze Star replied. There was a small door on the side of the birdcage. The latch had been fastened, but only because Spike had put Arthur inside the cage. Had Bronze Star been the only who put Arthur inside, he would have left the latch hanging, as he trusted Arthur not to fly off. At any rate, Bronze Star slowly reached inside the cage and gently took ahold of his pet hawk. Then he carefully pulled him out, being sure not to make any sudden movements.

When Arthur was out of the cage, Fluttershy held out her front hooves and asked "May I see him?"

"Alright, but be careful," Bronze Star advised her, "He has a particular disdain for strangers. If you hold him too roughly or too uncomfortably, he might attack."

"I understand," the timid mare boldly declared, "Don't worry, Bronze. I promise you that I know what I'm doing."

"Very well then," Bronze Star said in acknowledgment.

He extended his front legs so that his pet hawk was within reach of Fluttershy. She prepared to receive Arthur into her own front legs. However, as his master moved him closer to Fluttershy, Arthur eyed her suspiciously. Before the yellow mare could take him, he waved his talons and shrieked threateningly.

"Arthur, shape up!" Bronze Star sternly ordered his pet.

"No, no, no, it's alright," Fluttershy spoke calmly and easily to the hawk, "I can tell that you're in pain. Please, let me do something to repair the damage. I'm not going to hurt you even more. I only want to help you get better."

Normally, Arthur would have simply hissed and tried to swipe at Fluttershy again. However, there was something about her voice and demeanor that stuck out to him. Her words and actions had a rather soothing effect on him. Usually, it was belligerence that he respected, not empathy. However, Fluttershy's comforting approach made him feel safe and secure, and he decided to trust her.

Arthur did not put up any more resistance. He allowed his master to transfer him to the yellow mare's front legs. He did not fidget or squeal at all. Bronze Star was rather impressed by Fluttershy's success in keeping the hawk calm.

"Amazing," he remarked, smirking, "You must be the first person Arthur has ever immediately taken a liking to."

"Animals just tend to become attached to me like that," Fluttershy mentioned. She carefully set Arthur on the table and thought aloud "Now, let's see if we can find the problem."

She spent the next few minutes examining the wounded bird. She was very gentle, very soft, and very thorough. Bronze Star stood idly by and watched her work. He anxiously waited to hear her diagnosis.

Eventually, Fluttershy set Arthur down and turned back to his master. She notified him "It looks as though his wing is broken. And I do not mean it's simply been 'clipped.' It's been bent straight backwards. The bone is just a few strands of cartilage away from being snapped in half."

"How could that have happened?" Bronze Star queried.

"I can think of a few possibilities," Fluttershy commented, "But that's not what I'm worried about. He needs to be treated straightaway. It's a good thing you brought him here when you did. A few hours more and he would have lost his wing."

"So he won't lose it, right?" Bronze Star presumed hopefully.

"No, I should be able to fix it," Fluttershy guaranteed the gold stallion, "He'll need a few days to heal, though. If you leave Arthur here with me, I can have his wing repaired by the end of the week. It'll still a couple of months before he'll be able to fly properly again, but he won't be in anguish anymore."

A wide grin came across Bronze Star's face when he heard this. He hugged the yellow mare firmly and told her "Thank you so much, Fluttershy."

She grinned back and returned the embrace, saying "I'm just happy to help. I love caring for animals."

"Well, I should still compensate you for your troubles," Bronze Star decided, "How much is your standard fee? I'll bring you the money for the bill later."

"Oh, no charge, Bronze," Fluttershy replied candidly, "You said you needed a favor, and friends are supposed to do favors for each other. You don't have to pay me. And before you ask, yes, I'm sure. My services are free."

"Okay, if you insist," Bronze Star coincided. After a short pause, he added in "If he gives you any problems, just swing by the embassy. I won't mind coming by and straightening him out."

"That probably won't be necessary," Fluttershy pronounced, "But I'll keep that in mind. Is there anything else about him I should know?"

"Yeah, there are a few things," he informed her, "Firstly, his eating habits. While he's willing to consume pretty much anything, he has a fondness for fresh meat. His favorites are mice and rats. Do you have any of either?"

At that, Bronze Star thought he heard a bunch of high-pitched squeaks from the other side of the room. He looked over his shoulder and noticed a small family of white mice running into a hole in the wall, as well as a small family of rats scampering out the door.

"Yes…" Fluttershy answered awkwardly, "But none dead."

"I understand," Bronze Star stated, "Well, he likes fish almost as much. Anything wrong with fish?"

"No, I'm fine with giving him fish," Fluttershy stated.

"Excellent," Bronze Star commented, "He also needs plenty of water. He's normally a very active bird, so he needs to remain hydrated. Although he won't be using his wings for a while, he should be able to exercise his legs. As soon as his wing's patched up and he's strong enough to walk, he'll probably be going for a jog at least twice a day. I've got no problem with that, just make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Oh, and most importantly, he likes to be addressed as 'Colonel.'"

Fluttershy lightly scoffed and repeated "'Colonel?'"

"Yeah, I gave him that nickname when I was younger," Bronze Star clarified, "He has a thing for formality much like I do. You got all that?"

"Fish, water, jogging, 'Colonel,'" Fluttershy mumbled quietly, "I've got it all."

Bronze Star smirked again and patted the yellow mare on the shoulder. He remarked "I can't tell you how grateful I am, Fluttershy."

"It's my pleasure, Bronze," she assured him, resting her front hoof on his, "I'll keep you informed of the progress of Arthur's recovery. You can pick him up and take him home as soon as his wing's been mended."

"Then I eagerly await to hear from you," Bronze Star wryly decreed.

After this, Bronze Star trotted out of Fluttershy's cottage. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike were still standing outside. The lavender mare asked eagerly "So, how did it go?"

"Turns out he had a broken wing," Bronze Star apprised them, "His limb was almost literally hanging by a thread. Fortunately, Fluttershy believes she can nurse him back to health."

"Well, that's good," Applejack commented. The others mumbled in agreement.

"Now that we know Arthur will be alright, let's head back into town and leave Fluttershy to her work," Twilight suggested.

Nopony protested this idea. They returned to Ponyville together, but they went their separate ways at the border of the town. Applejack trotted over to Sweet Apple Acres and Rarity galloped over to Carousel Boutique. Twilight Sparkle was still using her magic to carry the four suitcases that Spike had brought from Canterlot. Before she and Spike parted ways with Bronze Star, she gave two of suitcases to the gold stallion. Then Twilight and Spike made their way to Golden Oaks Library, and Bronze Star headed to the embassy.

The next few days in Ponyville were relatively quiet and uneventful. Although Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle had come to the conclusion that there was never a dull moment in Ponyville, they found themselves with surprisingly little to do in the days following the slumber party. Twilight managed to keep herself entertained by doing some additional studying, reading, and reorganizing her bookshelves. Bronze Star, on the other hoof, had much less going on. He had planned to spend a lot of time bonding with Arthur whenever his pet hawk got in from Canterlot. But since Arthur was under Fluttershy's care, that plan had quickly gone down the drain. Other than exercising, window shopping, and another meeting with Mayor Mare and City Council, he was unable to find something particularly interested to keep him occupied.

Eventually, Bronze Star became so bored that it got to the point where he was willing to try out just about anything to have a little excitement. So he went from door-to-door in Ponyville, asking his friends and neighbors if they needed some assistance with anything. The vast majority of them either had nothing of the sort going on, or they politely refused his offer.

Luckily, when he got to Sweet Apple Acres, he received neither of those responses. Applejack happily accepted his offer to assist with harvesting the orchards. Bronze Star was glad that she had not turned him down for three reasons. One, he would be able to get some more fresh air and sunlight. Two, he remembered the last time he had helped Applejack buck the trees, and he had had a great deal of enjoyment at the time. Three… it gave him an excuse to be with the mare he liked.

Currently, nopony other than Twilight Sparkle and Rarity knew that Bronze Star and Applejack had developed strong feelings for each other. The two Unicorns had promised not to mention this matter to anypony. The gold stallion and the orange mare were grateful for this, as they still wanted to keep quiet about their feelings for now. Of course, if their relationship ever escalated beyond that of very close friends, they knew they would not be able to keep it a secret forever. So for now, they chose to simply remain very close friends.

Once they started bucking the trees, Bronze Star easily quelled his boredom. One notable thing he and Applejack had in common was that they both seemed to derive more pleasure from working than pretty much anything else. There was just something about vigorously using the mind and the body in a productive manner that they both found quite appealing.

Working together was even better. They were able to talk about recent events and share amusing stories while they bucked the trees. Every now and then, one of the apples rolled down a hill. Whenever that happened, one of them would retrieve the rogue fruit and play a brief game of catch with it.

For three days, the orange mare and the gold stallion spent much of the late morning, afternoon, and early evening gathering fruit. It was rewarding both in the physical sense and the romantic sense.

On the third day, they waited until the middle of the evening to quit. Applejack was almost late for supper with her family. She asked Bronze Star if he wanted to stay, but he said he was not hungry just yet. He was used to waiting until eight or nine o'clock to have dinner. Still, he was grateful for the farmer's proposal.

"We still need to decide when I should come over for dinner," Bronze Star reminded her.

"I'll talk it over with my family at the table tonight," Applejack informed him, "I'll get back to you on this tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good," Bronze Star stated, "Should I get here at the usual time?"

"Nah, we're way ahead of schedule, so we can take a day off," Applejack declared, "How about I come to you instead?"

"Sure," Bronze Star affirmed, "Would nine o'clock at the embassy do for you?"

"You betcha," she giddily replied, "I'll see ya then, sugar cube."

Bronze Star bade the orange mare good night and made his way back to the embassy. He wondered what Applejack's family was like. He had already met her older brother Big McIntosh, and he seemed like a pleasant individual. He was not certain that he had ever seen her grandmother Granny Smith or her younger sister Apple Bloom. But if they were anything like Applejack, Bronze Star was confident that he was going to like them.

The next morning, Bronze Star got up at seven o'clock like he always did. He showered, made and ate breakfast, and washed the dishes like he normally did. By the time he was done, it was approximately 8:15. He still had forty-five minutes until Applejack was due to arrive. He decided to pass the time the way Twilight would have; he read a book. That certainly kept his mind occupied, but he still preferred Applejack's company.

An entire hour had passed before Bronze Star checked the time. It was approximately 9:15 and Applejack had not arrived yet. He found this rather odd. Applejack was very punctual and reliable; she would not be this late unless something had come up.

Bronze Star decided to wait for another fifteen minutes. When Applejack still did not show, he chose to swing by Sweet Apple Acres and see if everything was alright.

When he stepped outside, Bronze Star immediately noted that the weather was absolutely lovely. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the Sun was shining brightly all over Ponyville. This was the type of day where everypony would be outside to enjoy the clear skies. However, this was not the case. Bronze Star also noticed something rather peculiar: The streets were completely deserted. It was as though the entire town had been evacuated. Of course, had that been the case, he would have been the first to know about it. Something else was going on.

After wandering through the town by himself for about five minutes, Bronze Star encountered Twilight Sparkle and Spike. The baby dragon was sitting on the lavender mare's back.

"Good morning, Bronze," Spike greeted the young prince.

"Hey, guys," the gold stallion returned. "Have you seen Applejack this morning?"

"Nope, we haven't seen her," Twilight informed him, "Then again, we just came outside a minute ago. We haven't seen anypony yet today."

"Same here," Bronze Star remarked. He decided to hang out with the two of them for a little bit. As he and Twilight trotted through the streets, Bronze Star thought aloud "Beautiful weather we're having, huh?"

"I'll say," Twilight concurred. She looked around the area and commented "Wow, what a gorgeous day!"

"Rainbow Dash must have gotten up early for once and cleared all the clouds away," Spike theorized.

"Could be," Bronze Star admitted, "Then again, Rainbow does like sleeping in."

"True," Spike stated in agreement, "I'm still glad we stepped out of the library this early."

"I bet all of Ponyville is going to be out enjoying the sunshine," Twilight conjectured.

"That's what I thought at first, too" Bronze Star contradicted, "But apparently, that's not the case."

The two of them continued walking for a bit, and then Twilight abruptly stopped. She had just realized that nopony else was around. She asked in worry "What? Where is everypony?"

They heard what sounded like a bald eagle's call. They noticed that a window was open on the second floor of a house. Shoeshine momentarily appeared at that window, and she quickly closed the shutters.

After this, a tumbleweed rolled through the area. On the other side of the street, Ruby Pinch was standing in the doorframe of her house's front entrance. She was smiling at Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike. Ruby looked as though she was going to come outside, but her mother intervened. Berry Punch grabbed her daughter by the tail, pulled her back inside, and slammed the door shut.

"Is it some sort of pony holiday?" Spike inquired.

"Not that I know of," Twilight replied.

"If it was, the mayor would have told me," Bronze Star claimed.

"Does my breath stink?" Spike hypothesized. He belched loudly so that his friends could get a whiff.

"Not more than usual," Twilight remarked.

"Yeah, still smells like flank," Bronze Star wittily stated.

"Is it... zombies?!" Spike asked worriedly.

Twilight narrowed her eyes and bluntly answered "Uh... not very likely."

"Not likely... but possible?" Spike supposed fretfully.

"I highly doubt it, Spike," Bronze Star assured the baby dragon, "You've just been reading too many of those The Trotting Dead comics."

A moment later, they heard a "Psst!"

They turned in the direction of the sound. It was coming from Sugarcube Corner. The lower half of the main entrance was closed, but the upper half was still open. Pinkie Pie briefly appeared at it three times, and she quietly called out "Twilight! Spike! Bronze!"

The two ponies and the baby dragon were intrigued by the pink mare's behavior.

"Come here!" Pinkie implored them, "Come! Here! Hurry! Before she gets you!"

Twilight Sparkle groaned in slight annoyance, but she, Spike, and Bronze Star went along with Pinkie Pie's request and made their way over to her. Interestingly, all the lights were off in the sweet shop. Once they were all inside, Spike asked nervously "Who?! The zombie pony?"

"Z-Zombie pony?!" Pinkie anxiously repeated

"Spike! There are no zombie ponies." Twilight insisted. She then looked over at the pink mare and queried "Pinkie, what are you doing here alone in the dark?"

"I'm not alone in the dark," Pinkie Pie revealed, gesturing over her shoulder. It was then that the others realized that Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and a young filly were assembled there, as well.

Twilight Sparkle gasped in alarm at this sudden discovery, but she quickly eased down and stated "Okay then, what are you all doing here in the dark?"

"We're hidin' from her!" Applejack timorously responded, pointing out the window.

Curious as to what the orange mare was talking about, Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike approached the window and gazed outside. The other six ponies in the room gathered behind them and peered outside, as well.

Outside the shop, a figure clad in a cloak and hood was prowling through the streets. Based on her stature, the figure seemed to be a mare. However, she had a very unusual coat pattern. Part of her hooves and muzzle were visible, and she seemed to be covered in shades of white and black. She was focused on the ground in front of her, and she slowly dug at it with her front hooves. A few seconds later, she cocked her head upward, as if she could sense that she was being watched. Then she turned directly towards Sugarcube Corner.

In response, everypony except Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike gasped in alarm and ducked down to hide themselves. Twilight Sparkle and Spike were confused by their actions.

However, Bronze Star could somewhat understand them. The cloak that the figure was wearing was nearly identical to the one Noble Edict's agents had found in the Everfree Forest during the marehunt for Hazy Wisp. In addition to that, Hazy Wisp also had a black coat, and the figure outside had a frame very similar to hers. He quickly developed a very unpleasant theory as to who that mare was. If his theory turned out to be correct, then the others had every reason to be afraid.

"It couldn't be…" he muttered in shock, "Is that Hazy Wisp?"

"Who?" the filly inquired.

"He's talkin' about one of the people responsible for that Nightmare Moon incident," Applejack enlightened her. She then turned to the gold stallion and told him "And don't worry; that's not her. But the person out there is almost as bad."

Bronze Star was relieved that the head of the Nightmare Moon cult had not returned to Ponyville. But he was curious as to who could possibly be anywhere nearly as awful as Hazy Wisp.

The filly had approached the lavender mare and asked her "Did you see her Twilight? Did you see... Zecora?"

Applejack glared down at the filly and sternly remarked "Apple Bloom! I told you never to say that name."

Bronze Star quickly gathered that the filly was Applejack's sister. Apple Bloom had a yellow coat, a red mane, and orange irises. She also had a large pink bow in her mane. Interestingly, she also had no cutie mark.

Twilight answered Apple Bloom's question with "Well, I saw her glance this way..."

"Glance evilly this way," Pinkie dramatically interrupted her.

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, and then she continued with "... And then a bunch of you flip out for no good reason."

"No good reason?" Applejack snappily retorted. She placed her front hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder and proclaimed "You call protectin' yer kin no good reason? Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora ridin' into town, she started shakin' in her lil' horseshoes."

She then started shaking Apple Bloom unsteadily. As she did this, the yellow filly stammered "Did not!"

Applejack then released her sister and stated "So I swept her up and brought her here."

"I walked here myself!" Apple Bloom countered.

Applejack stared down at her and added in "For safe keepin'."

"Applejack, I'm not a baby!" Apple Bloom defensively declared, "I can take care of myself!"

"Not from that creepy Zecora," Applejack insisted.

"She's mysterious," Fluttershy muttered edgily.

"Sinister," Rainbow Dash whispered hauntingly.

"And spoooooky!" Pinkie Pie murmured disturbingly.

Spike seemed a little bothered by these remarks. Twilight Sparkle groaned in annoyance again. Bronze Star was relatively indifferent; he was used to dealing with threats to public safety.

He looked over at Applejack and commented slyly "Well, at least I know why you didn't show up this morning."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," Applejack sincerely told him, "I was gonna come to the embassy just as soon as I dropped Apple Bloom off at school. I was actually on my way when Zecora showed up. When that happened, we ran for shelther like everypony else."

"Since you were just being protective, I understand," Bronze Star assured her.

Apple Bloom paid close attention to their dialogue. When they were finished, she looked up at her sister and inquired "Is this him, Applejack?"

"Yeah, this is the stallion I told you about," the orange mare replied.

Apple Bloom turned to Bronze Star, smiled kindly, and held out her front hoof to him. She said candidly "It's pleasure to meet ya, Mr. Gold Streak."

Obviously, Applejack had not revealed Bronze Star's identity to her family. He was glad for that. He took the filly's hoof in his and shook it. Her hoof was a lot smaller than his, so he was gentle with her. When he released her hoof, he smiled back and avowed "Nice to meet you, as well, my dear."

Apple Bloom lightly blushed at being addressed like that. After the red tint vanished from her cheeks, she stated "Applejack told me all about how you saved her life a few weeks ago."

"Saved her life?" Bronze Star stated in minor perplexity. He briefly thought back through the events of the last few weeks. It did not take him long to realize what Apple Bloom was referring to. He pronounced "Oh, you mean when she passed out during Applebuck Season and I used CPR to revive her?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Apple Bloom affirmed. She approached the gold stallion and embraced his front leg. Then she looked up at him again and mentioned "Can't tell ya how thankful I am for that."

Bronze Star smiled and patted Apple Bloom on her shoulder. He told her "Don't mention it. I'm just glad I was able to help. I did what I did not just for Applejack, but also for myself, as well. Your sister means a lot to me."

"I can tell," Apple Bloom wittily professed, "You wanna know something funny? When you gave Applejack mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, that was the first time she ever got a stallion to put his lips on hers!"

Apple Bloom then burst into a small fit of giggles. So did Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. Out of respect for their friends, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle remained silent. Bronze Star and Applejack both blushed deeply, and the latter casually asked the former "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it's true," Applejack bluntly admitted, "But now's not the time to talk about this stuff."

"She's right," Rainbow Dash concurred, "Let's take another look outside. Maybe Zecora's already gone."

The eight ponies and the baby dragon gradually approached the window again. It turned out that Zecora was still out in the street. She seemed to have gotten closer to Sugarcube Corner. Everypony except Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle gasped in fright and backed away.

Twilight Sparkle mumbled agitatedly "Will you cut that out?"

"I don't see what the whole dilemma is," Bronze Star noted, "Her façade may imply that she's mysterious, but vagueness is not sufficient enough to entail enmity."

A few of the others could comprehend what Bronze Star was saying, but the others were just baffled by his wording.

"What did he say?" Rainbow Dash asked inquisitively

"No clue," Pinkie Pie drily responded.

Bronze Star sighed and muttered under his breath "I gotta learn to speak more informally."

"Good idea," Applejack coincided.

There was a brief interval of silence. Then Rarity pointed out the window towards Zecora and announced to the others "Just look at those stripes! So garish!"

"She's a zebra," Twilight Sparkle disclosed.

"A what!?" Everypony except Bronze Star shouted.

"A zebra," the lavender mare illuminated, "and her stripes aren't a fashion choice, Rarity. They're what she was born with.

Rarity closed her eyes, whimpered, and fainted.

"Born where?" Applejack enquired "I've never seen a pony like that in these parts, 'cept... her!"

"Well, she's probably not from here, and she's not a pony," Twilight informed the others, "My books say that zebras come from a far away land. But I've never seen her in Ponyville. Where does she live?"

"That's just it," Applejack nervously replied, "She lives in... the Everfree Forest!"

Out of nowhere, there was a huge crash that sounded like a thunderclap. The ponies shuddered in surprise and turned towards the source. They quicklly calmed down when they discovered that the cause of the noise was just Spike messing around with some pots.

"Spike!" Twilight rebuked her assistant.

"Uh, sorry," the baby dragon apologized.

"The Everfree Forest just ain't natural," Applejack proclaimed, "The plants grow..."

"Animals care for themselves..." Fluttershy continued.

"And the clouds move..." Rainbow Dash uttered.

The three of them fretfully finished at once "All on their own!"

By this point, Rarity had gotten back up. But after hearing this, she let out a cry and fainted again.

"And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil... stuff!" Pinkie Pie yelled energetically "She's so evil I even wrote a song about her!"

"Oh, boy," Bronze Star thought aloud.

Rainbow Dash knew what he meant. She rolled her eyes and mumbled with a sigh "Here we go..."

Unsurprisingly, Pinkie Pie then broke into song. Over the next twenty seconds, she jumped around the room and chanted the following lyrics:

"She's an evil enchantress

She does evil dances

And if you look deep in her eyes

She'll put you in trances

Then what will she do?

She'll mix up an evil brew

Then she'll gobble you up

In a big tasty stew

Soooo... Watch out!"

When she was finished, Pinkie Pie was standing on her hind legs and panting deeply. Most of the others were speechless.

"Wow." Twilight commented, "Catchy."

"It's a work in progress," Pinkie declared proudly.

Despite the intimidating nature of Pinkie's song, it was not enough to convince Twilight Sparkle or Bronze Star that Zecora was a malevolent being.

"This is all just a lot of gossip and rumors," Twilight pointed out, "Now tell me; what exactly have you actually seen Zecora do?"

"Well..." Rainbow Dash began, "Once a month, she comes into Ponyville."

"Oooooh." Twilight muttered dramatically.

"Then, she lurks by the stores," Rarity went on.

"Oh, my," Twilight spoke in an equally dramatic manner.

"And then, she digs at the ground," Fluttershy revealed.

"Good gracious!" Twilight mentioned dramatically once more. Evidently, she was mocking the others. Then she stated in her normal tone of voice "Okay, I'm sorry. But how is any of this bad? Maybe she comes to town to visit?"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom mentioned in agreement, "Maybe she's just tryin' to be neighborly."

"And maybe she's not lurking by the stores," Twilight speculated, "Maybe she's going to them, lurk free, to do some shopping?"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom conceded, "Everypony likes to shop. You know what I think?"

Before she had a chance to express her opinion, Applejack interceded and sharply told her "Apple Bloom! Hush and let the big ponies talk."

Apple Bloom scowled angrily and mumbled under her breath "I am a big pony!"

"W-what about digging at the ground?" Rainbow Dash pointed out, "You've got to admit that's weird."

"What if she's digging for innocent creatures?" Fluttershy guessed.

"I don't think so," Bronze Star countered, scoffing, "The only creatures she'd find in the ground would be earthworms and beetles. You may as well accuse her of planting landmines."

In the background, Pinkie Pie had started singing her "Evil Enchantress" song again.

"I am sure there is an explanation for everything Zecora does," Twilight insisted, "And if anypony here were actually brave enough to approach her, she would find out the truth."

"Well, I'm brave enough," Apple Bloom quietly spoke, "I'm gonna find out myself."

Although the others were gathered around the building's front entrance, nopony was lingering near the back entrance. Apple Bloom silently made her way to the back of the shop and slipped outside. She spotted Zecora and eyed her closely. At one point, the zebra turned in the direction of the yellow filly. Apple Bloom gasped and hid to avoid being seen. Zecora soon looked away and sauntered towards the Everfree Forest. Apple Bloom noiselessly and cautiously followed her.

Inside Sugarcube Corner, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were still trying to find a way to explain Zecora's actions and assure the others that their accusations were unfounded.

"So, nopony in this town has even TRIED to approach her?" Bronze Star presumed in disbelief.

"That's right," Rainbow Dash confirmed.

"I find that very difficult to believe," Bronze Star disputed, "Sure, I'm the one who represents Valor, but the rest of you are hardly what I would regard as cowards. I mean, the five of you didn't hesitate to assist me and Twilight when we went searching for the Elements of Harmony. You stood up to Nightmare Moon and defeated her without a hint of fear. So how is it you're this afraid of a single zebra?"

"He makes an excellent point," Twilight Sparkle noted.

"Yes, he does," Rarity asserted, "Still, you mustn't forget that we had the Elements of Harmony at the time. Now we don't have anything but our hooves to defend ourselves with."

"That's true," Fluttershy debated, "Besides, as powerful and dangerous as Nightmare Moon was, at least we all knew what she was capable of. We haven't the slightest idea as to what Zecora could do to us."

"If her presence is enough to generate a disturbance of the peace, that would theoretically be enough to have her banned from town," Bronze Star speculated, "Only theoretically, mind you. Has anypony considered that?"

"Actually, yes," Rainbow Dash revealed, "A lot of people have asked Noble Edict to bar Zecora from Ponyville. However, she's never accepted any of those requests. Noble claims that she cannot legally prevent anypony from setting hoof in this town unless the perpetrator has committed a serious crime or felony against the townspeople."

"That's a very reasonable policy," Bronze Star commented in approval, "On that note, has Noble ever tried speaking to Zecora? As the town's chief of security, she must have the courage to go near her."

"You're right about that," Applejack disclosed, "As it turns out, Noble is probably the only person in Ponyville who doesn't fear Zecora. Whenever that zebra showed her face around her before, Noble was able to get rid of her."

"What would she do?" Twilight enquired.

"She would just approach Zecora and calmly ask her to do whatever business she had to do in town and leave when she was done," Pinkie Pie recalled, "It never failed. Zecora was always gone within five minutes."

"Well, that's good," Bronze Star declared, "That implies that Zecora is a rational being; one capable of accepting requests and listening to reason."

"Maybe, but we still don't know about her," Fluttershy remarked timidly, "I really wish Noble Edict was here right now. She'd be able to help us."

"Well, there has to be somepony in this town who's willing to give Zecora a chance," Bronze Star assumed hopefully.

"Not likely," Rainbow Dash straightforwardly said in response.

"You ponies are being ridiculous!" Twilight barked.

"Well, I heard that Zecora eats hay," Pinkie Pie uttered menacingly.

Twilight retorted in astonishment "Pinkie, I eat hay; you eat hay!"

"Yeah, but I heard it's the evil way she eats hay," Pinkie proclaimed.

"Hey! Where's Apple Bloom?" Applejack yelled in worry.

The others looked around the room, but the filly was nowhere to be seen. Fluttershy looked to the back room and informed the others "The door's open."

"She went outside!" Rarity declared.

"And Zecora's still out there," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

Applejack sighed and muttered fretfully "That silly lil' filly! I told her to stay put!"

"Well, let's go after her!" Bronze Star hurriedly proposed.

Nopony protested this idea. The others quickly ran outside. Twilight Sparkle was the last one to leave. Before she left, she turned to her assistant and ordered him "Spike, you stay here in case Apple Bloom comes back."

"Will do!" the baby dragon acknowledged. As soon as the seven ponies were gone, Spike kept himself busy by cleaning up the mess he had made with the pots.

At this time, about a mile away, Apple Bloom was on Zecora's trail. The zebra was very nimble and stealthy, and she constantly looked over her shoulder. Despite this, Apple Bloom managed to avoid detection.

At one point, Zecora halted in her pace altogether, and she turned around entirely. Apple Bloom gulped in nervousness and took a step back.

Just then, she heard a familiar voice call out behind her "Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom gasped in surprise and turned around. She discovered that her sister and her friends were less than five meters away from her. Applejack was at the front of the group. She grimaced angrily and demanded "You get back here right now!"

Before Apple Bloom could move in either direction, Zecora spoke for the first time. She announced in a menacing tone "Beware! Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

It was worth mentioning that at this time, Applejack and the others were standing in a large patch of blue leaves. Bronze Star was intrigued by Zecora's words. They sounded like a warning. Even if it was, he was the only one who even paid any heed to it.

Applejack snapped back "Y-you keep your creepy mumbo-jumbo to yourself, ya hear?"

After this, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity spoke over each other against Zecora. They threw various insults and threats her way.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and murmured "Oh brother."

"Beware! Beware!" Zecora repeated as she backed into a cloud of fog and vanished from their sight.

"Yeah, back at ya, Zecora!" Rainbow Dash shot back, "You and your lame curse are the ones who better beware!"

By now, the zebra was no longer in the area. Applejack turned to her younger sister and furiously told her "And you! Why couldn't you just listen to yer big sister?"

"I...I..." Apple Bloom sputtered anxiously.

"Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora could have just put on you?" Applejack hypothesized.

"Just like in my song!" Pinkie Pie shouted. She started singing a shorter version of "Evil Enchantress."

"You guys, there's no such thing as curses!" Twilight Sparkle maintained.

"Well, that's interesting to hear coming from Miss Magic Pants herself," Rainbow Dash snappily retorted, gesturing to Twilight's horn.

"My magic, real magic, comes from within," Twilight Sparkle explained, "It's a skill you're born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations; all smoke and mirrors meant to scare. But curses have no real power, they're just an old pony tale."

Twilight made a very compelling argument, but it was not enough to sway the minds of most of the others. As the eight ponies started trotting back towards Ponyville, Applejack stated darkly "Just you wait, Twilight. You're gonna learn that some pony tales really are true."

"Well, let's just get the Tartarus out of here before we get attacked by a haunted tree or something," Bronze Star sardonically advised.

> The Truth Comes To Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the group got back to Ponyville, they found that the town's other inhabitants were all out and about. The eight ponies travelled together until they reached the town square, and then they went their separate ways. School started late that morning, so Applejack managed to get Apple Bloom there just before her first class began.

After dropping her sister off, Applejack thought about going back to Sweet Apple Acres. However, she had not forgotten about her original plan to meet with Bronze Star at the embassy. She still wanted to talk with him before she went back to Sweet Apple Acres.

When she arrived at the embassy, Bronze Star welcomed her inside. He had just made some green tea, and he offered her a glass, which she happily accepted. As much as she loved apples, every now and then she enjoyed having something to drink other than apple juice, apple cider, and water.

Once their tea was ready, they went to the study and got comfortably settled. Then they began talking about various things, such as an ideal date for Bronze Star to come by for dinner. They spent a while considering several different days when both of them would be available, and they ultimately decided on the following Saturday.

During their conversation, Applejack noticed that the gold stallion seemed somewhat bothered. Curious as to why, she asked him in concern "Are you okay, Bronze?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured her, "It's just that… this whole Zecora affair is a little disquieting."

"I hear ya there," Applejack claimed, raising her glass, "Every time she shows up, I get the chills."

"It's not Zecora who troubles me," Bronze Star disclosed.

"Oh?" Applejack remarked in interest, "Then who?"

"Well…" Bronze Star needed a moment to compile his response. After about twenty second, he sighed and elucidated "I have to say that I'm astounded by the way you and the others treated her."

Applejack was stunned by this response. She asked in perplexity "What are you sayin'? Are you sidin' with her?"

"You could say I'm siding with her," Bronze Star freely professed, "But I'm siding with you, too. I'm on everypony's side in this matter. I would ask that you try to view this matter in perspective. What has Zecora ever done to warrant all this negative reception? Do you have any firm evidence that she is out to do harm to anypony?"

"Well, not really," Applejack admitted, shrugging lightly, "But sometimes you don't need evidence to tell whether or not a person is up to no good."

"Still, I'm not convinced Zecora is one such individual," Bronze Star countered, "If you ask me, you were all making a big deal over something that really amounts to pretty much nothing. I would have thought that you'd at least try to be a little more open-minded about Zecora. Until it's proven otherwise, I'm just regarding her as an ordinary person who manages to get by in the Everfree Forest. I would advise you and the others to do the same. No good ever came out of being unfairly judgmental, after all."

"I understand what you're saying, Bronze," Applejack guaranteed him, "I get that logic, and I greatly respect it, too. So please believe me when I say that our feelings towards Zecora are not just out of unfounded bigotry. Most of the time, Ponyville is very passive and placid. However, there are times when life here can actually be quite hazardous, especially to somepony who's unfamiliar with the land. The things we've been through in the past few weeks – the Ursa Minor, the sleeping dragon, the massive thunderstorm – well… those types of perils aren't that uncommon around here. Danger can crop up when you least expect it. So we've learned to be prepared at all times and to treat anything unknown to us as a potential threat. The unknown can sometimes produce the biggest dangers. Hence, our behavior towards Zecora. It's not prejudice; it's caution."

"Now that I can identify with," Bronze Star professed, "Still, there's a fine line between being wary and being needlessly biased. Just make sure you don't cross that line. Discrimination almost tore this country apart once. If it had, our people never would have survived in Equestria."

"I know, I've heard the legend of the first Hearth's Warming Eve," Applejack disclosed, "I don't intend to let my emotions towards Zecora get that far. Neither do the others."

"Good to know," was all Bronze Star said in response.

The orange mare and the gold stallion then changed the subject and talked about various other topics. Their discussion became considerably more positive from this point onward.

Two hours later, Applejack decided to head back to Sweet Apple Acres. She reasoned "I may as well keep up the harvest while I'm ahead of schedule."

"Alright then," Bronze Star coincided, "I have some work of my own that I need to do."

At this time, there was a bit of a strain in his voice. It was not very pronounced, but it was conspicuous enough for Applejack to notice it. She queried in concern "Are you alright, Bronze? You sound a little hoarse."

"Something in my throat, I guess," Bronze Star conjectured. He coughed a few times to clear his throat. He was able to speak a little more coherently, but he still spoke with the same slightly raspy tone, "We haven't been talking that much or that long, have we?"

"Nah, I don't think so," Applejack observed, "It could simply be a little bug. Just let your voice rest for a while. You should feel better in no time."

"I'll take that into account," Bronze Star asserted. He then got up from the couch and offered "Here, Let me lead you out."

Applejack nodded in acknowledgement and got on her hooves, as well. That was when she noticed another abnormality.

Before they sat down, Applejack was able to look Bronze Star in the eye without looking up at him. But now, she had to tilt her head slightly upwards to maintain eye contact with the gold stallion. She raised an eyebrow and stated in perplexity "Have you gotten taller or something?"

"Not to my knowledge," Bronze Star candidly responded, "Although Alicorns are generally much taller than other types of ponies, I'm not supposed to undergo a growth spurt for several years."

"Well, either you're getting taller or I'm getting shorter," Applejack theorized, "Or I'm just seeing things."

"All three of those are very unlikely," Bronze Star commented, "Especially the third one. It doesn't look like you're losing your mind to me. It's probably just something in the green tea. I'll be sure to use fresher leaves the next time I make a batch of it. At any rate, shall I show you to the door?"

"Sure," she answered straightforwardly.

Bronze Star then went with Applejack to the front entrance of the embassy. He opened the door for her and held it open to allow her to exit. She tipped her hat to him out of courtesy and trotted outside. She waved at him over her shoulder as she passed through the gates. He grinned and waved back.

Once the orange mare was out of sight, Bronze Star closed the door and headed upstairs to his office. He spent most of the remainder of the day filling out paperwork, cataloguing reports, and reading over the latest news entries from Canterlot.

Bronze Star was alone for the rest of the day, so he did very little talking. Whenever he did talk, it was only to himself. However, he tried to do as little of this as possible. Because every time he opened his mouth to do anything – be it coughing or yawning – he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his throat. It started as little more than a tickle, but it gradually became stronger and more unpleasant as the day went on. By the late evening, Bronze Star felt as though a bee had stung the roof of his mouth. He decided to go to bed early, hoping that a good night's sleep would cure him.

Unfortunately, it did not. When Bronze Star woke up the following morning, the pain in his throat was gone. However, the only reason for that was because the insides of his mouth and throat were completely numb. He could not feel his tongue, his teeth, his gums, or anything else in that region at all.

He quickly got out of bed and hurried into his bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror and opened his mouth as wide as he could. He quickly went to work looking for anything out of the ordinary. He was unable to find anything of the sort. There were no ulcers, no swelling, and no signs of diseases such as the reins, cleft teeth, or tonsillitis.

When Bronze Star failed to locate any problems, he closed his mouth and rubbed his forehead. Then he muttered quietly "O-o-o-odd."

Immediately after that, his eyes shot wide open in alarm. He said in perplexity "H-h-h-huh?"

His mind was as straightforward and sharp as ever. He was not intentionally slurring. Something was causing him to bungle every word that came out of his mouth. He nervously thought aloud "W-w-w-what t-t-t-t-the T-t-t-tart-t-tarus i-i-is t-t-t-this?"

He soon arrived at the conclusion that there really was something very wrong with him. He thought back through his memories in effort to find a rational explanation. It soon occurred to him that he started having trouble with his throat yesterday afternoon. That was shortly after he and the others got back from the Everfree Forest. He wondered if perhaps he had gotten ill by something he encountered in the Forest. Upon coming to his realization, he imagined something horrible. If the Forest was indeed the cause of his speech impediment, it was possible that the others were suffering a similar fate!

Bronze Star swiftly rushed out of his bedroom, jumped down the stairs to the ground floor of the embassy, and burst through the main entrance. He galloped through the town as fast as he could, determined to locate the mares as soon as possible.

He came across Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom near the town square. Bronze Star was relieved to see them, but straightaway, he noticed that something was terribly off about almost all of them.

Rarity's coat and mane were grossly overgrown. Pinkie Pie's tongue was enlarged and covered in blue spots. Rainbow Dash was unable to fly in a straight path. Most notably, Applejack had shrunk to about a tenth of her normal size. She was so tiny that she was able to ride on her sister's back. Other than Apple Bloom, Fluttershy appeared to be the only one who had not changed in any way.

"Well, at least two of us seem unaffected," Rarity pronounced when Bronze Star approached them, "How are you feeling, darling? Are you in good health?"

"I-I-I-I'm af-f-f-f-fraid n-n-n-not," Bronze Star dismally stammered, "C-c-c-can't sp-sp-sp-speak c-c-c-c-learl-l-l-ly."

"Oh great," Rainbow Dash uttered sarcastically, "He's been struck, too."

"We better get to Twilight," Applejack suggested in a very high-pitched voice, "Maybe she has a solution."

"Gooth ahdea," Pinkie Pie mumbled disjointedly.

Less than three minutes later, the five mares, the filly, and the stallion arrived at Golden Oaks Library. Inside the building, they heard Twilight yelling "'Supernaturals'? Spike, the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies, which are as make-believe as curses. This book is just a bunch of hooey!"

"But what if you're wrong, Twilight?" Spike countered, "What if this really is a-"

Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Pinkie Pie burst inside and shouted "Ah pfurse!"

"A purse?" Spike remarked in confusion, "How could it be a purse?"

"Pinkie? What happened?" Twilight inquired in worry.

"Pee pah Zthecora!" Pinkie proclaimed, spewing spit all over Spike, "Sthe put a cursthe on me!"

"Hey, say it, don't spray it, Pinkie!" Spike pleaded in disgust.

Rainbow Dash decided to back Pinkie up. She tried to get inside the library, but she was unable to fly so much as a foot without veering off course. She rammed into a closed window with a loud thud and exclaimed "Ow!" *thud* "Oh! She's-" *thud* "trying to say-ow!- Zecora-" *thud* "oh!" By now, she managed to get inside the library, but she crashed into a bookshelf. From the ground, the cyan mare finished with "she slapped us all with a-ow- curse!"

By now, the others had entered the library through the front door. Rarity and Fluttershy stood near the center of the room, and the white mare declared "I'm afraid I have to agree."

She tried blowing her hair out of her face, but doing so was futile. Spike and Twilight Sparkle yelled in surprise.

Applejack called out in her high-pitched voice "I hate to say I told ya so, Twilight, but I told ya so!"

Spike and Twilight gasped in shock at the sight of what had happened to their friends.

"It's a curse, I tells ya!" Applejack declared.

Twilight Sparkle gazed over at the gold stallion. At first glance, he appeared to be alright, but she could tell by the expression on his face that that was not the case. She queried "What do you think, Bronze?"

"I-I-I-I-I d-d-d-d-don't kn-kn-kn-know w-w-w-what t-t-t-t-to ma-ma-ma-make o-o-o-of i-i-i-it," Bronze Star sputtered unsteadily.

Twilight Sparkle grimaced in worry. Then she looked over at the yellow Pegasus and noted "But Fluttershy... seems just fine!"

"Yes, there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with her," Rarity coincided.

"Fluttershy? Are you okay?" Twilight Sparkle inquired. Fluttershy did not give a verbal response. She just softly shook her head. "Is there something wrong with you?"

Fluttershy nodded her head this time.

"Would you care to tell us?" Twilight impatiently inquired.

The quiet mare shook her head again.

"So... you're not going to tell us?" Twilight presumed.

Another nod of the head.

"Yes you're not, or yes you will?" Twilight inquired in confusion.

Fluttershy shook her head once more. This time, Applejack went over to her and shouted in her high-pitched voice "Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?!"

Finally, Fluttershy gave a verbal response. She replied in a deep masculine voice "I don't want to talk about it."

The other ponies were shocked, but Spike was quite amused. He snorted, and then he burst out laughing. He yelled "This is hilarious!"

He continued laughing for a few seconds, and then he looked around the room and announced "Look at all of you! We got: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, Bronze Stutter, and... uh... I got nothin'... Twilight Sparkle. I mean seriously, I can't even work with that."

It was worth mentioning that Twilight was not unaffected. Her horn was covered in blue spots like Pinkie's tongue, and it was dangling limply from her forehead. She laughed sarcastically at her assistant's jokes, and then she sternly remarked "This is no joke, Spike. Now start looking for more books so I can find a cure!"

Spike groaned, but he did as he was told. As he went to browse through the shelves, Rainbow Dash managed to get back to her hooves. She groaned in anguished and pronounced "I think we'll find a cure to this curse at Zecora's place!"

"It's not a curse!" Twilight Sparkle countered.

"I agree with Dash!" Applejack proclaimed, "We'll go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex!"

"It's not a hex either!" Twilight Sparkle heatedly refuted.

Suddenly everypony but Apple Bloom, Bronze Star, and Spike was shouting at once.

While the six mares were busy arguing, the young filly looked down at the ground and muttered guiltily "This is all my fault. If I hadn't followed Zecora in the first place, none of this would have happened. I just gotta fix this."

Currently, Bronze Star was the one standing the closest to Apple Bloom. Because of this and the fact that the others were preoccupied, he was also the only one who heard what she said. He looked over at Apple Bloom and saw that she was in the process of heading out the door.

Applejack had noticed this as well. She muttered shiftily "Now where does she think she's goin' this time?"

Despite Applejack's current miniscule size, she was not about to let her sister just run off by herself. When Apple Bloom passed by the counter in the center of the room, Applejack jumped onto her sister's back and hid in her tail.

Bronze Star noted that the mares were busy arguing about how to find a cure for their strange ailments, but the filly was the only one who seemed to be actively searching for a solution. Because of that, he was impelled to follow her. So while the others were bickering, Bronze Star headed outside and trotted after Apple Bloom.

At first, Bronze Star assumed she was going to a building or a specific part of town. However, she galloped right past every single foundation in Ponyville. Soon, she arrived at the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Just before Apple Bloom could set hoof inside the Forest, Applejack climbed out of her sister's tail, stood up straight on her back, and commanded "Stop right there! Turn around right now, missy!"

Apple Bloom thought about this for a second, and then she bluntly replied "No."

"No?!" Applejack shouted crossly, "You can't ignore a direct order from your big sister!"

Apple Bloom smirked, picked up the tiny orange mare, and set her down a large tree branch. Then she chuckled and said defiantly "Hehehe. Sorry, Applejack, but I'm the big sister now."

She then entered the Forest and followed the path. Applejack scowled and called after her "Apple Bloom, you come back here right this instant! I'm gonna tell Big McIntosh on you! Aw, pony feathers."

Up until this point, Bronze Star had been keeping a distance of at least thirty feet between himself and the two sisters. As Apple Bloom continued further into the Forest, he galloped over to Applejack and asked her "Wh-wh-wh-what's sh-sh-she d-d-d-doing?"

"She's goin' after Zecora," Applejack firmly declared, "I'm sure of it. That little filly is just askin' for trouble."

"Tr-tr-troub-b-b-b-ble?" Bronze Star commented, "Sh-sh-sh-she's l-l-l-look-k-k-king f-f-f-f-for a-a-a-answe-e-e-ers."

"Maybe, but she's goin' about it the wrong way," Applejack claimed, "She won't listen ta me. I need ya to go after her. Try to talk some sense into her."

"T-t-t-talk?" Bronze Star sarcastically mumbled, "Y-y-y-you're k-k-k-kidd-d-d-ding, r-r-r-r-right?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," Applejack stated apologetically, "Well, could you at least try to stop her? Make sure she doesn't get hurt?"

"O-o-o-o-of c-c-c-course," Bronze Star assured her, "Wh-wh-what ab-b-b-bout y-y-you?"

"I'll stay here and wait for the others," Applejack informed him, "When they realize that we're missing, they're bound to come this way. Once I join up with them, I'll tell them where you're going, and we'll catch up to you."

Bronze Star nodded in acceptance at this proposal. He bade the orange mare "G-g-g-good l-l-l-luck."

"You, too," she said appreciatively.

Bronze Star then turned into the Forest and galloped after Apple Bloom. After galloping for about two minutes, he caught up with her. He urgently called out to her "W-w-w-w-wait!"

In response, Apple Bloom peered over her shoulder. When she saw that Bronze Star was behind her, she turned to him and stated curiously "Oh, hi, Mr. Streak. What are you doin' here? My sister didn't send you to bring me back to Ponyville, did she?"

"N-n-no, sh-sh-sh-she d-d-didn't," Bronze Star apprised her, "I-I-I-I'm h-h-here o-o-on m-m-my o-o-own ac-c-c-ccord."

"How come?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"I-I-I-I d-d-d-d-don't th-th-th-think Z-z-z-zec-c-c-c-cora i-i-i-is r-r-r-r-resp-p-p-ponsib-b-b-b-ble f-f-f-for th-th-th-this," the gold stallion disclosed, "D-d-d-do y-y-y-you th-th-th-think sh-sh-sh-she c-c-c-c-ould h-h-h-help u-u-us?"

"I'm hopin' she can," Apple Bloom responded, "My sister and her friends are bein' very unfair to her. She deserves a chance to prove herself. So I'm going to see her and see if she knows what's goin' on. She may even be willin' to fix you and the others."

"Th-th-then, I-I-I-I'm g-g-g-going wi-wi-wi-with y-y-y-you," he proclaimed.

"That's fine by me," Apple Bloom coincided, "But I don't think the others are so willing to seek out Zecora's help. So let's hurry up an' find her before the others try to stop us."

"R-r-right," Bronze Star acknowledged.

The filly with the bow and the young prince then progressed further down the path. As they marched on, the gold stallion queried "S-s-so, d-d-do y-y-you kn-kn-know wh-wh-where w-w-we a-a-a-are h-h-head-d-ded?"

"Fortunately, yes," Apple Bloom revealed, "In fact, everypony in town knows the exact location of her house. You see, one time after Zecora visited Ponyville, Noble Edict went with her when she left. She was pretending to be an escort or something of the sort. At any rate, Noble followed Zecora all the way to a hut somewhere in the Forest. Once Zecora was home, Noble Edict came back to Ponyville and let everypony know where Zecora lives."

"O-o-okay," Bronze Star uttered, "Wh-wh-where i-i-i-is th-th-this h-h-h-hut?"

"About three miles inward," Apple Bloom illuminated, "We just have to keep followin' the path. If Noble's directions are correct, we can't miss it."

"G-g-g-got i-i-i-it," he told her.

Apple Bloom and Bronze Star trotted on in silence for a while. Other than the occasional noise made by a creature in the Forest, there were almost no sounds to be heard.

When they were less than a mile away from the site of Zecora's hut, Apple Bloom remarked "Say, Mr. Streak, can I ask you something?"

"S-s-s-sure," the gold stallion replied.

Had he known what Apple Bloom was going to ask him, he would not have agreed to hear her out. Apple Bloom had been wondering about a certain topic since the previous morning. She thought about how best to present it to him. Then she turned to him and stated "Yesterday, when you showed up at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie called you 'Bronze.' This morning, when we got to the library, Twilight addressed you as 'Bronze,' too. Then Spike invented those lame nicknames for you and the others. I would have thought yours would have been 'Old Speech' or something that sounded like 'Gold Streak.' Instead, it was 'Bronze Stutter.' He couldn't have been referring to you as 'Bronze Star,' could he?"

Bronze Star had listened to the filly's words, and with each passing sentence, he felt the color drain from his face. He had not realized this at the time, but the others had in fact used his actual name in front of somepony who was unaware of his real identity. How could he have allowed them to have been so careless? Did they just assume that Apple Bloom would not catch on? Or did they think that preserving his true identity was not that important in their current situation?

Whatever the case, he had an inquisitive filly to deal with. He calmly looked down at her and replied "I-I-I-I d-d-don't th-th-think s-s-s-so. Wh-wh-why w-w-would Sp-sp-spike m-m-mist-t-t-take m-m-me f-f-for P-p-prince Br-br-bronze St-t-tar?"

"No idea," Apple Bloom stated frankly, "I once saw a picture of Prince Bronze Star in the papers, and while you do look kinda like him, I'm pretty sure you aren't him. He is an Alicorn after all, and I don't see any wings or horns on ya.

"T-t-true," Bronze Star affirmed, "Th-th-there i-i-i-is a-a-a r-r-r-reas-s-son f-f-for wh-wh-what th-th-the o-o-others c-c-called m-m-me. I-I-I'll t-t-tell y-y-you l-l-later."

"Alright then," Apple Bloom agreed, "It may be better if we waited until you can talk clearly again, anyway. You'd be a lot easier to understand that way."

"I-I-I-I ag-g-g-gree," Bronze Star thought aloud.

The two of them went on in relative quietness for the remaining mile. After this, they happened upon a peculiar sight. It was a small hut made of straw, clay, and stone. The smell of various herbs, flowers, and spores permeated the air. A smooth trail of smoke exited from the chimney, meaning there was a fireplace with an active fire inside. Since the fire was active, that meant that someone had to be inside the building, as no one would leave a fire unattended in such a flammable structure.

Apple Bloom and Bronze Star slowly sauntered up to the main entrance. Bronze Star hesitated for a moment, but then he stepped forward and knocked on the door a few times. Initially, there was no response. Then they heard what sounding like hoofsteps approaching them. The door was opened a moment later. The filly and the stallion found themselves face-to-face with Zecora.

The zebra did not appear to be surprised to see the two ponies. Based on her facial expression, she almost appeared as though she had been expecting them to arrive. Truth be told, she was not expecting any guests that day, but she was in the habit of keeping her door open and being ready to receive a visitor. After a brief period of awkward silence, Bronze Star spoke to her "Gr-gr-greet-t-t-tings, m-m-mad-d-dam."

Zecora easily noted his speech impediment, and she stated "Your voice, it seems to be somewhat strained. Has in your throat an malady been ingrained?"

"I-I-I-I b-b-beli-i-i-ieve s-s-s-so," Bronze Star confirmed.

"Then come in straightaway, if you please," Zecora urged her visitors, "What you have might actually be a fatal disease."

"Th-th-thank y-y-you," Bronze Star told her gratefully.

He and Apple Bloom swiftly entered the hut. After closing the door behind them, she turned to the ponies and looked them over. After studying them for about a minute, she perceived "Something about you two strikes me familiarly. Have I seen either of you very recently?"

"Actually, you have, Miss Zecora," Apple Bloom recounted "Yesterday morning, after you left Ponyville, I followed you into the Everfree Forest. My sister and some of her friends got worried about me and came after me. You were there when they found me. I seem to remember you giving us a warnin' about… I don't know, leaves or somethin'. Now my sister and her friends are all sufferin' from a bunch of strange conditions. Like Mr. Gold Streak here; he can't utter a single word without manglin' it. Never seen anythin' like it. So, uh… I was hopin' that you might know."

"Your choice to confer with me is quite correct," Zecora affirmed, "It would seem I should have been more direct."

"H-h-how d-d-d-do y-y-y-you m-m-mean?" Bronze Star questioned.

"I presume that at the time of this event, you too were among those present?" Zecora conjectured.

Bronze Star nodded his head in confirmation. Zecora turned back to Apple Bloom and said "I have a theory, but its validly depends. Tell me the afflictions of your sister and her friends."

Apple Bloom then described in detail what had been going on with the six mares in Bronze Star's group. She covered everything, from Twilight Sparkle's dysfunctional horn, to Pinkie Pie's tongue-induced lisp, to Rarity's very bad mane day, to Applejack's reverse growth spurt, to Fluttershy's sudden bass voice, to Rainbow Dash's sharp decrease in depth perception.

When Apple Bloom was finished going over the misfortunates that had struck the six mares, Zecora gave a small grin and declared "I already know the cause of this grave issue. You will be pleased to know there is something I can do."

"Wh-wh-wh-what m-m-might th-th-that b-b-b-be?" Bronze Star queried.

"Well, none of you are sick; your luck is not broke," Zecora apprised him, "You are merely unhappy victims of Poison Joke."

"P-p-pois-s-son J-j-joke?" Bronze Star repeated in perplexity.

"I refer to those leaves of blue you stumbled across," Zecora clarified, "By wandering through them, your articulation was lost."

"Is this 'Poison Joke' like a plant that plays pranks on people?" Apple Bloom supposed.

"That is indeed the plant's intended result," Zecora confirmed, "To find a cure, I am the one you must consult."

"S-s-so, wh-wh-what m-m-m-must w-w-w-we d-d-d-do?" Bronze Star enquired.

"It is a simple matter to resolve, Mr. Streak," Zecora answered him, "An herbal bath is the answer that you seek."

"You mean the key to fixin' up this whole mess is for Gold Streak and the others to wash themselves up?" Apple Bloom remarked

"Strictly speaking, that is indeed the case," Zecora affirmed, "But in order to make it, I need everything in place. Most of the required ingredients are already here. However, there are a few which are not quite so near. These items are in Ponyville, and they do not grow wild. If I asked, would you mind fetching them, my dear child?"

"Certainly, Miss Zecora," Apple Bloom merrily replied, "If it really can cure my sister and her friends, I'll do anything and everything you need me to do."

Zecora smiled and nodded in approval. She then trotted over to a table by the wall. She picked up a quill and began writing down a list of ingredients on a piece of parchment. When she was finished writing the list, she trotted over to Apple Bloom and handed it to her, saying "Here is a list of all the materials I currently lack. Please gather them quickly and come straight back."

"You can count on me, Miss Zecora," Apple Bloom guaranteed the zebra.

"Y-y-you w-w-want m-m-m-me t-t-to g-g-go w-w-w-with y-y-you?" Bronze Star proposed.

"Nah, I know the way back to Ponyville from here," Apple Bloom assured him, "Plus, there's a chance Applejack and the others will get here before I do. If that happens, you should stay here so you can explain the situation to them. That way they'll stop gettin' the wrong idea."

"G-g-g-good id-d-d-dea," Bronze Star conceded, "H-h-h-have a-a-a s-s-safe w-w-walk h-h-home."

"I will," Apple Bloom asserted. She then tucked the list behind her mane, trotted over to the front door, and exited the hut. Then she hastily made her way back to Ponyville.

Given how far she had to travel and how long it would take to procure the items on the list, she would probably be gone for a while. Zecora decided to go ahead and get started on brewing the formula for the herbal bath. She stepped into the back room of her hut. It was considerably larger than the front room, and it was adorned with many bizarre artifacts. There was a large cauldron pot in the center of the room. Zecora placed some kindling underneath the pot and struck a match over it to get a fire going. Then she filled the pot partway with water. After that, she went around the room and gathered certain vials, flasks, and containers. She took very specific measurements of the contents, and deposited the appropriate amounts into the cauldron. She began singing in her native language as she worked.

Zecora could easily handle creating the herbal brew by herself. So while she was preoccupied with that, Bronze Star decided to step outside and linger by the front door. He found it likely that Applejack and the other mares would be coming around soon. He planned to enlighten them on the situation as soon as they arrived. He figured that the best way to convince them that everything was alright would be if they saw him standing outside the front door of the hut.

Unfortunately, he made one small error in judgment. The door to Zecora's hut was on the side of the building that faced away from Ponyville. Because of that, the door was completely invisible to anypony who approached from the direction of the town and vice versa. About ten minutes later, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie did arrive on the scene. Since most of them were unwilling to speak to Zecora directly, instead of knocking on her door, they decided to spy on her through the window of her back room. They never noticed Bronze Star, as he was concealed from their few. As a result, he did not see them coming, either.

The six mares spent several minutes eavesdropping on Zecora. The first things they noticed were her unique decorations, which they found to be ominous and disturbing. The next thing that bothered them was her chanting in her native language. Pinkie Pie mistook it for her "Evil Enchantress" song, even though the lyrics, beat, and line delivery bore very little resemblance to it. The brew in the cauldron pot made them feel extremely worried, as they had never seen anything like it. Everypony but Twilight Sparkle was convinced that Zecora was up to no good. Although Twilight could not deny that there was enough in that hut to suggest that Zecora had unpleasant intentions, she gave Zecora the benefit of a doubt and theorized that maybe she was just making soup.

Unluckily, just a few seconds later, Zecore had tasted the brew and thought aloud "Mmm! The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume. Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?"

This line had been greatly misunderstood by the six mares. Twilight Sparkle muttered worriedly "Or… what if she's making Apple Bloom soup?"

Just the thought of that was enough to make all six of the mares scream.

Applejack had been using Rainbow Dash as a means to travel faster. Determined to save her sister from a dismal fate, the orange mare used the cyan mare to break into the hut through the window of the back room. Their sudden intrusion took the zebra by surprise. She began talking very rapidly in her native language. While she was focused on Applejack and Rainbow Dash sailing around the room, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy climbed in through the open window.

Twilight tried to get Zecora to tell her where Apple Bloom and Bronze Star were, but the zebra was distracted by Rainbow's erratic flight patterns. She cried out "Ponies! What is this you..."

Before she could finish, Rainbow Dash screamed and rammed into the cauldron pot, causing it to overturn and dump its contents all over the floor.

Zecora shrieked anxiously "No! You know not what you do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!"

The sounds of the mares' screaming, Rainbow Dash's crashes, and Zecora's yelling had alerted Bronze Star to the fiasco going on inside the hut. He hastily opened the front door and stepped inside the hut. He could hear Twilight Sparkle shouting in the back room "We're onto you Zecora. I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming!"

"You made me look ridiculous," Rarity accused the zebra

"You made me sound ridiculous!" Fluttershy averred

"You made me speak ridiculous!" Pinkie Pie sputtered incoherently.

"You ruined my horn!" Twilight Sparkle angrily declared.

Zecora did not take kindly to these unfounded accusations. She glowered at the mares and yelled "How dare you! You destroy my home, destroy my work. Then rudely accuse me of being a jerk?"

Rather than admitting their irony or hypocrisy, the mares did not relent. Rainbow Dash murmured "You put this curse on us, now you're gonna uncurse us."

Zecora's countenance tightened and she mumbled furiously "It is unwise to venture down this road. Your actions will make my anger explode!"

It was then that Bronze Star entered the room. He came to Zecora's side and bellowed irately "Wh-wh-what d-d-do y-y-you th-th-think y-y-you a-a-a-are d-d-d-doing?"

The mares were glad to see Bronze Star was unharmed, but his presence was not enough to change their hostile feelings towards the zebra. If anything, it gave some of them an idea to intimidate Zecora and get her to cooperate.

Twilight trotted over to Bronze Star, placed her hoof on his shoulder, turned to Zecora, and barked "Do you know who this stallion is?"

"Yes, he is one I know well enough," Zecora muttered edgily, "He is reasonable and not so gruff. He represents the people of Canterlot, and he has more tolerance than all you lot!"

"That may be," Rarity uttered through gritted teeth, "But do you know who he REALLY is?"

"If you did know, you'd be cowering in fear right now," Applejack claimed.

"He could have you arrested, prosecuted, or even put to death," Rainbow Dash threatened.

"G-g-girls, st-st-stop," Bronze Star demanded, "L-l-list-t-ten t-t-t-to h-h-her."

If he had not been stuttering, the others probably would have taken his advice. But because of his speech impediment, the mares ignored him. Twilight Sparkle approached the zebra and snapped "You better start talking. Where is Apple Bloom!?"

Just then, Apple Bloom returned to the hut. She found the front door was opened, so she entered the building without knocking. As she made her way to the back room, she called out "Zecora! I think I found all the things ya asked for."

When she saw that the six mares had suddenly arrived and that the back room was a bit of a wreck, she queried in bewilderment "What in Ponyville is goin' on here?"

Applejack gasped in pleasant surprise and hopped off Rainbow Dash. She galloped over to her sister and hugged her, saying "Apple Bloom! You're okay!"

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow in confusion and enquired "Why wouldn't I be?"

Twilight then answered her with "Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us and was gonna cook you up into soup!"

A short period of awkward silence followed that statement. The silence was broken when Zecora, Apple Bloom, and Bronze Star burst out laughing.

Naturally, Twilight and the others were confused by this reaction. When the zebra, the filly, and the stallion ceased laughing, they enlightened the mares on what was really going on. Due to Bronze Star's difficulty in talking straightforwardly, Zecora and Apple Bloom did most of the talking. They started by referring back to the Poison Joke plant, and discussing how that was what really triggered their strange conditions. Zecora also explained her strange décor and chanting; they were simply certain aspects of the customs of her people. Most of all, the supposed "Apple Bloom soup" was actually the cure to the Poison Joke. Twilight was stunned by how simple it was to develop a cure. The final blow was when she discovered that it could be found in the same book Spike had suggested earlier on.

Twilight deeply apologized for so horribly misjudging Zecora. If she had been more open-minded in the first place, this whole unpleasant affair could have been avoided altogether. Luckily, Zecora was a very forgiving person. She merely chuckled and advised "Maybe next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book."

Apple Bloom burst out laughing once more at that. Bronze Star was inclined to snicker a bit, too. While they were having their fun, Twilight Sparkle politely requested "Zecora? Would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of the herbal bath?"

"Mix it up I certainly will," Zecora assured her, "Yet I am missing an herb from Ponyville."

"But whenever Zecora comes to town, all the shops are mysteriously closed," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"I-I-I-I w-w-w-wond-d-d-der w-w-why," Bronze Star mockingly stated.

"Oh, well... I think we can help you with that," Twilight Sparkle suggested.

After helping Zecora clean up the mess that had been made in her hut, the eight ponies accompanied the zebra back to Ponyville. It was mid-morning at the time, so most of the populace was out and about. The Valley Sisters were the first to notice the eight ponies and the zebra. The three of them did not react very well to the sight of the zebra, even when she was in the company of ponies. Especially since several of those same ponies were notably impaired.

Daisy turned to her sister and shouted "Look Rose! How awful!"

When Rose saw what her sister saw, she yelled "The wicked enchantress has cursed them all."

"The horror, the horror!" Lily shrieked dramatically.

That set off a chain reaction that ended in the entire town screaming and galloping through the streets in a panic.

Daisy cried aloud "Run, ponies! Run!"

Within a minute, everypony was indoors. Except for zebra and her eight companies.

"I-i-idio-o-ots," Bronze Star mumbled under his breath.

Twilight Sparkle knew what needed to be done. She went over to the Valley Sisters' house and patiently knocked on the door. When it was answered, the lavender mare told the mare on the other side "Daisy, we need to talk."

This was the first of many stops the group made that morning. They saw to it that the public was made aware of Zecora's true nature, and that her name was cleared. Within two hours, the entire town had gone from hugely distrusting Zecora to respecting her.

Once that was accomplished, Zecora finished making the herbal bath so that Bronze Star and the mares could cure themselves. They just needed a tub large enough to accommodate over half a dozen ponies at once. So Rarity proposed that they go to the spa. This worked out well; the shop owners, Lotus Blossom and her sister Aloe, allowed the group to use their largest tub.

After the bath was ready, the seven infected ponies wasted no time in cleansing themselves. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star got in the tub first. Within a matter of minutes, Twilight's horn was spotless and erect, and Bronze Star was able to speak clearly again. Rarity and Fluttershy calmly climbed in, Rainbow Dash dove in, and Pinkie Pie jumped in from a distance.

"I better draft another letter to the Princess," Twilight thought aloud. Spike had come with them to the spa. At those words, he quickly got a quill and roll of parchment ready.

"Good idea," Bronze Star coincided. There was a pause, and then he added in a very sarcastic yet deadly serious tone "You could write 'Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that it's never okay to be a racist asshole.'"

Spike and the mares seemed a little surprised by this statement, as well as how it was delivered.

"That seems a little… shall we say, extreme," Rarity commented.

"Well, that's pretty much what you all were being up until a few hours ago," Bronze Star grimly pointed out, "I'm hoping you'll all try not to be that biased in the future."

"It won't happen again," Twilight Sparkle, "I can promise you that."

After she composed a proper letter to Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle leaned back and enjoyed the bath. While her customers enjoyed themselves, Lotus approached Zecora and told her "Miss Zecora, I would love to get the recipe for this bath. It's simply luxurious!"

The zebra smiled happily. But before she could share the recipe with the beautician, Apple Bloom called out "Applejack! Hey, where's Applejack?!"

In response, the six ponies in the tub began exclaiming in shock and frantically splashing around, looking for Applejack.

Fortunately, their worries were purged when they heard a voice call out "I'm right here, little sis."

Bronze Star and the mares peered over the side of the bath, and they saw Applejack was lying on top of a very small bucket. She had returned to her normal size and added in "I ain't tiny no more!"

Bronze Star smirked in amusement and reached his hoof down to the orange mare. He told her teasingly "That looks like a snug fit. How 'bout you come up here? There's room for one more."

Applejack blushed slightly, but she took the gold stallion's hoof in hers and allowed him to pull her out of the bucket and up to the tub. As she settled in next to him, he wrapped his right front leg around her and asked "Comfortable?"

"Ho, yeah," she replied cockily, smirking at him, "By the way, thanks for lookin' after Apple Bloom."

"Don't mention it," was all he said in response, pulling her closer to him.

While the two of them got friendly, Rarity proclaimed "Oh! I have never felt so lovely in all my life!"

Pinkie Pie had gone under the surface of the water a few seconds earlier. She abruptly shot back up and declared in a very fast pace "Oh, my gosh! I never realized how horrible it is not to be able to talk. I mean, I love talking so much, and when I couldn't talk anymore, my tongue was all 'ehhhh'! It was the worst! Don't you agree, Fluttershy?"

There was a short pause, and then Fluttershy replied in her normal voice "...Yes."

Everypony in the room got a good laugh at that.

A little while later, Zecora and Lotus went to the latter's office to discuss the recipe for the herbal bath. Apple Bloom decided to go hang out with her friend Twist. The seven ponies and Spike were left alone. While the ponies soaked in the herbal bath, they also had a conversation with each other. Since nopony else was in the room, they were able to address Bronze Star by his actual name.

At one point during the conversation, Fluttershy turned to the young prince and told him "By the way, Bronze Star, I forgot to tell you. Arthur is all better now."

"Really?" Bronze Star said excitedly "That's great! How has he been treating you?"

"Oh, he's very well-behaved," Fluttershy disclosed, "I actually managed to have him get along with my mice and rats. He hasn't tried to eat one of them."

"Then you really ARE a miracle workers," Bronze Star commented. He leaned back and asked "When can I come pick him up?"

"At your earliest convenience, I guess," the yellow Pegasus replied.

"How about whenever we get out of this bath?" Bronze Star proposed.

"That sounds fine to me," Fluttershy responded.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Bronze Star told her gratefully. He paused for a moment, and then he inquired "So, were you ever able to determine what exactly happened to him? What could have possibly caused his wing to get bend straight backwards?"

"Actually, I was able to arrive at a very probable conclusion," Fluttershy informed him, a little uneasily "However, I'm not certain you'll like it."

"Don't worry; I can take bad news," the stallion guaranteed her, smiling in reassurance.

Fluttershy took a moment to put together an explanation, and then she took in a deep breath and revealed "Firstly, you should know that after you dropped Arthur off at my place, I examined him a second time. The second time, I found some blood on his talons."

"Blood?" Bronze Star repeated in surprise.

"Yes, but it wasn't his," Fluttershy apprised him.

"It wasn't?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"No, trust me; I know the blood of an avian when I see it," Fluttershy insisted, "And the blood I found wasn't that. It was definitely the blood of an equine."

Bronze Star looked over at the baby dragon and asked him "Spike, did Arthur have any… unpleasant encounters with anypony when you brought him here?"

"No, he was too weak to attack anything," Spike reminisced.

"Then he must have gotten that blood on his talons before you found him," Bronze Star concluded, "Of course, that could have happened any time in the past month. You see, there's a small window in my room that I always leave open. It's charmed so that nopony and nothing but Arthur can pass through it. That allows him to go hunting and fly through the air whenever he wants without fear of letting unwanted visitors in. Still, the only reason he would have equine blood on his talons would be if he was provoked."

"That brings me to my next point," Fluttershy delicately continued, "When I found that blood, I was compelled to take an even closer look at Arthur's wing. So I did, and I discovered that his humerus had been broken in not one, but two places. The first break was in the center of the bone, halfway between the coracoid and the elbow joint. That was the one I first found when you were there. I didn't find the second break until after you left. It was along the elbow joint, right where the humerus is connected to the radius and the ulna."

"So, where does that get us?" Bronze Star queried.

"It is physically impossible for a hawk to sustain that sort of damage to the elbow joint by accident," Fluttershy enlightened him, "The only way that could actually happen would be if the damage is deliberately inflicted by a second party."

Bronze Star's eyes widened in shock and he uttered softly "Do you think Arthur was attacked?"

"That is precisely what I believe," Fluttershy admitted glumly, "But I don't know what kind of monster would do such a sadistic thing to a hawk."

"Nor do I," Bronze Star muttered angrily, "Then again, there aren't that many people who could have had the opportunity to do so. If he received that injury when he was outside the castle, there's no way he would have been able to fly back up to the castle. It must have happened when he was inside."

He then turned to the baby dragon and asked him "Spike, do you know if anypony else went into my room in the past month before you did?"

"I actually talked to the Royal Guard who were posted outside your chambers, and none of them ever let anypony into there," Spike informed the young prince, "So it was just me and nopony else."

"Do you remember where exactly you found Arthur?" Bronze Star queried.

"Yeah, he was lying in front of your desk, right by the filing cabinet," Spike recalled.

"Oh, no," Bronze Star muttered restlessly, "That's where I keep all my top secret government files."

"Why is that a bad thing?" Twilight Sparkle asked in interest.

"Because based on all of this, there's only one possible explanation for why Arthur was assaulted," Bronze Star enlightened her, "He was trying to prevent my files from being tampered with."

"So what you're saying is…?" Twilight presumed nervously.

Bronze Star solemnly nodded and declared "Somepony broke into my room."

> Underlying Signals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star and the six mares soaked in the herbal bath for another ten minutes before they got out. Rarity decided to linger at the spa for a while longer, as she tended to make weekly visits there anyway. The others thanked Zecora for curing them of their Poison Joke, and then they left the building to continue going about their day.

Everypony except Bronze Star headed straight for home. Instead of returning to the embassy, the gold stallion went with Fluttershy to her cottage so he could pick up Arthur. The moment they stepped through the door, Bronze Star spotted Arthur at the table on the other side of the room. He was in his cage, but the door was wide open. He was perched upright and resting comfortable. The gold stallion was delighted to see that his pet hawk was all better. Arthur was just as pleased to see his master.

Bronze Star took a moment to inspect Arthur's wing. Other than a bit of tenderness in the feathers, there appeared to be no sign that it had ever been broken. Fluttershy briefly explained that she had used a special remedy to mend the broken bones. She had done this to heal Arthur as quickly and efficiently as possible without leaving any trace of his injury.

The young prince commended the yellow Pegasus on her work. While she was grateful for that, she insisted that she was just glad she was able to heal Arthur.

Before Bronze Star left, Fluttershy let him know that Arthur was already capable of flying again, but she advised him to have Arthur take it nice and easy for the next few weeks. She was concerned that if Arthur flew too much or too far too soon, he would get hurt again. Bronze Star assured her that he would not allow his hawk to overexert himself. He then bid the shy Pegasus a good day and departed from her cottage.

Although Bronze Star was glad that Arthur had made a full recovery, he could not help but be perturbed by the circumstances of how his pet hawk came to acquire the wound in the first place. He thought back to the conclusion he had arrived at back at the spa.

Could it be possible that somepony had broken into his bedroom at Canterlot Castle? Before today, he would have thought it extremely unlikely. Other than his mother's quarters, a vault in the throne room, and a private chamber used by the Firebrand Regiment, Bronze Star's bedroom was the most secure room in the entire castle. It was always locked, and the only people who had a key to the door were Bronze Star and Princess Celestia.

Then again, there were ways of opening doors without turning the locks.

As soon as he got back to the embassy, Bronze Star headed up to his room. He placed Arthur on a table and opened the cage, beckoning him to stretch his wings and get accustomed to his new home.

While Arthur explored the room, his master gathered some parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. Bronze Star then drafted a letter to Lord Bellerophon. The content of the letter focused on two main topics.

Firstly, there was the matter of the Firebrand Regiment's activities. Bronze Star wanted to know if the interrogation of Material Study and Raoul Jowl had produced any results. Knowing them, they had almost certainly gotten one or both of the stallions to talk.

Secondly, there was the matter of what might have happened in his bedroom. In this part, he briefly explained how Arthur's wing had been broken. Then he covered his theory that Arthur had been attacked by an intruder. As such, Bronze Star requested that his mentor have his bedroom searched for any sign of a break-in. He bade him to pay especial attention to the filing cabinet.

Since Lord Bellerophon would need a key to get into his bedroom, Bronze Star instructed him to borrow his mother's key. In case she asked why, Bronze Star suggested that he claim that the young prince had left something in the room, and that he needed his mentor to send it to him. He was confident she would be content with that.

Bellerophon would need a separate key to open the filing cabinet. Bronze Star informed him that the key to the filing cabinet was hidden behind a few books in the third shelf of his bookcase. He asked the palomino Pegasus to examine the filing cabinet closely and determine if any of the documents had been removed or replaced.

Once he was finished writing the letter, Bronze Star rolled it up and fastened it with the royal seal. He addressed it to Lord Bellerophon, being sure to write "For Your Eyes Only" on the front. He wanted to get this letter to Bellerophon as soon as possible, so he decided to go to seek out Spike straightaway. He brought along Arthur for the sake of inclusion. Once the fierce bird perched himself on his master's shoulder, Bronze Star made his way to Golden Oaks Library.

As he suspected, Twilight Sparkle and Spike were there. He found them in the kitchen eating brunch. Initially, Bronze Star was confused, but it soon occurred to him that it was still the morning, and nopony in their group had eaten before getting cured of their Poison Joke.

Although he was in the middle of his meal, the baby dragon was more than willing to send the letter to Canterlot before he finished it. After all, it took him less than ten seconds to do so.

Once the letter was delivered, Twilight Sparkle offered for Bronze Star to have brunch with them. It was then that the gold stallion realized he was famished, so he eagerly accepted and joined them at the table.

Since ponies were herbivores, there was no meat on the table. However, hawks were mostly carnivores, so they had nothing Arthur preferred. Fortunately, Fluttershy had already fed him earlier that morning. He just remained on his master's left shoulder while he and the others ate.

Spike commented on how Arthur looked much better than he did last week. Bronze Star happily agreed. The baby dragon was sitting to the left of Bronze Star, meaning Arthur was within reach of him. Spike felt a little bold and lifted his right claw up to the hawk. He lightly stroked him on the back.

Normally, Arthur would try to attack anypony who touched him like that. However, he did not reject Spike's friendly gesture. If anything, he seemed to welcome it. Bronze Star smiled at this. Arthur's time with Fluttershy must have made him more open and easygoing towards others. Also while Bronze Star had never suspected Spike of hurting Arthur, this scene in front of him was all he needed to confirm Spike's innocence. If somepony really did attack his pet hawk, the perpetrator was certainly not the baby dragon.

After the two ponies and the baby dragon finished brunch and washed the dishes, Bronze Star planned to go back to the embassy. Just before he headed out the door, Spike covered his mouth and belched a burst of green fire. A letter from Canterlot was produced by the embers. At first, Bronze Star thought it was Lord Bellerophon's response to the letter he had just sent him. However, he quickly dismissed this idea when he noticed it was addressed to Twilight Sparkle. It turned out this letter was not from Bronze Star's mentor, but from his mother.

The young prince was still curious to know what was on the letter, so he asked Twilight to read it aloud. Since there was nothing private or personal in the letter, she willingly complied.

The letter was mostly Princess Celestia acknowledging her apprentice's accomplishments during her stay in Ponyville. In it, she applauded Twilight Sparkle for learning so many valuable lessons about friendship in the town in under two months. She mentioned that she was so impressed that she was impelled to pay the town a visit. She decided that she would do just that in a week.

Bronze Star was elated to hear this part. He had not seen his mother since the Summer Sun Celebration. That was by far the longest he had gone without seeing her. While he enjoyed living Ponyville, he missed her dearly. Now she was coming to Ponyville!

Twilight Sparkle was excited to learn this as well, but this news also made her somewhat anxious. Bronze Star noticed the lavender mare seemed a little uneasy, and he asked her if anything was wrong. She told him that she was concerned that Ponyville was not prepared to receive a member of the Equestrian Royalty. Bronze Star would have pointed out that he enjoyed living in the town, but that argument would have been pretty useless, seeing as how he was there as a civilian. Still, he did not want Twilight to needlessly worry. So he assured the magic student that one week would be plenty of time to get Ponyville ready to welcome Princess Celestia.

Of course, they would not be able to prepare the town by themselves. They would need a lot of help from the townsfolk. Aside from that, the citizens of Ponyville needed to know that the leader of their nation was coming to the town.

Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star decided to tell the rest of the town right away. They started by heading over to Town Hall together. To their luck, Mayor Mare and the whole of City Council were assembled there at the time. The lavender mare and the gold stallion informed them that Princess Celestia would be gracing the town with her presence in exactly one week.

This news had the expected effect on the town's policymakers. They were absolutely thrilled. However, they also shared Twilight's apprehension as to whether the town was prepared to properly greet Celestia. They started outlining plans to make arrangements to improve the town.

The mayor and City Council wanted to make Celestia feel genuinely welcomed to the town, but they did not know very much about her on a personal level. Fortunately, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were able to provide them with several useful ideas on how to properly receive the princess. After all, they knew her better than the rest of the town put together.

Twilight Sparkle filled them in on Celestia's appreciation for protocol, thorough effort, meticulous detail, and similar concepts. Bronze Star apprised them of Celestia's fondness for flowers, cake, music, fine apparel, and similar subjects. Essentially, she handled all the formal matters, whereas he took care of the informal ones.

Although Twilight Sparkle knew her teacher very well, her knowledge what the white Alicorn liked and disliked paled in comparison to Bronze Star's. He was able to disclose a sizable amount of information to the mayor and City Council about his mother's preferences. While they were grateful to learn all of this, they were curious as to how an ambassador from Canterlot knew so much personal information about Equestria's supreme leader. Thankfully, Bronze Star was prepared to explain himself. He simply told them that he had a seat on Celestia's Council, and that he was a member of her inner circle. As such, he spent a great deal of time with the Princess, and he knew her on a personal level.

In actuality, both those claims were true. Of course, the primary reason he knew Celestia so well was pretty obvious. But he was unwilling to share that reason with anypony else just yet.

Later that day, the mayor called for an assembly in the town square. Nearly everypony in town showed up for it. The mayor opened the speech by sharing the news that Celestia would be arriving in seven days. She paused for a minute to give the audience a chance to embrace the news. Naturally, everypony was ecstatic to hear this. There was an air of enthusiasm and cheerfulness throughout the area.

Once the crowd got used to this idea, the mayor enlightened them that this was supposed to be a casual event. All the same, she also declared that she expected everypony in the town to play a part in the arrangements. She then proceeded to distribute various tasks and assignments to certain groups of ponies.

The next week was spent preparing the town in anticipation of Celestia's arrival. Three days before she was due to arrive, Bronze Star had his weekly meeting with the mayor and part of City Council. This meeting only lasted about an hour, as not that much had happened in Canterlot lately. About half of the meeting was just the council discussing the preparations for Celestia's visit. They wanted to be sure that they were doing everything right, and they felt the best way to ascertain this was by consulting the gold stallion. After briefly reviewing the checklist and the records, Bronze Star guaranteed that they were on the right track. At this rate, the town would be totally ready to welcome Celestia by the time she arrived.

For almost the entire week, it seemed as though nopony in Ponyville could think about anything other than Celestia's upcoming visit. That may have indeed been in the case. Or at least it would have been, if not for a certain farmer and a certain politician.

Despite how obsessed everypony else appeared to be over Celestia's impending stopover, Bronze Star and Applejack managed to focus on other things. Primarily each other. They met at either the embassy or the apple ranch at least once a day. They were still just friends, but they were both well on the way to viewing each other as more than that.

Before they went that far, they wanted to get to know each other's family. Applejack already knew some things about Bronze Star's aunt, and she planned to become better acquainted with his mother once she appeared in town. He still did not know that much about her siblings and grandmother, but she was confident that that problem could easily be remedied. She proposed that sometime before his mother came to town, they choose a specific date for when he would have dinner at her place. After contemplating their options, they settled on the night before Celestia was supposed to arrive.

Now everypony in Ponyville had something to look forward to. Bronze Star was looking forward to officially meeting Applejack's family, Applejack was looking forward to officially introducing Bronze Star to her loved ones, and everypony else was looking forward to Celestia's appearance in town.

Two days later, Bronze Star got up as early as he always did. Typically, most of the town was still asleep at this hour. However, on this particular day, the majority of the town was up and about. This made sense, considering the fact that Celestia was supposed to arrive the following day.

On that day, he did not have anything prepared until the evening, so he decided to check up on the town's progress. Twilight was unofficially in charge of the arrangements, so Bronze Star stopped by Golden Oaks Library first to see what she was up to. He found a lot of books scattered across the floor. Spike was in the process of picking them up.

Twilight was doing very little other than beckoning him to work faster. She mumbled "Oh! Hurry up, Spike! This place isn't gonna clean itself."

"It also didn't mess itself up," Spike muttered irately as he stacked one book on a short stack of books.

Twilight ignored that and reminded him "Princess Celestia will be here tomorrow!"

"I thought this was just an unofficial casual visit," Spike calmly pointed out.

"There's nothing casual about a visit from royalty," Twilight Sparkle countered, "I want this place to be spotless, and you've barely made a dent in the clutter."

"Well, at least he's getting something done, Twilight," Bronze Star cockily uttered.

"I'm getting things done!" the lavender mare insisted, "I'm supervising. That's just as important as the actual work."

"True," Bronze Star coincided, looking around the room, "But do you really need all these books out at the same time?"

"Well… maybe not," Twiight tentatively replied, "Maybe."

"Maybe you should, ugh, start reading them one at a time—" Spike proposed as he tried stacking the books higher and higher. He accidentally lost his balance and tumbled into another pile of books.

He lightly groaned in annoyance and discomfort. Twilight approached him with a feather duster and duster both the baby dragon and the books off. As she did this, she declared "Everything's got to be perfect. No time for fooling around."

"You know, this would be an awful lot easier if there weren't two of us here getting under each other's feet," Spike proposed somewhat heatedly.

"Great idea," Twilight Sparkle concurred, "You clean, I'll go see how everyone else's preparations are coming."

"Or maybe I should..." Spike hurriedly began. But before he could get in another word, the female Unicorn was making her way out the door. He groaned agitatedly at this.

As she passed by the young prince, Twilight Sparkle turned to him and asked "You coming, Bronze?"

"Sure," he responded candidly. He actually was interested in the preparations. He was just as determined to give his mother the right impression as Twilight was.

The two of them swiftly departed from the library. As they passed through the streets, they surveyed the actions of their fellow Ponyvillians. They were chattering amongst themselves, but they all seemed to be working diligently.

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle kept trotting until they reached the park. They noticed that Golden Harvest and Berry Punch were in the process of putting up a banner by the path. The gold stallion and the lavender mare stopped to get a look at the banner. It was an excellent sign… with one very minor exception. It was meant to say "Welcome Princess Celestia," but the last two letters had been cut off.

"What happened to the rest of her name?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.

"We couldn't fit it all in," Golden Harvest enlightened her.

"You can't hang a banner that says 'Welcome Princess Celest,'" Twilight peevishly remarked, "Take it down and try again."

After that, she continued down the path. Golden Harvest and Berry Punch seemed somewhat astounded by Twilight's demands. Bronze Star could see that they were bothered. He proclaimed "Don't worry; it just needs to be wider. Other than that, it's perfect."

Bronze Star then left the two mares to redo the banner, and he galloped in the same direction as Twilight. Once he caught up with her and they were trotting side-by-side again, he informed her "You know, funny story. A couple years ago, Lord Bellerophon actually referred to my mother as 'Celest' this one time."

Twilight raised an eyebrow in interest and said amusingly "Really?"

"Yeah, it happened on this one day when both of them were in a really good mood," Bronze Star recounted, "It was the only time he ever addressed her in an informal manner. Or at least the only time I witnessed such a thing. Every other time I've seen the two of them in the same place, he's always called her 'Your Highness,' 'Your Majesty,' 'Your Grace,' 'Princess Celestia,' or 'Princess.' Still, I often wonder if my mother likes him as more than her chief of staff."

"Well, I've always thought that the two of them have seemed very close," Twilight Sparkle professed, "All the same, Lord Bellerophon is perhaps the most formal and by-the-book individual I've ever met."

"Most of the time, he may seem like that," Bronze Star accorded, "However, he calls me 'Bronze Star' or just 'Bronze' all the time. So he must have some regard for casualness."

"I guess so," Twilight commented.

The two of them advanced further down the path. They saw Bon Bon watering some patches of flowers in another part of the park. She paused when she noticed the lavender mare and the gold stallion were watching her.

"That looks perfect," Twilight complimented her, "Keep up the good work."

The beige mare smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Twilight and Bronze left her to her work. As they headed away from the park, Bronze looked back at Bon Bon and remarked "I wonder where Lyra is?"

"I believe she's assisting with the musical accompaniment at Town Hall," Twilight thought aloud, "Why do you ask?"

"I was expecting her to be with Bon Bon," Bronze Star explicated, "From what I've seen, they're almost always together. How about that? We've been here so long that I'm beginning to make notes of who's with who."

"Do you suppose Bon Bon and Lyra are best friends?" Twilight Sparkle queried.

"Either that or… they're 'friends' like me and Applejack," Bronze Star theorized.

Twilight lightly scoffed at that and remarked "They could be. If they are, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not one to pass judgment."

"Neither am I," Bronze Star said in agreement.

After confirming that the park was amply prepared, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle made their way to Sugarcube Corner next. When they got there, they found Carrot Cake and Cup Cake busy with gathering trays and platters of food in the front room.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cake," Twilight Sparkle greeted the bakers, "How's the banquet coming?"

"Uh...it would be coming a little better if..." Mrs. Cake stated nervously. She gestured to the tables against the walls. There were plenty of delicacies on all of them. However, many of them were conspicuously half-eaten. The reason for this quickly became evident.

Pinkie Pie was gorging down a chocolate cake. As she slurped the icing on the top, she mumbled "Mmm..."

"Pinkie!" Twilight Sparkle yelled in shock as she approached the pink mare, "What are you doing? Those sweets are supposed to be for the princess."

"I know," Pinkie nonchalantly replied, "That's why I'm tasting them. Somepony needs to make sure that everything is tasty enough to touch the royal tongue."

She then donned a fake golden crown and announced in a somewhat formal tone while approached a yellow cake with buttercream frosting "And I, Pinkie Pie, declare that these treats are fit for a king, or a queen, or a princess."

At this time, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were both in the other room. Bronze Star walked over to the pink mare and clearly vocalized "Ahem."

"Oh, or a prince," Pinkie Pie added in, turning to the gold stallion, "Sorry, Bronze; I didn't mean to leave you out."

Bronze Star just smirked and coolly stated "No worries, Pinkie. Truthfully, I try to eat as healthily as possible most of the time. I do that so I can keep up with my combat training and all. Thankfully, I don't have to follow the exact same diet as the military, so I can still eat sweet foods."

"That's great," Pinkie Pie happily remarked, "I can't imagine not being allowed to have cupcakes at least two or three times today. Would you care for one?"

Bronze Star scoffed and answered her with "No, thank you. I just had breakfast an hour ago. However, my mother has always had a weakness for cake. I like confectionaries, but nowhere near as much as she does. I'm certain she'll enjoy all of these. So make sure you save some for her."

"You got it," Pinkie Pie asserted.

She was about to tuck into the yellow cake, but before she could, a familiar soft voice gently called out from outside the building "Twilight, Pinkie, Bronze, you won't believe..."

The three ponies turned to the front entrance and saw Fluttershy enter a moment later. When the yellow mare noticed they were standing so close together, she halted in her pace and stated timidly "Oh, I'm sorry. Uh, am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all," Pinkie Pie assured her, "Come on in and make yourself at home."

She then picked up the yellow cake with her tongue, slurped it into her mouth, and swallowed it whole. Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, and Bronze Star chuckled in amusement. Once Pinkie finished consuming the cake, she turned to the Pegasus and queried "What's going on, Fluttershy?"

"You won't believe what I found at the edge of the Everfree Forest," Fluttershy informed them. She turned to her right and cooed over her shoulder "Come on out, little guy. It's okay."

A moment later, a small creature crawled out of her mane. It was shaped like a blue ball, and it had large green eyes and a pair of wings. It purred and chirped as it slowly flew out of Fluttershy's hair. A moment later, two similar creature followed it. One of them was yellow and the other was brown.

Fluttershy seemed mildly surprised by the presence of these two. She gasped and muttered quietly "Three?"

Despite her surprise, Twilight Sparkle seemed intrigued by the tiny winged creatures. She walked over to the yellow Pegasus and remarked "They're amazing. What are they?"

"I'm not sure," Fluttershy answered her, "I'm also not sure where these other two came from."

"I'll take one off your hooves," Twilight Sparkle offered, approached the yellow one, "I've never seen anything so... adorable."

She gently nuzzled the yellow creature with her forehead. Then she professed "Besides, it'll be nice to have a companion for Spike so he won't bother me so much while I'm studying."

Fluttershy accepted this proposal. She looked across the room at Pinkie Pie and offered "Pinkie, do you want the other one?"

Surprisingly, Pinkie Pie was not moved by the endearing creatures. If anything, she appeared disgusted and agitated. She spat angrily "UGH! A parasprite? Are you kidding?"

"Ugh?" Fluttershy repeated in confusion.

"A para-what?" Twilight Sparkle queried.

"I believe she said 'parasprite,'" Bronze Star noted, "A most interesting name."

As Pinkie headed towards the entrance of the sweet shop, Fluttershy stated "How could you not like..."

Pinkie Pie abruptly cut her off with "Ugh. Now I gotta go find a trombone."

"A what?" Twilight said in perplexity.

"A trombone, you know," Pinkie Pie replied. Then she did a basic yet somewhat accurate imitation of a trombone. After that, she trotted out the door.

"Ahhh, typical Pinkie," Twilight drily commented.

"Well, at least we got her to stop eating the baked goods," Bronze Star brightly pointed out.

"That's certainly a good thing," Twilight said in agreement.

The blue parasprite returned to Fluttershy's mane, and the yellow parasprite purred and rubbed its face against Twilight's forehead. The brown parasprite was currently hovering in the air on its own.

"Would you like this one, Bronze?" Fluttershy proposed.

"Sure," the gold stallion replied, grinning deviously, "I've been having some trouble getting my hooves on meat for Arthur. Maybe this parasprite could tide him over."

The lavender Unicorn and the yellow Pegasus seemed horrified by the implication of that statement. He got a good laugh when he saw the expressions on their faces. Then he told them assuredly "Relax, I'm joking. I doubt Arthur would eat something as unusual as a parasprite. Aside from that, I wouldn't let such a grim thing happen to this little guy."

"That's a relief," Fluttershy commented, easing down considerably. There was a short pause, and then the yellow mare pronounced, "Well, I should probably get back to picking flowers for Princess Celestia."

"Alright, Fluttershy," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Remember that her favorites are tulips, daffodils, and marigolds."

"Okay, Bronze; I'll keep an eye out for those," Fluttershy proclaimed, "I'll see you guys either later today or tomorrow."

"See you later, Fluttershy," Twilight told her friend.

The yellow Pegasus then left Sugarcube Corner and made her way back to the border of the Everfree Forest. The lavender mare and the gold stallion left shortly after; their respective parasprites had crawled into their tails. They had a lot of things left to accomplish on their agenda before they could head back home.

"Where to now?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I'd say Carousel Boutique," Twilight suggested, "Let's see how Rarity's ensembles are progressing."

"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star coincided. He snickered and thought aloud "I heard she somehow got Rainbow to model some of her costumes. Could you imagine that? Rainbow of all people in a formal getup?"

Twilight simply giggled and remarked "That I gotta see."

Soon the two of them arrived at Carousel Boutique. There Rarity was in the process of suiting Rainbow Dash up in a rather extravagant dress with a very flamboyant wig to match. The white mare was working quickly, but the cyan mare was impatiently trotting in place, as if she was anxious to move.

"Stand still, Rainbow Dash," Rarity beckoned her friend.

"Ugh, I caaan't, I need to flyyy!" Rainbow Dash moaned in annoyance. She tried to fly off the podium she was standing on, but Rarity seized her by her wings and held her down, "This is waaay too boring for me."

"Do you want to look nice for Princess Celestia or not?" Rarity snapped crossly.

Truth be told, Rainbow Dash did want to leave a positive impression of herself on Princess Celestia. However, she was beginning to wonder if doing so would be worth it if she had to go through this fitting.

"Wow," Twilight Sparkle remarked in admiration, "Rarity, those outfits are gorgeous."

"Mmhmm; thank you, Twilight," the white mare stated appreciatively. She glared at Rainbow Dash out of the corner of her eye and scathingly uttered "Nice to know someone appreciates my talents."

"Ugh, sooo boooring," Rainbow Dash groaned peevishly.

Bronze Star got a good look at the cyan mare's current apparel. He placed his left front hoof over his mouth and attempted to suppress the urge to burst out laughing. He more or less succeeded, but he did get out a little bit of chuckling.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the gold stallion and murmured heatedly "You think this is funny, Bronze?"

"Actually, I do," Bronze Star disclosed, sniggering gleefully, "Nice outfit, Rainbow."

"Do you not like it, Bronze?" Rarity asked in worry.

"No Rarity, it's not the outfit itself I'm laughing at," Bronze Star asserted, "It's the way it appears on your 'model.' I'm sorry, Rainbow, but you just look SO ridiculous in that getup."

"I thought as much," Rainbow Dash bluntly remarked, "Don't you breathe a word of this to anypony."

"Relax; I won't," Bronze Star assured her, "I mean, just imagine what kind gossip would circulate through the town if this got out. I can see it now; somepony goes up to a neighbor and whispers to them 'Rainbow Dash always dresses in style.'"

At that, Twilight and Rarity both chortled in amusement. Rainbow Dash growled and spat angrily "Bronze, if you weren't a prince, I would deck you right now."

Bronze Star was never intimidated by threats, but he was compelled to test the validity of Rainbow Dash's claim. He approached the podium, lifted his chin up, and declared "Well, don't let that stop you, Rainbow. If you want to take a swing at me, go right ahead."

Rainbow Dash was astounded by this. Normally when she gave people a warning, they left her alone or became startled. Bronze Star reacted in a much different manner. She could tell that he was not mocking her; he was taking her very seriously. He was actually giving her an opportunity to strike him.

After about thirty seconds of unpleasant silence, Rainbow Dash eased down and told the gold stallion "I wasn't being serious, Bronze. I'm not going to hit you; you're my friend. I'd never hit a friend."

"Well, I'm glad to know that," Bronze Star remarked, lowering his chin, "All teasing aside, you really don't look THAT bad in that outfit. Plus, my mother will be pleased to see that somepony of our generation has some regard for ceremonial getup. She'll probably think of you and Rarity as two people who have decent taste."

Rainbow Dash lightly grinned at that and remarked "Then maybe wearing this stupid costume will be worth it after all."

Rarity grumbled at hearing her work being referred to as "stupid." Twilight and Bronze just chuckled.

Just then, a chirping sound was produced from Twilight's tail. It did not go unnoticed by the white mare and cyan mare.

"Huh?" Rarity said in interest.

Rainbow Dash flew above the lavender mare and enquired "What's that sound, Twilight?"

Before Twilight could reply, the yellow parasprite crawled out of her tail. However, so did a pink one and a blue one. They all chirped softly as they landed on the magic student's back.

"Wow, what are they?" Rainbow Dash queried.

"The better question is, where did they come from?" Twilight Sparkle stated in perplexity, "I only had one a minute ago."

"Uh, I'll take one," Rainbow Dash offered, swiping the yellow one.

"Me too," Rarity proposed, smiling at the tiny creatures, "Oh, they're perfect."

Rarity took the blue one and Twilight held on to the pink one.

Just then, Pinkie Pie appeared at the entrance of the emporium and urgently queried "Does anypony know where I can find an accordion?"

Bronze Star was the only one who heard her. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were fawning over the parasprites and showering them with affection.

"Girls! Hello! This is important." Pinkie Pie pleaded the three mares. When they did not respond, she muttered irately "Durgh! Thanks a lot."

She then turned to the young prince and asked him hopefully "What about you, Bronze? Do you know where I might find an accordion?"

"You're asking the wrong pony, Pinkie," Bronze Star illuminated, "While I enjoy listening to and studying music, my own knowledge of singing and playing musical instruments is practically nonexistent."

"I understand," Pinkie Pie declared, "Oh, well; I guess I'll just keep looking. Somepony in this town is bound to have one."

She then headed back outside in search of an accordion. Bronze Star was a little curious as to what she aimed to do with it, but he decided not to ask.

After confirming that Rarity's ensembles were in perfect condition, Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star left Carousel Boutique. The two of them spent the rest of the morning and some of the early afternoon checking up on the rest of the arrangements. They ended up going all over town. After what happened at Sugarcube Corner and Carousel Boutique, they decided to keep a close eye on their parasprites in case anything strange happened again. Luckily, nothing of the sort did. The parasprites seemed very well-behaved and attached to them.

The last stop Twilight and Bronze made was at Sweet Apple Acres. While Mr. and Mrs. Cake were managing the desserts for the banquet, the Apple family had been tasked with every other part of the feast. Applejack and Granny Smith had been cooking almost nonstop for the past two days. They wanted to make sure that all the food was ready by the time Celestia arrived, but they also wanted to ensure that everything was still nice and fresh once tomorrow came around.

Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were pleased to see that the buffet had been excellently and wholly prepared. They knew they could count on Applejack not to let them down, as she was perhaps the most trustworthy of their Ponyville friends. Twilight decided to head back to Golden Oaks Library and assist Spike with cleaning up the place. Bronze Star would have stayed at Sweet Apples Acres longer, but he had a few things to get done at the embassy. Aside from that, he would be returning to the ranch later that night anyway.

After ascertaining that all the arrangements were in order, Bronze Star got back to the embassy. Once he arrived, he went straight to his room. He found his pet hawk gliding along the ceiling. In the past week, Arthur had regained enough of his wing strength to fly around his master's bedroom for a prolonged period of time.

When Bronze Star entered the room, Arthur flew over to his master and rested on his shoulder. The gold stallion smiled at the hawk and told him "Hey, Arthur, guess what I've got?"

Arthur cocked his head and gazed at the gold stallion inquisitively. Bronze Star looked over his other shoulder and flicked his tail upward. A moment later, the brown parasprite rose out of it, chirping lightly. Arthur had a mixed reaction to the spherical creature. He seemed captivated and dubious at the same time.

"I brought a little 'friend' for you," Bronze Star declared.

He said 'friend' that way because Arthur was not the type that made friends very easily. He did not even mingle with other birds very often. That was not to say he was totally adverse to the concept of making friends. Since his master seemed somewhat fond of the parasprite, he was willing to give the small creature a chance.

The brown paraprite grinned at the hawk; Arthur merely nodded in acknowledgement. Just then, there was another chirping sound. Bronze Star gazed over his shoulder and saw a red parasprite rising out of his tail. He raised an eyebrow and said in bewilderment "Hmmm, odd. One of this guy's friends must have snuck in when I wasn't looking."

Bronze Star was intrigued by the red parasprite's sudden appearance. However, he was not compelled to question where it had come from. He had more important matters to attend to.

"Well, I've got some work to do," Bronze Star informed his Arthur, "You can just… interact with our new acquaintances. Please try not to maim them, maul them, or bruise them."

Arthur nodded in understanding. However, he was mildly suspicious of the two parasprites, so while he did interact with them, he also kept a close eye on them.

Bronze Star went over to his desk to get his work done. He started by looking over the latest news update from Canterlot. It had arrived just that morning. Nothing of precedence seemed to have happened in the capital city over the course of the past week. Bronze Star found this somewhat ironic. Ponyville had a reputation as a calmer and more serene town, yet in the past couple months, it had witnessed many more interesting and exciting events than the capital city had. That was another reason why he found civilian life as enjoyable as royal life.

Bronze Star was finished with all his work by four o'clock. Dinner at Sweet Apple Acres was not until seven o'clock. However, Applejack had suggested getting there a little early so that he could talk with her family before the actual meal. As such, he decided to get there at around six-fifteen. It was about a fifteen-minute walk to Sweet Apple Acres, so he planned to leave the embassy at six on the dot.

He spent most of the next two hours reading books and watching Arthur mingle with the parasprites. At around five o'clock, he thought about putting some outfit on. Then he recalled that Applejack had insisted that he did not have to dress up just to impress her family. This was supposed to be an informal gathering, after all. In the end, he decided just to bring his knapsack, as he was in the habit of carrying it around everywhere he went.

Five minutes before six o'clock, Bronze Star stepped into the bathroom to wash his face and comb his mane. Then he went back into the bedroom, picked up his knapsack, and slung it around his neck. After that, he headed out the door and called out to Arthur and the two parasprites "You three get along while I'm out."

After signing out of the embassy, Bronze Star headed outside and swiftly made his way to Sweet Apple Acres. He had not misjudged the distance between the embassy and the ranch; when trotting at a normal pace, it took him exactly fifteen minutes to get from one to the other.

Bronze Star had already been to Sweet Apple Acres several times in the past few weeks, but he had never set hoof inside the main building. Although its exterior resembled that of a barn, he was hoping that the interior did not.

When the gold stallion reached the front door, he slowly raised his right front hoof. Then he took a deep breath and firmly knocked a few times.

Fifteen seconds later, the door was answered by Apple Bloom.

"Oh, hey there, Mr. Streak," she greeted him warmly, "Come on inside."

He smiled and entered the dwelling. Straightaway, he noticed that the inside of the building was that of a typical house, much to his relief. He turned to the yellow filly and commented "Nice place you got here."

"Thanks," Apple Bloom said in response as she shut the door behind him.

The front room of the house was empty. The gold stallion inquired "Where are the others?"

"Big Mac's outside, and Applejack and Granny are in the kitchen," Apple Bloom informed him, "They should be finished soon. I'll let 'em know you're here."

"Okay," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Should I just stay here?"

"Sure, make yourself at home," the filly in the bow proposed, "Be right back."

She then left the room to speak to her grandmother and older siblings. Bronze Star went over to a couch against the wall opposite the front door and sat down. He waited patiently for the others to arrive. While he waited, he took a moment to study the living room. Its design was old-fashioned and distinctive, but its structure was formidable and durable.

About three minutes later, Apple Bloom returned with Applejack, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith. The orange mare grinned at the gold stallion, trotted over to him, and sat down beside him. She gave him a light hug, which he gladly returned. When they pulled apart, she remarked "Well, when I recommended comin' early, I knew you'd get here well before seven. But I wasn't expectin' ya to get here almost a whole hour before dinner."

"I didn't come TOO early, did I?" Bronze Star inquired, slightly concerned.

"Oh no, not at all," Applejack assured him, "We've already gotten the meal well underway; we're just letting all the food simmer until seven. Your early arrival is a good thing, sugar cube. It means more time for us to talk."

"That's certainly true," Bronze Star coincided, "With that in mind, how about we go ahead and get to the talking?"

The others gladly accepted this suggestion. Granny Smith sat down in a rocking chair next to the couch, Apple Bloom sat down next to Applejack, and Big McIntosh sat down on the floor in front of the couch. Once they were comfortably settled, Granny Smith opened up the conversation.

"We're very pleased to have you over, Mr. Streak," the elderly mare declared, "We don't have guests very often."

"That's a surprise," Bronze Star commented, "This has to be the most beautiful place in the entire town. As well as the most productive and beneficial."

"Well, thank you kindly for that," Granny Smith stated gratefully, "We Apples take pride in our work. We've been tendin' this farm for generations. In fact, we were the very first of many families to settle in Ponyville."

"Yeah, I did a lot of research on the town's history before I moved here," Bronze Star informed her, "From what I read, it was because of your family that Ponyville was established in the first place."

"What you read is true," Granny Smith affirmed, "I'd know; I was there when it happened."

Bronze Star was a little stunned to hear that. He saw no reason to doubt Granny Smith's claim, as he was very good at telling the difference between truths, lies, and senility. However, Ponyville had been founded well over a century ago. Even if Granny Smith was a young filly at the time… he could not imagine how old that would make her today. He thought about asking her, but he felt it rude to ask an elderly mare for her age. Instead, he chose to change the subject.

After a short interval of silence, Bronze Star leaned back against the couch and asked "So, are you four the only ones who live here?"

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh replied, "Been that way for a long time."

"Does it ever get lonely here?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Sometimes," Applejack bluntly remarked, "But we always get by without complaint. Our friends and neighbors can be good company."

"Plus, we have what you'd call one of 'em extended families," Apple Bloom disclosed.

"Yeah, Applejack mentioned that once," Bronze Star recalled, "She told me that you had your last family reunion on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Indeed we did," Granny Smith affirmed, "Our kin numbers into the hundreds, and each and every one of them showed up for our most renowned tradition."

Bronze Star whistled in amazement. "You guys have hundreds of relatives?"

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh responded.

"And I know the names of every single one of them," Granny Smith proclaimed.

Bronze Star found that statement somewhat difficult to believe. He raised an eyebrow and said a little slyly "Is that a fact?"

"Yes, and I'll prove it to you," Granny Smith contended.

"Uh-oh," Applejack muttered under her breath.

"What?" Bronze Star whispered in interest.

A moment later, Granny Smith announced "There was Honeycrisp, Adams Pearmain, Winesap, SweeTango, Newton Wonder, Chelmsford Wonder, Paula Red, Knobbed Russet, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, Topaz, Pink Pearl, Summerfree, Pinova, Crispin Haralson, Kanzi Haralson, Cameo, Ambrosia…"

Bronze Star quickly realized what Applejack meant. Once Granny Smith started listing the names of the Apple family, she did not stop until she was finished. No amount of begging or coercing could sway her. The gold stallion was sorry he had challenged her claim.

Eventually, Granny Smith wrapped up her recollection with "And last but not least, Esopus Spitzenburg."

Bronze Star and her grandchildren had almost nodded off by this point. Fortunately, they had managed to stay awake. Once Granny Smith was finished, Bronze Star sat up straight again and thought aloud "That's very impressive, how you can remember all those people. You really DO have a massive family."

"No kiddin'," Applejack concurred, "Some would argue that we're the largest clan in Equestria."

"It sure seems that way," Bronze Star observed, "At the very least, your family is definitely much larger than my own."

"Oh?" Granny Smith stated in interest, "How big is your family?"

"It's just my mother, my aunt, and me," Bronze Star enlightened her, "I also have a couple of cousins, but I don't see them as often."

"What about your father?" Apple Bloom enquired in interest, "Is he still around?"

"No, he isn't" Bronze Star replied, "Then again, he was never around. I never met my father; he left shortly after I was born. I don't know anything about him. My mother won't even tell me his name."

"Wow, that's rough," Big McIntosh declared.

"You're telling me," Bronze Star remarked.

After a brief interval of silence, Granny Smith asked the gold stallion "Does your entire family live in Canterlot?"

"Yeah, the capital city has always been my home," Bronze Star informed them.

"How did you come to get into politics?" Big McIntosh questioned.

"That's a bit of an interesting story," Bronze Star explained, "You see, everypony in my family is involved in a prominent cultural organization. My mother occupies a major position in the government. In fact, her profession is so important that you could say she IS the Equestrian government at times. At any rate, when I was fifteen, I started looking for my first job. I was split between joining the armed forces and working for Princess Celestia. My mother convinced me to pursue the latter. So I applied for a job at Canterlot Castle. My mother put in a good word for me as a reference, but I did most of the work by myself. Soon after, Celestia's chief of staff, Lord Bellerophon, took me in as an intern."

"How did that work out?" Apple Bloom inquired, clearly fascinated.

"It went very well," Bronze Star pronounced, "Within a year, I was occupying a place in Princess Celestia's administration. A couple years later, I became an official legislator. I was one of the many people Celestia spoke to whenever she drafted new laws or wrote amendments to existing laws. In addition to that, I would analyze public polls, draw up statistics, convey messages to the Princess, and much more."

"Sure sounds like a look of complicated work," Apple Bloom commented.

"It isn't so complicated if you have the right skills," Bronze Star asserted, "Also, a moment ago, I mentioned that when I was still searching for a job, I could not pick between the military and the government. As it turned out, I did not really have to make a choice. Because I was employed at Canterlot Castle, I had the option to receive military training on a type of scholarship program. I entered that program shortly after I became Lord Bellerophon's intern, and I've been in it for almost the entire duration of my political career. That's ten years' worth of military training. So while I've never really been in the armed forces, I know all their codes and protocol, I am aware of their respective chain-of-command, and I have the qualifications to join any of them."

"Except the Wonderbolts," Big McIntosh contradicted.

"Yeah, except the Wonderbolts," Bronze Star affirmed, "If I only had some wings…"

Applejack lightly chuckled at that. She was the only one there who knew Bronze Star's true form, so only she saw the irony in his statement.

The five ponies continued having their conversation for about a half-hour. They discussed various subjects, primarily those that pertained to their personal lives and professional lives.

At one point, Granny Smith looked up at the clock on the wall. After checking the time, she notified the others "Looks like it's about time for dinner. What say we move to the kitchen?"

"Fine by me," Bronze Star responded. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh nodded in agreement.

The five ponies got up out of their seats and trotted into the next room. Every part of the meal had been prepared beforehand, and they could each be found in another place. The drinks were in the refrigerator, the entrees were on the grill, the main course was on the stove, the second course was on the counter, and the dessert was in the oven. Apple Bloom, Applejack, Big McIntosh, Bronze Star, and Granny Smith picked up all these items respectively, and they carried them to the dining room. The table had already been set; all that was missing was the food. After placing all the parts of the meal in the center of the table, the five ponies got seated, and they quickly tucked in.

They did far less talking while they ate, but they did not have their meal in total silence.

Bronze Star noticed that the wall separating the kitchen and the dining room was covered in framed photographs. There was a different pony in each one of them. He gestured to the wall and inquired "Are those all pictures of your relatives?"

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh stated frankly.

"With some difficulty, we were able to find room for all of 'em," Applejack added in.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow in intrigue and assumed "So your entire family is up there?"

"That's right," Granny Smith affirmed. She turned to the wall and declared "There's Honeycrisp, Adams Pearmain, Winesap, SweeTango, Newton Wonder, Chelmsford Wonder, Paula Red, Knobbed Russet, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, Topaz, Pink Pearl, Summerfree, Pinova, Crispin Haralson, Kanzi Haralson, Cameo, Ambrosia…"

"Oh, buck, no," Apple Bloom muttered glumily.

"Watch your mouth, AB," Applejack warned her sister. Secretly, she was actually thinking the same thing.

"Celestia forgive me," Bronze Star mumbled agitatedly.

Granny Smith spent a lot of the meal pointing out all the pictures and identifying them. The others decided to ignore her and keep eating. Unfortunately, it was hard to shut Granny's voice out of their heads. Aside from that, the pictures covered the entire wall, and the wall was quite wide.

On the plus side, she spoke a little more quickly than the first time she listed off the entire Apple Family. She was probably impelled to speed up so that she could return to eating sooner. When the others were about halfway finished with the main course, Granny Smith pointed to the very last photograph and ended her exposition with "And, of course, Esopus Spitzenburg."

"So I see," Bronze Star candidly perceived, "If your family gains any more members, you'll probably have to continue on the other side of the wall."

"That's what I've been saying for a while now," Applejack stated, "That may actually be the case soon. After all, our family's constantly getting bigger."

"I should say so," Bronze Star agreed.

The five ponies continued eating in relative quietness for a while. When they were almost done with the second course, Apple Bloom turned to Bronze Star and addressed him with "By the way, Mr. Streak, I have a question I'd like to ask you. I would have brought it up sooner, but you've been so busy lately that I never got a chance."

"Well, I'm not busy now, Apple Bloom," Bronze Star pointed out, "You can ask me anything. If it's reasonable, I'll answer."

"I believe this is very reasonable," Apple Bloom decreed. She was quiet for a few moments, and then she sighed and proclaimed "Last week, during that business with Zecora, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle both called you 'Bronze.' Later on, Spike called you 'Bronze Stutter.' It was almost as though they were confusing you for Prince Bronze Star. I mentioned this to you, and you assured me there was a reason for why they called you that. But you never told me what that reason was."

Applejack became a little nervous by her sister's keen observations. Bronze Star noticed this and placed his hoof on her side to gesture her to calm down. He was able to remain calm, cool, and collected. He had not forgotten his discussion with Apple Bloom. He had actually been expecting her to bring it up to him. Because of that, he had already conjured up an explanation.

"I assume you want to know the reason now?" Bronze Star conjectured.

"Exactly," the filly with the bow ascertained.

"Then I shall tell you," Bronze Star asserted. There was a tense interval of quietness, and then Bronze Star publicized "I have been working for Princess Celestia for ten years. She regards me as one of her top correspondents and policymakers. That's part of the reason she selected me as her ambassador to Ponyville. However, I'm not just a representative of the government and the Canterlot Royalty. I also have a seat on Princess Celestia's Council, and I'm a member of her inner circle. The only way you could ever get that close to the princess is if you get her to trust you completely. And believe me when I say; she trusts me with her life, as well as the life of her son. In fact, she has done that on a few occasions."

"How so?" Big McIntosh queried in interest.

"While almost everypony in Equestria has love and respect for Princess Celestia and her son Prince Bronze Star, the few individuals who don't can prove to be rather… dangerous, so to speak," Bronze Star expounded, "You see, every now and then, we catch wind of a rumor that somepony might make an attempt on their lives. Whenever that happens, we impose an additional layer of security to guarantee the safety of the royal family. We classify their schedules, surround them with more protection, seek out suspects, and – in the most extreme cases – we use a body double."

"What's a body double?" Apple Bloom queried.

"It's a person who either resembles or is dressed up to resemble another person," Bronze Star elucidated, "For example, if we ever suspect Prince Bronze Star is in danger, they would find somepony to take his place on certain occasions, primarily when he was scheduled appeared in public. Out of everypony who works at Canterlot Castle, I'm the one who bears the strongest resemblance to Prince Bronze Star. So I'm generally the body double for him. All they'd have to do is suit me up with a pair of prosthetic wings and an artificial horn, and I'd look just like him."

"Is it dangerous work?" Granny Smith queried.

"It can be," Bronze Star disclosed, "Every time I put on the wings and horn, I'm putting myself in jeopardy. Thankfully, I have enough military training to take on any challenge by myself, and the risk is well worth it to protect my leaders."

"That's very noble of you," Apple Bloom remarked, "But that still doesn't explain why the others called you 'Bronze.'"

"I'm getting to that," Bronze Star guaranteed her. There was another pause, and then he continued with "I already told Applejack and the rest of our friends all about this. There's still one more thing I told them that I've told you. You see, often times, I use 'Bronze Star' as my codenames. Most of the time, I do it during a time of crisis. Such as when the real Prince Bronze Star is in danger. Or when a mysterious apparition comes to Ponyville and the locals come down with a strange sickness."

Apple Bloom finally got the message. She smirked and pronounced "Oh, that makes perfect sense. So they like to call you 'Bronze Star' whenever there's trouble?"

"Correct," the gold stallion confirmed, "Fortunately, nothing of the sort is going on right now. So there's no reason to use my codename. Currently, I'm just plain old 'Ambassador Gold Streak.'"

"I get what you're saying," Apple Bloom acknowledged, "Sorry if I seemed like I was snooping. My curiosity tends to get the better of me."

"There's no need to apologize," he assured her, "Just don't tell anypony else about what I do. It's supposed to remain confidential. The only reason I'm sharing this with all of you is because you're family of somepony I'm close to."

Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh understood this reasoning. They all gazed over at Applejack, assuming that she was this 'somepony' the gold stallion was close to. Indeed, she was.

The rest of the meal was spent in utter quietness. After dessert was consumed, Bronze Star helped wash and put away the dishes. Once they were finished, he checked the time and saw that it was almost eight o'clock. He announced to the others "Well, it's been a real pleasure getting to know you all. But it's getting late, and I need to get up early tomorrow to supervise the finally preparations for Princess Celestia's arrival. I better be heading back to the embassy."

"Okay, we understand," Apple Bloom avowed.

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh added in.

"We're awfully glad to have had ya over, Mr. Streak," Granny Smith told the gold stallion, "Before you go, there's something I want to tell you. Something I've been meaning to bring up all night but never got around to until now."

"What might that be?" asked Bronze Star

"I'd like to properly thank ya for what you did," the green mare illuminated.

"Umm, thanks, but what did I do?" Bronze Star queried in curiosity.

"Big Mac tells me you did a huge favor for Applejack," Granny Smith clarified, "When she lost her breath, you gave her air from your own lungs."

"Hmmm?" Bronze Star said, mildly confused.

"You know, remember when I overworked myself durin' Applebuck Season and passed out?" Applejack elucidated.

"Oh, yeah," Bronze Star comprehended, slapping himself for not catching on sooner, "And I managed to revive you with CPR. Don't think I could ever forget that."

"Well, I sure as hay won't," Granny Smith asserted.

"Me neither," Apple Bloom affirmed.

"Nope," Big McIntosh agreed.

"Can't say I blame you," Bronze Star coincided, "If somepony I cared about had a near death experience, I doubt I would ever get it out of my mind, either."

"It's not just that, my dear," Granny Smith disclosed, "You saved my granddaughter's life. If not for you, we would have lost her. In a way, the Apple family owes you a debt of gratitude."

"Well, I'm honored," Bronze Star declared. After a short pause, he smirked and cockily stated "I just hope Applejack learned her lesson and that she won't try to shoulder so much burden at once ever again."

Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh chuckled at that remark. Applejack lightly rolled her eyes and disclosed "Relax, I don't plan to do anything as foolish as THAT in the near future. And if I do, I'll make sure you're in the area beforehand."

"I'll keep that in mind," Bronze Star said in mild amusement, "Just try not to work yourself to the point of complete exhaustion. We were very fortunate that the CPR worked once. We may not be so lucky if we have to go through that ordeal a second time."

"Well, at least you could use that as an excuse to put your lips against hers again," Big McIntosh jokingly commented.

Bronze Star and Applejack both blushed deeply at the red stallion's implication. Apple Bloom giggled at their reaction. Then she stated in a playful tone "Oh, quit it, Big Mac. You're embarrassin' AJ and her coltfriend."

The gold stallion and the orange mare blushed again. The latter gazed down at her sister and sternly averred "Apple Bloom, he isn't my coltfriend."

"You mean not yet," Granny Smith countered, "Just you wait, Applejack. I might be lookin' at the future right now."

Neither Bronze Star nor Applejack blushed this time. While they were a little skeptical about the legitimacy of Granny Smith's claim, they both found it interesting that she developed that theory. Even more interesting was the fact that she sounded totally serious when she presented it. Applejack turned to her grandmother and queried "Do you actually think that, Granny?"

"Yes, I do," Granny Smith confirmed, "I'm not just sayin' that 'cause this stallion saved you from certain death. There's something much stronger at work here. You two have the looks."

"'The looks?'" Bronze Star queried.

"Yes, Mr. Streak; the looks," Granny Smith explicated, "The way you look at Applejack reminds me of the way her grandfather looked at me when he and I first became acquainted. And the way she looks at you is a lot like the way I looked at him in return."

In response to that, Bronze Star and Applejack gazed at each other for a little while. They were not certain they could see what Granny Smith saw. Still, they could not deny that there was indeed something between them.

Ultimately, Applejack and Bronze turned back to Granny Smith. The latter of them freely admitted "You could be right, Granny. But let's not get ahead of ourselves so soon."

"Yeah, it may be best if we just wait and see how things play out," Applejack proposed.

"If that's your decision, I respect it," Granny Smith assured them, "Personally, I think you two would be good for each other. I know a fine match when I see it."

"Well… thank you for having faith in us, Granny," Bronze Star uttered tentatively.

"You're welcome, Mr. Streak," Granny Smith told him, "But it's not faith that determines if two ponies together. In the end, all it really comes down to is fate. Maybe two individuals are meant to be together; maybe they're meant to be with somepony else. Only time will tell."

Bronze Star did not know what to say to that. Neither did Applejack. They were not certain what the meaning behind Granny Smith's words were. Maybe she honestly believed they belonged together. Maybe she was encouraging them to listen to their feelings. Maybe she was giving them permission to court each other. Whatever the message, one thing was very evident; Granny Smith would approve of whatever relationship the two of them decided to have.

"Do you always speak such words of wisdom, Granny?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Only when they're needed," she responded, "You never know, Mr. Streak. There may be room for you on that wall in the dining room. One day we may put you up there with Honeycrisp, Adams Pearmain, Winesap, SweeTango, Newton Wonder, Chelmsford Wonder, Paula Red, Knobbed Russet, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, Topaz, Pink Pearl, Summerfree, Pinova, Crispin Haralson, Kanzi Haralson, Cameo, Ambrosia…"

Bronze Star was compelled to just leave right then, but he did not want to leave without saying good-bye and risk appearing rude. After all, the evening had gone so well so far. So he put up with Granny Smith's seemingly endless listing of the Apple family.

About twenty minutes or so later, Granny Smith finished with "And good ole Esopus Spitzenburg."

"I'll remember that," Bronze Star proclaimed. After a short interval of silence, he looked around at the four members of the Apple family and told them "Well, thank you all for your hospitality. I hope to see you all at the assembly tomorrow."

"We'll be there," Applejack declared, "You have a safe trot home."

"I will," Bronze Star asserted.

> Drastic Measures
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After biding the Apple Family good night, Bronze Star headed down the dirt road and passed through the ranch's front gate. Then he followed the path back towards Ponyville.

By this point in time, the Sun had almost set. Princess Luna must have been moving the Moon into place right about now. Bronze Star was not certain why, but he thought that the sunsets were more beautiful now than they had been before Luna travelled to Canterlot. He did not think his mother did a lousy job of raising the Moon or anything of the sort; there was just something about the way his aunt did it that made the scenery more pleasant to look at.

Fifteen minutes later, Bronze Star soon got back to the embassy. After signing in at the front, he went to the kitchen and got out a raw rabbit leg from the refrigerator. He had found the rabbit a few days earlier when he went hunting in the Everfree Forest. He had no intention of eating the rabbit himself; he had only caught it for Arthur. After seasoning the rabbit leg with a little salt for flavor and to let out excess moisture, he placed it on a plate.

He figured that the parasprites were probably hungry as well. He did not know what the small creatures ate, so he gathered a little bit of several different foods on another plate. After carefully placing the two plates on his back, Bronze Star headed upstairs.

When he stepped into his room and turned on the lights, he was met with an unexpected sight. He noticed Arthur was in his cage with the door closed. He seemed to be holding the door in place with his talon.

He had a good reason for this. The two parasprites Bronze Star had brought into the building were circling around Arthur's cage. But they were not alone. Somehow, another half dozen of the parasprites had appeared in the room.

Bronze Star trotted over to the cage and shooed the small creatures away. Then he turned to his pet hawk, opened up the door to his cage, and asked him "Arthur, did you let these other parasprites in here?"

The hawk vigorously shook his head in response, almost as if he was insulted by this accusation. Bronze Star saw no reason to disbelieve Arthur. He looked around the room at the eight parasprites and thought aloud "This is strange. All the windows are shut and the door was locked when I left. They couldn't have even gotten in through the chimney in the study; the flue's been sealed. So where the Tartarus did they come from?"

The avian Colonel flapped his wings in the direction of the parasprites, as if he was pointing towards them. It was as though he was trying to tell his master something. Bronze Star presumed "Did the first two let the other six in?"

In response, Arthur lightly flickered his wings. Bronze Star knew what this meant. In the time Arthur had been his pet, the young prince had come to recognize when Arthur was attempting to communicate with him. When he flickered his wings like that, that did not mean "Yes" or "No." It meant "Sort of."

Bronze Star was confused. How could the first two parasprites "sort of" let the others inside? Either they did or they did not. He spent a couple minutes wondering how else they could have gotten into the embassy. Ultimately, he simply shrugged and remarked "Oh, well. They can stay the night. I'll take them back to the Everfree Forest in the morning. Now how about some dinner?"

The hawk nodded his head in approval to both those statements. Bronze Star removed one of the plates from his back, picked up the raw rabbit leg, and slid it inside Arthur's cage. He grinned and stated "There you go, buddy. Chow down."

Arthur immediately started robustly pecking at the rabbit leg with his beck. He liked to pick off bits of meat that were just small enough for him to safely swallow whole.

Bronze Star then removed the other plate from his back and placed it on the desk. He turned to the parasprites and told them "If you guys are hungry, help yourselves to anything on this plate. There should be enough for all of you."

The small creatures did not need to be told twice. They flew over to the plate and began munching down on its contents. Bronze Star watched in astonishment as they gorged on bread, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and everything else.

"No wonder the Everfree Forest is so barren," Bronze Star commented, "These guys probably ate up every bit of its edible plant life."

He then covered his mouth and yawned loudly. Bronze Star normally stayed up until midnight or later, and currently, it was only nine o'clock. However, since he had been very busy that day, he felt rather fatigued. Adding that to the fact that he planned to get up earlier than usual the following morning, he figured that he may as well go ahead and turn in for the night.

Bronze Star went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He also made sure to floss. Whenever he flossed, he liked to be thorough, so he always used a very specific brand called "Gumbo's." This particular brand of dental floss was arguably the most durable and efficient in Equestria. As a bonus, it was available in several different flavors, such as orange, cherry, and pineapple. The flavor Bronze Star preferred was cinnamon. It smelled and tasted exactly like the actual spice.

One may wonder if this dental floss has any actual relevance to the plotline. It certainly does.

Despite its reputation as the most used and most reliable brand of floss in Equestria, "Gumbo's" did have one notable problem. It was very easy for users to get a strand of it wedged between their gums without even realizing. This may seem strange, considering the fact that "Gumbo's" never lost its flavor or aroma, but it still happened. This had happened to Bronze Star several times in the past. Most of the time, he would not notice it was there until the following day.

That night, he actually got two pieces of floss stuck in his teeth. He could still smell and taste the cinnamon, but he assumed that was just the lingering effect of using the floss. After putting away his toothbrush, toothpaste, and the container of floss, Bronze Star trotted back out into the bedroom. Arthur was nearly finished eating his rabbit leg, and the parasprites had completely cleaned off their plate. There was not so much as a crumb left over.

"Well, good night," Bronze Star bade his pet hawk and the parasprites. Arthur loudly screeched in response. The parasprites merely kept chirping and hovering in the air.

Bronze Star turned off the lights and laid down on his bed. As soon as he got comfortable, he drifted off to sleep.

The young prince had a very bizarre dream that night. He dreamed that he was walking through Ponyville. He was not going anywhere in particular; he just kept trotting and trotting.

After a while, he felt a strange tingling in his side. It felt as though somepony was poking him. The tingling only lasted for a few seconds; it went away after that. Bronze Star looked around the vicinity and saw that he was alone. So he simply shrugged and continued walking.

However, several times over the next few hours, the poking sensation returned. Every time it happened, it became more pronounced and uninterrupted. It also seemed to be getting higher on his body. Before long, he felt as though somepony else was forcibly pressing their hoof against his face.

Out of nowhere, Bronze Star felt as though he had been slapped full on his cheek. In response, he promptly jerked awake. He impulsively placed his hoof against the side of his face. The pain was no longer there, but the sensation of being slapped had seemed so real.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Bronze Star turned to the left side of the room. Presently, there was only one parasprite in the room. It was a red one. The others were nowhere in sight. This was odd, as Bronze Star had closed to door to his bedroom before he went to sleep. He softly murmured "Hey, little guy. Where're your friends?"

The parasprite did not give him any type of answer. It was then that Bronze Star noticed that the cage on the table was empty. He raised an eyebrow and remarked in alarm "Where's Arthur?"

Again, the parasprite did not reply. It seemed oblivious to everything the gold stallion said and did. Bronze Star became a little concerned. He pulled off his blankets, swung his hind legs off the side of the comforter, and got up out of the bed.

Before he could take one step towards the red parasprite, he stepped on something. It felt soft, sturdy, and a little wet, and it made a soft "crunch" sound when Bronze Star put his weight on it. Curious as to what it was, Bronze Star slowly looked down… and his breath almost went away.

The object he had stepped on was one of the parasprites. Or at least, the remains of one. It had nearly been crushed under the weight of Bronze Star's front hoof.

Bronze Star was horrified at the sight. At first, he honestly believed that he had killed the parasprite. But after his initial shock passed over, he took a closer look and noticed something. The parasprite was totally stiff and covered in dry blood. That entailed that it had to have already been dead for hours. So Bronze Star was not the one who killed it. He wondered who the actual killer could have been. Then he realized that the parasprite had several deep incisions imbedded into its body. This implied that the small creature had been sliced up by a sharp object. Perhaps a thick razor… or a pair of talons.

"Arthur…" Bronze Star muttered worriedly.

Bronze Star looked up slightly and saw another dead parasprite lying about a foot away from the crushed one. Three more dead parasprites were less than a foot away from the second one. Bronze Star hastily gazed around the floor and discovered that it was covered in parasprite corpses. He did not count them, but there was definitely more than seven. The number did not matter to Bronze Star as much as what had become of the small creatures. They all exhibited the same signs of a struggle, and they all bore the same injuries on their bodies.

Bronze Star hastily looked around the room, and he spotted Arthur near the door. He scowled and snapped angrily "Arthur, did you do this?"

The hawk let out a firm squawk. This meant he was saying "Yes" without a hint remorse. Bronze Star was disgusted by his pet's total nonchalance to what he had just done.

"You killed all of them?" Bronze Star muttered in disbelief, "That's deplorable. Even more deplorable is that you seem pleased by your actions. I thought I trained you better than this."

The gold stallion's scolding did not have a profound effect on Arthur. He was completely indifferent to his master's reproach. Bronze Star sighed agitatedly and mumbled "We'll discuss this later. You stay where you are. I'll see if the sole survivor of this carnage isn't in shock."

Bronze Star then turned to the remaining parasprite and delicately pronounced "Hey, buddy; are you okay? Arthur didn't hurt you, did he? I'm so sorry for what happened to the others. This is so unlike Arthur. He never attacks unless provoked. Never. If there is anything I can do…"

The red parasprite had heard everything Bronze Star said, but it had not been listening at all. It appeared to be as unmoved as Arthur. It did not even seem to notice that more than twenty of its companions had been brutally mangled to death.

However, the parasprite did spot the two strands of cinnamon floss that were wedged between Bronze Star's teeth. Once it picked up the scent, the parasprite zipped over to the gold stallion and attempted to pluck the sweet-smelling strand out of his teeth.

Bronze Star was caught totally off guard. He flinched backwards and yelled "What the Tartarus?"

The small creature relentlessly continued trying to pull the thread of floss out from the gold stallion's mouth. Bronze Star's attitude towards the parasprite quickly changed from sympathetic to outraged. He tried to push the small creature away and shouted frantically "Get off! Get away from me! Get the buck off me, you little cretin!"

At one point, Bronze Star stumbled into his bed. He was momentarily distracted by this obstruction. This gave the parasprite the opportunity to fly up to his mouth, wrap its tiny teeth around one of the pieces of floss, and pull it out. It sucked the cinnamon-flavored filament into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

Bronze Star was very perplexed by this action. What happened next stunned him even more. Only seconds after devouring the floss, the red parasprite stretched out its jaws and coughed up a huge ball of red. The red ball hovered in air for a few seconds, and then it sprouted eyes, feet, and legs. It was another parasprite.

Bronze Star was deeply shaken by what he just witnessed. He was not in the clear yet; there was still another thread of floss in his teeth, and both of the red parasprites were focused on it. They simultaneously darted towards his mouth and dove for the floss.

Bronze Star desperately tried to swat the two parasprites. They kept closing their jawbones near the gold stallion's mouth. Before long, Bronze Star was worried that he was going to lose one or both of his lips. He probably would have, had Arthur not intervened. Before either of the parasprites could harm his master, the hawk swooped in and seized both of them with his talons. Once he floored them, he cut into them with his claws. The parasprites squealed in pain, but Arthur did not break off his attack until they stopped thrashing around. Once they were totally lifeless and immobile, he relented.

Bronze Star was deeply shaken by what just happened. Thankfully, he and Arthur were both unharmed. After dealing with the parasprites, the hawk turned back to his master. He solemnly lowered his head, as if he was expecting another reprimand for his actions. However, instead of scolding his pet, Bronze Star smiled at Arthur, trotted over to him, and held out his front hoof.

The hawk obediently hopped onto his master's front leg. Bronze Star slowly brought his pet up to him at eye level and stated appreciatively "Very good work, Colonel. That's what I call saving face."

Hawks were incapable of laughter, but Arthur let out a shrill screech to show that he was amused. He then hopped from his master's front hoof to his shoulder. Once he was perched there, Bronze Star gazed down at the remains of the bird's two latest victims. He sighed and muttered tensely "At least now we know where they come from. But why did they attack me? They seemed to be interested in something in my mouth, but it probably wasn't the words coming out of it."

Arthur lightly tapped the gold stallion on the side of his face. Once he had his master's attention, the hawk gestured towards the inside of his mouth. The gold stallion was baffled at first, but it soon dawned on him that Arthur may have been trying to tell him that something was in his mouth. The gold stallion brought his front hoof up to his mouth and felt around the inside of it. A moment later, he touched the strand of floss and plucked it out. After staring at the filament for a few seconds, he realized what it was.

"So they were after the floss," he observed, "The scent of cinnamon must have attracted them. Since I usually sleep with my mouth open, the other parasprites must have seen the floss and lunged for it while I was asleep. They probably would have chewed my face off trying to get to it. Looks like I owe you big time for averting that, Arthur."

The hawk stood up tall and proud in response to that. The gold stallion scoffed at Arthur's stance; he clearly enjoyed receiving commendation for his accomplishments. Bronze Star then concentrated on the ground. The bodies of dozens of parasprites were scattered all over the floor, and a larger percentage of it was stained with blood.

"Still, we've made quite a mess in here," he mumbled in slight annoyance, "We'd better get this place fixed up."

Bronze Star spent the next half-hour cleaning up his room. He started by gathering up all the dead parasprites and stuffing them into a large brown sack. Once he was finished with that, he went into the bathroom, picked up a bucket, and filled it with water and a bit of liquid soap. Then he carried the bucket and a brush out to his room, placed them on the ground, and proceeded to wash the entire floor. It took him a while to remove all the bloodstains from the ground. Parasprite blood was surprisingly thick, and a lot of it had dried in place. The blood was not layered, but Bronze Star needed to scrub the whole floor twice. Luckily, once he was finished, the ground was spotless. There was no lingering indication that anything violent had taken place there.

Bronze Star went back into the bathroom and dumped the remainder of the cleaning water into the sink. He noticed it had been tainted red from all the blood. He then washed out the bucket and set it aside with the brush.

Bronze Star leaned against the sink and gazed into the mirror. He had checked the time a moment ago; it was nearly six-thirty in the morning. He had planned to have had breakfast and be showered by this point in time. Unfortunately, he had been too busy cleaning up parasprite corpses to worry about that. In other words, he was already behind schedule. He sighed and uttered in an aggravated tone "This is not how I envisioned starting my morning."

Little did Bronze Star suspect that the rest of his day would be quite similar to his morning.

The gold stallion had gotten some blood on his hooves. He considered washing his hooves, but he figured it would be pretty pointless, seeing as how he was going to take a shower in a minute.

Bronze Star reached into the shower stall and started the water. Once it was just the right temperature, he stepped in and began washing himself off.

On average, Bronze Star spent about ten minutes every morning in the shower. However, he needed another five minutes to rinse the blood off his hooves and coat. This was no simple task; parasprite blood seemed to stain rather easily. Bronze Star wondered if this was what murderers and assailants did after committing a crime. In a way, he certainly felt as though he was cleansing himself of any wrongdoing after the incident with the parasprites. Still, he could not help but laugh at that very idea. Imagine him of all people killing somepony and trying to erase any evidence of the act. To him, that was absolutely preposterous.

After he got out of the shower and dried off, Bronze Star took Arthur down to the kitchen for breakfast. He cooked up some bacon, eggs, and oat waffles. The bacon was for Arthur, the oat waffles were for him, and the eggs were for both of them.

Bronze Star and Arthur ate in silence for a while. The hawk evidently enjoyed the meal. Bronze Star tried to enjoy it as well, but not as much. He could not get the fiasco with the parasprites out of his head. He could not decide what was more alarming; the fact that they had a larger appetite than Pinkie Pie, or that they reproduced by regurgitation. He noticed there was an interesting correlation between those two factors. It seemed that they had to consume an edible substance before they could breed.

"I wonder; why don't the parasprites just replicate at will?" Bronze Star thought aloud, "Why did that last one wait until after it ate the floss to cough up that other parasprite?"

Bronze Star let his mind wander as he continued to eat. Soon he realized something intriguing. Before he came downstairs, he had been famished. However, as he ate breakfast, his hunger was gradually being quelled. In addition to that, the more he ate, the more he felt revitalized and reinforced. There was nothing quite like the feel of a full stomach after eating.

This made him wonder; perhaps the parasprites felt that way, too. Maybe that exact concept applied to their biology as a whole. From this hypothesis, he quickly arrived at a conclusion. Bronze Star gazed down at his breakfast, and then he turned to Arthur and informed him "So that's how it works. They eat, and then they reproduce. Then their spawn eat, and THEY reproduce. Then the cycle repeats over and over and over again."

This theory may have seemed like a shot in the dark, but Bronze Star was fairly confident in its validity. After all, from a pragmatic standpoint, it made perfect sense.

After eating breakfast and washing and putting away the dishes, Bronze Star stretched his legs and remarked "Well, my mother will be here in less than four hours. I've got a lot to do before she gets in. Better get busy."

Once Arthur was perched on his shoulder, Bronze Star trotted back up to his bedroom and sat down on his desk. He proceeded to draft a report of everything that had taken place in Ponyville over the past seven days. As the ambassador to Ponyville, he was expected to send one of these reports to the capital city once a week. It may have seemed a little unnecessary, as he planned to discuss many of the recent events in Ponyville with his mother later that day. However, Princess Celestia was not the only one who needed to be kept up to date on current events.

After writing his report, Bronze Star sealed it in a large envelope and addressed it to Canterlot Castle. He muttered under his breath "Next stop, post office."

Bronze Star then grabbed his knapsack, slid the envelope into it, and put it on. Before he left the room, his nose detected an unpleasant smell. He looked around the room and realized that the source was the brown bag full of parasprite corpses. Apparently, the tiny creatures expired at a much faster rate than equines.

"We should probably take the trash out," Bronze Star wryly commented. He was not normally this insensitive, but he had little respect for the parasprites, seeing as how they almost mutilated his face for a piece of floss.

Bronze Star picked up the brown bag and shoved it into his knapscak. After fastened the top flap into place, he looked at his pet hawk and offered "You want to come along with me?"

Arthur screeched in approval at this. Bronze Star smirked and stated "Alright then. Let's go."

The gold stallion and his pet hawk headed outside. It was still pretty early in the morning, but several ponies were out and about. Halfway to the post office, he encountered a familiar grey blonde Pegasus with a pale purple blonde Unicorn filly.

"Good morning, Mr. Streak," the filly greeted the gold stallion.

"Hello, Dinky," Bronze Star rejoined. He turned to her mother and said "How are you doing, Derpy?"

"I'm doing fine, Gold," the cross-eyed mare replied, "Just taking Dinky to school."

Bronze Star was mildly surprised to hear that. "They're still having school today?"

"Yeah, but we only have a half-day," Dinky informed him, "We'll be out by noon."

"Well, that's fortunate," Bronze Star perceived.

"Yeah, it'll give me and my classmates more time to see Princess Celestia," Dinky mentioned excitedly, "I really can't wait for her to get here."

"You and the whole rest of the town," Bronze Star bluntly remarked. He was quiet for a moment, and then he turned to the grey mare and inquired "By the way, Derpy, are you working today?"

"Of course," Derpy replied assuredly, "I never take a day off. I've been told that if I did, the postal service wouldn't be the same."

"I should say not," Bronze Star stated drily. He reached back to his knapsack, unfastened the lock, and removed the large envelope. Then he turned back to the blonde Pegasus and proposed "In that case, whenever you get to the post office, could you add this to the priority outgoing mail for Canterlot?"

"You bet," Derpy happily responded, taking the envelope in her right front hoof, "Out of curiosity, what is it?"

"Just some bureaucratic forms," Bronze Star claimed, "I'd take it to the post office myself, but I've got a lot to do this morning before the princess arrive, and I'm looking for ways to get all my work done in as little time as possible. For instance, you'd save me about fifteen minutes by dropping this envelope off for me."

"I get what you're saying," Derpy avowed, nodding lightly, "You don't have to explain yourself, Gold. I'm just happy to be of service. I'll have this delivered to Canterlot as soon as possible."

"Thank you," the gold stallion said appreciatively.

There was another brief interval of silence. Then Dinky wrinkled her muzzle and commented in mild disgust "What is that stench?"

Derpy and Bronze Star could smell something rather unpleasant as well, but the latter quickly realized what it was. He reached back to his open knapsack, grabbed the brown bag, lifted it up slightly, and disclosed "I believe you're referring to this."

"What is that?" Derpy said in revulsion, "It smells like a sack of stale muffins."

"This is the next item of business I have on my agenda," Bronze Star informed her, "There was a little… rodent infestation at the embassy. My pet hawk Arthur here managed to catch them all, but I still have to get rid of them."

"Well, at least it's not as bad as stale muffins," Derpy proclaimed, "You know, there're dumpsters all over town. Why don't you just toss the bag into one of them?"

"Because if you leave a dead animal in one place for too long, the area will hold on to its scent, even after its body has been removed," Bronze Star enlightened her, "I don't want Ponyville to smell like this, so I plan to dispose of these things properly. I'm going to dump them somewhere in the Everfree Forest later on. But before I do that, I'm going to file a report. Who's in charge of pest control in this town?"

"I'm not sure we have that here," Derpy thought aloud, "This sounds more like a job for the town's security forces. I'd recommend that you go to the barracks and tell Noble Edict about this."

"Noble's still in Canterlot, Derpy," the gold stallion reminded her.

"Oh, yeah; I forgot," the cross-eyed mare remarked, smiling guiltily, "Then just talk to whoever's in charge."

"Okay, I'll do that," Bronze Star decided. He dropped the bag of parasprites into his knapsack, closed it up, and bade the Pegasus and Unicorn a good morning. Then he headed directly to the barracks. Once he got there, he went to the chief of security's office. Strangely, nopony was there. Luckily, a minute later, he found Copper Hollow in his office. When the deputy noticed the gold stallion enter, he grinned at him and remarked "Top of the morning, Mr. Ambassador."

"Good morning to you as well, Mr. Hollow," Bronze Star returned the gesture, "I must say; I'm a little surprised to find you here. I would have thought you'd be in the main office. Noble made you the temporary chief, after all."

"Yes, she did, sir," Copper Hollow affirmed, "However, all I'm holding on to is her title. As long as she carries her badge, I have no intention of actually taking her job. Noble Edict earned her place here; the main office is her space. So even in her absence, nopony sits in her chair. That includes me."

"That's a rather… gallant mentality for you to have," Bronze Star pronounced in admiration.

"If you asked around, you'll quickly discover that all my colleagues share that mentality," Copper Hollow declared, "Our security force is small, but the officers are very tight and close-knit. That must seem strange to you; security officers holding on to such a moralistic code of honor."

"Actually, I understand entirely," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I developed a very similar mindset from my military training. Ever since I started, I've been living by a very particular set of principles. They've helped me function as both a follower and a leader."

"My point exactly," Copper Hollow specified, "It would appear as though you and I think alike, Mr. Streak."

"Great minds typically do," Bronze Star wittily declared, "Joking aside though, I'm glad to hear you say that. You've given me yet one more reason to make me feel as though I truly belong in Ponyville."

"Trust me, sir; you do," Copper Hollow assured him, "Ask anypony else in this building and they'll tell you the same thing. You've helped save this town on at least three separate occasions. Because of that, we've come to think of you as one of us."

"Well, I don't know what to say," Bronze Star frankly admitted, "Thank you, Copper. Thank you very much."

"My pleasure, sir," Copper Hollow said in response. There was a brief interval of quietness, and then the deputy pronounced "At any rate, I assume you didn't come here just to chat. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes, I wished to submit a complaint," Bronze Star answered straightforwardly.

Copper Hollow raised an eyebrow in perplexity and queried "About what?"

"Some trouble with vermin," Bronze Star replied. He opened up his knapsack and removed the brown bag. He loosened the top of it, tilted the opening towards Copper Hollow, and beckoned him "Take a look inside."

The deputy complied with this request. He recoiled in shock when he saw what was inside the bag. He looked up at the gold stallion and enquired "What in Celestia's name are those?"

"Pinkie Pie calls them 'parasprites,'" Bronze Star apprised him, "Fluttershy brought one into town from the Everfree Forest yesterday morning. However, by the time she got to Sugarcube Corner, she had three. She had no idea where the other two came from. It was as though they simply materialized out of thin air. She let Twilight Sparkle and I each keep one of them. Twilight's crawled into her tail before we left the shop. When we got to Carousel Boutique, three parasprites crawled out. You getting this so far?"

"Yes, these little guys basically appeared out of nowhere," Copper Hollow coolly recalled, "I take it you eventually found out where they really came from?"

"Correct," Bronze Star established. He then gave the deputy a thorough recollection of what had happened at the embassy. Although he had only taken one inside that building, there were two by the time he got to his bedroom. When he got back that evening, there were eight. After feeding them and Arthur, he immediately went to bed. When he awoke the following morning, there were many more, but the majority of them were dead, courtesy of Arthur. By the time Arthur put down the last two parasprites, Bronze Star understood what was going on.

Copper Hollow was both impressed and astounded by this story. "This is quite an elaborate tale, Mr. Ambassador. It's hard to believe that you only took one of these creatures to the embassy. You must have dozens in that bag."

"Thirty-nine, to be exact," Bronze Star revealed, "I counted them as I put them into the sack."

"Okay," Copper Hollow acknowledged, "And you say they reproduce by spewing each ohter?"

"Pretty much," Bronze Star replied, "However, their rate of reproduction seems to be totally erratic. Also, they cannot duplicate whenever they wish to. They require large amounts of sustenance to keep up their metabolic rate and their reproductive organs."

"Sounds like that's all they do," Copper Hollow observed, "They just eat and give birth."

"Yeah, I've already gathered as much," Bronze Star commented, "That's why I'm here. While I blame myself for letting these particular parasprites grow in number, I thought it would be best if you were aware of their existence. A small cluster of these creatures could consume everything edible in Ponyville in a matter of hours. After that, they'd grow into an entire swarm. Just imagine the sort of damage they could cause then."

"I'd rather not," Copper Hollow muttered uneasily, "Still, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll get to work drafting an order for parasprites to be banned from the town, and that they will not be allowed entrance under any circumstances. I could have it in effect by the end of the day."

"I'm very grateful for that," Bronze Star proclaimed, "In the meantime, is there anything you need me to do about this?"

"Actually, there is," Copper Hollow told him. He sat up straight and continued with "You said Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle kept two of the first three parasprites that came to town. Do you know if anypony else took one?"

"Yes, Rainbow Dash and Rarity did," Bronze Star recounted, "I'm pretty sure they were the only ones, though."

"Alright, that's a bit of good news for us," Copper Hollow stated, "Now, let's assume for a moment that all four of those mares took her parasprite home. Let's also assume that each one of them fed her parasprite at least once over the past twenty-four hours. Do you think it's possible they're experiencing the same issue that you faced earlier this morning?"

Amazingly, this possibility had not yet occurred to Bronze Star. The thought of it made him feel profusely uneasy. He muttered anxiously "There's certainly a chance of that."

Copper Hollow promptly rose out of his chair and walked over to a cabinet by the wall. As he opened it and looked through some folders, he announced over his shoulder "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"How so?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.

"We just established there's a chance that Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy's houses are currently being occupied by masses of parasprites," Copper Hollow expounded, "If so, we have to flush those creatures out and chase them out of town. All of them. If just one of these things manages to remain in Ponyville, we could have an epidemic on our hooves."

"You're absolutely right," "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to find the mares and help them wipe out the infestation," Copper Hollow instructed him. He then pulled a small pin out of his filing cabinet, trotted over to Bronze Star, and attached it to the strap on the gold stallion's knapsack. Then he declared "I'm making you and Arthur the heads of our newly-formed pest control committee."

"Just how newly-formed is it?" Bronze Star enquired.

"It's about ten seconds old," Copper Hollow shamelessly admitted, "This sort of situation requires the formation of a few additional provisos. The two of you were able to put down thirty-nine parasprites all by yourselves. I'd call that ample qualifications to head the committee."

"Well, Arthur did all the work," Bronze Star reminded the deputy.

"Yeah, but you're better leadership material," Copper Hollow pointed out, "Plus you're… shall we say, easier to communicate with."

"If you say so," Bronze Star acknowledged, accepting the pin. As he adjusted it on the strap of his knapsack, he queried "What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"I'll gather up my fellow officers and bring them up to speed on this matter," Copper Hollow declared, "In the event that you're unable to contain this mess, we'll be prepared to assist you."

"I appreciate that," Bronze Star stated gratefully, "Still, I hope it won't get that far."

"So do I," Copper Hollow disclosed, "If it does, we'll be ready to help you out in any way we can. We're not exterminators, but we do know how to repel unwanted and unwelcomed visitors."

"I'll keep that in mind," Bronze Star affirmed, smirking lightly.

He was about to return the brown bag to his knapsack, but before he did, Copper Hollow held out his hoof and requested "Would you mind if I hanged on to that for now? My colleagues may not believe me when I tell them about the parasprites unless they can actually see them."

"Sure, they're all yours," Bronze Star responded, handing over the brown bag, "I was just going to dump them into the Everfree Forest as soon as I left here, anyway."

"I'll do that once this catastrophe is over," Copper Hollow asserted, "I may keep one or two specimens for the science department to study. The others I'll dispose of swiftly and discreetly."

"Very well," Bronze Star approved. He then shut his knapsack, left the deputy's office, and trotted out of the barracks. He looked at his pet hawk out of the corner of his eye and wryly proposed "Well, Arthur, what say we go hunting?"

Arthur could not smile, due to a lack of lips. But if he could at that time, he would have flashed a grin that conveyed eagerness and enthusiasm. That was all the answer Bronze Star needed. He smirked and commented positively "Good."

He halted for a little bit to consider his relative position in town. He had to choose between one of four possible destinations. After about a minute, he thought aloud "Rarity's place is the closest. We'll start with her."

The gold stallion broke into a gallop and rushed to Carousel Boutique. Right when he got there, Rarity stepped outside and shut the front door. She was wearing a saddle bag over her back. Both containers were stuffed full, and they appeared to be moving slightly. Even from a distance, Bronze Star could tell what was inside of them.

Bronze Star spotted Pinkie Pie approaching the emporium from the west. When she reached the white mare, the pink mare held up a small rectangular object and told her "Look Rarity, Applejack loaned me a harmonica."

She then played a few bars, and she added in "Isn't that great?"

She noticed a lot of movement and chirping resonating from Rarity's saddle bag. She gasped and pronounced "And not a moment too soon."

Rarity did not seem particularly interested. She mumbled agitatedly "Ugh, Pinkie, I'm a little busy right now."

"And I'm not?" Pinkie Pie countered, "You know how many more instruments I've gotta find? A lot, that's how many. Now if we split the list between us, we might just make it in time."

"Please, Pinkie," Rarity implored, "I don't have time for some silly scavenger hunt. I've got a real problem."

"You've got a real problem alright," Pinkie Pie proclaimed, "And a banjo is the only answer!"

The pink mare then hastily departed from the area. Bronze Star scoffed in amusement at how determined she seemed to accomplish this bizarre goal.

Once Pinkie Pie was gone, Bronze Star trotted over to Rarity and offered "Need some help?"

"Yes, please," she beseeched him, "I woke up this morning to find that my boutique was overrun by these parasprites. I was willing to tolerate them until I learned how they… procreate. Once I learned that, I decided to get rid of them. I've already gathered them up. Now I'm looking for a place to drop them."

"I'd recommend the Everfree Forest," Bronze Star suggested.

"Alright, let's head over there now," Rarity coincided.

The gold stallion and the white mare then made their way through town. A couple minutes later, they encountered Twilight Sparkle near the park. The lavender mare was wearing an overloaded, shifting saddle bag, as well. She and Rarity gasped when they saw what each other was carrying.

"I see we're having the same problem," Rarity candidly noted.

"Ditto!" shouted a frightened voice in the sky. The three ponies looked up and saw Rainbow Dash zipping through the air. She was being chased by a small crowd of parasprites. She tried desperately to escape from them, but the tiny creatures were quite persistent.

"What about you, Bronze?" Twilight Sparkle asked the young prince.

"Well, I HAD the same problem," Bronze Star illuminated, "Fortunately, Arthur took care of it. If you girls want, I'm sure he'd be willing to do the same for you girls."

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Rarity perceived, "We've already got all these creatures in one place."

"Are you sure about that?" Bronze Star asked her.

"Yes, I made sure my boutique was totally empty before I left," Rarity informed him.

"The library's been vacated, too," Twilight Sparkle professed.

"What about your house, Rainbow?" Bronze Star asked the Pegasus overhead.

"It's… clear…!" the cyan mare yelled as she hastily soared away from the trailers, "They… just… won't… stop… following… me!"

"Alright, so we do have them all amassed," Bronze Star noted, "That makes things a little easier. Our best course of action would be to go straight to the Everfree Forest."

"Easier said than done," Rarity observed, "We need a way to keep them under control until we get there."

"Fluttershy knows everything about animals," Twilight Sparkle informed the others, "I'm sure she can tell us how to stop them from multiplying."

"Like I said a moment ago, Arthur found a permanent solution to that," Bronze Star reiterated, "Just let him handle them."

"Sounds… good… to… me!" Rainbow Dash yelled in approval.

"I'd prefer a more civil resolution," Rarity disclosed, "I don't do well around carnage, Bronze."

"Yeah, let's try to find a more… nonaggressive answer," Twilight Sparkle advised, "Let's head on over to Fluttershy's. She might have the most ideal solution."

The gold stallion, the lavender mare, the white mare, and the cyan mare quickly travelled to Fluttershy's cottage. When they got there, Twilight approached the front entrance and prepared to knock on it. Before her hoof could come in contact with the door, the door swung open on its own and a flock of parasprites flew outside. Altogether, they chirped loudly and energetically.

"...Or not," Twilight corrected herself.

There were many more parasprites inside the cottage. There had to be hundreds of them. Bronze, Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity stepped through the doorframe and spotted Fluttershy in the front room. Twilight called out to her "Ugh, do something Fluttershy, can't you control them?"

"I've tried everything I know," the yellow mare frantically insisted, "I've tried begging, and pleading, and beseeching, and asking politely and..."

"Guh," Rainbow Dash murmured in disgust.

"Well, I'm willing to wager there's something you haven't tried," Bronze Star conjectured. He looked at his pet hawk and requested "Arthur, would you care to demonstrate?"

In response, the hawk spread his wings and ascended into the air. He lunged for the nearest parasprite, seized it in midair, and slashed the area beneath its mouth with his talons. The parasprite immediately dropped to the ground and laid totally still.

"See, it's a very practical solution," Bronze Star pronounced, picking up the dead parasprite and holding it up for the others to see, "And a very effective one, I might add."

Fluttershy seemed terrified by this action. She slunk back to a corner of the room and stammered uneasily "P-please… d-d-don't d-d-do th-th-that a-a-again."

"You sound like me under the influence of Poison Joke," Bronze Star cockily remarked.

"This isn't funny, Bronze," Rarity snapped somewhat irately, "Fluttershy's very adverse to any sort of violence. It frightens and appalls her so much that she almost makes me look like a person who gets off on it."

"Oh, right," Bronze Star commented, slapping himself in exasperation. He could not believe how careless and inconsiderate he had just been. He quickly turned to the yellow mare and told her sincerely "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy."

"It's… alright, Bronze," Fluttershy proclaimed, even though she was still a little shaken, "I know you're just trying to help. But if you're going to do anything to the parasprites, I would appreciate it if you did not do it in here."

"I'll remember that," Bronze Star asserted, "How about we take them outside before I put the Colonel to work?"

"Bronze, enough of that," Twilight Sparkle brusquely remarked, "Believe me; I want to get rid of these parasprites as much as you do. But there are well over a thousand of them in this house alone. There is no way Arthur could eliminate all of them by himself. And even if he could, it would take hours for us to clean up the resulting mess. Imagine what Ponyville would look like when it's covered in tiny bodies and the ground's soaked with blood. More to the point, imagine what your mother would think of it. It would be an even worse sight than if we just let the parasprites roam freely."

"Oh, you've got a point there," Bronze Star admitted, "It took me a half-hour just to clean up the floor of my bedroom at the embassy. It would probably take like a week or so to clean up the entire town."

"So what are we going to do?" Rainbow Dash queried as the five ponies stepped outside.

Twilight visualized what might happen if the parasprites were still in Ponyville when Celestia arrived. Worst case scenario, it would end with the white Alicorn being carried off by the entire swarm. Once this thought passed through her head, she pronounced "If we can't get them under control before the princess arrives, it'll be a total disaster."

Just then, a yellow parasprite flew by Rarity and hacked up a brown ball, which immediately sprouted eyes, wings, and legs.

"Ew!" Rarity shrieked, "If you ask me it's already a total disaster."

"Or damn near close to one," Bronze Star commented.

Just then, the gold stallion noticed Applejack was approaching the cottage. She was harnessed up to a large cart full of apples, which she was pulling in tow. When she was close enough to the others, she called out "Here's all those apples you wanted, Fluttershy, but I still can't figure why y'need so many."

A moment later, the entire swarm of parasprites soared over to the cart and completely devoured its contents in a matter of seconds. Applejack glowered at them and shouted "HEY!"

Bronze Star trotted over to the farm pony and told her "That's why. We've been struck by a plague of parasprites."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and remarked "That's what those things are? There are parasprites in Ponyville?"

"You've heard of them?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yeah, Granny once told me about them," Applejack elucidated, "I've never actually seen them myself, though. All you need to know about them is that they scrounge like fleas and multiply like bacteria."

"Indeed, they do," Rarity concurred.

"What do we do?" Fluttershy asked in worry.

"Well, I've already informed Copper Hollow about this ordeal," Bronze Star informed the five mares, "He's tasked me with controlling the parasprite infestation."

"Why you?" Rainbow Dash queried.

"Because I already know how these creatures think, and Arthur was able to prevent them from taking over the embassy," Bronze Star explicated.

"Prevent them how?" Applejack asked in interest.

Bronze Star smirked and dropped the dead parasprite in front of the orange mare. She was a little stunned at first, but then she eased down and stated cheekily "Well, that's certainly an effectual method."

Bronze Star nodded and declared "It's one of the benefits of having a predator as a pet. However, this particular solution is a little too… messy. Parasprites actually hold a lot of blood, and I know from experience that after putting one of them down, it takes a while to clean up the resulting mess. Plus, I don't want to risk traumatizing Fluttershy. So I'm looking for a solution that involves less bloodshed."

"Is anypony else helping you?" Rarity enquired.

"Well, Copper Hollow is currently bringing the rest of the town's security force up to speed," Bronze Star revealed, "They'll be on stand-by in case this thing gets out of hoof. But before I ask the town's security force for aid, I'm going to try to resolve this scenario without them. However, if you mares are available, I could really use your help."

"You can count on us, Bronze," Applejack assured the prince. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all nodded in agreement.

"So what are we going to do?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

There was a brief interval of silence. Then Twilight Sparkle gasped elatedly, turned to the mare in the hat, and declared "I got it! No pony can herd like Applejack."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash coincided, "We can drive 'em back into the Forest."

Applejack grinned, scoffed, and announced "I'll rastle 'em up, but I need everypony's help to do it. Twilight, you, Bronze, and Rarity wait over there. I'll herd the little critters straight at ya like a funnel. Rainbow Dash, you and Fluttershy stay on top of 'em, don't let 'em fly away."

"Aye aye," Rainbow Dash acknowledged, hovering in the air above the others. Fluttershy quickly ascended into the air to join her. Bronze Star turned to Arthur and proposed "Want to spot us, Colonel?"

The hawk nodded his head and flew a little higher into the air. In the week since Fluttershy had repaired his wing, he appeared to be flying steadily again. However, he was not quite flapping his wings at their normal average frequency. His master beckoned him "Take it easy. Don't try to overexert yourself. If your wing starts acting up again, just land on my shoulder."

Arthur acknowledged this. Once he, the gold stallion, and the mares were in position, Applejack reared back on her hind legs and called out "Yeeeeeee-haw!"

Over the next few minutes, the group gathered up all the parasprites in the area. They rounded up the tiny creatures in a spherical cluster. The sphere grew progressively larger by the snowball effect, meaning that its diameter became wider the further it rolled along the ground. The parasprites screeched in surprise, but they put up no resistance.

"Alright y'all, here goes nothin'," Applejack proclaimed once the parasprites were amassed. The six ponies and the hawk directed the sphere towards the Everfree Forest. On the way there, they made sure that none of the parasprites escaped, and Applejack gave out instructions. "Look out Rarity, that one's fixin' to get away. Keep a lead on 'em, Rainbow Dash. Bronze, cover that corner. Hold on girls, we're almost there."

Just then, a certain pink mare appeared next to Twilight Sparkle. She exclaimed in surprise "Pinkie!"

"Twilight, we don't have much time," Pinkie Pie claimed as she ran alongside the lavender mare.

"You're telling me," Twilight Sparkle commented restlessly, "The princess could arrive at any moment."

"Exactly," Pinkie Pie affirmed, "That's why I need you gals to drop what you're doing and help me find some maracas."

"What?" said Bronze Star in perplexity.

"Maracas?" Twilight muttered confusedly, "Pinkie, we've got much bigger problems than missing maracas."

Pinkie Pie gasped and pronounced "You're right! Getting a tuba has to be our number one goal. Follow me."

She turned around and began galloping in the opposite direction. When Bronze Star and the mares did not do the same, Pinkie sprinted backwards until she caught up with them. Once she reached Twilight Sparkle, she continued running backwards and repeated impatiently "I said, 'follow me!'"

"Pinkie Pie, you are so random," Rainbow Dash bluntly mentioned.

"And you are all so stubborn!" Pinkie Pie retorted irately. She could tell that Bronze Star and the mares were unwilling to hear her out. So she shifted direction and hastily galloped back towards Ponyville alone.

"Forget her, ladies," Applejack instructed the mares as the group pressed onward, "Focus. Head 'em up and move 'em out."

They were almost upon the Everfree Forest by this time. At a certain point, Applejack gestured for the others to stay back while alone directed the swarm of parasprites towards the Forest by herself. Just before she reached the border, Applejack halted in her pace, but the parasprites kept moving in a collective spherical formation. The orange mare watched as the small creatures rolled straight into the Forest. They continued rolling for a while, but it only took about fifteen seconds for them to vanish from the group's line of sight.

"All right!" Rainbow Dash cheered. She raised her hooves and grunted as she slapped them against Fluttershy's to give her a high-one.

"Ouch," the yellow Pegasus moaned softly.

Arthur was somewhat worn out by this point, and his wing was starting to ache. Luckily, Bronze Star was close-by, so he was able to flap towards him and land on his shoulder without collapsing. The gold stallion smiled at his pet and told him "That's a very fine job, Arthur."

"We did it," Twilight proudly declared, "Nice work, Applejack."

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood on either side of the orange mare and warmly brushed against her in appreciation. She was grateful for this gesture, and she modestly proclaimed "Couldn't a'done it without y'all."

While the other mares were thanking Applejack for helping them get rid of their problem, Bronze Star gazed back into the Everfree Forest. He wanted to take another look to ensure that the parasprites were not coming back. To his relief, there was no sign that the small creatures were returning.

However, something caught his eye. About forty feet inward, there appeared to be movement. Initially, Bronze Star thought he may have been seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes a bit. Then he looked again, and it turned out his vision was not impaired. There was indeed something moving in the Forest.

He could not make out who or what it was, but it was making an effort to keep moving whilst remaining hidden in the shadows. Bronze Star took a step closer to the Forest and squinted his eyes in an attempt to concentrate on the moving object.

Rarity noticed his behavior, and she inquired in slight concern "Everything alright, Bronze?"

That snapped the gold stallion out of his trance. He turned back to the mares and replied with "Yeah, yeah, everything's good. I just… well, I just, uh… oh, never mind. It's nothing important."

"You sure?" Rainbow Dash queried.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Bronze Star asserted, "I'm just glad we got rid of those parasprites."

"I hear you there," Applejack coincided.

"Now let's get back and clean up the mess they made before the princess arrives," Twilight Sparkle proposed.

"Good idea," Bronze Star commented.

The five mares, the stallion, and the hawk calmly headed back to Ponyville. On the way back, Bronze Star thought intently about two things. Firstly, he wondered who or what it was he had seen prowling inside the Forest. For some reason, he could not get the sight of that thing out of his head. It occurred to him that it was probably just some type of wild animal or poacher, but he felt it was equally possible that what he saw was something a little more… unpleasant.

Then again, it was also possible that he was simply being needlessly paranoid. Bronze Star managed to put this matter out of his mind for the present, as it was trivial compared to the other subject on his mind.

This other subject was his agenda for the day. Although Bronze Star had lost track of time, he was certain that Princess Celestia would be arriving in town in less than two hours. There was a lot left to do before his mother got in, and the parasprites had added even more to his workload. Bronze Star sighed in weariness at this prospect.

At this time, Applejack was trotting alongside the gold stallion. She turned to him and queried "Somethin' botherin' ya, Bronze?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star straightforwardly admitted, "I was hoping to have all work done long before my mother gets in. Now because of those parasprites, I'm way behind schedule. In fact, other than mailing an envelope to Canterlot, I haven't accomplished anything else on my agenda. If anything, I've got more to do, seeing as how we also have to repair the damage the parasprites inflicted on the town."

"I get what you're sayin'," Applejack professed, "Don't let time constraints trouble you. Think of them as more an objective than an obstacle. That's what I always do, and I always get things done on time. Plus, there's no reason for you to do everything by yourself. I'm sure there are plenty of ponies in this town who are willing to lend you a hoof. Present company included."

The other four mares smiled and nodded in agreement. Bronze Star was very grateful for this friendly gesture, as well as for Applejack's kind words. He grinned at the orange mare and told her appreciatively "Thanks, Applejack. That did a lot to boost my confidence."

"No problem, sugar cube," she assured him, smiling back, "Regardless of how many things we've got on our timetable, I'm certain we can find a way to get them all done before Princess Celestia shows up. And in the unlikely event that we don't, do you really think she would be disappointed?"

Bronze Star had to admit that Applejack made an excellent point. He replied with "No, I suppose not. Inn actuality, I'm not worried about displeasing my mother. To tell you the truth, I've rarely ever seen her upset or frustrated. And most of the times when she was, she was not in a public place. What I'm really concerned about is whether or not this town will impress her. Sure, it's easy enough for me to impress her, but parents are expected to be fascinated with their children's deeds. However, it's not easy for most other people to impress her, but I want her to get the right kind of notion from this town."

"That actually makes perfect sense," Fluttershy perceived.

"Yeah, it does," Rainbow Dash coincided, "Still, I wouldn't worry too much Bronze. Princess Celestia seemed to enjoy being here during the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Yes, and that was an official holiday," Rarity pointed out, "Since today is meant to be a cordial get-together, I doubt Princess Celestia would expect anything more from us than she did at the Celebration."

"I suppose that's true," Bronze Star admitted. He let out a contented sigh and remarked "Guess I'm just overthinking this whole thing."

"No, you're just trying to be thorough, Bronze," Twilight hypothesized, "There's nothing wrong with that. The ability to analyze and organize your to-do list is a valuable asset."

Bronze Star merely nodded in agreement. After a short period of quietness, he proposed "If we ARE going to finish those arrangements, let's get back to town. We certainly won't accomplish anything by trotting and talking."

The five mares agreed to this suggestion. The group picked up their pace a little as they headed back to town. On the way, Twilight and Bronze went over their respective agendas and distributed assignments for the others to handle. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity were willing to accept everything that was asked of them. They were just as determined to get the town in order by the time Princess Celestia arrived in Ponyville.

Just before they got back to town, Applejack leaned over to Bronze Star and whispered "By the way, Bronze, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. When Princess Celestia gets here, should we tell her about… us?"

Bronze Star was caught off-guard by that question. He and Applejack had been seeing each other for weeks, and not once had he thought about when or if he would tell his mother about the nature of their relationship. Oddly enough, he had not even considered this issue until now. However, now that it had been brought up, he felt it should be addressed. He turned to Applejack and stated quietly "That depends. Do you WANT her to know about us?"

"Yes, I do," Applejack disclosed, "I'd like her to know very much. After all, my family already knows about us. Sooner or later, we're going to have to tell yours, too."

"I can't dispute that," Bronze Star candidly admitted, "My mother will be spending the majority of her time in public today. However, she's always found a way to make time for me. I could easily convince her to make some time to have a private audience with the two of us."

"That's great," Applejack commented, "It doesn't have to be long. All I'd need is five minutes."

Bronze Star lightly scoffed and remarked "Just five minutes? That's hardly enough time to get to know her."

"Yeah, but right now, my first concern is not becoming a personal acquaintance of Princess Celestia," Applejack informed him, "For the moment, all I'm curious to know is whether or not your mother would… approve of me."

Bronze Star was somewhat surprised to hear that. However, he could tell that Applejack was quite serious when she said that last statement. He merely smiled, patted her on the back, and told her in assurance "Oh, she will, Applejack. Believe me."

The orange mare gazed at the gold stallion and asked "You think so?"

"I know so," he responded, "She's an excellent judge of character, and I predict that she'll more than 'approve' of your character. In fact, I'm so sure of that that I'd bet my crown on it."

Applejack scoffed and thought aloud "In that case, I'm confident, too."

The group continued in silence for the rest of the way back to town. A couple minutes later, the six ponies reached Fluttershy's cottage. They were about to go their separate ways and handle their respective tasks. Alas, before they could do that, Fluttershy went to the front entrance of her house, opened the door… and thousands of parasprites soared out of it.

At first glance, it appeared that they had come out of nowhere. Then Fluttershy revealed that she had kept one of the parasprites from the first swarm. One single parasprite had produced thousands of companions in under fifteen minutes.

Bronze Star suggested rounding them up again, but Twilight Sparkle insisted that they did not have the time. They needed a faster strategy. Luckily, Rainbow Dash had one. She donned a pair of goggles and began rapidly flying in circles around the new swarm parasprites. She flew so fast that within fifteen seconds, she had generated an artificial twister. After she managed to lure every last parasprite into the vortex, she began carefully inching the twister towards the Everfree Forest.

Unfortunately, before she could get even close to the Forest, Pinkie Pie showed up with a pair of cymbals. The cymbals got caught by the suction from Rainbow Dash's twister, and they were pulled right into the eye of the vortex. Their sudden appearance broke Rainbow's concentration, and the cyan mare was thrown off balance. Seconds later, the twister faded away and the parasprites escaped.

While Rainbow Dash regained her coordination, Bronze Star and the other mares confronted Pinkie Pie on her interference. She was unfazed by her mistake, and she insisted that the cymbals were more important than the twister. She demanded a chance to explain herself, but the others were not in the mood to hear her out. They felt they had more pressing matters to attend to. The parasprites were now heading towards Ponyville. Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy hastily chased after them. Pinkie Pie was left alone to search for her missing cymbals.

As soon as they reached the town, the tiny creatures started consuming every edible substance in sight. Not just food, but flowers and herbs as well.

"What do we do?" Fluttershy queried anxiously, "They're eating all the food in town."

Applejack gasped and shouted "My apples!"

The orange mare galloped as fast as her legs could carry her to Sweet Apple Acres. Bronze Star would have gone with her, but the infestation had not spread to the apple plantation just yet. He was hoping to contain and stop the swarm before they reached Applejack's home.

"We've gotta do something," Twilight Sparkle declared. She thought for a moment, and then she gasped and announced "I got it! I'll cast a spell to make them stop eating all the food."

"Go for it," Bronze Star encouraged her.

Twilight closed her eyes, took a moment to focus, and cast the spell. She made sure to cast it over the entire town so that every single parasprite was struck by it.

The effect was immediate; the parasprites seemed to stop giving in to their gluttonous tendencies. They did not so much as touch a single morsel of food in town.

"What kind of spell is this?" Bronze Star enquired in interest.

"Its primary purpose is to alter one's food preferences," Twilight Sparkle apprised him, "It's most commonly used to help people with eating disorders adapt healthier eating habits. In the most extreme case, it can be used to force one to dislike anything even remotely edible altogether. That's precisely what I did here."

"Well, it seems to have worked," Brozne Star commented.

Just then, Pinkie Pie zipped into the area and called out "Look, tambourines! If you could all just..."

This time, the others did not even acknowledge her presence. She screamed in frustration and zoomed out of the area.

Twilight Sparkle thought they had finally caught a break. However, less than twenty seconds later, she was proven quite wrong. The parasprites started eating buckets, signs, lampposts, and several other things that were not meant to be ingested. However, they left everything that could be eaten untouched.

"Heh; hey, it worked," Rainbow Dash muttered in a very disdainful tone, "They're not eating the food anymore."

Rarity panicked when she realized what this would imply if the parasprites got into her store. She rushed towards Carousel Boutique to save her outfits. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy tried to push the parasprites out of Ponyville, but their efforts were in vain. Fluttershy naively tried negotiating with them again, and Rainbow Dash ended up getting chased by them once more.

Twilight Sparkle ran into the library. After surveying the damage, she grabbed the nearest parasprite and bolted back outside. She appeared to be heading in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Bronze Star galloped alongside her and inquired "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, Zecora's place," she enlightened him, "Since she and the parasprites both live in the Everfree Forest, she might know how we can stop them."

"Well, good luck with that," Bronze Star remarked, "Keep your eyes open while you're in the Forest. Get back as soon as possible. I'll stay here and see what I can do on this end."

"Alright, I'll see you soon," Twilight Sparkle asserted.

As the lavender mare headed towards the Forest, the gold stallion made his way to the barracks. He notified Copper Hollow that they had a "situation." In response, the deputy swiftly mobilized the town's security forces.

Within minutes, every single security officer was out on the streets. They did everything they could to keep the parasprites at bay. Each and every one of them had been trained with weapons, combat, and defense. They managed to repel or eliminate a large percentage of the swarm. Unfortunately, despite being well-armed and well-trained, they were immeasurably outnumbered. Within ten minutes, the town's entire security force was overwhelmed.

Bronze Star was absolutely fed up with the parasprites by this point. He turned to the bird on his shoulder and ordered him "Show them no mercy, Arthur."

The hawk did not have to be told twice. He ascended into the air and put his talons to use. He slashed at every parasprite that came within his reach. Many of them immediately collapsed dead. A few were just wounded, and the rest were left totally unharmed. Bronze Star smiled at the sight. Maybe things were finally starting to look up.

Or at least, it would have. During Arthur's onslaught, one of his feathers had gotten plucked out of his right wing. One of the parasprites spotted it and ate it whole. It seemed to like the taste, so it attempted to eat Arthur's other feathers... while they were still attached to his wings. Soon several of the other parasprites tried to do the same thing.

Arthur quickly realized what was going on. Before he got bit by any of the tiny creatures, he flew back towards his master, shrieking in fright. The gold stallion opened up his knapsack and gestured for his hawk to fly into it. Arthur complied and landed in his master's bag. Once he was safely inside, the young prince closed the knapsack and secured it.

"Just stay in there, Arthur," Bronze Star whispered to his pet, "You'll be alright as long as they can't see you."

A minute later, Twilight Sparkle returned to Ponyville. Bronze Star trotted over to her and asked her desperately "Well, what did she say?"

"We're doomed," Twilight bluntly replied, "That's all she told me."

"Are you kidding me?!" he exclaimed restlessly.

"I wish I was," she anxiously rejoined, "The worst part is that that's not all."

She then pointed upwards over her shoulder. Bronze Star looked up in that direction and saw what she meant. In the sky, a golden chariot was being hauled by two Pegasi clad in the uniforms of the Royal Guard. A white Alicorn was sitting in the carriage. That carriage was his mother's carriage, and his mother was the passenger. If her chariot was visible from this distance, then she would reach Ponyville within a few minutes.

All around them, ponies were screaming and fleeing through the town. The parasprites continued feasting on the town. Twilight Sparkle looked around in worry. Then she grinned. But it was not a cheerful grin; it was the kind of grin that suggests an unsound mind. Twilight Sparkle shouted in a shaky, uneven voice "Okay, here's the plan. Rainbow Dash, you distract them."

Rainbow Dash was still being pursued by the parasprites. She zipped by the town square and shouted "YAAAA!"

Twilight Sparkle did not seem to mind. From her point of view, Rainbow Dash was creating an ideal diversion. She shiftily declared "Good. Everyone else, we need to build an exact copy of Ponyville right over there. We've got less than a minute."

Evidently, the lavender mare was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Bronze Star seized her by her shoulders, looked her in the eye, and shouted "Twilight, pull yourself together! Now's not the time to go berserk."

Twilight Sparkle stared at him in shock for a few seconds. Then she eased down and nodded in compliance. She muttered in defeat "Zecora was right, we're doomed."

Bronze Star would have said something to comfort his friend. Before he could get a single word out, the sound of polka music filled the air. When Twilight heard it, she pronounced "Oh no, the princess's procession is here. It's all over!"

She ducked down to the ground, as if she was expecting to be struck down by a higher power. Bronze Star looked around for the source of the music. He saw somepony trotting down the street. He raised an eyebrow, leaned down to the lavender mare, and told her "That's not her procession, Twilight. Look."

The lavender mare opened her eyes and rose to her full height. To her surprise, Pinkie Pie was the source of the music. She was carrying all the musical instruments she had spent the last day gathering. She had them attached to her so that she could play all of them at the same time, as though she was a one-mare band. Twilight Sparkle was flabbergasted by the sight. She muttered agitatedly "Pinkie? We're in the middle of a crisis here. This is no time for your... nonsense?"

She had muttered that last word in an intrigued tone of voice. She noticed that the music was having a peculiar effect on the parasprites. They ceased their relentless consuming of the town, and they turned their attention towards the pink mare. They seemed to be mesmerized by her music. Then one-by-one, they started following her. They hopped along the ground as she led them away from town.

"Look," Twilight announced to nopony in particular.

Currently, Bronze Star, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy were the only people in the area. The five of them and Twilight Sparkle followed Pinkie Pie and the trail of parasprites. They appeared to be heading towards the Everfree Forest.

A minute later, the other ponies discovered that that was indeed the case. When Pinkie Pie arrived at the edge of the Forest, she stopped trotting, but she continued playing her music. The parasprites bounced right past her and entered the Forest one at a time.

Bronze Star and the five mares stopped when they were about fifty feet away from the edge of the Forest. By now, Princess Celestia's chariot had changed course, and it was approaching the group of six. The two Royal Guards brought it in for a landing. Once the carriage was on the ground, its single passenger stood up straight and slowly climbed out. She smiled at the lavender mare and addressed her with "Twilight Sparkle, my prized pupil."

"Hello, princess," the magic student casually replied, bowing to the regal mare. The other four mares and the stallion bowed as well.

"So lovely to see you again, as well as your friends," Princess Celestia happily declared.

Once the six ponies rose to their full height, Bronze Star trotted over the white mare. He wanted to speak openly with her, but he was not certain if that would be a good idea in front of the two Royal Guard. His mother noticed this and assured him "It's alright. They know."

Bronze Star smiled and stated "Good."

He then stepped forward and embraced his mother. She gladly returned the embrace and whispered "I've missed you dearly, Bronze Star."

"I've missed you, too, Mother," he quietly murmured "It's wonderful to see you."

They remained together for a moment, and then a crash of cymbals from Pinkie Pie cut that moment short.

Twilight Sparkle then stepped in and attempted to make Smalltalk. "So... how was the trip? Hit much traffic?"

Bronze Star glared at her in amazement, as if to say "Seriously?" But to be fair, she was not exactly an expert with Smalltalk.

Just then, one of the parasprites flew up to Princess Celestia. She seemed touched by it, and she remarked in admiration "Ah, what is this? Oh ho ho, these creatures are adorable."

"They're not that adorable," Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath.

Princess Celestia turned her attention back to Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star. She declared "I'm terribly honored that you and the good citizens of Ponyville have organized a parade in honor of my visit."

"Parade?" Twilight Sparkle asked in confusion. Bronze Star elbowed her in the side and wordlessly pointed out Pinkie Pie. The lavender mare quickly realized what Celestia meant, and she went with it. "Oh. Yes, the parade."

"Unfortunately, that visit is going to have to wait for another time," Princess Celestia revealed, "I'm afraid an emergency has come up in Fillydelphia. Apparently there's been some sort of infestation."

The stallion and the five mares were stunned by this news. Twilight Sparkle uttered in disbelief "An... infestation?"

"Yes, a swarm of incredibly bothersome creatures has invaded the poor town," Princess Celestia clarified, "I'm sorry, Bronze and Twilight, to have to put you all through so much trouble."

"Trouble?" Twilight asked rhetorically, "What trouble?"

"We understand, Mother," Bronze Star calmly assured the white Alicorn, "Go ahead and aid the people of Fillydelphia. We don't mind postponing; Ponyville will still be here after that crisis has been resolved."

Celestia was pleased to see that her son was as optimistic as ever. As she began to climb back into her carriage, she looked over at Twilight and stated "Before I have to go, would you care to give me your latest report on the magic of friendship in person?"

"My... report?" Twilight tentatively enquired.

"Haven't you learned anything about friendship?" Celestia queried in a somewhat dissatisfied tone.

Twilight Sparkle thought about this situation in perspective. She noticed Pinkie Pie near the edge of the Forest, and that gave her an idea. She proclaimed "Actually, I have. I've learned that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives..."

She was momentarily interrupted by a crash of cymbals. She then wrapped her statement up with "Even when they don't always seem to make sense."

Princess Celestia nodded in approval and avowed "I'm so proud of you, Twilight Sparkle, and I'm very impressed with your friends as well. It sounds like you're all learning so much from each other."

"Thank you, princess," Twilight replied appreciatively.

By now, Princess Celestia was sitting comfortably in her chariot. Before she gave her guards the order to take off, she turned to her son and informed him "Oh, by the way, Bronze Star. There is something you should know. Lord Bellerophon asked me to give you a message. A verbal message."

"Alright, Mother," the gold stallion acknowledged, stepping closer, "What might that be?"

"He claims that he needs to speak with you sometime in the near future," Celestia apprised him.

"About what?" enquired Bronze Star.

"He did not specify," Celestia disclosed, "All he said was that it 'concerned a very personal and delicate matter.'"

Bronze Star's eyes lit up at that. He asked his mother "Were those his exact words?"

"Yes, down to the last syllable," Celestia affirmed.

"Okay, I understand," Bronze Star asserted, "When you get back to the capital city, please tell him that I'll see him within the next solar cycle."

Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgement. Then she grinned at the gold stallion and declared "He'll be waiting. As will I."

After saying good-bye to her son and his friends, Princess Celestia departed from the town on her chariot. Pinkie Pie had been playing her instruments this entire time. The very last parasprite had gone into the Forest a few seconds beforehand.

The pink mare trotted over to her friends. When she noticed that the chariot was gone, she asked in concern "Hey, what happened to the princess?"

"Emergency in Fillydelphia," Twilight Sparkle enlightened her.

"Some sort of infestation," Rainbow Dash simplified.

"Oh no!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "Have they got parasprites too? Well, have tuba, will travel."

She was about to start playing her instruments again, but Twilight Sparkle interceded and told the pink mare "I think the princess can handle it."

"So you knew what those critters were all along, huh Pinkie Pie?" Applejack presumed.

"Well, DUH!" Pinkie sarcastically retorted, "Why do you think I was so frantic to get my hooves on all these instruments? I tried to tell you."

"We know, Pinkie Pie," Twilight assured her, "And we're sorry we didn't listen."

"Yeah, it wasn't right of us to ignore you like that, Pinkie," Bronze Star conceded.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash simultaneously apologized to the pink mare as well. She accepted their apologies happily.

"You're a great friend, even if we don't always understand you," Twilight averred.

"Thanks, guys," Pinkie Pie expressed to her friends, "You're all great friends too, even when I don't understand me."

"Which is probably all the time," Bronze Star muttered jokingly.

All the mares got a good laugh at that. Pinkie laughed the loudest. To her, that remark was funny because it was true.

Once the laughter subsided, Twilight proclaimed. "You saved my reputation with Princess Celestia, and more importantly, you saved Ponyville."

"Umm… not to break your spirit, but you might want to take another look at the town," Bronze Star proposed.

Nopony said anything in response to that. The six mares started making their way back to Ponyville. Before he went anywhere, Bronze Star opened up his knapsack and let Arthur out. The hawk gazed around the area suspiciously, as if he was looking for any sign of the parasprites.

Bronze Star scoffed and assured his pet "Don't worry, Arthur. They're all gone. No one's going to try to eat your feathers anymore."

That was all the assurance the Colonel needed. He climbed out of the knapsack and returned to his master's shoulder. Bronze Star smiled and turned to his front. He was still facing the Everfree Forest at this time. Just before he turned away, he stopped.

He thought he saw movement somewhere amongst the trees. A few seconds later, he confirmed that something was moving in there. He squinted a little, and then he realized that the moving object was shaped like an equine. So somepony and not something was roaming through the Forest.

After slithering through the overgrown foliage for a few seconds, the shadowy figure turned directly towards the entrance of the Forest. It appeared to be staring straight back at Bronze Star. The gold stallion felt his blood run cold when the mysterious apparition noticed him. He was not necessarily intimidated by the figure; there was just something about it that made him feel profusely uncomfortable.

The figure remained motionless for nearly a minute. Then it turned around and sprinted deeper into the Forest.

Bronze Star considered pursuing it, but SIG Sauer had trained him to make decisions out of wise judgment, not out of impulse. So he chose to let the figure go. For now, that is. Something told him that this was not the last he would see of it.

"Bronze, are you coming?" Applejack called out.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Bronze Star responded, looking over his shoulder.

He quickly turned back to the Forest to get one last glimpse of the figure, but it had already disappeared. The gold stallion sighed and went back to Ponyville with the six mares.

When they got there, the town's condition was less than stellar. Buildings were damaged, decorations were tattered, the streets were full of debris, and the people were still in shock.

Upon discovering the current state of Ponyville, Twilight finished her statement from earlier with "...Or not."

Pinkie Pie then appeared near the front of the town square and played a dismal melody on a trombone.

"Well, at least we preserved the town's image," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Not its physical image," Rarity debated.

"Perhaps not," Bronze Star coincided, "But what's better? To be rich in appearance and scorned, or to be humble in appearance and respected?"

"I don't think 'humble' quite describes the town right now, Bronze," Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

"I have to agree," Fluttershy concurred, "The town is a wreck."

"Then we'll just have to pick up the pieces and put them back together," Bronze Star proposed, "With luck, we'll be finished by the end of the day."

"That might be pushin' it a little," Applejack perceived.

"Maybe, but I'm still hoping we'll be done by then," Bronze Star pronounced, "Mostly because I'd hate to leave the town in this state, but if we're not finished by tomorrow, I'll have to."

"What are you talking about?" Twilight enquired.

"Tomorrow I won't be here," Bronze Star illuminated, "I have to go to Canterlot."

The six mares were alarmed to hear this news. Rarity asked him "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"Because I myself didn't find out until about ten minutes ago," Bronze Star expounded, "You remember when my mother said that Lord Bellerophon wanted to talk to me about something that 'concerned a very personal and delicate matter?'"

"Yes, we were there when she said it," Fluttershy replied.

"Well, you see, as the chief of staff of Canterlot Castle, Lord Bellerophon handles a lot of sensitive information," Bronze Star informed the mares, "A lot of it pertains to the military and various government agencies. Since I have a large footing in both of those fields, Lord Bellerophon comes directly to me whenever he picks up something of the sort. In order to keep the information confidential, we speak to each other through code."

Rainbow Dash whistled in fascination. "You must be serious if you have this much secrecy."

"Oh, I'm VERY serious," Bronze Star confirmed, "When Lord Bellerophon picks up something that 'concerns a very personal and delicate matter,' that means that something big has happened. Something so critical and pertinent that it requires my immediate attention."

"Is that why you need to go to Canterlot?" Pinkie Pie presumed.

"Correct," Bronze Star replied, "I plan to leave for the capital city sometime tomorrow morning. Under normal circumstances, I'd go there tonight or sometime sooner, but like I said, I'd hate to leave Ponyville in its current state. So I can afford to remain in town for another twenty-four hours."

"Well, that's good news for all of us," Rarity perceived.

"Yeah, we could use another couple pairs of hooves to help pick up the town," Applejack wryly commented.

A couple of the other mares glared at her. She just smirked and added in "But more importantly, Bronze will be able to stay with us for another whole day. Don't worry, girls; I've got my priorities straight."

The others stopped glaring at her and chuckled at Applejack's comment. Bronze Star gave a hearty chuckle, too.

Once they had their laugh, Twilight looked around the area and announced "At any rate, we've got a town to fix. We'll need all the help we can get to mend the wounds."

"No kiddin'," Applejack coincided, "Sweet Apple Acres probably got the worst of it. The parasprites ate my house to the ground."

"They did?" Bronze Star asked in astonishment.

"Yeah," Applejack sadly averred, "On the bright side, they didn't eat any of our valuables, family heirlooms, or anything else we couldn't afford to lose. Despite this, almost the entire house was demolished. All they didn't get was the framework."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Applejack," Bronze Star told the orange mare apologetically, "Would you like me to help you rebuild your house?"

"I'd be very grateful for that, Bronze," Applejack disclosed, "However, at the moment, we don't have all the materials we'd need to raise another barn. It would probably be a couple days before we can get our hooves on enough lumber."

"I should be back in town by then," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I can help you raise the new barn then."

"Sounds good to me," Applejack replied. She paused for a moment, and then she commented "In the meantime, we'll need another place to lodge until the new barn is up."

"Well, you're welcome to stay at the embassy until then," the gold stallion proposed.

Applejack perked up greatly at that. She grinned and asked hopefully "You're serious?"

"Quite," Bronze Star confirmed, "You and your family need somepony to put a roof over your heads until the new barn is up. I'm more than willing to provide one."

At that, Applejack stepped up to the gold stallion and threw her front legs around him. He was a little surprised by this sudden action, but he quickly settled down and hugged her back. Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie smiled at the sight.

"Thank you so much, Bronze," the orange mare stated appreciatively, "Don't know what I'd do without you."

He patted her on the back and told her "It's no trouble at all, AJ. You invited me into your home last night. Now I'd like to return the favor."

"I like the sound of that," Applejack confessed.

"Great," Bronze Star commented, "Now shall we go find Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom?"

"Sure," Applejack replied, "Big Mac and Granny should still be at the ranch, and I'm pretty sure Apple Bloom's back home by now."

"Then let's head on over there," Bronze Star recommended.

The farmer in the hat nodded in approval at this idea. Then she and the prince made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight Sparkle and the other mares busied themselves with cleaning up the mess the town had made.

On their way to Sweet Apple Acres, Bronze Star turned to Applejack and told her "By the way, tomorrow when I see my mother, I'll be sure to bring us up to her."

"Alright, I'd appreciate that," Applejack informed him, "I'd just like to know one thing. Are you SURE she would approve of our relationship?"

"Absolutely," Bronze Star said in reassurance, "And even if she doesn't, I'm certain I can convince her to accept it."

"Okay," Applejack acknowledged, "But I wouldn't want to stir up a disagreement between you and you're your mother, so please don't go to too much trouble."

"It's no trouble," he assured her, "No trouble at all."

> Sprawling Boundaries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon after this, Bronze Star and Applejack got to Sweet Apple Acres. Just as the orange mare had said, the barn was a wreck. Big McIntosh and Granny Smith had already salvaged what they could from the ruins. Apple Bloom was helping them sort out their possessions and storing them in the barn.

Despite the dreary mood of the scenario, the three ponies managed to greet Applejack and Bronze Star when they arrived. Bronze Star took a moment to survey the debris, and while he was no architect, he could tell easily enough that it would indeed be impossible to reconstruct the house using only the remaining lumber.

Big McIntosh mentioned that he planned to order a shipment of lumber to rebuild the house. However, he knew it would take at least four or five days for the shipment to arrive. Since the Apples had no place to stay, Bronze Star presented his offer for them to stay with him at the embassy. After a minute of thinking, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith happily accepted his offer, much to the delight of Applejack.

Bronze Star gave the Apples some time to gather together any essentials they would need. Applejack, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom were ready within a few minutes. Granny Smith needed a little more time, as she wanted to make sure that all the photographs of the Apple Family were accounted for.

Once she assembled all the photographs, she put them all away into some boxes. She muttered the names of her family members aloud as she stored their respective photographs. This was the fourth time in the past two days that Bronze Star had heard the list of the entire Apple Family. Alicorns had excellent memory, especially young Alicorns. By this point in time, Bronze Star practically knew the list of the Apple Family almost as well as Granny did.

Once Granny Smith was finished storing the photographs, she left the barn. After Big McIntosh locked it up, the five ponies departed from the plantation and made their way to the embassy.

As soon as they got there, Bronze Star showed the Apples to the guest bedrooms. Up until now, Bronze Star had been the only pony living at the embassy. Even if one excluded the rooms that Princess Luna and the other guests had stayed in, there was more than enough space for the Apples.

It did not take the four ponies long to pick which rooms they would stay in. Unsurprisingly, Applejack chose the room that adjoined Bronze Star's room.

After the ponies got settled, they headed back outside to help their fellow citizens clean up Ponyville. A lot of the residents were disappointed that Princess Celestia rescheduled her visit, but they took comfort in the fact that she did not see the town in its current condition.

By the early evening, Ponyville had been more or less returned to its original status. There were still some buildings that needed a bit of repairing, but the residents felt those could wait until tomorrow.

At the embassy that night, Bronze Star made dinner. He planned to prepare the entire meal by himself, but Applejack insisted that he let her help him. He gladly accepted her offer. As he prepared the meal, Bronze Star could not help but scoff at the irony in this situation. Last night, the Apple Family had HIM over for dinner. Now their places were reversed; HE was the host and THEY were the guests.

During dinner, Bronze Star informed the Apples that he was leaving for Canterlot first thing in the morning. He explained that there was some business in Canterlot that he needed to accomplish. When they asked what, he simply yet apologetically told them that it was confidential. They respected his privacy, so they let the matter go. While Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom were a little stunned that Bronze Star was going away on such short notice, they were relieved to know that he planned to return to Ponyville the day after tomorrow. He asked them to look after the embassy and make themselves at home until he got back. Naturally, they were more than willing to do this.

After dinner, Bronze Star went up to his room and proceeded to pack up. Since he would only be in Canterlot for twenty-four hours, he packed rather lightly. All he really needed were some documents, his government credentials, and some money for the train fare. He made sure to take the files on Material Study and Lavender Dazzle, as well. Those folders contained information vital to government security; Bronze Star would not dare leave town without them.

Bronze Star decided to bring Arthur, too. He wanted his pet hawk to accompany him for a variety of reasons, primarily that they enjoyed each other's company.

Excluding Arthur, Bronze Star managed to fit everything he was going to bring into his knapsack. He was pleased to discover this. As much as he enjoyed exercising, he was not particularly fond of lugging around bulging, heavy suitcases without magic.

The next morning, Bronze Star got up at seven o'clock like he usually did. After showering, he headed downstairs for breakfast. When he got to the kitchen, he found Applejack, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom already there. Initially, he was surprised that the four of them were up before him. Then it occurred to him that his guests belonged to a clan that was renowned for manual labor, long hours of work, and agricultural productivity. In other words, the only people who woke up earlier than politicians and soldiers were farmers.

As soon as breakfast was over, Bronze Star went upstairs to retrieve his knapsack and Arthur. Then he made his way to the train depot. The Apples wanted to see him off, so they went with him.

They arrived at the depot five minutes before the eight-thirty train was scheduled to depart. That gave the gold stallion enough time to give a proper good-bye to his four acquaintances.

"You all have a nice day," the gold stallion bade them.

"You, too, Mr. Streak," Granny Smith rejoined, "It's still a pity ya have to leave so suddenly, but as they say in the capital city, duty calls."

"Precisely, Granny Smith," Bronze Star coincided.

"Well, hope ya have fun anyway," Apple Bloom said excitedly, "By the way, are you going to see the Princess?"

"There's a huge possibility that I will," Bronze Star replied, "Most of my business takes place at the castle. My work there could take the better part of the day, so it's likely that I'll have an audience with Celestia sometime today. Still, I'll have a whole lot going on, so I may not be able to see her."

"You plannin' to be busy all day?" Big McIntosh presumed.

"Probably," Bronze Star responded, "But if I have enough free time, I think I'll stop by my mother's place, too."

"Oh, that's lovely," Granny Smith commented, "I can respect that; family is the most important thing in everyday life."

"Sure is," Apple Bloom agreed.

"Eeyup," said Big McIntosh.

Applejack then approached the gold stallion and queried expectantly "You going to tell her about us?"

"I just might do that," he stated half-teasingly and half-seriously.

"Well, in any case, tell your mother we said 'Hello,'" Granny Smith requested.

"Yeah, and if you see Princess Celestia, could you tell her we said 'hello,' too?" Apple Bloom added in.

"Yes, I shall on both accounts," Bronze Star assured them, smirking. The smirk was attributed to the fact that the elderly mare and the filly were unaware that his mother and Princess Celestia were the same pony.

"All aboard!" the conductor announced.

Bronze Star took that as his cue to get on the train. He slung his knapsack over his shoulder and trotted over to the nearest car. Once he stepped inside of it, he turned back to the Apples and waved at them as he called out "I'll see you when I get back!"

"We'll be waitin' here for ya!" Applejack happily declared as she, her siblings, and her grandmother waved back.

The young prince and the farmers waved at each other until the doors slid shut. Bronze Star then stepped away from the doors and looked around for an empty seat. Just as he found one and sat down, the train started moving.

Believe it or not, Bronze Star had never been on a train in his entire life. However, he had no complaints about riding in this one. It rolled very smoothly, the crew were friendly, and he had plenty of personal space.

He spent most of the trip reading and looking over his papers. Every now and then, he glanced out the window to catch a glimpse of the scenery. Although the train was travelling quickly, it was not moving so fast that it blurred the scenery. Whenever he looked to his left, Bronze Star was rewarded with the sight of the impressive landscape.

The same could not quite be said for whenever he looked to his right. That is not to say Bronze Star was disturbed or annoyed by anything. The activity going on inside the car was just as peaceful and serene as what was going on outside of it. Everypony was minding their own business and speaking with their inside voices.

However, there was something peculiar about the mare seated across from Bronze Star. Every time he turned towards her, she was looking in a different direction. She gazed out the window, behind her seat, towards the security guard at the head of the train, and just about everywhere else. Except towards Bronze Star.

Normally, the gold stallion would not have minded this. However, the mare appeared to be purposely avoiding looking at Bronze Star. That struck him as odd.

The way Bronze Star saw it, there were only two reasons why a person would try to avoid looking at somepony by looking at everything else around them. Either the first pony was going to great length to ignore the other individual, or the first pony wanted the other party to think they were ignoring them.

Bronze Star could not imagine of why anypony would try so hard to ignore him. After all, nopony on the train knew his true identity. He recognized some of the train's other passengers as his neighbors from Ponyville. However, all of those ponies only knew him as the town's ambassador, and he was on fair terms with all of them.

With that in mind, Bronze Star wondered if the mare across from him was actually spying on him. That was the only explanation he had for her strange behavior. If that was the case, that bid the question; what did she find so "interesting" about him? He had never seen her before in his life. Maybe she had seen him? In Canterlot?

If so, maybe she recognized him, even without his wings and horn.

Just the concept of this worried Bronze Star. Luckily, he was able to dismiss his concerns after a few minutes. SIG Sauer had trained him to be aware of everything going on around him, and to question what everypony he saw was thinking. That way he would remain vigilant and alert, and he would never be caught off guard. However, a side effect of this mentality was that holding on to it for too long could cause one to become overly suspicious or paranoid. Bronze Star theorized that perhaps he was just thinking this way. Perhaps it was produced by a combination of all the conflicting emotions he had in his mind, such as the delight of going home to Canterlot and the apprehension of what Bellerophon so urgently wanted to talk about.

At any rate, Bronze Star ultimately dropped the matter altogether. He quickly diverted his attention from the mare across from him and returned it to his papers. He continued reading until the train pulled into the station at the capital city.

Bronze Star was amongst the first ponies to disembark from the train when the cars' doors opened. He had patiently endured the long train ride, but he was very much looking forward to seeing a few certain ponies who lived in the capital city.

Bronze Star calmly made his way towards the castle. After trotting for a few blocks, he began getting strange looks from several ponies in the area. At first they were just glances in his direction. But soon it got to be that the further he travelled, the more numerous and lengthy the stares became.

At first, he assumed these people were being wary of Arthur. Hawks did have a reputation as violent, carnivorous hunters, after all. Then Bronze Star had a more practical thought. Before he moved to Ponyville, he often appeared in public to give a speech or something else. Because of that, many of the citizens of the capital city could recognize him on sight. If his wings and horn were not concealed at this time, he most certainly would have gotten much more than stares by now.

To avoid attracting any more attention, Bronze Star soon quickened his pace to a gallop. He reached the main entrance of the castle in less than ten minutes. When he got there, he eased down and steadily crossed the drawbridge. Then he got out his government clearance and presented it to the Royal Guard positioned at the massive front doors. Once his credentials were deemed to be in order, Bronze Star was allowed entrance to the castle.

Needless to say, the gold stallion was quite relieved once he was inside the walls of the gigantic fortress. Not only because nopony was staring at him anymore, but also because he was deeply comforted by the building's interiors.

Although the embassy in Ponyville had served as his home for the past two months, the castle had always been his real home. He had been born in it, raised in it, received his education in it, trained in it, and led the nation in it. When he first left Canterlot, he felt as though he had left behind a piece of himself. Other than his wings and horn, of course.

On that note, Bronze Star anticipated that he would have a full agenda for that day, and his first objective was to regain his original image. In order for that to happen, he would need his mother to disable the illusion spell on his back and forehead. With that he mind, he proceeded to navigate through the building's corridors until he reached the throne room.

There were two more Royal Guard stationed there; both Unicorns. As he reached for his knapsack, Bronze Star told them "Excuse me; I just need a moment to find my pass."

One of the guards just smiled and remarked "That won't be necessary, sir. We know it's you."

Bronze Star was a little stunned, but he almost immediately eased down. He let go of his knapsack and scoffed, saying "Oh, well. You probably would have figured it out when I came back out, anyway."

"Indeed," the other guard coincided, smiling lightly. He and his colleague then used their magic to open up the double doors to the throne room. Once they were all the way open, he genially said to the gold stallion "Welcome home, Your Highness."

Bronze Star lightly nodded in return and trotted into the throne room. Straightaway, he saw his mother across the room, seated in her throne. She was currently talking with an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus. Bronze Star quickly recognized them as Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, and Lord Bellerophon respectively.

As Bronze Star approached the throne, the others heard his hoofsteps and turned in the direction of them. Bellerophon grinned at the gold stallion and told him "It's great to see you, Your Highness."

"Likewise, Lord Bellerophon," Bronze Star rejoined. He looked around at the four ponies and queried "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, we were just waiting for you to arrive," Bellerophon disclosed, "We decided to pass the time by talking. To be more precise, we were 'chatting.'"

"So I see," Bronze Star drily commented, "In any case, now that I'm here, I believe you have something else you'd like to 'chat' about?"

"Correct, sir," SIG Sauer replied, "Bellerophon and I are ready to bring you up to speed on current events at any time. When would you like to get started?"

"Just as soon as I touch up my image," Bronze Star declared. He turned his attention to Princess Celestia and thought aloud, "Right now, I appear to be out of uniform. In more ways than one. Mother, if you would…?"

"Of course, Bronze Star," the white Alicorn remarked, smiling. She promptly rose from her throne and climbed down the steps. Once she was standing level with her son, Celestia tilted her head towards him and pointed her horn towards his forehead.

Bronze Star looked over at the others and cautioned them "You may want to avert your gaze."

At that, Arthur, Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, Bellerophon, and the Royal Guard tightly shut their eyes. Bronze Star and Celestia closed their eyelids as well. Both of them stood perfectly still for about twenty seconds. Then a huge bright ball of light started forming on the tip of Celestia's horn. Over the next forty seconds, it gradually became larger and brighter. Once it was as large as a globe and as bright as the Sun, Celestia cast the ball of light forward. It gradually drifted towards Bronze Star. The moment it touched his forehead, the entire room was engulfed in a flash of blinding light.

A few seconds later, the light dissipated. Everypony kept their eyes closed for a little while, and they did not open them until they were certain it was safe to do so. Once they regained their vision, they saw that Bronze Star's wings and horn had returned to his back and forehead respectively.

The gold stallion smiled and stretched out his wings, saying in enjoyment "Ah, that's much better."

When Arthur discovered that his master had regained his original appearance, he rose off the gold stallion's shoulder and hovered in the air next to him, squawking in delight.

"The Colonel certainly seems pleased," SIG Sauer noted.

"He must've missed his flying buddy," Bronze Star conjectured, "That or he simply prefers my usual appearance."

"If so, he isn't the only one," Noble Edict interjected, "Although I'm the only person in this room who's seen you more in your disguised form than your true form, I've found that the latter suits you much better, Your Highness."

"Well, thank you, Noble," Bronze Star said appreciatively, "To tell you the truth, while I've enjoyed living life as an Earth Pony in Ponyville, I still haven't gotten used to being without my wings and horn. I still feel somewhat exposed without them. Aside from that, I haven't flown or used magic in almost two months. Any longer and I probably would have started forgetting how to do either."

"You don't regret your decision to go undercover, do you, sir?" SIG Sauer queried.

"No, I have no regrets, SIG," Bronze Star proclaimed," "All the same, I'm not particularly fond of having to choose between the option to live a private life and the things that make me an Alicorn. If only there was a way I could make my horn and wings disappear and reappear at will on my own."

"Actually, Bronze Star, there is such a way," Princess Celestia informed her son.

The gold stallion perked up at that statement. He gazed up at the white Alicorn and queried in interest "What might that be, Mother?"

"There's a certain spell I know that was made especially for this type of scenario," Celestia elucidated, "It's very similar to the illusion charm I've been using to conceal your horn and wings. In fact, it's virtually the exact same spell. The only difference is that you don't have to use your horn to cast it."

"You've already got my attention," Bronze Star commented, "Are you saying I don't even need magic to perform this spell?"

"That is precisely what I'm saying," Celestia affirmed, "You see, there are some spells that rely more on psychological thought and willpower than actual magic. These particular spells can only be performed by Alicorns. Typically, an Alicorn does not learn them until after he or she has undergone the surfacing phase. However, they can still be acquired before then."

"What types of spells are we talking about here?" Bronze Star inquired.

"There are many types for all kinds of magic," Celestia enlightened him, "Defense, tactics, illumination, and – most notably – illusion magic. That brings me to the part you've been waiting to hear. With the proper motivation and training, you can use one such spell to hide your wings and horn in both the visual sense and the physical sense. And if ever you want to bring them back, all you have to do is implement the counter-spell. Once the spell is mastered, using it is as easy as getting dressed."

"I'd very much like to learn that spell," Bronze Star stated eagerly.

"Well, I'd be happy to teach it to you," Celestia offered.

"Very well, Mother," Bronze Star conceded, "Currently, I've got some business with Lord Bellerophon and SIG Sauer that I must attend to. Once I've accomplished everything on our agenda, I'll come back here to learn that spell. Ideally, you can expect me sometime before dinner."

"Then I shall wait up for you," Princess Celestia pronounced.

"Thank you again, Mother," Bronze Star said appreciatively. After a brief period of silence, he looked over at the palomino Pegasus and the pine green Unicorn and beckoned them "Gentlestallions, shall we get to work?"

"Certainly, my Prince," Bellerophon replied.

SIG Sauer lightly nodded in agreement. The two elder stallions bowed once to Princess Celestia, and then the two of them and Bronze Star started trotting to the entrance of the throne room. Arthur flew in the air above his master's head. Noble Edict watched them depart in silence. When they were halfway to the entrance, she looked up at Princess Celestia and stated formally "Request permission to leave, Your Highness."

Princess Celestia smiled and remarked candidly "You do not have to ask permission, Noble. You may leave at your discretion."

"As you say, Your Highness," the red mare acknowledged. She bowed to the white Alicorn in respect and swiftly made her way out of the throne room. She moved at a slightly faster pace than the three stallions. By the time they reached the entrance of the throne room, she caught up to them.

"Hello, Noble," Bronze Star greeted her, "Where you off to?"

"Nowhere in particular," Noble Edict told him, "Would you mind if I trot with you for a while?"

"Not at all," Bronze Star responded. SIG Sauer and Bellerophon did not protest. Their trio quickly became a quartet. They trotted together for a while. After a bit, Bronze Star decided to give his wings a little workout. He had not used them in almost sixty days, and he did not want them to atrophy. He stretched his wings and levitated into the air. His flying patterns were a little rusty, but his wings were as strong and durable as ever.

Bronze Star and Arthur flew a few feet above Noble Edict, Bellerophon, and SIG Sauer as they trotted. As the four ponies and the hawk moved together through the corridors of the castle, Bronze Star announced "Before we go downstairs, let's stop by my room. Since I'll only be reassuming my duties as a member of the Canterlot Royalty for one day, I may as well dress like one to make it more official."

"Alright, Your Highness," SIG Sauer stated in agreement.

The group made a small detour from their original route. On the way to Bronze Star's quarters, SIG Sauer looked up at the prince and told him cheekily "We've got a lot of catching up to do. And I'm not just talking about work."

"Yes, we do," Bronze Star concurred. He turned to the red mare and proclaimed "For starters, I'd like to know what you think of this place, Noble Edict."

"Well so far, I've thoroughly enjoyed my stay here," the Earth Pony disclosed. After a moment, she wryly added in "Oh, and for your information, it's 'Lady Noble Edict' now."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and muttered in interest "So my mother really did daub you a Lady?"

"As a matter of fact, she did," SIG Sauer affirmed, "I was there when it happened."

"As was I," Lord Bellerophon interjected, "It was a fairly modest ceremony."

"'Modest?'" Noble Edict repeated in exasperation, "It lasted three days and at least half of the Canterlot elite attended it. If that's regarded as a modest ceremony here, I don't think I'd want to know what would qualify as an 'extravagant' one. I'm not saying I didn't appreciate the recognition; it's just… I'm astounded that so much effort was put into a single formal procedure."

"That's just the way it is here, Noble," Bronze Star revealed, "If you felt a little overwhelmed by the proceedings, I can hardly blame you. After all, Ponyville's a small town, and Canterlot's the heart of the nation. Things are done quite differently in both; nopony makes the transition from one to the other without struggling a bit."

"That's definitely true," Noble Edict coincided, "Believe me, Bronze; I'm not complaining about this city's different lifestyle. I'm extremely grateful for what your mother did for me. To be given that sort of recognition by the Equestrian Royalty… I consider it the highest honor an ordinary mare could ever achieve."

"Well, you're not alone, milady," Lord Bellerophon notified her, "The last time Princess Celestia held an event like that was sixteen years ago, when she made me a Lord. You see, it is rare that she makes a mare or a stallion a Lady or a Lord respectively. Because of that, it is arguably the most coveted privilege in all of Equestria."

"No argument there, Bellerophon," SIG Sauer declared, "From what I've seen, pretty much every member of the Canterlot Elite aspires to be one."

"That would explain why so many of them attended the ceremony," Noble Edict perceived, "As well as why some of them seemed resentful."

"What do you mean by 'resentful?'" Bronze Star inquired, flying a little closer to the ground.

Noble Edict enlightened him with "During your mother's first speech, she had me stand at the base of her throne. At the end of it, I turned to face the audience, and I got a good look at everypony. Most of them were gazing at me with respect and adoration, but I detected a hint of what appeared to be tension or aggravation in the eyes of a few of them."

"I wouldn't worry about that, Noble," Bronze Star assured her, "They were probably just envious that they were not standing in your horseshoes."

"That could be the case," the red mare admitted, "However, for all three days of the ceremony, I interacted with many of the guests. Some of them made some rather… derisive comments about my choice of occupation."

"Like what?" Bronze Star queried, intrigued.

"Well, none of the things they said we're particularly hurtful, but I don't wish to repeat any of them," Noble Edict recounted, "Basically, when Princess Celestia first introduced me to them, they probably thought I was somepony big, like a political consultant or an entrepreneur. When the Princess revealed that I'm a security officer, they seemed disappointed. They made their displeasure quite clear later on when I spoke to them. It was almost as though they thought having a job in security was beneath the dignity of somepony in my position."

"They probably DO believe that," Bronze Star theorized, "As somepony who's grown up surrounded by the Canterlot Elite, I know from experience that they can be extremely pompous and judgmental. I still haven't gotten used to their arrogant behavior or their snobbish ideals. All the more reason why life in Ponyville can be more desirable; there's not as much as a hint of social bigotry in that town. Still, don't let them get to you, Noble."

"I don't, Your Highness," Noble Edict asserted, "It'll take much more than a few dozen biased social climbers to dissuade me. I've never regretted my career in security. A security officer is all I ever wanted to be. ALL I ever wanted."

"Really?" Bronze Star stated in interest, flying backwards now so that he could face Noble Edict directly, "You never had any other ambitions?"

"Well, I might've had a couple when I was a filly," Noble Edict revealed, "But that's different; we all have dreams in foalhood. By the time I got my cutie mark, I was certain that I wanted to spend my life protecting other lives. If I was born here, I probably would have enlisted in the Royal Guard. But as a Ponyvillian, I couldn't bring myself to leave my hometown. So the most I could hope for was to become Ponyville's chief of security."

"Yet look at you now," SIG Sauer pointed out proudly, "You've managed to do just that. You've also become a Lady, as well as friends with Princess Celestia. All at such a young age. Most people don't accomplish that much in their entire lives, and you're not even thirty yet."

That last remark caught Bronze Star's attention. He gazed down at SIG Sauer and enquired in interest "She isn't?"

"No, 'she' isn't," Noble Edict replied, scoffing lightly.

"So how old ARE you, Noble?" Bronze Star asked her.

"Twenty-nine," the red mare informed him, "Why? Do I look older?"

"No, you don't," the gold Alicorn declared, "I just thought somepony with a job as imperative as yours would be a bit older."

"I get that a lot," Noble Edict professed, smirking, "To tell you the truth, Ponyville's chief of security is around ten years older than me on average. In fact, my predecessor was in his early forties. He held the position for thirteen years. I've had the job since his death."

"How long ago was that?" Bronze Star queried.

"Four years ago," she informed him, "I believe I was your age at the time."

"Yeah, you must've been twenty-five then, and I'm twenty-five now," Bronze Star observed. There was a brief interval of quietness, and then the gold stallion enquired "So, how much longer do you plan to be in Canterlot?"

"Oh, not long," Noble Edict disclosed, "I was planning on heading back to Ponyville sometime in the next few days."

"Well, Arthur and I will be going back first thing in the morning," Bronze Star apprised her, "How about you come with us?"

"Sure, that sounds like a great idea," Noble coincided, "I can be ready to go within an hour, but I'll pack up tonight, just to be on the safe side."

"Good to know," Bronze Star commented. He paused for a few seconds, and then he continued with "You looking forward to going home?"

"Oh, my, yes," Noble Edict stated, "Although I liked this visit to the capital city, I've been here for almost three weeks. I've never been away from home for that long. Plus, I'm a little concerned that if I remain here any longer, my staff might think that I'm neglecting my duties."

"Oh, you don't have to worry a thing about that," Bronze Star countered in assurance, "Quite the contrary; your entire staff deeply misses you. They're able to do their jobs very well on their own, but without you, they feel somewhat out of place. In fact, Copper Hollow refuses to go anywhere near your office, even though you gave him provisional command of the force. He feels as though that office is your space, and that he has no right to intrude on it."

Noble Edict chuckled softly and mumbled "Yeah, that sounds like Copper alright. He's always been a little apprehensive about shouldering authority. He generally prefers taking orders over giving them."

"Yet he's your head deputy," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Just because he doesn't envy my responsibilities, that doesn't mean he's incapable as a leader," Noble Edict debated, "Aside from that, in every other sense, he's a model officer. There's nopony else on my detail I'd trust more to look after Ponyville in my absence."

"Your faith in him is well-founded," Bronze Star pronounced, "He's managed to keep the town safe and secure. We've barely had any troubles there these past few weeks."

"That's good to know," Noble Edict remarked in relief, "So I haven't missed anything?"

"Not really," Bronze Star thought aloud. He rubbed his chin for a second, and then he proclaimed sardonically "Let's see… the town square almost got flooded, some of the residents and I were cursed, and just yesterday, many of the buildings were nearly eaten to the ground. Other than that, nothing much has been going on."

Noble Edict seemed somewhat stunned by this. "Really?"

Bronze Star nodded his head in confirmation. Then he briefly clarified what he meant by describing the massive thunderstorm, Zecora's fated visit to Ponyville, and the parasprite infestation respectively.

"The damage caused by the tempest and the poison joke was minimal," he wrapped up his recollection, "However, the parasprites were a touch more destructive. Especially the red ones; they were the worst. The townsfolk was still rebuilding the place when I left this morning. Hopefully, the town will be repaired by the time we get back. Except for Sweet Apple Acres. The Apple family will have to wait for a shipment of lumber to come in before they can rebuilt their house."

"So where are they staying until then?" SIG Sauer queried.

"At the embassy with me," Bronze Star answered, "Even though it's a little distance away from the orchards, the Apples seem content there."

"Even Applejack?" Noble Edict presumed.

"Especially Applejack," Bronze Star rejoined, "It's not the ranch, but she really likes it there. I must make her feel at home, seeing as how she's staying in the room next to mine."

Bellerophon grinned and speculated "Perhaps there's another reason why she chose that room, sir. Maybe she's not just trying to be a courteous houseguest."

Bronze Star knew what he was implying. He flapped his wings so that he was flying near the palomino Pegasus's head and stated bluntly "Normally, I would shoot down an accusation such as that, Bellerophon. But I won't this time. Because I'm fairly certain you're right. Between the three of you and me, Applejack and I have gotten very close ever since I moved to Ponyville."

"How close, sir?" SIG Sauer enquired.

"Close enough that I'm thinking of becoming much more than friends with her," Bronze Star replied.

"Is she thinking that, too?" Noble Edict questioned.

"I believe so," Bronze Star perceived expectantly.

"Well, good for you, Your Highness," Lord Bellerophon congratulated the young prince, "Does Princess Celestia know about this?"

"Not just yet," the gold Alicorn disclosed, "Later tonight, I'll talk to her about the nature of my relationship with Applejack. Hopefully, she'll approve of it."

"I don't see why she wouldn't," SIG Sauer commented, "You're free to make your own decisions, Your Highness."

"I know that," Bronze Star, "Still, I would appreciate it if the three of you didn't mention a word of this to my mother until I speak with her first."

"Of course, sir," Lord Bellerophon assured the gold stallion. Noble Edict and SIG Sauer agreed to this as well.

A minute later, they arrived at Bronze Star's chambers. As always, there were two Royal Guard standing outside it. They stood aside for the young Alicorn as he landed on the ground, retrieved his key from his knapsack, and unlocked the door. He wanted to get changed in privacy, so he asked the others to remain outside. After they agreed to this, Bronze Star stepped inside. He emerged a couple minutes later dressed in his soft shoes, vest, and crown.

Once he regrouped with his pet hawk and his three pony accomplices, Bronze Star proposed "Now that I'm properly outfitted, how about we get to work?"

"Very well, Your Highness," SIG Sauer accorded, "Bellerophon and I will fill you in on the way to the Compartment."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. He decided to walk alongside the others this time. Wanting to stay close to his master, Arthur landed on Bronze Star's shoulder. As they headed downstairs, Bellerophon leaned close to the gold stallion and apprised him "We have three items of business that need your immediate attention. One of them concerns the Nightmare Moon cult, another has to do with the matter of Raoul Jowl and Material Study, and the third pertains to that break-in."

"Are those in order of precedence?" Bronze Star questioned.

"All things considered, yes," SIG Sauer supposed.

"Then I want to deal with them in that same order," Bronze Star decided.

"So be it," Bellerophon avowed.

One flight of stairs and several corridors later, the four ponies and the hawk arrived at a door labeled "Authorized Personnel Only." SIG Sauer removed a small ornament from his belt. He then approached the door and knocked on it in a certain pattern. A hidden slot in the center of the door slid open, and a familiar gruff voice said "Yes?"

SIG Sauer held the ornament up to the slot. After the person on the other side saw it, he closed the slot, and the sound of locks being unfastened was heard. A moment later, the door was opened wide. The person on the other side turned out to be General Walther. The mahogany Pegasus grinned when he saw Bronze Star, and he said cordially "Welcome back, Your Highness."

"It's a pleasure to BE back, General," the gold stallion returned as he, SIG Sauer, and Bellerophon passed through the doorway.

Noble Edict did not follow them. Bronze Star noticed this, and he queried in interest "Are you waiting for something, Noble?"

"The door says 'Authorized Personnel Only,'" Noble Edict pointed out, "I'm not certain that I qualify."

Bronze Star had to admit she was right. He leaned over to SIG Sauer and whispered something into his ear. The pine green stallion nodded in compliance. Then he trotted over to the red mare and held out his ornament to her, saying "You do now."

Noble Edict tentatively but thankfully accepted the ornament. As she examined it, she queried in perplexity "What is this?"

"It's the official marker of the Firebrand Regiment," Bronze Star explicated, "Everypony here has one; including myself and Lord Bellerophon. It's the only thing that'll get you through that door."

"Wait, then won't you need this, SIG?" Noble Edict presumed, holding up the ornament.

"Yeah, but you can have it, Noble," SIG Sauer averred, "I'll just get another one later."

"Okay, if you say so," the red mare stated in understanding

She then trotted into the room without another word. As soon as Noble Edict was inside, Walther shut the door behind her and locked it tight. Once it was sealed shut, the veteran Wonderbolt broadcasted to the others "Alright, now that everypony is here, we can get started. Where shall we begin?"

"The Prince has requested that we focus on the matter of the Nightmare Moon cult first," SIG Sauer notified his colleague.

The mahogany Pegasus nodded in acknowledgement and went over to a door on the other side of the room. He pulled it open and beckoned his accomplices "Come this way."

One-by-one, the mare and the three stallions trotted into the next room. Walther entered last, and he proceeded to lock up this door just like the first one.

While the previous room had been relatively empty, this one was anything but. There were lots of furniture and decorations along the walls and the center of the room. At first glance, it looked exactly like an ordinary living room. However, there were two notable deviations. The room was very dimly lit, and there were at least three other doors along each of the other three walls.

Noble Edict gazed around at their surroundings and queried "So, what exactly is this place?"

"We call it 'The Compartment,'" Bronze Star enlightened her, "The Firebrand Regiment uses it as their main base of operations. Nearly all of their work that doesn't take place in the field takes place here."

"Seems rather cozy, for the headquarters of a Special Ops unit," Noble Edict remarked.

"Well, the front room is just for show, Noble," SIG Sauer expounded, "This room's appearance is one of the many precautions we've taken to ensure the security of this place. In the unlikely but still possible event that somepony got past the first two locked doors, we've set up this room for extra safety."

"How would furniture and decorations throw off intruders?" Noble enquired in confusion.

"They're part of an elaborate defense mainframe," Bellerophon informed her, "You see, everything in this room is rigged."

"In what way?" Noble asked in fascination.

"Well, let's theorize for a moment that a trespasser successfully broke in here," SIG Sauer conjectured, "Even if they made it this far, they wouldn't be able to go any further. If they were to do something special – say, sit on a couch, straighten out a poster, search through a cabinet, or move an object even an inch out of place – they would trigger an alarm, and this place would immediately go into lockdown mode. Once this place is locked down, it remains that way until one of two things happens: either the intruder stands down, or somepony provides an override code. Prince Bronze Star, Lord Bellerophon, General Walther, and I are the only ones who know the code."

"Wouldn't that be a little problematic?" Noble Edict hypothesized, "I mean, what if another member of the Regiment accidentally set off the alarm?"

"I can why you might think that, Noble," Bronze Star proclaimed, "When we first installed the security network, we did encounter a few… 'setbacks' like that. However, once it was up and running at full efficiency, we never had any mishaps. Don't forget that the Regiment is composed of elite soldiers and skilled agents. To them, setting off the alarm in this room would be as foolish and clumsy a mistake as tripping over a visible land mine."

"Well, that makes sense," Noble Edict thought aloud. There was a short period of quietness, and then she slyly commented "If this entire room is designed as one huge trap, I'd better keep my hooves to myself. Otherwise, I'd probably become a liability to the rest of you."

"Oh, relax, Noble," Bronze Star assured her, "The network is offline right now. It's only activated when every member of the Regiment is preoccupied with something."

"Well, that's a relief," Noble Edict said in respite. After another short period of quietness, she scoffed and remarked in amazement "I have to admire how much effort you guys put into safekeeping. I bet I could learn a lot from you on the subject, and that's coming from a mare who's been a certified security officer for eleven years."

"Glad you approve of it, Noble," SIG Sauer commented, "We're very serious about keeping our affairs private. The best way to protect our information is to build an entire safety grid around it, to have it exchange hooves as few times as possible, and to only bring it out when the situation calls for it."

"I'd say this is one of those times," Walther interjected, "On that subject, we should get to the archives. Carabine is waiting for us."

The conversation abruptly ended there. Walther led the others over to the closest door on the right side of the room. Once again, he held the door open for the others and went through the doorway last. The five ponies trotted through a short, dimly lit corridor. Fifteen seconds later, they arrived at a door with a sign on it that said "Archives.

The five ponies and the hawk entered this room together. This particular room was packed with crates and cabinets. There were a few desks and blackboards along the walls. There were boxes loaded with heaps of intelligence and research everywhere. There was just enough clear space on the floor for a pony to walk straight.

In the center of the archives room, there was a large circular table surrounded by a dozen foldable chairs. A certain aqua blue Unicorn was seated in one of these chairs, looking over the contents of a file. When he heard the door open, he gazed upward to see who his visitors were.

As soon as Bronze Star entered the room, the aqua blue Unicorn smiled, rose to his hooves, and bowed lightly. When he came back up, he said brightly "So good to see you, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Carabine," the gold stallion returned appreciatively. He quickly navigated his way through the tightly clustered boxes on the ground. Once he reached the opposite side of the table, he faced the aqua blue stallion directly and told him "The General tells me you have some information that could help us bring down that cult of Nightmare Moon's."

"That is correct, sir," Carabine affirmed, sitting back down in his chair, "I've got everything you'd like to see right here. Take a seat and I'll fill you in on all the details."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement and sat down to the left of the aqua blue stallion. Carabine patiently waited for the others to get settled. Walther sat down in the other chair next to Bronze Star, and SIG Sauer pulled up a chair on the other side of the table. Bellerophon just stood against the wall, as he was too large to sit comfortably in any of the chairs. Aside from that, he preferred standing.

Noble Edict came into the room last. Carabine had been focused on his papers, but he stopped what he was doing when he heard her enter. He had been expecting four people to join him; all of them stallions. Now there was a fifth bunch of hoofsteps, and they sounded as though they belonged to a mare. He wondered who it could have been. The only female members of the Regiment were Beretta, Caracal, and Ruger, and the three of them were busy in other parts of the Compartment.

Of course, he was able to satisfy his curiosity simply by looking up. When he saw the red mare, he called out in astonishment, "Oh, Lady Noble!"

"Good morning, Brigadier Carabine," she politely greeted the aqua blue stallion.

Carabine gradually eased down and pronounced "This is a pleasant surprise. Albeit an unexpected one."

"It's alright, Carabine," Bronze Star guaranteed him, "She has the proper authorization. Show me, Noble."

At that, the red mare held up the ornament SIG Sauer had given her. Once Carabine saw it, he lightly shrugged and said "That's good enough for me. Make yourself at home, Lady Noble."

"I shall, Brigadier," Noble Edict pronounced, sitting down next to SIG Sauer, "Trust me; I'm just as interested as you are in eliminating the threat posed by that cult. After all, it was in MY town that they tried to help Nightmare Moon rise to power during the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Well, there's no denying that," Carabine coincided, "Add that to the fact that you helped SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon prevent that from happening, I'd say you're absolutely entitled to sit in on this debriefing."

Noble Edict nodded in comprehension. Everypony else was already prepared to hear what the aqua blue stallion had to say. Bronze Star beckoned him "Start whenever you're ready."

"I've been ready ever since we got back from Hoofington," Carabine claimed. He took a moment to organize his papers, and then he looked up at the palomino Pegasus and requested "Could you please shut the door, my Lord?"

"Certainly, Brigadier," the tall stallion replied. He reached over to the door and gently closed it. As soon as it was shut, Carabine commenced the debriefing.

Carabine spent most of the next two hours enlightening Bronze Star and Noble Edict on everything that had taken place in Hoofington after the Regiment had apprehended Material Study and Sir Raoul Jowl. Since Walther had been with Carabine the entire time, he was able to contribute a sizable amount to the discussion. SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon had already heard most of this recollection once before, but they were willing to hear it again. Plus, Carabine and Walther brought up a few additional bits of information that they had not mentioned the first time.

Even if one excluded the sting operation at the hotel, the Firebrand Regiment had witnessed a considerable amount of activity when they were in Hoofington. It is already known that after they took Raoul Jowl and Material Study into custody, Walther, Carabine, and Ruger had rendezvoused with Trixie at the municipal building. Trixie had admitted to meeting the mare who really vanquished the Ursa Major, and she had managed to identify the mare as Hazy Wisp.

When Walther asked Trixie to take him to the place where she first spoke to Hazy Wisp, she had initially been a little hesitant to accept this request. Now that she knew who Hazy Wisp was and what she was capable of, she felt that being anywhere near that fanatic would be a hazard to her well-being. Fortunately, Walther and Carabine had convinced her that they would be able to protect her if any danger cropped up.

Once she had this assurance, Trixie had been totally willing to cooperate with the stallions. They left the municipal building together, and she hastily led them into the Everfree Forest. It took her a while, but eventually, she managed to find the exact spot where she encountered Hazy Wisp. To their dismay, when they got there, there was nopony in the vicinity. Then again, none of them were particularly surprised to discover this. After all, the Everfree Forest was virtually uninhabitable, and It had been weeks since Trixie's first encounter with Hazy Wisp. In addition to that, they found it unlikely that Hazy Wisp would be one to linger anyway.

However, Walther and Carabine were not about to give up just yet. They never gave up on a lead until they were certain it would get them nowhere. They were determined to come up with some viable information about Hazy Wisp and her organization before they headed back into town. They were not certain where to look, so they kept their eyes open for anything that might have been indicative of a clue.

The first twenty minutes of their search yielded no results. After that, they stumbled upon their first hint. Quite literally, as a matter of fact; the discovery was made quite by accident.

On that day, the weather in the Everfree Forest had been rather hot and humid. Walther and Carabine had worked up quite a sweat in their search, and the latter had decided to take a short break to get a drink of water. He had trotted over to a very large tree and sat down at the base of it. Then he removed his canteen from his belt and took a long swig from it. Once he felt refreshed, he leaned backward to rest against the stump of the tree. Once his back struck the wood, he heard a faint echo.

That immediately captured his attention. Carabine got back up and faced the tree. He tapped his front hoof against the bark a few times, and more small echoes were produced. He quickly called Walther and Trixie over to the scene. They examined the tree on all sides, and everywhere they touched it, they got the same echo. This could only mean one thing: the interior of the tree was empty.

This really piqued Walther and Carabine's curiosity. The Everfree Forest was full of a lot of abnormal things, but as far as they knew, there were no hollow trees anywhere in it. They asked Trixie if she recognized this particular tree. She actually did; she revealed that this tree looked exactly the same as it did when she met Hazy Wisp. This was rather odd, as most of the surrounding plants looked a little different to her. Yet this particular tree had not changed even a bit according to her. Every leaf, every twig, every root was in the same place.

Carabine and Walther decided to investigate the tree a little more closely. Walther found some loose bark about two feet above the ground. He drew a knife from his belt and used it to pry off the bark. Once the first layer of bark was off, the mahogany Pegasus discovered that a familiar symbol had been carved into the second lair of the bark.

As soon as he found this symbol, Walther was convinced that this tree was the key to accelerating their exploration. He instructed Carabine and Trixie to search the tree for anything else that could be used as an opening. A few minutes later, Trixie noticed a large branch twenty feet in the air. It was dangling by a few slivers of wood, but the wind did not appear to have any effect on it. She found that rather perplexing, and she tried using her magic on the branch to see what would happen.

A response to this action was instantaneously generated. A strange rumbling sound began resonating from within the tree. A few seconds later, a huge section of its bark slid open. Trixie, Walther, and Carabine peered inside the opening to the tree, and they discovered that it was indeed totally hollow. Not only that, but there was almost no ground beneath it either. Instead, there was a lengthy spiral staircase.

It turned out this was not a real tree after all. It was merely an obstruction meant to conceal a secret passageway. Even with adequate sunlight, nopony on the surface could see where it led. Because of that, Carabine and Walther decided they would investigate it straightaway.

At first, they planned to go down there by themselves. However, Trixie requested to accompany them, as she did not feel safe wandering back to Hoofington or staying out in the open by herself. They felt she was entitled to join them. After all, it was thanks to her that they even found the passage.

Carabine stepped inside the tree first, Trixie followed him close behind, and Walther entered last. The three of them carefully and quietly descended down the spiral staircase. As a precaution, Carabine and Walther armed themselves with weapons from their belts. Walther offered Trixie a knife to defend herself, but she politely declined, claiming that sharp objects made her feel uncomfortable.

The staircase was very dark, very narrow, and it went on for quite a ways. It took them no less than fifteen minutes to reach the bottom. Once they got there, they had arrived at a door. Once they passed through this door, they came face-to-face with an extraordinary sight.

They had arrived in a large cavern. It appeared to be a natural structure, but there were signs that it had been inhabited recently. Plus, there was another door on the other side of the cave. Carabine, Walther, and Trixie had tentatively passed through the grotto towards that second door.

Before they could reach the door, they were ambushed. The first attack came in the form of a small projectile. It was fired directly at Trixie; it missed her head by less than three inches.

Walther and Carabine promptly focused their attention to the source of the bullet. On higher ground across from them, two figures were standing on a ledge. One was a Unicorn stallion; the other was an Earth Pony mare. The Unicorn was using a device to fire more projectiles at the three intruders; the Earth Pony joined in the assault by flinging other deadly objects their way.

Although Walther and Carabine were used to dealing with these types of dangers, Trixie certainly was not. While the mahogany Pegasus got the brilliant azure to safety, the aqua blue stallion busied himself with taking out this new threat. Carabine got to a safe vantage point and concentrated closely on the Unicorn. Then he raised his knife into the air and hurled it towards the assailant. The unnamed Unicorn did not even have a chance to react; the knife soon reached him and sank into his neck. He promptly dropped his firing device and tumbled off the ledge.

The Earth Pony seemed shocked when she saw how easily her partner had been slain. When she noticed that Carabine was about to draw another knife from his belt, she took that as her cue to run. The Earth Pony turned around and ducked under a large crevice on the ledge. The sounds of her galloping away reverberated off the walls of the grotto.

Walther had ordered Carabine to stay with Trixie and keep her safe while he went after the Earth Pony. Carabine would have protested, but Walther was his superior officer, so he obeyed this command. The veteran Wonderbolt was still a little sore from his scuffle with Maelstrom at the hotel, but he had enough strength left in his wings to fly up to the ledge on the other side of the room. As soon as he got up there, he sprinted after the assailant. At the same time, Carabine and Trixie went over to the other door in the room and passed through it. They were hoping that it would somehow put them on an intercept course.

When the chase began, the young mare was far ahead of the middle-aged stallion. The Earth Pony was very fast on her hooves, and she knew the layout of this place far better than any of the three intruders, but the mahogany Pegasus was very persistent and resilient. He was determined to catch up to her.

This pursuit lasted for about five minutes. It ended when the Earth Pony burst into a room. This particular room was full of cupboards, bookshelves, chests, and bureaus, much like the archives room in the Compartment. This room was an obvious dead end. However, escaping was not the Earth Pony's main goal at this time.

She approached the nearest cabinet and pulled out a flamethrower. She used it to spray everything in that room with fierce, blazing flames. By the time Walther reached her, all the objects in the room were covered in blazing flames.

Walther firmly demanded that the Earth Pony to surrender. In response, she turned to face him and aimed the flamethrower directly at him. Luckily, the Pegasus had pristine reflexes. He dodged the burst of fire and tossed his knife directly at the Earth Pony's upper body. His aim was absolutely flawless; the blade sank into her chest directly above her heart and punctured her aorta. She immediately dropped to the ground and laid still.

While the Earth Pony bled out, Walther frantically looked for a way to extinguish the fire. He was not concerned that the entire cavern would catch fire; the underground was not made of flammable minerals. However, he was fairly certain there was a practical reason why the Earth Pony wanted to incinerate the contents of this room. Maybe there was some information that would lead to the cult's downfall if the government got ahold of it. Walther certainly hoped so.

A few seconds later, Carabine and Trixie arrived at the burning room. It turned out their notion that their route would overlap with Walther's was correct. The veteran Wonderbolt beseeched them to help him extinguish the flames. Carabine knew basic fire control magic from his days in the Military Enforcement Corps, but he did not have the skills required to put out a fire of this magnitude.

Fortunately, it turned out that Trixie did. The brilliant azure mare hurriedly went to the center of the room, focused on her surroundings, and cast a chilling spell on everything around her. She kept the spell active until all the fires were extinguished.

The two stallions and the mare needed a minute to pull themselves together. Once they regained their composure, they got back to work. Carabine took some time to search the rest of the cavern to ensure that there were no more hostile residents. Thankfully, nopony else was there. Other than those two assailants, the place was deserted.

Throughout his search, Carabine came across countless pictures of that same ominous symbol from before. Evidently, this cavern was used by the Nightmare Moon cult. However, as Carabine continued searching it, he discovered that this place was more than just an outpost or a hideout. It had enough space and enough provisions to shelter scores of ponies.

While the aqua blue stallion searched the compound, Walther looked through the remnants of the torched room. He was determined to find out what was in this room. One would probably argue that his efforts were in vain, as many of the room's contents had been reduced to ashes. However, Walther was fairly certain that this room contained some pertinent information. After all, the Earth Pony had a chance to escape when he was chasing her, but instead of fleeing, she had chosen to stay and destroy one of the facility's rooms. She would not have done that unless there was something in that room that she did not want to fall into the government's hooves.

Walther did not know what to expect at first, but he quickly discovered that this room contained nothing but large, organized piles of papers. He managed to dig out a number of files and documents from a couple of the few undamaged cabinets. Nearly all of them were charred, and it was very easy for them to crumble at the touch.

The majority of the papers Walther managed to salvage were already damaged beyond hope of repair. However, a hoofful of booklets had been left practically untouched by the blaze. There were a few more leaflets that Walther would have written off as unsalvageable. Fortunately, Trixie knew an advanced quality enhancement spell. She felt obligated to contribute, so she offered her assistance to the mahogany Pegasus. He was more than willing to accept. Trixie was able to restore all of the documents that had been lightly damaged.

By the time Carabine completed his inspection of the compound, Walther and Trixie had managed to recover an entire cart's worth of papers. These findings were more than enough to appease the two stallions. They soon sealed the place up and headed back to Hoofington.

As soon as they returned to the town, Walther gave Trixie everything he had promised her for her cooperation. The brilliant azure mare was very pleased by these gifts, and she thanked Walther profusely for them. The mahogany Pegasus had humbly insisted that she had definitely earned them.

Trixie planned to put her new cart to use straightaway. Before she left Hoofington, Walther had asked her to keep her eyes open for any sign of Hazy Wisp or anypony else who bore that strange symbol, and that if she ever encountered anything like that, to report it to the authorities immediately. The brilliant azure mare assured the mahogany stallion that she would do just that. Then she bade him good-bye and headed out of town.

The Firebrand Regiment did not plan to linger in Hooftingon for much longer either. But before they left, they had to tie up some loose ends. They checked in at the Rosebud Hotel one more time, and neither the staff nor the guests had witnessed any part of their sting operation.

More pressingly, there was the matter of the cult's cavern in the Everfree Forest. The Firebrand Regiment did not have the means to shut down the compound and keep it under guard by themselves. Especially since they still had the matter of Material Study and Raoul Jowl to attend to, and that they were going back to Canterlot soon.

After careful consideration, they decided to notify the Hoofington Police Department about the cavern. As a precaution, they avoided mentioning anything about Nightmare Moon and her cult. They merely claimed that the cavern had been used as a center of operations by an illegal underground organization.

Once the Hoofington P.D. had been apprised, Carabine had taken a small group of them back to the facility so that they knew where it was. They quickly got the place photographed and catalogued. Carabine was willing to give them total control of the compound, but he informed them that he and his colleagues needed to take the recovered documents and the assailant's bodies to Canterlot as evidence.

The head of the police department was reluctant to agree to this at first, but his authority as a law enforcement agent was local, whereas Carabine was a federal officer. Because of that, he had to comply with the aqua blue stallion's orders.

It took several hours for the Firebrand Regiment to get their work done, but they managed to wrap everything up long before Princess Celestia lowered the Sun. By the time Princess Luna raised the Moon, the Firebrand Regiment was back in Canterlot.

All of this had happened three weeks ago. In the time since then, the Regiment had been busy with two main objectives: interrogating Material Study and Raoul Jowl, and studying the evidence they had acquired from the cavern.

The former action had yielded mixed results, but the latter had produced some very promising information.

Once the Brigadier and the veteran Wonderbolt concluded their recollection of their experiences in Hoofington, Bronze Star and Noble Edict took some time to process everything they had just been told. After a brief interval of silence, Bronze Star merely raised an eyebrow and candidly remarked "Sounds as though you two had quite an adventure in Hoofington."

"No kidding, Your Highness," Carabine flatly coincided.

"Have you been contacted by Trixie since you last saw her?" Noble Edict queried.

"No, we haven't," Walther disclosed, "At least not directly. I've heard tell that she's reopened her travelling show, but the routine's not going very well. The Ursa Minor incident in Ponyville seems to have hurt her credibility."

"That's a shame," SIG Sauer dismally commented, "Even though I just remember her as being very brash and conceited, we owe part of our success in this investigation to her."

"I agree," Bellerophon thought aloud, "We never would have gotten this far without her."

"Hopefully she'll come around at some point," Carabine conjectured.

"Oh, well," Noble Edict stated, "At any rate, what Trixie does in her time is the least of our worries."

"Noble's right," Bronze Star pronounced, "Right now, I'm much more interested in discussing our current findings. What all have we learned about this cult?"

"You'll be pleased to know we've amassed quite a large amount of information, Your Highness," Carabine expounded. He reached underneath the table and pulled out a large box loaded with papers. The majority of them were blackened in at least one place, and they smelt of fire residue. All the same, the words that were written on them made these papers invaluable.

Carabine set the box down on the table and removed a few certain documents. He set them down in front of Bronze Star, beckoning the gold stallion to take a look.

As the young prince examined these documents, Walther disclosed "First starters, we now know the organization's actual name. They call themselves 'The Surreptitious Social Order of Dusk Dwellers.'"

Bronze Star scoffed and muttered "That's certainly original, but it's quite a mouthful."

"Well, from what I've gathered, their label is not as meaningful or iconic to them as THIS is," Walther observed, pushing forward the picture of Dense Miasma's cutie mark, "On that note, we came across a type of brochure that thoroughly explains the meaning and context of this symbol."

"That's convenient," Noble Edict perceived, leaning forward in her chair, "Am I to assume we now know precisely what that symbol is supposed to represent?"

"Strictly speaking, only a couple of us know," Carabine stated, "Walther and I know. But I don't believe you, Lord Bellerophon, SIG Sauer, or Prince Bronze Star do, Lady Noble. So allow me and the General to enlighten the rest of you."

Everypony agreed to this proposal. Carabine removed a brochure from the box, unfolded it, and smoothed it out on the surface of the table. SIG Sauer, Noble Edict, and Lord Bellerophon moved a little closer to the aqua stallion so they could get a better look at the brochure. Once everypony was within whispering distance, Carabine informed them "As we already know, the symbol is composed of five shapes: Two circles, two curved jagged rectangles, and a thin rod. By themselves, they're just a bunch of random figures. But when put together, they have a rather ominous connotation."

"Go on, Brigadier," Bronze Star beckoned the older stallion, "We're all listening."

The aqua stallion nodded and proceeded with "While the brochure's exposition is vague at best, we've managed to piece together the purpose and relevance of each shape. The larger yellow circle signifies the Sun. The smaller white circle signifies the Moon. The two irregularly-shaped rectangles basically represent strength and power. Notice the way they are positioned in comparison to the two circles. They appear to be jettisoning out of the Moon and holding onto the Sun, almost as if seizing it. That accounts for the claw-like digits on the one end of the rectangles that touches the Sun. The rod represents the channeling of rule and a swift victory. Notice how it impales the Sun, but only touches the border of the Moon. That's meant to indicate that the Moon is triumphing over the Sun."

"All-in-all, we believe that the symbol is essentially a declaration of war by night against day," Walther proclaimed, "In a broader definition, the Moon is reaching out to the Sun, grasping it by force, and finishing it off with a single deadly blow."

"That seems rather extreme," Bronze Star commented in bewilderment, "But when you think about it, it actually makes a whole lot of sense."

"Well, can't really say I'm surprised," Noble Edict professed, "Now that I think about it like that, we should have suspected that this symbol had a meaning such as that. I mean, what better way to rally Nightmare Moon's most obsessive worshippers than to come up with an insignia that cuts off all friendly ties from the world of light?"

"That's exactly what they're going for, Lady Noble," Carabine affirmed.

"This would explain why every member of the cult we've encounter so far has had this symbol as their cutie mark," SIG Sauer pointed out.

"Yes, it does," Bronze Star concurred, "However, it doesn't really explain HOW all of them managed to acquire it. I find it very unlikely that all of them decided that hiding in shadows was their special talent. And even if they did, how exactly do scores of grown ponies come to join a fanatical organization such as this one?"

"That brings us to what I consider the most unsettling news, Your Highness," Walther replied, fishing out another booklet from the box of information. He placed it down in front of him and disclosed to the gold stallion "As far as we can tell, only a very small percentage of the cult's members are recruited into it. The rest are actually born into it."

"What do you mean, General?" Bronze Star inquired.

"This organization is more a clan than everything else, sir," Carabine clarified as Walther opened up the booklet and flipped through it. While Bronze Star examined it, the aqua blue stallion elucidated "According to this, nearly every member of this cult has had one or both parents as members, as well. From the moment they come into this world, they are forced to pledge themselves to Nightmare Moon and everything she stands for. They don't have any say in this matter. Anypony who refuses to embrace these ideals is exiled. Only a very small percentage of the members take that alternative; most of them voluntarily choose to follow this path when they come of age."

Bronze Star and the others were intrigued by this revealation. The gold stallion leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin, saying "So, this cult wasn't established recently?"

"No, sir," Walther confirmed, searching through the box once more and taking out a few more items, "We believe that this society has been around for a very long time. We've got plenty of evidence to back this theory up. Private journals with entries that go back several decades, records and logbooks that exchanged hooves for generations, news articles dated at least fifty years ago… the list goes on and on. Bottom line, these people have been around longer than any of us."

"It would certainly seem that way, General," Noble Edict remarked. After another short period of quietness, the red mare queried "So, about how big would you estimate this cult is, anyway?"

"From what I've seen, the most successful long-lasting underground organizations are the ones that are either very, very small, or very, very large," Carabine thought aloud, "Considering how methodical and resourceful these people are, I believe we're dealing with an extremely massive group. Just look at how much effort Hazy Wisp put into creating that messenger service of hers, as well as how far she and her colleagues were willing to carry out their plot during the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Any idea on where their headquarters might be?" Lord Bellerophon queried.

"Actually, Lord Bellerophon, an association such as this one generally wouldn't have a specific HQ," Walther proclaimed, "Instead, they would establish a network of hidden bases all over the country. Ideally, each one of these bases would be stocked with the same amount of provisions and material. That way, in the event that one of them is compromised, the residents can destroy it and move to another base without having to worry about losing anything of value. That way everything is totally replaceable, including the cultists themselves."

"The cavern you found in Hoofington would meet those criteria," Noble Edict noted, "However, this bids the question; how come that place was nearly deserted when you found it? I mean, if it was built to support scores of ponies, you'd think there'd be more than two cultists there."

"We have a theory for that, too," Carabine apprised the red mare, "I believe that the compound we found in Hoofington was one of their training facilities. We found a few rooms that looked like they were designed as sparring grounds, workout fields, and combat arenas. There were also some folders that pertained to the initiation and development of the cult's youngest members. Apparently, as soon as they get their cutie marks, the cultists are put through a series of vigorous tests and programs to hone their might and devotion. Generally, over a hundred hopefuls would be present, as well as about a dozen instructors and a high-ranking official who acts as supervisor. However, this only applies during one of their actual training sessions. Outside of training sessions, they tend to keep a minimum number of people around to watch over the facility."

"So that's why it was empty when you found it," SIG Sauer supposed, "I'm guessing those two cultists were either coaches or sentinels."

"They could have been," Walther admitted, "Whatever they were, we may never know. Because strangely, we were unable to identify them. Peacemaker and Beretta conducted a thorough autopsy on both bodies; it yielded nothing we didn't already know. So we also ran a search for hoofprints, mane and tail hair analysis, and every other type of test. Nothing we tried turned up a match in our databanks. That stallion and mare are still a complete mystery to us."

"Well, I would advise you not to worry too much about identifying those two," Bronze Star proposed, "I don't think they were very high in their organization's chain-of-command. If they really were anypony of importance, they would not have had been doing anything as mundane as watching over a training facility."

"He's got a valid point," Noble Edict coincided, "We should focus more on the live members of the organization, primarily Hazy Wisp and the ponies in her conglomerate."

"In that case, now would be a good opportunity to mention our most significant discovery," Carabine suggested. The aqua blue Unicorn reached all the way to the back of the box and removed a wrinkled scroll. He carefully unraveled it and set it down on the center of the table.

Bronze Star, Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, and Lord Bellerophon leaned in closer to get a better look at the contents of the scroll. They quickly realized it was a long list of names. As the four of them looked it over, Walther enlightened them "We picked this up in the every back of the torched room. It was very well hidden, and for good reason. It's a comprehensive record of all the ponies who were educated or stationed at that compound within the last ten years. We were able to use it to construct a partial manifest of the Society itself."

"How many names are on this list?" Noble Edict queried

"Exactly 825," Carabine disclosed, "We went ahead and looked all of them up. The vast majority of them are registered citizens of Equestria. Some of them even have influential spots in the government."

SIG Sauer smirked and declared smugly "This is precisely what we need to bring this cult down. We should make arrangements to apprehend these people straightaway."

"I don't know about that, SIG," Walther countered, "It would be hard to arrest this many people without drawing unwanted attention. If a number of the cult's members were abruptly taken into custody at once, the rest of them would probably catch on and go into hiding."

"I highly doubt that, General," Noble Edict remarked "There could be tens of thousands of ponies in this organization. If that many people just disappeared overnight, that would be just as much a giveaway of their involvement in this cult as having their names on this list."

"That is an excellent point, Lady Noble," Carabine coincided, "But keep in mind that these people are very good at remaining undetected. This cult been around for at LEAST fifty years, and we didn't even know of their existence until the Summer Sun Celebration. If they became aware that the government was hunting for them, that would just give them a greater incentive to remain hidden."

"What would you propose we do instead?" SIG Sauer demanded.

"Perhaps we should keep the people on this list under surveillance for the time being," Walther advocated.

"We don't have the means to keep tabs on hundreds of citizens, General," Lord Bellerophon pointed out, "We'd need the combined efforts of the Military Enforcement Corps, the Intelligence Bureau, and every police department out there to do such a thing."

"That may be easier said than done, but that's not to say it's impossible, my Lord," Walther pronounced, "It wouldn't be hard for me to draw adequate resources from the Bureau."

"And while I'm no longer in the Constabulary Contingent, SIG Sauer's son works for them," Carabine disclosed, "Since Commander Hard Hull only lends support from the Corps by recommendation from his active units, perhaps we could get help that way."

"Hold it right there, Carabine," SIG Sauer spoke to his colleague, "I appreciate your logic, but I wouldn't feel comfortable bringing Mauser into this conspiracy."

"Why not, SIG?" Walther said in bafflement, "From what I recall, he already knows about it. He was there when I first told you, Lady Noble, and the Prince about Hazy Wisp. So was Alpine."

"I know, but this cult is far more dangerous and expansive than we originally thought," SIG Sauer pointed out, "Aside from that, Mauser's job is to protect the people of Equestria, not hunt down political dissidents."

"Very well," Carabine acknowledging, sighing, "So, what should we do?"

At this, Lord Bellerophon turned to the gold stallion and proposed "Let the Prince decide."

Bronze Star was the only one who had not contributed to this part of the conversation. He did not expect to be placed on the spot like that. However, he soon had five pairs of eyes on him, looking to him for a solution.

"He's right," SIG Sauer conceded, "You should have the final say, Your Highness."

Bronze Star took a moment to think about their options. On the one hoof, if they went ahead and arrested every person on this list, they would be able to significantly weaken the Society. However, they would also risk alerting the rest of the Society that the government was on to them. On the other hoof, they could try to keep watch on the people on the list and observe their actions. This would give them a better chance to catch the Society off their guard in the future. However, it was possible that this inaction would allow the Society to get away with more covert criminal activities.

Ultimately, Bronze Star made his decision. He looked around at his companions and told them "I want to send a copy of this list out to every law enforcement entity in the country. Tell them that all 825 people on it are on our official watch list. But don't have them make any arrests just yet. For now, I just want them to keep a careful eye on these people. However, if the agencies witness these people exhibit any strange or unusual behavior, they are instructed to arrest them immediately. Be sure to mention that these orders come directly from the Canterlot Royalty. That way, we'll have to comply with them without asking any questions."

This arrangement was suitable for all five of the ponies in the room. It was subtle enough for Carabine and Walther, and direct enough for Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, and Lord Bellerophon.

"It shall be done, Your Highness," Carabine guaranteed the gold stallion, rolling the scroll back up and setting it off to the side, "By the time you and Lady Noble return to Ponyville, every law enforcement entity in Equestria will have received those orders."

"Good; very good," Bronze Star commented. There was another brief period of quietness, and then the gold stallion queried "Is there anything else that's worth mentioning about this matter?"

"No, I believe we've covered everything of precedence," Walther perceived, examining the contents of the box one last time. When he was finished, he stated "Yes, I do believe we can wrap up the matter of Nightmare Moon's cult. Now that we know about the Society, we can restrict their activities and keep them at bay."

"In that case, how about we move on to the next item of business?" Bronze Star proposed, leaning back in his chair, "I'm curious to know how the interrogation of Material Study and Sir Raoul Jowl has gone."

At that, the other four stallions seemed to become a little apprehensive. The gold stallion easily noticed this, and he enquired in worry "Is everything alright?"

"Well, Your Highness…" Bellerophon tentatively began. He then took in a deep breath and continued with "This is the main reason why I said it was so urgent for you to come back to Canterlot as soon as possible. Yesterday morning, something very unpleasant happened during the interrogation."

Bronze Star leaned closer to the tall palomino Pegasus and asked him worriedly "What? What happened?"

"It's about Material Study, sir," Bellerophon enlightened the young prince.

"What about him?" Bronze Star questioned restlessly.

"He's dead," was all Bellerophon said in response.

> The Revelation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star took a moment to process that concise statement. Then he slowly rose up from his chair and quietly asked "What do you mean 'he's dead?'"

"That's all there is to say, sir," Bellerophon disclosed, "He was killed yesterday morning."

"How could that have happened?" Bronze Star enquired, "Peacemaker and Heckler assured me they could handle interrogations properly."

"He didn't die during the interrogation, sir," Walther apprised the prince.

"Then did he try to escape and get killed in his flight?" the gold stallion presumed.

"No, he never made any attempt to flee," Carabine informed him, "He died while in our custody. However, nopony in the Regiment was responsible for his death."

"At least not directly," SIG Sauer added in.

"So who was accountable?" Bronze Star demanded.

"His fellow prisoner," Walther answered him.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and stated in perplexity "Sir Raoul killed him?"

"That is correct, Your Highness," Carabine affirmed.

Bronze Star was bewildered by this knowledge. How could a closely-monitored suspect in federal custody bring down another such suspect? Before he thought about finding out how that could happen, Bronze Star felt he needed some confirmation that such a thing actually could happen. He looked around at the others and requested "I'd like to see Material Study's body."

"Are you sure about that, Your Highness?" Bellerophon asked.

"Very," Bronze Star asserted, "I need to confirm his death myself before I put his file away for good."

"Fair enough, sir," SIG Sauer commented, rising out of his seat, "We'll show you straightaway."

Carabine and Walther proceeded to gather up the folders on the Nightmare Moon cult and store them in the evidence box. After putting the box away in its designated location, the five stallions and the mare left the Archives and headed back to the lounge. Once they were there, they made their way to the middle door on the left side of the room.

Before they went through this door, Bronze Star told the others "Hold on a second."

The other ponies promptly obeyed the young prince. He turned to the red mare and asked her "Noble, can you keep a secret?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Noble Edict proclaimed, "My job requires me to be able to keep certain things concealed from the public. Mostly to avoid creating a panic and such."

"Good," Bronze Star commented, "As you have probably gathered, the Regiment's activities are conducted discreetly. However, certain things are kept more confidential than others. For instance, you're free to discuss the Nightmare Moon conspiracy with your security staff and anypony else you'd like. But that policy does not apply to what you are about to see. What takes place behind this door must never be brought up outside the Compartment."

"I understand," Noble Edict stated, "But if you don't mind me asking, why?"

"Before I tell you, I need your word that you will never let a single soul outside of the Regiment know about what goes on here," Bronze Star sternly remarked, "I'm not just talking about verbal disclosure. You are not allowed to take notes or keep a record. You cannot even write about it in your personal logbook, if you have one."

"I do have my own journal at my house," Noble Edict revealed, "However, I never write any details pertaining to my job or anything of the sort in it. So I can assure you that I know better than to leave information about a classified government operation lying around."

"I'm glad to hear that," Bronze Star disclosed, "Because if you did and your journal got stolen, the thief might learn about the Regiment's activities and make them public. Even if we managed to apprehend the culprit and contain the gossip, you could still be held accountable for giving him or her the opportunity to let the story out. Subsequently, you could be charged with severe negligence and leaking top secret information."

Noble Edict was somewhat stunned to hear this. She took a deep breath and pronounced "If that happened, I'd lose my job, my credibility, and my new status. In that case, I promise you I'll NEVER mention anything I see in here to another person. In fact, maybe it would be better if I remained out here instead."

"No, I feel you should come on in, Noble," Bronze Star explicated, "I apologize if I sound as though I doubt your ability to keep a secret. Believe me, I have no reason to question my faith in you. If I did, I would not have invited you into the Compartment in the first place. I just need you to realize the seriousness of this particular situation."

"Well, you made your point quite clear, Bronze," Noble Edict declared, "I can understand and accept all the risks. They may be a little extreme, but I won't let them discourage me. Aside from that, am I to assume that I'm not the only one who must abide by them?"

"That is correct, Lady Noble," Carabine confirmed, "Every person here has sworn never to speak of the Regiment's procedures. The consequences of breaking that pledge are profound. If any of us was to somehow let information about these activities get out – even if it was only done inadvertently – that person would be subject to criminal prosecution."

"So I see," Noble Edict thought aloud, "I take it there are no exceptions to this regulation?"

"Nope, none at all," SIG Sauer replied, "This policy of secrecy is our first and foremost rule. It's a rule that cannot be bent, twisted, or broken in any way. None of us are permitted to violate this rule under any circumstances."

"Except for the prince," Lord Bellerophon added in, "He has the exclusive right to tell other ponies about these matters."

"That makes sense," Noble Edict commented, "After all, he's the only one here who is above the law."

"That is true," Bronze Star professed, "But even so, I don't pass along this information idly. Until today, there were only fifteen people who know about what goes on behind this door. You're about to bring the total up to sixteen, Noble. You see, I'm always very careful and selective about who I bring into our circle. The whole reason I brought you into it is because I trust you entirely. You also have several admirable qualities, primarily your devotion to your fellow officers and your determination to keep the public safe. Those are qualities that every member of the Regiment exhibits."

"I'm very grateful to hear you say that," Noble Edict stated, grinning lightly. There was a brief period of quietness, and then the red mare proposed "Now that we've established the need for secrecy, what say we go through that door already?"

"Excellent idea," Walther conceded. The mahogany Pegasus opened up the middle door on the left wall and held it open for the others. They entered one at a time, and the veteran Wonderbolt stepped through it last. The group then proceeded down another dimly-lit hallway. Every few seconds, they passed by a door. Soon they came to one labeled "Morgue."

Carabine approached this door and used his magic on the doorknob. As he turned it, he alerted the others "Brace yourselves."

It was a good thing he gave them that warning. The literal second the door became ajar, the odor of preservatives, rotten blood, and decaying flesh filled the air. Thanks to Carabine's notice, the others were able to cover their muzzles before the smells hit them.

Despite the unpleasant odor emanating from this room, it was only overwhelming for the first few seconds of exposure to it. After that, the five stallions and the mare gradually removed their front hooves from their muzzles and resumed breathing normally. Once they were accustomed to the smell, they stepped into the room. Once they were all inside, Carabine closed the door behind them.

At this time, there were six other ponies in the morgue. Only three of them were on their hooves and breathing. They were a male brown Pegasus, a female taupe Earth Pony, and a male scarlet Unicorn. The other three individuals were lying motionless on tables with white sheets over them. Two of them were on beds close to the entrance on the right side of the room. The third one was lying on a bed at the far end of the room.

The three standing ponies turned to the entrance of the room. As soon as they noticed the gold stallion, they beamed in his direction and lightly bowed to him. The Unicorn spoke first with "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Hello, Peacemaker," Bronze Star rejoined. He looked over at the Earth Pony and Pegasus and told them respectively "Hello, Ruger. Hello, Heckler."

"Glad you're here, Your Highness," the Earth Pony stated cordially.

"It's always good to see you, sir," Heckler claimed, nodding his head lightly. After a brief pause, he said in a slightly more grievous tone "I only wish it was under more favorable circumstances."

"I know what you mean," Bronze Star muttered bluntly, "According to what Lord Bellerophon told me, the main reason I'm here is because of a certain… incident that took place yesterday morning."

"'Incident' is putting it mildly, sir," SIG Sauer perceived, "It was an unlucky and disastrous mishap that we should never have allowed to happen in the first place."

"Before we discuss how it happened, I would like to see the body," Bronze Star requested.

"Very well," Peacemaker nodded in acknowledgement. He then led the young prince over to the covered mass on the other side of the room.

On the way there, they passed the two covered masses on the right side. Bronze Star gazed at them out of the corner of his eye and inquired "What are those two?"

"Those are the cultists Carabine and Walther encountered in Hoofington," Ruger explicated, "We conducted a complete autopsy on both of them. Unfortunately, we didn't learn anything we didn't already know."

"So what did you learn?" Bronze Star queried.

"Well, like the other cultists, they were young, agile, strongly-built, and they had fake cutie marks imprinted on their flanks," Heckler apprised him, "When uncovered, we found that their actual cutie marks were almost identical to the cutie marks of the cultists from Ponyville."

"The only reason we're still holding on to them is because you should have the final say on what we do with their bodies," Peacemaker told the gold stallion.

"In that case, I'm authorizing you to dispose of them, Doctor," Bronze Star disclosed, "There's no point holding on to them if they don't yield any new information."

"You got it, sir," Peacemaker avowed, "Burial or cremation?"

"Cremation," Bronze Star responded, "Dump their ashes wherever. I don't really care."

The gold stallion had said this last statement with a notable amount of angst in his voice. Normally, he did not speak in such a tense tone whenever he talked about the criminals who died during the Regiment's affairs. However, he had a personal grudge against the cultists because they had tried to overthrow his mother and murder SIG Sauer. Because of that, he had very little respect for them, alive or dead.

When Bronze Star and Peacemaker reached the far end of the room, the Alicorn stood to the right side of the occupied bed and the Unicorn stood to the left side of it. The physician looked the prince directly in the eye, as if waiting for a sign to proceed. In response, the gold stallion lightly nodded his head once. That was all the Unicorn needed to see. He took the edges of the bed sheet and slowly pulled it partway down the bed. He moved it enough to reveal the entire form of the person lying underneath it.

This person was a middle-aged Earth Pony stallion. He had a greenish-yellow coat, a sapphire mane, and mauve irises. His cutie mark was a scientific beaker filled with a bubbling liquid, and he had a thin beard along his face. Before today, Bronze Star had only seen this stallion in pictures, but he was very familiar with his face. It was Material Study, and he was indeed dead as a doornail.

Based on the paleness of his skin and the very small amount of deterioration, he had been gone for less than a day. Bronze Star briefly looked over the body, and at first glance, there did not seem to be anything indicative of what Material Study had died of. Then he noticed a very tiny hole on the side of the bearded stallion's throat. It looked very much like the mark a syringe leaves after an injection. However, it was too large to be left by a hypodermic needle.

Once Bronze Star finished examining Material Study's body, he looked up at the others and stated adamantly "Alright, now it's time for some elaboration. How did this happen?"

"Well, to make a long story short, Your Highness, this was the result of a serious error in judgment," Walther expounded.

"I don't want a long story short, General," Bronze Star muttered drily, "I'd prefer a full-length account."

"As you wish," the mahogany Pegasus avowed. There was another short interval of silence, and then the veteran Wonderbolt apprised the gold stallion with "As you know, Material Study and Sir Raoul Jowl have been in our custody ever since we returned from Hoofington. That was almost five weeks ago. But as per your instructions, we did not begin interrogating Material Study and Sir Raoul Jowl until SIG Sauer got back from Ponyville, which was three weeks ago. We still kept a close watch on both stallions in the two weeks between those two points in time. We were still hoping that the time in prolonged isolation might get them to crack. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Neither of them spoke as much as ten words during their solitary confinement."

"What about during the actual interrogation?" Bronze Star inquired.

"We didn't have much luck there, either," Peacemaker solemnly disclosed, "Heckler and I used several forms of physical and mental coercion on both Study and Jowl. We used weights, stress positions, waterboarding, controlled fear, environmental manipulation, and the old 'good agent, bad agent' routine."

"Basically, we experimented with everything short of full-out torture," Heckler recounted, "It still wasn't enough; they didn't break. Or they wouldn't. Must be one or the other."

"We believe it's the latter," Ruger continued for him, "I mean, we found it extremely unlikely that a chemist and a former politician would be able to resist that much intense interrogation. The only rational explanation we could fathom was that both of them must have been trained to withstand high levels of pain."

"They did more than withstand it," Carabine recalled, "The both put up with the coercion so well that they did not appear to be weakened or bothered by any of it in any way."

"So if Material Study didn't die due to complications during the interrogation, how did he die?" Bronze Star queried.

"We're getting to that, sir," Walther proclaimed. He took a moment to think about how to elucidate on this matter, and after another short pause, the mahogany Pegasus stated "We were careful to limit the number of people Material Study and Raoul Jowl encountered while we held them here. The only people either of them saw in the past five weeks were Ruger, Peacemaker, Heckler, and SIG Sauer. The rest of us observed the interrogations from the windows adjoining the holding cells. Other than that, we kept both Study and Jowl completely isolated from everypony, including each other."

"I figured as much," Bronze Star frankly declared, "I already know that total containment is a key element in this type of interrogation."

"That's correct, sir," SIG Sauer affirmed, "We suspected beforehand that it would not be easy to get either stallion to talk, but you can only ask somepony 'what are you up to' so many times without getting an answer. With that in mind, patience is another important aspect here. However, after three straight weeks of nothing but silence from the two stallions, our patience began to diminish. Yesterday, we started to question the effectiveness of our setup. Soon we decided to try another approach."

"What sort of approach?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.

"I suggested that we put the two stallions in the same room," Walther elucidated, "My hope was that if we have them together for a while, they would either become suspicious of each other or attempt to discuss their conspiracy without being overheard."

"Although the General's suggestion went against regulation, we were running out of ideas by that time," Ruger disclosed, "Our only other alternatives were to start torturing Study and Jowl using more extreme means, or to cut a deal with them. However, we needed your approval before we did either of those, and we did not want to bother you for something like that."

"So I gave the green light on Walther's idea," SIG Sauer went on, "We put it into effect approximately thirty hours ago. We woke the two stallions up very early yesterday morning. Before they even had time to compose themselves, we blindfolded them and moved them to a larger cell. We moved quickly and cautiously so that they would be dazed and confused by the time we were finished. Once they were secure in the new cell, we removed the blindfolds, left the room, and bolted the door behind us. There was nothing more we could do at that point, so we just sat back and watched them. We did not know what to expect, but we were confident this approach would produce better results than anything else we had done yet."

"Did it?" Bronze Star queried.

"Somewhat…" Carabine tentatively replied. He seemed a little uncertain about saying any more, but he took a deep breath and informed the young prince "For the first ten-to-twenty minutes of their joint captivity, neither Material Study nor Raoul Jowl said a word. After that, Mr. Study finally spoke. He asked his cellmate if he had told us anything. Sir Raoul insisted that he had kept his mouth shut, and that he had no intention of opening it anytime soon. Then he asked Material Study the same question. Mr. Study claimed he had stayed quiet, as well, but he also mentioned that he was beginning to have second thoughts about his own vow of silence. That seemed to agitate Jowl, but it did not set him off. He and Study spent the next few minutes arguing on what they should do. The former felt they should have continued to remain silent, and the latter advocated coming forward and confessing to us. Their debate ended when Material Study made a certain declaration. I don't remember what exactly he said, though."

Here Heckler interceded with "I believe it was something along the lines of 'No cause is worth undergoing this. Face it; our only real option is to tell them what they want to know. You can stay mute and rot in this place if you want, Raoul. But I am not spending my last days here. If there's even a chance that cooperating with them will get me out of here, then I sure as Tartarus am going to take that chance.'"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what he said, almost word-for-word," Walther conceded.

"What happened after that?" Bronze Star queried, leaning in closer.

"Mr. Jowl asked Mr. Study 'Are you sure this is what you want to do, Material?,'" Heckler reminisced, "In response, Mr. Study declared 'Yes, without a doubt, Raoul. I'm going to tell them what they want to know. And if you have any sense at all, you should do the same.'"

Bronze Star was intrigued by this revelation. He leaned closer and beckoned "Was he telling the truth?"

"Yes, he was," Ruger firmly proclaimed, "We saw the confrontation ourselves. I could see the desperation in Material Study's eyes. He was not going mad, but the pressure of his captivity must have finally gotten to him. I'm genuinely convinced he had decided to start talking. He was prepared to tell us everything."

"Unfortunately, he never got the chance," Peacemaker glumly disclosed. He trotted over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and used his magic to pick up a small plastic bag on the top. He then trotted back over to the gold stallion and kept the bag levitated in midair so that everypony could see it clearly. Bronze Star focused on the bag and noticed a small but thick pin was inside of it. Peacemaker then explained "Once Raoul Jowl was certain that Material Study was going to betray him, all he said was 'So be it.' Then without another word, he reached into his tail, pulled out this pin, and seized Material Study by the neck. Before we could intervene, Jowl stabbed Study with the pin in the throat, right on the artery."

Bronze Star winced at that statement, but he was still listening as intently as ever.

"As soon as that happened, we burst in there faster than the quickest Wonderbolt," Walther recounted, "We rushed to get the situation under control. Carabine, Glock, Caracal, and I secured the room. Beretta, SIG Sauer, and Koch were able to pull Jowl away from Study and restrain him. Heckler, Peacemaker, and Ruger hurried Material Study to the infirmary."

"We did all we could to save him," Peacemaker declared, "I managed to repair the damaged artery in Material Study's throat before he bled out. But just as I finished patching him up, Mr. Study had a violent seizure. It lasted almost an entire minute. At first I thought it was just a lingering symptom of his wound. But that wasn't the case. As soon as Mr. Study stopped convulsing, he was perfectly still. With difficulty, he used his last breath to whisper something. Then just like that, he was gone."

Bronze Star was astonished to learn this. He took a minute to process this explanation. Then he looked down at Material Study's corpse and remarked "A simple jab in the throat was deadly enough to kill this stallion?"

"Well, actually, Your Highness, it was not so much the injury itself as the weapon Sir Raoul used," Ruger disclosed, stepping up to the gold stallion, "After we lost Mr. Study, I took some time to analyze the pin. I discovered it had been laced with strychnine."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow in astonishment "Did you say strychnine, Specialist?"

"Yes, sir," Ruger confirmed, "The deadliest poison known to equines. Jowl had less than a lick's worth of it on this pin, and it was more than enough to send Material Study into full cardiac arrest."

"It's illegal to use that poison without a license," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Of course, I'm certain that wouldn't be enough to prevent Jowl from acquiring it. The bigger question is this: How the Tartarus did Sir Raoul smuggle that pin in here?"

"My guess is that he had it implanted along his backside, right in the center of his tail," Carabine theorized, "That's the only way he could have kept it hidden from us when we frisked him without pricking himself by mistake."

"In that case, let's be sure to include all parts of the tail the next time we bring suspects in and search them," Bronze Star proposed, "And I mean ALL parts. I don't like it when suspects die in our custody. Especially when there's a possibility their deaths could have been avoided."

"We understand, Your Highness," SIG Sauer assured him, "On that note, I'm ready to accept responsibility for Material Study's fate. He died under my watch, but if I had been more attentive, he might still be alive."

"Oh, no you don't, SIG," Walther interposed, "It was my idea to put Study and Jowl together in the first place. This is on me."

"Gentlestallions, don't blame yourselves for what happened," Lord Bellerophon advised them, "You had no way of knowing how far Sir Raoul was willing to go."

"Lord Bellerophon is right," Bronze Star claimed, "This was an accident. Accidents can happen all the time and everywhere, even here. What matters is that you made an effort to repair this one. As such, I'm not holding any of you accountable for the loss of Mr. Study. The only blameworthy party here is Sir Raoul Jowl."

The present members of the Regiment were quite relieved to hear this. While they were always prepared to accept the consequences of their failures, they preferred to avoid facing charges when they could.

After another short pause, the young prince sighed and mumbled "Well, what's done is done. There's nothing left to do in here except close the case."

Bronze Star opened his knapsack and removed the file on Material Study. He opened it up and used his magic to print the word "DECEASED" on the first page of the bearded stallion's profile. After that, he closed the file and slipped it into his knapsack. Then he gestured for Peacemaker to cover the body. As the physician replaced the bed sheet over Material Study, the gold stallion stated "One last thing. The Doctor mentioned that Material Study said something in the midst of his death rattle. What exactly did he say?"

"We're not entirely sure, Your Highness," Ruger disclosed, "He was struggling to catch his breath, and he was straining to get every syllable out. Aside from that, he was barely talking loud enough to make a whisper. The Doc and I couldn't discern a single word of what he said."

"What about you, Heckler?" Bronze Star asked the brown Pegasus hopefully.

Heckler grinned smugly and replied with "Even though I was standing the closest to Study's head, I was unable to hear him clearly. However, I had my eyes on his face the whole time. Luckily for all of us, I can read lips, Your Highness. Mr. Study's lip movements were miniscule, but they were notable enough for me to make out the message. In the time since yesterday morning, I've been piecing together the fragments of what I recall Mr. Study said in my head. I finished shortly before you arrived."

"In that case, enlighten me, if you would," Bronze Star requested.

Heckler nodded his head in understanding and repeated Material Study's dying words: "'There will be an assassination. I don't know the target or who else is involved, but Raoul does. Just keep pushing him. Don't let him get away with it. He'll lead you to…'"

"Lead us to what?" the gold stallion queried.

"That was it, sir," Heckler notified the prince, "He died in midsentence."

"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star acknowledged. He lightly scoffed and murmured "How about that? Material Study spent the past several months developing chemical weapons for his own personal gain, and he used his dying breath to try to redeem himself."

"Rather ironic, isn't it?" Carabine sardonically commented.

"Very ironic," Ruger drily perceived, "If only he came forward before we put him in the same room as Raoul Jowl. Then he could have told us a lot more."

"Well, at least he gave us something concrete to work with," Walther pointed out, "Because of him, we know for certain that Raoul Jowl is our most solid lead."

"Now all we have to do is get Jowl to talk," Heckler noted.

"Easier said than done," Peacemaker remarked candidly, "The whole reason he killed Mr. Study is because the chemist was about to confess. Add that to the fact that he hasn't cracked after three weeks of intense interrogation, and I doubt he'll be changing his mind anytime soon."

"We'll see about that, Doctor," Bronze Star countered, "He may seem inflexible now, but every stallion has his breaking point. And even if he doesn't break, there are some alternatives we haven't considered just yet."

"That's certainly true," SIG Sauer concurred.

There was another short interval of quietness, and then Bronze Star professed "I think we're done here."

"As you say, Your Highness," Walther avowed.

Peacemaker returned the small bag with the pin to the top of the cabinet at the corner of the room. Then he gazed over at the gold stallion and asked him "What would you like for Mr. Study? Cremation or burial?"

"Give him a burial," Bronze Star decided, "I'd say he earned it. We'll work out his final destination later."

Peacemaker made a note of this, saying "It will be done."

After another brief pause, SIG Sauer approached the gold stallion and asked him "Where to now, sir?"

"First I want to take a look at the stash of chemical weapons we confiscated from Mr. Study," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Then we'll pay Sir Raoul a visit."

"You got it," the pine green Unicorn asserted.

The nine ponies proceeded to leave the morgue all at once. Once they were all outside the room, they trotted further down the hallway together. On the way, Bronze Star turned to the brown Pegasus and remarked "Have I ever told you that you have a rather impressive memory, Inspector?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Heckler proudly replied, grinning, "You've told me that exactly twenty-eight times. I remember every one of them."

"I would expect you to," Bronze Star wittily commented, "Still, it's a damn good thing you were there when Material Study died. If you weren't, we would might never have known about this 'assassination.' Aside from that, it's just one of the many times you've accelerated our investigations using just your head. I mean, the way you're able to take your memory and restructure it into an image as if you were seeing it as vividly as you did the first time around… I can't think of anypony who has that kind of ability."

"I'm very flattered, sir," Heckler said appreciatively, "But with all due respect, I'm not too sure about the validity of that statement. You'd probably surpass me in terms of the ability to retain information. Just look at how much you know about the military, the central government, and the Equestrian Royalty. I don't think I could balance all three of those topics at once."

"Well it helps when you've been learning about them for as long as I have," Bronze Star conjectured, "I've been studying the armed forces for ten years, politics for fourteen years, and the life of a royal for as long as I can remember. Practice really does make perfect."

"Or maybe you have a very keen ability to retain information," Heckler hypothesized, "I seem to recall a certain adage. I believe it goes 'An Alicorn never forgets.' Is there any truth to it?"

"There could be," Bronze Star admitted, "At the very least, I never forget anything I learn. I also never forget a face, an experience, a situation, or a name."

Heckler whistled in amazement and commented "That's definitely something. You've given me an idea for me to improve my fragmentation skills even more. Remind me to talk to you about this sometime in the future."

"Okay," Bronze Star affirmed, "But I'd have thought you'd be the last one who needs a reminder about anything."

The brown Pegasus chuckled and muttered "You got me there, sir."

Heckler was the youngest member of the Firebrand Regiment. That was the primary reason he was the lowest in their chain-of-command. However, he was still a few years older than Bronze Star. Apart from that, he never let his position in the Regiment bother him. He considered it an honor just to be on the team. After all, the Firebrand Regiment was composed of the best agents and soldiers in Equestria. Heckler had earned his place there because he was smarter and more observant than the majority of the people who worked for the Equestrian military or the Equestrian government. He also had a better sense of humor than most people Bronze Star knew. For that reason, the gold stallion enjoyed being around the brown Pegasus when he was on- and off-duty equally. Then again, the young prince had a good personal relationship and a good professional relationship with each and every member of the Firebrand Regiment.

The nine ponies soon reached another door labeled "Contraband Storage." There were two more ponies in this room. One was a male purple Earth Pony, and the other was a female tan Unicorn. They were sorting through a number of large transparent containers. When the gold stallion entered the room, they both stopped what they were doing and saluted him.

Bronze Star nodded in approval and told them "At ease, Koch. At ease, Beretta."

The Earth Pony and the Unicorn lowered their front hooves and grinned at the prince. Koch queried in interest "What can we do for you, Your Highness?"

"I'd just like to take a quick look at Material Study's chemicals," Bronze Star requested.

"Certainly, Your Highness," Beretta asserted. She gazed over her shoulder at the containers and declared "We've already catalogued everything in his stash; we did that as soon as we got back when we got back from Hoofington. We planned to hold on to it until he came forward or he died. Now that he's gone, we figured we may as well make the most of the remainder of his work."

"Now that's thinking efficiently, Sergeant," Bronze Star commented in approval, "Where will the chemicals be going?"

"We plan to reorganize the compounds into three separate groups," Koch informed the gold stallion, "The first will be composed of everything that can be used as a medicine in some way. We'll be sending that batch to Health Services. The second will contain everything that can be used to pacify, tranquilize, or weaken violent wrongdoers. We'll be sending those to the defense department. The third will probably be the largest; it will have everything that is lethal even in small doses. We'll be keeping those."

"Smart thinking, Lieutenant," Bronze Star remarked, "May I see the inventory manifest?"

"You bet, sir," Beretta complied. She used her magic to pick up a clipboard and levitated it over to the gold stallion. Bronze Star took the clipboard using his own magic and studied the contents of the first page. It was consistent with everything that had been on the list General Walther had shown him at the embassy. The only difference was that this list specified the quantity of each compound.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and observed "Material Study has sure been busy, hasn't he?"

"I should say so, Your Highness," Koch concurred, "You should know that these substances really are as deadly as we thought. When we moved in to arrest Mr. Study, he used two of the compounds to generate a toxic smoke as a diversion so that he and Sir Raoul could make a getaway. Heckler, Carabine, and I were directly exposed to the smoke."

Bronze Star was mildly surprised to hear that. "You weren't harmed by it, were you?"

"No, we were only exposed for a few seconds," Heckler recalled.

"We managed to avoid breathing any of it in, too," Koch added in.

"Still, it was enough to cause a couple problems," Carabine reminisced, "For about a half-hour after that incident, the Inspector contracted a violent cough, the Lieutenant's eyes became red and swollen, and I became severely dehydrated."

"Luckily, that was the extent of their side effects," Peacemaker went on, "Once the mission was over, I was able to diagnose our people in less than a minute. None of them had been infected in any way."

"Yup, the Doc gave us all a clean bill of health," Heckler commented happily.

"Good, the last thing I want is for my operatives to get sick on the job," Bronze Star proclaimed. He gave the clipboard back to Beretta and asked "Were we able to contain the spread of the smoke?"

"Yeah, as soon as the chemicals were spilled, the General had me inform the hotel's head of security on the situation," Ruger assured him, "I was able to get him to shut down the ventilation to Material Study's suite before the smoke got into the air ducts. None of the building's staff or guests were exposed."

"Splendid," Bronze Star remarked, "Sounds as though we didn't leave any loose ends."

"Indeed not, Your Highness," Beretta confirmed, "I monitored the entire operation from the roof of the building across the street. From what I could tell, nopony in the adjoining suites seemed to notice what was going on. Neither did any of the people down on the streets."

"We did have to give some clarification on the situation to the chemical spill response team," Walther disclosed, "When they arrived to clean up the smoke, they asked for an explanation as to how it was produced in the first place. All we had to tell them was that it was an accident. We told them nothing about what really happened there."

"Alright, good work, all of you," Bronze Star announced. He paused for a moment, and then he gazed over at the containers and observed "Everything appears to be in order here. As soon as you've finished sorting the compounds, I'd like to take another look at them. After that, you can send them wherever you'd like."

"Understood, Your Highness," Beretta avowed, "We'll keep them impounded until you give the word."

Bronze Star nodded in consent. There came another short period of quietness, and then Bronze Star sighed and pronounced "At this point, all that's left to do is drop in on a certain 'guest.' Shall we swing by and see him?"

"Yes, sir," SIG Sauer guaranteed the gold stallion.

Bronze Star, Lord Bellerophon, and the eight present members of the Firebrand Regiment started to leave the storage room. Noble Edict was standing in the doorframe. She had not spoken a word ever since the group entered this section of the Compartment. This changed when the other ten ponies reached her. The red mare stepped in front of the gold stallion and sternly told him "Hold on for a minute, Bronze. Before we go any further, I'd like some clarity about a few things. I'm getting tired of being the only one here who's completely in the dark."

Bronze Star was surprised by the somewhat demanding tone in her voice. The other nine ponies were even more surprised. None of them would dare speak in such an impertinent manner to a member of the Canterlot Royalty. In addition to that, Heckler, Koch, Peacemaker, Beretta, and Ruger had not even noticed the red mare was with them until now. SIG Sauer and Walther had introduced each of them to her during the ceremony Princess Celestia held for her, but they had only spoken to her for a couple minutes apiece. They were just as surprised as Carabine had been when he initially saw her in the Compartment.

"Lady Noble, I must ask that you choose your words carefully," Carabine firmly insisted.

"It's alright, Brigadier," Bronze Star calmly assured the aqua blue Unicorn, "All she's asking for are answers."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, what is she doing in here?" Beretta queried.

"'She' is here on my consent, Sergeant," Bronze Star disclosed. He turned to the red mare and instructed her "Show them the ornament, Noble."

Noble Edict promptly raised the object SIG Sauer had given her into the air. Once the members of the Regiment saw it, they became much less tense.

"In that case, welcome to the Compartment, Lady Noble," Peacemaker greeted the young mare.

"Thank you, Doctor," The red mare stated appreciatively. As she lowered the ornament, she looked back at the gold stallion and remarked "Formalities aside, the Brigadier's right; I had no right to speak so insolently to you. I must apologize if I sounded demanding or prying. It's just that whenever a crime or a plot occurs in Ponyville, I'm always made aware of all the details straightaway. Basically, I'm used to being the first one who knows about anything out of the ordinary. So you can imagine my frustration about the current situation. Right now, I know pretty much nothing about what's going on here."

"Well, there's no denying that," Bronze Star coincided. He leaned against the wall next to Noble Edict and stated "So, what would you like to know?"

"For one thing, I'd like to know more about this 'sting operation' you keep mentioning," Noble Edict requested, "To be precise, I'd like to know how it ties into everything that's going on here. Also, you keep bringing up a person named 'Sir Raoul Jowl.' I'm fairly certain I've heard that name somewhere before."

"I think I may know where," Bronze Star commented, "How often do you read the newspaper, Noble?"

"I read the Ponyville Gazette every day, if I can," Noble Edict responded.

"What about the Canterlot Post?" Bronze Star queried.

"On occasion, yes," the red mare informed him, "National news is not as important to me as local news. But I still read about it every now and then. That's the only paper I've had access to since I got here."

"Well, the reason I'm asking is because Sir Raoul Jowl used to be in the Canterlot Post all the time," Bronze Star enlightened her.

Here Bronze Star began giving Noble Edict a concise but thorough explanation about two separate subjects. The first pertained to Sir Raoul Jowl. The gold stallion informed the red mare that Raoul Jowl was once one of the most influential and prestigious officeholders in his mother's administration. He had been born and raised in Manehattan, where he had received most of his compulsory education. That included elementary school, middle school, and high school. After graduating from high school, he had moved to Canterlot to receive a college education in both government policy and social sciences. After successfully attaining his diploma in both fields, he immediately began putting his skills to use by working for the government. He had a long and fruitful career that lasted almost twenty years. He had contributed a countless amount to political restructuring, economic growth, and several other issues. Overtime, he had gradually risen to higher and more prominent positions in the government.

During the second half of his career, Raoul Jowl had played a major role in Equestria's cultural reform. He had drafted several projects whose main goals were to increase opportunity, availability, and efficiency for the entire nation. Among other things, he aimed to create more jobs, raise the minimum wage, and provide for the less prosperous regions of the country.

While many of Raoul Jowl's colleagues admired his resolve and his motivations, many others doubted that this plans would be as successful and significant as he envisioned them to be. After all, he seemed to be placing a lot of faith in the effectiveness of a few simple changes. They also doubted he would fine the means to provide for these projects, as they each had a budget that amounted to several million. Within a year, his critics were proven quite wrong. Not only were Raoul Jowl's programs adequately funded and capable of achieving their goals, but they also ended up bettering the living conditions for the average citizen of Equestria.

These programs earned Raoul Jowl a great deal of respect and admiration from everypony. In fact, the impact of their success even gained the attention of Princess Celestia. As a way of commending Raoul Jowl for his contribution to the nation, she granted him a prominent place in her cabinet, and she knighted him. That was when he was recognized everywhere as "Sir Raoul Jowl," the stallion who changed Equestria.

Because of everything he had done for his country, one might think that Raoul Jowl would be the last person to conspire against it. If he was still working for the government, he probably never would have. But we all have dark secrets that we never want other people to know about. These are the types of secrets that when discovered, they could cause even the mightiest and most adored people to fall from grace. That was precisely what happened with Sir Raoul Jowl.

Four years ago, the Firebrand Regiment had been conducting another covert operation. This time, they were investigating some strange activity in the black market. They were not trying to shut down the black market itself; even though the market had a notorious reputation for being shady and dangerous, everypony who participated it was aware of this risk and accepted it. Aside from that, all the transactions made in the black market were legitimate to some degree. All deals made in it were fair and equitable to all parties involved. So the government allowed the black market to exist.

However, the Regiment had acquired some intelligence which indicated that some traders in the black market had somehow acquired some documents. These documents contained very sensitive information about Equestria's central government. All of them had been classified top secret, and it was absolutely illegal to sell them in any capacity. Yet the vendors who had them were turning them over to the highest bidder.

Bronze Star viewed these actions as both a breach in the integrity of the government and a complication in national security. Both of which were completely unacceptable. The prince and the Regiment were determined to find the source of this disturance and eliminate it.

It did not take the Regiment long to gather the names of all the people who were dealing in the stolen government files. Every time one of the documents was sold, the Regiment arrested the buyer in secrecy, but they let the seller stay in business. They did this to avoid tipping off the people who supplied the merchants with the documents. They felt that if the distributors noticed that their middlemen were disappearing, they would realize that the authorities were on to them and they would go into hiding.

So to avoid suspicion, the Regiment left the sellers untouched. However, they still monitored their activities and transactions very closely. Before long, they discovered that an entire network was built around the stolen government files. The sellers were merely the ends of the trail. Before the documents even reached the sellers, they had already been exchanged at least half a dozen times. Eventually, the Regiment managed to trace the documents to the start of their trail. They discovered that the source of the stolen information was a private underground union.

This particular union was very cautious and very good at evading the government's notice. Their existence had been a complete secret until the Firebrand Regiment came along. Still, the Regiment needed to use all their combined expertise to learn anything about it. And even then, they were unable to get very close to the union. They were unable to determine its location or the identities of any of its members.

However, after months of digging around, they managed to discover that the union was not the start of the trail. In actuality, they received all the stolen government files from a single source. This particular source appeared to be somepony who held high-status position in the government. In other words, there was a leak.

After another week of searching, the Regiment was able to determine the identity of the leak. To the vast surprise of all of them, it was Sir Raoul Jowl.

At first, the Regiment hypothesized that they had the wrong stallion. But all the evidence pointed directly towards Sir Raoul from every angle. There was no denying that he was the source.

However, after the Regiment confirmed him as the leak, it gradually became easier for them to believe. After all, while Raoul Jowl was known for his benevolence and empathy, he was hardly what one would call modest. Some believed that he started those cultural reform projects to help himself as much as the people they were designed to help. In addition to that, he was also not as principled as one would expect a pony in his position to be. He personally believed that one should use whatever resources one has available to make the most of life. Considering how he had nearly unrestricted access to top secret government files, it would make sense if he regarded those as some of his own "resources."

Most of the Regiment wanted to arrest Raoul Jowl, but SIG Sauer and Bronze Star wanted to confirm that he actually knew where the union was before they took any direct action against Sir Raoul. However, they were confident that Raoul Jowl would lead them in the right direction. So the Regiment spent the following month watching Jowl closely. They kept a sentry on him, took a record of his day-to-day activities, and tightening security around him. They even had one of their own spy on him up close. By the end of that month, they had gotten him to reveal the location of the union's headquarters. Once the Regiment confirmed the location, they sent in the Constabulary Contingent to raid the base, shut it down, and recover all the stolen files.

A great deal of arrests were made that day. Every person who so much as touched one of the stolen documents was taken into custody, including the sellers. The entire union was taken down in just one day.

Every person who been in that union or in cahoots with it was looking at least five years in prison for espionage and dealing in stolen goods.

The Firebrand Regiment brought Sir Raoul in for questioning then. He revealed that the union had been his idea in the first place. He also confessed that he had been stealing government secrets for years and feeding them to his associates. That was how he acquired the money to fund his cultural reform projects. However, he claimed that he never knew his associates were doing anything as heinous as selling those files on the black market. He admitted that he was knowingly breaking the law by stealing those files, but he insisted that he would never have allowed them to be put on the black market.

He was actually telling the truth, and luckily for him, the Regiment believed him. However, that did not change the fact that he had willingly sold those files to thugs and bandits. By doing that, he had betrayed the trust of Princess Celestia and every other official in the Equestrian government. Every member of the Regiment wanted to throw him behind bars with all the others from the union. Bronze Star, however, did not. He was more concerned about what sort of political repercussions that would involve.

At that time, only Bronze Star, Lord Bellerophon, and the Firebrand Regiment knew of Jowl's misdeeds. Everypony else was oblivious to them. Raoul Jowl was greatly admired and loved by many people for his service to the country. If word got out that he was a liar and a thief who shared his fellow politicians' secrets with crooks, Bronze Star predicted that the fallout on the public and the government would be devastating, maybe even irreparable.

Because of this, he decided they would need another way to resolve this dilemma. He ultimately decided to make Raoul Jowl a deal. The young prince proposed that Sir Raoul resign from his current job in Celestia's administration, and that he never pursue another career in the Equestrian government. In exchange, Bronze Star would have him released from the Regiment's custody and allow him to live the rest of his life as a free stallion. Sir Raoul was hesitant at first, but since the alternative was to have his legacy ruined and live the rest of his days behind bars, he accepted Bronze Star's deal.

As soon as the Regiment let him go, Sir Raoul drafted a letter of resignation. Bronze Star helped him put it together, as he wanted to make sure everything lined up. Once he was finished, Bronze Star had Sir Raoul present it directly to Celestia herself. The Princess was stunned to receive it, and she asked Sir Raoul for the reason for his departure. Bronze Star had helped Sir Raoul come up with an excuse beforehand. He had claimed to the Princess "I have already done enough to leave behind a great legacy, Your Highness. I have had my time to shine; my time to make a difference to the people of Equestria. Perhaps it is time for me to stand down and make way for somepony else. I should let somepony else have a chance of their own to make a difference."

Bronze Star predicted this would be enough to satisfy his mother, and he was right. Princess Celestia was content with this response, and as a result, she accepted Sir Raoul Jowl's resignation, albeit reluctantly. By the end of the day, Raoul Jowl had cleaned out his office and departed from Canterlot Castle.

The Firebrand Regiment never heard from Sir Raoul again after that. A few of them thought about keeping tabs on him just to be safe, but Bronze Star was confident their troubles with the former politician were over. So the black market case was closed for good.

This was Raoul Jowl's history. Or at least the bulk of his history with the Regiment. That was easily the longer part of Bronze Star's explanation to Noble Edict. It took him much less time to explain what was currently going on in the Compartment. He was able to keep it short but direct.

About a year ago, the Firebrand Regiment had acquired some intelligence which suggested there was a treacherous scheme going on somewhere in the country. They did not know who was behind the scheme or what their intentions were, but they had uncovered enough evidence to confirm that something big was being planned.

The Regiment was able to confirm the validity of this theory within a couple weeks of creating it. They had found and followed a lengthy stream of clues and hints left behind by the conspirators. These numerous leads ultimately led them to two separate suspects. One of them was Lavender Dazzle, an outspoken protestor of Equestrian's government and one of few people who openly opposed Princess Celestia. The other was Material Study, a retired university professor and a certified expert in chemistry and biochemistry.

Bronze Star had the Regiment monitor both of them closely. As time went on, the young prince and his Special Ops team witnessed both Dazzle and Study demonstrate rather strange and erratic behavior. That was enough to convince Bronze Star that they were up to something bad. Neither of them seemed like much of a threat by themselves.

As the Regiment continued assembling more information about Dazzle and Study's activities, Bronze Star came to speculate that both Lavender Dazzle and Material Study had extremist intentions in mind. He was also fairly certain that they were working with more people. Perhaps they were aiming to… organize a type of confrontation with the government.

Bronze Star's faith in this theory was validated the day before the Summer Sun Celebration, when the Regiment was finally able to connect Dazzle and Study together. Before that day, they had never even been in the same town as each other. Now that they were actually meeting face-to-face, it would only be a matter of time before they executed their hidden plans.

Bronze Star and the Regiment had no idea what exactly these plans would entail, but when they learned that Material Study was using his minerals, isotopes, and equipment to develop chemical weapons, they were fairly certain an attack was eminent.

The meeting between Material Study and Raoul Jowl had confirmed this notion. At one point during that meeting, Sir Raoul had mentioned that his co-conspirators were going to use the weapons in Canterlot. He had not specified the targets, but his speech implied that they would be primarily civilians.

Fortunately, the Firebrand Regiment had seized the chemical weapons and their creator, as well as one of the creator's associates. All the same, that was just a small victory in the long run. Bronze Star was already unsettled enough by the fact that Sir Raoul was involved in this plot. The Regiment knew that their troubles were far from over. For one thing, the other people involved in the conspiracy were still at large, and Lavender Dazzle was the only one that had been identified. Plus, the Regiment had just learned that the chemical weapon strike was not all the conspirators had on their agenda. Now it turned out they were planning an assassination, too. But who could it have been, and where and when would it take place?

This was where Bronze Star wrapped up his explanation to Noble Edict. When he was finished, the red mare was absolutely astonished by everything she had been told.

"Now I understand why you were so concerned about my ability to keep this thing a secret," Noble Edict perceived.

The gold stallion lightly nodded his head, saying "Precisely. If news of this conspiracy got out, we would have a panic in the capital city. Worse yet, the people behind the conspiracy would go into hiding. It would be impossible to find them then."

"And that's a risk we cannot afford to take," Carabine proclaimed, "We NEED to find them at whatever the cost. If we don't, an uncountable number of lives could be at stake."

"I gathered as much," Noble Edict commented, "Do you have any conclusive information on the people behind the conspiracy?"

"Yes, but not much," Walther disclosed, "These people are surprisingly good at covering their tracks."

"I suppose they'd have to be, if they're plotting against the government," Noble Edict observed.

"Indeed, Lady Noble," Ruger affirmed, "We've known about this scheme for nearly a year, and we've barely even skimmed the surface. It's taken us this long to apprehend two suspects, and both of them proved to be rather uncooperative. One had to die to tell us about the organization's ultimate goal; the other is adamant about maintaining his vow of silence."

"At least he is for now," Bronze Star pronounced, "But that could change. Just remember; we've brought down plots like this before. Some of them were even more ominous and more extreme than this one. We've also gotten tougher ponies than Sir Raoul to talk. We just have to keep putting pressure on him. Sooner or later, he's going to crack like a nut."

"Oh, I agree, Your Highness," Heckler proclaimed, "But it if you were to actually compare our suspects to nuts, Sir Raoul would be a macadamia."

"In other words, he'd be the one that's by far the hardest to open up," Koch presumed.

"Exactly," Heckler professed, smirking.

"That may be, Inspector," Bronze Star admitted, "We'll just have to wait and see."

> Bargaining
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group of ponies left the storage room and headed even further down the dimly-lit corridor. This time they trotted all the way to the end of it. The door at the end was labeled "Holding Block." On the other side of this door was another hallway that ran perpendicular to the last one. However, this hallway was much shorter and brighter. There were about twenty doors on either wall; they were each spread exactly five meters apart from each other. Almost every door had a sign above it that said "Vacant." The one exception was the door closest to the entrance; it had a sign that said "Occupied" above it.

Bronze Star approached the "Occupied" door, opened it, and entered the adjoining room. While all the previous rooms had either dim or adequate lightning, this next room was immersed in total darkness. The wall across from the door had a huge window and a door; the other two walls were bare. There were a few normal-sized chairs at the base of the window. Two of them were occupied by a male blue Earth Pony and a sky blue female Pegasus.

Both of them turned around when they heard the door open, and they immediately got out of their chairs and stood up straight when they came face-to-face with the gold stallion.

"Pleasure to see you, Your Highness," the blue Earth Pony proclaimed gladly.

"Same here, Glock," Bronze Star happily rejoined. He then looked at the other pony in the room and questioned "How are you holding up, Caracal?"

"I'm doing well, Your Highness," the mare informed the prince. She had been smiling when she said that. But after a few seconds, her smile faltered and she added in a dreary tone "All things considered, at any rate…"

Bronze Star covered his mouth with his front hoof in alarm and quickly uttered "I'm sorry; I should have worded that differently."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, sir," Caracal assured the gold stallion. She paused for a moment, and then she stated "I assume the others have brought you up to speed on the situation with Material Study?"

"That is correct," Bronze Star affirmed, "Basically, one of our leads is dead. But according to what I've been told thus far, he's still more likely to talk than our other lead."

"Yeah, that's pretty accurate," Glock bluntly conceded, "Sit down and we'll fill you in."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement. He waited for everypony to get settled before the blue stallion and the sky blue mare began.

In addition to being dark and quiet, this room was notably small. There was only enough space for two more ponies. After some consideration, Bronze Star decided those two would be SIG Sauer and Noble Edict. The others remained outside the room. By regulation, the room needed to stay dark when it was in use, so Lord Bellerophon turned down the lights in the hallway and mostly closed the door. He left it slightly ajar so that he and the other seven members of the Regiment could hear what was going on inside the dark room.

Once this was done, Bronze Star, Noble Edict, Glock, Caracal, and SIG Sauer sat down at the chairs in front of the large window.

There was another room on the other side of the glass. This was the actual holding cell, but it bared little resemblance to one. Instead, it was designed to resemble a small apartment. There was a bed, a desk, a cabinet, a bookcase, and an adjoining bathroom. There was also a table with four chairs in the center of the room; one on each side.

Currently, a certain stallion was sitting easily in the chair that faced the window. However, he was not looking towards the window. Instead, he was gazing lazily at the wall to his right. He appeared to be in the midst of daydreaming. This was Sir Raoul Jowl.

"He seems to be doing well," Bronze Star drily noted. A moment later, he added "For a guy who's been subjected to extensive coercive methods for three straight weeks."

"I hear you there, Your Highness," Glock bluntly commented, "Ever since the incident with Material Study, we've been keeping a very tight lid on Raoul Jowl. We suspected he might try to pull something like that again. We didn't want to risk missing anything of the sort, so we've been watching him in shifts. Caracal and I have kept our eyes on him since six o'clock this morning."

"Has anything happened since then, Captain?" Bronze Star enquired.

"No, nothing new, sir," the blue Earth Pony disclosed, "The biggest difference is the change in his mood. During the five weeks we held him here, Sir Raoul always seemed agitated and nervous. Now he just seems completely nonchalant."

"I'd say he's more laidback than nonchalant," Noble Edict announced, "I've seen this kind of behavior before. I see it every time my security staff arrest a person who we know is guilty but the suspect himself believes there is nothing we can do to prove his guilt or get a confession out of him."

"An astute observation, Lady Noble," Caracal coincided, "That is precisely what this stallion is trying to do right now. He's trying to get ahead of us by feigning ignorance about the whole matter. But he definitely DOES know something. Make no mistake about that. Raoul Jowl is an expert at manipulation and deception. Trust me… I know firsthoof what he's capable of."

She had spoken that last sentence with a note of discomfort, and even a little dismay. Noble Edict turned to the sky blue Pegasus and asked her in concern "Special Agent, do you and Sir Raoul have a history?"

Caracal did not give a verbal response; she just lightly nodded her head. So Bronze Star answered for her: "Earlier on, I told you that the first time we dealt with Sir Raoul, a member of the Regiment had to get close to him on a person level. Caracal was that member."

"Essentially, it was because of her that we were able to expose Sir Raoul," Glock declared.

"I was able to get close enough to confirm Sir Raoul's role in the black market case," Caracal disclosed. She leaned back in her chair and mumbled "Of course, some would say I got too close."

"If you don't mind me asking, just how close did you get?" Noble Edict inquired, "What did you have to do to expose Sir Raoul's misdeeds?"

"If you'd really like to know, Lady Noble, I'll tell you," Caracal said openly, "But I should warn you; it's not pretty."

"It's alright, Special Agent," the red mare guaranteed the sky blue mare, "I'm used to dealing with 'not pretty.'"

Caracal nodded her head in acknowledgement. After another brief period of silence, she elucidated "From the moment we discovered Sir Raoul was affiliated with the stolen government files, we knew it would not be easy to prove his involvement. After all, he was a high-status official in Princess Celestia's administration. We couldn't bring him in for questioning or search his house without some well-founded evidence. With that in mind, we soon realized that the only way to expose a crook would be to act like one."

Noble Edict was a little baffled by the vagueness of this last remark. She requested "Elaborate, if you please."

"Well, Noble, every member of the Firebrand Regiment has worked for a branch of the military or a government-based agency," SIG Sauer expounded, "Because of our different backgrounds, all ten of us bring special and unique skills to the table. In Caracal's case, she has a practical ability to blend in to any crowd and intercept private information."

"When I worked for ETNA, I was one of the country's top spies," Caracal continued, "I went undercover many times to bring down certain criminal organizations. On several occasions, I was dealing with known murderers. With that in mind, getting close to Sir Raoul should have been a cakewalk."

"I'm guessing it wasn't?" Noble Edict assumed.

"No, not even by comparison," Caracal replied, "The easiest part was getting set up. You see, every time I go undercover, I have to create a temporary new background for myself. This time I passed myself off as a sleazy attorney from Manehattan."

"Sleazy in what way?" Noble queried.

"Imagine an attorney who betrays the trust of her clients," Caracal pronounced, "This would be an attorney who handles very important people, but also an attorney who'd be willing to sell the secrets of the people she represent unless her clients pay her off. That was what I pretended to be for weeks. Once I had this guise mastered, I approached Sir Raoul and offered to work for him. After a lengthy interview, he hired me as his lawyer."

"Was he ever suspicious of you?" Noble Edict queried.

"No, I don't think he ever once suspected that I was there to bust him," Caracal responded, "All the same, he was a careful son of a bitch. He had me over at his office in the castle and his house in the city often. Whenever he was away, I used every opportunity I could to look for anything that would confirm him as the one who stole those government files. After many failed attempts, I came across a file about a project known as 'Operation Breakdown.'"

"What's that?" Noble Edict queried in perplexity.

"I don't know, Lady Noble," Caracal disclosed, "And even if I did, I couldn't tell you."

"None of us could," Glock commented, "Project Breakdown is one of the top five most private files in the government's possession. It's for the eyes of the Equestrian Royalty only."

"So there are only four people who know about it," SIG Sauer pointed out.

"Five, assuming my mother has told my Aunt Luna by now," Bronze Star pronounced, "Other than the two of them, my cousins Blueblood and Cadence, and myself, nopony in the entire nation has any business learning about Project Breakdown."

"And because Sir Raoul had a copy of that file in his desk at his house, we had more than enough to prove him as the leak in the government," Caracal explicated, "We already knew he was the one who was sending away those files. However, we still needed to confirm that he knew where they were being sent. So I had to continue 'working' for Sir Raoul.

"After a couple weeks, he knew I was examining his records, and that I was aware of his shady business transactions," the sky blue Pegasus continued after a short pause, "However, he also knew that I was obligated to report him to the authorities as soon as I made that discovery. Because I didn't, he felt that I was the type of person he could trust with his darker secrets. He told me I could be 'useful' in more than one way."

"What happened after that?" Noble inquired.

"He asked me if I was interested in making some additional money," Caracal recalled, "As part of my cover, I told him I was always open to earning a little extra cash. After that, he finally started opening up to me. Soon I got to spend a lot more time around him. He started talking about some 'friends' of his who were always willing to buy information about the government. To them, the documents were worth their weight in gold and gems. He felt that with me covering his tracks, he could access even more classified files than before. I played along, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he led me to his affiliates."

"Unfortunately, that didn't happen as quickly as we would've preferred," SIG Sauer commented.

"Plus, another complication soon arose," Glock mentioned.

Caracal lightly nodded her head and stated "The longer I was around Sir Raoul, the more he started viewing me as more than a lawyer and a potential partner-in-crime. He had begun to admire me as a mare, as well. He flirted with me, made passes at me, complimented me on my figure… and said several things that I don't even want to think about. He was subtle at first, so I pretended to be flattered. But before long, he became much more direct, and it became progressively harder for me to mask my disgust."

Noble Edict winced and mumbled "I can't imagine putting up with that."

"Oh, it gets worse, Lady Noble," Glock informed her.

"Yes, it does," Caracal coincided, "One night, Sir Raoul invited me to his house to discuss business. When I got there, he spoke with me in his living room. He told me that he was almost ready to bring me to his friends' base of operations. However, he told me that before that happened, I needed to prove how far I was willing to go to get on his good side. When I asked him what he wanted of me, he gave me a depraved grin and told me to meet him in his bedroom. He said that if I didn't come, I was to leave his house and never come back. But if I did, he would tell me everything I wanted to know. Then he went upstairs, leaving me on my own to make a decision."

Caracal paused for an even longer period this time. Then she went on with "I only had ten minutes to make a choice. I had the option to leave the house then and there. If I did, my dignity would have remained intact, but we would have lost the lead forever. At the time, the only people who had seen those documents were freelancers and mercenaries. It would only be a matter of time before they fell into the hooves of an extremist group or somepony else who would use the documents with the intent to do harm. Basically, I had to choose between the people of Equestria and myself. Part of me contemplated getting out, but I've always put the people of Equestria before myself. I couldn't bring myself to make an exception, even for my own benefit. So I… I did go up to Sir Raoul's room that night. And we… well, we…"

"You needn't go on, Special Agent," Noble Edict interjected, speaking somewhat sympathetically, "I can guess what happened between you and Sir Raoul."

"If you're thinking I ended up staying the night, you're correct, Lady Noble," Caracal affirmed, speaking with a note of displeasure, "But as unpleasant as that experience was, it still paid off. When I woke up next to Raoul Jowl the following morning, the first thing he told me was 'Let's go pay my associates a visit.' He then took me to a private warehouse in Las Pegasus. Most of his associates were already there. I took notes on the outline of the building, the identities of the people I met, and which documents had been stolen. The following day, we returned to Canterlot. Mr. Jowl went to his house, and I came directly here to the Compartment."

"Within a week, that warehouse was raided and shut down by the Military Enforcement Corps," Bronze Star finished up for her, "All the participants were arrested, all the stolen documents were recovered, and the entire espionage network collapsed."

"Quite a lot for a single day's work," Noble Edict perceived, grinning lightly, "How about that? It took you months to track down these people, but mere hours to bring them down."

"Yeah, it was very satisfying," Glock smugly declared, "Everypony in the black market learned a valuable lesson that day: If you steal from the pocket of your leaders and protectors, everything you value will be taken away from you."

"Sir Raoul didn't learn that lesson, apparently," SIG Sauer commented, "Maybe because we let him off too easily. Not that I'm questioning the validity of your decision, Your Highness."

"I know you aren't, SIG," Bronze Star contended, "Even though I was the one who decided to release Sir Raoul instead of putting him behind bars, I wasn't exactly proud of that decision. I only did that to save my mother and the rest of the Canterlot Castle staff some major political and social embarrassment. I still feel as though some injustice was done when I made that decision. Mainly to somepony in this room."

At that, Glock, Noble Edict, and SIG Sauer turned to Caracal. She noticed this straightaway, and she calmly told the gold stallion "If I was uncomfortable with the concept of letting Sir Raoul go free, I would have told you, sir."

"Still, Caracal; I don't think I could ever apologize enough for what you had to go through," Bronze Star uttered sincerely.

"It isn't your fault, Your Highness," the sky blue Pegasus assured the prince, "You never ordered me to sleep with Jowl. I made that decision on my own. It was easily the most difficult choice of my career, but I still don't regret making it. It was worth sacrificing my pride to stop Sir Raoul from selling more government secrets."

"Well, all the same, you can't tell me that it doesn't bother you," Bronze Star remarked.

"I never said it doesn't bother me, sir," Caracal countered, "Believe me, it does. Just being this close to Sir Raoul right now makes me feel unclean. But my uneasiness isn't so great that it consumes my thoughts. I brought myself to cope with it long ago. At any rate, we have more important things to worry about than my emotional well-being."

"She's right," SIG Sauer coincided, turning back to the looking glass, "Sir Raoul Jowl's past crimes and the impact they left are not important right now. We need to remain focused on his current activities. With Material Study dead and Lavender Dazzle missing, he's our only remaining available source of information on this conspiracy."

"He's not proving to be a very reliable source, though," Glock candidly perceived, "We've been pressing him for weeks. We've used every advanced interrogation technique we know on him at least twice. We tried terrorizing him, starving him, depriving him of sleep, and everything else short of straight-up torture. He hasn't budged."

"Maybe we should move on to straight-up torture," Caracal suggested with a wicked grin, "Some might argue that torture isn't an effective means of extracting information, but from what I've seen, it gets the job done most of the time."

"And even if it doesn't work, at least Jowl will suffer," Glock remarked, smirking as well, "Then he'll finally learn what happens when he betrays his country."

"Let's not let this get personal," SIG Sauer advised.

"Aside from that, I've never been an advocate of torture, partly because it tends to yield questionable results," Noble Edict stated.

"True, and there are times when the victim will be willing to say anything just to get the torture to stop," Bronze Star pointed out, "We cannot afford to do that with Mr. Jowl. We need everything he tells us to be one-hundred percent true. Aside from that, I only approve torture as a last resort. There is still another alternative we have not considered."

"What might that be, Your Highness?" Noble Edict inquired.

"We need to convince him to see reason," Bronze Star proclaimed, "That's the solution. We should reason with me. And I don't mean by applying force. Force didn't work on him the first time around. You know what did work? Diplomacy."

"What do you have in mind, sir?" SIG Sauer queried.

Bronze Star did not reply straightaway. He just gazed through the looking glass and focused on Raoul Jowl. He rubbed his chin and sat in silence for a couple minutes. Then he gazed over his shoulder and called out "Lord Bellerophon, could you please come in?"

The palomino Pegasus promptly opened the door and poked his head in. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

"I need you to find Marshal Brighton and bring him here right away," Bronze Star ordered the tall stallion.

Bellerophon raised an eyebrow and repeated in interest "Marshal Brighton?"

"Correct," the gold Alicorn confirmed. He reached into his knapsack, pulled out a small object, and tossed it to Bellerophon, saying "Be sure to give him this."

His mother's chief of staff used his magic to catch the object. He saw it was the ornament that granted people entry into the Compartment. Bellerophon looked over at the young prince, nodded his head, and assured him "It will be done, Your Highness."

The palomino stallion then stepped out of the room, returned the door to its original mostly-closed position, and trotted out of the Compartment. Once his hoofsteps faded away, Bronze Star turned back to the looking glass and announced "I'd like to speak to Sir Raoul."

"Very well, Your Highness," Glock remarked. There was currently an invisible magical barrier around the looking glass that prevented sound from passing from the observation room to the holding cell. Sound was still able to pass from the holding cell to the observation room, though. Glock was about to remove the barrier so that sound could be two-way.

Before the blue stallion could do this, Bronze Star stopped him and clarified "No, not through the looking glass. I want to talk to him face-to-face."

The others were surprised by this, especially SIG Sauer.

"Sir, I must protest," the pine green stallion interjected, "Jowl is dangerous and unpredictable. It would be a breach of protocol to have you in the same room as him. He isn't even restrained."

"I'm aware of that, SIG," Bronze Star avowed, "But keep in mind that Sir Raoul has spent his entire life behind a desk. He was never much of a fighter. I, on the other hoof, am. If he tries anything, I'm sure I can stop him by himself. I know what I'm doing. I must insist that you let me handle this situation in my own way."

SIG Sauer thought about this for a while. He had always trusted Bronze Star's judgment, and the prince did not take risks unless he felt they were genuinely worth taking. Aside from that, he could not refuse Bronze Star a reasonable request. So ultimately, he stated "Alright, Your Highness. Unlock the door, Captain."

Glock nodded and unfastened the bolt on the door next to the window. As Bronze Star rose up from his chair and approached the door, the blue stallion informed him "We'll keep it unlocked behind you in case we have to rush in there."

"Understood," the young prince acknowledged.

As he used his magic to open the door and stepped inside, Noble Edict turned to SIG Sauer and queried "What exactly is he going to do?"

"Just watch, Noble," was all SIG Sauer said in response, grinning in anticipation.

Raoul Jowl had not moved when he heard the door open. But when he heard it close again, he turned to the front of the room. When he saw the gold stallion, he smiled bitterly and muttered sardonically "Well, well, Prince Bronze Star."

"Greetings, Sir Raoul," Bronze Star returned in a more welcoming tone.

"You'll forgive me if I don't stand up for you," the older stallion remarked cheekily.

"Please don't, I get enough of that from everypony else," Bronze Star muttered as he approached the table. When he reached it, he added in "Besides, I'd just ask you to sit back down."

"Indeed," Raoul Jowl said frankly. He leaned back in his chair and asked sarcastically "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I'd just like to talk to you," Bronze Star claimed.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk," Raoul Jowl professed.

"Then you can sit there and listen," Bronze Star sharply retorted.

"Fine, whatever," Raoul Jowl murmured quietly, "Either way, all you'll do is waste my time and yours."

"We'll see about that," Bronze Star slyly remarked.

Raoul Jowl was an Earth Pony stallion. He had a cerise coat, an azure mane, and light yellow irises. His cutie mark was a quill, ink well, and roll of parchment. He was in his late thirties. He had a notable number of bruises and scratches on several parts of his body. These were obviously scars left from his interrogation. As far as Bronze Star was concerned, Jowl deserved them.

"So, where to begin," he asked rhetorically, gazing down at the table. A moment later, he looked up at Raoul Jowl and stated "Oh, yeah, your business in Hoofington would be a good place to start. Just what the Tartarus were you thinking, dealing in chemical weapons?"

"I can assure you I was thinking quite clearly, Your Highness," Raoul Jowl tranquilly informed him, "We needed those chemical weapons to make a statement."

"What sort of statement?" Bronze Star demanded.

"One that would serve as a calling," the cerise stallion proclaimed, "Say what you will about speech and mediation. They can only get you so far. These days, the thing that really gets you respect and attention is power. The most effective power is the destructive kind."

"Is that so?" Bronze Star muttered

"Yes," Raoul Jowl affirmed, "We need a surefire way to get people to hear us out, and Material Study gave us with precisely what we needed."

"You keep saying 'we,'" Bronze Star noted, "Who exactly are you referring to when you say that?"

"Myself, naturally, as well as the other people in my organization," Sir Raoul Jowl revealed.

"Are they traitors, too?" Bronze Star presumed.

"We're not traitors, Your Highness," Sir Raoul Jowl claimed, "We're patriots. We all love Equestria. But it cannot continue to prosper in its current state."

"And why is that?" Bronze Star queried in intrigue.

"The government is riddled with problems," Sir Raoul maintained, "Every branch of it has flaws and errors aplenty. There may be hundreds of bureaucrats and officials that actively keep the government alive, but behind that façade of joint association and unity, all the real authority comes from the royal family. That's the main issue; you and the other members of the Canterlot Royalty have become too powerful."

"Have we?" Bronze Star uttered frankly, "Last time I checked, the people of Equestria preferred to leave the hard things up to a few particular people. There has never been a public outcry against my mother's rule, nor has there ever been an insurrection in this country. We place a high value on the life of each and every citizen of Equestria. Even the citizens who oppose us, like you."

"That may be, but you tend to distribute privileges unevenly," Raoul Jowl observed, "Most cities in Equestria have equal opportunity for everypony, regardless of where they're from. Yet all the best jobs and positions in this country are available in the capital city. You know what percentage of this city's workforce originate from Canterlot? Almost eighty percent. Four-fifths of this city's labor industry were born here. I had to leave behind my family and my hometown when I came to work here."

"I understand where you're coming from," Bronze Star disclosed, "But your observations are flawed. You make it sound as though we're intentionally suppressing the other peoples of Equestria. That is not our intent; not in any way. Aside from that, Mr. Jowl, in case you've forgotten, my mother knighted you. During your career, you gained more adoration than most of this city's native workers. You were more respected than the majority of the Canterlot Elite."

"Don't compare me to those prejudiced chauvinists," Raoul Jowl barked, "Those people are the worst of the lot. They've done nothing but make judgments and waste money for generations, yet somehow they've thrived and survived. Not only that, but they've also somehow managed to stand above almost everypony else in Equestria."

"You've made your dissatisfaction with Canterlot clear," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Now tell me; what exactly were you going to do with those chemical weapons?"

"I'd have thought that'd be obvious," Raoul Jowl muttered, "We would have divided them up and placed them in strategic locations around the city."

"What do you mean by 'strategic locations?'" Bronze Star queried.

"I mean the areas where the chemical weapons would deal the most damage," Raoul Jowl revealed, "Then, when the time was right, we would have set off the chemicals and watch them work."

At that, the gold stallion sat up straight and shouted "Are you completely mad? What would that have accomplished other than large-scale mass murder?"

"It would have showed the common people that our country is not invulnerable," Raoul Jowl asserted, "That was just the first in a series of plans we had. You may have been able to stop this one, but it's not the only danger you'll be facing. Oh, no; we have a lot more surprises planned for you. You want to know the best part? These are just stepping stones. Our ultimate goal will be much more dramatic."

"You mean the assassination?" Bronze Star presumed.

The cerise stallion's eyes lit up in surprise. He mumbled agitatedly "What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend to be stupid; we know about the assassination," Bronze Star snapped, "Material Study used his dying breath to tell us about it."

"Oh, I see," Raoul Jowl muttered serenely "So Material didn't make it?"

"No," Bronze Star answered him, "If your intention wasn't to kill him, you failed."

Raoul Jowl lightly shrugged and stated "His death was unfortunate, but necessary. He should have been willing to give his life before he turned against us."

"Really?" Bronze Star remarked, "In that case, tell me something, Sir Raoul. What would you have done in his place? Would you have stayed silent? If the situation called for it, would you be willing to die for your cause?"

"Yes, absolutely," Raoul Jowl proclaimed, "Just give me the chance and I'd gladly take my own life."

"You're lying," Bronze Star softly said in response.

There was a tense period of silence following that blunt statement. Then Raoul Jowl mumbled irately "Am I?"

"Yes, you are," the young prince insisted, "You've recently already had more than one opportunity to end your life. If you were really willing to die, you would have killed yourself the moment we took you into custody. Aside from that, you had plenty of opportunities to commit suicide over the past five weeks. All you had to do was pull that pin out of your tail and stab yourself anywhere with it."

"The thought had occurred to me," The cerise stallion claimed, "But I needed to be sure Material Study did. I was bidding my time, waiting patiently until your people gave me a chance to get near him."

"You expect me to believe that?" Bronze Star said in disbelief, "Although we've held you here before, you don't know how our interrogations work when we have more than one suspect in custody. You had no way of knowing that we'd ever put you and Material Study in the same room."

"Luckily for me, you did," Raoul Jowl pronounced, "I made a call, and I was right."

"Still, that pin was very effective," Bronze Star pointed out, "All it took was a small prick and the victim would be done for. You had adequate time to pull the pin out of Study's neck and stab yourself with it before my people rushed in and restrained you."

Raoul Jowl did not know what to say to that. He could have claimed that the Firebrand Regiment had intervened before he had the opportunity to stab himself with the pin, but SIG Sauer and the others would have been able to counter that statement easily.

Bronze Star lightly grinned when he saw that the cerise stallion was speechless. "Don't deny it, Raoul. I've looked into the eyes of people who claimed to be as committed to a cause such as yours. I've been doing this business long enough to know how to tell when a person is willing to die and when they aren't. You, sir, are not ready to die."

As much as Raoul Jowl wanted to challenge that statement, he could not. The gold stallion was right about him.

"Let's assume for a moment that you're right and I'm not prepared to die," Raoul Jowl speculated drily, "What would that accomplish?"

"For one thing, it would imply that you're not totally insane," Bronze Star noted, "That in turn indicates that there might be hope for you. Hope that you'll do the right thing and cooperate with us."

Raoul Jowl scoffed and remarked "Why should I?"

"Because deep down, I'm not convinced you really want to go through with these plans of yours," Bronze Star contended, "Everything you're doing now is inconsistent with everything you used to stand for. Cultural reform is one thing. But genocide to make a point? There is no way you could've fallen that far without some doubt."

"I might've had some reservations at first," Raoul Jowl admitted, "But I came to accept them. This is the way it'll have to go down. I need to show the citizens of Equestria just how fragile our country really is."

"By letting hundreds of innocent people die?" Bronze Star snapped.

"Yes," Raoul Jowl affirmed, "If it's any consolation, Your Highness, I can assure you that their deaths will be meaningful."

"No, they won't," Bronze Star spat back, "This won't be an informative spectacle. It would just be senseless, pointless murder. Aside from that, imagine what impression you'll really leave. You think you'll be remembered as a martyr? No, you won't. I'll make sure of that."

"Just how will you do that?" Raoul Jowl muttered, unimpressed.

A scheming grin stretched across Bronze Star's face. He sat up in his chair and declared "It was because of me that your image was left intact four years ago. But I can easily change my mind and decide to stop protecting you."

"What do you mean?" Raoul Jowl asked anxiously.

"If you let your co-conspirators get away with their plot, I will make it my personal goal to bring you down in every way possible," Bronze Star threatened, "I'll let everypony know that you were responsible. I'll also let them know that you were the one who leaked those government files to the black market. Your reputation from your political career would be left in ruins. Your name would go from being one of the most adored to one of the most despised overnight. Every person in the country will be after your head."

Raoul Jowl seemed quite uneasy by that concept. After a moment, he eased down and pronounced "They might want me dead at first. But imagine how angry they'll be if they were to discover that a member of the Canterlot Royalty protected me the first time I broke the law. Who do you think would be the source of their rage then?"

Bronze Star had not considered this, but it did not worry him. He calmly said in response "Whose word do you think they'll believe? Mine or yours? People will just assume you're trying desperately to turn their hatred away from you and towards somepony else. No, YOU will be the only one with a death warrant on his head."

Once more, Bronze Star had gained the upper hoof over Raoul Jowl. The cerise stallion literally did not know what to say in response to that. Apparently, Bronze Star's plan was working; he was beginning to make Sir Raoul see his side of the equation.

"Look, Sir Raoul, I cannot imagine what you felt four years ago," Bronze Star proclaimed, "You knowingly broke the law by stealing those documents, but you were not the one who allowed those documents to get sold. Your associates used you so they could get rich. You must have felt betrayed."

"You have no idea, Your Highness," the cerise stallion grumbled angrily.

"Oh, I think I do," Bronze Star debated, "There's also the matter of how our last encounter ended. In exchange for your freedom, I had you give up a prolific career in politics that spanned two entire decades. Leaving that behind could not have been easy. You must have felt humiliated, disgraced, rejected."

"Right on the dot," Raoul Jowl affirmed.

"Well, even with all that said, I cannot say I approve of anything you're doing now," the gold stallion remarked "You left behind an entire generation of people who have prospered under your cultural reform projects. Those people are all in your debt, and they view you and your contributions as blessings. Why would you want to destroy your legacy by harming those same people? What could you possibly gain from that? If you want to deal with your grievances from the past, you should make an effort to right your wrongs. What you really need is a way to atone for your past sins. Causing suffering and spreading anarchy is hardly an appropriate solution."

Following this short soliloquy was another long period of silence. Bronze Star was expecting Raoul Jowl to counter him once more by finding another way to justify mass murder or something of the sort. However, something very different happened. Instead of continuing the argument, Raoul Jowl seemed to lose his capacity to keep it going. He leaned forward, resting his front legs on the table, and covered his face with his front hooves. He almost looked as though he was going to break down sobbing.

Bronze Star leaned closer and asked in concern "Sir Raoul?"

"You're right, Your Highness," the cerise stallion muttered quietly, "You are absolutely right. I never wanted any of this to happen. I've just spent these past four years so angry. So unbelievably, inexplicably angry at everything and everypony…"

"I can understand your anger," Bronze Star professed, "But there are other ways to quell your rage besides generating fear and pain. If you are not careful, your anger can incite you to do terrible things. Like form a radical organization with the intention of bringing down the government."

"I wasn't the one who started this conspiracy," Raoul Jowl revealed, "I was recruited like most of the others."

"Oh?" Bronze Star muttered, "So why did you join anyway?"

"Because I met their typical profile," Raoul Jowl enlightened him, "They were looking for people who work or have worked for the government or an agency that answers to the government. Their ideal prospects are people who are resourceful, influential, and have had qualms with Equestria's ruling body."

"That's definitely you," Bronze Star conceded.

"Quite," Raoul Jowl muttered, "They approached me about fifteen months ago. Even though the news of what I did during the black market case was never made public, they suspected that there was a hidden reason why I resigned from Princess Celestia's cabinet. When they confronted me, I had no choice but to come forward with them. They could plainly see how angry I was, and they offered me a way to pacify that anger."

"Now look where it's gotten you," Bronze Star interceded, "That's probably the whole reason they approached you in the first place. Your co-conspirators took advantage of your anger to turn you against the government. In other words, they used you. Just like your 'associates' from the black market case used you, too."

"That seems to be a fitting analogy," Raoul Jowl bluntly remarked, "It seems everypony's trying to use me these days."

"Must be a horrible sensation, being used all the time," Bronze Star conjectured, "But I have a solution to fix it. There are ways to stop letting people exploit you. How about turning the tables on them?"

"In what way?" Raoul Jowl queried.

"Tell us what you know about the conspiracy," Bronze Star beckoned him, "Tell us who else is involved and what their plans are. Tell us how we can stop them before their actions get out of hoof."

The cerise stallion sighed and gazed off to the side again. He spent a minute thinking about this proposal. Then he turned back to the gold stallion and said bluntly "You really are persuasive. I'm starting to think I should come clean. However, before I tell you anything, Your Highness, promise me one thing."

"What?" Bronze Star asked.

"Promise me it'll be quick and painless," Raoul Jowl replied

"What will be quick and painless?" Bronze Star said in bafflement.

"My death," Raoul Jowl answered straightforwardly, "Once I tell you everything I know, I assume I'll be executed. After all, I conspired to commit treason. Last time I checked, treason is punishable by the death penalty."

"Yes, it is," Bronze Star affirmed, "But when at any point did I imply that you would be put to death?"

"I would've thought it'd be obvious," Raoul Jowl commented, "What other options would I have? Something tells me you don't plan on keeping me in here until I expire. You could throw me in an actual prison, but you wouldn't be able to do that without exposing my past crimes, and you assured me that would not happen if I cooperated with you. You might turn me loose like last time, but I find that extremely unlikely."

"You are correct in all accounts," Bronze Star revealed, "However, there is one option you have not yet considered. One that I was hoping you would take, and one we have yet to discuss."

"And what might that be?" Raoul Jowl inquired.

Before the gold stallion had a chance to respond, he heard the sound of somepony tapping on the looking glass. He turned around towards it and asked "Yes?"

"Lord Bellerophon has just returned with Marshal Brighton, Your Highness," SIG Sauer apprised him.

Bronze Star nodded in approval and requested "Send the marshal in, please."

"Aye, sir," Glock avowed.

The door next to the looking glass slowly opened up, and a middle-aged Unicorn stepped inside. He had a turquoise coat, a grayish-white mane, and lavender irises. His cutie mark was a house surrounded by a metal fence, and he was wearing a saddlebag.

He trotted over to the gold stallion and bowed to him. When he raised his head back up, he asked rhetorically "You summoned me, Your Highness?"

"Yes, Marshal," Bronze Star confirmed. He gestured to the table and told the turquoise stallion "Please, take a seat."

Marshal Brighton nodded and sat down to the left of Bronze Star and to the right of Sir Raoul Jowl. The young prince then announced to the two stallions "First, a brief introduction. Raoul, this is Marshal Brighton of the justice department. Brighton, this is Sir Raoul Jowl."

"I know who he is, sir," Brighton proclaimed, grinning, "It's because of him that I still have my job."

"Really?" the cerise stallion queried, fascinated.

"Yes, sir, Sir Raoul," the turquoise stallion affirmed, "If not for your cultural reform projects, I would have had to step down from my post years ago. Now because of the new policies, there are more positions available in all the departments. I do not have to resign my post until the day I resign."

"Which hopefully won't be for a long time," Bronze Star commented, speaking mostly to Jowl, "He's the best in the business."

"I'll take your word for it," Raoul Jowl muttered drily, "May I ask why he is here?"

"He's here to help you," Bronze Star expounded.

"Help me?" Raoul Jowl repeated in confusion "How?"

"This brings me to the aforementioned option I told you about," Bronze Star enlightened him, "Sometimes the Regiment is willing to cut a deal with a suspect. As long as the suspect is willing to cooperate with us, we can keep that suspect safe and secure."

"You've got my attention," Raoul Jowl stated, "Just what are you offering me, Your Highness?"

"Witness protection," Bronze Star responded candidly, "Despite everything you have done thus far, you still have a way to redeem yourself. This option doesn't lead to prison, criminal exposure, or capital punishment. It gives you the chance to live in comfort and safety for the rest of your life. All you have to do to earn it is tell me everything you know about the conspiracy."

"Well, your offer certainly sounds appealing," Raoul Jowl thought aloud, "First there are a few details I need to know. What exactly would this program involve? Would you just move me out to the middle of nowhere and leave me there to fend for myself?"

"No, certainly not," Bronze Star countered, "You would be living in a safe house with three other marshals that have been hoofpicked by Marshal Brighton. They would stay with you at all times. After this, I've decided that it would be a mistake to let you go unsupervised for the rest of your life."

"Because you don't trust me to behave myself," Raoul Jowl supposed.

"That, and because there are people out there who would see you as a liability," Bronze Star revealed, "I am, of course, referring to the true masterminds behind this conspiracy, as well as everypony else involved in it. I imagine they don't look too kindly on snitches."

"You got me there," Raoul Jowl concurred. He took a few minutes to contemplate all his options. An hour ago, he would not have accepted a deal even if he was granted full immunity from the law. Now he was having serious second thoughts about his stance on the issue. After a long period of quietness, he turned to the young prince and told him "Okay, I'll accept your proposal, Your Highness."

Bronze Star smirked in approval and said to the turquoise stallion "Marshal, if you would…?"

Brighton nodded and removed a small stack of papers from his saddle bag, along with a quill and ink well. He passed all the materials to Raoul Jowl and instructed him "Please look through those and sign them where indicated."

"Very well," Sir Raoul acknowledged. He briefly read the papers, and every time he came to a dotted line, he used the quill and ink well to leave his signature. While he did this, he gazed at Brighton out of the corner of his eye and queried "Tell me, Marshal; has the Prince told you what I've done?"

"No, not a thing," Brighton informed him, "My involvement with the Regiment requires that I be capable of doing my job without being on a need-to-know basis. The Prince just gives me people that need relocation, and I move them carefully and discreetly. Doesn't matter to me what they've done."

"So you don't care what I did to get here?" Raoul theorized.

"Not particularly," Brighton disclosed, "I just follow my orders, and I do my work without question."

"Admirable," was all Sir Raoul said in response.

The next several minutes were spent in virtual silence as Raoul Jowl glimpsed through the papers and signed them all in succession. Once he was finished, he scooted the stack back towards Brighton. The marshal picked up the papers, organized them into a neat pile, and carefully returned them to a folder in his saddlebag. Then he turned to the gold stallion and notified him "Everything's in order, Your Highness."

"Very good," Bronze Star commented, "Please wait outside, Marshal. I'll call you back in a little while."

"Yes, sir," Brighton acknowledged. The turquoise stallion got out of his chair, trotted back over to the door, and stepped outside.

Once the door was closed again, Bronze Star faced the cerise stallion and told him "Now, in exchange for this protection, you must tell me everything you know about the conspiracy. And I mean EVERYTHING."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Raoul Jowl asserted, "Where should I start?"

"Well, to begin, I need to know the magnitude and capabilities of your organization," Bronze Star requested.

At that, Raoul Jowl chuckled a bit, which perplexed the gold stallion

"Is something amusing?" he muttered, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Well, yes…" Raoul Jowl admitted, rubbing his temple, "How do I put this… The term 'organization' does not really apply to what you're up against, Your Highness. You think like half the country is involved? Not even close. You give us way too much credit, Your Highness."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star inquired.

"There IS no organization," Raoul Jowl elucidated, "I've only been implying the existence of one to mislead you. I would have continued doing that, but because you and I are apparently allies for the time being, I may as well come forward on everything. So let me tell you this right now; our numbers are much too few to cover a large scope."

"Then how many of you are there?" Bronze Star demanded.

"Nineteen, myself included," Raoul Jowl informed him.

"Is Lavender Dazzle one?" the gold stallion assumed.

"Yeah, and she's one of the few I've interacted with," Raoul Jowl disclosed, "I've never even met most of the others."

"Then how do you even know how many of them there are?" Bronze Star pointed out.

"We always have the option to contact each other," Sir Raoul explicated, "However, all we really know about each other is how to get in touch with the others, as well as where they live. We were told as little about each other as possible in case something like this happened."

"So, can you tell me the names of ANY of the conspirators?" Bronze Star asked hopefully.

"Actually, yes," the cerise stallion replied, "I know the names of the three most prominent members. They're essentially the ringleaders and founders of the whole conspiracy. Everypony else answers to them."

"I want those names, Sir Raoul," Bronze Star impatiently remarked.

"Okay," Raoul Jowl agreed. He paused for a moment, and then he declared "All the three of them contribute a major part to the structure of the conspiracy. The first one organizes all our campaigns and tactics, tests them through trial and error, and has us employ the most ideal ones. His name is Raging Tempest."

He paused again for a little bit, and then he continued with "The second one is responsible for locating all our equipment and resources, and he provides us with the means to survive outside the government as individuals and as a group. His name is Sparker Blare."

He paused even longer this time. After that, he announced "The third one is the stallion who produces all the funds to keep the conspiracy alive. He gets all the money we need from this nationwide enterprise he runs. t's actually amazing how rich the guy is. But he doesn't provide the money out of the kindness of his heart. He's easily the most ruthless of the lot. Everypony in the group fears him, including Tempest and Blare."

"So what's his name?" Bronze Star asked eagerly, placing his front hooves on the table.

"Hmmm?" Sir Raoul remarked, as if his mind was elsewhere. Then he quickly replied with "Oh, his name. Right, right, of course. His name is… is…"

He did not finish his sentence. He just gazed down at the table and rubbed his chin.

Bronze Star sat up and muttered in exasperation "You DO know his name, right?"

"Yes, I do remember it," the cerise stallion insisted. A few seconds later, he added in "Mostly."

"How do you 'mostly' remember a name?" Bronze Star mumbled in perplexity

"Well, this particular stallion had a… shall we say, very strange designation," Raoul Jowl explicated, "I don't make a habit of saying his name on a regular basis. The only time I ever met him was when he, Raging Tempest, and Sparker Blare approached me. When they introduced themselves to me, I needed him to repeat his name twice so I could remember the proper way to pronounce it. However, that was fifteen months ago, and in the time since then, I've almost forgotten the correct articulation. Because of that, I'm not quite certain I remember the proper way to spell his name either."

"You cannot be serious," Bronze Star uttered in annoyance and incredulity, "Do you really not remember this guy's name? Or are you just concocting an elaborate excuse to protect him?"

"Neither, Your Highness," Raoul Jowl proclaimed, "I never said I forgot the name altogether. Believe me, I do remember it; I'm just not quite certain about the correct way to say it. Give me a moment to think and it'll come to me."

"Fine," Bronze Star solemnly accepted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his front legs, "While you're recalling that stallion's name, how about you tell me more about him and his two accomplices?"

"They're the textbook definition of the word 'cautious,'" Raoul Jowl disclosed, "They conducted an extensive background check on me before they recruited me, and they did not approach me until they were certain I would accept their offer. During our only encounter, they told me very little about themselves, and next to nothing about the other people they had enlisted."

"So what did they tell you?" the gold stallion questioned.

"They told me what role each of them played in the conspiracy," Raoul Jowl revealed, "They also told me where their other employees could be found. I was surprised when I found out there were less than two dozen people involved in this matter. They explained to me that they intentionally kept the number of people small because they were concerned that a large group would carry too many liabilities."

"How do you contact them?" Bronze Star inquired.

"We don't," Sir Raoul illuminated, "They contact us. Still, there's no way of knowing when that would happen; their messages are erratic. They contact us whenever there's been a change in plans, whenever a new member has been recruited, or whenever there's been a new development in our timetable. They never speak to us directly; they always use a liaison."

"Is Lavender Dazzle your liaison?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yes, and she was Material Study's, too," Raoul Jowl explained, "I'm not certain how many of us she spoke with on the part of Tempest, Blare, and the boss. She may have been the representative for all of us; she may have only corresponded with Material and me. Regardless of which, she kept me up to date on everything that was going on with the rest of our company."

Bronze Star nodded his head in acknowledgement, and then he queried "Is there anything more you can tell me about the top three members?"

"Well, it'll be relatively easy for you to find Raging Tempest and Sparker Blare," Raoul Jowl proclaimed, "It should also be easy for you to find the third stallion once I remember his name. You see, all three of them are prominent figures where they live. Instead of living in isolation, they live out in the open to divert attention. However, I would advise against bringing them in."

"Why is that?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Because they've taken steps to ensure that the conspiracy will not die if they are discovered," Raoul Jowl disclosed, "You see, the three of them gave all of us very explicit instructions on what to do if one or more of them suddenly goes missing. If they just abruptly disappeared, we are to assume they've been captured by the authorities. Subsequently, they expect each of us to use our own methods to stage an attack or do something else to leave an impression of our power on the country."

"What would your special attack have been?" the gold stallion asked in intrigue.

The cerise stallion did not reply straightaway. He hesitated at first, and then he informed the young prince "I would have told the public about Project Breakdown."

At that, Bronze Star slowly rose from his chair and muttered crossly "What?"

"Don't sound surprised, sir," Raoul Jowl drily remarked, "It's been four years since I've had access to government files, but I still remember the contents of several of the ones I passed along to my associates in the black market. Project Breakdown was a particular favorite of mine. I'm sure you can imagine why."

Bronze Star glared furiously at the cerise stallion and edged closer to him. He uttered through gritted teeth "For your sake, you better have kept that information confined to the space within your head."

"Trust me, I did," Raoul Jowl calmly assured him, "I'm the only person outside of the Canterlot Royalty who knows about Project Breakdown. If that were to change, I would have lost my leverage."

Bronze Star seemed to ease down considerably at that. He sat back down in his chair and commented "That's fortunate for both of us."

"I should say so," Sir Raoul coincided.

Over the next twenty minutes, Sir Raoul told Bronze Star of everything else he knew about the conspiracy. Despite having limited contact with the other people involved in the plot, he knew quite a lot about their long-term plans. Most notably, he knew they would be staging at least half a dozen attacks in Canterlot, and several more in the other major cities. He was able to tell Bronze Star and the Firebrand Regiment what they needed to do to ensure that those attacks would be avoided. They would have been able to prevent the attacks using their own methods, but Raoul Jowl had warned them that it would be very easy for them to tip off the conspirators if they were too direct. To get around that hindrance, he had given them plenty of sound advice on how to stop the attacks without tipping off the other conspirators in the process.

By the end of this explanation, Bronze Star was very pleased with how much information he had acquired from Sir Raoul. After hearing all about the conspiracy's outline and plans, he pronounced "We're just about done here. There's just one final thing we need to discuss: the assassination. Who's the target?"

Raoul Jowl did not reply at once. He actually seemed reluctant to respond. However, he knew that Bronze Star and the Firebrand Regiment already knew that he knew about the assassination. Because Material Study had tipped them off, he had to give them an answer.

He took in a deep breath, gradually let it out, and revealed "Princess Celestia."

Bronze Star was openly shocked to hear that. So was everypony else who was listening in on the conversation. The gold stallion muttered in absolute astonishment "My mother is the target?"

The cerise stallion tentatively nodded his head and remarked "Yes, the conspiracy's ultimate goal is to bring down the leader of Equestria."

Even with this confirmation, Bronze Star still could not grasp this concept. However, he did not let his feelings dictate his words or actions. He spoke as smoothly as possible "That's a very foolhardy objective, Sir Raoul. If your co-conspirators do that, they'll have the entire nation out for their blood."

"If we tried to take her out now, I agree," Raoul Jowl proclaimed, "Right now, Celestia is loved and worshipped too highly for the conspirators to try to take her out. However, we already had a plan to get around that using the attacks we planned. The first wave of attacks is meant to alert the public to our presence. All the subsequent attacks are supposed to increase in size and number. Overtime, when everypony realizes that the situation is just getting progressively worse, we expect the public would wonder why their all-powerful leader is unable to stop the murderers who are terrorizing her people."

"So, the goal of those attacks is to discredit her?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Precisely," Raoul Jowl affirmed, "We were hoping that after a certain number of attacks took place, the public support for your mother would be virtually gone. Once that happened, we would bring her down. Theoretically, in that situation, the only people who would still try to bring us to justice would be you, the Firebrand Regiment, and the Royal Guard."

Bronze Star thought about what Sir Raoul had just told him. From the perspective of a dissident, everything about it made sense. However, he could not exactly remain objective or open-minded about this topic, considering how it was supposed to end with an awful demise for his mother.

The gold stallion looked the cerise stallion in the eye and observed "As horrible and barbaric as that scheme is, I have to admit I'm amazed by how much thought put into it."

Raoul Jowl just shrugged and remarked "If it makes you feel any better, I was one of the few who opposed this idea."

"That actually does mean something to me," Bronze Star disclosed, "Whether or not you would have let things go that far does not really matter now, though. What really matters is whether or not you're going to help us prevent it."

"Of course I will," Raoul Jowl alleged, "Trust me, the absolute last thing I'd want to do right now is get on your bad side."

"That's wise of you, Sir Raoul," Bronze Star proclaimed. After another pause, he asked "Do you know when the assassination is scheduled to take place?"

"Actually, we haven't decided an exact date just yet," Raoul Jowl apprised him, "All I know for certain is that it will be sometime after the Grand Galloping Gala."

Bronze Star nodded his head in confirmation. Then he remarked "Looks like that's about everything, Sir Raoul. But before I go, I must ask you; did you remember the name of that third leader?"

"Actually, yes," Raoul Jowl disclosed, "I finally recalled the proper way to say his name."

"Would you care to share it with me?" Bronze Star queried.

"Of course," answered Raoul Jowl. There came another brief pause, and then he told the gold stallion "His name is Esopus Spitzenburg."

When Bronze Star heard that last statement, he froze in place. He stared at the cerise stallion in absolute silence. After a minute of that very uncomfortable silence, he muttered quietly "What?"

"I said his name is Esopus Spitzenburg," Sir Raoul replied, raising an eyebrow at the gold stallion's odd reaction, "I know it's a strange name, but I must say; I'm surprised by your reaction. Something about it seems to bother you. Almost as if you've heard it before."

"I have," Bronze Star darkly confessed. He took a moment to compose himself, and then he cleared his head and stated "Never mind that, though. I believe our business here is concluded. On behalf of the Equestrian Royalty, I'd like to thank you for your cooperation, Sir Raoul."

"My pleasure, Your Highness," the cerise stallion claimed.

Bronze Star slowly rose up from his chair. When he did that, Sir Raoul stood up as well to show him some respect. The gold stallion appreciated that. He told the former politician "Marshal Brighton will require a few days to file the appropriate paperwork for your transfer and relocation. Until then, you'll remain in our custody. Once that has been accomplished, you will be escorted out of the castle discreetly and taken to a safe house."

"Very well, Your Highness," Sir Raoul acknowledged, "I look forward to it."

Bronze Star gave a light nod of the head. Then he trotted over to the door of the holding cell, opened it, and stepped through. Just before he closed it, he gazed back at the cerise stallion and told him "Enjoy your life as a private citizen, Sir Raoul Jowl."

Then he promptly shut the door. As Glock locked it back up, the gold stallion looked around at the other people in the room. Noble Edict seemed to be rather intrigued by something.

"I must say, Bronze; I'm impressed by how you were able to get Sir Raoul to cooperate," the red mare commented in admiration.

SIG Sauer just smirked and told her "At times, the Prince can be a better negotiator than any of us."

"Thanks, SIG," the gold stallion said appreciatively. He then looked to the sky blue Pegasus. She was still gazing intently at Sir Raoul Jowl through the looking glass. Feeling somewhat concerned for her, Bronze Star placed his hoof on her shoulder and queried "Caracal, are you alright with this?"

She quickly looked up Bronze Star and told him "Yes, Your Highness. Of course I am."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She firmly nodded her head and thought aloud "I haven't forgotten about what happened between me and Sir Raoul. I still despise him, and I always will. But I never let my personal feelings get in the way. If you believe this is the appropriate course of action to take, then I trust your judgment."

The gold stallion was relieved to hear this. Like every member of the Firebrand Regiment, his first objective was always to protect the people of Equestria. However, he valued the personal well-being of every pony who worked under his command. He did not like to see any of them in pain, grief, or distress.

"He said sometime after the Grand Galloping Gala," Glock recalled, "That gives us at least eight or nine months before the conspirators move in."

"Hopefully, we will be able to determine who else is involved in the conspiracy by then," SIG Sauer conjectured, "Once we've confirmed their identities, we should take them all out at once."

"I agree," said Caracal.

"Same here," Glock mentioned.

The three of them expected Bronze Star to either approve or disapprove of this proposal. However, all they got from the prince was silence at first. They turned in his direction and noticed he appeared to be lost in thought.

"Is there something on your mind, Your Highness?" SIG Sauer asked in concern.

"Yeah, SIG," Bronze Star informed his trainer, "Even though we just learned a substantial amount of information pertaining to this conspiracy, I'm thinking the conspiracy also just got a whole lot more complicated."

"What makes you say that?" the pine green Unicorn inquired.

"You know that last person Sir Raoul identified, Esopus Spitzenburg?" stated the gold Alicorn.

"Yes, and I'm not particularly surprised it took Sir Raoul so long to remember how to pronounce his name," SIG Sauer replied, "Also, Sir Raoul seemed to think you recognized that name."

"Well, he was right; I did," Bronze Star confessed, "I've heard that name exactly four times in the past two days; the first of those times was also the first time I EVER heard that name. As Heckler mentioned earlier, the expression 'an Alicorn never forgets' was very true."

"So, where did you hear that name?" Noble Edict asked the gold stallion.

"It was at Sweet Apple Acres," Bronze Star disclosed, "When I had dinner with Applejack's family the other night, Granny Smith told me the names of every person in the Apples' family tree three times. She listed them all out another time the following day when she gathered up their family pictures. As you know, I have an impeccable memory. Hearing the Apples' family tree just once was enough for me to memorize it. Yet I had heard it four times, and all four of those times, the very last person on that list... was Esopus Spitzenburg."

> Discretion And Choices
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" SIG Sauer queried, a little skeptical.

"Very sure, SIG," the gold stallion affirmed, "Granny Smith told me the names of her entire family four times. And I mean, her entire family. Mr. Spitzenburg was the last one she brought up every time."

"So one of our prime suspects is a member of Apple Family," Caracal noted.

"It would appear that way," Bronze Star stated.

"When you think about it, it's not all that surprising," the Noble Edict proclaimed, "The Apple family is by far the largest clan in Equestria. At least five percent of this country's population is related to an Apple by blood or marriage. There are currently nineteen people involved in this conspiracy; twenty if you count the late Material Study. If you were to pick a hundred random names out of the national census, it's highly likely that five of those people would be an Apple. The same principle would apply to the twenty conspirators."

"That is a good point, Noble," Bronze Star conceded, "But the fact that our prime suspect is an Apple is not what bothers me. What troubles me is that he's related to one PARTICULAR Apple."

"Applejack, I presume?" SIG Sauer pronounced.

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.

"Isn't that terrific?" Glock muttered sarcastically, "One of our prime suspects is directly related to one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony."

"That doesn't mean she knows anything about this plot," Noble Edict debated.

"Nopony ever implied she did," SIG Sauer commented.

"And nopony shall," Bronze Star firmly declared, "As far as Applejack and the Element bearers are concerned, it would be a slanderous insult to accuse any of them."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Bronze," Noble Edict thought aloud.

There was yet another short interval of quietness. Then Glock turned towards the young prince and inquired "What should be done next, Your Highness?"

"I've already started formulating a plan, Captain," Bronze Star disclosed, "Before we discuss it, we should apprise Lord Bellerophon and the rest of the unit of everything we learned."

Glock, Caracal, SIG Sauer, and Noble Edict agreed to that idea. The four of them and Bronze Star approached the door on the wall opposite the looking glass. They quickly opened it and stepped into the room where Marshal Brighton, Heckler, Koch, Peacemaker, Beretta, Ruger, Carabine, Walther, and Lord Bellerophon were gathered.

Once they were all outside, Bronze Star turned to the turquoise Pegasus and told him "He's all yours, Brighton."

"Understood, Your Highness," the marshal acknowledged. He trotted past the gold stallion and went into the darkened room. He then reentered the holding cell, sat down next to Sir Raoul Jowl, and began going over the circumstances for the cerise stallion's future in the witness protection program.

Glock left the door to the darkened room open so that he could keep an eye on the holding cell. He was not expecting Sir Raoul to try anything; it was simply standard procedure that one member of the Regiment had to monitor their suspects whenever they had a visitor. At any rate, the conversation between Sir Raoul Jowl and Brighton was not nearly as significant as the conversation Bronze Star next had with Noble Edict, Lord Bellerophon, and the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment.

It took less than a half-hour for everypony to be brought up to speed on the latest information regarding the conspiracy. Many of them were surprised by some of the new discoveries, primarily the knowledge that Princess Celestia was the target of the assassination. Lord Bellerophon in particular was unsettled by this. However, he and the members of the Regiment were mildly relieved to know that the assassination was not scheduled until sometime after the Grand Galloping Gala.

Once the explanation was finished, everypony stood in silence for about a minute. Walther broke the silence with "So how should we handle this?"

"Well, the most relevant piece of information is the fact that there are only twenty conspirators," Bronze Star noted, "We're up against far less than I originally thought."

"At least in terms of numbers," commented SIG Sauer, "It's still debatable as to whether we're ahead of them, or they're ahead of us."

"He's right," Beretta concurred, "After all, we've only managed to identify six of the conspirators. One of them is dead, another has defected, and a third is little more than a correspondent."

"Luckily, the other three are the group's ringleaders," Ruger pointed out, "They may be the key to discovering the identities of the other fourteen ponies."

"True, but it could be to get that information from them," Caracal perceived, "According to Sir Raoul, if anything is to happen to the ringleaders, the other conspirators have instructions to launch their own series of attacks against the major cities of Equestria."

"So arresting them in any way is out of the question," Heckler perceived.

"Normally, I'd suggest bringing them in for questioning about a made-up crime," Koch proposed, "But given the circumstances, I don't think we can even risk that."

"Well, we can't just let those three go unchecked and unsupervised," Carabine stated.

"We won't, Brigadier," Bronze Star avowed, "There are ways of extracting information from suspects that don't involve apprehending them, talking to them, or even approaching them."

"What do you propose, Your Highness?" Peacemaker queried.

"Contact all our operatives in the field," Bronze Star ordered, "Assign half of them to Raging Tempest and the other half to Sparker Blare. I want them to keep both those stallions under tight but inconspicuous surveillance over the next few months. Make certain to tell them that thoroughness and discretion are equally important in this scenario."

"It will be done, Your Highness," SIG Sauer guaranteed the young prince, "What about Esopus Spitzenburg?"

"Since he's apparently the boss of this group, the Regiment should personally handle supervision of him," Bronze Star decided, "If he's as notorious as Sir Raoul suggested, he must be cautious to the point of paranoia. After all, Granny Smith spoke highly of him; she obviously doesn't know a thing about his involvement in this thing. As such, I find it reasonable to assume nopony else in the Apple Family knows anything, either. I need the best to go after Spitzenburg, and the ten of you are the best."

"We appreciate that, Your Highness," Carabine claimed. The other nine members of the Regiment nodded and murmured in agreement.

"It's the truth, Brigadier," Bronze Star candidly remarked.

After another short pause, the gold stallion stated "I believe we're done here. I'll leave the Firebrand Regiment to handle the surveillance. If you find anything that might reveal the identity of another of the conspirators, send it to me straightaway. Pay especial attention to people that Tempest, Blare, and Spitzenburg speak to periodically. And keep in mind that although we do not know who the other conspirators are, neither do they. They're in the dark as much as we are. For all we know, they might all live in the same city."

The ten members of the Firebrand Regiment knew exactly what the young prince was implying. He was always very specific and forward with them; they never needed him to repeat an order twice. Once they finished discussing the measures they would take against the conspiracy, Bronze Star dismissed the members of the Regiment, and they promptly went back to work.

Glock stayed at the holding cell until Marshal Brighton left it. Once the marshal stepped out, he approached Bronze Star and notified him that he would return to the Compartment in a week. He would bring three other marshals to escort Sir Raoul Jowl out of the castle. Bronze Star informed the marshal that he would not be in Canterlot the following week, so Lord Bellerophon would be the one who ensured that Sir Raoul was properly transferred into Brighton's custody. The marshal accepted this prearrangement, and he swiftly departed from the Compartment.

After Brighton left, Bronze Star returned to the Compartment's sitting room. At this time, every member of the Firebrand Regiment was busy in another part of the chambers, so the only people who were still with the gold stallion were Lord Bellerophon and Noble Edict.

However, that changed when he entered the sitting room. He spotted his pet hawk perched on a desk against the far well. Initially, Bronze Star was perplexed to see Arthur there, but then it dawned on him. He had been so focused on the conspiracy for the past few hours that he had not even noticed that Arthur was not with him. Sometime before they entered the corridor on the west side of the Compartment, the Arthur had flown off his master's shoulder and remained in the room.

Bronze Star trotted over to the hawk and asked him spiritedly "Hey, Colonel; what are you doing out here?"

In response, the hawk rapidly flapped his wings without taking off and squawked in slight discomfort. Bronze Star was very good at interpreting gestures. He assumed "You wanted some time by yourself, but you've had your share of solitude now?"

The hawk vigorously nodded his head and sharply screeched, as if to say "Bingo!"

"Alright then," Bronze Star pronounced. He extended the left side of his upper body to the hawk. Arthur hovered from the surface of the desk to his master's shoulder. Once he was settled, the gold stallion turned to the palomino stallion and remarked "I believe there's still one more item of business we need to talk about, my Lord."

"Correct, Your Highness," Bellerophon confirmed, "That would be the matter of that intrusion into your quarters. However, unlike the cult and the conspiracy, the material pertaining to this subject is not here in the Compartment. Due to the unusual circumstances, I chose to leave it in your room. We should wait to speak about this in further detail until we get back there."

"In that case, let's go there right now," Bronze Star proposed.

"Very well, sire," Bellerophon granted him. As the gold stallion headed over to the entrance of the Compartment, the palomino Pegasus turned to the red Earth Pony and informed her "Lady Noble, you may wish to come as well."

"May I ask why, My Lord?" Noble Edict enquired in interest.

"I cannot specify why just yet," Lord Bellerophon frankly replied, "All I can say right now is that it involves some very sensitive information, and this information may be just as valuable to you as it is to us. There's something about it that relates to Ponyville."

"Okay, you've got my attention," Noble Edict proclaimed, "I would be very interested in obtaining this 'top secret' information."

The three ponies and the hawk were just about to leave when they noticed SIG Sauer and Glock were with them. The pine green Unicorn and the blue Earth Pony had entered the sitting room a full minute beforehand. Originally, they had just been intent on mentioning something about the preparations for the next sting operation. However, they had inadvertently overheard the mention of the break-in at Bronze Star's room.

"If you're going to investigate the break-in, perhaps we should accompany you, too," Glock proposed.

"Well, I'm always grateful for extra help," Bronze Star asserted, "But don't the two of you need to assemble the equipment and draft the itinerary for the surveillance teams?"

"We've already created an outline for both, Your Highness," SIG Sauer expounded, "Caracal and Carabine should be able to handle it from here. Aside from that, we need to let our field operatives know about this assignment before we give it to them. We would have to go outside of the Compartment to communicate with them anyway."

"With that in mind, we can afford a few minutes to join you," Glock maintained, "Believe me, Your Highness; we're equally interested in discovering how a break-in was allowed to occur anywhere in this building."

"I would expect nothing less from two former officers of the Royal Guard," Bronze Star commented slyly. He thought about this for a moment, and then he nodded his head in approval and said "Alright, come along with us."

The five ponies and the hawk immediately exited the Compartment. SIG Sauer and Glock made certain that both the doors in the front room were sealed shut, and then they departed from this section of the castle. They started making their way to another destination, Bronze Star's bedroom.

On their way there, they encountered a white Unicorn stallion with a blue mane who was clad in Royal Guard armor. When he spotted the gold stallion, he smiled and called out to him "Hey, Bronze Star; what's up?"

In response, Bronze Star spread his wings and lifted himself into the air. He hovered over the white Unicorn and wittily told him "I guess I am, Shining Armor."

The white Unicorn chuckled in amusement and muttered "You got me there."

He had noticed that the young prince was not alone. He nodded towards the palomino Pegasus and the red Earth Pony and said "Hello, Lord Bellerophon and Lady Noble."

"Good day, Captain," Bellerophon returned.

"Pleasure to see you again, Captain Armor," Noble Edict cordially remarked.

Shining Armor then turned to Glock and SIG Sauer. He saluted them and pronounced in a more formal tone "Captain Glock. Captain Sauer."

Out of respect, the blue Earth Pony and the pine green Unicorn saluted the white Unicorn in return. The three of them went way back. Fifteen years ago, SIG Sauer had been the Captain of the Royal Guard, and Glock had been one of his top officers. Around that time, Shining Armor decided that his ambition was to join the force. Two years after that, SIG Sauer resigned his position in the Royal Guard so that he could work for ETNA, and Glock had succeeded him as the head of the force. That was also when Shining Armor started applying to the Royal Guard. Another three years later, Shining Armor's prayers had been answered when Glock accepted him into the force. Like his superior officer, Shining proved to be one of the finest officers that had served in Canterlot Castle in the last century.

Glock remained the Captain of the Royal Guard for another four years. That was when Bronze Star recruited him into the Firebrand Regiment. By then, Shining Armor had attained the rank of Commandeer. Less than three years later, he was promoted to Captain. At that age of twenty-six, he was the youngest pony to ever achieve that rank. He felt he owed all that success to his predecessors. So whenever he encountered Glock or SIG Sauer, he was always reverent towards them.

As the three stallions lowered their front hooves, the white Unicorn looked around at the others and queried "Where are you off to?"

"We're going to my room," Bronze Star enlightened him. He flew closer to the ground and offered "How about you accompany us?"

The white Unicorn lightly shrugged and responded "Well, I just finished making my rounds through this floor. There's nothing out of the ordinary, so I'm in no rush to file the morning report. It'll also be time to rotate shifts soon, anyway. So I suppose I'm free."

"That's great," Bronze Star commented in appeasement, "In that case, come with us."

Shining Armor agreed to this suggestion, and he immediately joined the other five ponies. The group proceeded to trot upstairs towards Bronze Star's bedroom. To be more precise, Shining Armor, Glock, SIG Sauer, Noble Edict, and Bellerophon trotted. Bronze Star still wanted to use his wings while he had them, so he decided to continue hovering over the others. Arthur flew alongside his master.

As the group made their way to the prince's chamber, they talked about certain things.

Bronze Star glided above the white Unicorn and asked him "So, how have you been, Shining?"

"Speaking from both a personal and occupational level, I'm doing well," Shining Armor disclosed. He gazed up at the younger stallion and said "What about you? I haven't seen you in about two months."

"Oh, I've never been better," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Life in Ponyville has proven to be most… eventful. I was expecting some peace and quiet. While that wasn't quite what I got, what I DID get was just as satisfying and enjoyable."

"Good to know," Shining Armor commented, "What about Twily? Does she enjoy living in Ponyville?"

"Yes, absolutely," Bronze Star stated, "At first, I thought she was going to have some trouble transitioning from life in Canterlot to life in Ponyville. Boy, was I wrong. That town has had an even greater effect on her than it did on me. She's become much more outgoing since we moved there, and her social life is a Tartarus of a lot better. She and I are also part of a circle of friends. A close-knit circle, I might add."

"Well, I'm proud of her for that," Shining Armor remarked, "Do you plan to go back to Ponyville?"

"Yeah, tomorrow morning, Noble Edict and I will be getting there by train," Bronze Star revealed.

"Okay," Shining Armor acknowledged, "When you see Twilight, could you tell her I miss her?"

"Of course," Bronze Star assured him, "Your sister misses you, too, Shining. She talks about you and your parents all the time."

"Really?" Shining Armor said in interest.

"Well, at least when she's around me," Bronze Star corrected himself, "I can't really speak for her whenever I'm in another place. But make no mistake; she thinks about you often."

"Glad to hear it," commented the white Unicorn, "Please tell her I'm thinking of her, too."

"I shall," Bronze Star guaranteed.

SIG Sauer scoffed lightly at this. He thought aloud "If you and your sister miss each other that much, Captain, just imagine how much your parents miss you."

"Oh, don't get me started on that, sir," Shining Armor cheekily replied.

"I know how they must feel," SIG Sauer conjectured, "I have what they have: a son who's employed by an elite military-based organization, and a daughter who attends the best boarding school in the country. Both of them are constantly preoccupied with their work and studies respectively."

"There are certainly a lot of similarities there," Shining Armor stated, "But we're not quite the same. The main difference is that Mauser and Alpine do not answer directly to Princess Celestia. Twilight and I do. Because of that, we're under more obligations than your children are. So we have even less opportunity to visit family than them."

"I understand what you mean," SIG Sauer disclosed, "In our line of work, it can be rather difficult to manage family and business at the same time."

"Maybe for most," Bronze Star interjected, "I've never had that trouble, SIG."

"True, but it's different for you, Your Highness," Glock debated, "For the Canterlot Royalty, family and business are arguably one in the same thing."

"That's an excellent point, Captain," Bronze Star coincided.

There was a short break in the conversation here. By this time, the group had reached a staircase and climbed two stories of stairs. Now they were back on the main floor of Canterlot Castle. Bronze Star's bedroom was just a few corridors away.

Bronze Star continued flying alongside his pet hawk as the group approached his bedroom. As they moved through the corridor that ran perpendicular to the corridor that his bedroom was on, Bronze Star noticed something strange. There appeared to be a huge gap in the space along the ceiling.

It quickly dawned on him that a certain object was out of place. He looked down at his acquaintances and called out "Hey, didn't a chandelier used to be up here?"

"Yes, but it fell," SIG Sauer informed him.

Bronze Star was surprised to hear that. He queried in intrigue "When did that happen?"

"A little over two weeks ago," Shining Armor responded, "I was close-by when it happened."

"We all were," Noble Edict recalled, "It happened rather abruptly. One moment, we were in the throne room speaking with Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. The next… CRASH! It took all of us completely by surprise."

"So what exactly happened?" Bronze Star asked, flying a little closer to the others.

"We're not really certain," Lord Bellerophon uttered, "The Royal Guard were all over this hallway within the next minute. Everypony who heard the crash came to investigate. All we found was a huge pile of broken girders, crushed candles, and shattered glass."

"I had my officers and the architects examine the area," Shining Armor explained, "There was nothing wrong with the rigging or the suspension cable, nor did any of the components seem faulty. So it shouldn't have collapsed on its own. There wasn't any sign of sabotage either. Ultimately, we concluded that the crash was the result of a spontaneous malfunction."

"How often does THAT happen?" Bronze Star asked in amazement.

"Not often," Glock replied, "Not very often at all. These chandeliers are made of very durable material like the rest of the castle."

"Every part of the castle is designed like that," Bronze Star pointed out, "When my mother had this foundation built, she had it built with the intention that it would last indefinitely. As per her expectations, the castle has retained its original form for centuries. As long as it is kept under tight security and constant maintenance, it should never become antiquated or hazardous. But with that in mind… I don't really know what to make of that matter with the chandelier."

"It must've been an isolated incident," Noble Edict hypothesized, "From my experiences in Ponyville's security detail, I've come to learn that you should never take anything for granted. Even failsafe programs can experience a setback or two."

"You make a fine point, Lady Noble," Glock conceded.

The others murmured in agreement. Bronze Star flew a little closer to the group and stated "Oh, well. Let's not worry about the chandelier anymore. We can always have it replaced. What really matters is that nopony was hurt. We can't ever replace lives, after all."

"I couldn't agree more, Your Highness," Bellerophon contended.

A couple minutes later, the six ponies and the hawk arrived at Bronze Star's room. As usual, two of the Royal Guard were standing watch at the main entrance. Bronze Star delicately landed on the ground between them. Without changing their emotionless facial expressions, they respectfully bowed to the young prince and stood aside for him.

After approaching the door, Bronze Star removed his key from his knapsack and used it to unlock the door. He held it open for the others to allow them entrance. Shining Armor was about to return to his office, but Lord Bellerophon insisted that he stay with them for a little longer.

Once the six ponies and the hawk were gathered inside, Bronze Star closed the door to his room. Noble Edict seemed to be impressed by the layout of the chamber. She turned to the gold stallion and told him "I have to say, Bronze; your room is so neat that it almost makes my office look like a landfill."

"Thank you, Noble," Bronze Star said appreciatively, "While I've never been regarded as a control freak, I like to have everything in its proper place."

"That's a sentiment we can all agree with," SIG Sauer commented.

There was another short period of silence. Then Bronze Star gazed toward the palomino stallion and asked him "Speaking of which, did you find anything… out of place here, Lord Bellerophon?"

The tall Pegasus gravely nodded his head and informed the prince "As you ordered, I had the entire room searched. I used the description that you provided in your last letter as a basis for conducting the search. That description of your room was invaluable. You put so much detail in it that it was almost as though you were there with us."

Bronze Star smirked smugly and gestured to his temple, saying "That's the benefit of having the memory of an Alicorn. When I sent you that description of my room, I had already been away from Canterlot for six weeks. Yet I was still able to recall every last inch of the place. If anything had been moved so much as an inch, I would be able to notice the inconsistency straightaway."

"In that case, how about you look around and tell US if anything in this room has changed its position?" Noble Edict proposed.

"Okay," Bronze Star coincided. He spent the next few minutes gazing around the bedroom. He paid close attention to the bookcase and the area around his desk. Eventually, he announced to the others "Some of the drawers are in a marginally different position, and the pillows on my bed are aligned in another way. But I can attribute those discrepancies to your searching. Other than that, it looks as though nothing has been moved even marginally."

"Initially, we came to that same conclusion," SIG Sauer explicated, "We examined every part of the place, and everything was exactly where you said it would be. Your room's layout matched your description of it perfectly."

"So my suspicions of a break-in turned out to be unfounded?" Bronze Star dismally assumed.

"No, they were well-founded," Lord Bellerophon asserted, "Believe me, sir; there WAS a break-in. We only said that we did not find anything indicative of one AT FIRST. Then I searched through your filing cabinet as you requested, and I uncovered some evidence that substantiated your theory."

"What did you find?" Bronze Star inquired.

"You may wish to see for yourself, Your Highness," Lord Bellerophon advised.

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided. He trotted over to his bookcase, pulled out one of the books in a certain shelf, and removed the key to his filing cabinet. He noticed that the key was pointing towards the wall. He had left it in that exact position when he left Canterlot. Lord Bellerophon would have needed the key to open the cabinet in the first place. Evidently, he had put it back in the exact position Bronze Star had predicted he would find it in.

Bronze Star used his magic to carry the key, and he made his way to the filing cabinet. On his way there, he asked Lord Bellerophon "When you took the key, do you recall if it was pointing towards the wall?"

"Yes, I do recall that, sir," Lord Bellerophon stated, "However, it was not in the position you specified. When I found the key, it was pointing AWAY from the wall."

This news made Bronze Star a little nervous, but he did not let it bother him. He calmly approached the cabinet and used his key to unlock it. He pulled it open, knelt in front of the open cabinet, and fished through the contents. He was expecting at least a few of the documents to be missing or damaged.

Lord Bellerophon noticed the prince's unease, and he told him reassuringly "Don't worry, Your Highness; nothing was taken from the cabinet. All the files are accounted for. However, something new had been left behind. Look in the very back."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgment and went straight to the back of the assorted files. Behind the last one, there was a large envelope which he did not recognize. However, Arthur appeared to be familiar with it. Once his master removed the envelope from the cabinet, the hawk hovered over it, eyed it suspiciously, and screeched loudly at it.

"What's up with the Colonel?" SIG Sauer queried.

"Perhaps something about the envelope disturbs him," Glock hypothesized.

"That makes sense," Bronze Star muttered, "If the break-in occurred when I think it did, he would've been a witness to it. Whoever attacked him must've been the one who planted the envelope."

"Well, we had it scanned for dangerous materials and such," Shining Armor revealed, "It came up clean. There's nothing on it that could harm anypony."

"That's good," Bronze Star commented, gazing down at the envelope. He noticed that one end of it had been torn, meaning it had already been opened. He looked back at the others and remarked "I assume you've already opened it?"

"That is correct, Your Highness," Glock affirmed, "However, most of us still don't know what's inside. Since it was placed in your room, we decided that only one of us should examine the envelope before you saw it. As the castle's chief of staff, Lord Bellerophon took it upon himself to volunteer for that task."

Bronze Star lightly nodded in acknowledgement. He turned back to the envelope and used his magic to widen the tear. Then he removed the contents of the letter. All he found was a large folded-up piece of parchment. At the top of it, there was a caption that read "Special Delivery."

"It's a letter," he observed.

"Yes, sir," Lord Bellerophon remarked, "Go ahead and see what it says."

"Alright," Bronze Star stated. He thought about reading it silently, but he decided it would be in everypony's best interests if he read it aloud. He stood near the center of the room so that the other five ponies could hear him. Arthur landed on his master's shoulder and gazed at the parchment in interest.

After a brief pause, the gold stallion read aloud: "'To His Royal Highness Prince Bronze Star. Or shall I call you… Ambassador Gold Streak?'"

Everypony reacted differently to that. Noble Edict gasped in surprise, the color drained from Glock's face, SIG Sauer's eyes widened in shock, Shining Armor placed his front hoof over his mouth, and Bronze Star felt as though his breath had left him. As the only one there you knew what was in the letter, Lord Bellerophon gave no such reaction.

"The surprises do not end there, Your Highness," Bellerophon informed the gold stallion, "Please read on."

Once the initial shock set in, Bronze Star nodded his head and continued with "'Do not be alarmed. Your secret identity is safe with me and my colleagues. We have no intention of using this knowledge to blackmail or extort you. The purpose of this letter is not to cause you distress. Instead, its purpose is to make you aware of an imminent crisis. I will expand upon this crisis in a bit. To ensure that you read this entire letter, you should know that it would be in your best interests as well as ours if you hear us out.'"

Bronze Star paused for a few seconds to catch his breath, and to give himself and the others a little time to process it. Then he went on:

"'Firstly, you are probably wondering who sent you this letter. A stalker? A fanatic? A radical extremist? I assure you that I am none of these. Allow me to enlighten you on who you are dealing with. I belong to a covert underground organization. This organization's goal is the same as yours: to keep Equestria safe from all potential threats, including the ones posed by its inhabitants. However, unlike you, we operate outside the government. While you are able to set standards for how you handle and treat your suspects, we do not have the luxury of establishing such boundaries. We normally have to resort to more extreme means to accomplish our objectives. You may think of us as vigilantes. We prefer to think of ourselves as Equestria's secret protectors. Either way, we are not supported of by any part of the government, and thus, our organization is technically illegal. However, do not think this as a disadvantage on our part. Our organization is not limited or hindered in any way. My people are just as resourceful and adroit as your people, and we are capable of virtually anything. Because of all this, I am sure you can appreciate the effort we took to deliver this letter without physically approaching you. Even for us, breaking into Canterlot Castle is no easy task."

Suddenly, a lot of things made sense to Bronze Star and the others. Primarily, they understood why there was no sign of a break-in in the prince's bedroom. If the person who wrote this letter was as clever and experienced as he or she claimed, he or she must have been too smart to leave behind any clues.

Bronze Star announced the following: "'If you doubt my credibility or my intentions, I do not blame you. But I promise you; my people and I do not wish to be your enemies. We have always viewed the Canterlot Royalty and the government as an ally, and we are hoping that you will view us as an ally, as well. Like I said before, all we want is to maintain peace and justice in Equestria. We have done this for many years, and our rate of success is a solid one hundred percent. Now, you may be wondering; if we've been out there for so long, why are we only approaching you now? The answer is simple: before now, whenever we learned about a danger to Equestria, we were always able to take care of it by ourselves. However, we recently acquired some information about a new threat. This threat is bigger than anything we ever encountered before, and probably anything you've ever encountered before, too. After much deliberation, we came to the conclusion that the only way we could avoid this travesty would be if we sought help from the government. After that, it was only a question of who in the government we should approach, and we ultimately chose to approach you.'"

At this point, Bronze Star was slightly impelled not to continue reading. However, his curiosity and his concern got the better of him. He pronounced:

"'This brings me to the crisis I mentioned a little earlier. Now is the time to clarify certain details about it. We recently acquired some intelligence from a reliable source. According to this source, there will be an attack in Ponyville sometime this year. We do not know the nature, circumstances, or framework of this attack, but we have managed to determine that the purpose of it is to take out a certain pony. In other words, the attack is meant to serve as a cover for a murder. For all we know, the murder may very well BE the attack. Regardless of what happens, you must know that whoever the victim is, we cannot allow him or her to die. This person's death will yield devastating repercussions not only for Ponyville, but also for Canterlot and the rest of the nation.'"

Bronze Star and the others were astounded by this news. Evidently, the person who wrote this letter wanted to emphasize the severity of the situation. He read aloud: "'Currently, we do not know the identity of the victim or the assassin. But make no mistake; this murder plot is very real. In order to prevent it, we will need to work together. So here is what I propose. Whenever you return to Ponyville, keep an eye out for any abnormal activity or strange happenings. If possible, bring along a government agent who has experience in averting crime. But please do not go beyond one investigator. The presence of too many government agents could tip off the assassin and provoke him to move in on the target sooner. Needless to say, you can discuss this matter with people you trust. That last part is critical. We cannot risk this information falling into the wrong hooves. Now, while you oversee the town's security, our people will be conducting our own investigation in Ponyville. Several of my colleagues already live at that town. They will be digging further into this affair carefully and discreetly. Our people are masters at diverting attention and blending in perfectly. To preserve their cover, I will not reveal the identities or locations of any of them. I would also encourage you not to waste resources trying to determine who they are. Your time would be much better spent searching for the assassin and the victim.'"

After another brief hiatus, Bronze Star droned on with: "'You may be wondering how we will be able to work together under such these tight conditions. Do not worry about finding a way to correspond with us; my people have means of exchanging information with you without exposing themselves. Sometime after you go back to Ponyville, you will receive a set of instructions on how these exchanges will take place. Follow these instructions, and together, we will save a life. Of course, you have the option to ignore us and attempt to solve this mystery by yourself. But I am confident that you are a stallion who knows a helpful source of intelligence when he sees one. So I beseech you; accept our offer, work with us, don't write us off so quickly. The fate of the entire nation could depend on our relationship.'"

Bronze Star was rapidly nearing the end of this letter. He wrapped it up with: "'If you do decide to work with us, hang a piece of paper with the words "I'll be waiting" outside the window to your bedroom at the embassy. Be sure to do it before you go to bed. When you wake up the following morning, that piece of paper will be gone, and another piece that says "So will we" will be left in its place. That's how you'll know that we have received and acknowledged your message. Thank you for your time, and we hope to hear from you soon. Signed, a friend.'"

Even after Bronze Star finished reading the letter, his gaze remained fixated on it for over a minute. Finally, he lowered the parchment and looked around at his acquaintances. Each and every one of them was flabbergasted. He could hardly blame them; he himself was quite astounded.

After a lengthy period of unpleasant silence, he sighed deeply and said "So… what do you make of this?"

"It's quite a lot to process," Glock bluntly commented, "I'm not that certain how much of it is really that believable."

"For now, let's assume that ALL of it is," Bronze Star suggested, "I mean, there have been vigilante groups in Equestria before, right?"

"That is correct, Your Highness," Bellerophon confirmed, "But I've never known one that's gone to these lengths. Nor have I seen one that seems so… contradictory."

"Contradictory in what way?" Shining Armor queried.

"They seem extremely determined to avoid revealing themselves to us," Bellerophon expounded, "At the same time, they seem equally determined to work with us. It almost sounds like they're trying to enter into a reluctant symbiotic relationship."

"That's precisely the idea I got from this, my Lord," Bronze Star remarked. He held up both the letter and the envelope and queried "Have these been examined for any further evidence?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Bellerophon informed the prince, "I had them checked for any extraneous materials. Unfortunately, the forensics lab turned up negative results. No strands of hair, no hoofprints, so traces of any DNA whatsoever."

"I should have suspected as much," Bronze Star muttered under his breath. After another short pause, he remarked "Oh, well. Regardless of what this organization's intentions may be, I don't think we should be too concerned about them specifically. We have bigger issues to contend with than learning the identities of a bunch of vigilantes. I think we should treat these claims they made as serious and legitimate."

"I'll certainly take this warning seriously," Noble Edict decisively proclaimed, "There hasn't been a murder in Ponyville since long before I was born. If there's a chance that somepony intends to change that, I have no intention of letting them succeed."

"I know I can count on you, Noble," Bronze Star proclaimed, "You've already earned my trust. However, as a precaution, I want to limit the number of people who know about this plot. So I don't want you to tell your entire security detail about this. Only tell a selective few."

"I understand," Noble Edict avowed, "Is there anypony in particular you'd like to know about this?"

"Yes, Copper Hollow for sure," Bronze Star responded, "I'll need you, him, and three or four more of your deputies. I'll leave deciding which ones up to you."

"You got it, Your Highness," Noble Edict declared in an official tone.

Bronze Star nodded in approval. Then he gazed off to the side and rubbed his chin. He thought aloud "The letter requested that we seek the services of a government agent. Specifically, somepony who has experience in preventing disasters. And the letter emphasized that for safety's sake, we must not consult multiple agents. We can only bring one to Ponyville."

"That might be difficult," Lord Bellerophon remarked, "This type of plot generally requires at least a dozen skilled investigators to solve it. The person who wrote that letter is basically asking us to find somepony who has the combined expertise of a whole team of detectives."

"Do you know anypony who meets that criteria?" Noble Edict enquired.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Bronze Star straightforwardly professed, "There's only one pony I know who could replace an entire crime scene investigating team. He's never let me down before."

SIG Sauer raised an eyebrow and muttered "I don't suppose you mean…"

Bronze Star smirked and replied slyly "Oh, I definitely mean, SIG."

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Glock asked rhetorically.

"Absolutely, Captain," the gold stallion affirmed, "He's exactly what we need."

The blue Earth Pony lightly scoffed and commented "If you say so, sir."

Bronze Star calmly folded the letter up and slid it back into the envelope. Then he turned to Lord Bellerophon, held the envelope out to him, and stated "Lord Bellerophon, I want you to make a copy of this document. Once you've done that, keep the copy for yourself and take the original to a certain office in the Intelligence Bureau. Show it to our colleague and explain the situation to him. Once he's been brought up to date, tell him that I have requested his services. If he accepts – and I know he will – tell him to arrive at the train station at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Make sure he brings the letter and the envelope with him. Oh, and be sure to mention that I will be travelling in disguise."

"It will be done, Your Highness," the palomino stallion assured the prince.

Evidently, Glock, SIG Sauer, and Bellerophon knew who Bronze Star was talking about; he did not even have to address this particular pony by name. Shining Armor was not entirely certain, but he had a good idea as to who this pony was. However, Noble Edict felt as though she was in the dark once more.

The red mare asked in perplexity "Who exactly is this stallion, Bronze?"

"I'll tell you when you meet him tomorrow, Noble," Bronze Star informed her, "All you need to know right now is that he'll be our partner in this investigation. You don't have to worry; he's very reliable and very capable."

"As well as very idiosyncratic," SIG Sauer claimed, "Let's just say these next few months will be rather… interesting for you, Noble."

"I'll take your word for it," Noble Edict stated.

There came yet another brief pause. Then Bronze Star said aloud "Is there anything else we should discuss?"

"There is one thing I'd like to address, Bronze," Shining Armor pronounced.

"I'm listening, Shining," the gold stallion acknowledged.

"I understand that you plan to go back to Ponyville tomorrow," the white Unicorn noted, "However, now that this threat of a murder has been brought to our attention, I have some concerns about your safety."

"Why?" Bronze Star said in perplexity, "There's nothing to suggest that I'm the target."

"I know that," Shining Armor proclaimed, "But this an assassination we're dealing with. Assassins can very unpredictable. By doing back to Ponyville, you might be putting yourself in danger."

"You think I don't realize that?" Bronze Star countered, "I never do anything like this without understanding and accepting the risks first. I'm confident the risks are worth taking here."

"If you say so, then I'll take your word for it," Shining Armor commented, "But are you certain you don't want to take any protection with you?"

"Quite," Bronze Star affirmed, "I don't want the Royal Guard to accompany me."

"May I ask why?" Shining Armor requested.

"Yes, I'll give you three reasons why," Bronze Star rejoined, "One, the idea is that I'm masquerading as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville. None of the other emissaries in the country have bodyguards. If I did, I would become unacceptably conspicuous. Two, the person who wrote that letter advised us not to bring too many federal employees. A sudden appearance of even one officer of the Royal Guard could be enough to tip off the assassin. Third and foremost, I feel I don't NEED protection. Two months ago, I helped the residents of Ponyville defeat Nightmare Moon. In the time since then, I've helped resolved several other major dilemmas. All of them posed far more danger than any assassin. Plus, on all those occasions, I did not have the Royal Guard around to assist me. All I needed was the company of six young mares, one of whom was your sister."

Shining Armor took a moment to ponder on all the points Bronze Star made. He could not deny that the young prince made a very valid argument. Ultimately, the white stallion shrugged and proclaimed, "Alright, you've made your case, and you've persuaded me that you can look out for yourself. If you want to go back to Ponyville without protection, I won't protest."

"Thanks, Shining," Bronze Star said gratefully, "I plan to go without an escort. Still, I appreciate you looking out for my well-being."

"I have to; it's my job," Shining Armor insisted, "My first priority is to watch out for the Canterlot Royalty. There are even times when I have to protect them from themselves. But I'm convinced this is not one of those times. I'll respect your wishes if you'd prefer to travel without backup."

"Good to hear," Bronze Star stated in approval. There was another period of silence, and then the gold stallion looked around at his acquaintances and declared "Alright, looks like we're done here. You're all dismissed. If any of you need me later on, I'll be either in here or in the throne room."

The other five ponies acknowledged these statements, and they left the room one-by-one. Shining Armor made his way to the castle's arsenal to make his daily inspection of the inventory. Glock and SIG Sauer went back to the Compartment. Lord Bellerophon left the castle and headed to the headquarters of the Intelligence Bureau. Noble Edict decided to go to her room and begin packing up for the trip back to Ponyville tomorrow.

At this time, Bronze Star was left alone in his room with his pet hawk. He had already been in the capital city for several hours, and he had done nothing but work in the time since he arrived. He needed time to process everything he had just learned. The way he saw it, he would be keeping track of a cult, a conspiracy, and a murder plot all at the same time. Even for a busy stallion like him, dealing with all those things at once was a little overwhelming.

He decided not to worry about any of that for the rest of the day. Now that he was back home, he figured he may as well take some time to relax.

Currently, he was still wearing his regalia. Now that he had accomplished all of his royal duties, he decided to get undressed. He swiftly removed his soft shoes, his vest, and his crown, and he returned them to the podium beside his bed. He decided to take off his knapsack as well. But first he opened it up, extracted the file of Material Study, and returned it to the open filing cabinet. Now that Material Study was gone, he predicted he would not be looking at that file for a very long time.

Bronze Star then closed the filing cabinet and locked it back up. Following this, he flew up to the top of his bed and hid the key in the center of the canopy. While this new hiding spot arguably may have left the key out in the open, he reasoned it would be the last place anypony would think to look for it.

Bronze Star passed the next few hours in a variety of ways. He did some flying exercises with Arthur, he gave his horn a workout by practicing magic, he got in some reading, and he took some time to visit and converse with several members of his mother's Council.

He planned to have dinner with Princess Celestia at seven o'clock. Conveniently, that was around the time she planned to lower the Sun and Luna was scheduled to raise the Moon. Because of that, Bronze Star ended up having the evening meal with both his mother and his aunt.

Bronze Star thoroughly enjoyed the food. It had been more than eight weeks since he had tasted anything made by the great Haute Cuisine. The gold stallion was a good cook himself, but in his opinion, nopony could outshine Canterlot Castle's top chef. However, his attention was not primarily focused on the food. He was much more interested in what the other two people at the table had to talk about.

Celestia and Luna told him all about what had gone on in recent history. By this point in time, Luna was fully regrown. Her mane was sparkling and wavy like her sister's, her coat had become a darker shade of blue, her horn was twice its previous length, and she was almost as tall as Celestia. In addition to that, Luna had done an excellent job of adapting to royal life in Canterlot. She had become well-acquainted with the castle's council and the Royal Guard. Her sister had filled her in on various matters that were known only by the Canterlot Royalty. That included Project Breakdown, as well as a certain plan that involved Twilight Sparkle.

Based on what the two Alicorn mares told him, life in the castle had been relatively peaceful and quiet. In a way, it had also been a little dull. Unlike Ponyville, the capital city rarely observed anything unexplainable or abnormal. In fact, the most exciting thing that had happened since the Summer Sun Celebration was the chandelier crashing from the other week.

Bronze Star, on the other hoof, had witnessed enough excitement in the past two months for all three of them. He told his mother and his aunt all about his ventures in Ponyville. Luna already knew about several of them, but Celestia was not aware of any. She was fascinated to hear about his son's experiences outside the capital city, and she was very pleased that he was making the most of his time as a civilian.

Bronze Star told them everything, including the special bond he had formed with Applejack. However, he avoided mentioning anything that would imply that he and the farmer were contemplating the idea of becoming more than friends. He decided to wait a little longer before he brought that up.

After dinner, Bronze Star, Celestia, and Luna returned to the throne room. Celestia offered to teach her son the spell that would allow him to change his own appearance whenever he wanted to. He eagerly accepted her offer.

Learning this spell proved to be a bit of a challenge. It was a very unusual one, as it relied more on psychology and neural energy than actual magic. Essentially, Bronze Star had to "will" himself to alter his physical image. He had to be properly focused in order to implement the spell correctly, and his mind had to be totally clear of everything else. Otherwise, nothing would happen. At first, part of him was concerned that this spell would be too difficult to master. Fortunately, his mother was very encouraging and patient. She motivated him to keep trying.

Eventually, he managed to master the spell. Normally, it took him about ten minutes or less to learn a new spell. This one took well over an hour for him to learn. To be safe, he spent another hour practicing it to ensure that he left no margin for error. Luna stood off to the side and curiously watched her sister teach her nephew.

At about nine-thirty, he was confident he had mastered the spell. By then, he was able to execute it flawlessly on every single attempt. Now whenever he went back to Ponyville, he would be able to use the spell to conceal his wings and horn. Whenever he wanted to undo the alteration, he would not have to wait for his mother to perform the counterspell. Even if he could not see or feel his horn, he would be able to use the counterspell by himself. If he somehow had to cast the spell and undo it but wanted to cast it again, he would not have to wait twenty-four hours, either. Instead, he could cast both the spell and the counterspell as often as he wanted.

When Bronze Star was finished practicing the spell, Luna stepped forward and remarked "You are certainly a fast learner, Bronze Star."

"You're too kind, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star slyly retorted, "I'm normally able to master spells in a fraction of the time it took me to memorize this one. I think I'm starting to slack off."

"Well, you should give yourself some credit; this is one of the most difficult spells ever written," Luna proclaimed, "I still remember when your mother and I learned that spell. It took her about twelve hours to get it right."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and asked "Really?"

"Yes, indeed," the blue Alicorn affirmed, "Tia was always a little inattentive."

"'Tia?'" Bronze Star repeated in amusement, looking to his mother.

Princess Celestia smiled, lightly nodded her head, and responded with "Your aunt speaks the truth, Bronze Star. She was always the better listener. She managed to master that spell in about fifteen minutes. In fact, it was because of her that I was able to learn it."

Bronze Star was a little stunned to hear that. He turned back to his aunt and remarked "Is that so?"

"Yes, I'm probably the better tutor," Luna proclaimed, "I am willing to wager I could have taught you that spell in a fraction of the time it took your mother."

Bronze Star became slightly annoyed when he heard that. He muttered irately "And you didn't think to mention that earlier?"

"You never asked," Luna cheekily replied, grinning innocently, "I also wanted to see where this went. I was hoping Tia would prove herself as a capable teacher."

"I believe I did just that, Looney," Celestia wittily perceived.

The blue Alicorn loudly chuckled at that. The white Alicorn quickly joined her. While the two mares had their laugh, the gold Alicorn gazed at them in amusement and slyly commented "You two definitely ARE sisters."

Both his mother and his aunt viewed that statement as a compliment.

The two mares soon ended their round of laughter. There was a lengthy interval of silence between the three of them. Then Luna looked over at Bronze Star and enquired "Are you sure you can only stay for tonight, Bronze Star?"

"I'm afraid so," the gold stallion affirmed, "I promised my friends in Ponyville that I would be back tomorrow morning. Of course, I could send them a letter explaining a change of plans through Spike. However, they're already expecting me. I don't want to disappoint them or make them worry."

"We understand entirely," Celestia asserted, "Even so, due to the circumstances, I would have thought you'd want to stay in Canterlot a little while longer."

"Truthfully, I do," Bronze Star disclosed, "After all, it's been two months since I've seen this place. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be homesick."

Celestia softly nodded her head and proclaimed "That is true. However, the length of your absence is not why I assumed you would remain here. There's another reason why I would have thought you'd want to stay until next week."

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

Celestia did not give a verbal response. Instead, she tilted her head to gesture to the wall behind the throne. Bronze Star gazed in that direction, and he saw a large oval-shaped mirror with a light purple frame against the wall. Straightaway, he realized what his mother was implying.

Bronze Star turned back to Celestia and asked rhetorically "Has it already been two and a-half years?"

"It will be after next week," the white Alicorn affirmed, "That's why I assumed you'd like to remain here until then. I know how attached you become to that mirror every time the portal opens."

"Well, what did you expect?" Bronze Star uttered sarcastically, "When she was here, the two of us were so close. She was my first and best friend."

Before Princess Celestia took Twilight Sparkle under her wing, another Unicorn had been her personal apprentice. Her name was Sunset Shimmer This particular Unicorn had shown excellent potential and aptitude in every field of study. In a few ways, her abilities surpassed even Twilight's. In addition to that, she and Bronze Star had gotten along famously. The two of them were as close as two ponies could be. There was a time when they both believed that nothing could ruin their friendship.

However, at one point, Sunset Shimmer started to enjoy the rights and privileges that had been given to her a little too much. The constant presence of the Canterlot Royalty caused her to develop a thirst for power. The thirst rapidly became stronger and more insatiable. Eventually, it got to the point where she was convinced that the only way she could get what she wanted would be to seize it by force.

Princess Celestia had tried to soothe her apprentice by emphasizing the important of patience, caution, and integrity. Sunset Shimmer seemed to go along with these lessons, but in actuality, the lessons were wasted on her. Truthfully, she was simply bidding her time, searching for an opportunity. Before long, she found one.

There was a mirror in the throne room of Canterlot Castle that served as a portal to an alternate reality. Whenever the gateway opened, it only stayed open for three days. After that, it shut itself and remained closed for another thirty months. When Sunset Shimmer realized she could not get what she was looking for in Equestria, she decided to try her chances in the alternate world. So she waited patiently for the portal to open, and once it did, she escaped into the alternate world. That was many years ago. Neither Bronze Star nor Princess Celestia had seen her since then.

Shortly after Princess Luna arrived in Canterlot, her sister had told her all about this matter. Luna already knew all about the mirror and the alternate universe. The mirror had been around since the age of StarSwirl The Bearded. She had never met Sunset Shimmer, but her sister had spoken very highly of her, albeit somewhat regretfully.

"It's nice to see you haven't forgotten about her," Luna perceived.

"Of course I haven't forgotten about her," Bronze Star proclaimed, "She may have fallen astray, but I know she's still a good mare. Even though it's been so long since we've seen her, I have no intention of writing her off."

"Neither do I," Celestia coincided, "I'm still holding out hope that she'll come back."

"Have you heard from her, by any chance?" Bronze Star asked hopefully.

"I have not," Celestia answered him, "I'm still trying to communicate with her. I've been using that book to send her detailed accounts of recent events in Equestria. Unfortunately, she has not written anything in return."

"Well, I know she took that book with her," Bronze Star pointed out, "If she really turned her back on Equestria, she would have left it here."

"I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment," Luna disclosed, "Even during my time as Nightmare Moon, I never lost sight of my desire to return to Equestria. I was gone for ten centuries. Sunset Shimmer has been away for… how long?"

"As of next week, ten years," Bronze Star replied, "The portal has opened and closed four times since she left. In all that time, we haven't seen a trace of her."

"But there's always a possibility she will change her mind," Celestia proclaimed. After another short pause, the white Alicorn turned to her son and queried "Are you certain you do not want to stay here until next week?"

"Well, under normal circumstances, I would…" Bronze Star tentatively began, "But I have a previous engagement. Yesterday during the parasprite infestation, the barn at Sweet Apple Acres was destroyed. The Apple family is staying with me at the embassy until they are able to rebuild it. They'll be waiting for me at the train station tomorrow. If I don't show up, they might worry. I'd hate to do that to them."

Celestia saw the logic in her son's reasoning, and she said "I don't expect you to hold your past friends over your current friends, Bronze Star. If anything, I'm pleased that you've formed such a strong friendship with the Apple family."

"Yes, they must think of you as a superb neighbor," Luna perceived.

"Actually, there's a little more to it than that," Bronze Star informed the two mares.

"How so?" Luna inquired.

Bronze did not answer right away. Instead, he hesitated for over a minute. Then he sighed and elucidated "I've been living in Ponyville for nearly nine weeks. I've made many friends during my stay. But I've started to develop feelings for a certain mare. Feelings that are associated in a typical relationship with a member of the opposite sex."

Princess Celestia immediately knew where this was going. She grinned and said happily "Bronze Star, are you in love?"

The gold stallion blushed heavily at that implication. He found himself unable to look his mother or his aunt in the eye. Ultimately, he took a deep breath, gazed up at Celestia's throne, and replied "Yes, Mother. There's no point in denying it. I have fallen in love."

"Who is she?" Celestia asked eagerly.

"You met her at the Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star replied, "Her name is Applejack."

"Yes, I remember her," Celestia recounted, "She was the one who lent you her hat."

Bronze Star scoffed and uttered "That's correct."

"So she lent you her hat, but she stole your heart," Luna slyly remarked.

"That's an interesting way of putting it, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star wryly conceded.

Celestia leaned back in her throne slightly and queried "Does she reciprocate your feelings?"

"Yes," Bronze Star candidly replied, "I was the first to confess, but she was the first to give an honest opinion. We've become equally fond of each other."

"Just how close have you gotten?" Celestia asked in interest.

"As of right now, we're still just very close friends," Bronze Star disclosed, "Technically, we haven't even kissed yet."

"So what's preventing you from going any further than that?" Celestia queried.

Bronze Star chose his next words carefully: "She and I agreed not to go that far before I told you about us."

Celestia seemed mildly baffled by that. "Explain, please."

"We weren't sure if you were alright with the concept of me and her being together," Bronze Star illuminated, "So we wanted to get your approval, first."

Celestia seemed rather stunned by that. He told her son "If that was all that was holding you back, then I must apologize."

"Apologize?" Bronze Star murmured in confusion.

"I never want you to feel as though you have to ask for my permission to be with somepony," Celestia expounded, "You are always free to pursue your own relationships. You don't need my approval."

Bronze Star smiled widely at that. "Really?"

"Yes," the white Alicorn assured her son, "I know what it's like to love somepony, Bronze Star. I can tell that your affection for Applejack is genuine. I can see it in your countenance. In addition to that, I must admit that I admire your taste. Applejack has plenty of admirable facets. She's strong, she's hardworking, she's patient, she's empathetic, and she's one of the Element Bearers. You couldn't have picked a finer mare."

Bronze Star was elated to hear this. He smiled again and declared "Mother, you just made my day."

"I'm glad to hear that," Celestia remarked. After a short pause, she told the gold stallion "When you see Applejack tomorrow morning, you may pursue whatever relationship you'd like with her. I just ask one thing of you."

"Anything, Mother," Bronze Star asserted.

"Be absolutely sure of yourself," Celestia requested, "While you already seem pretty certain now, I should advise you to be totally certain before you proceed. This decision is still yours entirely, and I encourage you to choose whatever feels right. I just want to ensure this will not end with you experiencing heartbreak."

"I understand what you're saying, Mother," the young prince pronounced, "Basically, you want me to find a way to test both myself and Applejack."

"Precisely," Celestia confirmed, "If you both pass this 'test,' you'll know if the two of you belong together."

"Very well," Bronze Star muttered, "I should be able to come up with something like that by tomorrow."

"In any case, I wish you luck," Luna bade her nephew.

"As do I," Celestia added in.

"Thank you both," Bronze Star said gratefully. He checked the time and noted "Well, it's after ten o'clock. I plan to be awake by six tomorrow morning. I think I'll turn in for the night."

Celestia nodded and told the young prince "Good night, my son."

"Pleasant dreams, Bronze Star," Luna remarked genially.

After bidding his mother and aunt good evening, Bronze Star left the throne room and returned to his bedroom. He found Arthur by the front of his bed. He approached the bed, scratched his pet hawk behind the ears, and stated "Get some sleep, Arthur. We need to be up before the Sun tomorrow."

The Colonel did not have to be told twice. He flew over to his perch on the other side of the room and gracefully landed on top of it. He quickly fell asleep in that position. His master stayed up for another hour to do some reading. At about a quarter to midnight, he put down his book, turned out the lights, and went to bed. He fell asleep almost as quickly as Arthur.

Bronze Star woke up at approximately five-thirty the following morning. While he showered and touched up his appearance, he thought about the conversation he had with his mother. He wondered what he could do to ascertain that he and Applejack were ready to accelerate their relationship to the next level. By the time he finished getting ready, he got a great idea.

After stepping out of the bathroom, he retrieved his knapsack and trotted over to the podium that held his regalia. He used his magic to pick up his crown, and he carefully placed it inside his knapsack. He fastened the bag shut, making sure it was closed up tight. After that, he turned to his loyal pet and called out to him "Come on, Arthur. We're heading out."

The loyal hawk promptly flew over to his master and landed on his shoulder. Bronze Star swiftly slung his knapsack over his other shoulder and stepped out of his bedroom. He locked it up and trotted away from the scene.

He found out where Noble Edict was staying from the Royal Guard. When he arrived at her suite, she was already packed and ready to go. The two of them ate a light breakfast with SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon. During the meal, they briefly went over the things they had learned the previous day. Noble Edict convinced them that she had no ambiguities on how much secrecy each of the three subjects needed. Basically, she could tell her staff and anypony else about the Nightmare Moon cult, she could bring up the conspiracy with Sir Raoul Jowl to nopony other than Bronze Star, and she could only discuss the murder plot with a selective few individuals.

Once they had breakfast, Bronze Star swung by the throne room to say good-bye to his mother. Princess Celestia was a little sad that her son was leaving so soon, but she was glad that he enjoyed his stay in Ponyville. She subtly told Bronze Star "Good luck" when he and Noble Edict left her presence. He knew precisely what she meant.

SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon accompanied Bronze Star and Noble Edict all the way to the castle's main entrance. Bronze Star cast the spell he just learned to hide his wings and horn. Then he and the red mare parted ways with the pine green stallion and the palomino stallion.

It was earlier in the day than when Bronze Star had arrived in the capital city. It was not as bright and there were fewer ponies out in the streets. Because of that, the gold stallion managed to avoid getting as many stares and whispers as he had gotten the previous day. However, Noble Edict seemed to receive a fair amount of attention. Apparently, her new status as a Lady was common knowledge in the capital city by now.

Ten minutes before eight, Bronze Star and Noble Edict reached the train station. Unlike the rest of the Canterlot, this area was particularly crowded in the morning. There were always loads of ponies going to and from the depot. Most of them were travelling in pairs or groups.

Near the center of the platform, there was an Earth Pony that stood apart from the other ponies in the crowd. He had an indigo coat, a purple mane, and violet irises. His cutie mark was a magnifying glass, and he was dressed in an expensive business suit. He also had a pair of sunglasses clipped to the collar of his shirt, and he had two large briefcases at his sides.

Once Bronze Star spotted the stallion, he guided Noble Edict over to him. The indigo stallion quickly noticed the two of them, but he did not move from his spot. He waited until the gold stallion and the red mare reached him. Once they were within earshot, he humbly grinned and turned to face them. He asked the prince "How are you on this very lovely morning, sir?"

"I'm excellent, Haywood," Bronze Star replied, smiling back, "You haven't been waiting for too long, have you?"

"No, I only just arrived," the indigo stallion disclosed. He turned to the red mare and briefly looked her over. It was almost as if he was examining her. After a minute of that, he remarked "Lady Noble Edict, I presume?"

"Yes, that is my name," Noble Edict affirmed, slightly astonished, "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mr…"

Bronze Star immediately interceded with "Oh, sorry, Noble. Please allow me to introduce my good friend and colleague, Superintendent Haywood McCrank."

Noble Edict lightly nodded and told the indigo stallion "Pleasure to meet you, Superintendent."

"Likewise, my fair Lady," Haywood McCrank remarked. He stepped forward, placed his front hooves on Noble Edict's shoulders, and kissed her very lightly on either cheek. This action took the red mare quite by surprise, but out of courtesy, she put up with it.

Haywood promptly removed his front hooves from her shoulders. He then looked over at the clock on the front wall of the station. After checking the time, he proclaimed "The train will be departing in about five minutes. I would advocate boarding it straightaway."

"I agree," Bronze Star coincided, "Do you have a ticket?"

"Affirmative," Haywood revealed, "I purchased it last night. It cost ten bits; a reasonable fare for a ride to a nearby town. Have you yours?"

"Yes, Noble and I got ours in advance, too," Bronze Star answered him, "Let's go ahead and show them to the conductor."

Haywood McCrank nodded in agreement. He picked up his briefcases and trotted over to the conductor. Noble Edict and Bronze Star followed him close behind. On the way, the red mare leaned closer to the gold stallion and whispered "Is he the government agent you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes," Bronze Star confirmed, noting the intrigue in her voice, "Is something the matter?"

"Well, he seems a little… eccentric," Noble Edict bluntly perceived.

"'A little?'" Bronze Star drily muttered, "Noble, he's the definition of 'eccentric.' But don't hold that against him. He's arguably the best investigator in the whole of the nation."

"I'll take your word for it," Noble Edict commented, "As long as he gets the job done, I won't say anything about his behavior."

"Good," Bronze Star said in approval.

The indigo stallion, the gold stallion, and the red mare soon boarded the train. Bronze Star and Noble Edict planned to go to one of the passenger cars, but Haywood McCrank informed them "I reserved a private cabin where we can converse without being overheard."

The three of them made their way to the center of the train, where the private cabins were located. They found the one labeled "McCrank" and entered it. While Bronze Star helped Noble Edict store her bags, Haywood made certain to shut the door and lock it. Then he looked all over the small room, as if he was searching for something. He paid especial attention to the emergency break and the frame of the window.

"What's he doing?" Noble Edict asked quietly.

"Checking for openings," Bronze Star softly informed her, "He doesn't want to risk being overheard."

Noble Edict nodded in understanding. A minute later, Haywood sat down across from them and announced "The vicinity is secure."

Soon, they heard the conductor shout "All aboard for Ponyville!"

A minute later, the engines came to life and the train started moving forward. It swiftly departed from Canterlot and began the short journey to Ponyville.

Once Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank were settled, the three of them started to discuss business. The indigo stallion opened up one of his briefcases and removed a large envelope. This was the envelope Bronze Star had found in his filing cabinet; Lord Bellerophon had given it to Haywood the previous day.

"Lord Bellerophon has thoroughly explained the situation to me," the indigo stallion apprised his companions, "I understand the gravity of the situation. After looking over the contents of the letter, I've come to the conclusion that everything about this plot is authentic. The vigilante group is real. Their capabilities are real. Their intentions to do good are real. Their wishes to work with us are real. The murder scheme is real. The danger of it is real. Above all, the repercussions of it are real. It is absolutely imperative that we prevent it from happening."

"I strongly agree, Superintendent," Noble Edict conceded.

"Lady Noble, given our current scenario, you can simply refer to me as 'Haywood,'" the government agent spoke frankly, "Or 'Sir Haywood,' if you prefer. Or just 'Sir.'"

"Okay; give me some time to pick one," Noble Edict cheekily uttered, smirking.

Haywood McCrank smirked as well. After a short pause, he stated "Lord Bellerophon has told me that the two of you will be assembling a small task force that will be devoted to preventing the murder. However, he did not give me specifics as to the composition of the task force. I was hoping you could give me some exposition."

Bronze Star enlightened the agent: "The task force will be composed of you, me, Noble Edict, and four of her security officers. Five at the most."

"One of them will be my head deputy, Copper Hollow," Noble Edict expounded, "I have yet to decide who will else will be on the detail."

"Once you've made your choices, I'd like a dossier on every member of the task force," Haywood requested, "I'll need to cross-examine them before we even begin the investigation."

"Why do you need to check them out?" Noble Edict stated in perplexity, "I can assure you that everypony on my detail is dependable and trustworthy."

"I'm not questioning your peoples' integrity, Lady Noble," Haywood insisted, "I'm just being analytical. Keep in mind that we currently have no lead on the identities of the assassin or the victim. They could be anypony in Ponyville. I just want to go ahead and eliminate any suspicion that anypony on the task force might be either. I also want to ensure that none of them is secretly working for that vigilante group."

Noble Edict understood this perspective. She said compliantly "Very well, Haywood. Once I've selected which of my officers will be on the detail, I'll send you a copy of their personnel files. You can count on my cooperation and theirs."

"Excellent," Haywood muttered gratefully. He took a moment to gaze out the window, and then he turned back to Noble Edict and mentioned "While we're on the subject of cooperation, there is something critical we should address."

"What might that be?" the red mare asked inquisitively.

"The task force will have a particular chain of command," the indigo stallion responded, "As a federal officer, I will have full authority over the investigation. All the input provided by you and your officers will be taken into account. However, I will have the final say on what leads to pursue, which suspects to inspect, which clues to follow up on, and everything else. Essentially, you and everypony else on the task force – excluding the prince – will answer to me. Can you accept that?"

"Yes, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict asserted, "I'll make sure that Copper Hollow and the others understand that, too."

"Good," Haywood McCrank professed. After another short break, he added in "In case you're wondering, I do not intend to tell you how to do your job, Lady Noble. You are still Ponyville's chief of security. I will only have authority over you and your officers when we are working on the task force. Everything that pertains to public safety and law enforcement is still your jurisdiction."

Noble Edict nodded and smirked, saying "I can definitely accept that."

Haywood smiled as well and observed "Then it would seem everypony's content with the current arrangements. That is most encouraging."

Noble Edict nodded again and mumbled "SIG Sauer was right."

"About what, Noble?" Bronze Star queried.

"He predicted that these next few months will be rather interesting," the red mare explicated, "So far, it looks as though he was absolutely correct."

The rest of the train ride was spent in relative silence. The two stallions and the mare found ways to keep themselves occupied. Haywood spent a considerable amount of time gazing out the window. He looked as though he was deeply fascinated by something in the distance. Noble Edict got out a novel from her bag and spent the rest of the trip by reading. Bronze Star just kept an eye on Arthur. He also thought about the conversation he planned to have with Applejack later that day. That was something he was very much looking forward to. However, he dreaded the possibility that he might say something wrong. To ensure that he did not, he tried to rehearse for the conversation by visualizing it in his head. Since he had no way to predict what Applejack would say, he used his imagination to fill in her half of the conversation. There only two ways he could see it ending: Applejack would pass his test, or she would fail it. If she passed, they could be together. If she failed, they would be not be ready. Bronze Star was confident that she would indeed pass the test. At the very least, that was the outcome he was hoping for.

An hour later, the train pulled into the depot at Ponyville. Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank gathered their belongings and disembarked the vehicle.

The moment they stepped onto the platform, they were welcomed by a huge crowd. At first, Bronze Star thought they were there to greet him. However, he had only been gone for a day, and only a hoofful of people knew he had been away. So it would make no sense for them to react this way to his return.

It quickly became apparent that most of the people there were not there to see him. Instead, they were there to greet Noble Edict. This confused the red mare, as her return had not been announced. At least, that was what she thought.

Twilight Sparkle was there at the time, and she was able to provide some clarity. Last night, she had received a letter from Princess Celestia. The letter had been addressed to the mayor. In it, Celestia had notified the mayor that her chief of security would be coming back to town the following day. She had also apprised the mayor of the fact that she had made Noble Edict a Lady. As a result, Mayor Mare had decided to do something special to acknowledge Noble Edict's new status. So she put together an elaborate welcoming committee at the last-minute.

Presently, dozens of people were gathered at the station. Among them were Copper Hollow and Mayor Mare, along with a large percentage of the security staff and City Council. Clearly, the townsfolk was honored to have an official Lady as their chief of security. Noble Edict found herself speechless, for lack of a better word. All the same, she was grateful for the recognition.

In a way, Bronze Star was, too. Since everypony's attention was on Noble Edict, the gold stallion was able to push through the crowd nearly unnoticed. He ran into the Apple family at the very back. They were delighted to see him, just as he was delighted to see them.

He took a moment to introduce Haywood McCrank and the Apples to each other. Bronze Star claimed that Haywood was a colleague of his, and he mentioned that the indigo stallion would be working in Ponyville for the next few months. Initially, the Apples were bewildered by Haywood's flamboyant attitude, but they quickly got used to it. They actually found him to be an interesting character.

Bronze Star knew he would have to introduce Haywood to a number of people, mainly the mayor and the town's security staff. Inevitably, he would have to introduce Haywood to the other Element Bearers, too. He could predict that Pinkie Pie would want to throw him a party.

He was hoping to put that off for a while. Haywood McCrank was a rather outgoing pony, but he had mixed feelings about certain social gatherings. Aside from that, Bronze Star wanted Haywood to keep a low profile for the first few days of his stay in Ponyville. That way, the indigo stallion would be able to set up his investigation without anypony getting in his way.

Noting how crowded it was at the depot, Bronze Star proposed that they go somewhere more deserted. Neither Haywood nor the Apples protested. While everypony's attention was still on Noble Edict, the six of them slipped away from the scene. About ten minutes later, they arrived at the embassy.

Once they were inside, Bronze Star bade Haywood McCrank to make himself at home. It had already been decided that Haywood would live at the embassy for the duration of his stay in Ponyville. It was a building meant to accommodate government employees, after all. Plus, there were plenty of rooms, and if anything came up, Haywood would be able to notify Bronze Star right away.

Haywood did not bother getting unpacked just yet. He merely took his briefcases upstairs and placed them in the room that had been designated as his. After that, he went downstairs to mingle with Bronze Star and the Apple family.

The six ponies spent the next few hours engaged in friendly conversation. Haywood McCrank did plenty of talking, and he asked quite a few questions. He seemed as though he wanted to know absolutely everything about the Apples. Applejack, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh just presumed he was being neighborly.

Only Bronze Star knew the actual reason for the indigo stallion's inquisitiveness. Haywood operated very differently from a normal detective. He was used to exploring cases without very much information to go on. He had an uncanny ability to single out criminals from certain factors like their hobbies, their family history, their eating habits, and their social lives. The easiest way to obtain this information was not through an interrogation, but through casually chatting with people.

Haywood had made preventing the murder plot his number one goal. Because they had no leads as to who the victim or the assassin might be, he had come to Ponyville with the view that everypony in town was a potential suspect. He planned to interact with each and every citizen of Ponyville, and after learning all about them, he would separate them into two groups: the people he suspected of being involved in the plot, and the people he was confident were not involved.

Intrinsically, Haywood had already begun investigation. He was very pleased with how the conversation with the Apple family went. Applejack, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh all seemed like respectable ponies to him. By the time their conversation ended, Haywood had determined that none of them were the assassin or one of the vigilante operatives. He was fairly confident that none of them would be the victim either; he could not fathom any reason why anypony would want any of them dead. In other words, they were free of his suspicions. Later on, he told Bronze Star this, and the gold stallion was quite relieved to know that.

It was worth mentioning that at this point, Arthur was not the only animal staying at the embassy. Up until yesterday afternoon, Applejack's dog Winona had been at Sweet Apple Acres. While her mistress and her family were away, she had stayed behind to keep the crops safe from rabbits and other pests. However, Applejack had decided that she did not want to leave her faithful Border collie alone for so long. So she went back to the farm, found Winona, and brought her to the embassy.

Bronze Star had no objections. He had spent so much time around Applejack that the Border collie had become rather fond of the gold stallion. However, Winona seemed a little restless around Haywood McCrank. Then again, everypony was a little wary of the indigo stallion when they first met him. In addition to that, the superintendent was not very partial to animals.

Bronze Star and Applejack spent much of the afternoon outside with Arthur and Winona. All four of them were very athletic, so they got plenty of enjoyment and exercise out of it. It also gave them time to bond.

Just before they went back inside, Bronze Star took Applejack aside and asked her to meet him in his room sometime after dark, ideally around nine o'clock. When she asked why, all he said was that he had something of great importance to discuss with her. She accepted his request and promised she would be there.

After dinner, Bronze Star went straight to his room and closed the door. He spent a couple hours mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. He was confident that everything would go well. Granted, it would be hard to mess up something as straightforward as this, but even a simple task can be failed if one is not adequately prepared.

A few minutes before nine o'clock, Bronze Star quickly remembered the last part of that vigilante's letter. He had to let the group know that he planned to work with them. So he quickly took a piece of parchment and wrote "I'll be waiting" on it in large letters. Then he opened his window, attached the parchment to the exterior plate of glass, and shut the window back up.

Just as he was pulling the curtains over the window, there was a knock on his door. Bronze Star took a deep breath and mumbled under his breath "Here we go."

He swiftly trotted over to the door and opened it up. Sure enough, Applejack was standing on the other side. He smiled and bade her "Come on in, Applejack."

The orange mare smiled back and trotted into the room. Bronze Star closed the door behind her and locked it. He was not planning anything "extreme"; he just did not want to be overheard or interrupted.

After bolting the door, Bronze Star went over to his bed and sat down on the side of it. He beckoned Applejack to sit down next to him. Once the farmer was sitting by him, the prince nervously started rubbing his front hooves together. He knew what he wanted to say; he had been planning this all day. Yet now he found himself a little tongue-tied.

Fortunately, Applejack quelled his apprehension by speaking first. She queried "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

He took in another deep breath and answered with "I wanted to talk about… well, us."

"Okay, sounds good to me," she remarked candidly.

There was a twenty-second pause. Then Bronze Star looked Applejack in the eye and told her "Last night, at approximately this same time, I told my mother about the nature of our relationship. I also mentioned that you and I are thinking about being more than casual acquaintances."

"So how did that go?" Applejack inquired in interest, "Does she approve of that? More to the point, does she approve of ME?"

Bronze Star grinned and enlightened her "Oh, she more than approves of you. I think she actually admires you."

"She does?" Applejack said in astonishment.

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.

Applejack lightly scoffed and uttered "That's a bit of a surprise. I wasn't aware that she even knew very much about me."

"Maybe it's because you're one of the Element Bearers," Bronze Star speculated, "She might've done some research about you and the others after the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Yeah, that would definitely explain it," Applejack coincided.

The two ponies sat in silence for about a minute. Then the orange mare looked up at the gold stallion and stated "So, now that we know that your mother approves of us, does that mean there's nothin' to keep us from gettin' closer?"

"Pretty much," Bronze Star sheepishly replied, "However, before we go that far, there's something I need you to see."

"What?" she queried.

At that, Bronze Star got up off the bed and trotted over to his desk. He had hung his knapsack on a hook there earlier that day. As he removed the knapsack from its place, he turned to Applejack and told her "Come over here and I'll show you."

The orange mare hopped off the bed and joined the gold stallion at the desk. Once she reached him, Bronze Star stated "I need you to close your eyes for a moment."

She nodded and promptly shut her eyes. Bronze Star then cast the counterspell to the spell his mother taught him. Now his wings and horn were visible again. He pronounced "Okay, you can open them up."

When Applejack regained her vision, she was initially surprised to see Bronze Star's altered appearance. "What in…?"

"My mother taught me that illusion spell yesterday," Bronze Star calmly informed her, "Took me a couple hours to get the hang of it, but I'm now able to change my appearance all on my own. Sorry if I alarmed you."

"You didn't," Applejack assured him, "This was just a little… unexpected."

"I hear you," Bronze Star commented, "It's important that you see me in my true form for this."

"For what?" Applejack asked in confusion.

"Just watch," Bronze Star instructed her. He then opened up his knapsack, used his magic to remove the crown, and rested it on the top of his head. Once it was in place, he led Applejack over to the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe. He had her stand in such a way that both of them were totally visible in the reflection. Then he stated "You see this? This is what we really look like together. A farmer and a prince. There will come a time when I will have to stop pretending to be somepony I'm not. That may not be for a long time, but it is still inevitable. Once that happens, I will attract a lot more attention from the common people. A lot of that attention will be focused on you, too. Some ponies would find us as a very unusual pairing. Others would argue that such a pairing is outlandish and absurd. So tell me, and please give me an honest answer; do you believe you'd be able to put up with that?"

Applejack did not need even need to think about this. Almost straightaway, she firmly nodded her head and proclaimed "I don't care what people think or say about us. If they don't like it, they can go buck themselves. I'm proud of my heritage, I always have been, and I always will be. I know that you and I have very different backgrounds, but you've proven that we can get along. So yes, I can put up with that."

"I'm glad you think so," Bronze Star disclosed, "But what if we DIDN'T have different social standings?"

"How so?" she queried.

Bronze Star then used his magic to remove Applejack's hat from her head. She would have spoken out about this, but she felt this was part of the gold stallion's point. After setting Applejack's hat on the desk, Bronze Star removed his crown from his head, and he transferred it to Applejack's. He expected it to be a little loose on her, as mares typically had slightly smaller craniums than stallions. Ironically, the crown was actually a near perfect fit on her head.

All the same, Applejack was baffled by this action. Bronze Star enlightened her: "I don't need to educate you on what happens when two ponies become VERY interested in each other. In most cases, if they decide they want to stay together, they are able to come to some type of comprise. However, it doesn't really work that way in the Canterlot Royalty. Anypony who enters a committed relationship with a member of the Royalty automatically becomes a member of the Royalty, as well. If our relationship ever gets that far, would you be willing to make that transition?"

This time, Applejack needed a minute to think. She was not used to speculating, but this was one time when she had to. She knew that Bronze Star was not telling her that she would have to give up working at Sweet Apple Acres if she expected a long-term relationship with him. Still, she would definitely have to alter her lifestyle in a few ways. She was more than a little uncertain about that, as she could not imagine trading in her Stetson for a tiara.

Then she reminded herself of Bronze Star's current situation. He had managed to pull off living as a civilian for the past two months. When she grasped this concept, she reasoned that if she was in his position, she should be able to bend the rules like that, as well.

Ultimately, Applejack told the gold stallion "I suppose I would. If you really love a person, you have to be willing to make certain changes and certain sacrifices to be with them. Of course, right now, I don't know if our relationship ever WILL get that far. But if it does, I will do what I must to prove my devotion. So yes, again, Bronze. You can count on me."

Bronze Star grinned widely when he heard that, and he happily declared "That's all I needed to hear."

The gold stallion used his magic to remove his crown from Applejack's head. He returned his crown to his knapsack while the orange mare put her hat back on.

Bronze Star was absolutely elated at this time. Applejack had passed the test. Now he was confident they were ready to take their relationship to the next stage.

After the gold stallion hanged his knapsack back up on the wall, he trotted back over to Applejack and told her "Guess that just leaves one thing left for us to do."

She turned to him and queried "What might that be?"

He did not give her a verbal response. Instead, he slowly brought his front hooves up to her face, gently took ahold of her cheeks, and pulled her close. He shut his eyes and kissed her on the lips.

For just a moment, Applejack was stunned by this action. But only for a moment. After that, she gradually closed her eyes and amorously returned the show of affection.

> Caught Between The Lines
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the kiss, Bronze Star reassumed his Earth Pony disguise. Applejack stayed in his room for a while longer to talk with him, and she left shortly before midnight. Everypony else was already asleep, so while she did have to keep quiet, she did not have to sneak around.

Both Applejack and Bronze Star laid awake in bed for a while that night. The two of them wondered what the future might produce, and it excited them.

At breakfast the following morning, Bronze Star and Applejack sat side-by-side. Their gaze constantly shifted between their food and each other. They limited their friendly actions to that. They wanted to wait awhile before they did anything more affectionate in front of others. Luckily, Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom never suspected a thing. Sir Haywood McCrank, on the other hoof, had already figured out what was going on between the farmer and the prince. That was primarily attributed to his deductive reasoning; he was able to determine the nature of their relationship by observing their behavior alone. However, Haywood was never one to gossip, and he was an expert at keeping secrets, so he was going to stay quiet about this matter.

After breakfast, Bronze Star went back up to his room to prepare for the day. After showering and brushing his teeth, he gave Arthur his breakfast. He noticed that his pet hawk seemed to be focused on the window, which was still covered. Remembering the instructions in the letter, Bronze Star pulled open the drapes. A piece of parchment was attached to the exterior of the window pane. Bronze Star opened the window, grabbed the parchment, and pulled it inside. On the front of the parchment were there simple words: "So shall we."

Bronze Star headed over to the doorframe, stuck his head out, and called "Sir Haywood, could you come up here for a moment?"

Without giving a verbal response, the indigo stallion promptly trotted upstairs and met up with the gold stallion. After Haywood entered the room, Bronze Star shut the door and locked it. He then gave the parchment to the Superintendent and asked him "What do you make of this?"

Haywood briefly looked over the paper, and then he bluntly stated "Looks like we've got ourselves a genuine ally, Your Highness."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. Evidently, the vigilante group had acknowledged that the young prince had accepted their proposal. They would cooperate to thwart the murder plot together. However, given how this group was determined to remain anonymous, Bronze Star had no idea how their alliance would work out. He looked over at the wall and muttered "I wonder where we go from here."

No sooner had he said that that he got a response. Haywood was in the process of studying the parchment. He rubbed his chin and looked over at the window. He then got an idea. He went over to the window and stood in such a way that the early morning sunlight was pouring over the paper. Through the page, there appeared to be more words written on it.

"Sir, you better see this," Haywood advised the younger stallion.

Bronze Star hastily joined the investigator at the other end of the room. Haywood gave him the parchment, and he raised an eyebrow when he saw what the other stallion saw. Bronze Star curiously flipped the parchment over. At first glance, the other side was blank, but Bronze Star was certain he had seen something. However, at this time, he was holding it in the shade. He held it near the window again, and when the sunlight fell across the paper, a number of symbols appeared on it.

"Intriguing," Bronze Star commented. He turned to Haywood and queried "How did you know these markings were here?"

"I didn't," Haywood disclosed, "I was merely struck by a notion that our new 'allies' would somehow provide us with a means of communicating with them. Leaving a message in invisible ink seemed like the most rational method."

"I suppose that makes sense," Bronze Star conceded. Clearly, the words on this side of the paper had been written in a type of invisible ink. The solar radiation from the Sun must have made the ink visible. Bronze Star looked towards the window and muttered in satisfaction "Thank you, Mother."

Bronze Star quickly shut the window and stepped away from it. Then he reassumed his usual Alicorn appearance. He used his horn to cast a spell on the parchment. This particular spell made the paper act as though it was consistently in contact with solar radiation. That way, the invisible ink became visible. He showed the message to Sir Haywood. The indigo stallion smirked, saying "Now we can begin. We should show this to Lady Noble first."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement again. Once he changed back to Earth Pony form, he removed his knapsack from the wall and slung it over his shoulders. The two of them swiftly headed downstairs. They found that the Apples were about to head out to Sweet Apple Acres. It turned out that the shipment of lumber they needed had arrived last night, way ahead out schedule. They planned to start rebuilding their barn right away. Bronze Star told them that he and Sir Haywood had some business of their own to attend to, but if possible, he would swing by the ranch to lend the Apples a hoof.

The six ponies then departed from the embassy. Applejack, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith headed to the west towards Sweet Apple Acres, whereas Bronze Star and Haywood proceeded to the north.

Several minutes later, they arrived at the barracks. They found Noble Edict in her office. The red mare was in the midst of filling out some paperwork. She looked up at the two stallions and smiled at them, saying "Good morning, Sir Haywood, 'Mr. Ambassador.'"

"Hello, Noble," Bronze Star returned.

"Greetings, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank stated.

Noble Edict scoffed at being addressed that way. She drily remarked "You know, I'm still not used to that yet."

"Apparently the townsfolk already are," Bronze Star perceived, gesturing to the nameplate on the red mare's desk. The last time he had been in here, it had said "Noble Edict." Now it read "Lady Noble Edict."

"Indeed," Noble Edict pronounced, lightly rolling her eyes, "I still can't figure out how they managed to make this thing so quickly. Nopony even knew about my new title before the other night."

"They must've found a way," Haywood McCrank conjectured.

"They just want to show you proper recognition, Noble," Bronze Star noted, "After all, to be made a Lady or a Lord is widely viewed as a great honor, especially at your age. When was the last time somepony that important came to reside in Ponyville?"

"Odd how you of all ponies would make that point," Noble Edict wittily countered.

Bronze Star shrugged and admitted "Okay, you got me there. The difference is that only a few ponies in this town know my actual title, whereas everypony knows your new one."

"True," Noble Edict candidly stated. After a momentary pause, she sighed and declared "Oh, well. Regardless of all the new attention and treatment I've been getting, I'm just glad to be back in my office. I haven't sat in this chair in three weeks."

"I take it you're ready to reassume your duties as Ponyville's chief of security?" Bronze Star presumed.

"I was ready before we even got on that train," Noble Edict proclaimed.

"Excellent," Haywood McCrank said in approval. He then slowly shut the door to Noble Edict's office, making sure it closed all the way. Then he turned back to the red mare and told her "In that case, we should begin our investigation into that 'plot' straightaway."

"Very well, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict avowed. She leaned closer to the two stallions and apprised them "I've already selected who will be on the task force. There will be a total of eight ponies, including the three of us."

"May I see the personnel files of the other five?" Haywood McCrank requested.

"Already prepared them for you," Noble Edict smugly responded. She pulled open a cabinet underneath her desk and removed five yellow folders. She placed them on the surface of her desk and pushed them towards Haywood McCrank. The indigo stallion quickly picked them up and started looking through the folders one at a time.

Ponyville had a population of a few thousand. Its security force numbered slightly over a hundred. In just one night, Noble Edict had managed to go through the list and narrow it down to the five most promising candidates for this job.

The first one was Copper Hollow, her head deputy. He was the only one Noble Edict had immediately chosen to be on the task force. Up until this point, Copper Hollow's physical description has not been disclosed. He was an Earth Pony, and he was a couple years younger than Noble Edict. He had a copper coat, a burgundy mane, orange irises, and a metallic vase for a cutie mark.

The second one was a Unicorn mare named Paisley Branch. She had a cobalt blue coat, a tan mane, azure irises, and a pencil crossed over a pen for a cutie mark.

The third one was an Earth Pony mare named Almond Wheeler. She had a gray coat, a purple mane, brown irises, and a cart of crates for a cutie mark.

The fourth one was a Pegasus mare named Cassia Sprig. She had a periwinkle coat, a teal mane, scarlet irises, and a cinnamon stick for a cutie mark.

The fifth one was an Earth Pony stallion named Rollin Fields. He had a lime green coat, a white mane, puce irises, and a grassy meadow for a cutie mark.

All five of them varied in age and experience, but they were all sufficiently qualified for this task. Like Noble Edict, they were all natives of Ponyville. None of them had a single disreputable mark or blemish on their service records. They were honest, hardworking, model security officers, and Noble Edict was willing to vouch for the reliability and competency of all of them.

Haywood McCrank spent a few minutes going over each personnel file, and he was fairly confident that none of the five officers were either the assassin or a member of the vigilante group. He needed to speak with them face-to-face before he could be one hundred percent certain of that.

When he was finished reading the files, Haywood placed them back down on Noble Edict's desk and inquired "Have you discussed the plot with any of them?"

"No," the chief of security frankly replied, "I wanted to wait until you read their files and approved them yourself."

"A wise decision, my Lady," Haywood observed. He leant against the wall of the room and studied his front hoof. He inhaled deeply, and then he cleared his throat and said "I would like to speak with each of your people separately."

"Certainly, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict asserted, "All five of them have already clocked in. They should be here in the barracks. I assume you'd like to see them right away?"

"Affirmative," Haywood confirmed, "The sooner I see them, the sooner we can commence our investigation."

"Alright," Noble Edict coincided. She rose to her hooves and went over to the door. She opened it up and nodded to the opening, saying "Come with me, please."

Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank followed Noble Edict out into the hallway. She led them through several corridors until they arrived at the lounge of the barracks. More than half of the security staff was assembled there. The active officers were going over reports, discussing the itinerary for the day, and reviewing the protocols. The off-duty officers were playing cards, swapping interesting stories, or chatting.

When Noble Edict entered, everypony stopped what they were doing and stood up out of respect. The red mare chuckled and calmly told her subordinates "As you were."

Most of the ponies sat back down. Copper Hollow and several of the others remained standing. Noble Edict announced to the crowd "Deputy Chief Hollow, Deputies Branch and Sprig, Officials Wheeler and Fields, I need you to accompany me on an errand. Everypony else, carry on."

Copper Hollow and four of the others promptly made their way over to their superior officer. Once they were all together, Haywood asked the officers "Is there a place we can go where we can talk without being overheard or interrupted?"

"The interrogation chamber," Cassia Sprig disclosed, "Unless, of course, you don't think that would be appropriate."

"That'll do just fine," the indigo stallion proclaimed.

Noble Edict led the group through the building until they arrived at the interrogation chamber. Once they got there, Haywood McCrank announced "I would like to spend a few minutes with each of you."

"Forgive me if I sound impertinent, but could you please tell us who you are first?" Almond Wheeler inquired.

"This is Sir Haywood McCrank," Bronze Star introduced the indigo stallion, "Or Superintendent Haywood McCrank, if you prefer. He's an investigator from Canterlot's Intelligence Bureau."

"Fascinating," Paisley Branch commented, "If you don't mind me asking, what business does a federal agent have in Ponyville?"

"I cannot say just yet," Sir Haywood candidly disclosed, "All I can say at present is that my work here is of the utmost importance. I must consult all of you privately before I can elucidate."

"That sounds reasonable," Rollin Fields stated, "I'm willing to sit down and talk for a while. Even though we're not used to being on the other side of the interrogation table."

"Well I can assure you that these are not interrogations," Haywood McCrank expounded, "They are interviews. I will still require your full cooperation."

"And you shall have it, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow proclaimed, stepping closer to the indigo stallion, "I volunteer to go first."

"Very well, Deputy Chief Hollow," Haywood McCrank acknowledged, glad that at least one of the officers was being equitable.

Noble Edict opened the door to the interrogation and let the copper stallion and the indigo stallion step inside. She closed the door behind them so they could speak in total privacy.

Copper Hollow expected to be asked about his service record and his reasons for joining the security staff. However, Sir Haywood only asked him certain basic questions like what he enjoyed about his work, how he spent his leisure time, and his relationships with his family. It seemed as though Haywood just wanted to know about his personal life. Despite his confusion, he answered all the questions without holding anything back.

Fifteen minutes later, the two stallions reemerged from the interrogation chamber. Sir Haywood looked to Bronze Star and nodded his head once, meaning he had approved of Copper Hollow.

Haywood McCrank followed the same routine with each of the other four officers. Paisley Branch was easily the most cooperative, mostly due to the fact that she was the youngest. She had only been on the security staff for four years, and she wanted to be as helpful as possible. Cassia Sprig was a little more wary of Sir Haywood's approach. She suspected that there was an ulterior motive behind the indigo stallion's method. Almond Wheeler only said everything that she needed to say. She did not have a policy against giving away too much information; she just wanted to keep the interview as brief as possible. Rollin Fields was very careful with how he answered Sir Haywood's questions. He was by far the oldest of the five officers; he had been on the security staff longer than anypony else in town, and he had dealt with all kinds of criminals in his lifetime.

Altogether, the interviews lasted roughly over an hour. Sir Haywood McCrank ended up giving all five of them his stamp of approval.

"What shall we do now?" Copper Hollow queried once they were all gathered in the hallway again.

"Now we can move on to more pressing matters," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "For this, we should go somewhere where all eight of us can talk in secret. That small interrogation chamber will hardly suffice."

"How about the embassy?" Bronze Star suggested, "The meeting chamber is more than sufficiently large. Nopony can enter the building without my approval, either. Essentially, it's sequestered from the rest of the town, meaning we cannot be overheard."

"Works for me," Noble Edict stated. Sir Haywood McCrank and the five security officers concurred.

The eight ponies soon left the barracks and made their way to the embassy. After Bronze Star checked in at the front, the group gathered in the meeting chamber. Once the security officers were all settled, Haywood McCrank stood at the front of the table and waited until he had everypony's attention.

Once he did, he announced "Before I explain the situation, I need assurances that nothing we discuss here will leave this room."

Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Paisley Branch willingly agreed to that request. Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, and Cassia Sprig agreed as well, even though they were secretly a little skeptical. However, they were true to their word.

Once he had their assurances, Haywood cleared his throat and explicated "The other day, we received a letter from an anonymous source. In this letter was a warning about a crime that will take place in Ponyville sometime in the future."

"What sort of crime?" Cassia Sprig queried.

"A murder," Noble Edict candidly replied.

Paisley Branch, Copper Hollow, and Cassia Sprig were alarmed to hear that. Almond Wheeler and Rollin Fields were not as surprised.

"We get tips about potential murders every other week," Almond Wheeler disclosed, "None of them ever turn out to be valid."

"That's right," Rollin Fields conceded, "There hasn't been a murder in this town since I was a colt."

"That's like a hundred years ago," Paisley Branch slyly remarked.

Copper Hollow, Cassia Sprig, Noble Edict, and Bronze Star snickered at that. Sir Haywood McCrank and Almond Wheeler were indifferent. Rollin Fields just rolled his eyes and corrected his colleague with "Fifty years."

"Regardless of how long ago a murder occurred in this town, I can assure you that the warning about this one was credible," Sir Haywood pronounced.

"What makes you say that?" Paisley Branch inquired.

This time it was the gold stallion who answered. He informed the officers "Prince Bronze Star himself received this warning."

Everypony was surprised to discover this fact, including Almond Wheeler and Rollin Fields. Bronze Star went on with "It was given to him by a person who claimed to belong to a type of vigilante group. This particular person was able to break into the castle, sneak into the prince's bedroom, and plant the letter in his personal filing cabinet. They did all that without getting detected by the Royal Guard. Consider all that effort that would require, if you would. I highly doubt they would have gone to all that trouble unless they were certain the threat was legitimate."

"That certainly is a fair argument, Mr. Ambassador," Almond Wheeler observed.

"I must say; that's a rather melodramatic way to deliver a message," Rollin Fields noted.

"They must have wanted to emphasize the severity of this threat," Copper Hollow perceived.

"That, and the fact that they wish to remain anonymous," Bronze Star pointed out.

"You can hardly blame them for that," Paisley Branch stated, "After all, while vigilantes may have good intentions, they are still lawbreakers."

"That's debatable," Sir Haywood countered, "In most conditions, I would probably agree with you; most vigilantes cannot be trusted. I must make an exception in this case. You see, Prince Bronze Star gave me the letter. I looked it over thoroughly, and based on its contents, I am confident that they were being sincere with us. The murder threat is genuine."

"You came to that conclusion just by reading a single letter?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"I've confirmed national threats with even less information to go on than that," Haywood apprised her, "Believe me; if the vigilantes were trying to mislead or misinform us, I would have known."

"Okay, I guess that's enough to prove the legitimacy of this threat," Cassia Sprig declared, "However, I'm a little confused about one thing. Why did the vigilantes come forward in the first place?"

"They are determined to prevent this murder," Noble Edict disclosed, "In the past, they have been able to avert such disasters by using their own resources. However, they fear that they might be unable to stop this crisis on their own. So they sent out a request for aid. It was included in the letter."

"They asked Prince Bronze Star for aid?" Paisley Branch assumed.

"Yes, for whatever reason, they chose to approach him," Bronze Star answered.

"How did he respond?" Almond Wheeler inquired.

"After due consideration, he decided to grant their request," Haywood McCrank replied, "In response, he has authorized the creation and use of a special task force to investigate this matter. I was appointed by the prince himself to head up the task force."

"Who else is on this task force?" Copper Hollow queried.

"My hope is that there will be seven others," Haywood replied, resting his front hooves on the table, "Ambassador Gold Streak is here to provide correspondence. I have also sought out Lady Noble Edict's assistance in this endeavor, and I asked her to pick no more than five members of the security staff to join the task force."

The five security officers quickly caught on to what the indigo stallion was implying. Each of them turned towards Noble Edict. Cassia Sprig uttered in interest "Noble, he doesn't mean…"

The red mare just nodded her head solemnly and pronounced "That's why we're here."

"Lady Noble believes that the five of you are best suited for this job," Haywood McCrank revealed, "After reviewing your files and speaking casually with each of you, I am inclined to agree."

"You decided that after just one conversation with us?" Paisley Branch asked rhetorically.

"One conversation is all I need," Haywood McCrank professed, "Aside from that, Lady Noble vouched for you. I'd like to believe that her faith in her people is well-founded. All that said, the five of you are just her personal recommendation; neither she nor I nor anypony else can order you to join the task force. The choice of whether or not you will do so is up to each of you. Please make your decision now."

The room was immersed in silence for a while. The five security officers took their time to contemplate their own responses.

Copper Hollow was the first to speak up. He rose from his chair and pronounced "I'll help you, Sir Haywood. If Noble says this threat is real and she believes it's worth investigating, then that's good enough for me."

"I appreciate that, Deputy Chief Hollow," Haywood McCrank commented, smirking.

Noble Edict had been sitting next to Copper Hollow at that time. As the copper stallion sat back down, the red mare reached over and patted him on the back. He turned to her and gave her a polite smile, which she returned.

Haywood McCrank could see why Copper Hollow was the only member of the security staff that Noble Edict had immediately selected for the task force. He was as loyal and honest as he was competent.

The other four needed a little more clarification before they made their decision.

"Exactly how many people know about this threat?" Paisley Branch inquired.

Bronze Star rubbed his chin and thought a moment, and then he answered "Let's see; there's the eight of us, as well as Canterlot Castle's chief of staff, the Captain of the Royal Guard, and two government agents, both of whom are former captains of the Royal Guard, as well. So including the people in this room, there are twelve in total."

"Thirteen," Noble Edict claimed.

"Hmmm?" Bronze Star said in perplexity.

"You left out Prince Bronze Star," Noble clarified.

The gold stallion realized his mistake. His eyes dilated in surprise and he slapped his forehead in mock exasperation. He stated in fake surprise "Oh, yeah; stupid me. How could I forget him?"

The five officers seemed to buy this act. When none of them were looking at him, Bronze Star turned to Noble Edict and gave her an appreciative look, as if to say "Nice save."

"So even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna don't know about this?" Paisley Branch assumed.

"No, the prince wanted to limit the number of people who learned of this plot," Haywood disclosed.

"Why?" Rollin Fields inquired.

"In the letter, the vigilantes expressed their concern that if too many people became aware of the murder plot, the assassin would be incited to move in on the victim early," Noble Edict answered, "That's why we didn't go ahead and tell the town's entire security staff. Only a select few could be entrusted with the knowledge of it."

"So basically, the only people who can do anything about this plot – other than the vigilantes – are the ones in this room?" Almond Wheeler conjectured.

"Precisely," Bronze Star said candidly.

"In that case, you can count me in," Paisley Branch pronounced, "It sounds like you'll need every pony you can get. I'll gladly offer my services."

"Very well, Deputy Branch," Haywood McCrank avowed.

Now they had two acceptances; three more were still pending.

"Hold on a moment," Cassia Sprig disclosed, "You said that the vigilantes are seeking aid. You actually want us to collaborate with a group of vigilantes?"

"That's the general idea," Bronze Star affirmed, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not really a problem; just a few concerns," Cassia Sprig thought aloud, "In what way will we be working with them?"

"For starters, we won't be talking with them or meeting with them face-to-face," Haywood McCrank illuminated, "I've come to the conclusion that we won't have any direct contact with the vigilantes throughout the duration of this investigation. The letter emphasized that they wish to remain unknown."

"Then how in Tartarus are we supposed to work with them?" Rollin Fields queried.

"In the letter, they contained instructions on how to establish the alliance," Bronze Star stated, "They asked me to leave a message outside the window of my room at the embassy last night to signal the beginning of it, which I did do. When I woke up this morning, I found another piece of parchment in its place. The vigilantes left it to acknowledge our response. They also left another message in invisible ink, which we were able to enhance to make it visible."

"What exactly did this message say?" Copper Hollow asked in interest.

"Essentially, it was an instruction sheet," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "They intend this alliance to be a type of symbiotic relationship. Once a week, they want us to amass whatever information we have been able to uncover and leave it at a certain location."

"You mean like a drop site?" Paisley Branch supposed.

"Yes, exactly," Haywood asserted, "The location of the drop site will change every week, but it will always be a secure spot. On the morning of each drop, the ambassador will be informed where it will take place. The vigilantes will have already left whatever new intelligence they managed to acquire at the same exact places. They will allow us to take that new information and in exchange, we must leave our own recent findings there so they can pick it up later on."

"So we'll just be sharing and comparing our discoveries?" Almond Wheeler presumed.

"Yes, they don't intend for us to be in the same place at the same time as them ever," Haywood McCrank stated, "However, they expect for us to benefit from this arrangement as much as them; no more or less."

"Seems fair enough," Cassia Sprig perceived, lightly shrugging, "Alright, I'm in. As long as they don't hold anything back, I'm good with this."

"Excellent, Deputy Sprig," said Sir Haywood in approval.

Only two more of the officers needed some more convincing.

"What's so critical about this particular murder?" Rollin Fields inquired, "I know that murder is a serious and reprehensible crime, but why does this one warrant all of this secrecy and exploration?"

"We ourselves cannot venture a guess," Haywood McCrank explained, "We do not have a single lead as to who the assassin or the victim might be. Neither do the vigilantes. For all we know, they might not even be living in this town right now. Even so, the vigilantes put especial emphasis on how important it is that the murder be avoided. According to their warning, if this murder is allowed to happen, it could yield terrible repercussions for the entire country."

"How?" Almond Wheeler asked in bafflement.

"Use your imagination, Official," Noble Edict proposed, "Maybe somepony important will be targeted. They could disappear and be found dead in someplace they had no business being. The circumstances of their death may be more profound and extreme than the death itself."

"That's one such case," Bronze Star thought aloud, "It may not even be somepony who's that well-known. In fact, it could be an ordinary person, but the killer may intend to frame the blame on a highly respected individual. Think how THAT would turn out."

"If such a thing were to happen, the entire nation could fall into despair or disarray," Haywood McCrank hypothesized, "One single death is all it would take."

"Indeed," Rollin Fields coincided, "You make your point quite clear. In any case, you've got yet another additional to the task force. One murder in this town was bad enough; I have no intention of letting another one happen after fifty years of peace."

"Good to know, Official Fields," Haywood acknowledged.

Now only one person needed to respond. All eyes were on Almond Wheeler.

"Well, Official Wheeler, what say you?" Haywood McCrank queried.

Almond Wheeler gazed off to the side for a moment. Then she looked around at the others and disclosed "I will admit that you all have some fine reasons for joining this task force. But there is still one major factor you seem to have overlooked."

"What might that be?" Copper Hollow asked.

"The main idea of this whole thing is that we'll be working with a group of vigilantes," Almond Wheeler expounded, "Yes, they may mean well, but they are still engaged in illegal activities. Knowingly and actively working with them would set an impossible precedent. If word of it ever got out, we could all lose our jobs."

"We're aware of that, Almond," Noble Edict bluntly remarked, "But need I remind you about how much secrecy has been built around this investigation? Nopony ever WILL find out. That's the whole point of this meeting."

"And even if word somehow DID get out, I'm willing to put my job on the line for this," Copper Hollow proclaimed, "It would be worth it if we managed to stop this murder from happening."

"Well, I can assure you that as long as you cooperate and keep the investigation confidential, you won't lose your jobs," Bronze Star assured the officers, "Since this task force was formed by Prince Bronze Star himself, he will see to it that none of you are held accountable for any legal issues that may come up about working with the vigilante group."

"Alright, that does make me feel a little better," said Almond Wheeler, "Still, it just… well, it still feels wrong in a way. I have a particular disdain for people who operate outside the law and believe themselves to be above the law. I can't imagine working with such people."

"I see what you mean, Official," Haywood remarked, "However, in this case, you should probably remain a little more objective. The vigilantes took a great risk just by revealing their existence to us. They must have considered the possibility that their exposure might ultimately lead to their apprehension. With that in mind, I believe they feel that preventing this murder may be more important to them than the continuance of their organization's existence. So we're not the only ones who have been forced into a difficult situation."

Almond Wheeler found herself speechless, as did several of the other ponies in that room. They had not thought to view the scenario from that perspective, and it opened an entirely different outlook for some of them. After a short interval of quietness, Almond Wheeler looked up at the indigo stallion, smirked, and commented "You are very good with words, Sir Haywood. So good, in fact, that they're more than enough to win me over."

"Just what I was hoping for, Official Wheeler," Haywood McCrank said in satisfaction.

Bronze Star smiled in pleasure and observed "Looks like we're all in."

There were mutters of agreement all around the room.

"Right," Noble Edict commented, rubbing her front hooves together, "Then let's get to work."

The meeting lasted for another half-hour. The rest of it was spent outlining a plan for how the investigation would be organized and carried out over the next few months. The members of the task force would observe and make notes of all the activities that took place in Ponyville. Anything that seemed routine or abnormal would be noted and considered as evidence. They would meet at the embassy three or four times a week – preferably every other day – and discuss their findings to sort out the pertinent information. Anything noteworthy would be delivered to the preselected drop site in exchange for the vigilantes' own information. With any luck, this joint association would help them learn the identities of both the assassin and the victim, and in turn, it would hopefully enable them to prevent the murder altogether.

This was just how it went. Every day, the task force kept their eyes open for anything that stood out. Sir Haywood knew how to sort out killers and would-be killers from the rest of the crowd. He was able to use his expertise to advise the others on who and what to look for. Overtime, they also procured a list of potential suspects. Some would say that their information gathering was trivial at best, but it was still progress, and as Sir Haywood always said, any progress was progress.

The vigilante group tended to yield slightly more favorable information, mostly because all their people were able to go deeply undercover, and they did not have the constraint of having to respect the townsfolk's privacy. They also included a short list of potential leads and suspects for the task force to pursue. After all, the security staff was still able to give a more thorough, direct examination than the vigilantes.

Despite all the resources they had at their disposal, it was not enough to give them a feasible idea as to who the assassin or the victim might be. Then again, there was only so much the task force could accomplish. After all, they were unable to spend every waking moment concentrating on the investigation. Only Sir Haywood was capable of that; he had actually done that several times in the past.

Noble Edict and her fellow officers were still required to devote a certain number of hours to carrying out their normal duties in the town's security, and Bronze Star had to continue his role as the ambassador to Ponyville.

In addition to that, Bronze Star had three other matters that needed his attention. Like the murder plot, two of them involved schemes against the government. They were the Nightmare Moon cult and the conspiracy that Sir Raoul Jowl had been involved in. Although he had left those matters up to the country's law enforcement entities and the Firebrand Regiment respectively, he still wanted to be kept up to date on how those investigations were proceeding. So he had SIG Sauer and Bellerophon send him a progress report once a week.

The third matter was what he deemed to be the most delicate, the most meaningful, and the most significant: his relationship with Applejack. He planned to give this matter his all.

After the meeting at the embassy, Bronze Star had gone over to Sweet Apple Acres to aid the Apple family in rebuilding their house barn. The barn was already well underway; several of Ponyville's residents had come to assist in the project. When the gold stallion arrived, Applejack was the first to notice him. She happily trotted over to him and gave him a hug, which he returned. They were glad to see each other, but they decided to hold off doing anything more affectionate than that in public until the barn had been completed.

The foundation had been lain, and the frames had already been constructed and raised into place. Now they just needed to build the walls and roof and paint it. When he was younger, Bronze Star had learnt basic woodwork from Wood Reaper, the royal carpenter. Because of that, he was able to assist in raising the walls of the barn.

It only took a few hours to finish the construction of the house barn. Once the paint had dried, the Apples and their friends moved their furniture from the storage barn back to the house barn. By working diligently and cooperatively, they were able to complete the project by sunset. They were just in time for dinner. Most of their friends had gone back to town by then, but Bronze Star had remained behind until the Apples were settled in. Granny Smith offered for him to stay for dinner again, but he politely declined. He would have liked to have dinner with the Apples, but Sir Haywood McCrank was expecting him back at the embassy, and – as he told the Apples – Sir Haywood was not fond of unplanned last-minute changes in one's schedule.

However, he promised the Apples that he would come over for dinner again soon. In fact, he told them that they would be seeing a lot more of him in the future.

And so they did. Twice a week, Bronze Star was the Apple family's guest at Sweet Apple Acres, or they were his guests at the embassy. Overtime, Bronze Star and Applejack became conspicuously closer to each other.

Before long, they came forward and revealed to Applejack's family that the two of them were seeing each other. The other three Apples had different reactions, but all of them were positive. Big McIntosh was proud of his sister for finally having a stallion in her life. Apple Bloom teased her older sister for having a coltfriend, but she was secretly a little envious of her. Granny Smith just congratulated her granddaughter and the gold stallion; she admired them for choosing to become more than just friends.

Neither Bronze Star nor Applejack had ever been in a romantic relationship before, but they were equally determined to make things work out between each other. As two of the most motivated people in Equestria, there was a lot of hope for them.

Bronze Star effectively found himself juggling three schemes involving sedition and one romantic relationship at the same time. Luckily, it was not too much for him to handle. He typically managed to give all four of them an equal amount of attention. But at times, he tended to give Applejack more time than he gave the cult, the conspiracy, and the murder plot combined. Truth be told, he was perfectly alright with that. The time he spent with her was when he really felt like a normal person.

The next four months passed by in this manner.

SIG Sauer and Bellerophon sent him weekly updates on the hunt for the Nightmare Moon cult and the terrorist conspiracy. Both of these investigations were progressing very well.

More than a hundred of the cultists from the list found at the hideout in Hoofington had been arrested. Of course, Bronze Star could have had all 825 suspects arrested at once, but he did not want to tip off the rest of the cult that the government was hunting them. So he had given the law enforcement entities in the country instructions to only arrest the cultists if they found them committing a crime that was unrelated to the cult. Using loopholes and technicalities, the police had managed to bring in dozens of the cultists. They had also managed to get some of the one hundred plus suspects to talk. A few of them had even broken down and confessed everything they knew. Because of that, the government had been able to locate three more of the cult's hideouts near Baltimare, Las Pegasus, and Trottingham. As a result, almost two thousand more members of the cult had been uncovered. At this rate, the entire organization would theoretically be exposed within a year or two. Once that happened, the government would be able to apprehend all of them at once. However, there was still no sign of Hazy Wisp anywhere. Bronze Star made sure everypony kept an eye out for her. Given the role she played during the Summer Sun Celebration, he was certain Hazy Wisp was very high up in the cult's chain-of-command.

The search for the people involved in the conspiracy against Princess Celestia had yielded even more fruitful results. This was to be expected, as there were thousands of ponies in the Nigthmare Moon cult, but there were only twenty in the assassination conspiracy. Material Study was dead, Raoul Jowl had defected, and Lavender Dazzle was being watched by undercover operatives. By observing the activities of Raging Tempest, Sparker Blare, and Esopus Spitzenburg, the Firebrand Regiment and their colleagues in the field had managed to uncover the identities of six more of the conspirators. Only eight more needed to be identified. Once their identities were discovered, the Firebrand Regiment planned to take out all eighteen of them simultaneously, effectively ending the conspiracy at the same time.

However, as productive as the investigations into the cult and the conspiracy were, the investigation into the murder plot was nowhere near as favorable. In this scenario, Bronze Star and the task force were only searching for two people: the assassin and the victim. But at the start of their investigation, they had no idea as to the identity of either of them. If worse came to worst, it could be possible that every single inhabitant of Equestria could be either.

All the same, every member of the task force was determined to prevent the murder from happening. The security staff was fortunate to have Sir Haywood McCrank leading the investigation. However, in some instances, they were inclined to question his tactics.

Haywood utilized some rather unconventional methods for pursuing leads. For starters, he had determined that the murder would take place in a spring or summer month. His reasoning for that was that in his experience, he had observed that most serious premediated murders tended to take place in warmer climates. Whereas during the fall and winter months, premature deaths were more often the result of accidents or self-inflicted damages than homicide.

Haywood had also asked the task force to go to bed every night with a copy of their cumulative information of the murder plot underneath their pillows. When asked why, he explained that by having their research that close to them in their slumber, they may have a dream that contained another clue. At the start of each of their meetings, he would ask the others what they had dreamed of, and they would describe their dreams to him in as vivid detail as possible. Believe it or not, this ploy actually worked a number of times. Every member of the task force had provided at least one new lead from their dreams. It was never anything especially significant, but it still brought them somewhere.

By studying almanacs and newspapers from out of town, Haywood McCrank had been able to conclude that the killer or the target would not be anypony from the faraway cities like Fillydelphia, Vanhoover, or Manehattan. In fact, he was almost completely certain that the assassin and the victim were already living in Ponyville. Nopony in town demonstrated any particular hostile or violent behavior, but he knew that the best assassins did not have a short temper or volatile demeanor. Instead, they could remain inconspicuous by being calm and friendly. In other words, the most likely candidates were the people who seemed least capable of murder.

Between his obligations as an ambassador and his role in the three investigations, Bronze Star found himself rather preoccupied on an everyday basis. Even so, he managed to make time for Applejack almost every day. That was quite a commitment, especially considering that oftentimes Applejack was just as busy as Bronze Star. She was used to working long hours in the apple orchards at her plantation.

At first glance, the two of them appeared to be two ordinary workaholics; one in manual labor and agriculture, one in politics and exploration. However, as they quickly discovered, workaholics were just as capable of being romantics. For a while, they kept their new relationship a secret; only Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom knew about it. As well as Sir Haywood, even though they never told him directly; he just figured it out on his own.

It was not long before Applejack and Bronze Star let more people know about the nature of their relationship. They started with the other Element Bearers. Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike were excited for the two of them. Shortly after this, they told their other friends in the town like Noble Edict, Derpy Hooves, Dr. Sharp Seams, Copper Hollow, and several others. Overtime, more people became aware of their romantic bond.

Four months had passed since Bronze Star and Applejack had their first kiss, and by now, it was common knowledge in Ponyville that the two of them were dating. Luckily, neither of them had been a target of gossip. That had been Bronze Star's biggest concern at the start of their relationship. He himself could handle being the target of rumors; if not, he would have not lasted very long as a member of the Canterlot Royalty. However, he did not wish any of that on Applejack.

In the span of those four months, Bronze Star had only visited Canterlot once, and that that was for the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. He had spent most of the day with his mother and aunt, and he had given a speech to the public to wish the people of the nation Happy Holidays. On Hearth's Warming Day itself, he had gone back to Ponyville to spend time with his friends there. It was his first Hearth's Warming away from home, but the people of Ponyville were like a second family to him. The exchanging of gifts was especially enjoyable. His favorite gift had been a Stetson from Applejack; when he put it on, Pinkie Pie had remarked to him and Applejack "Wow, you two match!"

Naturally, she had meant that as a joke, but Bronze Star and Applejack felt she may have had a good point. They felt as though they DID make a good match, even without the Stetsons. Based on the direction their relationship was going, they had potential to become a great match. Only time would tell if they were truly destined to be.

> Adjustments
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the Holidays, the people of Equestria witnessed a pleasurable yet brief season of snow and frigid weather. Celestia and Luna had decided there would be an early spring this year, so winter would be ending six weeks early. That meant that the people of Equestria would have to be ready to make a quick transition to warm weather. For most of the cities, this was relatively simple; they only had to use magic to change the seasons. However, it was not quite that simple in Ponyville. Because the settlement had been established by Earth Ponies, it was traditional to use absolutely no magic to change the seasons. They did everything the hard way and relied solely on strength and flight.

The task force had a meeting the day before the last day of winter. None of the members had dreamed up any more clues. A few of the town's citizens had been acting strangely, but Sir Haywood attributed that to the anticipation of the upcoming early spring.

This meeting was rather brief; it only lasted about a half-hour. The task force spent most of that time reviewing their findings over the past four months. They were still exchanging information with the vigilantes, and by this point in time, both groups had managed to come to the conclusion that the victim was already in Ponyville, but the assassin might not have arrived yet.

Although some of the people on the task force had been unsure about this whole operation at first, they had become very close-knit over the past four months. None of them had gotten entirely used to Haywood McCrank's flamboyant mannerisms, but he had gotten them further along in the investigation than anypony else on the force, and for that, they were grateful.

The eight members of the task force lingered at the embassy for a few minutes after the meeting ended. They had sat in silence for a while, and Bronze Star broke it by asking "So, anypony have plans?"

"We certainly do, Mr. Ambassador," Paisley Branch disclosed, "Tomorrow is Winter Wrap Up, after all."

"On that subject, we'd better rest our voices for the rest of the day," Rollin Fields suggested.

"Huh?" Bronze Star murmured in perplexity.

"He means we'll be putting our voices to good use soon," Cassia Sprig clarified.

"That's… intriguing," Bronze Star commented, "Might I ask why, though? I would have thought you'd be more concerned about preserving your strength rather than your voices."

Almond Wheeler just scoffed and proclaimed "You'll see what we mean tomorrow morning, sir."

Bronze Star was still curious about this implication, but he decided not to pursue an answer any further. He could wait until the following day to find out what they meant. After a brief period of quietness, Bronze Star looked around the room and remarked "I've heard a few things about Winter Wrap Up, but there are some details that aren't entirely clear to me. Could you enlighten me?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Ambassador," Cassia Sprig asserted, "What would you like to know?"

"Well, how exactly is the whole process executed?" Bronze Star queried.

"The townsfolk is split into three teams," Almond Wheeler expounded, "The weather team, the plant team, and the animal team."

"Technically four if you count the supervision team," Rollin Fields added in.

"Right, right," Almond Wheeler bluntly stated, "Anyway, each team plays its own role. The weather team melts the snow and clears the skies. The plant team begins cultivating the crops for the next year. The animal team awakens or retrieves all the wildlife that has been away since the start of winter."

"And, of course, the supervision team ensures that nopony gets hurt or slacks off," Copper Hollow declared.

"Peculiar," Sir Haywood muttered in interest, looking around at the security officers, "Which teams will each of you be on?"

"I'll be on the plant team, like most of the other Earth Ponies," Almond Wheeler revealed.

"Same here," Rollin Fields mumbled.

"Weather," Cassia Sprig disclosed.

"Animal," Paisley Branch stated.

"Supervision, naturally," Copper Hollow declared.

Haywood McCrank looked over at Noble Edict and remarked "I assume you'll be leading the supervision team, Lady Noble?"

"Correct, Sir Haywood," the red mare affirmed, "Most of the security staff are typically on the other three teams. Only a few of them join the supervision team, and they compose about half of it. The other half are civilians."

"Noble and I will be observing them, as well," Copper Hollow pronounced. "This occasion is always a good way to find new recruits for the security staff."

"How do you tell the teams apart?" Bronze Star inquired.

"The three main teams have color-coordinated vests," Noble Edict enlightened him, "The supervision team is divided up equally into three groups and assigned to monitor the other teams, and in addition to the respective vests, its members have black badges to tell them apart from everypony else."

"Vests and badges, huh?" Haywood McCrank remarked in interest, "How quaint."

"Indeed," Noble Edict conceded. After a brief silence, the red mare turned to the indigo stallion and suggested "On that note, you probably shouldn't wear a suit tomorrow, Sir Haywood."

"Him not wearing a suit?" Bronze Star cheekily pronounced with a smirk, "That'll be the day."

Bronze Star had known Sir Haywood McCrank for fifteen years, and in all that time, he had never seen the indigo stallion without a suit. That included the past four months in Ponyville; every morning, afternoon, and evening, he had been fully dressed in formal getup. From what Bronze Star could tell, the only apparel Sir Haywood had brought with him from Canterlot were four suit jackets, four long-sleeved collared shirts, four suit pants, four belts, eight pairs of black socks, four pairs of polished black shoes, and seven ties. Whenever he was in the company of another person, Sir Haywood was always wearing a combination of those articles. Bronze Star doubted he even owned any informal attire, and secretly, he wondered if Sir Haywood even slept in one of his suits.

"I'm not under any obligations to dress this way," Haywood McCrank candidly revealed, gesturing to his current apparel, "The Intelligence Bureau actually has a very loose dress code. This is simply how I prefer to present myself. However, because this is a special event, I suppose I could bring myself to make an exception this one time."

"Well, suit yourself, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow proposed, "No pun intended."

"Good; I despise puns," Haywood McCrank mumbled.

The other seven ponies snickered at that remark, even though Sir Haywood had been serious when he said it. Despite being a good-natured person and having a decent sense of humor, he had a particular disdain for plays-on-words and humorist irony.

"Getting back to Winter Wrap Up, how exactly are the teams formed?" Bronze Star queried curiously.

"By volunteers," Paisley Branch illuminated, "Everypony goes to Town Hall to sign up for the team of his or her preference. They always do this a few days in advance so that the City Council have enough time to catalogue everypony's whereabouts."

"Once the official census has been made, the Mayor passes it on to me," Noble Edict went on, "As Ponyville's chief of security, I'm required to look the roster over and verify that everypony is qualified to be on the team of their choosing. also helps me decide how to distribute the people on the supervision team."

"When does the Mayor give you the census?" Bronze Star inquired.

"She actually delivered it to me this morning," Noble Edict elucidated, "I approved it right before I came to this meeting. Just about everypony in town has signed up."

"Well, not everypony," Bronze Star countered, "I do not believe Sir Haywood McCrank, Twilight Sparkle, or I have joined a team yet."

"That's right; the three of you are the only ones who are still pending," Copper Hollow affirmed.

"How long do we have to decide?" Haywood McCrank inquired.

"Well, since the three of you are relative newcomers to Ponyville, you do not have to sign up so soon," Noble Edict informed them, "If you like, you can wait until Winter Wrap Up actually begins and observe the four teams in action for a while. Once you get an idea of what each one does, you can make a decision from there."

"I like that idea," Haywood McCrank professed, "All the same, I'll probably go ahead and take the supervision team. I believe my skills would be of most use there, as I have an aptitude for reconnaissance and surveillance. Aside from that, I'm not much of a nature person. Plus, it will give me a rare opportunity; one I cannot afford to pass up."

"What opportunity, Sir Haywood?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"The entire town will be out and about mingling with each other," Haywood McCrank pointed out, "What better way to examine the residents of a town than by studying them as they work together? If I look closely enough, there's a chance that I could uncover something more about the murder plot tomorrow."

"You still plan to continue the investigation during Winter Wrap Up?" Cassia Sprig assumed in disbelief.

"Of course I do, Deputy Sprig," Sir Haywood confirmed, "I have been working on this investigation nonstop ever since I arrived here, and I do not intend to put it on hold for anything until it has been solved."

Everypony understood this sentiment; they all saw it pointless to debate it any further.

"Very well, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict acknowledged. She turned to the gold stallion and asked him "What about you, Mr. Ambassador?"

"I may go with the supervision team, as well," Bronze Star stated, "But unlike Sir Haywood, I'm as much an outdoors person as an indoors person. So I'm willing to give the weather, animal, and plant teams a chance before I make a decision. Twilight Sparkle will probably do the same."

"That's fine by me, sir," Noble Edict asserted, "Just go with what you know and what you feel comfortable with."

"You got it," Bronze Star acknowledged. There was a short period of quietness, and then the gold stallion pronounced "I find myself looking forward to tomorrow. I've never seen a town change the season without the use of any magic whatsoever. I'm curious to see how you all manage to do it."

"Well, it isn't easy, Mr. Ambassador," Almond Wheeler proclaimed, "In fact, more often than not, we are unable to finish on time."

"Really?" Bronze Star said in astonishment, "Wow, that's a pity."

"You're telling us," Cassia Sprig sardonically remarked, "Hopefully this year, we'll actually finish the schedule on time for once. If not, we'll probably be the laughingstock of the country."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Bronze Star boldly declared, "For as long as I am here, I will not allow any disgrace or embarrassment to come to this town."

A few of the others scoffed at how dramatically confident the gold stallion seemed, but they had to admire him for it.

"If only everypony in this town shared your drive, Mr. Ambassador," Paisley Branch commented.

"If they did, they'd probably be motivated enough to accomplish their work on time," Rollin Fields hypothesized.

"Well, maybe I could try to boost everypony's morale tomorrow," Bronze Star offered.

"We'd greatly appreciate that, sir," Copper Hollow stated approvingly.

"Just do what you can," Noble Edict advised them all, "I'm sure that'll be more than enough."

The eight ponies talked casually for a little while longer. At the end of their friendly conversation, Noble Edict and the other five security officers gathered up their materials and departed from the embassy. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank were left by themselves.

Normally, at this time of day, Bronze Star would have gone outside to mingle with Applejack or his other friends. However, the townsfolk had been busy preparing for Winter Wrap Up these past few days. Applejack had been especially busy, as she was supposed to lead one of the three main teams. Bronze Star assumed she was too preoccupied with work at this time, and he did not want to risk bothering her, so he chose to stay at the embassy with Sir Haywood McCrank.

While Sir Haywood was a much sterner and less affectionate companion than Applejack, Bronze Star enjoyed the indigo stallion's company. The prince actually found it hard to get bored around Sir Haywood, and he was one of the few ponies who was never baffled or bewildered by the Superintendent's strange and unusual mannerisms.

The two stallions did not do anything especially interesting that day. Between lunch and dinner, all they did was talk with each other. They discussed the progress of their investigation thus far, certain events that had taken place in town, who they had made friends with, and new hobbies they had taken up. Despite his appearance, Sir Haywood was an avid fan of a certain fantasy series that Bronze Star happened to enjoy as well. The two stallions could talk on and on about it for hours and still not get tired of it.

After dinner, the two stallions retired to their rooms. Sir Haywood spent time organizing his files, and Bronze Star just read a book. In his opinion, that was perhaps the best way to spend a late evening when one was alone. He could imagine Twilight Sparkle felt the same way.

Both stallions went to bed at approximately ten o'clock. Any other night, they would have turned in no earlier than midnight. However, they wanted to get plenty of rest so that they could wake up bright and early the following morning. That way, they would be able to get to the town square before everypony else. They were not motivated by a competitive desire; they simply wished to be there before the area became overcrowded. So they planned to wake up at six, have breakfast at six-thirty, and arrived in town square by seven.

Unfortunately, that is not quite what happened. Both stallions had forgotten one critical factor: they had been working exceptionally hard recently. For the past four months, they had been so preoccupied with the murder investigation and their other affairs that they had often neglected to get sufficient rest. Most days, they only got four or five hours of sleep; maybe six or seven if they were lucky. So when they went to bed earlier than usual, they inadvertently gave their bodies the opportunity to catch up on sleep.

As a result, Bronze Star did not stir until shortly before eight o'clock. He was still a little fatigued when he woke up, But when he looked over at the clock on his nightstand, he immediately became wide awake. He promptly jumped out of bed, rushed to Sir Haywood's room, and persistently knocked on the door. About three minutes later, the indigo stallion finally answered it. He seemed somewhat groggy, but when Bronze Star told him what time it was, Haywood snapped to attention.

On the plus side, Bronze Star's curiosity had been appeased. It turned out Sir Haywood did not sleep in a suit after all. Still, it was strange to see him with nothing on.

The two stallions hurried to get ready. It took them ten minutes to eat breakfast, five minutes to shower, and two minutes to make themselves presentable. Bronze Star needed an additional three to feed Arthur his breakfast. Once they were finished with the morning preparations, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank hastily left the embassy and galloped as fast as their hooves could carry them to the town square.

As they moved through the town, they noticed that the streets were completely deserted. When they were halfway to the square, they encountered Twilight Sparkle and Spike. The lavender mare was carrying her small assistant on her back, and the baby dragon seemed exhausted. They seemed to be heading in the same direction as the two stallions.

"Hi, Bronze," Twilight happily greeted them, "Hi, Sir Haywood."

"Good morning, Twilight Sparkle," Haywood McCrank returned.

"Glad to see you, Twilight," Bronze Star stated cordially, "Hello, Spike."

"Hey," the baby dragon sleepily said in response.

"Don't mind him; he's not used to getting up this early," Twilight Sparkle proclaimed. She took a moment to look the two stallions over, and she observed, "Speaking of which, you guys look like you woke up about five minutes ago."

"Just about," Bronze Star wryly commented, "At any rate, we better get to the town square. Trot with us?"

"Sure," the lavender mare replied.

The three ponies trotted side-by-side towards the center of Ponyville. As they headed there, Twilight Sparkle turned to the stallions and remarked "I would have thought you two would want to get there earlier, like an hour or two."

"That was our general plan," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "But we encountered a small setback."

"What setback?" Twilight Sparkle queried.

"Overslept," Bronze Star informed her, "Both of us."

"Oh, okay," Twilight Sparkle avowed in understanding. She looked over her shoulder and pronounced, "I had the same problem with Spike. He proved to be very uncooperative this morning. I almost literally had to drag him out of bed."

"Maybe if you actually did drag him the rest of the way, he'd get up," Bronze Star proposed jokingly.

"The thought did cross my mind," Twilight Sparkle slyly uttered, "But I don't think I could bring myself to do that. If I did, he could seriously get hurt."

"Right," Bronze Star murmured in agreement, "Oh, well. Give him some time to regain his bearings. He should be up and at 'em by the time Mayor Mare gives her opening speech."

"I hope so," was all Twilight Sparkle said in response.

The four natives of Canterlot continued moving in silence until they reached the town square. As they approached the area, they saw that the town's entire population was already gathered there. They also noticed that everypony was wearing a vest. Around a quarter of them had black circular objects attached to the front of their vests.

"Those must be the team vests Rarity designed," Twilight Sparkle conjectured, "Blue for the weather team, green for the plant team, and tan for the animal team. I wonder which team vests we'll be wearing."

Spike raised himself up slightly, and he stated lazily "I'll take a blue vest, same color as my blanket, which I think I hear calling my name. 'Spike! Spike! Come to bed!' Ugh, it's too early."

As he laid back down on Twilight's back, she just rolled her eyes, as did the two stallions.

"I'm guessing the supervision team does not have its own vest," Bronze Star perceived.

"Correct, sir; you may recall that Lady Noble said that her people have badges," Haywood McCrank recounted, "Those black circular objects must be those badges."

"I think you're right, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star coincided.

Noble Edict and Copper Hollow were standing near the back of the crowd. The red mare was wearing a green vest, and the copper stallion was wearing a brown vest. Unlike most of the other ponies there, the two of them were also wearing one of the black objects near the neckline of their vests. Obviously, those were the badges Noble Edict had mentioned. The badges were quite convenient; they made it easy to tell who was on the supervision team.

Noble Edict noticed the four Canterlot natives had just arrived. When they reached the crowd, she stepped closer to them and drolly pronounced "Glad you all could join us."

Bronze Star nodded and stated apologetically "Sorry if we're late."

"You're not," Noble Edict assured him, "You're right on time. The Mayor will be starting any moment now."

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the Mayor climbed onto the stage at the front of Town Hall. Everypony quickly quieted down so that she could speak to them. Once there was total silence, the mayor began the opening ceremony. She announced "Thank you, everypony, for being here bright and early. We need every single pony's help to wrap up winter, and bring in spring."

In response, the entire crowd cheered in agreement and eagerness. Once their cheering subsided, Mayor Mare continued with "Now, all of you have your vests, and have been assigned to your teams, so let's do even better than last year, and have the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!"

There came another brief round of cheering. Evidently, the entire town was quite enthusiastic and eager to start Winter Wrap Up. Then again, it was equally possible that the townsfolk just became excited very easily. Case in point, Twilight Sparkle commented fervently "Oh, this is so exciting."

Mayor Mare finished her brief speech with "Alright everypony, find your team leader, and let's get galloping!"

When she made that last statement, she had gestured to the clearing adjacent to the town square. That was where the team leaders were waiting. Rainbow Dash was leading the weather team, Applejack was leading the plant team, and Amethyst Star was leading the animal team.

Bronze Star had assumed that Fluttershy would be the one in charge of the animal team. But it quickly occurred to him that the yellow Pegasus did not appreciate being the center of attention very much, and she was not very fond of giving out orders. With that in mind, it actually made sense that somepony else would be tasked with leading the animal team.

Twilight Sparkle, Bronze Star, and Haywood McCrank watched as the crowd dispersed and everypony went to gather with his or her respective team. The three of them were the only ones who had yet to select a team. Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank were not compelled to find a team so hastily, but Twilight Sparkle was a little more zealous. She thought aloud anxiously "Oh gosh, where should I go? I'm not sure where I fit in. What exactly does everypony do?"

Straightaway, she got an answer. It was given to her in the most peculiar and unforeseen manner imaginable. The entire town ended up providing this answer.

Not three seconds after Twilight Sparkle asked that question, Ponyville was immersed in total darkness. It was as though somepony had blotted out the Sun. For a moment, Bronze Star was concerned that this was the work of that Nightmare Moon cult, or that yet another person was attempting to cover the land in darkness. Fortunately, he was just being paranoid. He quickly found out that something much different was going on.

Shortly after the darkness arrived, a spotlight appeared in the clearing above Rainbow Dash. Music suddenly started playing the background, and the cyan mare began to sing:

"Three months of winter coolness

And awesome holidays."

Another spotlight appeared over Pinkie Pie, and the pink mare sang:

"We've kept our hoovsies warm at home

Time off from work to play."

A third spotlight appeared over Applejack, and the orange mare sang:

"But the food we've stored is runnin' out

And we can't grow in this cold."

Yet another spotlight appeared above Rarity, and the white mare sang:

"And even though I love my boots,

This fashion's getting old."

Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank silently observed this spectacle. The two of them were deeply fascinated by it. As well as a little perplexed.

"Where are those spotlights coming from?" Bronze Star whispered inquisitively.

"I believe the darkness was produced by the arrangement of the clouds, and somepony is punching holes in the clouds to let the light through in concentrated sunbeams," Haywood McCrank pronounced softly, "What really intrigues me is what those mares are doing. I was not informed there would be a musical interlude."

"Neither was I," Bronze Star conceded, "Apparently, we're the only ones who have been caught unawares."

This observation was very accurate; the entire town had been better-informed then the gold stallion and the indigo stallion. They soon discovered that even Twilight Sparkle knew what was going on. Because after Rarity had her verse, the darkness lifted, and once the sunlight returned, the lavender mare started trotting through the town. As she moved, she sang loud enough for everypony to hear:

"The time has come to welcome spring

And all things warm and green

But it's also time to say goodbye

It's winter we must clean

How can I help? I'm new, you see

What does everypony do?

How do I fit in without magic?

I haven't got a clue!"

The residents of Ponyville started spreading throughout the town, and they all sang together:

"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer.

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!"

Applejack started singing the next ling by herself:

"'Cause tomorrow spring–"

She was interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who swooped past the farmer and finished the lyric with:

"–is here!"

The choir repeated that last line as one:

"'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"

Rainbow Dash soared through the sky with many of the Pegasi who were on the weather team. As they proceeded to clear the clouds in the immediate vicinity, the cyan mare sang these next few lines solo:

"Bringing home the southern birds

A Pegasus' job begins

And clearing all the gloomy skies

To let the sunshine in

We move the clouds

And we melt the white snow."

From the ground, Pinkie Pie sang these next two lines with Rainbow Dash:

"When the sun comes up

Its warmth and beauty will glow!"

During that last line, a focused ray of sunshine had shined down on Twilight Sparkle, as if it was calling her or beckoning her in a way.

Now throughout the town, ponies were starting to bring out all the supplies, materials, and equipment they would need to accomplish their tasks. While they did this, they repeated the chorus from earlier:

"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"

Near the southern border of Ponyville, most of the animal team was gathered near the burrows and kennels of the hibernating creatures. They were already in the process of wakening them from their extensive slumber.

Rarity then sang from her spot at the front of Carousel Boutique:

"Little critters hibernate

Under the snow and ice"

Fluttershy finally had her first line; she sang it from one of the rabbit kennels:

"We wake up all their sleepy heads

So quietly and nice."

As more members of the animal team tended to the underground dwellers, Rarity took over again and she sang:

"We help them gather up their food

Fix their homes below."

As a flock of migratory birds sailed through the area, Fluttershy sang accordingly:

"We welcome back the southern birds"

The white Unicorn and the yellow Pegasus finished this section together with:

"So their families can grow!"

By now, all three of the main teams were well underway. The animal team was relocating some of the animals that had just woken up, the weather team was clearing snow from the trees, and the plant team was gathering up the aforementioned snow. While all this took place, the choir continued singing:

"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"

All throughout this round of the chorus, Rarity had sung "Winter, winter" in the background. Near the western part of town, many of the Earth Ponies on the plant team were plowing away the snow using basic equipment. Applejack was monitoring their activities, and while her people worked, she sang:

"No easy task to clear the ground

Plant our tiny seeds

With proper care and sunshine

Everyone it feeds

Apples, carrots, celery stalks

Colorful flowers too

We must work so very hard"

Cherry Berry and Golden Harvest sang this next line with her:

"It's just so much to do!"

Currently, the younger residents of the town were herding the small animals, the houses' roofs were being cleared of snow, and the crops were being prepared for planting. The chorus was repeated once more:

"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!"

From the eastern boundary of the settlement, Pinkie Pie was skating on some ice. She sang by herself:

"'Cause tomorrow spring is here"

The choir joined her with:

"'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"

All throughout this, music had continued playing in the background. Until now, it had been relatively fast and upbeat. Here it became considerably slower and more serene. Twilight Sparkle was presently trotting up a steep hill. As she made her ascent, she softly sang:

"Now that I know what they all do

I have to find my place

And help with all of my heart

Tough task ahead I face

How will I do without my magic

Help the Earth pony way

I wanna belong so I must

Do my best today,

Do my best today!"

Now everypony was beginning to regroup in the town square and the areas adjoining it. At the same time, they sang:

"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!"

The area gradually became surrounded by pitch blackness like at the beginning of the song. Soon the only light in the town was being produced by four spotlights in the clouds. They were concentrated on the town square, and one of them was much larger than the other three. The three smaller ones were shining down on the weather team, the plant team, and the animal team. In the center of them, Twilight Sparkle stood with the largest spotlight shining down on her.

As the townsfolk sang, she sang as well:

"'Cause tomorrow spring is here

'Cause tomorrow spring is here

'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"

During this last round of the chorus, the spotlights had gradually gone out one-by-one, until only the spotlight above Twilight Sparkle remained. Once the lavender mare stopped singing, the music ceased playing, and the final spotlight faded away as well.

Ponyville was covered in darkness for less than five seconds. Then the clouds were cleared and the sunlight returned. Without another word spoken, everypony got back to work.

Throughout the duration of the song, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank had hardly moved from their spots in the town square. They had paid careful and close attention to all the lyrics. They had to admit; it had a rather catchy melody, and it was beautifully executed. It was also very insightful with regards to explaining what was accomplished during Winter Wrap Up.

"This explains why the others wanted to rest their voices yesterday," Haywood McCrank observed.

"Yeah," Bronze Star coincided, lightly nodding his head, "I wonder when they had time to rehearse this. More to the point, how did they prepare for this without either of us noticing?"

At this point in time, Noble Edict and Twilight Sparkle were the only ponies in the clearing who were within earshot of the gold stallion and the indigo stallion. The red mare trotted over to the two of them and apprised them "The song's part of the Winter Wrap Up tradition. We never practice it in public, though. Partly because we memorize all the lines at a young age."

"That's rather interesting," Bronze Star stated. After a short pause, he remarked "Tell me something, Noble. The plant, animal, and weather teams all had their own sections in the song, but the supervision team didn't. Why is that?"

"Because the purpose of the song is to explain what specifically goes on during Winter Wrap Up," Noble Edict enlightened him, "The three main teams are responsible for all that, whereas the supervision team is just here to ensure that everypony is kept safe. So it would be pretty pointless if the supervision team had its own set of verses."

"I suppose that would make sense, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank concurred. He then turned to Twilight Sparkle and asked her "Did you know about the song?"

"Yeah, I did," Twilight disclosed, "All my lines are an official part of it."

"The Mayor asked her to sing the bridge of the song," Noble Edict expounded, "That's the part that is meant to represent a newcomer's perspective on Winter Wrap Up. Say a person who does not know what really goes on, or is indecisive about which team to pick. The next three verses given by the weather, animal, and plant teams provide the necessary exposition. It's arguably the most significant portion of the whole song."

"Since I genuinely did not know anything about Winter Wrap Up before today, I feel as though that part suited me perfectly," Twilight Sparkle perceived.

"I should say so, Twilight," Bronze Star said in agreement. He gazed around the area and muttered "Still, I find it a little odd that nopony told me or Sir Haywood that the opening ceremony would include a musical number."

"Well, you and Sir Haywood have been so busy lately that we assumed you did not have time for that sort of thing," Noble Edict proclaimed.

"You're probably right, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank professed, "Still, if you want to tell us about stuff like that in the future, feel free to share it with us."

"I shall," Noble Edict asserted, "At any rate, now that you've seen the town's collective musical talent, what do you think?"

"It was very impressive," Bronze Star pronounced, "Not to mention insightful."

"Yes, I can draw up a clear image of everything that happens during Winter Wrap Up now," Haywood McCrank stated.

"Good, that was the intended effect," Noble Edict proclaimed, "So, no hard feelings about not being included in it?"

"Oh, trust me, there are none whatsoever," Bronze Star assured the red mare, "It's probably for the best that you did not tell us about the musical number, anyway. I mean, Sir Haywood McCrank does not like to sing, and my own musical ability is virtually nonexistent."

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow and said in surprise "Really?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star shamelessly affirmed, "I'm not saying I have no taste in music. I know all about the history and evolution of music overtime. I also have a huge appreciation for all genres of it, and I enjoy listening to it as much as the next stallion. However, I have absolutely no musical talent of my own."

"I find that difficult to believe," Noble Edict dubiously claimed, "Several of the best musical artists in the country come from Canterlot, and most of them receive their training there, as well. I've also heard that Canterlot is regarded as the epicenter of music in Equestria. I mean, don't they have orchestras performing almost every single day?"

"Yes, and every week, at least three of them perform for the Canterlot Royalty," Bronze Star validated, "Even so, none of their musical ability has ever rubbed off on me. Trust me, you wouldn't want to hear me sing, Noble. I'm a trained soldier, an educated politician, and a natural leader, but I cannot sing worth a damn."

The red mare just shrugged and remarked "Alright. If it really makes you feel that uncomfortable, I'll drop the matter."

"Thank you," Bronze Star told her appreciatively.

The area was surrounded in total silence once more. Then Noble Edict looked around at the three ponies from Canterlot and pronounced "Anyway, now that you guys are here, I may as well ask you. Have you decided which team to join?"

"I've chosen to go with the supervision team after all," Haywood McCrank "The other teams have their perks, but I feel I would belong in the one that looks out for everypony's best interests. After all, that's the team I've been playing for all my life."

"So be it," Noble Edict coincided. She reached into the pocket of her vest, removed one of the black badges, and held it out to the indigo stallion, saying "Here you go, Sir Haywood. Make certain you wear this so that everypony can see it. That way they know which team you're on."

"Thank you, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank said gratefully as he accepted the badge. As he attached it to his upper chest, just below his neckline, he looked up at Noble Edict and queried "Do I need a vest, as well?"

"Only if you plan to confine your patrols to one team," the red mare responded.

"Well, I aim to be all over the town and study every member in all three teams," Haywood thought aloud, "In that case, I won't be needing a vest. How fortunate."

"'Fortunate?'" Noble Edict repeated in confusion.

"He isn't partial to vests," Bronze Star illuminated, "That's like the one piece of formal attire he has little to no appreciation for."

"Oh, okay," Noble Edict said in acknowledgement.

Once Haywood McCrank had the badge fastened to his upper chest, he told the others "I'm going to go ahead and survey the town. I'll make sure everything is in order and that all the people are doing their jobs. I'll let you know if I see anything noteworthy or abnormal."

"Sounds good, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star stated in approval, "Good luck out there."

"Luck has nothing to do with it, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank bluntly claimed, "All the same, I thank you for your bidding."

The indigo stallion then turned around and headed towards the northeastern region of Ponyville. This section was currently the least crowded part of the town, so Haywood saw it logical to start surveying that place first. It was easier to scrutinize smaller groups of ponies.

Once Haywood was gone, Noble Edict turned to Bronze Star and inquired "What about you, Bronze?"

"Up until the song, I was more or less fixed on the supervision team, too," the gold stallion disclosed, "Right now, I'm not so sure. It's like Sir Haywood said; the other teams seem just as interesting, now that we know what goes on in each of them. So as of right now, I'd say I'm undecided."

Noble Edict nodded in acceptance. A few meters away, Twilight Sparkle was pacing apprehensively, as if she was forcing herself to pick a team to join. It was no easy decision for her, and she looked as though her inability to decide was giving her a headache.

"Looks like you're not the only one," Noble Edict observed, gesturing towards the lavender mare.

Twilight Sparkle anxiously muttered under her breath "Everypony belongs to a team. What should I do? Where should I go?"

Less than five meters away, Rainbow Dash was inspecting some of the flyers on the weather team. Once she confirmed they were ready, she announced "Alright team, you're clear for takeoff."

As the other Pegasi rose up into the air, Twilight Sparkle approached the cyan mare and called out "Rainbow Dash!"

The Pegasus turned towards the Unicorn, and said favorably "Oh, hey Twilight, what's up?"

"What are you doing?" Twilight Sparkle asked curiously.

"Sending off one of my flight crews to retrieve the birds that have flown south for the winter," Rainbow Dash enlightened her friend.

"Oh, can I help?" Twilight offered eagerly, "How about if I help clear out the clouds?"

The Pegasus was initially compelled to make a joke, but when she saw that the Unicorn was serious, she gave a slightly more serious response. She expanded her wings and mumbled awkwardly "Um..."

The lavender mare looked over her shoulder, and she realized her mistake; her back was bare. She turned back to Rainbow Dash and glumly stated "Right. No wings."

"Yet," Bronze Star murmured quietly.

He had only said that loud enough for Noble Edict to hear. The red mare turned to the gold stallion and queried "What was that, Bronze?"

"Oh, nothing, Noble," the young prince hastily insisted, "Nothing at all."

The security chief could tell he was lying, but she agreed to drop the subject, as she assumed he had a good reason for concealing the truth. In actuality, he did. His mother had plans for something special regarding Twilight Sparkle in the near future. Like Project Breakdown, this plan was a secret to all but the Canterlot Royalty, including Twilight Sparkle. But also like Project Breakdown, its effect would be life-changing, especially for Twilight herself.

In a way, Bronze Star could imagine how Twilight felt at that time. He could have used his own wings to help clear the skies, but because he would expose himself by revealing them, that was out of the question.

"Sorry, Twilight," Rainbow Dash told her friend sincerely. She then turned to her front, started flapping her wings, and rose into the air. She arose so quickly that she took Twilight by surprise.

As the cyan mare flew away, Twilight Sparkle muttered sadly "Great, now what do we do?"

Spike had climbed off her back a few minutes ago. Presently, he crawled over to a bush and laid down in it. As he got settled, he told the Unicorn "I don't know about you, but I'm gonna be nappin'."

He then closed his eyes and promptly started snoring.

Twilight Sparkle was very annoyed by her assistant's complete indifference. She trotted over to him and urged him "Come on Spike, this is serious business. Winter needs to be wrapped up, and I'm determined to do my part. Somehow."

Bronze Star could see that she was desperate to find something to do. He went over to her and patted her on the back, saying "It's alright, Twilight. I can't decide either."

That did make Twilight Sparkle feel slightly better, but it did not alleviate the pressure she was under; she had a strong urge to somehow contribute to Winter Wrap Up. She noticed the town's chief of security was still in the area. She looked over at her and asked her hopefully "Noble, do you have any advice for us?"

The red mare rubbed her chin and thought for a moment, and then she shrugged and suggested "Why don't you two just go around town and see what everypony else is up to? There's a lot going on, and sooner or later, you're bound to find something you have a knack for."

"I like the sound of that," Bronze Star said in approval. He turned to the Unicorn and enquired "What do you say, Twilight?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea," the lavender mare concurred. She smiled at the red mare and told her "Thanks, Noble."

"Anytime, Twilight," Noble Edict asserted. After another short pause, she straightened out her vest and declared "Well, I'd better get going; the rest of the supervision team is waiting for orders from me. Good luck in your search, though. Once you have found a job you like, make sure you get a vest from the corresponding team. Or a badge, if you decide to join the supervision team."

"Got it," Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle muttered in unison.

Noble Edict then headed towards the northern end of the town, leaving the prince and the magic student by themselves. They spent about five minutes trying to wake up Spike, and once the baby dragon was awake and on his feet, they began their search.

They started at Carousel Boutique. There they found Rarity creating artificial birds' nests. They looked almost identical to natural birds' nests. The only differences were that instead of saliva and spider webs, the twigs were held together with a ponymade, animal-friendly adhesive, and they were decorated with ribbon.

Rarity had already made the first nest on her own. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were impressed by her work, and they decided to try making on of their own. Bronze Star felt as though this would be a relatively effortless job. He had been trained to construct and dismantle weapons blindfolded. Creating a birds' nest seemed much easier by comparison. Twilight Sparkle was also pretty skillful at building things, especially when she combined magic with science. Of course, she could not use magic here, but she was very handy with her hooves, as well.

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle went ahead and tried to assemble a birds' nest. They used Rarity's as a base model, and the white Unicorn guided them through the process. She was a fair instructor, and both of them were great at following instructions, but their first attempt at building a birds' nest did not fare as well as they hoped it would. Bronze Star actually did fairly well. His nest was not as sturdy or as neat as Rarity's, but it was still formidable enough to support at least a couple birds. Twilight Sparkle did not have as much luck. Stitching and weaving the twigs together with twine was a lot more complicated than she had guessed it would be. When she was finally finished, the final product could hardly be regarded as a birds' nest. Whatever it was, it was not suitable to house a worm, let alone a family of birds.

Spike was keen to point out how much of a disaster Twilight's wise. Bronze Star was a little more encouraging than the dragon. He told Twilight that since it was just her first try, she did not have to think it had to be perfect. Rarity tried to make a few adjustments to Twilight's nest to fix it. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that she would need to make many more than "a few" alterations to repair the nest. While the white Unicorn was engrossed in that project, the gold stallion, the lavender mare, and the baby dragon decided to move on.

They headed over to the eastern part of Ponyville next. There they found Pinkie Pie ice-skating on the surface of frozen lake. She was not doing this to have fun. At least not solely. She had been assigned to score the surface of the frozen lakes so that the ice would melt more swiftly and steadily. This was an assignment she both enjoyed and excelled at.

However, lakes were quite abundant in Ponyville, so it looked as though she would be busy for quite a while. She asked Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle if they would like to assist her, and they happily accepted this offer. Bronze Star had only gone ice-skating once before in his entire life, but he had excellent balance and reflexes to compensate for his lack of experience. Twilight Sparkle had been on the ice quite a few times back in Canterlot, but she had always gone out on her bare hooves. She figured it could not be that much harder with ice skates. It had been a few years since she had last been out on the ice, but she was confident that her prior expertise would come back to her.

After adorning some ice skates, the gold stallion and the lavender mare tentatively sauntered out onto the ice. Bronze Star stumbled and almost slipped a few times, but he managed to stabilize his poise. Luckily, his military training had made him very agile and light on his hooves. Once he was properly focused, he tried skating straight forwards. His skating pattern was not as orderly or smooth as he would have preferred, but it was steady enough to properly score the ice.

Once more, Twilight Sparkle did even worse than the gold stallion. Unbeknownst to her, the rivers and ponds she had skated on in Canterlot had been charmed so that during the winter season, anypony could move on them with or without skates. Even people with no sense of direction or balance would be able to travel across that ice. Twilight Sparkle had only ever skated on those ponds and rivers. This became painfully obvious; the lakes at Ponyville had not been charmed in such a way, and Twilight Sparkle had no experience in skating on naturally-formed ice. From the moment she stepped on the ice, she was zooming in every direction except the one she meant to go in. She was unable to control her speed, course, or actions at all. Pinkie Pie tried to instruct her friend on how to navigate the ice properly, and Bronze Star tried to help by pressing her to regain control of her legs and focus on her path, not on her feet. Despite their best efforts, Twilight Sparkle failed to synchronize her movements quickly enough.

Ultimately, her disastrous skating patterns ended in Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Spike getting stuck in three stakes piles of snow. Bronze Star was interested by the design they formed. They looked like the figure of a mythical creature that walked on its hind legs and used its front legs as tools. The gold stallion helped extricate his friends from the pile of snow. Twilight Sparkle quickly concluded that this task was not ideal for her; she felt it was time to move on. Bronze Star found ice scoring to be slightly more interesting than building birds' nests, especially since he would be able to get some exercise. However, he felt as though he was a little overqualified to just spend the entire day on ice, and he felt the routine would get to be a little tedious after a while. So Pinkie Pie recommended that they try lending Fluttershy a hoof instead. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle followed this suggestion and soon after, both of them left the area with Spike.

After passing through the town and searching for a while, they reached the southern border of Ponyville. There they found Fluttershy rousing a family of hedgehogs and a pair of porcupines. The yellow Pegasus was able to use her gentle and patient demeanor to slowly and carefully awaken the hibernating creatures in town. This seemed like an appealing task, so Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle asked if they could aid her. Fluttershy happily accepted their offer.

Bronze Star was used to dealing with fiercer animals like hawks. With that in mind, he assumed that dealing with calmer and tamer animals would be relatively simple. Aside from that, hunting was a personal hobby of his; he knew how most of those animals thought and behaved. They knew they responded well to boisterous actions and to displays of strength.

His first attempt was not really what Fluttershy had in mind. Bronze Star approached one of the warrens, violently rapped his front hoof against the opening, and shouted "Yo, up and at 'em, slackers! You already wasted all winter lying on your backs! You wanna do the same for all spring?!"

In response, a family of possums soon emerged from the warren, and then they immediately collapsed as if they had dropped dead on the spot. Clearly, Bronze Star's method did have the intended effect, but the animals had reacted in a manner that Fluttershy had hoped to prevent. Although Bronze Star's approach got the job done, it was a little too belligerent. Fluttershy emphasized that the goal was to bring the animals around, not to traumatize them. So Bronze Star agreed to drop the drill sergeant act.

Twilight Sparkle tried next. She used the bells as Fluttershy had demonstrated, and she leaned her head down to the opening of one of the burrows. Bronze Star had observed this from afar, and he predicted that this would not end well for Twilight. He knew that bringing one's head down to the level of any animal's dwelling without examining it beforehand was a huge mistake. In fact, that was the number one way for the hunter and the prey to switch places. Twilight Sparkle learned that the hard way when a few snakes appeared at the mouth of the warren. They startled Twilight greatly, and she was so alarmed that she galloped straight backwards without looking where she was going. She then had an unpleasant encounter with a cave full of bats, a beehive, and a den of skunks.

Luckily, Copper Hollow soon came along and rescued Twilight before anything else happened to her. He and Spike escorted the lavender mare to the library so that she could tidy up. In the meantime, Bronze Star decided that he was not much more qualified than Twilight to awaken small animals. As such, he chose to continue looking for another chore to do.

So far, he and Twilight had tried both the weather team and the animal team twice, and nothing seemed right for either of them. Bronze Star figured he may as well give the plant team a chance now. Before he came to Ponyville, he had not known very much about farming and agriculture. But ever since he moved to this town, he been spending a lot of time at Sweet Apple Acres. Because of that, he had learned plenty about reaping and cultivating crops. Hopefully this newfound knowledge would be of use to him today.

Bronze Star soon arrived in the fields in the western part of Ponyville. About half of the plant team was gathered there. They were in the process of using some plows to clear away snow from all the fields in the area. Applejack was standing on the nearby hill and monitoring their progress. She called out to her teammates "Keep pushin', Caramel. That's it, Bumpkin. I know it's hard work, but you guys are doin' great."

Bronze Star quietly approached her from behind, and he amusingly remarked "Well, they DO have a great instructor."

Applejack was taken by surprise at first, but she immediately recognized the stallion's voice, and she turned around to face him. She smiled and told him appreciatively "Thanks, sugar cube."

"Anytime," was all Bronze Star said in response, smiling as well.

The two of them leaned closer to each other, closed their eyes, and softly pecked each other on the lips. At this point in time, they were close enough that they had no reservations about making out in public in front of other people.

Once they pulled apart, Applejack asked her coltfriend "So, which team are you on?"

"Still unsure," Bronze Star replied, "Twilight and I have been all over town, and we haven't found anything on the animal or weather teams that really stands out to us. Thought it was time to give the plant team a chance. I don't suppose you have anything I could do?"

Applejack lightly nodded and pointed to a stationary snow plow a few meters away. She pronounced "We're trying to remove all the snow as quickly as possible so we can start planting the seeds. Think you could make use of that there plow?"

"I could certainly try," Bronze Star remarked, "Is there any technique to operating it?"

"No, all ya have to do is push, walk, and turn," Applejack informed him, "As long as you have good strength and coordination, you should do just fine."

Bronze Star nodded in approval, saying "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

He trotted over to the snow plow and climbed into it. Once he was positioned in it properly, he started walking forward. Initially, it was a little difficult to push the plow, due to the height of the snow. Luckily, it did not take Bronze Star long to overcome this hindrance. Once he got the hang of using the plow, he was able to push it through the tall snow without any trouble. He was then able to focus on steering and accelerating the contraption.

Within minutes, he was handling it like an expert. He went to work gathering up all the snow in his path and depositing it on the sidelines. Before long, he managed to clear an entire field. He did that all by himself in under ten minutes. Once he was finished, he returned the plow to its original spot. Then he climbed out of it and trotted back over to Applejack. She seemed quite pleased with what she just witnessed.

"What do you think?" Bronze Star asked eagerly.

"That was impressive," Applejack remarked in gratification, "Is this really your first time using a plow?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "But I'm a fast learner."

"I guess so," Applejack conceded, "You made pushing that thing look so simple. I doubt even I could have worked that quickly."

"Oh, I think you could," Bronze Star hypothesized, "I mean, Earth Ponies have like two or three times the strength of Unicorns and Pegasi."

"True, but from what I've heard, Alicorns are supposed to be even stronger," Applejack pointed out.

"That may be," Bronze Star professed, "All the same, you're the strongest mare I know. Perhaps even the strongest pony I know. Your strength might even surpass mine."

Applejack smiled at that, and she wittily proposed "Maybe you and I could test each other's strength sometime."

"That sounds like a fun idea," Bronze Star coincided, "I wonder which of us would be the victor."

"I'm inclined to think that'd be you," Applejack candidly stated, "That's not to say I don't think I'd have a chance of winning."

Bronze Star smirked and asked rhetorically "You think you can overpower me?"

"Well, if given the opportunity, I would like to try," Applejack freely admitted.

"In what way?" Bronze Star queried.

"What do you mean?" Applejack said in perplexity.

"Where would you want to overpower me, and how?" Bronze Star specified.

"In an endurance test, of course," Applejack proclaimed, "I don't see how the location would matter, though. Unless… Oh, my."

Straightaway, the orange mare realized what the gold stallion was actually insinuating. When he addressed the subject of one of them overpowering the other, he was not just speaking in terms of their physical capacity. Indirectly, he had also implied the concept of one of them overpowering the other in terms of sexual prowess.

Naturally, he had made this innuendo as a joke. Even so, it made Applejack blush deeply and gaze off to the side nervously. Bronze Star actually felt a little embarrassed himself by what he said, and seeing Applejack uncomfortable made him feel more so.

After an interval of unpleasant silence, Bronze Star placed his front hoof on his fillyfriend's shoulder and told her apologetically "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. Please disregard everything I just said."

"Already have," the orange mare assured him, brightening up right away.

Bronze Star was relieved to see that she was not bothered by his inappropriate joke. In the future, he planned to be more careful with his words when talking about his relationship with Applejack.

On the plus side, Bronze Star felt as though he had finally found a task he was qualified for. The snow plow allowed him to utilize his stout body and his strategic mind, and this duty was the one thing he had executed flawlessly thus far.

In addition to that, his work with the plow had left a very positive impact on the other members of the plant team. When they saw how the gold stallion had cleared an entire field by himself so quickly, they were motivated to work faster and more efficiently as a result. Within the next twenty minutes, they managed to completely clear out another three fields.

Applejack was very content with how greatly her team had improved their performance. She giddily cheered "Yee-haw!"

Just then, Twilight Sparkle and Spike arrived on the scene. The lavender mare seemed to have recovered from her earlier predicament. As she and her assistant approached the gold stallion and the orange mare, she remarked "Hey, Applejack. Hey, Bronze. How's everything going?"

"Oh, just dandy," Applejack proudly replied, "Little slow startin', but peachy all the same. Ever since Bronze Star got here, things have gotten a lot better."

"Really?" Twilight asked in interest, looking to the young prince.

"Yeah, he cleared out an entire field by himself in under ten minutes," Applejack elucidated, "Somehow, that's encouraged everypony else to work harder. Still, there's a lot of ground to clear, ya hear. We can't even start the plantin' and the waterin' until we git all these heap a' snow high-tailed outta here."

"Well, I'd like to help," Twilight Sparkle offered.

Applejack had willingly accepted Bronze Star's help because he was a very physically active stallion. However, Twilight Sparkle preferred to spend all her time sitting down, reading books. The farmer was a little uncertain about accepting her help. She tentatively remarked "Well, I... I dunno, Twilight."

"Just give me a chance," the magic student pleaded.

"Well, I never turn down a hard worker, but..." Applejack began apprehensively. She was a little hesitant to accept the lavender mare. Still, she could not bring herself to turn her down without reason, and she could tell that she genuinely wanted to contribute. So she agreed to give Twilight a chance.

Applejack gestured to the snow plow Bronze Star had used earlier. Twilight Sparkle trotted over to the vehicle and entered it. She struggled to get it to move, but she had no luck. Bronze Star muttered under his breath "Come on, Twi. You can do it."

Eventually, the plow began to move. It started out slow, but it gradually picked up speed. Before long, Twilight was moving almost as quickly as everypony else. Applejack muttered suspiciously "Hmm. She's awful strong for such a little pony."

Bronze Star knew what was really going on. Twilight Sparkle was not moving the plow. At least not directly. A few seconds before it began to move, he had seen her horn produce its aura. The gold stallion concluded that she must have enchanted the plow somehow. Applejack did not seem to notice, as she was more focused on the plow than its occupant.

Apparently, Spike realized what the Unicorn was doing, too. He called out to her "That's my girl, following my advice."

"And what in tarnation does that mean?" Applejack sternly demanded.

For obvious reasons, the baby dragon did not respond. Soon, Twilight was moving at the same pace as the other members of the plant team. Her plow did not slow down then. Instead, it became progressively faster. It appeared as though she had lost control of both the plow and the spell she had placed on it. She tried desperately to get the machine to decrease its speed or stop altogether, but nothing she did had any affect. The plow just continued to gain velocity. Less than a minute after the plow started moving, it was going too fast for Twilight to even attempt to keep up with it.

Needless to say, Twilight was totally unable to guide the plow, as well. It ended up crossing the entire field, and then it sharply turned itself around to head back the way it came. Now it was speeding directly towards Bronze Star, Applejack, and Spike.

Before the three of them had a chance to dodge or dart away, the plow collided with them. This caused it to slow down by a modicum, but then it resumed picking up speed. As a result of the collision, the plow had started to gather up snow in the form of a large spherical ball. Applejack, Bronze Star, and Spike were trapped in that ball, and they could not get free of it. The best they could hope to do was keep their heads above the surface of the massive snowball as it grew in volume.

Amidst this disorder and frenzy, Applejack managed to focus on the plow's operator. She crossly shouted "What's going on? Wha'd'ya do? You used magic, didn't you?"

Ultimately, the plow did stop when it crashed into the base of a very steep hill. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Bronze Star, and Spike were buried under about a foot of snow. Luckily, they managed to extricate from the snow drift, but they were all terribly disoriented. To make matters worse, the plow's impact against the hill had caused a small avalanche. Subsequently, all the snow on that hill had scattered onto the grounds below. Several of the fields that had already been cleared of snow were now covered in it once more. This happened much to the anger of the plant team, much to the dismay of Twilight Sparkle, and much to the frustration of Applejack.

The farmer turned to the magic student and snapped angrily "Nuts, Twilight, you used magic."

"The nerve." Spike scathingly proclaimed, "Can you believe her?"

Bronze Star narrowed his eyes and muttered heatedly "Don't play stupid, Spike. This is partly your fault, too."

The baby dragon pretended he had not heard the gold stallion and looked away from him nonchalantly.

Applejack continued to berate Twilight Sparkle with "That's not how we do it 'round here, Twilight, and especially not on MAH farm."

By now, Twilight Sparkle was on the verge of tears. She had tried so hard to do something right, and even with the use of magic, all she managed to do was set everypony back. She nervously turned to Applejack, and told her distraughtly "Well, see, I just wanted to..."

She did not finish her sentence. All she did was whine, burst out of the snow pile, and hastily gallop out of the fields. As she ran away, she started sobbing.

Concerned for Twilight's well-being, Spike chased after her once he freed himself from the snow pile. It only took Bronze Star and Applejack about a minute to liberate themselves, as well. Once they were out of the snow, the gold stallion glared at the orange mare and muttered in a disappointed tone "Applejack, you have every right to be angry about this, but the way you spoke to Twilight just now was uncalled for. You made her cry."

Applejack was somewhat taken aback by how displeased Bronze Star sounded. She stated defensively "That wasn't my intent, Bronze."

"Well, it's still what happened," the gold stallion pointed out, "Look, I understand that the tradition of never using magic during Winter Wrap Up is sacred here. I also understand that there are no loopholes, exceptions, or conditions to that rule. However, Twilight is not used to that sort of thing. You cannot expect her to cease using magic overnight."

"So what do you expect me to do?" Applejack irritably murmured, "You want me to just pretend this did not happen? Do you want me to look the other way while she breaks the tradition?"

"No, that's not what I'm asking," Bronze Star firmly asserted, "I'll admit it WAS wrong of Twilight to utilize magic. But put yourself in her horseshoes. She's been studying magic since before she got her cutie mark. It's played a major role in her entire life, it's her special talent, and she's the bearer of the Element of Magic. To the people of Ponyville, going without magic for Winter Wrap Up would seem like an easy concept. But in Twilight's case, she is basically being asked to disregard the very thing she has built her life around. That would be like somepony asking you to forget all about farming for a day."

Applejack could not refute that logic. She had not been away from Sweet Apple Acres in nearly a decade, and she never wanted to leave it again. Her coltfriend did make some very excellent statements. However, she was just as determined as he was to get her point across. She calmly told him "I get what you're saying, Bronze, and I'm starting to see this thing through your eyes. But I want you to see it through mine, too. So I'll make an analogy that you'd understand. Think of it like this: if a soldier in the armed forces royally screws up, what would his superior officer do?"

This time it was Bronze Star's turn to be swayed. Applejack had seen enough of his warrior persona to know that he placed a very high value on the honor of the Equestrian military. He had always respected the soldier's uniform, even if he did not wear one.

He had the patience and resolve of a good soldier. This was attributed to the fact that he had received plenty of discipline all throughout the ten years of his training. He had received this discipline for two reasons: to hone his focus, and to reinforce the policy that failure was not an option.

However, he did not receive the same discipline as a typical soldier, primarily because he was a member of the Canterlot Royalty. On the very first day of his training, Bronze Star had requested to receive no special treatment, and he made it clear that he wanted his coaches to treat no differently from an ordinary recruit. His instructors did obey that request to the best of their ability, but there were certain lines they were unwilling to cross. They never went out of their way to embarrass or insult the prince, and nopony ever struck him outside of combat practice or a drill. Still, Bronze Star knew full well that the common soldiers had it a lot rougher than he did. The most fortunate units were the ones who swallowed their pride and sucked up to their superiors; they had it easy. The unluckiest of the lot refused to suck up and keep their dignity, but they seemed downright miserable.

After thinking for a while, Bronze Star turned to his fillyfriend and notified her "Well, it would depend on the severity of the soldier's misdemeanor."

"In any case, I assume the officer would not let the subordinate off easily?" Applejack inferred.

"No, I would say not," Bronze Star confirmed, "Generally, he would chastise him by forcing him to do something arduous, tedious, shameful, or just plain degrading."

"The same principle might apply here," Applejack explicated, "Out here, I'm in charge of the plant team. It's my responsibility to keep everypony in line and make sure they follow the rules. If they break the rules once, I need to make sure they do not do it again. That's why I snapped at Twilight; I needed her to understand that the use of magic cannot and will not be tolerated during Winter Wrap Up."

Bronze Star had to admire Applejack's train of thought. While she had no personal experience in the military, she had an excellent understanding of the mentality of a soldier. She was speaking the language of one, as well. Bronze Star sighed and disclosed "I get what you're saying, AJ. But there is something more you should know. Before Twilight came here, she tried several other tasks around the town, and she failed greatly at all of them. She must have thought this would be her last option, and she bungled it, too. Now she's probably convinced she cannot do anything right, and she must feel useless now."

That was enough to end this discussion then and there. Applejack looked stunned by that statement. She looked down at her front hooves and muttered softly "Oh, I… I had no idea."

Bronze Star could tell he had won her over, but he did not want her to feel glum, either. He gently placed his front hoof under her chin and raised her eyes up to his level. He told her assuredly "It's alright, Applejack. You didn't do anything wrong. But do you suppose sometime later, perhaps you could apologize to her?"

"You really think it's that bad?" Applejack asked in bewilderment.

"Maybe not," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I just want to be sure. If you won't do it for Twilight, then do it for me. Please."

"Okay, I will," Applejack guaranteed him.

Bronze Star smiled and told her appreciatively "Thank you."

She smiled back, and he kissed her on the lips again. Both of them were clearly glad that this matter had been resolved.

In the four months the two of them had been together, Applejack and Bronze Star had managed to avoid getting into a heated argument over anything. The conversation they just had was the closest they had come to actually having one. Fortunately for them, it had ended before it ever got that far.

After another interval of silence, Applejack sighed and looked around at the surrounding fields. She dismally thought aloud "All the same, we're really behind schedule now. We may not be able to clear away the snow on time. At least not by ourselves."

"You have any ideas on how to remedy that?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yeah, we should ask the weather team for assistance," Applejack proposed, "I'm going to see if I can find Rainbow Dash."

"I believe I saw her in the town square shortly before I came here," Bronze Star informed her, "Maybe she's still there."

"Let's find out," Applejack suggested.

The orange mare and the gold stallion quickly made their way back into Ponyville. Before long, they arrived in the town square. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was there. So were Noble Edict, Haywood McCrank, Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, and Spike. Spike was standing next to a bush, and he looked as though he was talking to it. In actuality, Twilight Sparkle was hiding inside it.

"Come on, Twilight," the baby dragon beckoned her, "Come on out."

"I'm a winter mess up," the lavender mare moaned.

"Well, you're good at a lot of things," Spike debated, "Just not nest-making, ice-skating, animal-waking, snow-clearing…"

Twilight Sparkle whined and mumbled sarcastically "Thanks a lot for making me feel so much better."

"That's what I'm here for, sister," her assistant declared happily and indifferently.

Bronze Star could tell Twilight Sparkle was severely depressed, but he decided to leave her alone for a little while. Instead, he went to see Haywood McCrank and Noble Edict. They both nodded in acknowledgement when he reached them. He queried "So, how've you two been doing so far?"

"It's been a busy morning," Noble Edict disclosed, "We've already had quite a few accidents, and I'm not just talking about Twilight's mishaps. There've been some equipment malfunctions, encounters with harmful animals, and a bunch of carelessness going around."

"Why do you suppose that is?" Bronze Star queried.

"A lack of proper order, I guess," Noble Edict theorized.

"I believe you may be right, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank concurred, "But regardless of all the setbacks we've experienced, I would say we're doing alright. Even if we're behind schedule on Winter Wrap Up, I believe I might have made some progress in the investigation."

"Oh?" Bronze Star said in interest, "Did you see something indicative of a new lead, Sir Haywood?"

"I did witness a number of peculiar events," the indigo stallion proclaimed, "Some of which seemed relevant in their own way. I'll tell you about them in further detail later, Your Highness."

"That's fair enough," the young prince pronounced acceptingly.

By this time, Applejack had gone over to Rainbow Dash, and she sternly told her "Rainbow Dash, y'all on the weather team need to melt the rest of the snow here on the ground and the trees, pronto."

"Got it," the cyan Pegasus avowed. She turned around and started galloping in the opposite direction. She barely got in five steps before she was intercepted by Fluttershy.

The yellow Pegasus spoke softly but decisively with "Wait. My poor little animals' homes will get flooded if the snow melts too fast."

"Got it," Rainbow Dash agreed, turning back around and heading back the way she came.

She was immediately approached by Applejack again. The farmer sternly insisted to the weather maker "I'm tellin' you, Rainbow, you gotta melt that snow now."

Rainbow Dash turned around yet again, and Fluttershy said just as adamantly "No, you simply must wait."

"Okay," Rainbow Dash uttered, clearly starting to become annoyed.

She was now quite literally going back and forth between the farmer and the wildlife preserver as they pressed her to do what they asked of her.

"Go," Applejack demanded.

"Stop," Fluttershy urged.

"Go."

"Stop."

"GO!"

"STOP!"

The cyan mare quickly got fed up with this indecision. She gripped her forehead and yelled in frustration "Ugh! Make up your minds!"

Here, the mayor finally intervened. She gradually walked towards the three younger mares, and she announced furiously "Oh! What in Equestria are all you arguing about? This sort of silliness is why we were late for spring last year, and the year before that, and the year before that."

That remark caught Twilight Sparkle's attention. She poked her head out of the bush and asked in perplexity "Did she say late?"

Noble Edict had been standing close to the bush at the time. She looked over at the lavender mare and responded with "Yes, Twilight. Unfortunately, we almost never finish Winter Wrap Up before the established deadline."

Twilight Sparkle found that fact rather interesting. Her demeanor quickly shifted from distraught to inquisitive, and she climbed out of the bush. Meanwhile, Mayor Mare was voicing her mind to the ponies in the immediate area. She announced "I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year, but now it looks like we're going to be later than ever. I mean just look at this catastrophe. The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt; the nest designer is horrendously behind, we need several hundred, and she's only made one. And don't get me started on all the clouds in the sky, the icicles on the trees... This isn't good, not at all!"

"And it's gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we can't get our seeds all planted," Applejack added in.

"Chillax, Applejack," Rainbow Dash advised exasperatingly, "We're bustin' our chops as fast as we can."

"No, not fast," Fluttershy countered, "We have to wake animals slowly."

Just then, Big McIntosh arrived in the town square with a yellow stallion. Bronze Star recognized him as Caramel; he was a friend of the Apple Family. He appeared to be staring at the ground guiltily, as if he had done something wrong.

When the two stallions reached Applejack, Big McIntosh said "Uh, AJ?"

Applejack took one look at the two stallions, and then she muttered agitatedly "Oh good gravy, Caramel lost the grass seeds again, didn't he?"

"Eeyup," her elder brother confirmed.

"'Again?'" Sir Haywood McCrank muttered under his breath.

Just then, Rainbowshine entered the vicinity and she informed Rainbow Dash "Ditzy Doo accidentally went north to get the southern birds!"

"Oh, that featherbrain," Rainbow Dash grumbled angrily, "Didn't she learn her lesson last year when she went west?"

"Didn't you learn YOUR lesson?" Haywood McCrank starkly retorted.

Everypony in the area was surprised by this sudden outburst. Sir Haywood McCrank had been living in Ponyville for four months, and nopony had ever seen him raise his voice. He typically only did so when he saw something that deeply irritated or infuriated him.

"What was that, Sir Haywood?" Mayor Mare queried.

The indigo stallion stepped forward so that he was in the center of the small crowd. Then he announced "I believe I may have a theory as to why you're falling behind."

"Just what might that be?" Noble Edict queried.

"Well, Lady Noble, consider some of the things that were just spoken here," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "Applejack just mentioned that Caramel lost the grass seeds AGAIN. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct," Applejack affirmed.

Haywood McCrank nodded in acknowledgement, and then he added in "Rainbowshine also mentioned that Ditzy Doo went north to get the southern birds, and Rainbow Dash pointed out that LAST year, she went west. Correct?"

"Also correct," Rainbow Dash confirmed, "What exactly are you implying, Sir Haywood?"

"What I'm implying is this: why do you keep giving the same assignments to people who have already proven to be incompetent at them?" Haywood McCrank professed, "Wouldn't it make more sense to give those tasks to somepony more qualified? I mean, you're hardly short-hooved. Surely the town's populace is not spread so thin that you cannot afford to rotate the assignment roster."

"The Superintendent has a point," Bronze Star coincided, "You people do have proper motivation and determination, but your coordination leaves much to be desired."

"I suppose nopony here can deny the truth of that matter," Noble Edict admitted, "However, we actually have a good reason for not altering the assignment roster, Sir Haywood."

"Which is?" the indigo stallion inquired.

"We believe in the concept of redemption," Noble Edict bluntly replied, "Just because somepony messed up the first time, that does not mean they should be denied an opportunity to atone for their mistake."

"While I personally have nothing against second chances, I must point out that your 'redemption' did not yield very favorable results in this situation, Lady noble," Haywood McCrank countered austerely, "There seem to be a lot of repeated mistakes in this town. All of them could have been avoided if somepony capable was given the tasks instead of the people who actually were given them."

"Those people are not idiots, Sir Haywood," Fluttershy sensitively remarked.

"I never implied that they were," Haywood McCrank calmly notified her, "But if you people are truly serious about getting Winter Wrap Up done on time, I would have expected you to be more careful in assigning jobs to the townsfolk."

"Is that the way things are run in Canterlot, Sir Haywood?" Rainbow Dash enquired in a somewhat sardonic tone.

"Yes," Haywood McCrank answered her, "The capital city has a very systematic method of distributing the labor. Especially where I work. In the Intelligence Bureau, tasks and assignments are always given to whoever proves to be the most efficient and reliable at handling them. And they are NEVER given to people who are unqualified."

"That's all fine and good, Sir Haywood," Applejack disclosed, "But you should could keep in mind that this is NOT the capital city."

"I'm aware of that," Haywood McCrank cockily stated, "If it was, spring would already be here, and this absolutely pointless conversation would never have taken place."

"Hey, just what do you mean by that?" Rainbow Dash shouted furiously.

Before long, everypony in the crowd was grumbling and complaining amongst themselves.

Mayor Mare bleakly shouted over them "Stop this at once. We don't have time to argue. It's almost sundown. Spring is going to be late again. Another year of scandal and shame. If only we could be more organized."

Those last two words seemed to restore Twilight Sparkle's confidence. She turned to her assistant and ordered him "Spike! Get my checklist and clipboard, STAT!"

"Eh, yes, ma'am," the baby dragon complied.

As Spike ran off to the library to retrieve those materials, Twilight Sparkle took a step closer to the bickering crowd and called out "Stop, everypony!"

Nopony heard her; they just continued arguing amongst themselves over various matters. Bronze Star seemed to be the only other pony who was not partaking in any of the squabbles.

"Stop!" Twilight Sparkle repeated a few seconds later.

This request was just as ineffective as the first one. Twilight could tell this would not be simple. She noticed a bird was flying close to the ground. This gave her an idea. She used the magic to seize the bird, and then she cast a spell to amplify its vocal cords. As a result, it made a birdcall at five times its normal volume. This pronounced chirping was loud enough to be heard by everypony in the crowd. They promptly quieted down and turned to the lavender mare.

Once she had everypony's attention, Twilight Sparkle released the bird and told it "Sorry."

The bird just nonchalantly flew away unharmed. The lavender mare then looked around at the assembled ponies and announced "I know you all want to complete your jobs on time, but arguing is no way to go about it. What you need is organization, and I'm just the pony for the job."

This time, nopony protested this suggestion. If anything, they seemed to regard it as the best idea anypony had come with all day. As soon as Spike returned with Twilight's clipboard and checklist, the magic student went to work.

The first thing she did was look over the assignment roster. As Sir Haywood had proposed, she examined the listings and revised them so that everypony had been assigned to what they were best at. Once that was done, she recommended charging the supervision team with ensuring that everypony else got their jobs done properly and efficiently.

Everything gradually came into place from there. Twilight Sparkle tasked herself with overseeing all the tasks in Ponyville. They started with creating the birds' nests. By having everypony on the animal team follow Rarity's instructions to the detail, they managed to great several hundred of them within an hour. Then the nests were laid in the trees and left for their upcoming occupants.

Next they handled the lakes surrounding Ponyville. Twilight drew up an outline for the most efficient way to score the surface of the ice. Pinkie Pie and the other expert skaters on the weather team followed it perfectly, and the ice would melt smoothly and easily.

After this, Twilight focused on crop cultivation. She went back to the fields, and she devised a strategy for the plant team to sow the seeds while the snow was being cleared from there. Applejack strongly approved of this new approach.

Afterwards, Twilight Sparkle helped Fluttershy and the others on the animal team wake up the rest of the hibernating animals. This went relatively well, but when Twilight saw the snakes from earlier, she jumped into a tree out of panic.

Bronze Star helped her return to the ground safely. He had decided to stay with her for the remainder of Winter Wrap Up. He was mostly there to provide moral support for everypony else as they worked. His words alone made him very useful to the rest of the townsfolk.

From that point on, every other job was executed flawlessly. The birds were escorted back from the south, the clouds were cleared from the sky, the crops were reaped in the fields, and the remaining snow was cleared away.

While everypony was working, music played all throughout the town. It sounded just like the music that had played during the song from the opening ceremony. However, there was no singing this time around; just the music.

Bronze Star had asked Noble Edict where that music was coming from; the red mare simply told the gold stallion that nopony in Ponyville knew. In fact, everypony in the town had stopped wondering that a long time ago and chosen to just enjoy it.

The townspeople worked well into the night, but by daybreak the following day, they were finished.

Once all the work was accomplished, everypony gathered in the plains to the south of the town. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were standing on a small incline, admiring the town's new appearance in the distance.

Mayor Mare joined the two of them on the incline, and she announced excitedly "I can't believe it. Spring is here! On time! And we have you to thank for it. If it weren't for your organizing skills and your persistent morale, we would still be arguing."

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh frankly agreed.

That produced a short round of laughter from the crowd.

Once the laughter subsided, Twilight Sparkle humbly remarked "It was a team effort."

"Yes, and the team is nothing without the individual," Bronze Star avowed.

"And since you helped every team, we have official vests for you," Mayor Mare informed the two young Canterlot natives.

Rarity then stepped forward and trotted up next to the tan mare on the incline. She was using her magic to carry two vests. Both of them were blue, green, and brown in certain places, and one of them had a black badge attached to the front.

As Rarity used her magic to put the vest without the badge on Twilight Sparkle, the mayor happily pronounced "We give you the title, 'All-Team Organizer.'"

Rarity then used her magic to put the vest with the badge on Bronze Star. At the same time, the mayor declared "And we give you the title, 'All-Team Guardian.'"

Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were touched by this friendly gesture.

"Gosh, I don't even know what to say," Twilight Sparkle muttered joyfully, "Thank you, everypony."

"You all honor me with this gift," Bronze Star said gratefully, "I thank you for it."

Mayor Mare nodded in approval. She then turned to face the crowd and announced triumphantly "And hereby I declare that winter is... wrapped up on time."

In response, everypony wildly cheered out of pride and fulfillment. This round of cheering lasted quite a while.

When it ended, Applejack slyly remarked "Spike's sure gonna be in for a hog-sized surprised when that last piece a' ice melts."

Everypony laughed once again, this time at Spike's expense.

Earlier on, Spike had fallen asleep. As a joke, he had been left on a small piece of ice that was floating in the center of one of the lakes. That piece of ice was currently just large enough to support the baby dragon. But it would not be long before it melted away. And once it did… he would quite literally get a cold splash of reality.

Twilight Sparkle decided she would stay by Spike until he woke up or until the ice melted, whichever came first. Before she left the area, Applejack approached Twilight and apologized for snapping at her earlier. Luckily, the magic student had already forgiven the farmer, and she assured her that there were no hard feelings between them.

After Twilight left the area, everypony else went about their day. Pretty much everypony had been up all night long, so the vast majority of the townsfolk decided to go home and get some rest. There were a few who decided to stay out a little while longer. Bronze Star and Applejack were two of them. They had not seen each other very much over the past few days, and they figured they may as well make up for lost time.

They decided to get some breakfast soon. But first, they wanted to take a walk through the town to admire its fresh new appearance. They were glad they had chosen to do this; the town looked absolutely beautiful in its current state.

During their walk, they were unexpectedly visited by Haywood McCrank. The indigo stallion approached the two younger ponies, and he asked the stallion "Might I have a moment of your time, Your Highness?"

"Now, Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star assumed in slight annoyance.

"Affirmative, sir," Haywood McCrank responded, "I'm very sorry to take you away from your fillyfriend, but there's something I've been meaning to tell you for hours. I would prefer not to put off telling you it any longer."

"I suppose that makes sense," Bronze Star muttered in agreement.

Haywood turned to the orange mare and asked rhetorically "You don't mind if I borrow him from you, do you, Applejack?"

"No, not at all, Sir Haywood," Applejack asserted. She then grinned deviously and added in "Just make sure you give him back soon. I don't like sharing him."

Both Bronze Star and Haywood got a good laugh at that. Once they quieted down, Applejack trotted a few meters away so that they could talk privately.

Once he was certain they would not be overheard by the farmer or anypony else, Haywood McCrank began a conversation. He started by commenting on the prince's appearance. He remarked "I may not be a huge fan of vests, but you actually look pretty good in that one, sir."

"Well, thank you, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star stated appreciatively. He then looked at the older stallion's upper chest, and noted "I see you're still wearing the badge Noble Edict gave you."

"I've already grown fond of it," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "It's the only thing I've had on all day. Yet I still don't have a vest. That's quite ironic, isn't it? The one day I don't wear a suit is also the one day I'm the only person in town who's wearing absolutely nothing."

Bronze Star scoffed in amusement and commented "Yeah, I totally did not see that coming. But I assume you didn't just steal me away from my fillyfriend to discuss vests, badges, and public appearance."

"Indeed not, sir," Haywood McCrank confirmed, "I have something much more relevant to discuss with you."

"What might that be?" the young prince queried.

"Before I tell you, sir, I need you to promise me something," Haywood McCrank remarked.

"What might that be?" Bronze Star asked.

"I need you to assure me that you will not react in a conspicuous manner to anything I tell you," Haywood told him, "Do not recoil or alter your facial expression in any way. If possible, try not to give any physical reaction at all."

Bronze Star found this to be an odd request, but he knew Sir Haywood would not ask it of him without a good reason. He solemnly nodded his head and stated "You have my word."

That was all the indigo stallion needed to hear. He casually looked over both his shoulders, and then he turned to the gold stallion and quietly informed him "I believe we're being watched."

Bronze Star had not expected that at all. However, in accordance with Sir Haywood's request, he did nothing to indicate he was surprised or alarmed. The most he did was a raise an eyebrow. After letting what Sir Haywood said sink in, Bronze Star asked him "What makes you say that?"

"I passed by the Everfree Forest several times over the past twenty-four hours," Haywood McCrank explained, "On at least five distinct occasions, I'm certain I spotted somepony lurking amongst the overgrown foliage. At one point, the person was staring at me directly, as if he or she knew I could see him or her, but was not concerned about being discovered."

"It could have been Zecora," Bronze Star suggested.

"The figure was not big enough to be a zebra," Haywood McCrank recounted, "It was definitely a pony."

"Then perhaps you just saw some of the townsfolk," Bronze Star speculated.

"That did occur to me," Haywood McCrank professed, "But I checked in with the team leaders, and according to their testimony, none of them had anypony working in the Forest at any point during Winter Wrap Up."

"So, who do you think you saw?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"While it's too early to say for certain, I believe it was one of the vigilantes," Sir Haywood conjectured, "Either one of them, or the assassin."

"What are you basing this on?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Whoever I saw, they were fast," Haywood McCrank enlightened him, "They almost moved too quickly for me to keep my eyes on them. They also had an uncanny ability to blend into the Forest's surroundings. There is also the fact that they did not seem bothered when they realized I was watching them. Only the most focused and relaxed of minds could pull something like that off without breaking a sweat. The only people who meet those criteria are people who are very good at operating outside or above the law."

Bronze Star lightly nodded his head, saying "That is a very astute observation, as always, Sir Haywood. What do you propose we do next?"

"Currently, nothing," Haywood McCrank proposed, "At least not before our next meeting with the rest of the task force. Once Lady Noble and the other security officers have been updated on this matter, we can decide what to do from there."

"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star conceded. There was another short period of silence, and then the prince asked the investigator "How do you feel about this personally?"

"Personally, I feel we should keep a watchful gaze on the Forest from now on," Haywood McCrank proposed, "Whatever is in there, it can only mean trouble for the rest of us. Even if we do not investigate the Forest, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this new development. If we do, this murder plot may end with more than one person falling victim to it."

"I understand, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star assured his colleague.

The conversation swiftly ended there, and the two stallions parted ways. Haywood McCrank headed back to the embassy, and Bronze Star went back over to Applejack.

"So, what did Sir Haywood want to talk about?" she asked her coltfriend curiously.

"Oh, nothing," he claimed, "It's nothing you have to worry about, I promise you."

That much was true. Regardless of what happened in the future, Bronze Star had no intention of letting the murder plot have an impact Applejack. As long as he was around, he would not allow any harm to come to her.
> The Enigma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the next task force meeting, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank apprised Noble Edict and her security officers of the latter's theory that somepony was spying on them. Like Bronze Star, they were all a little surprised to hear this theory, but none of them were ESPECIALLY surprised. After all, when they started this investigation, they had known very little about it in the first place. They were at the point where they would welcome any sort of discovery.

Aside from that, Bronze Star was able to provide some proof to validate Sir Haywood's hypothesis. He informed the others that he too had once seen somepony prowling through the Everfree Forest. This happened many months ago, on the day of the parasprite infestation. When he and the Element Bearers had driven the swarm into the Forest, he had spotted a figure lurking amongst the trees. The figure had appeared to be watching him and the mares, and even after it realized the gold stallion had been watching it, the figure did not run off.

Bronze Star had not told anypony else about this, as he did not wish to worry anypony. But given the present scenario, he was compelled to come forward. The members of the task force were grateful for that. Even though this was merely circumstantial evidence, it was more than enough to draw justifiable suspicion on the possible whereabouts of the vigilante group or the assassin.

Initially, Bronze Star advocated that they send somepony out to search the boundaries of the Everfree Forest straightaway. Copper Hollow, Almond Wheeler, and Rollin Fields agreed with this proposal; they wanted to pursue this new lead as quickly as possible before it disappeared. However, Sir Haywood McCrank suggested that they not be too hasty; he was concerned that if they rushed in so hastily, they would tip off whoever was watching the town. Noble Edict, Paisley Branch, and Cassia Sprig all concurred with this notion.

For a while, they were locked in a four-to-four vote on what to do next. Ultimately, they decided that they should hold off on exploring the Forest for a while, and instead, they should bring this up to the vigilante group before doing anything else. So they were certain to include this information in the next intelligence report they delivered to the vigilantes.

The following week, the vigilantes delivered their response in their own report. They claimed that they were not the ones Haywood McCrank or Bronze Star had seen. They revealed that they too had suspected that the assassin was using the Everfree Forest as a base of operation or a hideaway. However, he or she had always managed to evade the vigilantes' notice; they had never been able to confirm their hypothesis until now. Sir Haywood and Bronze Star had provided the testimony they needed to assure the vigilantes that the assassin was indeed using the Forest.

However, even with that established, the vigilantes advised the task force not to explore the Everfree Forest just yet. They wanted an opportunity to scout it first. Their reasoning was that they believed they were better at conducting a search without drawing attention to themselves. Although the security officers in the task force felt a little taken aback by this notion, they hardly found themselves in a position to dispute the claim. So they agreed to let the vigilantes take action first.

The next week was spent in anticipation. The eight members of the task force continued investigating within the confines of Ponyville. They still kept a wary eye on the Everfree Forest. They made certain to take note of anypony who appeared to go in or near the Forest; there was a possibility that any one of those ponies were one of the vigilantes, or even the assassin.

Although the investigation into the murder plot occupied a considerable part of the task force's day, each of its members did not spend every waking moment working on it. Sir Haywood McCrank was the only one who had the capacity to do so, but even he needed to rest every now and then. Whenever he was not working, he was usually reading or out visiting with the townspeople. He may have seemed unsociable, but he could be a very outgoing individual at times.

In addition to that, all the members of the task force from Ponyville still had their jobs as security officers. They needed to put in a certain number of hours every day at the barracks or around the town. Aside from that, they were not capable of working all the time, either. All of them had families of their own. Their work on the task force had made them busier than usual, but they still made time to uphold their normal social and familial obligations.

But they had it easy compared to Bronze Star; he was easily the busiest of them all. To him, the investigation into the murder plot occupied a very small part of his day. He also had his role as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville, the hunt for the Nightmare Moon cultists, the search for the assassination conspirators, the continuation of his military training, his social life with the residents of Ponyville, and his relationship with Applejack. He was balancing all of those things every single day.

He was used to having this much work to deal with; that was one of the few hardships he faced as a member of the Equestrian Royalty. But these current conditions were different from what he normally dealt with. At least in Canterlot, he would have had his own staff of advisors, legislators, and federal operatives to aid him. He also would have had direct contact with his mother and the Firebrand Regiment. Here in Ponyville, he had to do pretty much everything on his own.

The only people he could really confide in were Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank. He still had the blackboard that enabled him to communicate with the Firebrand Regiment, but he only used it in emergencies or during a field operation. Other than that, his correspondence with them was limited to letters and the weekly updates he received from them and Lord Bellerophon.

Evidently, Ponyville was never meant to be a town where a Royal could perform his or her duties. But despite the obstacles and inconveniences he was faced with, Bronze Star was determined to make everything work. He had never once regretted coming to Ponyville. The time had had spent there had left him with many fond memories. He had been through some hardships, but he had gotten through them with the help of his friends. That was another great thing about Ponyville; Bronze Star had made more friends in the last six months than he had in the rest of his life. Best of all, for the first time ever, he had experienced genuine love. Not domestic love like the love he felt for his mother, or fraternal love like the love he felt for SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon, but pure romantic love.

For the past four months, Bronze Star and Applejack had been recognized by many as coltfriend and fillyfriend. In all that time, their feelings for each other had only gotten stronger. Bronze Star would not trade what he had with Applejack for anything. Of course, she was the first mare he had ever been with, just as Bronze Star was the first stallion Applejack had ever been with. All the same, there were some ponies whose first choice turned out to be the right one. Bronze Star still could not say for certain if that was how it would turn out for him and Applejack, but for as long as they were together, he planned to give their relationship his all.

After the meeting with the task force, Bronze Star went up to his room and donned the Stetson Applejack had given him for Hearth's Warming Day. He had made it a habit of wearing that hat whenever he went to visit her at Sweet Apple Acres. She had told him that it actually made him look attractive. Then she corrected herself by saying he looked MORE attractive with the hat on. Luckily, he knew what she meant it; they both got a good laugh out of that.

Once he had the hat on, Bronze Star headed out to Sweet Apple Acres. There he met up with Applejack. As usual, she was busy harvesting apples. Interestingly, the trees had only been planted about ten days ago, but they were already fully grown and producing fruit. That must have been the reason why the Apples were recognized as the greatest farmers in Equestria; their ability to grow and cultivate crops was unrivaled.

While Bronze Star helped Applejack in the orchards, they had a friendly conversation. At one point during it, she mentioned that Hearts and Hooves Day was coming up soon. Bronze Star realized she was correct, and he suggested that they do something special together. She just grinned and said that that was precisely what she had in mind.

Once they were finished in the fields, they took a couple hours to discuss what they would do for Hearts and Hooves Day. Bronze Star was compelled to make a draft and overview it a couple times, but Applejack reminded him that this was just a plan for a date, not a bill going through Canterlot's bureaucracy.

They were glad they had made this plan in advance; Hearts and Hooves Day was soon upon them.

Applejack and Bronze Star spent the whole day together. First, they woke up bright and early, and they had breakfast at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack made the meal herself; it was ready for consumption by the time Bronze Star arrived. After breakfast, they went trotting through the park. They took some time to admire the lovely weather and the peaceful setting. On the way, they greeted the other couples they came across, and the other couples greeted them in return.

After their walk, they went to see a film at the cinema. There were two films playing that day: a romantic comedy and a historical epic. Naturally, most of the ponies there chose to watch the romantic comedy. However, Bronze Star and Applejack preferred more serious material, so they chose the historical epic. They sat near the back where they could hold hooves, whisper, and make out without disturbing anypony or being overheard.

Once the movie was over, they had lunch at the embassy. Bronze Star made the meal this time, and it was just as pleasant as breakfast. They stayed in the building for a couple hours after that. They passed that time by chatting and looking through books on poetry. It may not have been their style, but they could appreciate it when they were in each other's company. After all, so far, they had been outside for most of the day. This was the first time they had some time alone together. They had told Sir Haywood McCrank about their plans; the indigo stallion had made certain to be away from the embassy in the afternoon. So Bronze Star and Applejack had the building all to themselves for a while.

After their time indoors, they went back to Sweet Apple Acres to do some applebucking. With Applejack, no day was complete without a bit of hard work and sweat. Not even a holiday. Bronze Star agreed with this sentiment. Plus, he had come to enjoy harvesting the apple trees. To him, it was the best exercise one could get in Ponyville.

They then went hunting near White-Tail Woods. They brought along Arthur D. Hawkins and Winona. The prince and his hawk proved to be excellent hunting partners with the farmer and her dog. They managed to catch a number of small animals, some of which were quite fierce. This might not have seemed romantic to some, but it gave Applejack and Bronze Star plenty of thrill and delight. After all, what better way to show somepony you care for them than fighting alongside them?

In the early evening, they had dinner at a restaurant, and they had dessert at Sugarcube Corner. They had made reservations well in advance, otherwise they would have had to wait in line for over an hour. Pinkie Pie was there to greet them when they arrived at the sweet shop. It turned out they were the one-hundredth couple to be served that day. Because of that, they got an extra cupcake for free.

The whole day had been wonderful and pleasurable for both Bronze Star and Applejack. But the best part came after dinner: they were going to watch the Sun go down together. From a bird's eye-view.

After they finished dessert, Bronze Star and Applejack left Sugarcube Corner. Then they headed out of town to the south, and they trotted through the plains outside of Ponyville. They went there because they did not wish to be seen.

Once they were certain they were alone, Bronze Star transformed back into his Alicorn form, and he invited Applejack to climb onto his back. She was a little hesitant at first, but she felt he knew what he was doing, and she trusted him completely. So she carefully climbed on top of the gold stallion. He was only slightly larger than her, but he had sufficient strength to balance her on his back.

Once Applejack had a firm grip on Bronze Star, the prince started rapidly flapping his wings and ascended into the air. He gradually rose higher and higher until they were about a thousand feet above the ground. Applejack felt a little queasy as they gained altitude, but she did not let her apprehension get in the way. She managed by continuously reminding herself not to look down.

When they were at one thousand feet, Bronze Star stopped rising and just hovered in midair. The two of them got a fantastic view of the Sun from that height. In the distance, they could see the Sun overlooking the landscape between Canterlot and Ponyville. It was in the process of going down slowly yet delicately.

Applejack marveled at the sight. She had to admit; it was far more amazing to watch the Sun go down at this height than from the ground. She thought it was so beautiful. Bronze Star felt the same way. In his mind, only his mother could make a natural event like a sunset look so astoundingly majestic.

They stayed in that position for nearly an hour. They did not move until the Sun had fully vanished beyond the horizon. Once it was gone, Bronze Star flew back down to the ground, and Applejack calmly climbed off of him. He had made certain to avoid flying anywhere near the town, lest he risk being spotted by the townsfolk. They had nothing to worry about.

They spent the last few hours of the day lying in the grass, stargazing. This was an activity both of them had always delighted in. Applejack greatly admired the stars, but Bronze Star practically reveled them. The stars meant as much to him as the Sun meant to his mother, and as the Moon meant to his Aunt. That was one of the reasons why his cutie mark was a cluster of stars.

When it was nearly midnight, the orange mare and the gold stallion finally called it a day. Bronze Star transformed back into his Earth Pony disguise, and he walked Applejack home to Sweet Apple Acres. When they reached the gate, he gave her a long, passionate kiss that lasted almost twenty seconds. Then he bade her good night and went back to the embassy.

Bronze Star and Applejack both went to bed satisfied and content that night. It had been a great day for both of them. They had been able to concentrate exclusively on each other without any worries, responsibilities, or deterrents to get in their way.

That made it all the more depressing when Hearts and Hooves Day ended. Because by sunrise the following day, they were back to their usual everyday lives of obligation and toil.

Bronze Star did not go to bed until about three o'clock in the morning. As a result, he had accidentally overslept. He did not wake up until well after nine. To make matters worse, he had another meeting with the task force that day. They were not meeting until ten o'clock, but Bronze Star still had to freshen up, eat breakfast, feed Arthur, and go over the latest messages from Canterlot before then.

He had to rush to get everything done on time. It was easy to shower, eat, and feed his pet hawk at a fast pace, but there was no real way to read the news from Canterlot quickly. Even just skimming through the report required at least twenty minutes.

Ultimately, Bronze Star decided to just go over the report after the meeting. He would somehow find time, even though he suspected he would be even busier that day. After all, he had taken the entire previous day off; he needed to compensate by doing two days' worth of work in one.

He predicted that this was going to be a long day. Of course, he was accustomed to long days, but he felt this one would be especially long.

After briefly overviewing the news from Canterlot, Bronze Star grabbed his knapsack and headed downstairs to the meeting chambers. He found that most of the task force was already assembled there. Paisley Branch was leaning back in her chair, resting her hind hooves on the table. Almond Wheeler was straightening out her mane. Rollin Fields was standing against the wall, adjusting his pocket watch. Copper Hollow and Noble Edict were idly talking with each other. Sir Haywood McCrank was sorting through his files with one hoof, and he was fiddling with three dice in his other hoof.

Cassia Sprig was the only one who was unaccounted for.

When Bronze Star entered the room, the others looked to him. He nodded in acknowledgment and said cordially "Morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Ambassador," Copper Hollow amiably rejoined. The others nodded back in a friendly manner.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," Bronze Star stated as he sat down at his normal place at the front of the table.

"It's alright, sir," Haywood McCrank asserted, "We haven't begun yet."

"Oh, good," Bronze Star bluntly remarked, "I hate being late."

"Just for the record, if you were late, we would have waited for you, sir," Noble Edict proclaimed. The others muttered in agreement.

"Thank you," the gold stallion said gratefully, "I appreciate that."

The red mare merely smiled and nodded in affirmation. Then she asked curiously "So, how was your date with Applejack?"

"Oh, it was wonderful," Bronze Star disclosed, "She and I were together for the whole day yesterday."

"What all did you do?" Copper Hollow queried in interest.

"Well, we had all three meals together," Bronze Star recounted, "We also went hunting, applebucking, trotting through the park, stargazing, and we read some country-style poetry. Oh, and we watched the Sun go down. We also saw a movie at the cinema."

"Which one?" Rollin Fields inquired.

"The historical epic," Bronze Star replied, "Despite the fact that almost everypony else chose the romantic comedy."

"Don't worry; you didn't miss anything," Almond Wheeler proclaimed, "I saw it yesterday. Big waste of time, if you ask me."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and remarked "You were at the cinema yesterday, Almond?"

"Yes," the gray Earth Pony confirmed, "Does that surprise you?"

"No, but because yesterday was Hearts And Hooves Day, the theater had a 'couples only' policy," Bronze Star pointed out, "So tell me; who did you see it with?"

Almond Wheeler seemed hesitant to give an answer at first, but after about ten seconds of silence, she sighed and said "My cousin."

Bronze Star did not expect to hear that. He lightly scoffed and stated "Really?"

"Yeah, it was his idea," Almond Wheeler affirmed, blushing slightly, "He doesn't really have a big interest in that sort of thing. He must have thought I was, considering his behavior towards me as of late."

"What do you mean?" Copper Hollow enquired.

"My cousin and I have always been fond of each other," Almond Wheeler elucidated, "We grew up together, lived together, and went to school together. He even joined the town's security force, too. Recently, he's expressed a type of liking for me that goes beyond that of cousins. He started out being subtle, but he's become increasingly affectionate towards me. He's aware that I don't feel the same way about him, and he's trying so hard to convince me to change my mind."

"He's determined; I'll give him that," Rollin Fields perceived.

"How does that make you feel, Almond?" Noble Edict enquired.

"He's not obsessing over me, if that's what you're asking, Noble," the gray mare pronounced, "My cousin's a great guy. Sure, he can be weird, but I love him anyway. In fact, although his advances annoyed me at first, I'm starting to warm up to him."

"Awww, I think that's sweet," Paisley Branch commented adoringly, "Maybe you should indulge him. I think you do would make a nice pair."

"Speak for yourself, Paisley," Almond Wheeler drily countered, "Regardless of whether or not he actually loves me, we're still cousins. That may not seem too bad to some, but it still makes me feel awkward. I mean, imagine what it would be like if your little brother started flirting with you."

"Where did that come from, Almond?" Paisley Branch muttered in bewilderment and amusement, "Anyway, I wouldn't worry about that. Our situations are totally different. You and your cousin are roughly the same age; my brother is almost eight years younger than me. Aside from that, our parents split up before I was his age, and both of them have jobs that require them to travel a lot. So I practically raised my brother on my own. He looks up to me as a role model. So even if he wasn't my brother, how many people do you know who fall in love with their role models?"

"Okay, bad example," Almond Wheeler conceded, "Still, I'm very uncertain about pursuing any… intimate relationships with my cousin. I'll need time to think that through."

"Well, it's your decision, Official Wheeler," Sir Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "I'm not trying to influence your choice, but you should know I have a colleague at the Bureau who married his second cousin. They've been together for over twenty years, and they have three healthy children."

"I'll take that into account, Sir Haywood," Almond Wheeler avowed, smirking.

There was another brief interval of quietness, and then Paisley Branch looked over at Bronze Star. The cobalt blue Unicorn noticed the gold stallion seemed somewhat distressed. She raised an eyebrow and perceived "You did have a good time yesterday, right, Mr. Ambassador?

Bronze Star was mildly stunned to hear that. He candidly replied with "Oh my, yes, Paisley. I've been so preoccupied with work that I haven't had a decent break in a long while. I've been waiting for a pleasant distraction, and yesterday provided just the one I needed. For the first time in months, I had an entire day off from work. I had twenty-four whole hours to clear my head of all my troubles and pressures, and to relish in the joys of life. Better yet, I got to do that with somepony I care deeply about. What greater form of bliss is there than the type that can be shared jointly?"

"That's rather poetic, Mr. Ambassador," Copper Hollow remarked in amazement.

"Thanks, Copper," Bronze Star said, smiling lightly. He turned to Paisley Branch and queried in perplexity, "What made you think I didn't enjoy myself, anyway?"

"Nothing, sir," the cobalt blue mare proclaimed, "You just seem a little tense right now."

"Oh, I see," Bronze Star uttered in comprehension, "Well, to be honest, I am. But not because of anything that happened yesterday. In a way, it's because of something that did NOT happen yesterday."

"How so?" Noble Edict queried.

"My workload has piled up a bit," Bronze Star explicated, "The one downside to having a full day off is that I've fallen a little behind on work. Plus I didn't get to bed until three o'clock in the morning, so I'm still feeling a little tired. It could take me a while to catch up."

"I wouldn't worry about that, Mr. Ambassador," Almond Wheeler spoke frankly, "Some of our fellow officers fall behind in their quota all the time, but they always manage to make it up somehow."

"That's good for them," Bronze Star straightforwardly pronounced, "Unfortunately, it's not that simple for me. When you're in a position as important and pertinent as mine, even falling behind just a little can set you back considerably. If I'm lucky, I'll be caught up by the end of the day. If not… it could take me the better part of a week to get back on track. It's critical that that not happen, though; a lot of ponies depend on me to get my work done on time. If I'm unable to pull through for them, I could upset the balance of a whole bunch of things."

The members of the task force knew that Bronze Star's job involved more than just that of an emissary and a correspondent. He had told them that he was also part of an organization of highly-trained patriotic individuals from the military and government that upheld the safety of Equestria through certain extreme methods. That much was true; the Firebrand Regiment fit that description perfectly. But Bronze Star never brought up the Regiment specifically. He just told the task force that he was working with this "organization" on a daily basis.

To top it all off, Bronze Star was doing pretty much everything without any assistance whatsoever. He had been able to handle that at first, but even he had his limits. After nineteen straight weeks of juggling so much activity at once, he was borderline exhausted and overwhelmed.

This became obvious to Sir Haywood McCrank. The gold stallion may have proclaimed that he was just a little worn out, but the indigo stallion could tell he was in much worse condition than that. He rose from his chair and thought aloud "Sir, forgive me if I sound out of line, but I believe you are seriously overexerting yourself."

Bronze Star gazed at Haywood McCrank intently, as if he was analyzing that statement to determine its credibility. Ultimately, he just sighed and commented "If you said that four months ago, I would have strongly disagreed, Sir Haywood. But after everything we've been though, I guess I may as well admit it. I'm overworking myself too damn much."

"Indeed you are," Haywood McCrank concurred.

"Well, what would you suggest I do?" Bronze Star inquired.

"The way I see it, you have two options: decrease your workload, or find somepony to assist you," Haywood professed.

"I'm not willing to consider the first one," Bronze Star declared, "And I'm a little tentative about the second one. I mean, it's not as though I have my own staff."

"Not at the moment," Haywood McCrank noted, "Maybe you should consider hiring a secretary, sir."

"A secretary?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"Yes, you should seriously consider that," Haywood McCrank proposed, "Think about this. Every day, you are faced with piles and piles of information. You put it upon yourself to receive the information, sort it, act upon it, and reply to it. If you get a secretary, somepony else can handle the receiving and sorting process."

Bronze Star thought about this for about a minute, and then he shrugged lightly and turned to the indigo stallion. He grinned and stated in approval "That's actually a pretty good idea, Sir Haywood. I could definitely use a secretary."

Haywood McCrank grinned as well and commented "I'm glad to hear that, sir. I hate to see you under such tremendous stress. If you do this, I'm confident you'll be able to allot yourself some more breathing room. At the very least, you should be able to remove some of the weight from your shoulders."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement. He seemed to become quite a bit more relaxed after that. He was now properly focused on the meeting, as well.

After two more minutes of silence, Bronze Star shifted in his seat, and then he asked "So, when are we going to get this thing started?"

"Just as soon as the information from the vigilantes arrives," Noble Edict informed him.

"Oh, yeah," Bronze Star acknowledged. After a short pause, his eyes widened and he murmured in perplexity "Wait, it's not here yet?"

"Nope, we're still waiting on it," Paisley Branch affirmed.

"Whose turn is it to pick up the report?" Haywood McCrank inquired.

"Cassia's," Copper Hollow reminded him, "That's probably why she's not here."

"I hope it is," Noble Edict mumbled in mild unease, "She's never been this late before."

"You did tell her the location of the new drop site, right, sir?" Rollin Fields presumed.

"Of course I did, Rollin," Bronze Star insisted, "But it's near the northern part of town. That puts a considerable amount of space between the drop site and the embassy. Maybe she misjudged the distance."

"No, I know Cassia Sprig," Noble Edict debated, "She would have gotten to the drop site early to ensure that she got here on time."

"Well, in any case, let's wait a little longer," Bronze Star proposed, "If she's not here within the next twenty minutes, one of us can go to the drop site and investigate."

The others agreed to this arrangement. They sat in virtual silence for about five more minutes. After that, Cassia Sprig arrived at the embassy. Sure enough, she had the vigilantes' packet with her.

As she got settled in her usual spot, she hastily told the others "I'm so sorry I'm late."

"It's quite alright, Deputy Sprig," Haywood McCrank asserted, "I assume you have a good reason."

"I do," Cassia Sprig disclosed, "My daughter got sick. I had to take her to the pediatric clinic."

"Oh, goodness, is she alright?" Noble Edict asked in concern.

"Yeah, she should be fine, Noble," the periwinkle Pegasus reassured her, "The doctor said she just has a slight fever. I was concerned it was something worse, since she developed a violent cough last night. I probably should have had her checked out sooner."

"Couldn't your husband have taken her?" Paisley Branch inquired.

"He would have, but he got called in for work early," Cassia Sprig revealed, "His construction team is building an extension to the apartment complex, and the forestallion wants to get ahead of schedule. So my husband left the house two hours before he normally does."

"So you had a last-minute setback that needed your immediate attention," Bronze Star conjectured.

"In a nutshell, that's pretty much it, Mr. Ambassador," Cassia Sprig affirmed, "Even so, I had no intention of bypassing this meeting or overlooking the drop site. Not with the seven of you counting on me. I hope you understand that."

"Of course we do," Noble Edict pronounced.

"You don't have to explain yourself," Almond Wheeler asserted.

"Yeah, you weren't overreacting, Cassia," Rollin Fields guaranteed, "As a fellow parent, I know how you must've felt. I've been through that same scenario many times. There's nothing more unsettling than discovering that one of your own children is sick. That's just one of the many tests of parenthood. With luck, I managed to pass that test every time I was faced with it. Now I've successfully raised four children of my own. Two of which are older than anypony else in this room. Other than Sir Haywood, that is."

"That's good to know, Rollin," Cassia Sprig told the lime green Earth Pony, "I still only have one child, and she just had her second birthday a month ago. I can still cradle her in my front legs. My husband and I are thinking about having another one, but we decided to hold off on that for a while. You see, he wants to wait until the extension to the apartment complex had been completed, and I wanted to wait until this murder plot has been averted."

"Glad to see you have your priorities in order," Haywood McCrank observed. After some more silence, he held out his front hoof and requested "On the subject, could you show me the latest report from the vigilantes?"

"Sure, Sir Haywood," Cassia Sprig complied, holding out the packet, "It was right where the Ambassador said it would be. I made sure to leave the copy of our own recent findings there in return, too."

"Excellent," Haywood commented as he received the packet from the periwinkle Pegasus. He opened it up and started removing the papers. He neatly placed them side-by-side on the surface of the table. This was rather abnormal. Typically, he would pass the papers around the room so that the other members of the task force could study them. It made no sense for him to just spread them out in such a way.

However, as questionable as Sir Haywood's actions were, the task force had come to accept that he did everything for a reason. There was always a method to his madness.

Before long, the packet had been emptied. Nearly half of the table was covered by the papers. Haywood McCrank then picked up the dice that he had been holding earlier on. He told the others "Before we review any of the information, there is something I wish to try."

"Oh, I was going to ask you what was up with the dice," Bronze Star thought aloud.

"They're for a little experiment I want to test out," Haywood McCrank apprised him, "I have a notion that by rolling these dice in a certain manner over these papers, we may yield another clue about the investigation."

"Explain, please," Copper Hollow bade the indigo stallion.

Haywood McCrank had already prepared a full explanation of what he planned to do. He looked around at the seven other members of the task force, and he illuminated: "Throughout the duration of my career as a federal investigator, I have come to accept many interesting truths. One of them applies here. It's simple, but logical: every mystery can be interpreted as a mathematical equation. It has a formula, variables, a varying degree of difficulty, and a solution. And unless it's a conceptual question or a question involving proofs, the solution always involves a numerical value. This numerical value can play a major role in the mystery, as well. Because of that, I've found that if one can determine that specific numerical value, they can go a long way in furthering the investigation into the mystery. Do you all comprehend what I'm saying?"

Sir Haywood was somewhat cryptic and difficult to follow, but the other seven ponies managed to keep up with him. So they all nodded in compliance.

"How exactly does that tie-in to what you're doing?" Rollin Fields queried.

"In the majority of the cases I've solved, the numerical value has been relatively small," Haywood McCrank expounded, "Most of the time, it's an integer between one and eighteen. So I have three dice here. My hope is that if I roll these dice over the papers we received from the vigilantes, they will produce a number that serves some meaningful purpose in this plot."

"That sounds like a longshot, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict declared, "Then again, a lot of the methods you've used have been longshots, and they've always yielded something useful."

"I expect this one will, as well, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank asserted, "Shall I proceed with the experiment?"

"Go right ahead," the red mare beckoned him.

Haywood McCrank nodded and looked down at the papers on the surface of the table. He placed two of the dice aside, and he kept the third one in his hoof. He shook his front hoof for a few seconds, and then he dropped the die on top of the papers. The die rolled across the surface of the table for a few seconds, and then it stopped. The number on top was three.

"Three," Bronze Star stated.

"Everypony make a note of that," Haywood McCrank instructed.

Haywood McCrank picked the die up again, and after shaking it, he rolled it over the papers a second time. It landed on three this time, too. Sir Haywood picked it up and rolled it over and over and over again. Every single time, it landed on three.

After the first die produced ten occurrences of three, Haywood McCrank repeated the same process with the other two die separately. They all produced the number three for ten straight rolls.

Sir Haywood then decided to roll two dice. The first time he did that, one of them landed on one, and the other landed on two. He rolled them onto the papers a second time, and they produced one and two respectively again. He went through this routine with all three of the dice in different pairs. Regardless of which pair he used, they always landed on one and two. In other words, they added up to three.

Finally, Sir Haywood rolled all three dice at once. They all landed on one. They produced triple snake-eyes, or in simpler terms, three. He kept on rolling them over the papers. All three of them landed on one every time.

Bronze Star and the security officers were astonished by this. A couple of them were skeptical; they theorized that perhaps Sir Haywood was somehow controlling the dice on his own. However, the indigo stallion had given each of them a chance to roll the dice by themselves. So all seven of them had an opportunity to roll one die, two dice, and three dice over the papers. No matter who rolled them or how many dice were rolled, the subsequent value always came out as three.

In order to ascertain this, Sir Haywood rolled the dice on the clear part of the table and the floor a few times. Only then did the dice produce erratic results. They only occasionally landed on three then. However, once Sir Haywood started rolling the dice on the papers again, they went back to yielding a cumulative sum of three.

When this was all over, Sir Haywood sat down in his chair and announced "We've rolled these dice over these papers over a hundred times. Every single time, we get a total of three."

"What do you think it means?" Cassia Sprig queried.

"It could mean anything," Haywood McCrank perceived, "But as of right now, it's safe to say that something about this murder plot revolves around the number three. Maybe it represents how long the vigilantes have been aware of it. Maybe it refers to how long the assassin will take to kill the victim. Maybe it symbolizes how many groups of people are looking into this matter. The possibilities are limitless."

"Does knowing that really get us anywhere?" Paisley Branch enquired.

"Yes, this is steering us in a definite direction," Haywood insisted, "In the future, we should keep an eye out for everything that's centered on the number three. And I mean EVERYTHING. Ponies who schedule appointments at three o'clock, ponies who have three children, ponies who work three jobs… everything. Given the vagueness of this clue, we cannot afford to rule anything out."

"If you say so, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict coincided.

Bronze Star and the security officers accepted this proposal, too. Of course, none of them could deny that it would be difficult to keep a record of every occurrence of the number three in Ponyville. All the same, they were determined to try.

After the experiment with the dice, the task force resumed their normal investigation. They looked over the latest update from the vigilante group, and they went over their own recent findings. It turned out the vigilantes had been unable to locate anypony in the Everfree Forest. They had come close on a few occasions, but the assassin had managed to evade their notice every time. However, they had been able to provide the task force with one very relevant piece of information: whoever the assassin was, he or she seemed to alternate between hiding in the Everfree Forest and White Tail Woods every other day. They made certain to check the Woods out sometime in the future.

After another hour, the meeting ended. This had been one of their most productive meetings to date. As Noble Edict and the other security officers gathered up their materials, Haywood McCrank reminded them to be mindful of the number three. They assured the indigo stallion that they would keep an eye out.

Bronze Star looked through his own documents. There were quite a lot of them, and the gold stallion could tell that it would take a while to organize them properly. He sighed and thought aloud "Well, I better start looking for a secretary."

"I'd suggest you go to Town Hall, sir," Noble Edict suggested, "If you tell the Mayor that you have a job opening, she can have flyers made for you."

"Alright, I like that idea," Bronze Star muttered in approval, "Thanks, Noble."

"Anytime," was all the red Earth Pony said in response.

The six security officers then returned to the barracks. Sir Haywood McCrank stayed in the embassy to file the report from the vigilantes. Bronze Star headed to Town Hall. Like him, the Mayor was a characteristically busy person, but he was able to see her without setting an appointment. When he told her that he was hoping to hire a secretary, she offered to have some flyers set up for him around town, just as Noble Edict had said she would. Bronze Star was extremely grateful for this offer. The alternative was that he would have had to create and hang up all the flyers by himself, and his time was already limited enough as it was. Naturally, he accepted the Mayor's offer.

When he asked how long it would take to have the flyers posted, Mayor Mare informed him that they would take a couple hours to print, and another couple hours to have them hanged up around town. She estimated that they would be all over Ponyville by three o'clock in the afternoon. Remembering what Sir Haywood had advised, Bronze Star made a note of that.

He gave the Mayor a thorough description of the how he wanted the flyer to look. After he worked out the specifics of the job opening with her, Bronze Star headed back to the embassy. He spent the rest of the morning and the early afternoon catching up on his work. He paused only once to eat a light lunch and to let Arthur outside to fly. Shortly before three o'clock, he decided to take a short break.

It was another beautiful day, so Bronze Star chose to go outside for a while. Straightaway, he noticed that the flyers had already been put up all over the town. Several ponies seemed to convey a bit of interest in them. On every street, he saw at least three or four ponies studying one of the flyers. Bronze Star had asked the Mayor to include a note about how people could schedule an interview with him, and she had left such a notice at the bottom of the page. Everypony who was considering the job would sign up at Town Hall, and Bronze Star would go there at the end of the day to pick up the list of prospects. He brought it upon himself to decide when each appointment would be.

As he trotted through the town, Bronze Star soon encountered the market. Applejack was at her own booth, selling her most recent harvest from Sweet Apple Acres. Normally, she did this job by herself. But this time, Apple Bloom was with her. They were both wearing aprons, and the yellow filly seemed quite excited to be there.

"Get your delicious nutritious apples here!" Applejack called out.

Apple Bloom stepped in front of her sister and enthusiastically shouted "Delicious and nutritious, and so many uses!"

She picked up one of the apples and took a large bite out of it. Then she said "You can eat 'em."

After swallowing the apple, she picked up another one and added in "Play with 'em."

She then tossed the apple above her head and bucked it with one of her legs. She hit it so hard that it caused her to groan a little.

Bronze Star did not see where the apple landed, but he heard somepony yell angrily "Hey, watch it!"

Apple Bloom ignored that and picked up another apple. She continued with "Create fine art for your home with 'em."

She bucked that apple at an easel a few meters away, and it splattered all over the blank page, much to the annoyance of the painter it belonged to.

Apple Bloom casually approached the painter and cheerfully declared "You have to be crazy not to get a bushel of your very own."

Applejack hastily grabbed her sister and pulled her back to the booth. She noticed that the two of them were getting a lot of unwanted stares. The orange mare nervously remarked "Heh... she's so creative, heh."

"Not to mention eager," Bronze Star commented from the sidelines.

Applejack had not noticed the gold stallion until then. When she heard that, she turned to him and smiled. He smiled back and trotted over to her.

"Hey there, sugar cube," she greeted him giddily.

"Hello, my love," he cheekily rejoined.

Applejack blushed a little, but she secretly enjoyed it when he teased her like that. Bronze Star leaned in for a kiss, and she happily accepted it. After a few seconds, he brought his right front hoof up to her mane and gentled stroked it. In return, she softly placed her own right front hoof on his cheek. Both of them wanted to savor the moment. Apple Bloom did not seem amused by this display; she gradually inched away from them.

"Get a room, you two," she stated irritably.

Applejack pulled her lips away from Bronze's and advised her sister "Mind your own business, Apple Bloom."

"I am minding my business," Apple Bloom contended, "I'm trying to help our family's business by selling these apples. On that note, I better get back to work."

At this time, an Earth Pony stallion with an hourglass for a cutie mark was passing through the area. Bronze Star recognized him as Dr. Whooves. Nopony really knew whether his title was medical or scientific; he had demonstrated skills in both fields. Bronze Star was not that certain that the Doctor was a permanent resident of Ponyville. The young prince only saw him every now and then. It was also worth noting that whenever Dr. Whooves was around, he was usually in the company of Derpy Hooves and her daughter, Dinky. Presently, he was walking through the market by himself.

Apple Bloom sauntered over to the stallion and proposed "You, sir, care t' buy some apples?"

"No thanks," the Doctor said in response.

"Why not?" the yellow filly asked curiously.

"I have plenty at home," Dr. Whooves proclaimed, seeming a little perturbed.

"Are you sure?" Apple Bloom pressed him.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I..." the stallion began anxiously

"You're pretty sure," Apple Bloom interrupted him as she blocked his path and forced him to back up a bit, "but you're not absolutely positively completely super-duper sure, are you?"

Dr. Whooves was notably uncomfortable at this time. He mumbled nervously "Y...ah... If I buy some apples, will you please leave me alone?"

"Aaal-right!" Apple Bloom agreed joyfully.

She led the Doctor over to the booth, and Applejack gave him a basket of ripe apples. Dr. Whooves took the basket, gave her a large pile of bits, and bolted out of the area.

"You forgot your change!" the orange mare called out to him. Unfortunately, Dr. Whooves was already well out of earshot.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and whispered to his fillyfriend "What's up with her?"

"If you want the full, rushed version, ask her," Applejack quietly responded, "But basically, she really wants to get a cutie mark, and she's trying to get one as soon as possible. She's fairly certain her special talent has to do with apples. Mostly because it's the family enterprise."

"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star avowed, "She's rather pragmatic, isn't she?"

"More like besotted, if you ask me," Applejack observed.

Bronze Star smiled at that. Apparently, Applejack had been around him for so long that she was starting to pick up some of the high-level vocabulary words he used.

"Woo-hoo! That's how you sell s'm apples and get a cutie mark!" Apple Bloom yelled cheerfully. She looked over her shoulder and gazed at her flank. She started spinning around in circles and said eagerly "So, what does my cutie mark look like? A shoppin' bag full of apples? A satisfied customer eating an apple?"

Much to her disappointment, her flank was still bare. She scowled and rubbed her chin, saying "Hmm... maybe I gotta increase my sales figures first."

At this time, Berry Punch had approached the stand. She was examining another basket of apples very closely. Her muzzle was almost touching the apple on top. This gave Apple Bloom an idea. She shot forward and shouted "YOU TOUCH IT, YOU BUY IT."

In response, Berry Punch recoiled in shock and fear. Bronze Star tried not to laugh when he saw the expression on her face.

Apple Bloom leaned on the basket and added in calmly "We take cash or credit."

Berry Punch did not respond verbally. Apple Bloom had straight-up startled her breathless. Applejack hastily approached her and told her apologetically "I'm sorry, ma'am."

Berry Punch galloped away from the booth in alarm. Applejack called out "Ma'am! Aww..."

She turned to her sister and crossly remarked "Now Apple Bloom, you can't just..."

Right then, Bon Bon was passing by the stand. She was carrying two saddlebags on her back. The one on her right side was open. Apple Bloom took a basket of apples and emptied them into the open bag. Then she pronounced "That'll be four bits."

Bon Bon glared at her and snapped in a raspy tone "I didn't put those in my bag."

Bronze Star winced at the sound of her voice. Last time he heard her speak, she had used a much smoother tone.

"Likely story." Apple Bloom uttered scathingly, "Four bits, lady!"

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack interceding, placing her front hoof over the yellow filly's mouth. She turned her attention to Bon Bon and told her "I am really really sorry about that. She's new."

Bon Bon did not seem very forgiving about this matter. Applejack had to give her the entire supply of apples she had on-hoof to make amends with her. The beige mare was overloaded, but she seemed content with this arrangement. As she stumbled away, Applejack called out neighborly "Y'all come back now, y'hear?"

Once Bon Bon was out of the market, Bronze Star turned to Applejack and stated "What was up with her voice?"

"What do you mean?" Applejack asked her coltfriend.

"It's different from last time," Bronze Star pointed out, "It seems like every time she talks, her voice changes."

"There's a reason for that," the orange mare disclosed, "She's a voice actress."

"She is?" Bronze Star said in interest.

"Yeah," Applejack affirmed, "She's one of the best in the business, actually. Whenever she's not making sweets here in Ponyville, she goes to either Las Pegasus or Vanhoover to record her voicework."

"That doesn't explain why she speaks in different voices in real life," Bronze Star noted.

"Well, in order to get in enough practice, she tries speaking in a different voice every day," Applejack enlightened him. She lightly scoffed and stated humorously "I can't believe you didn't know that after living here for six months."

"I guess I just never considered the possibility that Bon Bon was a voice actress," Bronze Star pronounced, "Now that I know, it does explain a few things about her. There's still a lot about this town I don't know all about."

"Well, if you have any questions about anything else, feel free to come to me," Applejack offered.

Bronze Star nodded in understanding. Applejack was always a good consultant for answers. That must have been why Apple Bloom was seeking her sister's help to get a cutie mark.

On that note, Applejack was still somewhat upset with Apple Bloom's marketing methods. She glared down at her little sister. Apple Bloom just asked in bafflement "What?"

Applejack took her little sister by her back and removed her apron. As she did this, she muttered angrily "Sorry little sis, but your apple-sellin' days are over."

As she set the filly back on the ground, Apple Bloom muttered in distress "What? But how else am I gonna get my cutie mark?"

Applejack gestured to the west and sternly ordered "Home. Now."

Apple Bloom's head sunk and she groaned "Hm."

Applejack could tell that her sister was in great sorrow. So she tried to console her with "Ugh. Listen, sugarcube, I know it's hard to wait for your very own cutie mark, but, you just can't force it. Besides, you're not that grown-up just yet. Ain't there other fillies in your class without one?"

Apple Bloom thought for a moment, and then she disclosed "Well... Twist doesn't have hers yet."

"Do you think you'd feel better if you went to the party with her?" Her elder sister suggested.

"Mmm-hmm," Apple Bloom said in response, grinning slightly.

"Well, there you go," Apple Bloom propounded, "Bet you and Twist would have a great time together. Now run along and find your friend."

This idea rather appealing to Apple Bloom. Before she went anywhere, she offered "You're sure you don't want me to stick around 'till the end of th' market?"

Before Applejack had a chance to respond, somepony in the area shout furiously "Hey! Who's been using my racket?"

Bronze Star, Applejack, and Apple Bloom turned in the direction of the shout, and they saw Ace holding his tennis racket out. The strings were heavily stained with chunks of apple.

"Yeah," Applejack bluntly answered, "I'm sure."

Apple Bloom solemnly nodded in acceptance, and she departed from the area. Bronze Star and Applejack were left by themselves then.

Bronze Star checked the time, and he revealed "I'd better get going, too. I'm seeking out some help of my own."

"So I've heard," Applejack commented, "Somepony came through here a while ago and put up a bunch of flyers for a job opening at the embassy."

"Yeah, they're all over town," Bronze Star apprised her, "I've been buried in so much paperwork lately that I've barely been able to enjoy any leisure time. My workload never gets any smaller; it just continues to get larger every week. Keeping up with it has proven to be a real challenge. It also didn't help that I got absolutely no work done yesterday."

When she heard that last statement, Applejack appeared concerned and she asked in worry "That isn't my fault, is it?"

"Oh, no; not at all," Bronze Star hastily assured her "I don't regret taking a day off. Yesterday was just what I needed to relax. I had a lot of fun."

"So did I," Applejack remarked, smiling.

Bronze Star smiled back. After some more silence, he went on with "At any rate, I've decided to hire a secretary. It would be really beneficial to have somepony around to organize my paperwork for me. Another two pairs of hooves could make a lot of difference."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and cockily leered "So I'm not enough for you, huh?"

That remark greatly startled Bronze Star. He hastily shook his front hooves and averred "No, no, no; it's nothing like that, I swear! I never even said my secretary would have to be a mare!"

Applejack laughed heartily at his reaction, and she told him assuredly "Calm down, I'm just kidding. You know I trust you."

"Good," Bronze Star muttered in relief. He needed a moment to calm himself, and once he was serene, he informed Applejack "You'll probably be seeing a little less of me over the next few days. I'll be conducting a lot of interviews at the embassy. Depending on how many there are and how they go, it could take me a while to make my selection."

"I understand," Applejack asserted, "If getting a secretary is a surefire way to help you lighten your workload and ease your stress levels, then take as long as you need."

"Thanks," Bronze Star said appreciatively.

The young prince then left the marketplace. He made his way back to Town Hall to check in with the Mayor. A dozen ponies had already signed up for the job opening at the embassy. Once Bronze Star had a copy of the list, he left the building and headed back to the embassy.

On his way there, he came across Apple Bloom again. She was sitting in the center of the road, and she seemed severely disheartened. Concerned for her emotional well-being, Bronze Star trotted over to her and queried "Apple Bloom, are you alright?"

The yellow filly gradually looked up at the gold stallion. She told him in a sad tone of voice "Oh, hi, Mr. Ambassador. I'm fine. Actually… no, I'm not."

"What's wrong?" he asked in worry.

"I thought my friend Twist didn't have her cutie mark," Apple Bloom answered him, "Up until an hour ago, she didn't. Now she's got a peppermint stick on her flank. Now I'm like the only one in my class who's still a blank flank."

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey," Bronze Star stated. He tried to comfort her by patting her gently on the shoulder.

"That's not even the worst part," Apple Bloom proclaimed, "One of my classmates, Diamond Tiara, is havin' a cute-ceañera this weekend. If I show up with my flank bare, I'll be completely humiliated."

"If I were you, Apple Bloom, I wouldn't worry about that," Bronze Star muttered wryly, "I've never really seen the point of a cute-ceañera. I remember a time when ponies just got their cutie marks and that was the end of it. There's no point in celebrating a natural part of life."

"Not unless your goal is to rub it in everypony else's face," Apple Bloom countered, "That's pretty much Diamond Tiara's special talent."

"Wow, that's rough," Bronze Star perceived. After a brief pause, he presumed "Is that the only other reason why you're so desperate to get your cutie mark? Because you don't want to show up to that party without it?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Apple Bloom avowed, "An' accordin' to Applejack, I'm not cut out to be an apple merchant. At least not yet. So I have no idea what my special talent could be."

"Perhaps you should try something other than your family's trade," Bronze Star suggested.

"Like what?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"Well…" Bronze Star began uncertainly. He rubbed his temple with his front hoof and tried to think of a field that was up the yellow filly's alley.

In his other front hoof, he was holding the list of the people who had signed up for the position at the embassy. Apple Bloom noticed it, and she stated in interest "Hey, what's that you got there?"

"Oh, this?" Bronze Star retorted, holding up the piece of paper, "Well, you know those flyers around town?"

"Yeah, what about 'em?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"I had them put up to inform the public of a job opening," Bronze Star expounded, "You see, I've had a lot on my to-do list recently. So much, in fact, that if I continue doing everything by myself, I may be unable to function properly. To make sure that doesn't happen, I'm looking for a secretary to help me with my work at the embassy."

"What sort of work would the secretary do?" Apple Bloom enquired.

"Most of it would just involve taking messages and arranging files," Bronze Star replied, "It may not sound like much, but those activities makes up more than thirty percent of my general workday."

"I see…" Apple Bloom uttered softly. She gazed off to the side and stared into the distance, as if she was deep in thought.

"Something on your mind?" Bronze Star questioned.

Apple Bloom did not answer straightaway. A few seconds later, she turned to Bronze Star, looked him in the eye, and proposed "I don't suppose… maybe I could take a shot at bein' your secretary?"

Bronze Star did not expect to hear that. More to the point, he did not know how to respond to it. He rubbed the back of his head and uttered tentatively "I'm not so sure about that…"

"It's like you said; I should try gettin' my special talent in somethin' other than apples," Apple Bloom declared, "Maybe I could try my hoof at office work, or whatever it is you do."

"I appreciate the offer and your eagerness to help me," Bronze Star disclosed in assurance, "But my secretary cannot be just anypony. There are certain qualifications each candidate would have to meet."

"Like what?" Apple Bloom asked.

"For starters, my secretary has to be somepony who's available for most of the day, and preferably somepony who has already received a full education," Bronze Star elucidated, "The fact that you're still in school excludes you in both matters. I also receive huge amounts of information every day. All of which must be organized in a very specific and precise manner. Most of all, my secretary must be very patient. Based on how keen you are about getting your cutie mark, I do not believe patience is your strong suite."

Apple Bloom seemed a little hurt to hear that last remark. She gazed gloomily at the ground, and she looked as if she was going to start tearing up.

Bronze Star was confused by this at first, but he thought about what he just said, and he realized that it was hardly a polite comment. He knelt down to Apple Bloom's level and gently hugged the filly, telling her "Apple Bloom, I'm so sorry. I… I can't believe I just said that."

"No, you're right," Apple Bloom admitted, looking up at the gold stallion, "I'm anything but patient. To be honest, I wasn't expecting you to hire me in the first place. I just want a chance to try doing what you do. After all, while it keeps you very busy, you seem to enjoy it. And although it's different from my family's business, that doesn't stop my sister from warmin' up to you. That make sense?"

Bronze Star thought about this. Apple Bloom was sensible enough to understand that she had no chance of actually becoming his secretary, but she was still determined to see if she had potential to be one someday. He admired her initiative, and he knew she could deal with disappointment. Plus, she was his fillyfriend's younger sister. He had gotten to know her over the past few months, and she seemed to look up to him.

Ultimately, Bronze Star lightly shrugged, stood up straight again, and slyly pronounced "Oh, why not? Come on."

Apple Bloom looked somewhat elated by that response. She followed the gold stallion back to the embassy, and once they got there, Bronze Star brought her to his office on the first floor. The afternoon news updates from Canterlot had arrived a couple hours beforehand. They were piled on top of his desk, along with the morning news updates. The evening news updates would be along in a few hours. Bronze Star was hoping that by then, he would have everything else sorted out.

He took a few moments to explain everything to Apple Bloom. He told her that all of his information needed to be organized in a very particular fashion. Anything from Princess Celestia took top priority. Anything from Lord Bellerophon or SIG Sauer was next in line. After that came anything from the Intelligence Bureau or the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency. All military-related documents and files pertaining to federal security followed that up. All junk mail – regardless of the production company – went straight to the trash can. Everything else went to the bottom of the list.

Apple Bloom did her best to remember all of this. When Bronze Star finished explaining the order to her, he removed a few documents from each of the files. Then he tasked Apple Bloom with organizing the documents properly. He timed her to test her efficiency. It took her about ten minutes in total. She was sufficiently quick, but a couple of the papers had been overlooked by mistake.

This was the first of several tests that Bronze Star put Apple Bloom through. Altogether, these tests took about an hour to complete. As she did them, he took notes on her performance. At the end of each test, Apple Bloom looked down at her flank to see if a symbol had appeared. To her dismay, nothing ever did. Once all the tests were finished, Bronze Star looked over his notes, and he arrived at a conclusion.

He informed Apple Bloom "Well, you do have aptitude. You did make a couple mistakes in each of the tests, but nothing that stands out as abysmal. Overall, your performance was… adequate. Maybe it can be exemplary if you familiarized yourself with this stuff. That's something to think about."

"Still no cutie mark, though," Apple Bloom drearily pointed out.

"Yeah, sorry for that," Bronze Star told her apologetically, "But don't let that get to you. I started getting involved in politics when I was just a few years older than you. However, I only entered that field when I was certain that it was what I wanted to do in my life. You shouldn't make a career out of something unless you are absolutely sure of yourself."

"I get what you're sayin'," the yellow filly remarked, "Right now, I'm don't think my special talent is in politics. I've never really thought much about politics, anyway. They're one of those things that I'd rather leave up to other ponies."

"A lot of ponies feel that way," the gold stallion asserted, "It can be difficult to do well in politics. It involves much more than cataloguing reports, filling out paperwork, and sending messages. It also involves making tough decisions and appealing to the people you work with. It's usually impossible to satisfy everypony, and it is very easy to make a mistake. Even the smallest mistake can result in a huge disaster. Luckily, after struggling long and hard, I've managed to become one of those 'other ponies.'"

"That's good for you, Mr. Streak," Apple Bloom thought aloud, "But with all that said, there's one thing about you that I don't understand."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star inquired.

"If you're so excellent in politics, why is your cutie mark a cluster of stars?" Apple Bloom asked in intrigue.

Normally, Bronze Star would have been prepared for a question such as that. Not this time; the filly with the bow had caught him off-guard. Fortunately, he only needed a minute to put together an explanation. He explained to Apple Bloom "While I am a fine politician, I never said that my special talent is in politics. I'm actually recognized by many as a multitalented individual. I have been trained in the military, I frequently assist investigations, and I am very well-informed how to maintain security. I could go on, but I'd run the risk of sounding like a braggart."

"Please don't then; I get enough of that from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," Apple Bloom mumbled drily.

"Okay, I'm sure you get the idea," Bronze Star professed, "Anyway, as I was saying, stars are often viewed as objects that represent a pony's deeds, abilities, or options. Having a whole bunch of them together at once could represent the sum of a pony's nature. In my case, I believe the reason my cutie mark is a cluster of stars is because I have no one special talent; I'm just quite skillful in multiple fields."

"Wow, that's… that's really impressive," Apple Bloom stated in awe, "That would explain your cutie mark. However, there's one thing about it that's a little… unusual, I guess."

"How so?" Bronze Star queried.

"I've heard of people having stars as their cutie marks," Apple Bloom revealed, "But as far as I know, there's only ever been one pony in Equestrian history who has had an entire cluster of stars as a cutie mark."

"Who might that be?" the young prince enquired in interest.

"Prince Bronze Star," Apple Bloom plainly disclosed.

Bronze Star was somewhat taken aback. How could Apple Bloom have known that? Then it dawned on him: the first time he had dinner with the Apple family, she mentioned that she had seen photographs of him when he was still in his Alicorn form at Canterlot. One or two of those photographs may have included a side-view of his flank.

Once this thought occurred to him, Bronze Star came up with a clever response. He looked down at the filly, lightly grinned, and muttered "Well then, I guess there's only one rational explanation."

"What?" she queried.

The gold stallion stood up tall, raised his front hooves, and gaudily declared "I AM Prince Bronze Star."

The yellow filly seemed absolutely flabbergasted to hear that. She stared up at Bronze Star and mumbled quietly "W-W-W-What?"

Bronze Star then settled down, smirked, and casually proclaimed "Relax, sweetie; I'm joking."

Apple Bloom eased down and said with what sounded like disappointment "Really?"

"Yes, of course I'm not serious," the prince insisted, "If I was Prince Bronze Star, I wouldn't be searching for a secretary. I'd already have my own staff to assist me. Aside from that, if I WAS Prince Bronze Star, what would I be doing here in Ponyville in the first place?"

Apple Bloom lightly shrugged and pronounced "I don't know, but I'm sure you'd have a good reason. Maybe you'd try to live and work like an ordinary person for a while, just so you'd know what it's like."

She hit the nail right on the head. That was the very reason Bronze Star initially came to Ponyville. Of course, he now had several more reasons for staying in the town.

"You make a good case," Bronze Star disclosed, "But you shouldn't forget that Prince Bronze Star is an Alicorn. You don't see any wings or a horn on me, do you?"

"No, I don't," Apple Bloom candidly observed, "But other than that, I swear that you look exactly like him. Your coat, your mane, and your eyes are all the same colors as his. Also, you're how old? Twenty-five?"

"Yeah, I'll be turning twenty-six shortly before the next Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star admitted straightforwardly.

"Isn't that around the same time as Prince Bronze Star's twenty-sixth birthday?" Apple Bloom asked rhetorically.

"I believe so," Bronze Star steadily replied. Inwardly, he was not as calm. He could not believe he had so easily walked into that one.

He wondered what reason Apple Bloom had for bringing this affair up. He had already invented a story to eliminate any suspicion she might have had about who he really was. Then again, that was four months ago. Perhaps that story of how he was Prince Bronze Star's "body double" had lost its credibility. It could very well be possible that she was starting to catch on to his true identity.

If that was the case, he needed to take action to fix that problem. He would need to make up something else to sway Apple Bloom's mind. So he preoccupied himself with thinking of an appropriate response. He did not let his apprehension show; he did not want to risk giving himself away.

After a minute, he thought of another way to divert Apple Bloom's attention. He leaned down to her level again, and he told her"Look, Apple Bloom, I will admit I bear an uncanny resemblance to Prince Bronze Star, but please do not get it into your head that I AM him. You wouldn't be the first person who's confused me for him. The last time that happened, I turned a lot of heads everywhere I went. Before long, I attracted a great deal of unwanted attention. I would prefer not to go through that again. So please, do not go on thinking I'm somepony I'm not. And, please, do not share these observations of yours with anypony else. One small rumor about my identity is all it could take to wreck my image and my career."

Apple Bloom understood what the gold stallion was asking of her. She took a moment to process everything, and then she nodded in agreement, saying "I didn't mean to step out of line, Mr. Streak. I'm sorry if I seemed to be lettin' my mind wander."

"It's fine, sweetie," Bronze Star asserted, "You can always feel free to speak your mind to me."

"Alright, I'll remember that," Apple Bloom proclaimed, "Same goes for you."

"Huh?" Bronze Star uttered in slight confusion.

"I've noticed that a lot of the time, you seem like you're holding onto something," Apple Bloom exemplified, "Something that you need to get out, but don't want to. Kinda like a secret. If that's the case, I want you to know: if you ever need somepony to talk to, I'm always willing to listen."

"Well, I appreciate that, Apple Bloom," Bronze Star told the filly gratefully.

"No sweat, Gold," Apple Bloom reassured, "After all, I know that you and Applejack are just coltfriend and fillyfriend right now, but I'm already thinking of you as part of my family. With the possible exception of gettin' a cutie mark, there's nothin' more important to me than family. So feel free to speak your mind to me whenever you like."

"I'll keep that in mind," Bronze Star acknowledged. There was another lengthy period of silence, and then Bronze Star checked the clock on the wall. He gazed down at Apple Bloom and told her "It's getting late. I'll walk you home."

"Thanks," was her simple response.

Bronze Star and Apple Bloom left the building and headed to the west of town. When they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom bade the gold stallion good evening and trotted up the short dirt trail to her house.

Bronze Star found this situation a little ironic. For the past two nights, he had walked each of the Apple sisters home.

When he got back to the embassy, Bronze Star spend a few hours catching up on his work. He also thought about the conversation he had with Apple Bloom. He had to admit; she was rather wise for her age. The discussion also made him wonder about a few things. Most specifically, he was starting to have second thoughts about keeping his identity a complete secret. He was not considering revealing his true self to the entire town, but he was starting to feel as though there may have been a certain few ponies he could entrust with that secret.

However, this was one decision he was not prepared to make on his own. Aside from that, there were plenty of other things that needed his attention at this time. He wanted to get those items of business out of the way first.

He started with finding a secretary. Over the next two days, he met with twenty different ponies and interviewed each of them individually. He put them through the same tests he had given Apple Bloom. Many of them did fairly well, and they all seemed qualified to some degree. At first, he was unable to pick a favorite amongst any of them.

On the third day of the interviews, Bronze Star interviewed ten more candidates. The first two were alright, but the third one stood out to him. This prospect was a certain Earth Pony mare. She had a purple coat, a crimson mane, sky blue eyes, and a three-dimensional parallelogram for a cutie mark. Bronze Star recognized her from that party Pinkie Pie had thrown to welcome Alpine, Mauser, and General Walther to Ponyville. Her name was Dapple Rhomb.

When she appeared at the embassy, Bronze Star had been somewhat surprised to see her there. He had not encountered Dapple Rhomb once since that party. But he still remembered the injury she had inadvertently given him when she handed him that baton with the built-in knife.

This interview started out the same as all the others. Bronze Star asked Dapple Rhomb the same questions he had asked the other prospects. She answered all of them fully and to the best of her ability. When he asked her for her previous job experience, she mentioned that she had worked as a receptionist in Manehattan, an accountant in Fillydelphia, and a consultant in Baltimare. She was even able to provide the proper references to validate that.

When he administered the tests, Dapple Rhomb was able to accomplish each and every one of them in almost record time with nearly flawlessly attention to detail and accuracy. Bronze Star was actually a little fascinated by how well she handled the tasks. Part of him was inclined to question if this really was her first time applying for a job as a secretary. Dapple Rhomb insisted it was, but he was not certain if that was true.

That evening, he looked over the notes he had taken throughout all thirty of the interviews. Many of them were very promising, but ultimately, he chose Dapple Rhomb. She was the only one who provided sufficient answers to all the questions, and she had passed every test with outstanding results and the least amount of time. She was very handy with a typewriter, she was very flexible, she was capable of doing the work without asking too questions, and – most importantly – she was extremely patient.

The following morning, he visited Dapple Rhomb at her house and told her that she got the job. She was absolutely delighted to be given this news. Bronze Star instructed her to show up bright and early at the embassy tomorrow morning at seven o'clock on the dot. He had a meeting with the Mayor and City Council then, and he wanted Dapple Rhomb to be there to keep a record.

In response to that request, Dapple Rhomb saluted Bronze Star and told him "You got it… Boss."

Some people might have thought that to be a demeaning remark. However, Bronze Star could tell Dapple Rhomb meant it as a respectful gesture. He had been called many things, but never "Boss." Truthfully, he liked it.

By this point in time, Bronze Star had managed to catch up on his workload. Now that he had finally chosen a secretary, he was confident that his workday would soon start to get less stressful and strenuous. So he was in no rush to get back to the embassy just yet.

After speaking with Dapple Rhomb, Bronze Star headed to the town square and informed the Mayor that the job opening at the embassy had been filled. Mayor Mare acknowledged this and assured him that the flyers would be taken down right away. The gold stallion thanked her for that and left the town square.

He trotted through the town's streets for a while, thinking about all he had been through recently.

During his walk, a thought suddenly occurred to Bronze Star. Yesterday, Dapple Rhomb had been the third person he had spoken to. That was the third day of the interviews, no less. Now that he thought about it, her interview had ended at roughly three o'clock in the afternoon.

Three permutations of the number three had cropped up all at the same time. Bronze Star was fairly certain this was not a coincidence. He made a note to bring this up to Sir Haywood later on.

At one point, Bronze Star passed by Sugarcube Corner. There appeared to be a lot of activity going on inside the building. Even though he was standing several meters away from the entrance, he could clearly see Pinkie Pie standing by the door. This led him to speculate that the pink mare was hosting yet another party.

His hypothesis was spot on. A couple minutes later, Applejack arrived on scene. She approached her coltfriend and told him "Mornin', sugar cube. Fancy seeing you here."

Bronze Star smiled at his fillyfriend and stated "Good morning to you, too, AJ."

Applejack looked around the area and commented "I noticed that all the flyers about the job opening at the embassy have been taken down."

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "Over the past few days, I held a total of thirty separate interview sessions, and I reviewed each of them last night. After carefully examining each case, I finally made my selection."

"Who did you pick?" Applejack queried in interest.

"Dapple Rhomb," Bronze Star informed her.

"Who?" she asked.

"The mare who accidentally cut my hoof open at that party," he recounted frankly.

"Oh," Applejack remarked in astonishment, "I'm guessin' you ain't harborin' any hard feelings towards her."

"Well, to her credit, that stunt with the baton wasn't her fault," Bronze Star pointed out, "Aside from that, Alpine was able to fully heal my injury a few days later."

"So everything's alright," Applejack perceived.

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. The two of them stood in silence for a while, and then the gold stallion looked over at Sugarcube Corner and asked "What's going on in there?"

"Diamond Tiara's cute-ceañera," Applejack apprised him.

"Oh, joy," he sarcastically remarked.

"Not a fan of that sort of thing?" she presumed.

"I should say not," Bronze Star declared, "If you ask me, there is literally nothing more pointless than a cute-ceañera."

"That may be, but there are some ponies who feel differently," Applejack debated.

"Well, this doesn't strike me as something you would really enjoy, either," Bronze Star perceived.

"You're right; it's not," Applejack candidly affirmed, "I'm just here for Apple Bloom."

"Oh, right; she told me about this thing," Bronze Star recalled, "Has she had any luck in determining her special talent yet?"

"Not as far as I know," Applejack thought aloud, "She's certainly been tryin', though. She told me about how you gave her a shot at office work. On that note, I want to thank you for givin' her that opportunity."

"It was the least I could do for the sister of the mare I'm seeing," Bronze Star contended.

Applejack smiled at that. After a brief pause, she stated "Anyway, Rainbow Dash told me that she spent most of the morning trying to help Apple Bloom get her cutie mark. They tried over a dozen different activities, but nothing worked. Shortly after they called it quits, Pinkie Pie showed up and suggested that she try getting a cutie mark in cupcakes."

"A cutie mark in cupcakes?" Bronze Star repeated in puzzlement.

"Yeah, but keep in mind, this is Pinkie we're talkin' about," Applejack notified him, "I don't know if that venture actually worked, but I'm guessing Apple Bloom is still here. At least, I'm hopin' she is. I heard her friend Twist got her cutie mark very recently. That must've made her pretty upset."

"Upset enough to be impelled not to attend the party?" Bronze Star assumed.

"I hope not," Applejack said in response, "Otherwise, she'll miss out on a good chance to hang out with her classmates just because of her lack of a cutie mark. I don't want her to become socially inept."

"Good point," Bronze Star coincided. They stood in quietness for about twenty seconds, and then he turned to the sweet shop and proposed "Shall we go in?"

"May as well," Applejack remarked.

The orange mare and the gold stallion approached Sugarcube Corner and trotted through the entrance. Pinkie Pie was there to greet them. She tried to put a party hat on each of their heads, but they managed to dodge her. Applejack was not about to trade her Stetson for a cone, and Bronze Star found party hats degrading.

Most of the attendants were fillies and colts. There were a few adults, however. Berry Punch was there, most likely because her daughter Ruby Pinch had been invited. When she thought nopony was looking, the mare took a large swig from the punch bowl. Bronze Star was the only one who spotted this, and he decided to stay away from the punch bowl for the duration of the party.

He and Applejack encountered Apple Bloom almost immediately after this. Applejack approached her younger sister and pronounced cheerfully "Apple Bloom, you made it. After I heard about Twist, I was afraid you wouldn't show up. I sure am glad you came to your senses about this whole cutie mark thing. These things happen when these things are supposed to happen. Trying to rush 'em just drives you crazy."

Applejack had been said all that rather loudly. A bit too loudly, as her remarks had attracted the attention of two fillies. Bronze Star presumed them to be Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon; their cutie marks were those items respectively. For some reason, they seemed quite pleased by the yellow filly's presence. Based on the expression on Apple Bloom's face, the feelings were not mutual.

Applejack noticed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon approaching, and she said to Apple Bloom "I'll let you be; looks like your friends want to talk to you."

The orange mare then trotted further into the room. Bronze Star went with her, but he kept an eye on the yellow filly. He watched as Apple Bloom hastily ducked behind the table, removed the pink table cloth, and wrapped it around her waist like a makeshift skirt. She made sure it concealed her flank on both sides. Needless to say, her flank was still blank.

"It probably wasn't such a good idea to say all that out loud," Bronze Star urgently whispered to his fillyfriend.

"Don't worry; I'm sure she'll be alright," Applejack assured her coltfriend. That comment sounded more like a speculation than a declaration.

Bronze Star watched as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon reached Apple Bloom. Diamond Tiara cheekily stated "Well, well, well, look who's here."

"Nice outfit," Silver Spoon spat derisively.

"Just sumt'n I, uh, pulled together last minute," Apple Bloom remarked.

"It really shows off your cutie mark," Diamond Tiara said scathingly, "Oh wait, that's right, you don't have one."

"Uh, I have a cutie mark," Apple Bloom claimed.

"Eh, what?" Silver Spoon mumbled in bewilderment, "Since when?"

"Since... Um... Earlier today," Apple Bloom insisted.

"Oh, really?" Diamond Tiara countered skeptically, "Let's see it."

Apple Bloom could tell they were on to her. She quickly came up with a response: "I shouldn't. I couldn't. My cutie mark is so unbelievably amazing, I'm afraid that if I show it off, everyone will start paying attention to me instead of you. Outshined at your own cute-ceañera - can you imagine how embarrassing that would be?"

This was a rather effective tactic. Diamond Tiara backed away and told the yellow filly "Uh, forget it, I didn't really want to see it anyway."

Apple Bloom appeared to be relieved to hear that. She coolly told the rich filly "Okay, well, I'm gonna go mingle. Enjoy your party."

As Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon began moving away from her, Apple Bloom sighed in relief. Bronze Star had been watching the whole time. He smirked and muttered under his breath "She's even cleverer than I originally gave her credit for."

Unfortunately, Apple Bloom's cover story was quickly invalidated. As she trotted into the room, she accidentally collided with the gramophone in the center of the room. As the needle scratched the record, Apple Bloom's makeshift skirt got caught and ripped off. As a result, her bare flank was completely exposed.

Nearly everypony in the room gave a collective gasp at the sight.

"Oh no," Apple Bloom moaned worriedly.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were still standing very close to her. They seemed rather amused.

"Wow, that is an amazing cutie mark," Silver Spoon muttered mockingly.

"Nice try..." Diamond Tiara sardonically leered.

"Blank flank!" they both yelled at once. Apple Bloom just stared at the ground sadly.

Bronze Star felt a sudden rush of anger. Normally, he could excuse foals not being polite to each other. But he had no tolerance for foals who ridiculed other foals just because the latter did not have a cutie mark. He would not allow this mistreatment of Apple Bloom to go on.

Before he could intervene, he heard a voice called out "You got a problem with blank flanks?"

All the fillies in the room gasped at that outburst. Everypony turned to its source, and they saw two other fillies hiding under a table. One of them was a white Unicorn; the other was an orange Pegasus.

As they crawled out from under it, the Pegasus barked "I said, you got a problem with blank flanks?"

Silver Spoon retorted sharply "The problem is, I mean, she's like, totally not special."

"No, it means she's full of potential," the Unicorn countered.

"It means she could be great at anything," the Pegasus said in agreement, "The possibilities are, like, endless."

She had spoken those last two words in a voice that sounded hauntingly similar to Diamond Tiara's.

The Unicorn continued with "She could be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer. She could even be mayor of Ponyville someday."

"And she's not stuck being stuck-up like you two," the Pegasus cracked at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Most of the ponies in the room laughed at that, including Bronze Star and Applejack.

Diamond Tiara scowled and mumbled heatedly "Hey, this is my party, why are you two on her side?"

The Unicorn and the Pegasus merely smiled, and the latter began with "Because..."

The two of them turned sideways to reveal that both of them had bare flanks.

Apple Bloom gasped and uttered in amazement "You don't have your cutie marks either? I thought I was the only one."

"We thought we were the only two," the Pegasus proclaimed.

At that moment, Twilight Sparkle stepped forward and perceived "I for one think you are three very lucky fillies."

"Lucky?" Diamond Tiara spat agitatedly, "How can they be lucky?"

Twilight Sparkle pointed out "They still get to experience the thrill of discovering who they are, and what they're meant to be."

Applejack interceded and added in "And they got all the time in the world to figure it out, not just an afternoon."

Bronze Star joined her side and announced "Most of all, who's to say they can only have ONE talent? In time, they may come to discover that they are gifted in more ways than one. Someday, they may do something great, something meaningful, or something worthy of remembrance."

All that supposition had gotten the other foals excited. They started chattering and gathered around Apple Bloom.

"Wow, Apple Bloom," Tornado Bolt commented, "I wish I could be a scientist."

"Do you really think you could be mayor?" Piña Colada asked.

"Maybe I got my cutie mark too soon," Coronet theorized.

The yellow filly smiled at all the positive attention she was now receiving from her peers. Diamond Tiara did not seem to be taking this shift in mood very well, though.

"Hey, what's everypony doing?" she barked angrily, "This is my party, everypony is supposed to be paying attention to me."

This complaining did not have any effect on the guests. Silver Spoon bluntly remarked "Whatever. We still think you're losers, right Diamond Tiara? Bump, bump, sugar... lump..."

"Not now, Silver Spoon," the rich filly interrupted her friend.

The other two blank flanks finally introduced themselves to Apple Bloom. The orange Pegasus stated "Name's Scootaloo."

"And I'm Sweetie Belle," the white Unicorn declared.

"Apple Bloom," the yellow Earth Pony illuminated.

They smiled around at each other. All of a sudden, the music resumed playing, and almost everypony stopped whatever they were doing to begin dance. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo started dancing together. An Earth Pony with glasses and a poofy red mane joined them. She muttered in a heavy lisp "This song is so super!"

Bronze Star and Applejack just grinned. Everything had worked out fine for Apple Bloom.

Bronze Star could have sworn he had seen the other two fillies somewhere before. Then he remembered; Sweetie Belle was Rarity's younger sister, and Scootaloo was Rainbow Dash's biggest admirer. He had seen them around town several times, but he had never asked for their names. Now he finally knew them.

Bronze Star and Applejack decided to partake in the festivities. They helped themselves to the buffet table and filled their plates. They stood by and watched the other guests dance as they ate lunch and chatted with each other.

After a little while, Bronze Star noticed a certain indigo stallion dressed in a suit was present, as well. He was standing in the back of the front room. He was not interacting with anypony; he was just observing everything from the sidelines. Bronze Star told Applejack he would be back in a moment. Then he trotted over to the stallion and greeted him with "Hello, Sir Haywood."

"Good day, Your Highness," Sir Haywood quietly responded. He had spoken quietly enough so that only the gold stallion could hear him. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," Bronze Star observed, "I didn't expect to see you here. I would have thought you'd be adverse to this type of gathering."

"I am, sir," Haywood McCrank asserted, "I'm not here for the party itself. I have another reason for being here."

"Which is?" Bronze Star queried.

"These last few days, I have been all over Ponyville, and I have witnessed approximately 417 instances of the number three," Haywood McCrank expounded, "These instances have occurred more frequently at Sugarcube Corner than anywhere else in town. And that was when only the Cakes, Pinkie Pie, and a few customers were here. I'm inclined to believe that a large gathering such as this one might yield something bigger and more significant."

"Seems like a reasonable notion," Bronze Star commented, "So, have you come across anything like that?"

"There are a few things," Sir Haywood responded, "Most notably…"

He did not say anything more; instead, he focused his eyes on a certain area across the room. Bronze Star turned in the direction of his gaze, and he realized the indigo stallion was staring at Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

Bronze Star was baffled at first, but it quickly dawned on him. He raised an eyebrow, turned to Sir Haywood, and muttered uneasily "Those three fillies… You're not seriously thinking that they might somehow be involved in this plot?"

"I'd like to think not, but it is certainly a possibility, sir," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "Think about this. Those three fillies have lived in Ponyville all their lives. Before today, Apple Bloom didn't even know Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo existed. Yet they became acquainted with each other in the midst of our investigation. Oddly enough, they became friends just a few days after we discovered the relevance of the number three."

Bronze Star had to admit that Sir Haywood made some good points. After pondering on them, he queried "Do you think they might be in danger?"

"It's still too early to say for certain," Haywood McCrank observed, "For all we know, they might not have any role in this plot whatsoever. At the present, I'm fairly certain they don't. I'm just following my own advice and considering everything."

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in speculating," Bronze Star professed. There was a bit of silence, and then the prince informed the older stallion "On that note, Sir Haywood, there is something you should know."

"What, sir?" the federal investigator queried.

"The vacancy for the job opening at the embassy has been filled up," Bronze Star apprised him, "I now have a secretary."

"That's excellent, sir," Sir Haywood remarked, "Who is it?"

"A mare named Dapple Rhomb," Bronze Star replied, "She is very capable and qualified for the position. However, there's one thing about her that stood out."

"What?" Haywood McCrank enquired.

"On day three of the interviews, Dapple Rhomb's appointment was the third one scheduled," Bronze Star enlightened him, "It ended at approximately three o'clock."

"Three, three, and three," Haywood McCrank noted, "Three of three."

"Do you think it means anything?" Bronze Star queried.

"It very well could," Sir Haywood admitted, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. When does Dapple Rhomb start working at the embassy?"

"Tomorrow," Bronze Star stated, "Unless you think her working there might not be a good idea."

"No, go ahead and let her work there," Haywood McCrank proposed, "We have no real reason to suspect her of anything just yet. So for now, just treat Dapple Rhomb like a normal employee. It would help if you remained wary of her actions, but do not do anything to give her the impression that she is being monitored."

"You got it, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star avowed.

Their conversation ended there. The gold stallion soon rejoined the party. The indigo stallion stayed in the corner for the remainder of its duration.

At one point during the party, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo gathered together at a table. They had realized they had much more in common than just their lack of cutie marks and the fact that they did not get along with Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon. As a result, they got an idea to form their own private club. The club's basic purpose would be to help blank flanks such as themselves search for their special talents and get their cutie marks. All they needed was a name. After considering a few possible titles, they settled on "The Cutie Mark Crusaders."

Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Bronze Star were pleased with what they saw. Apple Bloom was no longer brooding over her absence of a cutie mark. Instead, she, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were full of optimism for what the future might bring them.

Twilight Sparkle had learned yet another lesson about friendship from this. Because of that, she decided to send a letter about all this to Princess Celestia.

Bronze Star and Applejack stayed with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo for most of the party. The three fillies went to the kitchen to help themselves to some cookies. For a few minutes, the orange mare and the gold stallion had an opportunity to talk in private.

Applejack turned to her coltfriend and queried "So, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah, never thought I'd say this about a cute-ceañera, but I'm actually having fun," Bronze Star responded, "It was pretty amusing to see the guest of honor get put in her place."

"Yeah, Diamond Tiara can get on everypony's nerves," Applejack concurred, "Silver Spoon, too."

"Those two remind me of my idiot cousin," Bronze Star thought aloud. He was referring to Prince Blueblood when he said that. The two of them had very little in common.

Applejack just scoffed at that statement.

The two of them stood together in silence for a while. At one point, Bronze Star looked around the area to see if anypony else was close-by. When he was confident that he and Applejack would not be overheard, he looked to his fillyfriend and said "Hey, Applejack, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," the farmer assured him, "Anything."

Bronze Star knew what he wanted to say, but he was not certain about how to word it. After thinking for a bit, he asked her "How do you feel about the current nature of our relationship?"

"I'm really glad we became more than 'just friends,' if that's what you're asking," Applejack informed him, a little perplexed, "That's a rather odd question to ask, Bronze."

"Perhaps I should rephrase it," Bronze Star muttered, rubbing the back of his head, "What I meant is this: is there anything about our relationship that bothers you because of how it might affect our other relationships with others? Say, for example, there's the fact that I'm hiding nothing about myself from you, but I'm hiding quite a lot from almost everypony else."

Applejack realized what he was asking. She thought for a moment, and then she professed "Well, to be honest, sometimes I feel a little guilty about maintainin' all this secrecy. I mean, I'm goin' out with the most famous stallion in the country. Yet only a few ponies even know it."

"That's my point," Bronze Star apprised her, "We've been together for four and a-half months. But nopony in your family knows who I really am. It hardly seems fair. That got me thinking; maybe that should change."

Applejack was surprised to hear that. "Why?"

"A few days ago, Apple Bloom came close to learning my real identity," Bronze Star explicated, "I managed to persuade her that I wasn't, but it felt so wrong to lie to her like that. She also told me that I could be honest with her, and I genuinely believed her. After all, her sister is the Element of Honesty. Aside from that, sooner or later, I am going to have to drop this charade. Perhaps it would be best if I did it in my own way. Maybe I could tell a few ponies at a time. If so, I may as well start with the family of the mare I'm closest to."

Applejack contemplated this reasoning. She had to admit; Bronze Star made several fine points. Eventually, she turned to him and asked "Have you already thought this through?"

"No, I wanted to consult a second opinion before I made a decision," Bronze Star disclosed, "After all, it's your family I'd be revealing myself to. Don't you think they have a right to know?"

"I suppose they do," Applejack coincided, "But who all would you tell?"

"Just Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big McIntosh," Bronze Star informed her.

"Okay, that seems fine to me," Applejack commented, "But I don't want to rush something like this. We should probably take some time to think about it."

"That was my intent," Bronze Star illuminated, "I'm going to try to discuss this matter with my mother, as well. Her opinion is always very helpful."

"Good idea," Applejack remarked, "Just make sure you're able to talk with her sometime in the next two months."

"Why's that?" he asked in interest.

"Because a few of my relatives will be coming to visit us at the end of those two months," she explained to him, "I want us to have decided whether or not we'll tell Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom who you are before they get here."

"That makes sense," Bronze Star conceded, "Out of curiosity, how many of your relatives are coming?"

"Oh, close to a dozen," Applejack replied "Maybe more, depending on a few things."

"Well, I hope you'll introduce them to me," Bronze Star suggested.

"Oh, you bet I will," Applejack asserted, "Even though I'll just be presenting you as 'Mr. Ambassador.' I'm certain you'll like them. In fact, there's one stallion in particular that I want you to meet."

"Who might that be?" Bronze Star inquired.

"My Great Uncle, Esopus Spitzenburg," Applejack happily said in response.

A long period of silence followed that answer. Bronze Star had been wholly unprepared to hear that. But by utilizing self-restraint and maintaining his composure, he avoided giving a negative reaction to what Applejack told him. In the end, all he did was raise an eyebrow and say "Sounds like an interesting character. Tell me about him."

"Well, he's ambitious, he's productive, he's politically-active, and he looks out for his own," Applejack enlightened him, "That's why I think you'll like him. He's a lot like you."

"I look forward to meeting him," Bronze Star proclaimed.

That was definitely true. If one of the masterminds behind the assassination conspiracy was coming to Ponyville, he would certainly like to meet face-to-face with that pony. He just hoped he would be able to sit in a room with that pony for a prolonged period of time. It was not often that he interacted with the people on his watch list anywhere outside of the Compartment.

In fact, up until now, he had never done that before. Bronze Star had been in command of the Firebrand Regiment for nearly seven years. Ever since he put the unit together, he had made discovering and averting national crises their number one goal. Under his leadership, the Regiment had managed to prevent dozens of such disasters.

However, Bronze Star was accustomed to being the one who distributed the orders and left all the action up to other people. He rarely ever got directly involved in any of the Regiment's operations.

Now, it looked as though direct involvement on his part was inevitable. Sooner or later, he would be thrown into the center of two of these operations at the exact same time. One was the assassination conspiracy that targeted his mother; the other was the murder plot that was scheduled to take place in Ponyville. Soon it would probably be up to him to push the progress of both of the investigations forward. Bronze Star only hoped that whenever that happened, he would be ready and able.

> Courteous Gesture
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star remained at Sugarcube Corner for a few hours more. He spent most of that time with Applejack and the three fillies. While he enjoyed the festivities, in the back of his mind, he was wondering what would happen from here. He felt apprehensive, to say the least.

Ever since he interrogated Sir Raoul Jowl, Bronze Star had concluded that the investigation into the assassination conspiracy would be complicated. After all, the leader of the conspiracy was directly related to his fillyfriend.

He had planned to ask Applejack about Esopus Spitzenburg at some point. He found that information about a suspect from somepony who personally knew the suspect could be very useful. The reason he had never brought up Esopus to her yet was because he was not certain how to address the subject with her. Applejack had hundreds of relatives; it would seem strange if he wished to talk about one of them in particular.

Apparently, he no longer had to worry about that. Still, he never would have imagined that Esopus Spitzenburg would come straight to him. It must have been either fate or pure coincidence that both of them would be in the same place at the same time.

Regardless of the circumstances, he planned to take advantage of this opportunity. But unlike the Firebrand Regiment, he had little firsthoof experience on monitoring suspects in the field. For once, he would need instructions from them on how to proceed, not the other way around.

He planned to inform the Regiment of this affair soon. Initially, he considered sending them a letter as soon as he got back to the embassy. Then he recalled that it would be about a month or two until Esopus Spitzenburg would arrive in Ponyville. With that in mind, he was in no real rush to contact the Regiment. Even so, he did not want to delay this for too long.

Luckily, Bronze Star quickly got an idea for a discreet yet effective way to deliver the news.

The following day, Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy at exactly seven o'clock in the morning, as per Bronze Star's orders. This used to be the same time when the gold stallion's weekly meeting with the Mayor and City Council would take place. Shortly after Hearth's Warming, it had been decided for various reasons that the meetings would be pushed back to eight o'clock. So Mayor Mare and the City Council would be at the embassy in about an hour.

Bronze Star used that time to thoroughly explain to Dapple Rhomb what the requirements of her new occupation were.

As his secretary, she was expected to be ready to assist him at a moment's notice whenever she was at the embassy. Depending on the circumstances, he might even need her when she was NOT at the embassy. In other words, she had to be prepared to work overtime.

Bronze Star explained that he only needed her to arrive as early as seven on Saturdays, as this was when he met with the Mayor and City Council. Every other day of the week, she could come at nine o'clock. He would need her to stay at the embassy until five o'clock; perhaps as late as six o'clock if it was an especially busy day.

Despite the seemingly demanding and time-consuming nature of the job, most of Dapple Rhomb's tasks were fairly straightforward. The majority of them consisted of organizing reports, filing paperwork, helping Bronze Star compose his weekly agenda and double-checking it, setting his appointments, and apprising him of any urgent news once it arrived.

This may have seemed like a lot of work for one mare, but Bronze Star had been doing all of that and more for over four months. As her résumé indicated, Dapple Rhomb was aptly qualified to handle it all.

Although Dapple Rhomb would not be living at the embassy, Bronze Star had set aside a room for her to work in on the ground floor. He had helped her move into it after briefing her on the specifics of her job. By seven-thirty, Dapple Rhomb had gotten settled into her very own office. By then, she was officially ready to begin working.

Since the Mayor and City Council would not arrive for another half-hour, Bronze Star decided that this would be the perfect time to send that message to Canterlot. He decided to have Dapple Rhomb write the letter while he dictated it.

At first, one might question Bronze Star's choice to do this. Understandably so; it would have been strange for him to have Dapple Rhomb take notes about the assassination conspiracy and certain other matters that she had no business knowing about. However, he had devised a strategy to work around that problem. Part of Dapple's job required her to be able to do certain tasks without question; Bronze Star's strategy involved a way to take advantage of that.

When Dapple Rhomb was finished familiarizing herself with her workspace, Bronze Star approached her and told her "Dapple, I'd like you to draft a letter to Canterlot."

"Very well, sir," the purple mare coincided. She picked up the typewriter on her desk and moved it in front of her. After inserting a sheet of paper and locking it in place, she looked up at the gold stallion and queried "Who should I address it to?"

"Lord Bellerophon, Canterlot Castle's chief of staff," Bronze Star replied, "Be sure to mark it for priority clearance."

Dapple Rhomb nodded and typed the following words on the center of the sheet of paper:

Sent from Ambassador Gold Streak at the embassy of Ponyville to Canterlot Castle's Chief of Staff, Lord Bellerophon. Urgently needing his attention.

When she was finished writing, she removed the sheet of paper, flipped it around, and reinserted it into the typewriter. Then she pronounced to the gold stallion "Ready when you are."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and began with:

"Good morning, Your Lordship. Or evening, depending on when this reaches you. I am writing to discuss some matters of precedence with you. They are in no particular order, so I will leave ranking them to you."

At first, he spoke a little slowly so that Dapple Rhomb could keep up with him. However, it quickly became obvious that she was an excellent typist. She was almost writing words faster than he could say them. So he decided to speak at his normal pace.

He leaned against his desk and announced "Firstly, I have acquired some intriguing information about one of the 'targets.' It would seem as though one of the 'big ones' will be upon me soon. Specifically the 'biggest one.' ETA is approximately two moons. The reason for the arrival seems to be for family, not for business. Even so, this knowledge must not leave HQ. Please distribute this information to Omicron-10 and the others. They should be able to decide the most appropriate way to act upon it. But they must not do anything impulsive. I would hate to compromise the integrity of our 'project.'"

Unbeknownst to Dapple Rhomb, Bronze Star was speaking in code. This was a code that only Lord Bellerophon and the members of the Firebrand Regiment understood. In actuality, he was letting Lord Bellerophon know that Esopus Spitzenburg would be arriving in Ponyville in about two months, and that he was visiting Applejack. He was also requesting that the Regiment do nothing to prevent this from happening, and that they provide him with instructions on what to do in this situation.

He paused for a moment while Dapple Rhomb typed that passage. He looked over his shoulder and noticed she seemed somewhat baffled by the vagueness of the letter. But she continued typing without comment.

Once she was done, Dapple Rhomb looked up to the gold stallion. Bronze Star starting pacing around the room and continued with:

"Next, there is the matter of a more local issue. Our inspection of the premises has uncovered a valuable hint. We have become especially interested in the number three lately. Three of anything is noteworthy to us. The 'insight' has requested to keep this confidential, but for obvious reasons, I feel you should be made aware of it. Please make appropriate notes in the future."

This time, Bronze Star was filling Bellerophon in on the relevance of the number three in the investigation into the murder plot. Although Lord Bellerophon was not actively involved in the investigation, he was aware of its existence and Bronze Star always came to him for counsel.

Once again, Dapple Rhomb was perplexed by the ambiguous content of Bronze Star's letter. All the same, she did not ask any questions.

After she was finished with that part, Bronze Star stopped pacing, turned to her, and clearly stated "Lastly, I wish to discuss a more personal topic with you. As you know, for the last six moons, we have withheld the whereabouts of the Astronomer. Due to recent events, a couple of us have started to consider the possibility of expanding the pool of those who know. Your input on this subject could be useful, and the Astral Queen's opinion might be even more useful. I will abstain from speaking further on this until I have heard from one or both of you."

In this part of the letter, Bronze Star was informing Lord Bellerophon of his plan to reveal his true identity to a distinct few people in Ponyville. However, he was a little apprehensive on how to approach this subject. Here he was directly looking to the palomino Pegasus for advice on it. He was also seeking his mother's guidance. He was hopeful that one or both of them would be able to eliminate his anxiety.

To an average person, this was perhaps the most bewildering part of the whole letter. However, Dapple Rhomb did not bother wondering about its actual meaning. She just pressed the keys on the typewriter as she heard the words.

When she was done, Bronze Star trotted behind Dapple Rhomb and examined the contents of the letter. She had copied it down word-for-word without a single mistake in grammar or spelling. Bronze Star nodded in approval and wrapped it up with "Respond at your convenience, my Lord. Until next we speak, I bid you good day. Sincerely, Ambassador Gold Streak."

Dapple Rhomb had those final sentences added in less than twenty seconds. Once she was done, she removed the sheet of paper from the typewriter and rolled it up into a cylinder. As she fastened the letter with a ribbon, she gazed up at Bronze Star and wryly asked him "Are all your letters this cryptic, sir?"

"Only the ones that get sent to Canterlot Castle," the young prince illuminated, "Most of the time, I'm much more straightforward and coherent. I just use this particular sentence structure when I'm sending away very sensitive information."

"I understand," Dapple Rhomb remarked, nodding her head.

"That won't be a problem, will it, Dapple?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"Oh no, certainly not, sir," the purple mare assured him, "Fortunately for both of us, I'm not known to be curious. All that matters to me is that I do my job right and that I get paid. I'm not going to pry into your private affairs; that's your business."

"I appreciate that," Bronze Star said in response.

Once Dapple Rhomb finished tying the ribbon on the letter, she thought aloud "Since this is going to Canterlot Castle, I assume it needs the royal seal?"

"You're quite right," Bronze Star confirmed. He pointed to the far end of her desk and informed her "Top left drawer, near the back."

Dapple Rhomb nodded and leaned over to that section of her desk. As she reached over and opened the drawer, part of her mane fell over her eyes. As she searched through the drawer, she brushed her hair out of her face and moved it behind her ears. When she did this, most of her throat became visible. There were three small cuts along the side of it.

Bronze Star noticed these scars, and he inquired in concern "Oh, what happened to your neck?"

"Hmmm?" Dapple Rhomb commented, gazing at him out of the corner of her eye. When she realized he was staring at her neck, she placed her hoof over the scars and muttered "Oh, this? It's nothing to worry about. I just cut myself."

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" he presumed hopefully.

"No, I can handle it," Dapple Rhomb asserted, "It happened a long time ago. I was at home making dinner, and I knelt down at a cabinet in front of my knife rack. When I found what I needed, I stood up straight a little too quickly and… this was the result."

"Well, we both know what happens when one is careless around knives," Bronze Star slyly perceived, holding out his right front hoof. The wound he had gotten from that party at Sugarcube Corner had healed long ago, but he still had a tiny scar on the front of his hoof.

"True, true," Dapple Rhomb conceded, smirking.

By now, she had acquired one of the royal seals from the top left drawer of her desk. She closed the drawer and stamped the seal to the ribbon on the scroll. After that, she held up the letter and queried "Would you like me to send it away now, sir?"

"Yes, please, Dapple," Bronze Star affirmed, "Just deposit it into the outgoing mail receptacle at the front of the building."

"Got it," Dapple Rhomb avowed. She rose out of her chair, tucked the letter under her shoulder, and trotted out of the room.

Bronze Star moved to the entrance of Dapple Rhomb's office and watched her leave the building. He was not certain why, but something about her scars struck him as suspicious. He thought about bringing this up to Sir Haywood McCrank later on.

As it turned out, he did not have to wait for this. A few seconds after Dapple Rhomb stepped outside the embassy, Haywood McCrank stepped out of the kitchen. He was already dressed in one of his suits, complete with belt and black shoes.

"Good morning, sir," the indigo stallion greeted the young prince.

"Hello, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star rejoined, "How was breakfast?"

"Very satisfying, thank you," Haywood replied, "Then again, I could say that about nearly every meal I've had in the past four months. Ever since we came to Ponyville, I have been able to monitor my eating habits more closely."

"I've noticed that," Bronze Star commented, "Most notably, you seem to have developed a particular fondness for apples lately."

"Indeed I have, sir," the federal investigator affirmed, "The apples here are significantly more succulent and appetizing than the ones in the capital city. If not for my strong self-restraint, I could eat them by cartload."

"Say that to Applejack, and you'll quickly become one of her favorite customers," Bronze Star suggested, "She might even offer you some apples at a discount."

Haywood McCrank scoffed lightly and uttered "I wouldn't mind putting that theory to the test."

Bronze Star just smiled in amusement and nodded his head. There was a bit of quietness between the two stallions, and then the elder of them noticed that the office door was open. He turned to the young prince and asked him "Is Dapple Rhomb here?"

"Yeah," the gold stallion answered him, "She's only been here for about forty-five minutes, and I'm already convinced I made the right choice for my secretary."

"That's excellent," Haywood McCrank commented.

Bronze Star nodded his head again. After some more silence, he mumbled discreetly "By the way, Sir Haywood, there is something you should probably know about her."

"What might that be?" Haywood McCrank queried in interest.

"She has three small scars along the right side of her neck," Bronze Star enlightened him.

The number alone was enough to catch the indigo stallion's interest. He raised an eyebrow and murmured "Three, huh?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star verified, "Do you think it means anything?"

"It could," Haywood McCrank proposed, "But I'd need to get a look at them until I can be certain."

Just then, Dapple Rhomb came back inside the embassy. She called out to Bronze Star "Alright, Mr. Ambassador; the letter has been sent."

"Thank you, Dapple," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He looked over at the clock on the wall and declared "The Mayor and City Council will be here in about ten minutes. Could you please help me put together the files we need for the meeting?"

"Right away, Mr. Streak," Dapple Rhomb guaranteed him. She trotted back down the short hallway to her office. When she reached it, she noticed that Sir Haywood was standing there. This was actually the first time the purple mare had come face-to-face with the indigo stallion.

"I do not believe I have formally introduced you two to each other," Bronze Star observed. He placed one of his front hooves on a shoulder of each of them, and he presented them with: "Haywood, Dapple Rhomb. Dapple, Sir Haywood McCrank."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Dapple Rhomb stated warmly.

"The pleasure is mine, my dear," Haywood McCrank proclaimed. He then placed his front hooves on her shoulders, gently pulled her closer, and lightly kissed her on either cheek. Immediately after that, he released her.

Dapple Rhomb blushed a little, but Haywood McCrank was indifferent. To him, that was just a normal show of affection.

Sensing that the purple mare felt somewhat awkward, Bronze Star tapped her on the shoulder and advised her "Let's get those files."

The purple mare quickly composed herself and nodded in agreement. She and the gold stallion stepped inside her office and located the files they would need for the meeting with City Council. Once they had them all gathered up, Bronze Star instructed Dapple Rhomb to go ahead and get to the meeting chambers without him. He claimed he needed to talk to Sir Haywood in private for a moment. Dapple Rhomb complied with this request without any protest.

Once Dapple Rhomb was in the meeting chambers with the door shut, Bronze Star turned to Haywood McCrank and quietly asked him "Did you see the scars?"

"Yes, when I kissed her, I got a good look at both sides of her neck," Haywood whispered in response, "As you said, she has three of them on the right side. They're barely noticeable."

"Yeah, but we managed to spot them," Bronze Star pointed out, "What do you make of them?"

Haywood McCrank rubbed his temple for a moment, and then he turned to the younger stallion and asked him "Did she say how she got those scars?"

"She claims it was in an incident with some cooking knives," Bronze Star apprised him.

"I doubt that," Haywood McCrank contended, "Those scars didn't look like incision marks."

"Just what I was thinking," Bronze Star concurred, "They're way too wide to be slits. But what reason would she have to lie about them?"

"Maybe they involve a secret that she'd prefer not to make public," Haywood McCrank conjectured, "Or maybe she actually underwent a traumatic experience which she would prefer not to recall. Then again, she simply could have gotten those cuts in a more… embarrassing manner, due to clumsiness or negligence, and she just didn't want to look foolish by spreading the story around. Regardless of why, those scars are still something you should be mindful of. But don't bring them up around Dapple Rhomb. We don't want to give her the impression that we're spying on her or anything."

"Don't worry; I wasn't planning on spying on her in the first place," Bronze Star disclosed. There came another brief pause, and then the gold stallion looked at the clock and added in "Well, the Mayor and City Council will be here soon. I'd better get ready for them."

"Very well, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank acknowledged, "I'll talk to you later."

Bronze Star swiftly galloped upstairs, went into his bedroom, and retrieved his knapsack. After that, he made his way back downstairs and entered the meeting chambers. Dapple Rhomb was placing the files which pertained to certain topics in front of the chairs that corresponded to the respective department heads of City Council. It did not take her long to have them all distributed.

Bronze Star was about to sit down, but before he could, Dapple Rhomb made her way to the front of the table and pulled out his chair. The gold stallion snickered in amusement and remarked "You don't have to do that, Dapple. I can pull out my own chair."

"Just wanted you to know I'm by your side, sir," Dapple Rhomb pronounced.

"Well, I thank you for that," Bronze Star muttered appreciatively. He then gestured to a chair in the lower left corner of the room and professed "By the way, I had another chair moved into this room so that you could sit with the rest of us. Pull it up and make yourself comfortable. These meetings tend to go on for a while."

Dapple Rhomb nodded in acknowledgement and moved the extra chair out of the corner. Once it was right by Bronze Star's, she sat down next to the gold stallion and got settled. Most of the files were spread out along the surface of the table. The rest were stacked in a short pile in front of Bronze Star. The purple mare picked them up and organized them in preparation for the meeting.

Bronze Star gazed at her out of the corner of his eye and noticed she seemed a little uneasy. Out of concern, he inquired "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Dapple Rhomb assured him, "It's just… I was a little surprised by how casually Sir Haywood presented himself to me."

"Oh, relax," Bronze Star encouraged her, smirking, "He greets everypony that way. Mares and stallions."

"Alright then," Dapple Rhomb remarked coolly, "But is he really as flamboyant as I've heard he is?"

"Probably more so," Bronze Star admitted, "But make no mistake; he's one of the most brilliant minds in the country."

"I'll take your word for it," Dapple Rhomb commented, "There's one thing about him that does interest me, though. He's been in Ponyville for more than four months, and he's never said WHY he's here. I mean, I highly doubt he's taking an extended vacation."

"He isn't," Bronze Star affirmed, "I can assure you he IS here for a good reason, but that reason is…"

"Classified?" Dapple Rhomb finished for him.

"Correct," the gold stallion verified.

"Then I'll drop the subject," the purple mare pronounced.

"I appreciate that," was all Bronze Star said in response.

A few minutes later, Mayor Mare and City Council arrived at the embassy. After each of them checked in at the front, they filed into the meeting chambers and sat down in their usual seats. Since Bronze Star had already informed Mayor Mare that he had chosen Dapple Rhomb as his secretary, the Mayor had had time to inform City Council of this as well. So nopony found her presence in the meeting chambers to be strange or abnormal.

The meeting began at eight o'clock sharp. During the meeting, Dapple Rhomb constantly assisted Bronze Star. Whenever he needed a certain document, she swiftly sorted through the files in her hooves and produced the document in less than fifteen seconds. She also catalogued and archived any new pertinent information that the City Council provided. These were just a couple of the things she did. She proved to be rather efficient as an assistant.

Her performance during the meeting was reflective of her performance as Bronze Star's secretary as a whole. By the time Dapple Rhomb went home, Bronze Star felt considerably less stressed and exhausted than he normally felt in the early evening. He had also gotten most of his workload done in advance. Dapple Rhomb had only been his secretary for one day, and already he was grateful for her company.

From this point on, Bronze Star's typical workday at the embassy became considerably less strenuous and wearisome. A few times a week, he was even able to take a few hours off and mingle with his friends. He was also able to give the investigations extra focus and attention. Before long, he began to view Dapple Rhomb was a saving grace.

On mornings that he met with the task force, Bronze Star requested that Dapple Rhomb go to her office and do her work there until he summoned her. The reason for this was that he did not want her to overhear anything about the task force's investigation into the murder plot. Naturally, he did not tell her this, but she assured him that she would stay in her office until Noble Edict and the security officers left.

Although Bronze Star felt he could trust her, he decided to take an extra precaution. At one point when he and Haywood McCrank were the only ones at the embassy, Bronze Star went into the meeting chambers, turned into his Alicorn form, and placed a sound-dampening spell on the entire room. He cast it on everything: the entrance, the windows, the walls, the ceiling, the floor, and even the closet on the inner wall. That way, it would be impossible to hear anything from the outside. Once he was finished, he turned back into his Earth Pony disguise and carried on with his day.

At the next task force meeting, Haywood McCrank asked the others to recall every occasion from the past week when they had encountered the number three. They provided him with varying results, and they all approached this subject with a different degree of seriousness.

Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, and Copper Hollow had decided to keep a logbook just for recording the instances of three they observed. Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, and Noble Edict had tried to commit every occurrence they witnessed to memory. Haywood McCrank preferred to do both.

All seven of them were able to chronicle most of the threes they encountered, but there were still a few threes that each of them overlooked or neglected.

Bronze Star did not have that problem. Thanks to his impeccable Alicorn memory, the gold stallion was able to remember even the most seemingly insignificant happening of the number three. Even after several hours passed, he was able to recall every detail of each of them flawlessly.

Altogether, the eight members of the task force had seen well over a thousand examples of the number three in the past week. They had been listed chronologically, not in order of relative relevance. Because it would take several hours to organize them like that, Haywood McCrank decided he would handle that task by himself, and he would bring the new list to the next meeting.

Once the matter of the number three had been discussed, Haywood McCrank moved on to the more concrete parts of the investigation. By this point in time, Haywood McCrank had been in Ponyville for four and a-half months. He informed the other seven members of the task force that after living with and interacting with the locals for that long, he had managed to profile every pony in town. He had compiled a list of ponies that he believed could have been in the vigilante group. He had also come to the conclusion that nopony in town was the assassin.

The other members of the task force saw this deduction as both good news and bad news. It was good news because it implied that none of their friends or neighbors were killers. It was bad news because it narrowed their list of suspects down to zero. Basically, everypony who did not live in Ponyville was a potential suspect now.

Luckily, the vigilante group had given the task force another helpful clue in their latest update. According to them, there had been a huge drop in the amount of activity that had taken place in the Everfree Forest. By contrast, another huge cluster of trees had witnessed a steep rise in activity.

The vigilantes explained that they had been closely monitoring Whitetail Woods for the past week. Most of the time, the trees appeared to be calm and still. However, at least twice a day, the vigilantes had seen a branch quiver, heard some leaves rustle, or witnessed some other anomalies. They considered this to be quite relevant, as nopony actually lived in Whitetail Woods. Aside from some birds and bees, almost no wildlife lived there either. They were fairly certain that somepony was using the Woods as a hideout.

The task force elected to follow up on this statement. It may have seemed of little significance, but at this point, they had no definite leads to pursue. Aside from that, Whitetail Woods was scheduled to be the location of one of Ponyville's cherished events in the near future. So as of this point, the task force made observing the Woods their top goal.

The task force also shared the clue about the number three with the vigilantes. Sir Haywood McCrank was hopeful that their anonymous colleagues would be able to produce some conclusive results. Of course, he knew better than to hold his hopes too high. But the vigilantes had come through several times in the past, so one could argue that his faith in them was well-founded.

Most of the investigation's progress over the next week was carried out passively. Whenever the members of the task force were working, all eight of them kept one eye out for more instances of the number three, and they kept another eye on Whitetail Woods.

A week later, they discussed their findings at one of their meetings. This was the meeting when they received their weekly update from the vigilantes.

Haywood McCrank had organized all the instances of the number three, but even then, he had been unable to find anything particularly notable. As frustrating as that was, he had somewhat expected that to happen. After all, since three was such a small number, it was bound to occur quite frequently. So frequently that it would be rather difficult to sort out the relevant threes from the irrelevant threes.

In spite of this, Haywood had uncovered one slightly remarkable piece of information:

More instances of three tended to happen around Dapple Rhomb than anypony else in town. Then again, this simply could have been attributed to the fact that Bronze Star was the only one who spent a lot of time around her, and it was practically impossible for him NOT to remember even the minutest details of his day. Since Dapple Rhomb worked with him for eight or nine hours every day, it would make sense that Bronze Star would notice all the threes that occurred around her. So it was not very likely that Dapple had any role in this plot.

Whitetail Woods had yielded more fruitful results. Paisley Branch and Almond Wheeler had actually managed to discover a possible connection to the murder plot in the Woods.

The other morning, they had trotted through the Woods. They had gone under the premise of taking a casual stroll to admire the scenery. That way, they would not draw attention to themselves. At that point in time, there were only a few leaves on the ground. The two mares had trotted slowly so that they would not cause any more leaves to fall.

Paisley and Almond saw nothing suspicious during their walk that morning. As far as they could tell, there was nopony else in Whitetail Woods aside from the two of them.

However, they wanted to be sure that nothing was going on in Whitetail Woods, so they came back in the late afternoon to walk through the Woods a second time. During this walk, they discovered many more leaves had fallen from the trees. To some, this may have seemed trivial, but anypony who lived in Ponyville would have just cause to feel wary of this.

The trees in Whitetail Woods were unique from all the others in Equestria in that they did not lose their leaves the natural way. Their leaves did not just whither and break off during the autumn months. Instead, the leaves in the Woods clung to the trees as though they had been glued or taped to the branches. No wind, thunderstorm, or natural event could knock the leaves off. In fact, the only known thing that could shake the leaves in Whitetail Woods off their branches was physical force.

Every pony who lived in Ponyville knew this. If one was to visit Whitetail Woods and notice that there were more leaves on the ground than when they last came to the Woods, they could have been fairly certain that somepony had been in the Woods sometime since they last went through them.

So Paisley Branch and Almond Wheeler found it reasonable to assume that somepony was lurking in Whitetail Woods at this time. Nopony else in Ponyville had gone through the Woods recently, not even the vigilantes. Add to that the fact that the nearest settlement was dozens of miles away, and it appeared very likely that there was an outsider in Whitetail Woods.

After discussing this experiment several times, Haywood McCrank concluded that the assassin must have been in Whitetail Woods. He proposed that the task force find some way to search through the Woods in a much more thorough manner. When he asked the others if they had any ideas on how to accomplish this objective without drawing attention, all six of the security officers got an idea almost immediately. Conveniently, they all got the same one.

If the trees in Whitetail Woods were left undisturbed, they would theoretically hold on to their leaves indefinitely. However, each year, the trees always grew another set of leaves, even if the ones from the year before we still attached. That posed a serious problem: if the trees were left alone for long enough, they would become overgrown with dead leaves. After several years of this, Whitetail Woods would probably look just as barren and lifeless as the Everfree Forest.

Shortly after Ponyville had been founded, the town's residents had discovered that physical force was the only thing that could remove the leaves from the branches. This physical force could be delivered in many forms: tapping on the trees, climbing the trees, and even galloping past the trees.

With this in mind, the townspeople of Ponyville had decided that once a year, they would hold a special event at Whitetail Woods. They called it "The Running of The Leaves." It was essentially a marathon that involved the townsfolk galloping all the way through Whitetail Woods. The combined efforts of hundreds of ponies galloping in unison was sufficient to knock every last leaf out of the trees. That way, the trees would be able to grow new leaves for the next year without any old ones lingering.

Originally, this event was held a couple months before winter, so that it coincided with autumn. This certainly was the most logical approach, but it proved to be a little overwhelming before long, as there were hundreds of other trees near Ponyville that they needed their attention, too. Eventually, they had decided to hold the Running of the Leaves after winter. In a way, it was like having autumn in the spring. Aside from that, they got the best of both worlds: the right climate with the right scenery.

At any rate, this year's Running of the Leaves would be held early, due to the early spring. In fact, it was scheduled to be held in just two days. A considerable percentage of Ponyville's residents would be participating in the event.

Noble Edict proposed that they use the Running of the Leaves to their advantage. She suggested that every member of the task force sign up to compete in it. Since hundreds of other ponies would be taking part in the race, the eight of them would hypothetically be able to go unnoticed from any spectators. Once the members of the task force managed to blend into the crowd, they could conduct their search of Whitetail Woods without standing out.

None of the others objected to this suggestion. Several of them had already been planning to partake in the Running of the Leaves, anyway. Everypony else decided that they would partake, as well. Even Sir Haywood McCrank chose to join the Running of the Leaves. Bronze Star just hoped he would not wear a suit to the event.

After the meeting ended, all eight members of the task force left the embassy and went to Town Hall. There they signed up for the Running of the Leaves. Once they were officially registered, the eight ponies went their separate ways.

Bronze Star got back to work as soon as he reached the embassy. He planned to take the day off from work on the day of the Running of the Leaves. Because of that, he wanted to do three days' worth of work in two days to compensate for that.

Two weeks ago, he would have labeled this as a foolhardy objective. But ever since Dapple Rhomb started working for him, Bronze Star had found that his general workday had become much more lenient. Taking on additional work at the last minute was a lot easier than it used to be.

By managing his timetable properly, Bronze Star was able to get all his work done before noon the following day. He was actually somewhat amazed by how quickly he had gotten everything done. But rather than question his good fortune, he took advantage of it.

Bronze Star had nothing else planned until tomorrow, so he gave Dapple Rhomb the rest of the day off. After that, he thought about going outside to get some fresh air. It was a very beautiful day. Bronze Star thought about jogging around town, but he wanted to conserve his energy for the Running of the Leaves the following day. As such, he elected to do something else.

He had not seen Applejack very much for the past couple days, so he chose to pay her a visit. He donned the Stetson she had given him for Hearth's Warming, trotted outside the embassy, and swiftly made his way to the western border of Ponyville.

When he got to Sweet Apple Acres, he found Applejack in the courtyard with Rainbow Dash. There were four horseshoes in front of their hooves; two of them were orange, the other two were cyan. Five meters in front of them, a large metallic stake was protruding out of the ground, surrounded by three wooden boards.

The two athletic mares soon noticed the young prince, and Applejack waved at her coltfriend and called out "Hey, Bronze!"

"Hey, AJ," he returned giddily. He then approached her and gave her an affectionate hug. After that, he ardently kissed her on the lips. He only meant for the kiss to last for a second or two. Somehow, it ended up lasting almost half a minute.

After that, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and muttered irritably "Are you guys QUITE finished?"

The gold stallion and the orange mare quickly pulled apart from each other, blushing. Bronze Star told her sincerely "Sorry, Rainbow."

"It's fine," the cyan mare proclaimed, "Still, do you really have to do that in public?"

"Yeah; you should learn to deal with it," Applejack cheekily remarked, "Just wait 'til you have your first coltfriend, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash scoffed and commented "I don't have time for that stuff, AJ. I'm too busy training myself for when I join the Wonderbolts."

"You can order your priorities however you like," Bronze Star conceded, "However, you may recall that General Walther became a father when he was just a little older than you."

"I know that," Rainbow Dash pronounced, "But Fleetfoot is not exactly on speaking terms with him."

"No, she isn't," Bronze Star solemnly agreed. After a short pause, he stated "Oh well. Let's forget about that. I wouldn't want to interrupt you girls' fun."

"You weren't," Applejack assured him, "We were just about to play a friendly game of horseshoes. Would you like to join us?"

"Nah, I'd prefer to stand by and watch," Bronze Star replied, "Thanks for asking, though."

"Anytime," Applejack said in response. She turned to Rainbow Dash and beckoned her "You go first."

"Gladly," stated the cyan mare. Rainbow Dash then picked up one of the cyan horseshoes with her mouth. She focused on the large metallic stake that was standing five meters away. After concentrating, she leaned backward slightly, thrust her upper body forward, and released her grip on the horseshoe. She grunted as the horseshoe flew through the air. It landed about a foot away from the stake. Rainbow Dash smiled, flew into the air, and yelled "Whoo-hoo!"

"Hoo-wee!" Applejack muttered in excitement. She turned to the Pegasus and commented, "Not a bad pitch for a pony who works with her head in the clouds."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash countered wryly as she landed back on the ground, "Think you can do better, cowgirl?"

"I know I can," Applejack boldly declared. She used her mouth to pick up one of the orange horseshoes and she concentrated on the metallic stake. Once she had her aim lined up, she grunted and tossed the horseshoe forward. It landed two feet away from its target. The mare in the hat grimaced, saying "Oh, for Pete's sake!"

"The Tartarus is Pete?" Bronze Star muttered in perplexity.

"Nopony," Applejack claimed.

"Heh!" Rainbow Dash uttered in amusement, playfully swatting the back of her friend's hat, "Looks like this Pegasus can pitch better than the workhorse. The object of the game is to get the closest to the stake."

"All right, all right," Applejack mumbled, straightening out her hat, "You got another throw there, pony girl."

Rainbow Dash picked up the other cyan horseshoe, focused on the stake, and grunted as she flung it towards the target. This time, her aim was way off. Bronze Star could not see where the horseshoe landed, but it sounded as though it broke something.

Bronze Star held his hoof over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing. Applejack did not bother demonstrating the same courtesy.

"Wow, Rainbow, heh," the orange mare sarcastically remarked, "You couldn't hit a barn door with that kind of a throw!"

"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow Dash indifferently pronounced, "I still have the closest throw, Applesmack. Just try and beat it."

Applejack nodded her head and picked up the other orange horseshoe. She spent a little more time focusing on the stake. After a few seconds of mental preparation, she grunted and flung it forward. Her aim was spot-on this time; the horseshoe struck the stake directly.

"Yee-haw!" Applejack cheered happily, rearing on her back legs, "It's a ringer. That's how you do it down here on the farm."

Rainbow Dash just stared, flabbergasted. "I lost."

"Ah, don't feel bad, Rainbow," Applejack advised her, "It's all in good fun."

"I hate losing," Rainbow Dash mumbled heatedly.

"Don't let it get to you, Rainbow," Bronze Star recommended, "The whole point of these 'friendly games' is to have fun, not to win."

"Besides, you're a mighty good athlete," Applejack asserted. After a short pause, she started trotting away and smugly declared "I'm just better. Heh heh heh."

The cyan Pegasus did not take kindly to being ridiculed like that. She rose into the air and followed the orange Earth Pony. When she reached her, she murmured in aggravation "All right, Applejack, you think you're the top athlete in all of Ponyville?"

"Well, I was gonna say in all of Equestria, but that might be gildin' the lily," Applejack slyly replied, teasingly using her tail to tickle Rainbow Dash's chin.

"Maybe not," Bronze Star muttered under his breath. He had seen Applejack play sports. In his opinion, her prowess and endurance was greater than that of most professional athletes. With his recommendation, she might even have an opportunity to compete with them.

"...And I think I'm the top athlete," Rainbow Dash proclaimed, "So let's prove it."

"Prove what?" Applejack asked in perplexity.

"I challenge you to an Iron Pony competition," Rainbow Dash brazenly stated, "A series of athletic contests to decide who's the best, once and for all."

"All that just because of a game of horseshoes?" Bronze Star noted in astonishment, "Aren't you taking this a little too hard, Rainbow?"

Applejack did not feel the same way. After a moment of thinking, she confidently avowed "You know what, Rainbow? You're on."

The cyan mare nodded in approval and landed in front of the orange mare. The two of them hoof-bumped with one of their front hooves.

As they did that, Bronze Star mumbled softly "This should be fairly amusing. But something's telling me this will not end favorably."

The young prince had good reason to be concerned. There was about to be a contest between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the two most competitive mares in Ponyville. One of them was the best farmer in town, and the other was the best weather maker.

On the plus side, he knew he could expect a good, clean performance from Applejack. After all, she was all about honor and integrity. However, he was not so certain about Rainbow Dash. Despite being inflexibly devoted to her friends, she was known to be a little too greedy and ambitious from time to time.

All the same, he was curious to see where this would go. So he decided to stick around for the competition. He made himself useful by helping the two mares set up all the equipment and obstacles for the various trials of the competition.

Once everything was set up, Rainbow Dash started stretching to get warmed up. Applejack left the ranch for about fifteen minutes and came back with Twilight Sparkle and Spike. She had briefly filled the lavender mare and the baby dragon in about the situation, but Twilight was still a little confused on what exactly was going on.

As Rainbow Dash grunted and continued stretching, Twilight Sparkle stated in interest "So you two are doing what, now?"

"An Iron—" Applejack began.

Rainbow Dash butted in front of her and announced "Iron Pony competition."

Applejack glared at her momentarily, and then she explicated "See, we've set up a bunch of events to decide which one of us is—"

"The most athletic pony ever!" Rainbow Dash interrupted again. She grunted some more as she continued stretching.

"And I'm here to...?" Twilight Sparkle asked in bewilderment.

Rainbow Dash grunted and sat up. She turned to Applejack, saying "I don' know. Why is she here?"

"To be our judge and keep score," Applejack proclaimed.

"Right, heh," Rainbow Dash avowed, "Somepony's gotta record my awesomeness for the history books."

As she stretched and grunted some more, Bronze Star gazed around at the trials and thought aloud "You know, I could've done that, too. A lot of these games are similar to some of the exercises SIG has me do during my military training. Aside from that, I'm much more physically active than Twilight. So I'd probably make a better judge."

"I actually agree with Bronze," Twilight candidly disclosed, "He's more qualified for this than I am."

"That may be," Rainbow Dash coincided, "But all things considered, don't you think he's likely to be a little… biased?"

"Biased?" Bronze Star repeated in perplexity, "Why would I be…"

It only took him a moment to realize what Rainbow Dash was implying. Although he was good friends with both of the mares who were participating in this competition, he was more than friends with one of them. While he was capable of being a fair judge, he doubted even he could be impartial in a scenario like that.

"I suppose you're right," Bronze Star resolved, "Still, I doubt you'd complain if the bias was in your favor, Rainbow."

The cyan mare just grinned and shamelessly admitted "Maybe not."

Spike picked up a large twig off the ground, climbed onto Twilight's back, and gleefully shouted into the twig "Hello everypony, and welcome to the first annual Iron Pony competition!"

Twilight turned to her assistant and inquired "Uh, Spike, who are you talking to?"

"Um... Uh, them!" Spike replied, pointing towards the entrance of the plantation. Bronze Star, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle looked in that direction, and they saw Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie approaching. Once the other three mares were upon them, Spike declared "Let the games begin!"

He and everypony else excluding Twilight Sparkle cheered enthusiastically.

The first event of the Iron Pony Competition was the barrel lead. For this one, Applejack went first. She maneuvered through the barrels as fast as she could without touching them. Unfortunately, she accidentally nudged one of the last ones. Her time came out as 17 seconds, but she got a five-second penalty for coming into contact with one of the barrels.

Rainbow Dash had her turn next. She also moved very fast, but from Bronze Star's perspective, the cyan mare appeared to go slightly slower than the orange mare. However, she managed to avoid touching any of the barrels, and she got a time of 18 seconds.

Rainbow Dash had won the barrel lead, but this was just the first of many events that would be held.

The next game was the high striker. Since she won the first game, Rainbow Dash had the first turn this time. She gave the button at the base a swift kick, and the lever flung the puck all the way up to the bell, making it ring loudly.

It was impressive, but since this test involved using the back legs, Bronze Star was confident that Applejack would be able to match Rainbow here. It turns out he was correct. The mare in the hat bucked the button so hard that she smashed it. The lever immediately launched the puck upwards and struck the bell so firmly that it broke off.

The two mares were now tied one-to-one. Fluttershy was using a large board to keep score.

Several other ponies had arrived to watch the competition. Bronze Star and the other mares had put up some bleachers to accommodate the spectators. Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh were humbly but resolutely cheering on Applejack.

The third event was called the bronco-buck. Spike was an unwilling volunteer in this one. It involved him sitting on each of the mares' backs and holding on as tight as he could while they tried to throw him off. Applejack had her turn first again. She managed to throw Spike off her back and onto the ground a few meters away. Rainbow Dash went next, and while the baby dragon was still somewhat disoriented, the cyan mare threw him off her back so quickly and so violently that she sent him flying through the air and out of the pit. It was another victory for Rainbow Dash.

Applejack managed to make a comeback in the next round, which also involved a reluctant Spike. Here, both of the mares would take a rope, use it to lasso Spike, and tie him down. Inwardly, Bronze Star found himself wondering if Applejack would be interested in doing the same thing with him. Of course, he would not ask that of her. At least not until the first time they got seriously intimate with each other.

At any rate, due to Applejack's previous experience with rope, she easily captured Spike and pinned him down. Rainbow Dash did not do nearly as well. Somehow, she got herself tangled up in a tree. The score was tied once more.

The next six events involved more basic activities, such as ball-balancing, haystack-tossing, hoof-wrestling, and hoofball-flinging. When all those events were over, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were tied at five wins apiece. By then, a huge crowd had formed around the competition. Now Spike had a legitimate reason to pose as the broadcaster.

The second half of the contest was not as upstanding as the first half. Applejack continued to abide by the rules, but Rainbow Dash had decided to use a couple of her appendages to her advantage.

For the eleventh event, the two mares were to do a hundred push-ups without pausing. Bronze Star found this to be an intriguing test. Push-ups were meant to improve the physique of bipeds. Since ponies were quadrupeds, doing a push-up was essentially little more than squatting for them.

All the same, Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to do one hundred push-ups in as little time as possible. By the time they got into the nineties, both of them were starting to get worn out. Rainbow Dash looked as though she would collapse any second. Initially, it appeared as though Applejack would win this round, but for the last few push-ups, Rainbow Dash lightly flapped her wings to keep herself up. Applejack had no wings, so her front legs gave out on the last push-up and she collapsed.

Bronze Star and Applejack seemed to be the only ones who noticed what Rainbow Dash did. Bronze Star was disgusted by this blatant cheating. He would have intervened, but Rainbow Dash probably would have tried to accuse him of having a "biased" mindset again. As for Applejack, she decided to stay quiet for now, encouraging herself to be a good sport. She was hopeful that that action was just a one-time thing on Rainbow Dash's part.

That was not the base. Over the course of the next eight events, Rainbow Dash used her wings to help her stay one step ahead of Applejack. At the 20-meter sprint, she levitated herself slightly ahead of where Applejack landed. At the chick relay, she extended her wings to keep the small chicks safely on her back. Strangely, nopony protested any of her misdeeds, not even Twilight Sparkle. Because of that, Rainbow Dash won all nine of these rounds.

For the twentieth and last event, Applejack and Rainbow Dash played tug-of-war over a mud hole. It appeared as though Applejack would win this test, but just before Rainbow Dash reached the mud hole, she abruptly flew into the air. She caught Applejack off guard, and she pulled the orange Earth Pony directly over the mud hole. A thin rope and a sturdy set of teeth was all that kept Applejack from falling into the mud. She managed to hold on for a while, but Rainbow Dash tricked her into letting go of the rope and landing in the mud. Right after she fell into the mud hole, the bell rang, and the score was set as 15-5 in Rainbow Dash's favor.

Bronze Star was deeply irritated that nopony objected to what Rainbow had done. In fact, his patience with Rainbow Dash was just about at an end.

After the scoreboard was adjusted, the cyan mare flew over the orange mare and arrogantly proclaimed "Woo-hoo! I win by a landslide... or mudslide in your case."

She chuckled in amusement as Applejack glared at her angrily. While Rainbow Dash was boasting, Bronze Star trotted over to his fillyfriend and pulled her out of the mud. She could see that he too was very displeased with Rainbow Dash's behavior.

Rainbow Dash just chuckled and flew higher above the ground. Derpy and another Pegasus held a multicolored banner in the air for her, and the cyan mare smugly announced "I am the Iron Pony!"

Applejack sharply retorted "Only 'cause you cheated."

"What?" Rainbow Dash spat back, as if she had been offended.

"You used your wingpower to help you win over half those contests," Applejack firmly accused.

"Sounds like sour apples to me," Rainbow Dash muttered in intransigence.

"Oh, give me a buckin' break, Rainbow," Bronze Star angrily admonished her, "If that wasn't cheating, then neither is tax fraud."

Applejack nodded in agreement and asked Rainbow Dash rhetorically "Are you sayin' you didn't use your wings?"

"Well... no," Rainbow Dash tentatively answered, "But you never said I couldn't use my wings."

"I didn't think I needed to tell you to play fair," Applejack perceived crossly.

"I still would have won even without my wings," Rainbow Dash steadily asserted.

"Hah!" the orange mare rejoined, "Prove it."

"Gladly," the cyan mare accepted, "How?"

"Tomorrow is the annual Runnin' of the Leaves," Applejack apprised her, "I challenge you to race me in it."

Rainbow Dash did not need any time to think. She promptly replied with "Heh! Easy shmeasy."

"Hold on!" Applejack interjected. She seized the cyan mare by her tail, pulled her down to the ground, and climbed on top of her to hold her down. She muttered edgily "There is one condition: the point is to run, so no wings allowed."

Rainbow Dash smirked and kicked the orange mare off her. Bronze Star managed to catch his fillyfriend before she landed roughly on the ground. As she recovered from the blow, Rainbow Dash bluntly remarked "No wings? No problem."

When Applejack was standing up straight, she spat on her front hoof and held it out. Rainbow Dash spat on her front hoof and bumped it against Applejack's. They had made an official pact with each other.

Bronze Star approached the two mares and raised an eyebrow. He asked them "Girls, is this really necessary?"

"Yeah, it is," Applejack solemnly pronounced, "This isn't about having fun or a friendly competition anymore."

"Then what is it about?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Right now, it's about something more serious," Rainbow Dash disclosed, "This is a matter of principle."

"Oh?" Bronze Star uttered, "And what principles might those be?"

"Rainbow challenged me to the Iron Pony competition, and I accepted," Applejack pointed out, "But I'm… dissatisfied with the outcome, for lack of a better word. So I'm challenging her to a rematch."

"Which, of course, I'm going to accept, too," Rainbow Dash decisively remarked, "Believe me; I'm just as determined to win the rematch as she is. Now this is all about keeping up a reputation."

"You're one to talk about reputation, Rainbow," Bronze Star scathingly murmured.

In response, the cyan mare mumbled tensely "Excuse me?"

"If you cared an inkling about maintaining an honorable appearance, you would have refrained from using your wings," Bronze Star perceived, "I would've respected you if you kept them retracted during the competition, regardless if you won or lost. But apparently, your desire to win surpasses your sense of fairness, and that's something I cannot respect. If you ask me, Applejack was the rightful winner of that contest. You were just too stubborn to admit that she's stronger."

Rainbow Dash seemed somewhat insulted by that observation, but she held her ground and faced the gold stallion. After a period of silence, she scoffed lightly and declared "I should have known you'd see it like that. This is why you weren't the judge: you can't be objective when Applejack's involved."

"You think I'm defending Applejack just because she's my fillyfriend?" Bronze Star countered heatedly, "You're mistaken. Even if she wasn't, I would have taken her side. I'm siding with her because she didn't try to cut corners or take the easy way out. You, on the other hoof, don't seem the least bit remorseful that you 'won' that contest by exploiting your unfair advantage."

"Why should I be?" Rainbow Dash cockily refuted, "Look at the bigger picture. Things aren't always fair in real life. Every day, people are competing for jobs and other things, and only the ponies with the most qualifications succeed. You of all ponies should know that."

"Actually, she does make a good argument," Applejack frankly coincided, "That whole 'survival of the fittest' ideal is the reason why my family was able to establish Ponyville near the Everfree Forest before any other family did."

"Well, you got me there," Bronze Star professed, easing down a bit. He lightly shrugged and uttered, "Alright, I'll let this issue go. But there's one thing I want both of you to take into account: It's always good to be ambitious, but not to the point of using unscrupulous means to attain your goals. Aside from that, I feel as though this whole contest was pointless. You're both excellent athletes; does it really matter which of you is better?"

"It does to us," Applejack proclaimed, "We have our pride to consider."

"Yeah, you can't expect us to forget about our pride," Rainbow Dash concurred.

"I understand; just don't let your pride rewrite your values," Bronze Star advised them, "I've seen what doing so can do to people. In extreme cases, it can be enough to get them killed."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash seemed somewhat bothered by that last statement. They turned to each other and then back to the gold stallion. They asked worriedly "Seriously?"

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head and informed them "Some of the best soldiers in the Equestrian military have lost their lives because of overconfidence or vanity."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash understood what the young prince was telling them. Both of them were still equally determined to win the Running of the Leaves, but they would remember his advice. At the very least, they would remember it for the rest of the day.

By now, the majority of the people who had come to the Iron Pony Competition had left the vicinity. It was already well into the afternoon; Bronze Star had been at Sweet Apple Acres for several hours. He gazed around the area, and then he told the two mares "I'm going to head back to the embassy. I've got some things I need to do. Guess I'll see both of you at Whitetail Woods tomorrow."

That last comment attracted their attention. Applejack assumed in interest "You entered the Running of the Leaves?"

"Yeah, I signed up yesterday," Bronze Star expounded, "I always enjoy a good workout, and I like to partake in traditions. Since the Running of the Leaves is a combination of both, that's something of a bonus for me."

"So you're looking forward to it?" Rainbow Dash presumed.

"Yes, very much," Bronze Star affirmed. He then smiled deviously and commented "I should warn you, though; I can run very fast. If you're not careful, I might beat both of you."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash just grinned and cheekily said in unison "We'll see about that."

The three ponies all got a laugh at that. After that, Bronze Star tilted his Stetson to the mares, bade them a good day, and swiftly headed back to the embassy.

Bronze Star spent the rest of the day preparing himself for the next day. He did not wish to be inadequately prepared, as he was fairly certain he would be quite busy tomorrow. While he would not be doing very much paperwork, he would still be running a marathon and conducting an investigation at the same time. All the while, two of his closest friends would be fiercely competing with each other for some pretentious title. He just hoped he would be able to handle it all.

> Suspicions Confirmed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank got up at five o'clock the next morning. This was even earlier than they normally woke up. However, the Running of the Leaves was scheduled to begin at eight o'clock, and the two stallions wanted to get to Whitetail Woods before too many ponies assembled there.

After showering and eating breakfast, the two stallions were almost ready to head out. Bronze Star was going to leave his knapsack at the embassy, but he decided to bring along the Stetson Applejack had given him. He figured it would help keep the sunlight out of his eyes.

In addition to that, Sir Haywood McCrank did not wear a suit. Instead, he wore a headband and sunglasses. With those accessories, he looked twenty years younger. In fact, he looked like an entire different pony. Bronze Star was intrigued by his choice of apparel; Sir Haywood merely claimed he was trying to appear inconspicuous.

Once they were all set, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank soon departed from the embassy and trotted towards Whitetail Woods. They arrived at its border at approximately 6:45. At that time, there were only about a dozen ponies there; all of them had large sheets of paper with a different number attached to one of their flanks. Two of them were Noble Edict and Copper Hollow; they were distributing the numbered sheets. For some reason, there was a downed hot air balloon present, too.

The red mare and the copper stallion soon noticed the gold stallion and the indigo stallion as they approached them, and they provided each of them with a numbered sheet, as well. As Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank attached these sheets to their flanks, Noble Edict snickered slightly at the latter's current appearance. She slyly remarked "I'm relieved to see you decided not to wear a suit, Sir Haywood."

"Well, of course not, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank muttered frankly, "While I have a fondness for formal attire, I do not lack common sense. I know it is quite difficult to maneuver in leather. Aside from that, I tend to sweat a lot when I run, and I did not wish to ruin my attire."

"I had no idea you were so prim, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow mentioned jokingly.

"You think I'm prim, huh?" Haywood McCrank asked rhetorically, "Well, there may be some truth to that."

"I'm not saying that's a bad thing," Copper Hollow reassured him, "But I still feel compelled to ask; even without your suit, are you certain you're cut out for the the Running of the Leaves?"

"Oh, yes," Haywood insisted, "I may spend most of my time indoors, but I'm a lot stronger and quicker than I look. The real question is this: are you and the other security officers capable of working and running simultaneously?"

"We wouldn't have our jobs if we weren't," Noble Edict proclaimed, "We're required to be able to chase after and catch runaway suspects."

"Good," Haywood McCrank said in satisfaction.

There was a brief interval of silence, and then Bronze Star queried "Have either of you seen Paisley, Almond, Cassia, or Rollin this morning?"

"No, we came straight from the barracks," Copper Hollow answered him, "None of them were there. They're probably still be at home. They should get here soon, though."

"Alright," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Once they're here, we should discuss how we'll do this thing. We need to devise some strategies and such."

"Already got that handled, sir," Noble Edict informed him.

"Excellent," Bronze Star said in approval.

Over the next hour, scores of ponies arrived at the border of Whitetail Woods. Rollin Fields, Cassia Sprig, Almond Wheeler, and Paisley Branch all showed up at least a half-hour before the race was supposed to begin. Once all eight members of the task force accounted for, Bronze Star had them gather close together in a spot several meters away from everypony else so they could talk in private.

They spent several minutes conversing about tactics. Noble Edict used her front hoof to draw a crude diagram of Whitetail Woods. When she was finished, she used the diagram as a prop. She pointed to various parts of it as she told the others "Alright, guys; here's the situation. Whitetail Woods is the second largest collection of trees in Equestria after the Everfree Forest. Even its shortest radius covers over ten miles. The path we'll be running on does not go in a straight line, so the distance is considerably larger. A lot of the trees are compacted so close together that it's easy for somepony to move through them unnoticed. With that in mind, it could be difficult to spot somepony in there, especially while you're running."

"What do you suggest we do?" Paisley Branch enquired.

"We all received awareness training when we joined the force," Noble Edict pointed out, "Now is one of those times where it can be our most valuable commodity. Just remember everything you learned about perception. We need to be aware of our surroundings at all times. That includes the path and everything around it. Be on the lookout for even the slightest disturbance. A twig snaps, a shadow shifts, a leaf falls before anypony passes by its tree… anything of the sort could actually be a person looming through the Woods."

"If we do manage to spot somepony, should we pursue?" Rollin Fields inquired.

At that, Noble Edict turned to Haywood McCrank and pronounced "You're leading this investigation, Sir Haywood. So it's your call."

The indigo stallion nodded in acknowledgement. He looked around at the others and explicated "If you see anything suspicious, you are authorized to engage. If need be, you can chose to chase after it. But do not stray from the path. If you get too far into the Woods, break off your pursuit and return to the path as soon as possible. Don't stare at anything for too long, and do not abruptly turn your heads in random directions. In other words, don't do anything that might attract attention. We do not want to distract the other runners. Or anypony who might be watching."

"That's another point we should address," Almond Wheeler proposed, "What happens if we encounter somepony who… doesn't belong?"

"Given the nature of the threat we're trying to prevent, we should regard anypony we see in there as potential adversaries," Haywood McCrank apprised them, "They are the enemy. Treat them as such. If you can, try to make an arrest. But do it discreetly and quietly, and do not do it if anypony outside of the task force is around. If you find yourself faced with overwhelming opposition, break off and try to get backup. Most importantly, only use deadly force as an absolute last resort."

"Sounds like a reasonable arrangement," Cassia Sprig perceived, "Anything else we should keep in mind?"

"There is one more thing," Noble Edict mentioned, "As Sir Haywood said, it is possible that the pony or ponies who are hiding in Whitetail Woods have malevolent intentions. So in addition to our surroundings, I want you all to keep a careful watch on the other people in the race, as well. If one of them happens to fall behind or get ahead, then one of you has to stay with them. I don't think they're in any immediate danger, but as a precaution, I don't want anypony to be left by themselves."

"You got it, Noble," Copper Hollow avowed. As the others murmured in agreement, the copper stallion added in "But are you absolutely sure the townsfolk are safe from the apparitions in Whitetail Woods?"

"If I wasn't, I would have asked the Mayor to postpone the Running of the Leaves, or cancel it altogether," the red mare contended.

The others were satisfied with this response. By now, they had covered pretty much everything that they felt needed to be addressed.

Before they headed back to the crowd, Bronze Star had one final piece of advice for the others: "Despite everything that might or might not be going on around us, we should still keep in mind that we'll be in a race. We can't let anypony know that we're here for a different reason. So try to make it look as though you're here to run and to have a good time."

Haywood McCrank nodded in acknowledgement. Noble Edict and the other security officers just smirked.

"We can definitely do that, Mr. Ambassador," Cassia Sprig asserted.

"Some of us were going to be in the Running of the Leaves, anyway," Paisley Branch claimed.

"Yeah; it's hard not to get engrossed in it," Rollin Fields speculated.

"After all, who's to say we can't mix business with pleasure?" Almond Wheeler conjectured.

"You all got me there," Bronze Star remarked, smiling lightly.

The eight ponies then broke up and made their way back to the crowd. At this point, there were over a hundred ponies assembled there, and more were arriving every minute. The hot air balloon was now occupied; Pinkie Pie had climbed into the basket, and she was setting up a wireless microphone. Evidently, she was going to be the announcer for the event.

Bronze Star spent about ten minutes mingling with the other people in the crowd. At one point, he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned around and came face-to-face with a familiar purple mare.

"Hello, Mr. Ambassador," Dapple Rhomb greeted him cordially.

"Uh, hello, Dapple," Bronze Star returned, albeit a little confused. "Why are you here? I gave you the day off."

"You just answered your own question, sir," Dapple Rhomb candidly replied, "I always partake in the Running of the Leaves. Since I don't have to work today, there's no pointing in making an exception this year."

"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star commented in acknowledgement. After a short pause, he smiled lightly and thought aloud "This is not exactly how I'd spend my day off, though."

"Then why are you here?" Dapple Rhomb queried in interest.

Bronze Star was not about to answer that question entirely. Before he gave a response, Dapple Rhomb held up her front hoof and slyly remarked "Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess. It's classified."

"You know it," Bronze Star confirmed, scoffing, "You really catch on quickly."

"I have to, considering the partially secretive nature of my job," Dapple Rhomb pointed out.

"Exactly," the gold stallion asserted.

The two of them stood in relative silence for a while, and then Bronze Star spotted Applejack approaching in the distance. He turned to his secretary and told her "I have to go now; I'll talk to you later."

Dapple Rhomb nodded in approval. She watched her employer as he trotted away from her. After a few seconds of silence, she called out to him "By the way, keep your eyes on the sky."

Bronze Star stopped at that, looked over his shoulder, and asked "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just a friendly suggestion," Dapple Rhomb clarified, "You never know when some of the leaves might drift down into your face. It's not pleasant."

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star commented, "Thanks for the warning."

"Anytime," the purple mare assured him.

Something about that remark still struck him as odd, though. It was just the way Dapple Rhomb had said it. He thought about bringing it up to somepony like Noble Edict or Sir Haywood later on, just to be safe.

Soon, Applejack reached the crowd. She smiled at her coltfriend, and he happily smiled back. She was pleased to see that he was wearing the Stetson she had given him.

"You ready?" she asked rhetorically.

"You bet," he firmly declared, "I'm not planning to win, but I'm willing to wager that I will at least place."

"I admire your confidence," she muttered in admiration.

"It's not just confidence," Bronze Star revealed, "I'm no stranger to marathon running. About ten percent of my military training involves moving from one destination to another using only my hooves. So I go running quite often. At least every other day; every day if I find the time. Plus, as you know, I also have a superb rate of recovery and an excellent metabolism. With all that together, the Running of the Leaves is little more than a brisk morning jog for me."

Applejack was both impressed and astounded to hear Bronze Star say that. After a moment, she chuckled and jokingly observed "Wow. And I thought Rainbow Dash was a braggart."

Bronze Star hastily shook his hooves in front of himself and insisted "I wasn't trying to boast. I'm only stating the facts."

Applejack chuckled again and wittily commented "Nice. So you're not even trying to brag, yet you sound like you are."

"Oh, right," Bronze Star muttered, rubbing the back of his head, "I must sound incredibly naïve."

"No, I actually think it's kinda cute," Applejack professed.

Bronze Star blushed at that and gazed off to the side. Sensing that she had made him feel somewhat awkward, Applejack placed her front hoof under his chin and turned him towards her. Then she looked him in the eye and said "I meant that as a compliment."

"In that case, thank you," Bronze Star stated appreciatively, his blush fading.

There came a brief interval of silence, and then Applejack declared "It won't be long before the race begins. I may as well get in stretching before then."

"Suit yourself," Bronze Star bade her, "I'll be right here if you need me."

Applejack spent the next several minutes stretching her legs and her back. She was not the only one who was warming up; dozens of other ponies were doing the same. The crowd continued to increase every minute.

Shortly before eight o'clock, Pinkie Pie activated her microphone, and she cheerfully announced "Welcome to the annual Running of the Leaves! This is Pinkie Pie, your official p-eye-in-the-sky announcer. As everypony knows, the Running is a very important tradition, for without it, the autumn leaves of Equestria would never fall. So get ready, ponies. The Running of the Leaves will begin in five minutes."

When Applejack was about done stretching, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Rainbow Dash showed up. The cyan mare buoyantly pronounced "Pardon me, excuse me. Make way for the Iron Pony."

"The Iron Phony, you mean," Applejack sharply corrected her.

Rainbow Dash just smirked and slyly proposed "So, Applejack, you ready to win second place?"

"I'm ready to run a good, clean race," Applejack stated simply.

"Yeah, yeah..." Rainbow Dash murmured indifferently.

Bronze Star was somewhat disappointed. Apparently, his advice from yesterday did not have a lasting impact on the cyan mare.

"You are not allowed to use your wings," Applejack sternly reminded her.

"I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back," Rainbow Dash positively alleged.

This gave Applejack and Bronze Star an idea. The orange mare left the area and returned a moment later with a rope. She used it to bind Rainbow Dash's wings down against her back. She made sure to wrap it several times around the cyan mare's torso, and she tightened it very well. When she was finished, she proudly announced "Trussed up like a turkey. Well, a turkey who can't fly, that is."

"Very funny," Rainbow Dash uttered sardonically.

"'Least now we know we're racin' fair and square," Applejack observed.

"How true," Bronze Star coincided.

Shortly after this, there was the sound of trumpets playing. Pinkie Pie announced "Racers! Please take your positions!"

The pink mare was about to launch her hot air balloon into the air. But right before she did, Spike came along and requested to do the announcement with her. Out of courtesy he tried to be subtle about it, but Pinkie Pie quickly caught on to what he was asking. She happily invited him to join her, and he happily accepted the offer.

As the baby dragon climbed into the basket with the pink mare, the ponies on the ground moved towards the starting line. Bronze Star, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Sir Haywood McCrank were all in the front row.

A moment later, Twilight Sparkle joined them there. Like everypony else, she had a numbered sheet attached to her flank.

Applejack noticed this and enquired "Twilight? What in tarnation are you doin' up here?"

"I'm racing," the lavender mare straightforwardly admitted.

None of the others expected that. Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank smirked and giggle a bit. Rainbow Dash broke down laughing. When she caught her breath, she sputtered out "Good one, Twilight."

"I'm not joking," the lavender mare insisted.

"What?" Rainbow Dash stated in amazement, "You're not an athlete, you're a... well... you're an egghead."

"I am not an egghead," Twilight Sparkle crossly countered, "I am well-read."

"Egghead," Rainbow Dash softly uttered to the others.

Noble Edict and Copper Hollow giggled a little more. Although Haywood McCrank remained silent, he found the situation somewhat amusing, too. Bronze Star was not one to underestimate people, but he had never seen Twilight run more a hundred meters at once. So even he was inclined to doubt the validity of Twilight's idea to compete in the race.

Applejack snickered and asked the lavender mare "But have you ever run a race?"

"Well, no," the lavender mare disclosed, "but I do know a lot about running."

"And you know this from..." Rainbow Dash pressed on.

"Books," Twilight Sparkle pronounced, "I've read several on the subject."

Rainbow Dash was struggled to keep a straight face. She mockingly stated "What'd you read, 'The Egghead's Guide to Running?' Did you stretch out your eye muscles to warm up?"

Then she broke down laughing again. She chortled so hard that she fell onto her back. From the ground, she gasped out "Get it? Eye muscles."

"Scoff if you must, Rainbow," Twilight Sparkle murmured coolly, "But the Running of the Leaves is a Ponyville tradition, and since I'm here to learn, I've decided I should experience it myself."

"Well, I think that's just dandy, Twilight," Applejack perceived, "Good luck."

Then the orange mare snickered some more. As the cyan mare got up off the ground, she added in "Yeah. See you at the finish line... Tomorrow."

It had become a lot more difficult for the others to keep straight faces, too. Haywood McCrank was the only one who managed to maintain his composure. Noble Edict and Copper Hollow were chuckling hard, and Bronze Star was trying his hardest not to burst out laughing. He told the magic student "Um, Twilight, there's a huge difference between research and firsthoof experience."

"I'm aware of that," the lavender mare stated. She gestured over to the indigo stallion and noted "Sir Haywood's entering the race, too. He spends as much time indoors as I do, and he's more than twice my age. Yet you don't seem to be objected to his decision to be here."

"Well, I've seen Sir Haywood in action," Bronze Star apprised her, "As a federal agent, he's required to be capable of employing overwhelming force in certain situations."

"He speaks the truth," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "I may not look it, but I've got the strength, speed, and agility to get me through the Running of the Leaves. Do you, Twilight?"

"Perhaps," Twilight Sparkle cockily remarked, "For all you know, maybe I've been deceiving you two for all these years, and I've been working out in private. Maybe I'm secretly a jock."

"I don't think so," Bronze Star cheekily, "If that was the case, Spike would have told us about your 'hobby.' Plus, you're not exactly an expert at keeping secrets."

"And you two are?" Twilight countered.

"Well… yeah," Bronze tentatively replied, "But let's not go there."

"Fine, fine," Twilight Sparkle agreed.

Everypony quieted down then; the race was supposed to start in less than a minute.

Copper Hollow was standing right next to Noble Edict. Shortly before the race began, he tapped his superior officer on the shoulder and whispered "Hey, Noble, you remember that suggestion you made about how we should keep an eye on people who rush ahead or plod behind from everypony else?"

"Yeah, Copper," the red mare answered him, "What about it?"

"If Twilight's as slow as the others are implying, there's a possibility that one of us might have to trudge near the back for the entire duration of the race," the copper stallion conjectured.

"Oh, now's not the time for joking, Copper," Noble Edict told her head deputy, scoffing

"I wasn't joking," Copper Hollow insisted, "At least, not entirely. But seriously; what if she does become an outlier?"

"Then one of us should stay close to her," Noble Edict proposed, "Only question is which."

"I'll do it," Copper Hollow volunteered, "After all, Twilight Sparkle's not just another civilian. She's also Princess Celestia's protégé. It would look bad if anything happened to her under our watch."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Noble Edict conceded.

After this exchange of words, everypony quieted down and focused on the path that led directly into Whitetail Woods. From the hot air balloon, Pinkie Pie yelled "All right, ponies, are you ready?"

"Get set," Spike spoke dramatically.

There came a few seconds of tense and suspenseful silence. Then the bell rang, and almost immediately, the racers started galloping down the path. Dozens of them entered Whitetail Woods every second. Anypony standing at the entrance of the Woods would have been amazed by the sudden flash of color.

"And they're off!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed merrily.

For the first minute of the race, everypony ran at pretty much the same speed. After that, they started running independently of each other and moved at their own pace.

The hot air balloon ascended into the space above the trees, and Pinkie Pie announced into her microphone "Welcome to the official coverage of the Running of the Leaves! You know, Spike, despite its name, the leaves don't do any of the actual running. No, that's left to My Little Ponies."

"Why, yes, Pinkie," Spike stated in agreement, "It's the running of the ponies that causes the leaves to fall."

"Ugh," Pinkie Pie muttered in mock annoyance, "Those lazy, lazy leaves. But this year, the run is about more than the weather. It's about the race to the finish and the two runners who want to win it: Applejack and Rainbow Dash."

"You know, Pinkie, these two ponies have a bit of a grudge match they're trying to settle," Spike noted, "Trying to prove who's the most athletic."

"Yes, and 'grudge' rhymes with 'fudge,'" Pinkie Pie brightly declared.

"Yes, it... does," Spike uttered in confusion. He turned to the pink mare and asked "What?"

"And I like fudge," Pinkie Pie glossily went on, "But if I eat too much fudge I get a pudge and then I can't budge."

"So... no fudge?" Spike presumed.

"Oh, no thanks," the pink mare responded appreciatively, "I had a big breakfast. Let's check in with our two competitive ponies, Applejack and Rainbow Dash."

Down on the ground, the racers were progressing deep into Whitetail Woods. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were at the very front of the crowd. They appeared to be tied for first place. Every few seconds, they were alternating the position.

From above, Pinkie Pie observed them and commented accordingly: "Having come fast out of the gate, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are evenly matched running neck in neck. But what's this? Applejack is making a move, she's now ahead by a nose. But Rainbow Dash won't let Applejack have it and takes the lead. She's ahead by half a nose. Or maybe three quarters of a nose. No, about sixty-three point seven percent of a nose... Roughly speaking. Applejack sees this move and pushes forth with her strong workhorse legs slinking ahead by three hundred and fifty noses!"

Bronze Star was in third place at this time. As he galloped, he looked over his shoulder and noticed that Noble Edict was the person closest to him. He slowed down a bit so that she was running by his side, and then he gestured up at Pinkie Pie and asked "Noble, is the whole race going to be like this?'

"Yeah, pretty much," the red mare responded.

"Oh, joy," Bronze Star sarcastically muttered, "What genius decided to give Pinkie a hot air balloon and a microphone, anyway?"

Noble Edict shrugged and stated "I don't know, but whoever it was, they probably didn't know what they were doing."

"Apparently not," Bronze Star concurred, rolling his eyes lightly.

"Just don't pay any attention to her," Noble Edict advised, "We're here for something more important."

"Right," Bronze Star said in acknowledgement. After running in silence for a few seconds, he turned back to the red mare and remarked "I have an idea. I'll focus on our immediate surroundings. You keep an eye on the path ahead of us. That way, if you manage to spot something in the distance, you can let me know so I can get a better look at it when I pass it by."

"Yes, sir," Noble Edict acknowledged, smirking.

Several meters ahead of them, Applejack was in the lead. She gazed over her shoulder and muttered wryly "Not so easy without wings, is it?"

Rainbow Dash was struggling to keep up with Applejack. She panted and uttered quietly "Come on, Rainbow. Show 'em a little dash."

After concentrating some, the cyan mare managed to pick up the pace, and she gradually accelerated toward the orange mare. Spike noticed this and announced "Ho-hold your horses, Pinkie! Rainbow Dash is catching up the frontrunner Applejack!"

"What an upset," Pinkie Pie commented, "I thought Applejack had this in the bag."

By now, Rainbow Dash had almost reached Applejack. As she approached her, she slyly remarked "You didn't think I was gonna let you off that easily, did you?"

Applejack glared at Rainbow Dash out of the corner of her eye. She was so focused on the cyan mare that she paid almost no attention to anything in front of her. That was unfortunate; there was a rock further down the trail. When Applejack reached the rock, she accidentally bumped her hoof against it, which caused her to trip. As she fell, she shouted "Whoa!"

Out of concern, Bronze Star slowed down to help his fillyfriend. Rainbow Dash and the majority of the other racers passed them by, but Bronze Star paid them no mind. He was not competing in this race to win, after all.

By the time all but two of the racers had gotten ahead of him, Bronze Star managed to get Applejack back onto her feet. She was grateful for his help, but she also seemed somewhat bothered by something. She muttered furiously "I don't believe it."

Copper Hollow and Twilight Sparkle were the only racers who had not gotten past Bronze Star and Applejack. Copper Hollow was actually very fast; he was deliberately holding back so that he could stay close to Twilight Sparkle.

Just then, the copper stallion and the lavender mare reached the gold stallion and the orange mare. Twilight appeared to be fixated on the nearby trees, and she had heard what Applejack had said. She assumed the mare in the hat had been referring to the trees, and she commented "I know, it's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Not the scenery, Twilight," Applejack revealed, "Rainbow Dash just tripped me."

"She did not," Twilight claimed.

"She did too!" Applejack argued.

"She did not," Twilight insisted, "And if you slowed down and looked where you're going, like me, you'd see that you tripped over a rock."

"What?" Applejack said in confusion.

"Yeah, she's right," Bronze Star conceded, pointing to the rock on the ground.

"Gotta be more observant, AJ," Copper Hollow suggested.

"Oh, hayseed!" the farmer groaned, "Now I got a lot of ground to make up to catch Rainbow."

By now, she had regained her bearings, and she started hurrying down the path again.

"Just be careful!" Twilight Sparkle cautioned her.

It was not long before Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and Copper Hollow were back in the race, too.

After running alongside the other two for a few seconds, Bronze Star told them "I'm going to see if I can catch up to the front, too. Are you two coming?"

"No, I'm fine where I am for now," Twilight Sparkle informed him.

"So am I," Copper Hollow disclosed, "I've already got a great view from my current position."

Twilight lightly scoffed and wittily uttered "I hope you're talking about the trees, Copper."

"Of course I am, Twilight," the copper stallion asserted, "What else would I…"

Then he caught on to what the lavender mare was implying. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle laughed when they saw the subsequent expression on Copper Hollow's face.

"Oh, no; I wouldn't dream of anything like that," Copper Hollow pronounced, flushing slightly.

"Relax, I was kidding," Twilight Sparkle assured him, "But out of curiosity, why are you this far back in the race? I've seen you run; you're faster than most ponies I know. You're certainly faster than me, at any rate."

"I'm just… conserving my strength," Copper Hollow claimed, "I don't want to waste all my energy in the first half of the race. If I do, I'd be so worn out in the second half that I'd just trot the rest of the way to the finish line."

"Oh, that makes sense," Twilight Sparkle commented.

Bronze Star soon left Copper Hollow and Twilight Sparkle by themselves. He increased his speed so that he could catch up with the other racers. He still was not competing to win, but he was determined to get near the front. He had been in Ponyville for seven months now, and he had gained a reputation as one of the most physically active ponies in town. So it would probably seem suspicious if he performed terribly in the Running of the Leaves.

Before long, he encountered the other racers. The majority of them were still running in one large crowd, but it appeared as though the crowd was about to divide into two separate groups. One was composed of those who were using more energy now; the other was composed of those who planned to save more energy for later. Naturally, the first group was ahead of the second one, but their places would probably be switched near the end.

Haywood McCrank was near the center of them all. When Bronze Star caught up to the indigo stallion, he told him "Hello, Sir Haywood."

The federal investigator nodded in acknowledgement. He was already starting to sweat quite a bit, but it did not seem to bother him.

As the gold stallion ran next to him, he muttered softly "Have you seen anything yet?"

"Nothing but leaves as far as the eye can see, sir," Haywood McCrank apprised him.

Bronze Star sighed dismally, but he nodded his head in understanding. He thought aloud "Oh, well. It's still just the beginning of the race. We've got several hours to find clues."

"That's the spirit, sir," Haywood McCrank emboldened, "You're faster than I, so how about you take another look near the front runners? If you see anything strange, you can point it out to me."

"Got it," Bronze Star avowed.

He then focused on his front and broke into a sprint. By carefully maneuvering through the crowd, he managed to gallop past dozens of other ponies. He spotted Applejack at the head of the pack. He could faintly make out Rainbow Dash in the distance. She appeared to be constantly looking over her shoulder, as if she was concerned that somepony else was close by.

Applejack seemed to notice the cyan mare's actions, as well. She moved in such a manner that she would avoid being detected by Rainbow Dash. When Rainbow Dash appeared to let her guard down, the orange mare bolted towards her. As she ran past her, she yelled triumphantly "See you at the finish line!"

Rainbow Dash moaned in irritation at this sudden setback.

At that time, the announcement resumed with Spike declaring "I don't believe it. After a huge setback, Applejack is back at the front of the pack."

"She's the head of the pack, all right," Pinkie Pie conceded, "The pick of the litter! The cat's pajamas! Oh wait, why would Applejack take some poor kitty's PJs? That's not very sporting of her."

Spike just stared at her in confusion. Then he mumbled "Oookay... Let's get back to the race."

Bronze Star was now close enough to the front that he could hear Rainbow Dash shout "Not so fast, Applejack! This race isn't over yet!"

"It is for you," Applejack pronounced wryly, "Heh."

Rainbow Dash was so focused on Applejack that she did not even notice that a small stump was directly in her path. A few moments later, she collided with it and lost her balance. As she landed hard on the ground, she shouted "Whoa!"

Bronze Star rolled his eyes, but he decided to stop and give his friend a hoof anyway. Still, he was hoping his friends would not be tripping over themselves for the entire race.

Once more, nearly every runner passed by him. Copper Hollow and Twilight Sparkle were still at the very back. They reached the gold stallion and the cyan mare by the time the former got the latter back on her hooves. Rainbow Dash angrily muttered "Guh, I don't believe it, Applejack tripped me."

"Don't you ponies ever look where you're going?" Twilight Sparkle snapped in astonishment, "You tripped on a stump. See?"

"Oh, I see," Rainbow Dash said edgily, "A big cheater is what I see."

"Like you of all ponies has any right to complain about that," Bronze Star scathingly remarked.

"Are you seriously still going on about that?" Rainbow Dash heatedly spat back.

"Look, let's not get into a conflict," Copper Hollow proposed, "We should all just calm down and enjoy the race."

"I'm for what he said," Bronze Star pronounced straightaway.

The cyan mare did not seem as content with this proposal. Twilight Sparkle calmly told her "Rainbow, Applejack would never cheat. It was just an accident."

"Sure it was," Rainbow Dash irately spoke. Noticing the incredulous looks from the others, she cooled down and calmly mentioned "I mean, yeah, I'm sure it was."

"Remember, Rainbow, this is just a game," Twilight reminded her friend.

"Yes, but the rules have changed, and two can play at that game," Rainbow Dash observed, a conniving expression coming across her countenance.

Bronze Star was impelled to stop Rainbow Dash, but before he could, she jolted down the path and out of sight. The gold stallion sighed in irritation and commented "Everything just got a whole lot more complicated."

"Yeah, we're in trouble," Copper Hollow observed cockily, "I don't know what's a bigger cause for alarm: the mysterious nature of our surroundings, or this petty feud between those two."

"I'd have to say the feud," Twilight thought aloud, "I don't see any reason why we should be concerned about our surroundings. Then again, you seem much more interesting in the trees than I am, Copper. It's almost as though you're… looking for something."

Copper Hollow expected that she would say something like that. Luckily, he had already prepared a proper comeback. He informed the lavender mare "All I'm doing is keeping watch, Twilight. You never know who or what could be out here."

"Well, so far, we haven't seen a thing," Twilight Sparkle pointed out, "Yet from the way you've been acting, you seem certain that we're in imminent danger."

"I'm just being cautious," Copper Hollow asserted, "Still, I apologize if my behavior made you feel uneasy. My job is to protect you, not unsettle you."

"I appreciate that, but I don't need protection," Twilight proclaimed.

"I didn't mean you specifically," Copper enlightened her, "What I meant to say was that I have no vulgar intentions in mind. I'm just trying to be a good security officer."

"Oh, so is that why you've stayed with me for so long?" Twilight assumed.

"You could say that, I suppose," Copper Hollow professed, "Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm just looking out for my fellow pony. Besides, nopony should have to run alone."

"Well, thanks," the lavender mare said gratefully.

Bronze Star could not tell if Copper Hollow was unintentionally flirting with Twilight or just trying to be a gentlestallion. Regardless, he was confident the two of them would be alright by themselves. After bidding them farewell a second time, he galloped further down the path into the Woods.

By now, the crowd of ponies had completely split off into two groups. The first one appeared to be about a mile ahead of the second one. It did not take Bronze Star long to lap the group that was farther back. He could have easily caught up with the lead group, but he wanted to conserve his energy. So he ran at a moderately fast pace. Every now and then, he looked up for a moment.

Before long, he was about halfway between the two groups. Shortly after, he came across Paisley Branch and Rollin Fields. The cobalt blue Unicorn and the lime green Earth Pony were running by themselves; there was nopony else as far as the eye could see.

Soon, the gold stallion reached them. Paisley Branch noticed him first. She smiled and greeted him with "Hello, Mr. Ambassador."

"Hey there, Paisley," Bronze Star rejoined, "Hello, Rollin."

"Good to see you, sir," Rollin Fields stated, "But I'm surprised to see you back here."

"Actually, so am I," Paisley Branch commented, "Knowing you, I would have thought you'd be near the front."

"Oh, I experienced a few hitches," the gold stallion proclaimed, "Speaking of which, have you seen Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah, she jolted past us about fifteen minutes ago," Paisley Branch elucidated, "I got a good look at her face, though. She almost looked like she wanted to murder somepony."

"I sure hope not," Bronze Star commented, looking up briefly, "Othewise, I'll have to be ready to defend my fillyfriend with my life. Aside from that, we've already got enough problems with ONE upcoming murder plot."

"You can say that again," Rollin Fields coincided, "We've been scrutinizing this place for quite a while, and we haven't seen a thing."

"Well, there's gotta be something or somepony out here," Paisley Branch asserted, "There just HAS to be."

"I'll take your word for it, Paisley," Bronze Star stated, looking up again. After galloping in silence for a while, he turned to the cobalt blue Unicorn and spoke "When you and Almond Wheeler were surveying Whitetail Woods, did you actually see anything suspicious? Other than the new-fallen leaves during your second walk, I mean."

"No, the additional leaves on the ground were the only discrepancy we encountered," Paisley informed him, "But if you ask me, that's more than enough to confirm that something's out of place here."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided, "Let's just be patient. I'm sure we'll encounter something special or useful eventually."

"Right," was all Rollin Fields said in response.

The three ponies continued running in quietness for a while. Bronze Star continued gazing upwards every other minute or so. It did not take long for his companions to notice this.

Paisley Branch looked over at the gold stallion and questioned "Why do you keep looking up, sir?"

"A little tip I got from Dapple Rhomb," he expounded, "By periodically checking the space above your head, you'd be able to spot falling leaves and dodge them before they blow into your face."

"That's certainly a good idea," Rollin Fields conceded, "After all, it can get quite annoying when dead leaves drift into your eyes."

"Yeah, I've almost been blinded by some of them at least three times," Paisley Branch recalled, "Guess it wouldn't hurt to check the air every now and then."

"Alright," Bronze Star said in agreement, "Let's just make sure we don't all look up at the same time. Even it's just for a split-second, there's a chance we could miss something important on the ground."

Paisley Branch and Rollin Fields complied with this idea. The three of them continued running in quietness for a while. There did not appear anypony else on the path for quite a distance in both directions. They still did not see anything suspicious either.

Bronze Star decided to pass the time by making Smalltalk. He asked the younger security officer "So, Paisley, who do you think is going to win this race?"

"Hard to say," Paisley Branch thought aloud, "Both Applejack and Rainbow are strong contenders. I'd say they have the greatest chance of winning as of right now."

"Good point," Bronze Star remarked, "What about you, Rollin?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," Rollin Fields disclosed, "But I'll tell you one thing; I know it won't be me."

"Why?" Bronze Star queried, "Because of your… age?"

Paisley Branch almost burst out laughing at that remark, but Rollin fields did not seem offended by it.

"Yeah, I guess that's it," the lime green stallion admitted, chuckling lightly, "I'm not as quick as I was in my prime. Plus, I don't NEED to win, seeing as how I've already won the Running of the Leaves twice."

"Really?" Bronze Star enquired in interest, "When?"

"Let's see," Rollin Fields murmured, taking a moment to think, "Once when I was twenty-three, and once when I was thirty-seven."

"Shame I wasn't even around to witness either of your victories," Paisley Branch wryly commented.

"Yeah, I'm sure you would have been impressed," Rollin Fields muttered sardonically.

Those last statements had attracted Bronze Star's attention. He looked to the lime green Earth Pony and presumed "Wait, Paisley wasn't even born until after you turned thirty-eight?"

"That's correct, Mr. Ambassador," Rollin Fields affirmed, "In fact, all four of my children are older than her, too."

"So… you are HOW old now?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I'll be turning sixty-four in a few weeks," Rollin enlightened him.

Bronze Star whistled in astonishment. "You don't look a day over fifty, though."

"Well, thank you," Rollin Fields said in appreciation.

Bronze Star smirked and looked over at the cobalt blue mare. He asked her "Paisley, how old does that make you, then?"

"I'm twenty-four," she answered.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and noted "That means I'm older than you."

"Correct," Paisley Branch confirmed.

"Huh," Bronze Star muttered, "All this time, I thought I was the youngest member of the task force,"

"Nope, I'm younger than you by at least several months," Paisley Branch proclaimed.

"I'm surprised you didn't figure that out sooner, sir," Rollin Fields commented. After a short pause, he cockily added in "Especially since you're considerably more mature than Paisley."

Bronze Star snickered at that shot, whereas Paisley seemed a little annoyed by it. Ultimately, she just rolled her eyes and muttered "Whatever, 'Grandpa.' Give me some credit; I was 'mature' enough to raise my little brother on my own."

Despite this seemingly spiteful exchange of words, Paisley Branch and Rollin Fields were not actually trying to attack each other. They were just messing around. Bronze Star scoffed and observed "You two get along well, despite the forty-year age gap between you."

"Thanks for noticing, sir," Paisley Branch muttered, "That's one of the special things about being on the security force of Ponyville. In that line of work, it's not hard to make friends and get close to one another. Everypony comes to know and trust everypony else, regardless of age, race, or any other factor."

"I know; I've noticed that, too," Bronze Star disclosed, "After five months of working with you and the others, I've sensed that a type of bond has developed between the eight of us. Even though we've been working to prevent a crime, I feel as though we're more than just a task force now."

"I'd have to agree with you there," Rollin Fields coincided, "When we first began this investigation, I thought I would have chosen to resign from it within a week or two. But I haven't even thought of quitting in months. I'm determined to see this thing through to the end, and I'm determined to do it with all of you. It feels very right."

"Yeah, it's as though we all belong together," Paisley Branch remarked, "Sometimes, the best part of my week is when I'm working on the task force. I'm not saying that because I have a poor social life or anything. I'm saying it because working on the task force gives me a feeling of accomplishment. It's very satisfying, knowing that I'm helping to save a life."

Bronze Star was pleased to hear this testimony from the cobalt blue mare and the lime green stallion. He smiled widely and boldly announced "Well, as long as we continue cooperating with each other, we're sure to catch the assassin and bring him or her to justice."

"That's what we're hoping for, Mr. Ambassador," Paisley Branch pronounced, "Nopony's going to die in Ponyville on our watch. That's a certified–"

Before she could finish, Rollin Fields nudged her in the side. Paisley grimaced, turned to him, and asked in annoyance "Hey, what the Tartarus was that–"

"Shhh," he chastised her.

Paisley Branch was baffled by this request, but she quieted down. Bronze Star looked over at the lime green stallion and noticed that he appeared to have his gaze fixed on something. He asked softly "Rollin, is something wrong?"

"Look," Rollin Fields urged them, pointing with his eyes.

The cobalt blue mare and the gold stallion turned to their fronts and looked in the same direction as their elderly friend.

They had not realized this until now, but they were rapidly approaching the other group. However, that was not what had drawn Rollin Fields attention. He informed them quietly "Up in the treetops to the left. About fifty meters ahead of us."

Bronze Star and Paisley Branch looked in that direction, and they saw the source of the Rollin Fields' sudden odd behavior. There was a figure up in the trees.

"Oh, I see," Bronze Star muttered softly, "We better slow down."

Paisley Branch and Rollin Fields nodded in compliance, and all three of them decreased their speed from a gallop to a quick trot. They kept their eyes on the figure in the trees as they approached it.

"Doesn't look like it's noticed us," Rollin Fields perceived, "It's seems to be focused on the other racers."

"Good, we should take advantage of that," Paisley Branch proposed, "Let's attack it while it's distracted."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Rollin Fields countered, "We don't know what it could be capable of. Maybe we should just observe."

Paisley Branch turned to Bronze Star and asked "What should we do, sir?"

Bronze Star thought about this for a few seconds, and then he pronounced "We engage. But we need to do it carefully and subtly."

"How?" Rollin Fields asked.

"Leave it to me," Paisley Branch requested, "I've got this."

The two stallions agreed to this. They turned their heads so that they appeared to be facing the area in front of them, but they continued staring at the figure out of the corners of their eyes. The figure then turned its attention from the other racers to the three members of the task force.

Soon, the three ponies were upon the figure. At first, they continued running at their normal pace. But the very instant they reached the tree, Paisley Branch stopped running, turned her head upward, focused on the figure, and used her horn to launch a burst of magic at it.

The figure reacted almost immediately and moved. The magic burst missed it by mere inches. Still, the figure had been caught off guard by this sudden action and it almost slipped out of the tree. It managed to stay above ground, but it dropped something that landed near the base of the tree.

The figure appeared to be an Earth Pony stallion. He was dressed in a type of jumpsuit that covered his entire body, save for the eyes.

"You there, don't move!" Rollin Fields ordered the figure.

The figure did not heed this order. Instead, he turned around and hurried away from the scene. Paisley Branch launched another burst of magic at him. She just barely missed him again.

"Paisley, careful!" Bronze Star cautioned her, "We need him alive!"

"It's alright, sir," Paisley informed him, "It's a stunning spell. It won't kill him; it'll just paralyze him."

Bronze Star was content with that. Paisley Branch trotted after the figure as it rushed away. She continued firing at him every few seconds, but he managed to evade her at every turn. The figure was very spry and quick. He never went anywhere near the ground; he just jumped from tree to tree. Even with his limited options, he managed to move faster than the cobalt blue Unicorn.

Two minutes later, the figure managed to escape from Paisley Branch's field of vision altogether. It was as though he had just disappeared right in front of her. Even after that, Paisley looked around the area to ensure she did not overlook anything. Ultimately, she broke off her pursuit and returned to the path.

"Lost him," she grimly informed Bronze Star and Rollin Fields.

"Damnit," Bronze Star muttered.

"Perhaps it wasn't a complete loss," Rollin Fields perceived. He approached the base of the tree the figure had been hiding in, and then he knelt down and picked up the item the figure had dropped. As he stood up straight, he said to the others "Take a look at this."

Bronze Star and Paisley Branch moved to either side of the elderly stallion so they could get a look at the object in his front hoof. It resembled a typical telescope, only it was much smaller.

"What is it?" Paisley queried.

"It's a spyglass," Rollin Fields disclosed, "The figure dropped it right before he made his getaway."

"Let me see that," Bronze Star requested. The lime green stallion promptly handed him the item, and the gold stallion looked it over carefully. He thought about looking through the device, but he was impelled to hold off on that for the present. After a minute, he smirked and announced "Paisley, Rollin, I believe we just acquired our first major clue."

"Well, that's good," Paisley Branch commented, smiling as well.

"Yes, it is," Rollin Fields concurred, "What should we do with it?"

"I'll hold on to it for now," Bronze Star decided. He lifted up his Stetson hat and placed the spyglass underneath it. After setting it back in place, he added in "After the race, I'll show it to Sir Haywood."

This was an acceptable proposition for both Paisley Branch and Rollin Fields. Soon after this, the three of them got back into the race. Soon, many of the other racers were upon them. It appeared as though the ponies in that group were catching up with the ponies in the other group. Paisley and Rollin continued running at their previous pace, but Bronze Star accelerated his pace. He felt it would be best if he stayed near the front for most of the race.

Within the next half-hour, Bronze Star had passed the majority of the other racers. When he was near the front, he could hear Pinkie Pie resuming the announcement with "Welcome back, Ponyvillians, it's me, Pinkie Pie."

"And Spike," the baby dragon added in, "Looks like Rainbow is doing her best to catch up."

"I'm not sure how ketchup is going to help her in this contest," Pinkie Pie commented drily, "Now, in a hot dog eating contest it can make them doggies nice and slippery, but personally I prefer mustard. How about you, Spike?"

"Uh... I... like... pickles?" Spike muttered in bafflement.

"Aaand it looks like Applejack has found herself in quite a pickle as Rainbow overtakes her," Pinkie Pie observed.

Sure enough, Applejack had been in the lead until just then, when Rainbow Dash galloped past her. She was determined not to relinquish first place to the farmer or anypony else again.

Bronze Star tried his hardest to stay close to the two mares, as he was fairly certain that something unpleasant would happen soon. Once more, his notion was well-founded.

After galloping for a while, Rainbow Dash saw that a tree branch was blocking her path. Rather than go around or under it, she gripped it with her teeth and pulled it back as far as she could. Bronze Star realized what she was doing, but before he could intervene, Applejack had reached the tree. When that happened, Rainbow released the branch. It struck Applejack directly in the face and stunned her.

Right then, Bronze Star felt an overwhelming desire to wring Rainbow Dash's neck for that. However, his feeling of anger was quickly replaced by a feeling of astonishment. This time, Applejack was the reason for his angst.

After she recovered from the blow, she pulled the branch back in the opposite direction as far as she could. When she could not stretch it any further, she lifted her hooves off the ground. As a result, she was able to use the branch to launch herself down the path. In mere moments, she managed to get far ahead of Rainbow Dash.

Bronze Star sighed angrily and muttered under his breath "You've got to be kidding."

Alas, his worries had been realized. The competition had gotten to Applejack, and she had finally descended to Rainbow Dash's level.

To make matters worse, the tricks did not stop there. Further up the path, Applejack came across a beehive. She decided to use it to hinder Rainbow Dash's progress. When the cyan mare was close enough, Applejack irritated the beehive. The bees emerged right when Rainbow Dash reached them, and they chased after her straightaway. The cyan mare galloped away in terror.

Applejack's deceptive tactic seemed to work at first, but it ended up backfiring. The bees only encouraged Rainbow Dash to run faster than before. Ultimately, she was running so fast that she managed to pass Applejack once more. The bees continued chasing her even after that.

She eventually lost the bees when she arrived at a fork in the trail. She hid behind a marker and waited until the bees were gone. She was about to continue down the path, but the marker gave her an idea. She shifted its position so that it was pointing to the road on the left. This path led up a steep hill.

A minute later, Applejack arrived on the scene, and when she saw the marker, she galloped up the hill. Once she was out of sight, Rainbow Dash shifted the marker so that it was pointing to the road on the right, which was the appropriate path for the race.

By now, the two groups of racers had merged together. Almost all of them continued galloped past the marker. However, Bronze Star managed to spot Rainbow Dash hiding behind the marker. That attracted his attention. The only reason Rainbow Dash would not be in a rush to complete the race and instead stand still in one place… was if Applejack was not ahead of her. After getting a look at the marker and the fork, Bronze Star quickly managed to put everything together.

Bronze Star was partly compelled to stop and rebuke Rainbow Dash for her trick, but he felt as though he would just be wasting his words and his time. If he continued deriding her, he would probably just sound like a broken record. Plus, part of him felt as though Applejack needed to learn the hard way that cheating was unacceptable, and being steered in the wrong direction during the race was as good a way as any. He was not worried that she would be in danger, as there were no trees on the path she had taken. So there was no place that that figure could have hidden in.

Bronze Star just continued running without decreasing his speed at all. The racers stayed in one large crowd for about ten more minutes. After that, they started breaking off into two groups like before. This time, the lead group was composed of most of the ponies who had been in the earlier rear group, and vice versa.

Bronze Star chose to run near the back of the lead group. There he encountered Cassia Sprig and Almond Wheeler. The two of them were focusing carefully on the crowd and the trees at the same time. After careful consideration, Bronze Star decided to fill the two mares in on what had happened in the Woods earlier.

He slowed his pace slightly so that he was running alongside them, and then he pronounced "Hello, Cassia, Almond."

"Hi there, sir," Cassia Sprig greeted him.

"Hey, Mr. Ambssador," Almond Wheeler returned.

"What a race, huh?" the gold stallion commented.

"Yeah, what a race indeed," Cassia Sprig conceded.

"It's a wonder nopony's gotten knocked out so far," Almond Wheeler declared.

"No kidding," Bronze Star coincided.

He thought about going straight into the topic at hand, but he felt it would be more appropriate to begin the conversation with a round of Smalltalk like before. The three of them galloped in quietness for a while, and then Bronze Star turned to the periwinkle Pegasus and asked her "How's your daughter, Cassia?"

"She's doing very well, sir," Cassia Sprig explicated, "Her fever finally went away a few days ago, and she's been as healthy as a horse since. Thank you for asking, by the way."

"Anytime," Bronze Star remarked, "And I'm glad to know she's all better. There's nothing more nerve-wracking than a sick child."

"I'm hardly in a position to disagree," Cassia Sprig disclosed, smirking.

After another short pause, Bronze Star mentioned "By the way, I didn't see your husband amongst the other racers. Is he looking after her while you're out here?"

"Yeah," Cassia affirmed, "Since they're holding the Running of the Leaves today, the construction forestallion gave him and the others the day off. So neither of us have work today. Because of that, we didn't have to drop our girl off at daycare. After this, I plan to spend the rest of the day with both of them."

For some reason, Bronze Star seemed a little bothered by one of the implications of that statement. He said apprehensively "I'm not keeping you from spending time with them by having you take part in this search, am I?"

"Oh, no, Mr. Ambassador," Cassia Sprig assured him, "I was going to enter the Running of the Leaves, regardless of its significance to the investigation. It's one of my favorite events of the year. Even though it's our day off, my husband didn't protest my choice. He actually encouraged me to enter so I could have some fun."

"Seems as though you've found yourself the perfect stallion, Cassia," Almond Wheeler wryly perceived.

"Guess I have," Cassia Sprig candidly admitted, grinning deviously, "Are you waiting for a stallion just like him to show up at your door someday, Almond?"

The gray Earth Pony lightly shrugged and remarked "No, I don't think so. Still, I would like to have a family of my own someday, and seeing you get along with your own family is a great incentive. Especially since I was totally single when I was your age."

That remark caught Bronze Star's interest. "Almond, does that mean that you're… Cassia's elder?"

Almond Wheeler scoffed and replied with "That's one way to put it, Mr. Ambassador. She hasn't hit thirty yet, whereas I have. I'm thirty-two, to be precise."

"Okay then," Bronze Star acknowledged. He turned to Cassia Sprig and queried "So, how old are you?"

"Twenty-eight, sir," the periwinkle Pegasus illuminated.

Bronze Star knew that both Cassia Sprig and Almond Wheeler were at least a couple years older than him, but he had always presumed that Cassia Sprig was the elder of the two. After all, she was a wife and mother. Then again, Almond Wheeler was generally the sterner of the two on most days. So it made some sense when Bronze Star thought about it.

"Well, while we're on the subject of partners and the like, I have something I'd like to contribute to the matter," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Ever since I started my relationship with Applejack, I've become convinced that there's somepony out there for everypony. That certainly includes you as well, Almond. I'm sure you'll find the right stallion for you."

"Thank you for that, sir," Almond Wheeler mentioned gratefully, "To be honest, I'm not really that picky with stallions. Truthfully, I'd be fine with just about anypony… as long as he wasn't an immediate family member."

Bronze Star snickered at that and presumed "I take it your cousin is just as smitten with you as ever?"

"You know it," Almond Wheeler affirmed, "He's become even more affectionate than usual lately. I mean, don't get me wrong. He's got a lot of likeable qualities, but… the fact that he's my cousin makes the whole thing very awkward for me."

"I get what you're saying," Bronze Star pronounced, "How exactly is he your cousin, though?"

"He's my mother's sister's husband's brother's son," Almond expounded.

Bronze Star needed a minute to work all that out, and then he concluded "So, he's actually your first cousin once removed?"

"Right, neither of his parents are directly related to either of mine," Almond Wheeler validated, "Still, we've known each other forever, and we've lived so close together that we were raised like siblings. In my opinion, that's enough to qualify him as my genuine cousin. It's really a shame though; he's actually a great guy. In fact, if he wasn't my cousin, I probably would have returned his affections by now."

"I think you're a little pickier than you're letting on, Almond," Cassia Sprig observed, "I mean, even if my husband somehow turned out to be my cousin, I wouldn't regret marrying him at all."

"Fine, Cassia," Almond Wheeler muttered drily, "Just don't go broadcasting that in public."

"Whatever," was all the periwinkle Pegasus said in response.

Bronze Star was feeling as though this round of Smalltalk had gone astray. Talking about the ideal stallion was not exactly something he did very often, after all. After galloping in silence for a while longer, he decided he had put off telling the two mares about what happened earlier in the Woods for long enough. He leaned closer to them and whispered "If you've got a moment, I'd like to talk to you both in private."

Cassia and Almond agreed to grant his request. The three ponies slowed down their pace and plodded until they were far enough from the other racers that they could speak without being overheard.

Bronze Star swiftly proceeded to enlighten them on what had taken place earlier in another part of Whitetail Woods. He discussed everything he could remember about the figure with them, including how it had been hiding in the trees, how it had managed to escape without getting caught, and how it had dropped a spyglass.

At the end of this recollection, Cassia Sprig and Almond Wheeler were quite astounded.

"This is unbelievable," Cassia Sprig murmured softly, "So there IS somepony out here."

"Indeed," Almond Wheeler conceded, "And from the looks of things, he's spying on us."

"Something tells me we haven't seen the last of him, though," Bronze Star conjectured.

"I suppose not," Cassia Sprig concurred.

"Where exactly did this happen?" Almond Wheeler asked.

"Shortly before we entered the heart of Whiteail Woods," Bronze Star responded.

"Paisley and I passed through that area when we passed through the Woods the other day," Almond Wheeler recalled, "I remember that was one of two places where the number of leaves that were on the ground during our second pass was vastly greater than the amount that had been on the ground during our first pass."

"Now we know why there were so many the second time around," Cassia Sprig observed, "Somepony was up in the branches."

"You said one of two places, right?" Bronze Star noted, "Where was the other one?"

"It was about halfway between the center of the Woods and the northeastern border," Almond Wheeler apprised him, "We'll be coming up on that part of it soon."

"In that case, we should pay close attention to the tops of the trees in that region," Cassia Sprig suggested.

"Good idea," Bronze Star agreed, "We should slow down a little more. I want us to be at least thirty meters behind everypony else. That way, if we DO see somepony else in the trees, we'll be able to apprehend them without alerting the other racers."

Almond Wheeler and Cassia Sprig went along with this proposal. The two mares and the gold stallion quickly changed their pace from a gallop to a moderate trot. Before long, the other racers were at least fifty feet ahead of them.

About five minutes later, they arrived at the halfway point between the center of Whitetail Woods and the northeastern border. At first, there did not appear to be anything out of the ordinary there. However, Almond Wheeler managed to spot some movement at the very top of one of the trees. After focusing closely enough, she managed to confirm that there was a figure up there.

Cassia Sprig and Bronze Star managed to see the figure as well. Bronze Star could tell it was not the same figure. The first one had been an Earth Pony; this one had wings.

As before, Bronze Star decided they would engage this figure and attempt to apprehend it.

"How should we do this?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"I'll handle this," Cassia Sprig proclaimed.

"Got it," Bronze Star said in acknowledgement.

They continued running without the slightest change in countenance or behavior. They pretended to mind their own business, but their attention was focused primarily on the new figure.

The moment they reached the base of the tree, Cassia Sprig spread her wings, turned towards the figure, and flew up towards it at incredible speed. She managed to intercept the figure before it could move to safety. This figure had the physique of a stallion as well, but like the first one, he was clad in a jumpsuit that completed covered his body, except for his wings and eyes.

Cassia Sprig grabbed ahold of the figure and pushed him out of the tree. He plummeted directly to the ground, landing flat on his chest. However, he was only on the ground for a second. After that, he immediately jumped to his hooves.

"Stop right there!" Almond Wheeler demanded.

The figure ignored her completely. He spread his own wings, turned around, and ascended into the air. A faint ripping sound was made as his front leg brushed against a sharp branch on the center of one of the trees. Almond Wheeler heard the sound and focused on the source. At the same time, Cassia Sprig rose into the air and flew after the figure. She chased him through a labyrinth of tall trees.

Just when she was within grabbing distance of him, the figure changed his direction and shot directly upwards, soaring through the tops of the trees. Cassia Sprig adjusted her course and flew straight after him. She expected to come face-to-face with him as soon as she emerged from the Woods' canopy. Quite the contrary; when she got over the top of the trees, the figure was gone. Cassia Sprig looked around in all directions, but there was nopony as far as the eye could see.

A couple minutes later, she returned to her companions and grimly informed them "He got away."

"Crap," Bronze Star muttered agitatedly, "We were so close this time."

While the two of them took the situation into account, Almond Wheeler trotted over to the place where she heard that ripping sound and found a torn piece of cloth. She picked it up and beckoned the others "Come over here and get a look at what I found."

Bronze Star and Cassia Sprig went over to the gray Earth Pony. She held the piece of cloth up for them to see. Cassia and Bronze seemed to brighten up a modicum when they saw it.

"Well, at least we managed to find another clue," Cassia Sprig perceived.

"Looks like it," Almond Wheeler affirmed, "He got out of here in such a hurry that he left behind a bit of his uniform."

"Let me take a look at that," Bronze Star bade her. The gray Earth Pony nodded and tossed him the piece of cloth. He examined it up close and pronounced "It's woven too tightly to be spandex, but it appears to be made of similar material. This stuff would make one Tartarus of a protective costume."

"Certainly sounds convenient," Cassia Sprig bluntly mentioned.

"Sir Haywood needs to see this, too," Bronze Star decided. He lifted up his Stetson again and hid the piece of cloth underneath it with the spyglass. Once he set it back in place, he pronounced "Okay, now that that's handled, we should get back in the race. As a precaution, we should probably run independently of each other until we reach the finish line."

"Sounds good to me," Almond Wheeler said in approval. Cassia Sprig nodded in agreement.

The periwinkle Pegasus, the gray Earth Pony, and the gold Alicorn then reentered the race. By this time, the rear group had nearly caught up to the front group. For the third time that day, almost all the racers were compacted together into one large crowd. Cassia Sprig and Almond Wheeler soon joined the center of the racers, but once he was properly focused, Bronze Star speedily approached the front of the crowd.

Bronze Star noticed that Rainbow Dash was at the head of the column. Applejack was nowhere to be seen. Bronze Star was certain that she had realized she had taken the wrong path by now, and she must have turned back to get on the right path. If not, she was probably hopelessly lost in Whitetail Woods. If that was the case, he supposed he would have to good back and find her later on.

A few seconds later, it turned out that would not be necessary. Applejack quite literally came sailing in at that time. It seemed as though she had hitched a ride on the hot air balloon Pinkie Pie and Spike had been using. Evidently, Bronze Star's hope that his fillyfriend would learn a lesson about how wrong cheating was had been in vain. He was notably displeased with that fact.

Rainbow Dash noticed Applejack above her head, and she yelled furiously "What the hay?! You said no flying!"

When the hot air balloon was a little ahead of the cyan mare, the orange mare let go of the basket and dropped down onto the ground. Then she leered "No, I said no wings."

While that was a valid loophole, Bronze Star still viewed it as a form of cheating. But he decided to keep his mouth shut about the subject until the end of the race.

In the sky above, Pinkie Pie announced "I must say, Spike, that this has been the most interesting Running of the Leaves in Equestria history!"

"With the most interesting announcing," the baby dragon noted uneasily.

Pinkie Pie paid no mind to that remark. She just added in "But it isn't the running that's been fascinating. It's the lack of running!"

That was the first thing Pinkie Pie had said all day that Bronze Star fully agreed with. There had indeed been a lot less running than he originally predicted there'd be. Not just on the part of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The encounters with those two mysterious figures had slowed him down for a while, as well.

Nevertheless, the race was rapidly coming to an end. The runners at the front of the crowd were less than three miles away from the finish line. Currently, Bronze Star was holding one of the top five places. He figured that since he was this far ahead, he may as well go in for the win. He had been principally focused on his surroundings for the past several hours, but he decided he had paid enough attention the trees. Now was when he felt his competitive nature come around, and the remainder of the path in front of him captured his full, undivided attention. For the last part of this event, he was going to take the Running of the Leaves completely seriously and play it for real.

Bronze Star concentrated on the path and gradually increased his velocity. Soon he was one of five ponies who were running at the head of the crowd. The others were Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank.

However, that soon changed. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were constantly trying to knock each other out of the competition. They were so preoccupied with this rivalry that they somehow ended up all the way at the back of the running crowd. Twilight Sparkle was still running at the back of the group, and she tried to talk some sense into the mares. She was only partly successful; Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly got back into the race, but they were still determined to place ahead of each other.

Up until this point, Twilight Sparkle and Copper Hollow had been in the last two places for the entire race. But here they made a surprise comeback. While Applejack and Rainbow Dash were trying to surpass each other, Twilight Sparkle and Copper Hollow began sprinting through the crowd. Most of the other racers were exhausted by this point, so it was relatively easy for the lavender mare and the copper stallion to pass them by.

Before long, Twilight Sparkle and Copper Hollow had galloped past all but three of the other racers. They had pretty much filled in Applejack and Rainbow Dash's spots in the top five places. Now the two of them were galloping near Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank.

Bronze Star was more than a little surprised when the magic student reached him.

"I like that look on your face, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle whispered in amusement.

The gold stallion could not see the expression on his face, but he could imagine it would be quite an interesting one. In spite of his astonishment at Twilight's sudden speed, Bronze Star was not about to fold. He grinned wickedly and yelled audaciously "Oh no, you don't!"

As he galloped ahead of the lavender mare, Copper Hollow was in the process of approaching Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank. When the red mare noticed the copper stallion, she seemed surprised by his sudden appearance. She remarked "Copper? Where the Tartarus did you come from?"

"Out of thin air, Noble!" Copper Hollow jokingly responded, "Ready to eat my dust?"

"I don't think so," Noble Edict slyly stated.

"Try not to get blinded by ours, though," Sir Haywood McCrank cockily proposed.

"I have no intention of that, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow proclaimed.

Up in the sky, Pinkie Pie and Spike watched the racers as they fought for the lead position. Pinkie Pie observed "We are rapidly approaching the finish line, ponies! In a surprise twist, the two most athletic ponies have fallen behind. The top five places have now been claimed by two security officers, an investigator, a politician, and a magic student! Right now Gold Streak is in the lead. No, he's been overlapped by Noble Edict! Wait, Sir Haywood McCrank and Copper Hollow are quickly gaining on Noble. Oh, but wait again! Twilight Sparkle's coming up fast! No, wait; Gold Streak's making a comeback! Wait a moment; he's passed Sir Haywood! Oh, there's too much waiting!"

Since Pinkie was getting off-topic yet again, Spike took over. He broadcasted "You're almost there, ponies! Just a few hundred more feet and you'll make it to the finish line! Gold Streak is still in the lead, but Noble Edict and Copper Hollow are close behind!"

Sure enough, the finish line was now within sight of the lead racers. A large ribbon had been set up between two large trees, and a large crowd of spectators had gathered there. The cheers could be heard even from this distance.

Bronze Star focused his attention on the finish line and galloped as fast as he could towards it. He managed to stay in the first position for about half the distance. However, Copper Hollow and Noble Edict proved to be quite unwilling to give up just yet. The two of them galloped faster than they had ever galloped before, and when they were within ten meters of the finish line, they managed to get slightly ahead of the gold stallion.

Now it was essentially a contest between the copper stallion and the red mare. Almost every other second, the two of them rotated first and second position in the race. They briefly looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes, and then they focused wholly on the finish line.

When they were about five feet away from the finish line, Noble Edict held the top position. It seemed as though she would be the first winner at first. Just when it appeared as though that would be the case, Copper Hollow bolted past her, and he crossed the finish line first instead.

The audience erupted in applause as the copper stallion tore through the ribbon. Copper Hollow soon jerked to a halt. He needed a moment to catch his breath, but right after that, he fully realized that he had won. He smiled widely and punched the air triumphantly.

Noble Edict had stepped over the finish line only a mere moment after Copper Hollow. Bronze Star came in soon after, Haywood McCrank followed suit, and Twilight Sparkle achieved fifth place.

Pinkie Pie screeched in excitement and announced "And the winner is Copper Hollow! The runner-up runner is Noble Edict! Next we have Gold Streak, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Twilight Sparkle!"

Bronze Star did not know who came in sixth place or anything after, but he did not care about that. All that mattered to him at that moment was that he had accomplished the race. He did not mind that he had only come in third place, either. Again, he was glad to have just completed it.

While the other racers passed over the finish line, Mayor Mare approached the five who completed it first. She was carrying a wooden plank on her back. She smiled at the five ponies and told them "Congratulations, all of you."

They just smiled at the tan mare's praise. She removed the wooden plank from her back. There were five medals on it. Two of them were gold; one was slightly larger than the other. The other three were silver, bronze, and copper.

The Mayor had the five winners stand in a straight line. She then proceeded to place one of the medals around each of their necks. She started by placing the smaller gold medal around Twilight Sparkle's neck, signaling she had won fifth place. Next the Mayor placed the copper medal around Sir Haywood McCrank's neck, indicating he had won fourth place. After that, she placed the bronze medal around Bronze Star's neck, designating him as the third place winner. Then Mayor Mare placed the silver medal around Noble Edict's neck, signifying that she had claimed second place. Finally, she placed the larger gold medal around Copper Hollow's neck, meaning he had won the first place.

Once she was finished with that, she turned to the audience and declared "Presenting the top five contestants from this year's Running of the Leaves! Copper Hollow, Lady Noble Edict, Ambassador Gold Streak, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Twilight Sparkle!"

The audience burst into enthusiastic applause once more. The five ponies seemed very pleased with their victory; they all demonstrated their pleasure differently. Twilight Sparkle modestly grinned and waved at the other ponies. Haywood McCrank lightly smirked and nodded in approval. Bronze Star smiled widely, waving proudly and firmly. Noble Edict just gazed at the ground, grateful for the recognition. Copper Hollow stood up tall and straight, feeling a strong sense of victory.

After all that, Noble Edict patted Copper Hollow on the back on told him "Great work, Copper."

He smiled at his superior officer and told her "Thanks, Noble. You know, I really thought you were going to beat in those last few seconds."

"Yeah, but you really came around in the end," Bronze Star thought aloud.

"I should say so, Mr. Ambassador," Copper Hollow pronounced, "I bet you're a little disappointed that you didn't win ahead of me and Noble, though. Then you'd have a medal that would match your first name."

"Indeed," Bronze Star conceded, chuckling loudly. He was not laughing because he was amused by the remark itself. He was laughing because of the irony in the remark. After all, he actually HAD gotten a medal whose color was also his name, yet Copper Hollow was the only one of the five winners who did not know that.

Once he was finished chuckling, Bronze Star observed "In the meantime, I'm guessing you're quite content with the fact that you didn't get a medal of your own color."

"You got that right," Copper Hollow affirmed. He gazed over at Sir Haywood McCrank and commented "It looks much better on you, Sir Haywood."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the indigo stallion disclosed. He was drenched in sweat right then, but he was very satisfied. He gazed down at his medal and declared "I never intended to take first prize in the Running of the Leaves, anyway. I'm honored to have even placed in this race."

"I hear you there, Sir Haywood," Twilight Sparkle coincided, "Fifth prize. I was planning to do well in this race, but not THAT well."

"Oh, so you DID have a plan?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yes, it turns out she was not running at the back of the crowd because she was slow or anything," Copper Hollow revealed, "In actuality, she was conserving her energy throughout the bulk of the race, and she used it all in the final phase. Quite a clever strategy."

"Wasn't that what you were doing, too, Copper?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.

"Well, yeah… pretty much," the copper stallion tentatively replied. He was not about to tell Twilight that the real reason he had deliberately stayed in the back of the crowd was that he was watching over her to keep her safe. Luckily, she had not gotten suspicious of him in all that time.

Dozens of other ponies had already completed the Running of the Leaves, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash still had yet to cross the finish line. Twilight Sparkle noticed this, and she sighed in annoyance. She informed the others "I'm going to stay by the finish line until Applejack and Rainbow Dash get here."

"Okay, I'll come join you in a minute," Bronze Star declared.

The lavender mare stepped out of the winner's circle and made her way back to the finish line. The other four winners watched her as she trotted away. Once she was out of earshot, Bronze Star turned to the other three and proposed "We need to talk."

Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank nodded in agreement. The three of them briefly discussed what they had seen in Whitetail Woods. Altogether, they had not seen much. Both Haywood and Noble had thought they had seen movement in two of the trees, and Copper Hollow had come across signs of a struggle in two places. Based on their descriptions, the movement and the struggles happened in the exact same spots where Bronze Star had encountered those two figures. He explained how he, Paisley Branch, and Rollin Fields had tried to apprehend the first one, and although they had failed, they had managed to acquire a spyglass from the figure. He also covered how he, Cassia Sprig, and Almond Wheeler had attempted to arrest the second figure and bungled that too, but they had managed to get a piece of the figure's clothing. He still had both clues underneath his hat. He pulled them out and gave them to Sir Haywood. The indigo stallion carefully looked them over, seeming quite interested in the objects. He would not be able to conduct a full inspection until he got back to the embassy later on, so he decided to put them away for now. However, he was not wearing a suit like usual, so he had no pockets to put the items in. Bronze Star offered to continue holding on to them for the present, and Haywood McCrank agreed to this.

As the gold stallion placed the spyglass and the piece of cloth back underneath his hat, Copper Hollow enquired "Have we come across any other new information?"

"Well, I finally learned the ages of the other members of the task force," Bronze Star bluntly disclosed, "I discovered a few interesting things."

"Like what?" Noble Edict asked in interest.

"Well, I learned that I'm not the youngest member of the task force; Paisley Branch is," Bronze Star mentioned, "I also learned that Almond Wheeler is older than Cassia Sprig, and Rollin Fields is old enough to be the father of everypony else on the task force. Including Sir Haywood."

"Really?" Haywood McCrank said in fascination, "How old is he?"

"Sixty-three," Bronze Star revealed.

"Then you're right; technically he IS old enough to be my father," Haywood McCrank agreed, "I just turned forty-five."

"With that headband and those sunglasses, you only look about thirty," Noble Edict noted.

"I appreciate that, Lady Noble," the indigo stallion stated.

There came a short interval of silence, and then Bronze Star turned to the copper stallion and remarked "You know, Copper; you're the only member of the task force whose age I still don't know. Isn't that odd?"

"Perhaps," Copper Hollow conceded, "So I'll tell you before you ask, sir. I'm twenty-seven. That makes me the third-youngest member of the task force, after you and Paisley."

"So I see," Bronze Star avowed. He decided to drop the subject there, as it did not seem to be going anywhere. He did not know why, but he felt strangely pleased to finally know the age of every member of the task force.

The four ponies stood in silence for a time. Then Mayor Mare approached them and informed Bronze Star "Excuse me, Mr. Ambassador. There's somepony here to see you."

"Who might that be?" the gold stallion queried.

"I cannot say at the moment," the tan mare replied, "But she has requested to speak to you in private."

"Very well," Bronze Star conceded, "Take me to her, please."

Mayor Mare nodded and led him to a small building that had been built on the outskirts of Ponyville. On the way, Bronze Star wondered who this person could have been. The Mayor had revealed it was a female person, so that narrowed the list of prospects. Obviously it was not Dapple Rhomb; she was competing in the race. Rarity and Fluttershy were the only Element Bearers who were not participating in the Running of the Leaves, but they would have asked to speak to him through the Mayor.

Ultimately, he decided to stop guessing and just wait and see this visitor for himself. When the Mayor led him around the building, he finally discovered who she was, and he was rather shocked.

It was his mother.

"Princess Celestia!" he exclaimed in astonishment, "This… this is quite a pleasant surprise."

The tall white mare smiled down at the gold stallion and stated "I'm pleased to see you, as well, 'Mr. Ambassador."

She then turned to Mayor Mare and told her "Thank you, Mayor. You may go now."

The tan mare nodded, bowed in reverence, and left the two Alicorns by themselves. Once they were alone, Bronze Star approached his mother and embraced her, and she embraced him back. When they pulled apart, he smiled up at her and said candidly "I didn't expect to see you here today."

"I decided to make an unannounced visit," Princess Celestia enlightened him, "That way, the townsfolk would not have to go out of their way to impress me or anything."

"I understand exactly what you're saying," Bronze Star coincided, "I could do without those formalities myself. But getting back to the topic at hoof, may I ask why you came here today?"

"I came for several reasons," Celestia disclosed, "Firstly, I wished to observe the Running of the Leaves. I arrived early this morning so I could watch the whole race."

"How were you watching it?" Bronze Star queried.

"I was hovering above the Woods so I could see the race from a bird's eye-view," Celestia apprised him, "I tried to keep my eye on you for most of it. There were two instances when you disappeared beneath some trees. I could not make out what you were doing then, but you appeared to stop altogether."

"I was just… pausing to catch my breath," Bronze Star claimed, relieved that she had not seen either of the figures, "I have SIG Sauer to thank for that. All those years of doing laps around the castle really paid off."

"I should say so, seeing as how you won a medal," Celestia pointed out, "Even though you won third place, I'm just as pleased with you as I would have been if you won first."

"I'm glad to hear that," Bronze Star pronounced. After a brief pause, he looked up at his mother and asked "Anyway, what are your other reasons for coming here today?"

"I wished to speak with a few ponies, primarily you," Celestia elucidated, "Firstly, I bring a message from Lord Bellerophon. He says 'Be prepared to do some writing at four hours before the next rotation.'"

Bronze Star knew what that meant. Lord Bellerophon must have received the letter he had sent him, and now he was responding to it. That statement was actually the palomino Pegasus's way of informing the young prince that either he or somepony on the Firebrand Regiment would be contacting him through his special blackboard at eight o'clock that night. That way, they would be able to discuss everything Bronze Star had mentioned in that letter.

"Alright, please tell him I said 'Accepted and avowed,'" Bronze Star requested.

Celestia nodded in approval. After that, she looked him in the eye and uttered "Now, I would like to talk to you about something Lord Bellerophon mentioned to me. He claims that you are considering telling more people in Ponyville about who you really are."

"He speaks the truth," Bronze Star confirmed, "There are only a few people I have in mind. Three, to be precise."

"Who are they?" Celestia queried.

"Applejack's immediate family," Bronze Star enlightened her, "You see, she and I have been together for five months, and I feel as though our relationship is really getting somewhere. I have also gotten quite close to Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, as well. However, none of them know who I really am. That wasn't a problem at first, but now that Applejack and I are so close, I feel as though they have a right to know now. What do you think?"

Princess Celestia spent a minute pondering over this predicament. After that, she pronounced "Well, I cannot force you to choose to come forward or stay silent. It is your decision. However, truth be told, I'm fully in favor of your idea. After all, coming here under a pseudonym and in disguise was your idea to begin with, not mine."

"I realize that," Bronze Star stated, "But when I first came to Ponyville, I only planned to stay for one or two days. Now I've been here for seven months, and I've become friends with most of the locals. They all know me as a successful politician with military training. I'm concerned that if they learn that I'm a lot more than that, they might be offended or shocked."

"Perhaps," Celestia alleged, "But if it equally possible that they will be amazed or enthralled. Or even honored. Aside from that, you have no enemies here, do you?"

"No, not even one," Bronze Star responded.

"Then you should have nothing to worry about," Celestia declared, "Tell Applejack's family who you are whenever and however you wish to. I can guarantee you that they will not take it badly."

Bronze Star grinned at that and stated gratefully "Thank you, Mother. I know I can always rely on your counsel. I will do just that."

Princess Celestia nodded in approval and smiled in satisfaction, saying "You're quite welcome, my dear prince. I will always be there to help you."

That was something Bronze Star already knew, but he was relieved to hear it anyway.

After a short interval of quietness, Princess Celestia stated "As I said before, there are a few other people in Ponyville I wish to see. I was hoping you would accompany me."

Bronze Star nodded his head in compliance and cheekily suggested "Shall we see how my 'fellow common folk' are doing?"

Celestia smiled at that remark, and she agreed straightaway. Then she and her son trotted towards the area between Ponyville and Whitetail Woods. Unsurprisingly, the moment the regal mare stepped out into the open, she drew the attention of every pony in the vicinity. Every single one of them bowed to her out of respect.

Before long, they arrived at the winners' circle. Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank were still there, talking with each other. Noble Edict was the first one to notice that Princess Celestia was there, and that she was quickly approaching them. The red mare quickly pointed this out to the two stallions, and they quieted down almost right away.

Once Princess Celestia reached them, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank bowed to her. They remained that way for about ten seconds, and then they stood up straight. They were curious as to why their nation's leader was there, but out of respect, they did not ask her why.

After a bit of silence, Princess Celestia looked around at the three other ponies. Ultimately, she turned to Copper Hollow and pronounced "That was some fine running you did out there. What is your name?"

"I am Copper Hollow, Your Highness," the copper stallion replied, lightly bowing his head, "Ponyville's deputy chief of security."

"Then congratulations on your win, Deputy Chief," Celestia bade him.

"Thank you very, very much," Copper Hollow stated gratefully.

Celestia slowly turned to the red mare and told her as well "You did very fine out there as well, Noble Edict."

"You flatter me, Your Highness," Noble Edict said in response, also lowering her head a bit.

Lastly, Celestia looked to Haywood McCrank. She took a moment to study his appearance. She seemed somewhat amused by it, but she elected not to say anything about it. She remarked "You surprise me, Sir Haywood. I was unaware that you had such an aptitude for marathon running."

"Neither was I, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank commented, "I have a tendency to surprise everypony. Including myself at times."

"Well, at least you were dressed properly for the occasion," Celestia pointed out.

It was then that Sir Haywood remembered that he was quite underdressed, especially for a meeting with royalty. He hastily removed his headband and sunglasses, and he brushed sweat and some wet locks of his mane out of his forehead. After that, he gazed back up at the white Alicorn and spoke sincerely "I apologize for my casual appearance. Had I known you were coming, I would have dressed appropriately."

"Oh, it's quite alright," Celestia assured him, "I am somewhat curious about one thing, though. I have not seen you in Canterlot for about five months. Have you been staying here in Ponyville for all that time?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the indigo stallion affirmed, "Prince Bronze Star asked me to assist him in a personal investigation. I can assure you that it's nothing you need to be concerned about. The situation is very much in control."

"Very well," Princess Celestia avowed, "If you're here on my son's orders, then I will not press you on the subject. I trust both your judgment and Bronze Star's. However, can I expect to see you at a certain upcoming event?"

"If you're referring to the Grand Galloping Gala, then yes," Haywood McCrank validated, "I acquired my ticket before I came to Ponyville. I brought it with me so that I could ensure that nothing happened to it. I can assure you that I will be in the capital city on the night of the Gala. I also be more appropriately dressed on that occasion."

"Excellent," Celestia commented, grinning in approval.

Princess Celestia was one of the few people who was never bothered or bewildered by Haywood McCrank's unusual behavior or mannerisms. As a matter of fact, she appreciated them. Along with his brilliant mind and numerous accomplishments, those qualities were some of the reasons why she had knighted the indigo stallion.

After another short period of silence, Celestia turned back to Noble Edict and remarked "On that subject, I hope you will be there as well, Noble Edict."

The red mare was a little surprised to hear that. She looked up at the regal mare and politely informed her "As much as I would like to attend the Gala, Your Highness, I'm afraid that might not be possible. I do not have a ticket."

Celestia just smirked and stated "That can easily be remedied. Since you are a Lady of my court now, you are automatically entitled to attend the Gala on my personal invitation."

"You didn't know that, Noble?" Bronze Star remarked in astonishment.

"Well, I assumed that being a Lady came with a few privileges," Noble Edict disclosed, "But nopony really told me what they were."

"Well, the right to attend special events in Canterlot is one of them," Celestia apprised her, "And the Grand Galloping Gala is the most well-renowned of all those events. That's a night when a familiar face is always welcomed. So I hope to see yours on that night."

"It would be my honor, Your Highness," the red mare proclaimed.

The white Alicorn smiled in approval. Then she used her magic to produce two golden slips of paper out of thin air. They were both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. Celestia used her magic to levitated them over to the red mare, who accepted them happily.

Noting the number, she raised an eyebrow and queried "Why are you giving me two?"

"You have the option to bring along somepony close to you," Celestia expounded, "It could be a date, an escort, or just somepony you know."

"Umm, I remember what happened the last time you gave just two tickets to somepony in this town," Bronze Star nervously thought aloud, "That situation put Twilight Sparkle under a whole lot of stress. And she only had five friends to choose from. Noble is even more popular here than Twilight."

"Well, thankfully, I'm much more decisive than Twilight," Noble Edict proclaimed, "I don't need to go through the same ordeal she went through. I've already decided who to give this other ticket to."

After that, she turned to Copper Hollow and held out one of the tickets. The copper stallion's eyes widened in surprise, and he uttered quietly "Me?"

"There's nopony I'd rather have by my side, Copper," Noble Edict announced happily, "If you'd like, you could think of it as your award for winning the Running of the Leaves."

Copper Hollow eased down and snickered at that. Then he took the ticket from his superior officer and told her straightforwardly "Thanks, Noble. I'd be delighted to accompany you."

The chief of security smiled at her second-in-command. Bronze Star watched them interact and wondered about the nature of their relationship. He could never tell if the two of them admired each other more as colleagues or as members of the opposite gender. One thing he could definitely tell was that they were very close.

A minute later, the five ponies gazed over at Whitetail Woods. Most of the runners had completed the race by then. The few who had not were nearing the finish line. One would think that all the runners would have gotten in by now.

"They're still coming through?" Copper Hollow remarked in fascination.

"More ponies must have entered the race than we thought," Haywood McCrank theorized.

"I still don't see Applejack or Rainbow Dash anywhere," Noble Edict notified the others.

"They must have gotten too caught up in the competition," Bronze Star conjectured.

"I believe you are correct," Princess Celestia conceded, "Look to the very back."

Bronze Star, Haywood McCrank, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict gazed in that direction, and sure enough, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were at the back of the crowd. They were struggling to stay ahead of each other. They were not even paying any regard to the other racers anymore.

From the hot air balloon, Pinkie Pie commented on their progress with "Once again, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are neck in neck, jockeying for position. Applejack inches ahead, now it's Rainbow, it's Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash, it's Applejack—"

Just then, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were galloping side-by-side. The cyan mare then tried shoving the orange mare off the path.

"Oh no, she di'int!" Spike yelled.

In retaliation, Applejack shoved Rainbow Dash with as much force.

"Oh yes, she di'id!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued attempting to knock each other out of the race. Bronze Star was very annoyed with both of them, but he was a lot more discontent with Applejack. He would have expected better from her.

At one point, Applejack struck Rainbow Dash so hard that she loosened the knot on the rope that had been tied around her waist. From there, Rainbow Dash managed to wiggle her wings free. After that, she rose into the air and shouted "That's it! All bets are off!"

Before she could take off, Applejack grabbed her and bellowed "Oh no, you don't."

They both landed on the ground, but they did not bother getting up. The two mares completed the race not by running, but instead by rolling on the ground. They were still moving so quickly that it was difficult to discern one of them from the other.

Pinkie Pie went on with "It's Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash, it's Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash—"

Eventually, the two of them crossed the finish line. Interestingly, every other racer had already reached it ahead of them. All the same, neither the orange mare nor the cyan mare seemed to notice that. Somehow, they managed to pull themselves apart from each other and get back on their feet. They were both dirty and disheveled, but they both seemed pleased with themselves.

"I won!" Rainbow Dash claimed.

"No, I won!" Applejack countered.

"I won!" Rainbow Dash disputed.

Bronze Star slapped his forehead in exasperation. Haywood McCrank scoffed and patted the young prince on the back to show he agreed with the sentiment.

"You tied!" Spike corrected them.

"Tied?!" both mares repeated in shock.

They looked at each other, and then they looked back up at the baby dragon and the pink mare. Applejack presumed "For first?"

"For last!" Pinkie Pie illuminated cheerily.

"LAST?" Applejack shouted in disbelief.

"Then who won?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

At that moment, Twilight Sparkle approached the two disorganized mares. She closed her eyes and smiled proudly as she flaunted her small gold medal.

"YOU?" Applejack and Rainbow Dash shouted in shock.

"Oh no," the lavender mare informed them, "Copper Hollow won. But I did get fifth place, which is rather good considering I've never run a race before."

"What?" Applejack muttered in amazement, "How's that even possible?"

"You ran so slow, and looked at the scenery," Rainbow Dash recollected.

"Exactly," Twilight Sparkle explicated, "I paced myself, just like my book said. Then at the end, when all the other ponies were worn out, I sprinted to the finish."

Sure enough, the majority of the other racers were lying on the ground, breathing deeply and panting heavily. Yet Twilight Sparkle and the other winners seemed full of energy and quite alright.

"I don't believe it," Rainbow Dash mumbled in shock, "Twilight beat us."

"Well, with all your horsing around, it was quite easy," Twilight Sparkle smugly pointed out.

Right then, the orange mare and the cyan mare seemed to have an epiphany. Just by gazing at the expressions on their faces, Bronze Star could tell that they had finally realized that nopony really benefited from cheating, and that their actions were wrong. Just for that, he was no longer angry with either of them. He was actually proud of them for learning that lesson so quickly.

Applejack frowned and uttered sadly "You're right, Twilight. Our behavior was just terrible."

Rainbow Dash nodded and declared gloomily "We weren't very good sports."

Princess Celestia was pleased to hear this, as well. She began trotting towards the border of Whitetail Woods. Bronze Star went with her. As she walked towards the three young mares, the white Alicorn pronounced "Sounds to me that an important lesson was learned."

Everypony who had not yet noticed Celestia noticed her then. Everypony who was still on his or her feet bowed to her in reverence. She looked at all of them out of the corners of her eyes and smiled.

"Princess Celestia?!" Applejack and Rainbow Dash exclaimed in astonishment.

The white Alicorn did not say anything in response. She remained smiling as she approached the orange mare, the cyan mare, and the lavender mare.

Applejack noticed that Bronze Star was right at her side, and she flushed slightly. She muttered apprehensively "W... What are you doin' here?"

"Fall is one of my favorite seasons," Celestia enlightened her, "So I came to celebrate the Running of the Leaves."

"Even though this isn't really fall," Bronze Star discreetly pointed out, "What we're doing here is essentially just a simulation of fall's weather."

"Yes, I am very aware of that," Princess Celestia asserted, "It is still a wondrous occasion."

"I quite agree," Bronze Star commented.

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash felt greatly ashamed and embarrassed, knowing that their nation's leader had witnessed their atrocious behavior. However, Applejack had an additional reason to be upset with herself. She was mortified by the fact that her coltfriend's mother had seen her that way. She gazed up at the regal mare and told her "I'm sorry you had to see us being such poor sport, Princess."

"That's all right, Applejack," Celestia reassured the farmer, "Anypony can get swept up in the excitement of competition."

"It's important to remember that the friendship is always more important than the competition," Twilight Sparkle perceived wisely.

"Exactly, Twilight," Celestia concurred with her student. She then turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash and drew their attention to Whitetail Woods. It was then that Bronze Star noticed that not all the trees were bare. His mother declared "Now, unfortunately, because the two of you were busy tricking each other instead of shaking down leaves, many of the lovely trees of Equestria are still covered."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash caught on to what the white Alicorn was implying, as did Bronze Star. The orange mare and cyan mare turned to each other, and for the first time since their friendly game of horseshoes, they looked at each other with amity and warmth.

"Why, Princess, I bet we can knock those leaves down for you lickety-split," Applejack gleefully proclaimed. She turned back to Rainbow Dash and offered "Whaddya say, friend? Wanna go for another run?"

Rainbow Dash smiled and replied with "I'd love to stretch my legs."

They took a moment to brush themselves off so that their complexions were a lot neater, and then they approached the finish line again. Just before they reentered Whitetail Woods, Bronze Star took a step closer and called out "Hold on, girls. I'd like to join you."

"That would be great," Rainbow Dash muttered right away.

"The more, the merrier," Applejack coincided.

Before he joined them at the finish line, Bronze Star turned to the white Alicorn, bowed to her momentarily, and stated formally "It was a pleasure to speak with you, Your Highness. Hope to see you again, soon."

"That can certainly be arranged," Princess Celestia pronounced, smiling warmly, "I might make more of these 'unannounced visits' to Ponyville in the future."

"Then we'll all be sure to keep an eye on the sky," Sir Haywood McCrank cheekily proposed.

That statement garnered some laughs from several of the ponies in the vicinity, including Celestia herself. In a way, Bronze Star found that remark intriguing. It reminded him of the advice Dapple Rhomb had given him earlier; that was the advice about looking up periodically to check for falling leaves. Oddly enough, by following that suggestion, he had managed to spot more than just leaves during the Running of the Leaves. However, he was hoping he would only encounter more leaves this time around.

After bidding his mother farewell, Bronze Star joined Applejack and Rainbow Dash at the finish line. Then the three of them galloped back into Whitetail Woods side-by-side. As they ran, Bronze Star noticed Applejack and Rainbow Dash were leaning close to each other affectionately. He smiled at that action, and he told the two mares "I'm proud of you two."

"Thanks," they responded together.

The majority of the trees in Whitetail Woods had already been cleared of all their leaves, but there were still several dozen that needed to be account for. The three ponies spent a few hours going over every part of Whitetail Woods. They were determined to clear every single one of them.

Unlike before, neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash made any effort to overtake each other. They managed to put their competitive nature aside and focus instead on clearing the trees and having fun.

For a while, they moved in silence. Then they decided to have a friendly conversation. Applejack and Rainbow Dash opened it up by congratulating Bronze Star on winning third place in the Running of the Leaves. As he thanked them for their praise, they asked to know who else had placed. They already knew that Copper Hollow had won first and Twilight Sparkle had won fifth. He informed them that Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank had won second and fourth respectively. They were not surprised to hear that Noble had been the runner-up, but they were a little astonished to hear that Sir Haywood had been in the top five. Then again, they figured that if Twilight Sparkle could win a medal in a marathon, pretty much anypony could.

The two mares also asked Bronze Star if Princess Celestia had come to Ponyville for a reason other than she wished to see the Running of the Leaves. Bronze Star informed them that his mother had also been in town to speak with him, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Noble Edict about various topics. Mainly, she had been there to learn Sir Haywood's reason for being in Ponyville, to invite Noble Edict to the Grand Galloping Gala, and to talk to her son about his plan to reveal his identity to more people in Ponyville.

When Bronze Star mentioned that Princess Celestia fully advocated his idea to tell Applejack's family who she was really dating, the farmer seemed elated. She admitted to Bronze Star that she had been wanting to tell her family the truth for a while now. Of course, she never would have done that without his approval first, but she still despised having to conceal her coltfriend's true identity from her siblings and grandmother.

Now that both Applejack and Bronze Star were confident that letting the former's family know the latter's name was the right thing to do, all that remained was for them to decide when and how to deliver this information to them. Regardless of the circumstances, they decided that they would do this sometime in the near future, primarily before Esopus Spitzenburg and her other relatives arrived.

This was actually the first Rainbow Dash had heard of Bronze Star's plan to tell more people his name. After thinking about it for a minute, she made a suggestion of her own. Since they were going to tell Apple Bloom who the gold stallion really was, perhaps they could tell Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle as well. After it, it would not be right to force the yellow filly to keep such a huge secret from her own friends.

Both Bronze Star and Applejack thought about this, and they conceded that it was a good idea, as well as a fair one. Like Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle did not gossip, and they could be trusted to keep secrets. Bronze Star had no reservations about telling them.

Now he just needed to decide how and when to tell the fillies the news. Applejack proposed telling the Apple family first, whereas Rainbow Dash suggested telling the Cutie Mark Crusaders first. Ultimately, Bronze Star decided it would be best if they told the Apple family and the Crusaders at the same time. Ideally, they could bring the other Crusaders over to Sweet Apple Acres for one night, and then he would apprise them all at once. This was acceptable for both Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Soon after, Bronze Star then realized that the Apples and the Crusaders were not the only ones who needed to know his true identity. At some point, he would also have to tell Copper Hollow who he really was. After all, Noble Edict had been permitted to bring along a friend to the Grand Galloping Gala, and apparently she had already chosen her head deputy. As such, the copper stallion would be attending the Gala now, and he would inevitably see Bronze Star there, as the gold stallion would be in his Alicorn form then. Bronze Star was certain it would not be wise to wait until then to tell Copper Hollow. So he needed to decide when and how to give away his identity to Ponyville's deputy chief of security.

Altogether, there were six people who needed to be made of aware of Bronze Star's identity soon. He figured that would be a good start. He knew that there would come a time when everypony in Ponyville would have to know his actual name, but he was hoping that that would not be for a long time. He had gotten used to civilian life, and he knew it would not be possible to hold on to that lifestyle if everypony in town discovered that their ambassador was actually a member of the Canterlot Royalty.

After this, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash chatted about various other subjects, such as their plans for the rest of the day and certain interesting things they had encountered during the Running of the Leaves. Naturally, Bronze Star did not tell the mares about the two incidents that he had taken place earlier. But as a precaution, he wanted to be ready in case another such incident occurred. So he remained on his guard and continued looking up every now and then.

Luckily, the three ponies did not encounter anypony as they travelled along the path. They pretty much had all of Whitetail Woods to themselves for the duration of their run. There were nothing but trees and leaves as far as they could see. Bronze Star continued to be very mindful of their surroundings. However, as more and more trees were cleared, he realized that there were fewer and fewer possible hiding spots for anypony who did not wish to go unnoticed in the Woods.

By two o'clock in the afternoon, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash had been through the entirety of Whitetail Woods, and they had managed to clear out every single tree. At least, that was what they assumed.

They finally decided to head back home. On their way back to Ponyville, they looked around at the trees, and all of them seemed to be vacant of leaves. However, when the three ponies were just a few hundred feet away from the exit at the northwestern corner of the Woods, they came across one tree that was still partly covered. Interestingly, this tree just had one huge bunch of leaves clustered together on one very large branch.

All three of them were confused by this sight.

"HI could have sworn we cleared this section out," Rainbow Dash muttered in perplexity.

"We must have overlooked one," Applejack hypothesized.

"Let's not worry," Bronze Star advised, "This can be fixed easily."

"I'll take care of it," Applejack declared.

The orange mare briskly trotted over to the covered tree and turned her back to it. After aligning herself with it, she looked over her shoulder to ensure that she was positioned in front of it properly. Then she raised her hind legs and gave the tree a nice firm buck. Almost immediately, the leaves came tumbling off the branch. But that was not all that dropped to the ground.

A huge, unidentifiable mass had been hidden underneath the leaves. The moment they fell off, the mass descended with them. Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash did not even notice the mass until it landed on the ground and burst out of the leaf pile. Its sudden appearance took all three of them completely by surprise.

The mass turned out to be another figure. Like the two figures from before, this one appeared to be male, based on the physique, and he was dressed in a jumpsuit that covered his whole body. However, this figure had two things the others did not: a horn on his forehead and a sheathed dagger on his belt.

Once the figure came face-to-face with the other three ponies, he brandished his weapon and charged towards them. Bronze Star reacted immediately. First he pushed Applejack and Rainbow Dash off the path so they were out of harm's way, then he removed his hat and placed it on the ground, and then he focused on the figure.

When the mysterious assailant reached Bronze Star, the young prince lowered his head and thrust his weight against the figure. In effect, the masked stallion was knocked back a few feet. Bronze Star then lunged towards him, seized him by the shoulders, and forced him onto the ground.

As he held the figure down with one front hoof, Bronze Star turned his attention to the attacker's weapon. He was not armed himself; he only brought his weapons outside the embassy when he was training. Fortunately, he had been trained to disarm opponents in combat. He grabbed ahold of the stallion's front hoof and squeezed the sides of the hoof as hard as he could. The stallion soon starting loosening his grip on the hilt of his dagger.

Just when it looked as though the figure was going to drop his dagger, he kicked Bronze Star in the side with one of his back hooves. The gold stallion was momentarily distracted by that action, and the figure took advantage of that by shoving Bronze Star off him. The gold stallion stumbled backwards and trembled, but he managed to remain on all four hooves. Soon the figure was, too. He raised his knife and viciously waved it at the young prince. Bronze Star managed to just barely dodge the blows.

Up until now, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had just been watching this conflict in shock. But when Applejack saw her coltfriend being attacked with a dagger, she felt a rush of anger growing inside of them. While the figure was trying to attack Bronze Star, Applejack rushed towards him, spun herself around, and gave him a swift kick with her back legs.

She struck the figure so hard that he broke off his attack. She managed to produce a groan out of him and he staggered unsteadily off to the side. Applejack grunted in satisfaction and furiously shouted "Get away from him, you bastard!"

A moment later, the figure regained his coordination and divided his attention between Bronze Star and Applejack. He speedily and proficiently waved his dagger at both of them at the same time. They just barely managed to avoid his attacks. Even with two of them and one of him, the figure was almost too quick for them to counter.

At one point, the figure managed to spot an opening in the two ponies' movements. He dove between them and used his free front hoof to deliver an uppercut onto Bronze Star's chin. The blow was powerful enough to cause the gold stallion to fall backwards and put him out of commission for a few seconds.

The figure then turned to Applejack and moved in on her next. She was able to avoid his knife attacks by focusing solely on his front legs. The figure noticed she was paying no attention to his lower body, and he took advantage of that by slipping one of his hind legs behind hers, causing her to trip and land flat on her back.

The attacker stood above the orange mare and raised his dagger high into the air. Bronze Star had regained his bearings by then, and he stared in horror at the sight. He got onto his hooves and hurried to save Applejack, but Rainbow Dash beat him to it.

It was right then that the cyan mare finally entered the skirmish. She picked up a large branch off the ground, gripped it tightly in her mouth, snuck up on the assailant, and struck him with it before he could attack Applejack again. She hit him so hard that the branch broke against his back.

The figure groaned in pain and toppled over. Rainbow Dash spat out the branch and shouted "Leave her alone, scumbag! Hurt my friends, and you're a dead stallion!"

Bronze Star went over to Applejack and helped her off the ground. Luckily, neither of them were injured. Rainbow Dash remained focused on the figure. At this moment, he was lying totally still on the ground. He was not moving in any way. It appeared as though either Rainbow had incapacitated him, or she had meant what she just said.

She decided to approach the figure to get a closer look. Bronze Star urged her to be careful, but the cyan mare had to sure that she had not killed the assailant. She was concerned that she actually did.

When she got close enough, she realized she had not done so. Without warning, the figure jumped to his hooves and slashed at Rainbow Dash with his knife. This time, he actually drew blood; the tip of his knife cut into Rainbow Dash's cheek as he hacked at her. He ended up leaving a shallow three-inch-long gash on her face. In response, Rainbow Dash shrieked in pain and held her hoof against the side of her face. Immediately after that, the figure waved his dagger at her in a lower position. This time, he managed to cut her midsection, leaving an even longer and slightly deeper gash.

The figure prepared to attack her again, but Bronze Star came to the cyan mare's aid. By moving quickly, he managed to swipe the knife out of assailant's hoof in mid-swing, effectively disarming his opponent and arming himself at the same time.

Despite having lost his advantage, the assailant did not seem least bit worried. If anything, he seemed more determined than ever to win this deadly scuffle. He gazed at Bronze Star and wordlessly dared for the gold stallion to come at him. For a moment, it looked as though Bronze Star was actually going to use the dagger against the mysterious Unicorn. But he did not. Instead, he did something completely unexpected. He turned to a nearby tree and flung the dagger towards it. The blade pierced through the bark and became wedged in the wood.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were greatly confused by that action. So was the assailant. Bronze Star actually had a good reason for doing what he just did; he wanted to keep the dagger out of the picture. That way, nopony there was armed with anything but their own hooves.

Bronze Star glared at the masked Unicorn and told him "I don't need a knife to overpower you. If you knew who I really was, you'd know that I could have killed you by now. The only reason you're not dead is because I need information."

The figure raised an eyebrow and uttered "Oh?"

Bronze Star nodded his head and sternly demanded "Who are you and why are you out here? And why did you attack us? What do you expect to gain out of that? I want answers, and I want them now!"

A very long, very tense interval of silence followed that. Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash watched the figure closely; he gazed between them, as if he was contemplating a strategy for taking them out. But ultimately, he just looked to Bronze Star and started chuckling. The gold stallion was taken aback by that. The figure continued laughing for almost half a minute, and then he uttered ominously "You'll get your answers."

Then he abruptly produced a bright burst of light with his horn. It was so bright that Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were blinded for a few seconds. When the light subsided, the Unicorn was gone. However, they soon realized where he went when they heard the same chuckling coming from behind them.

They swiftly turned around and saw the Unicorn standing at the tree that held the dagger. He calmly took ahold of the hilt of his dagger, yanked the weapon out of the tree, and returned it to its sheath. Then he looked up at the three young ponies and mockingly told them "Farewell."

After that, he created another bright burst of light with his horn. When it dissipated, the figure had vanished again. This time, he had disappeared from the scene altogether; he was nowhere in sight. Applejack thought about looking around the area for him, but Bronze Star already knew he was gone. He bade the mares "Don't waste your time. We're not going to find him. We've got more important things to worry about."

He was referring to Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare was bleeding pretty badly from when the figure slashed at her. Her wounds were not fatal, but they still needed medical attention.

Applejack trotted over to Rainbow Dash and gave her a helping hoof. As she aided the weather maker, the farmer said gratefully "Hey, Rainbow… thanks. You really saved me back there."

Rainbow Dash just gazed at her friend out of the corner of her eye and smirked softly. She muttered weakly yet cheekily "Well, it's the least I could do after what happened yesterday."

Applejack smiled back, nodding lightly.

By now, Bronze Star had picked his hat up off the ground and examined its inside. To his relief, the spyglass and the piece of cloth were still underneath it. He carefully placed his hat back on his head. After that, he trotted over to the tree that he had thrown the knife at, and he examined it closely.

Applejack looked over at her coltfriend and requested "Bronze, could you give me a hoof with her?"

"Just a moment," the gold stallion assured her.

By methodically studying the tree, Bronze Star managed to find the exact spot where the dagger had sunk into the bark. There he spotted a very small sliver of metal. It must have been a remnant of the dagger. Despite how tiny it was, it was large enough to constitute another clue. With some difficulty, Bronze Star managed to extract the sliver of metal out of the tree bark with his front hoof. Then he slipped it under his hat with the spyglass and the piece of cloth. After that, Bronze Star trotted back over to the two mares. He stood on the other side of Rainbow Dash and brought her other front leg around his shoulders. Working together, he and Applejack escorted their wounded friend down the path.

Soon, the three ponies were out of Whitetail Woods. But they were not out of danger. Not by a longshot. Of that, Bronze Star was certain.

> Inching Closer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash managed to depart from Whitetail Woods safely. The cyan mare was still bleeding pretty badly, and she was too weak to move independently of her friends. Her friends planned to get her some help straightaway.

The two mares assumed they would go to the hospital or one of the town's clinics. However, as soon as they reached Ponyville, Bronze Star announced that they were going to the embassy instead. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were quite confused and stunned by this proposal, but Bronze Star assured them that he had every intention of seeking out medical attention. So they agreed to go along with him.

The three ponies hastily made their way to the embassy. As they moved through the streets, they drew a lot of stares from the townsfolk. They realized they must have looked somewhat conspicuous, as Bronze Star and Applejack were still giving a helping hoof to the injured Rainbow Dash. They moved as quickly as possible to avoid attracting unwanted attention or having to answer any questions.

Soon, they arrived at the embassy. Applejack and Bronze Star immediately escorted Rainbow Dash to the study. Sir Haywood McCrank was in there, reading. It had been hours since the Running of the Leaves had ended, and the indigo stallion had already gotten cleaned up and dressed into one of his suits. He did not look as though he had just run a marathon, but he still had his fourth place medal to show for it.

At any rate, when the three younger ponies stepped into the study, Sir Haywood looked up at them, and right away, he noticed that Rainbow Dash was wounded. He set his book to the side, rose out of his chair, and civilly yet firmly requested to know what happened.

Bronze Star only told him that they were attacked. He would have gone into specifics, but Rainbow Dash's well-being needed their attention first. Until that had been resolved, the explanation could wait.

Bronze Star and Applejack brought Rainbow Dash over to the couch in the center of the room, and they carefully had her lie down on it. Sir Haywood McCrank briefly looked her over; it only took him a couple seconds to deduce that her injuries had been inflicted by a dagger. Still, he did not ask for more details about what happened. He knew that they would have to patch Rainbow up and report this to the authorities before they did anything else.

Sir Haywood proposed that Bronze Star and Applejack find a doctor and a security officer. While they were out, he would watch over Rainbow Dash and keep her company. They both found this to be a reasonable arrangement, even though Bronze Star was a little tentative about leaving Rainbow Dash alone with Sir Haywood. The indigo stallion did not exactly have an excellent bedside manner.

Before he went anywhere, Bronze Star removed his medal and his Stetson hat and placed both of them on a table. He made sure to place the hat in such a way that the spyglass, the piece of cloth, and the sliver of metal were concealed. He turned to Sir Haywood and wordlessly motioned to the hat. The indigo stallion quickly caught on to what this gesture meant.

After that, the orange mare and the gold stallion swiftly left the embassy. Applejack rapidly made her way to the hospital, and Bronze Star galloped to the barracks. Twenty minutes later, they returned to the embassy with Dr. Sharp Seams and Noble Edict respectively.

They got there just in time. Rainbow Dash's condition had not worsened, but Sir Haywood McCrank had not done very much to help her out. In effort to make her feel better, he had described events from his past when several of his colleagues at the Intelligence Bureau had suffered injuries much worse than the ones the cyan mare had. Instead of improving her morale, he had only ended up unsettling Rainbow Dash and boring her profusely.

Once everypony was gathered in the study, Sharp Seams went to examining the cyan mare's wounds at once. He was able to diagnose Rainbow Dash in a couple minutes. Luckily, the cuts on her face and torso were quite shallow; none of her veins had been damage too critically. Her injuries just needed to be cleaned, stitched, and bandaged.

Dr. Seams had brought a bag of medical supplies with him. All he needed from it was a bottle of peroxide, a small white towel, a needle, thread, gauze, and medical tape. He had not brought along morphine or any other type of antiseptic, though. Not that he planned to use any; based on Applejack's description, he had predicted this would be a relatively straightforward job. So Rainbow Dash had to remain fully conscious and without any pain relief throughout the entire process, much to her displeasure.

Dr. Seams started by soaking one end of the towel in the peroxide. Then he gently daubed it against Rainbow Dash's cheek and midsection. This did not hurt the cyan mare especially; the most she did was wince and grunt a bit. Dr. Seams kept patting her injuries until he had cauterized them.

After that, he took the thread and tied it to the eye of the needle. Before going on, he advised Rainbow Dash to either bite down on a tongue dispenser or squeeze somepony's hoof. She went for the latter option. Since Bronze Star was the strongest person there, he offered his hoof, and the cyan mare accepted it. Thankfully, Applejack did not mind that one of her best friends was holding her coltfriend's hoof. Considering the situation, it was totally excusable. Aside from that, the farmer was not one to get jealous easily.

Once Rainbow Dash had a firm grip on Bronze Star's hoof, Dr. Sharp Seams proceeded to sew her injuries up. This time, the cyan mare felt quite a bit of pain. Every time the needle punctured her skin and was pulled through it, she wanted to shout in agony. Luckily, she willed herself to remain as motionless as possible, and all she let out was a mild groan every few seconds. She was very grateful that Bronze Star had allowed her to hold his hoof; that actually did her a lot of good.

Rainbow Dash only needed twelve stitches in total; six in her cheek and six in her midsection. Once Dr. Seams was finished closing up her wounds, he used the gauze and the medical tape to wrap them up. By the time he was finished, Rainbow Dash's pain had subsided to an amount she could bear. She had also regained her strength; she was able to walk on her own again.

Dr. Seams then told Rainbow Dash that her wounds should be mostly healed in about four or five days. After that, she would be able to remove her stitches by herself. He advised her to take it easy until then. That meant doing little to no heavy lifting or flying. Naturally, Rainbow Dash was annoyed by that suggestion, but Sharp Seams knew what he was doing, so she agreed to follow the doctor's orders.

Since his work at the embassy was pretty much done, Dr. Sharp Seams' services were no longer needed there. He quickly gathered up his supplies and headed back to the hospital. Once the physician was gone, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash enlightened Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank on their hostile encounter at Whitetail Woods.

Since they already knew about the other two figures from earlier, neither the red mare nor the indigo stallion were surprised to learn that Bronze Star had come across a third figure in Whitetail Woods. However, they were quite alarmed when he informed them that the new apparition had attacked them with a dagger.

Noble Edict was used to dealing with assault in Ponyville, but assault with a deadly weapon did not occur in the town very often. The last such occasion was during the Summer Sun Celebration, when SIG Sauer had been ambushed by the Nightmare Moon cult. But this was different. In every way, the situation seemed more ominous and dangerous.

Sir Haywood McCrank was very interested in their recollection of the scuffle, primarily when they described the assailant's abilities. Bronze Star was a trained combatant, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the two most athletic ponies in Ponyville. Since this assailant had managed to take on all three of them at once, he was obviously a very skilled fighter. Then there was that warning he had given them just before he disappeared: "You'll get your answers." None of the five ponies liked the implications of that statement.

Once Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were finished filing their report, they looked to Noble Edict to decide what to do in response to this event. After careful consideration, the chief of security decreed that she would have Whitetail Woods quarantined for a while, and she would have her staff search the place until they found somepony or until they concluded that the Woods was deserted. Since all the trees in Whitetail Woods were bare now, that greatly limited its number of possible hiding places. With that in mind, it would only take a few days to search the entirety of Whitetail Woods. Noble Edict knew there was a strong possible that the figures were no longer in Whitetail Woods, but she wanted to be totally certain of that before she ruled the Woods out, and the only way to do that was to methodically explore the place.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash seemed content with this arrangement. They trusted Noble Edict and the rest of the security staff to keep them and the rest of the town safe. However, even if they never saw that figure again, there was still one aspect of the whole affair that troubled them.

This aspect was the figure's reason for attacking them in the first place. Neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash could venture a guess as to what it may have been. Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank had a theory or two about the attacker's motive, but it related to the murder plot, and they had agreed not to discuss the plot with anypony in Ponyville. Other than the other five ponies on the task force, that is.

Fortunately, Haywood McCrank managed to invent a theory about the attacker's motive on the spot. He suggested that maybe the assailant was a highwaystallion or a thief. To back this claim up, he explained to the others that there were a number of homeless and unemployed ponies in Equestria who roamed the wilderness. They made a living by robbing unsuspecting travelers or city dwellers at every available opportunity. All of this was actually true, but these marauders rarely operated this close to the capital city. Aside from that, they were not nearly as stealthy or proficient in combat as the figure who had attacked Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Even so, it was a believable hypothesis, and the two mares seemed to buy it.

While the experience had been rather nerve-wracking, it had not left Bronze Star, Applejack, or Rainbow Dash shaken or scared. They were handling themselves very well, despite having emerged from what could be classified as a near-death experience.

After everything about the attack had been addressed, Applejack and Rainbow Dash decided to head home. Before they left, Noble Edict took them aside and asked them not to tell anypony in town about what had happened in Whitetail Woods. They were somewhat bewildered by this request. In their opinion, if homicidal thugs were wandering around Ponyville, the rest of the Ponyville populace deserved to know.

Noble Edict understood this notion, but she had a good reason for wanting to keep this matter confidential. She claimed that she was concerned that if word got out that homicidal thugs were in the area, the townsfolk would be overcome with panic and fear, and civil unrest would emerge as a result. Aside from that, she was confident that her security staff had the situation under control.

When Applejack and Rainbow Dash saw the issue from the red mare's point of view, they could not deny that she made a fine argument. So they agreed to stay silent about the assailant.

Because of that arrangement, they still had a problem which Rainbow Dash pointed out: her bandages were very much noticeable, and she did not know what to say if somepony asked about her injuries. She was fairly certain that a number of ponies would be curious to learn how she got hurt, especially Scootaloo. She asked the other four ponies to help her come up with an explanation.

Bronze Star wittily suggested that Rainbow Dash claim that a tree had fallen on her. He had meant that as a joke, but Rainbow Dash was not amused in the slightest.

Despite this, Applejack felt her coltfriend was on to something. She suggested that Rainbow Dash claim that a tree had almost fallen on the farmer and the prince, but the weather maker had pushed them out of the way at the last moment. Although this story still involved her getting hit by a tree, at least it depicted Rainbow as a hero. Plus, Bronze Star and Applejack would be able to back her up in case anypony asked them. Rainbow Dash much preferred this suggestion to the first one, and she decided to go along with it. Soon after, the orange mare and the cyan mare left the embassy.

At that time, Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank were the only ones who were still there. They spent another hour discussing the events that had taken place in Whitetail Woods in further detail. Since the three of them were on the task force, they were able to address the murder plot directly.

All three of them were confident that the figures had some involvement in the plot, especially Sir Haywood. The indigo stallion declared that there had been too many instances of the number three for them to write the day's events off as irrelevant to their investigation. For starters, they had encountered three different figures in Whitetail Woods on three separate occasions. Furthermore, on each occasion, a trio of witnesses had been present, and they had gained a total of three clues. These were just a few of the many times they had encountered the number three. All of these occurrences at once were enough to confirm Sir Haywood's suspicions.

Bronze Star proposed that they assemble the other members of the task force for an emergency meeting. That way, they could review all this new information together while it was still recently-acquired. While they admitted it was a good idea, both Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank advised against it for different reasons.

Noble turned this suggestion down because she had already given the rest of the task force the day off from work, and she felt they were entitled to have half a day free from the stress of this investigation. Bronze Star could appreciate that sentiment. After all, as the town's chief of security, Noble Edict had a duty to take her officers' well-being into consideration, and she needed to ensure that they were not overworked.

Sir Haywood had a more practical reason for declining. He stated that he wanted to spend the next few days doing some research on the spyglass, the piece of cloth, and the sliver of metal from the dagger. He preferred to do this type of investigating by himself; he found that he could work faster that way. However, doing research solo could be a time-consuming process. As such, Sir Haywood wished to hold off on getting the task force together again until he had discovered something pertinent about the three objects, or until the vigilantes were scheduled to deliver another progress report to the task force. Regardless, he proposed that they not reassemble the task force until one of those things happened.

Bronze Star was a little perplexed by this plan. Knowing Sir Haywood, the gold stallion would have thought that the indigo stallion would want to put the task force together straightaway so they could work together and follow up on this new lead faster and more efficiently. Then again, Bronze Star also knew that Sir Haywood could be very unpredictable at times. In addition to that, he trusted the Superintendent's judgment, and he never questioned his techniques. After all, Sir Haywood's rate of success in solving cases was a solid one hundred percent.

Ultimately, Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank convinced Bronze Star that they could afford to give the rest of the task force the week off. Sir Haywood still wanted everypony to be mindful of the number three, but for a while, they would put the meetings that took place every other day on hold. Noble Edict planned to apprise Copper Hollow and the others of this matter when she returned to the barracks later on.

Noble Edict reminded Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank of the promise she had made to Applejack and Rainbow Dash earlier on, when she assured the two mares that Whitetail Woods would be thoroughly searched for any signs of the assailant. She informed the two stallions that she fully intended to follow through with that promise. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank had no objections. However, Sir Haywood recommended that she only use officers outside of the task force to investigate Whitetail Woods. His reasoning was simple but logical: during the Running of the Leaves, every other member of the task force – excluding Copper Hollow – had been seen on a distinct occasion by at least one of the three figures. If by some chance the three figures really were still out there, they might recognize the members of the task force, and as a result, they might realize that the task force was on to them. Sir Haywood did not want to risk tipping them off like that. Noble Edict understood this, and she agreed not to put Paisley Branch, Almond Wheeler, Cassia Sprig, Rollin Fields, or Copper Hollow in any of the search parties that would explore Whitetail Woods.

By four o'clock, Noble Edict had gone back to the barracks. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank remained in the embassy for the rest of the day. Both stallions spent most of their time doing their own things. Haywood McCrank did more reading in his room. Bronze Star ate a very late lunch, which was composed primarily of greens and water. He had been out running for several hours, and he had not had anything to drink since eight o'clock that morning. He may have been an Alicorn, but he was more than capable of becoming dehydrated.

Once he was refreshed, Bronze Star headed up to his room and looked over the latest reports from Canterlot. After that, he spent some time reading newspapers from Ponyville and the capital city. There was nothing especially interesting taking place locally in either town. However, the international section in the Canterlot paper revealed something rather intriguing.

Apparently, the city of Hoovston had been experiencing a number of electrical equipment malfunctions recently. Hoovston was the fourth most-populated city in Equestria after Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and Chicacolt. Also, it was arguably the most modernized city in the nation. For the past few decades, electricity had been installed in more and more buildings. Now almost every major building and structure was operated by generators.

When these technological upgrades were first applied to Hoovston, the city had encountered a few difficulties. However, it had been many years since any such setbacks had occurred. That fact that some were happening now troubled Bronze Star. The citizens of Hoovston had come to rely heavily on electricity. They could handle a few glitches, but if the power went out completely, there would be turmoil everywhere.

Bronze Star was confident that the situation would be resolved soon enough. Most of the best technicians and mechanics in the country worked in Hoovston. They worked around-the-clock to ensure that the power was always circulating steadily. With this in mind, Bronze Star saw no reason to worry that these malfunctions would go on for much longer.

Bronze Star continued reading until five minutes before eight o'clock. Then he locked the door to his bedroom and closed the curtains over the window. After that, he approached his bed, reached his front hoof underneath it, and pulled out a strongbox. He placed the strongbox on his bed, took the pillow at the head of it, and removed a key he had hidden in the pillowcase. He used the key to unlock the strongbox and opened it up. Inside were his crown, his vest, and his soft shoes. Five months ago, only his crown had been there. However, a few weeks after he and Applejack had begun their relationship, Bronze Star had written a letter to Lord Bellerophon and requested that he send him his vest and soft shoes in a sealed package, which turned out to be the strongbox. Bronze Star's reason for that was that he simply felt more comfortable if he had all of his regalia in the same place.

However, he was not interested in his royal attire at this moment. There was something else in the strongbox that he needed. He lifted his regal clothes up to reveal his special blackboard beneath them. He had not forgotten about the message Bellerophon had delivered to him through his mother. The gold stallion needed this blackboard to correspond with the Firebrand Regiment at a distance.

Bronze Star removed the blackboard and the marker and washcloth that came with it. After he got comfortable on his bed, he prepared to do some writing, as per Lord Bellerophon's instructions. He kept an eye on the clock in the room, waiting for it to read eight o'clock.

Once it did, he wrote on the blackboard This is Omicron-11 to HQ. Anypony there?

As soon as he stopped writing, the words faded away. He knew they would reappear on the blackboard that was kept in the Firebrand Regiment's possession in a matter of seconds. Once the pony on the other end received that message, Bronze Star could expect to get a response very soon.

A moment later, the following words appeared on his blackboard: Good evening, sir. This is Omicron-10.

Bronze Star smirked at how quickly his opening remark had been answered. He erased the message with the washcloth, and then he wrote down this sentence: I understand that we have something of precedence to discuss.

This sentence disappeared as well, and shortly after, SIG Sauer sent him this: That is correct, sir. We have experienced a breakthrough in one of our primary investigations.

Their written conversation proceeded in this manner. Bronze Star asked most of the questions, and SIG Sauer did most of the explaining.

Bronze Star next requested: Is this about the Nightmare Moon cult or the assassination conspiracy?

SIG Sauer apprised him with: The latter.

Alright. So what progress has been made?

We have managed to identify two more of the conspirators.

Fantastic. What are their names?

Trace Amount and Alabaster Glaze.

What line of work are they involved in?

Trace Amount is an investment clerk in Neighwark, and Alabaster Glaze is a glass manufacturer in Whinnyeapolis. We are uncertain what motive either of them might have for partaking in this conspiracy, but we discovered a secret connection that personally links them to Raging Tempest and Sparker Blare respectively. That by itself more than confirms their involvement in this affair.

Alright, I want both Amount and Glaze to be kept under watch at all times.

Already done, sir. From the moment we learn their identities, we keep all the conspirators under constant surveillance. We have at least half a dozen of our field operatives monitoring each one of them.

Excellent. Just remember: there must be no direct interference in the conspirators' everyday lives. We cannot risk alerting them to our presence.

Of course, sir. We've specifically instructed the field operatives to keep a certain amount of distance between themselves and the suspects.

Good; that's what I was hoping for.

Bronze Star paused here to reflect on this matter. He was very pleased with how things were going in the investigation into the assassination conspiracy. Before today, they had managed to identify twelve of the twenty people who were involved in it. Now they knew the names of fourteen of the conspirators. Only six more remained. Once their names were discovered, the Firebrand Regiment would be able to apprehend all of them simultaneously. Then the threat against his mother would be purged completely.

After this pause, Bronze Star continued using his blackboard. He wrote the following question:

I'm thrilled to hear – er, read – that we've uncovered the names of two more of the conspirators. Was that the breakthrough you mentioned?

SIG Sauer promptly replied with this:

No, that was only part of it. There is something more we uncovered. Something much more unsettling.

Bronze Star found that statement by itself to be somewhat disturbing. All he wrote in response was:

Go on.

SIG Sauer informed him with:

As I said – I mean, wrote – before, once we manage to identify one of the conspirators, we assign a group of our field operatives to observe his or her everyday life. The operatives keep us apprised of anything noteworthy or relevant that happens over the course of their surveillance.

I am aware of that. Have they witnessed anything especially pertinent?

Yes, one of the teams has reported something very abnormal.

How so?

This particular team has been assigned to watch a conspirator named Livewire. As you may recall, we discovered his role in this matter about a month after you interrogated Sir Raoul. Livewire was living in Detrot when we first began monitoring him. However, less than a month ago, he moved to Hoovston.

At that, Bronze Star was reminded of the news article he had read about Hoovston earlier on. He wrote down:

Hoovston?

SIG Sauer confirmed this with:

Affirmative. I assume you've been reading the papers?

Of course I have. Does this have anything to do with all those equipment malfunctions?

It is not just equipment that is breaking down, sir. In the past few weeks, a string of power failures have been occurring in Hoovston. The media is passing them off as equipment malfunctions, but we've inspected the lapses closely, and Omicron-7 is certain that they're genuine power failures.

If she believes that, then so do I. What exactly is going on? Elaborate, please.

There has been one power failure every day for the past three weeks. They all occur at different times, and none of them last very long. The first one only effected one building, and it only lasted about twenty seconds. However, in the time since then, the failures have gotten wider in scale and longer in time. The most recent one encompassed four city blocks and lasted nearly fifteen minutes. The citizens of Hoovston are starting to become wary and tense.

Well, if these power failures are occurring at the rate of one per day, I feel it's safe to say that they are not coincidences. It must be sabotage.

We've come to that same conclusion.

How does Livewire tie in to this? Do you believe he's the saboteur?

Yes, there are several factors that implicate him. Firstly, there's his occupation. He's been an electrician for more than twenty years. There's also the matter of his history. According to his personnel file, he was part of the company that installed the major electrical upgrades that turned the city of Hoovston into the powerhouse it is today. Apparently, he was the one who suggested running the current of the generators in series rather than in parallel. That was the biggest reason why the upgrades were so successful. However, after they were installed, Livewire's superiors took all the credit for his proposal. He attempted to file suit in order to receive the recognition he deserved, but he ultimately failed due to lack of evidence. His efforts resulted in him being dismissed from the company. When all was said and done, Livewire ended up disgraced, ignored, and overshadowed.

Could that be his motive for joining the conspiracy? Perhaps he's seeking some type of retribution for what that company did to him.

That might be the case. It wouldn't surprise me. Plus, even without motive, he has ample opportunity.

What opportunity?

The power failures in Hoovston began on the exact same day that Livewire arrived in the city. In fact, the first one took place only two hours after he got in. In addition to that, every time one of the power failures occurs, Livewire is always at the site or very close to it. According to the field operatives' reports, during the power failures, everypony around Livewire seems shocked or concerned by the sudden outage, but Livewire himself appears to be totally indifferent. It is almost as though he doesn't notice or doesn't care about the loss of power.

I suppose all that together might be enough to label Livewire as the culprit. However, all this evidence is purely circumstantial. 

I realize that, Your Highness. Normally, I wouldn't draw conclusions without hard evidence. All the same, we don't have any other suspects in this scenario. We are confident that Livewire is behind the power failures.

I'll take your word for it.

Bronze Star paused for a minute. Then he continued writing:

At any rate, how do you suppose Livewire is causing these power failures?

Omicron-7 believes that he has managed to find a way to literally siphon the electricity out of the buildings in Hoovston.

How could he possibly manage that?

It's fairly complicated; I'm not certain I could describe it as thoroughly as Omicron-7. I should probably let her handle the explanation.

Alright, give her the blackboard.

Right away.

Bronze Star leaned back on his bed and waited patiently. A minute later, the following words appeared on his blackboard:

This is Omicron-7 reporting in, sir.

This writing was a little neater than what he had been reading thus far. Bronze Star recognized it as Ruger's. He erased the statement and wrote this:

Tell me your theory, Specialist.

Ruger did just that. She wrote the following:

As you know, Your Highness, electricity is fairly new in Equestria. More ponies are studying it and getting jobs from it every year, and it has revolutionized the nation in terms of production and technology. Nowadays, more than a quarter of all Equestrian households use at least some electricity. In a typical modernized household, the electricity is channeled through a single generator. As long as the generator is kept clean and fully functional, it can keep a house warm and bright indefinitely. However, in a crowded city such as Hoovston, this type of generator is insufficient to power an entire building. There are also too many offices for each unit to have its own generator. Instead, all the town's electricity is routed through power stations. The generators at these power stations are much larger and more powerful than the generators you'd find in a household. Each one of them keeps electricity flowing through over a dozen city blocks for every minute of the day. Since the generators operate independently of each other, they form what can be classified as a network of electricity around the city.

A network?

Yes, Your Highness. This network was designed to continuously deliver electricity to every building in Hoovston at a steady pace. The network is totally secure and incapable of breaking down. It is virtually impossible for any technical difficulties to transpire. However, it is not entirely immune from equine intervention.

What are you saying, Specialist? Can the network actually be manipulated?

Unfortunately, that is indeed possible. If somepony had the right skills, tools, and knowledge of the electricity network, they could directly slice into the network. From there, they could do anything with the power. For a short time, they could even cut it off entirely.

And you believe that is what Livewire is doing?

That is precisely what I believe, Your Highness. While I have never actually met the stallion, I know that Livewire is very much qualified to accomplish such a thing. When I was in college, I studied his team's accomplishments extensively. He is indisputably one of the best electricians in the country. He's also one of only a hoofful of ponies who could pull this stunt off and get away with it.

So I see. You said he could cut the power off for "a short time." Is it possible to shut it off permanently?

No, the generators at the power station have a failsafe program. If any part of the network goes offline, the program automatically kicks in and the generator supplies additional power to that part of the network to compensate for the deficiency.

Wait, it "automatically" kicks in? Then how is it these power failures have been getting longer?

I'm assuming that Livewire has found a way to override the failsafe program, as well. However, the failsafe program is much harder to redirect than the network's regular grid. If Livewire diverted it for too long, the workers at the power stations would be able to trace the drainage to its original spot in the network and uncover the source of the problem. Livewire would risk exposing himself if he stayed in the network for too long.

That makes sense. Where do you suppose the most ideal place would be for him to slice into the electricity network?

Hypothetically, he should be able to do it from anywhere in the city. However, it would be easier if he was at the building or buildings that belonged to the specific section of the network that he intends to cut off.

That would explain why he's always close-by when the power failures occur. But there's one thing that confuses me. Based on everything you've told me, electricity cannot simply be contained in a stationary place in the network, nor can it been channeled back to the power stations. With that in mind, once a link to the network has been severed, wouldn't the surplus electricity have to go somewhere else?

That is correct, sir. However, deflecting the flow of electricity for a while is not too difficult a task for somepony like Livewire. I think he has set up an independent power coupling somewhere in the city. Every time he causes one of the power failures, he channels the excess power to the coupling. He is storing it there throughout the failures, and once he is finished, he either releases it back into the network or keeps it in storage.

Still, Hoovston encompasses an area of dozens of square miles. The electricity network in that city must be massive. Yet you seem to be implying that Livewire has found a way to temper with any part of it whenever he wants. Is it even possible to pull off such a feat?

If somepony had the proper blueprints of the network, yes. Livewire was part of the team that designed the power stations, so it would be easy for him to acquire a copy of the layout. If so, he has an unhindered level of access to the network. He may even have the whole thing committed to memory.

That's not good.

No, sir; it isn't.

What do you suppose he's trying to achieve by doing this, anyway?

Omicron-4 believes that this is one of those "attacks" that Sir Raoul mentioned when you interrogated him. When viewed in perspective, the rest of us are inclined to agree. This must be one of the conspirators' ploys to cause disorder and tension in Equestria.

I find it very interesting that they would resort to messing with electricity.

We do as well, Your Highness. I'd like to think Livewire's just trying to create some apprehension and a disturbance of the peace. But considering the conspiracy's ultimate goal, that is not very probable. Plus, I know all about the full capabilities of electricity. It can be a very dangerous substance when handled improperly. When handled properly, it can even be used as a weapon.

In that case, there is only one thing to do. Please give the blackboard back to Omicron-10.

Very well, sir.

Bronze Star waited for a minute so Ruger could return the blackboard to SIG Sauer. Soon after, he received this question from the pine green Unicorn:

What are your orders, sir?

I want you to get in touch with the field operatives who are monitoring Livewire's activities. Have them contact the head executives of the power stations and notify them of the situation. Tell them to only share the bare essentials of the matter. They don't need to know that a potential terrorist has gained control of the electricity network. They just need to know that they should be prepared to deal with any future power failures.

You want us to put an end to Livewire's operations in Hoovston?

Not exactly. I do not want you to arrest him or detain him. Anything that involves direct intervention is out of the question. We simply have to put a stop to these little stunts of his. If Livewire is allowed to go on breaking into the electricity network, he might ultimately find a way to leave all of Hoovston without power. If we are able to prevent him from causing any more power failures, we may also be able to dissuade him from executing whatever plans he has.

Alright, Your Highness. It will be done.

Very good. I'll be sure to keep reading the newspapers. I hope to read an article that describes how Hoovston's trend of power failures has abruptly ceased.

On the other end, SIG Sauer and the others were probably smirking at that last statement. Regardless of their reaction, the top officer of the Firebrand Regiment sent the young prince this statement:

We'll try not to disappoint, sir.

Bronze Star smiled and wrote one word to express his acknowledgement:

Excellent.

Bronze Star took a moment to reflect on all this new information. He thought about bringing up the matter of Esopus Spitzenburg to the Regiment. But it had been a long day, and he was feeling somewhat tired. Plus, it was already nine o'clock at night, and he had not eaten dinner yet. Aside from that, Esopus Spitzenburg was not scheduled to arrive in Ponyville for another month and a-half.

Ultimately, Bronze Star wrote down the next few sentences:

There is something else pertaining to the conspiracy that I wish to discuss. I am certain Lord Bellerophon has apprised you of it already. While it is very relevant to our investigation, it is not of immediate precedence. So we can put off talking about it for now. Contact me this time next week. We can discuss this matter and the status of our problem in Hoovston then.

Understood, Your Highness. Omicron-10 out.

After reading this final message and erasing it, Bronze Star returned his blackboard to the strongbox and locked it up tight. Then he went downstairs to have a late dinner.

In spite of all the craziness that had been observed that day, the next four days were relatively smooth, peaceful, and uneventful. That was just the way the townsfolk of Ponyville liked it.

Since Haywood McCrank had cancelled the task force's meetings for that week, Noble Edict and the other five officers were able to loosen up a bit. They did not put the investigation on hold altogether; they constantly kept an eye out for more instances of the number three.

Noble Edict had Whitetail Woods quarantined, and she had twenty of her security force search the Woods for any signs of the figures. Remembering Sir Haywood's request, she ensured that none of those officers were members of the task force. It only took them a couple days to explore the entirety of Whitetail Woods, and in the end, they determined that there was nopony there. Outside of the ponies on the task force, Noble Edict had not told anypony about the figures. So at one point, a few of her officers had gotten curious and asked Noble Edict why she had developed this sudden interest in Whitetail Woods. She simply told them that she had received a tip about a potential threat that was lurking in the Woods.

Haywood McCrank had spent most of those four days in the embassy, reviewing the notes on the murder plot. He was especially interested in the three pieces of evidence that had been dropped by the figures in Whitetail Woods. He was convinced that something about these objects might provide a turning point in their investigation.

There were only two people who saw a lot of Sir Haywood McCrank over the course of those four days. Naturally, Bronze Star was one of them. The other was Dapple Rhomb.

Although their first meeting had been mildly bizarre for the purple mare, she had come to admire the indigo stallion. Sir Haywood had come to enjoy Dapple Rhomb's presence, as well. Most of their interaction was limited to the occasions when both of them spoke to and worked with Bronze Star at the same time, but they still got along quite well.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash did not tell anypony about the incident at Whitetail Woods. Still, as the cyan mare predicted, a whole bunch of ponies noticed her injuries. She tried to shake them off her tail, but they proved to be stubbornly inquisitive. Ultimately, she gave in and presented them with that fake story about how a tree had almost fallen on Applejack and Bronze Star, but she had pushed them out of the way and gotten hit by the tree instead. Nearly everypony seemed to believe this tale, with the exception of Scootaloo. The orange Pegasus filly was fairly certain that something else was going on.

One good thing resulted from Rainbow Dash's wounds. Since she had been grounded until her injuries healed, she and Scootaloo were able to spend some time together. At first glance, one would think the two of them were sisters. They actually were not related, but Scootaloo certainly liked to think of the cyan mare as her older sister.

Four days after the Running of the Leaves, everything had pretty much returned to normal. Whitetail Woods had been deemed vacant of any possible dangers, Rainbow Dash had recovered from her wounds, and Haywood McCrank had finished his examination of the three clues. In the end, he had been unable to learn anything especially relevant from the objects. He had concluded that he would need an additional source in order to conduct a more thorough inspection.

Because there were no task force meetings that week, Bronze Star was able to take a longer break from work every other day. He spent a lot of this extra free time at Sweet Apple Acres. He found that he had spending quite a lot of time at the apple plantation lately. That was to be expected, considering that he was courting one of its owners.

Bronze Star still had not told Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, or Big McIntosh who he really was. He had not asked Applejack when Esopus Spitzenburg and her other relatives would arrive either. He fully intended to carry out both of those tasks, but he realized he was in no immediate rush to accomplish them. He decided that he could afford to worry about those two objectives later.

For now, he planned to just spend his extra leisure time with the mare whose presence he most enjoyed.

Bronze Star and Applejack passed the time in a variety of ways. In addition to their usual hobbies of applebucking, hunting, and exercising, they had started trying out some new activities.

On the fourth day after the Running of the Leaves, Applejack suggested that they have a wrestling match. Initially, Bronze Star assumed she was kidding, but he quickly realized that she was totally serious. He was a little reluctant to go along with that proposal. Not that he was concerned about losing or anything; he was worried that he might hurt the orange mare. He had made the unwise mistake of mentioning this to Applejack, and in response, she laughed it off and insisted to her coltfriend that she was qualified to skirmish with him.

Ultimately, Applejack won the argument. Bronze Star became convinced she could fight him, and she very much desired to; he felt he may as well indulge her.

The orange mare and the gold stallion headed to a deserted and relatively clear part of Sweet Apple Acres. They spent about ten minutes preparing themselves by stretching and working up some defensive and offensive moves.

Bronze Star was reasonably confident that he would win. After all, he was the one with a background in the military, and some of his exercises involved overpowering veteran officers of the Royal Guard. Still, Applejack was hardly incapable of putting up a struggle.

After all, he had seen how well Applejack handled herself when they were attacked in Whitetail Woods. She had excellent reflexes and masterful agility. Aside from that, with the possible exceptions of himself, Big McIntosh, and the local heavyweight Bulk Biceps, Bronze Star doubted that he had ever seen a pony as strong as his fillyfriend.

Once they were both warmed up, their wrestling competition soon commenced. They went for nine rounds. Bronze Star won the first three, but Applejack made a surprise comeback in the fourth one, emerging the victor in both it and the fifth one. Bronze Star triumphed in the sixth round, but Applejack came out on top in the following two.

Going into the ninth round, they were tied. Whoever won here would win it all.

They started out with their front hooves on each other's shoulders. They moved around very little as they tried to force each other onto the ground. After about a minute of unrelenting effort, Bronze Star spotted an opening. He gripped Applejack by her side and flipped her on to her back. Then he climbed on top of her to hold her down.

The orange mare put up a persistent struggle, but the gold stallion was determined to keep her pinned down. Just when it seemed as though the match was over, Applejack got an idea. She gazed over her shoulder and slyly commented "Took you long enough."

Bronze Star was primarily focused on holding her down, but he did pay attention to that statement. He asked in perplexity "What are you talking about?"

"I was wondering when you and I would end up in a position like this," Applejack elucidated.

This answer was rather vague, and Bronze Star was clueless as to what his fillyfriend was implying. Then he noted their current arrangement: he was lying on her back as if he had mounted her. His waist was positioned just a few inches above hers. To top it off, neither of them were wearing any clothing other than their hats.

If anypony stumbled across the two of them at this time, they probably would have assumed that they were doing something very different from wrestling.

Bronze Star blushed furiously when this occurred to him. However, he did not lower his guard or loosen his grip on Applejack; he knew that she was trying to distract him. It would take more than that to sidetrack him. The young prince just smirked, gazed down at the farmer, and wryly pronounced "Well, we can stay like this for as long as you'd like. I could keep it up until you collapse. Or until you surrender. Your choice."

"How about… neither," Applejack cockily rejoined.

During this exchange of words, she had found an opportunity to turn the situation in her favor. She abruptly locked her hind legs around Bronze Star's and shifted her weight sideways. Bronze Star lost his balance and fell off Applejack's back. Before he could recover, Applejack scurried to get behind him. Then she wrapped one of her front legs around his neck and used her other front leg to hold it in place. She effectively had him in a chokehold.

That was bad news for Bronze Star. Chokeholds were his biggest weakness; they always had been. The only person who knew that about him was SIG Sauer. That was the reason SIG Sauer had been able to catch Bronze Star during their stealth exercises. All he had to do was carefully sneak up behind the young prince and jump him. Then again, the main reason that ploy always worked was because Bronze Star's wings had produced some blind spots for him.

Ever since he came to Ponyville and started living as an Earth Pony, Bronze Star had thought he would be able to better prepare himself against chokeholds. Unfortunately, even without wings, he had been unable to counter them, much to his dismay. But on the bright side, nopony in town knew his weakness.

Until now, that is.

Bronze Star desperately tried to liberate himself from Applejack's grasp. But she had him in a very tight spot. No matter how much resistance he put up, she was able to counter it.

Eventually, Bronze Star eased down, sighed in frustration, and called out "Alright, alright, I fold! I fold!"

Applejack lightly smiled, gradually loosened her grip on her coltfriend, and said casually "There ya go."

Bronze Star needed a moment to compose himself. After he regained his breath, he sat up straight, turned to his fillyfriend, and told her "Congratulations. You beat me."

"Just barely," Applejack uttered modestly.

"Speak for yourself," Bronze Star stated sardonically, "Where'd you learn to wrestle like that?"

"I had a lot of free time on my hooves before I got my cutie mark," she replied, "Spent most of it learning new skills. Big Mac taught me how to fight."

"He must've been a great mentor," he conjectured.

She merely nodded in agreement.

Miraculously, both Applejack and Bronze Star had kept their hats on their heads throughout the entire duration of their wrestling match. However, somewhere during their bout, a hole had been punctured in Bronze Star's hat. He was not sure when or how it happened, but he was certain that the hole had not been there before their scuffle. When he took his hat off to wipe the sweat off his brow, he noticed the hole almost straightaway.

Although there was nothing to suggest that she was responsible, Applejack apologized for it. She knew how much that hat meant to her coltfriend. It was precious to Bronze Star, as Applejack had given it to him on Hearth's Warming Day.

Bronze Star assured her that everything was alright. The hole was not very large. It just needed to be patched up. He decided to take his hat to Rarity so that she could repair it. Since she had nothing else going on, Applejack offered to accompany him.

The gold stallion and the orange mare swiftly headed into town. On their way to Carousel Boutique, they encountered Twilight Sparkle. The lavender mare was carrying a saddlebag on her back. Bronze Star assumed the pack was full of books, but it appeared to be too light to even hold a manual. It turned out Twilight was heading to the same destination as Applejack and Bronze Star. So they trotted together.

A few minutes later, the three ponies arrived at the clothing emporium. Applejack approached the door and lightly knocked on it. At first, there was no answer. A few seconds later, Applejack pushed open the door and called out cordially "Howdy, Rarity!"

The white Unicorn was in the back of the room. She heard the orange Earth Pony's greeting, but she did not respond, as she was preoccupied with another task. Currently, Rarity was working at a sewing machine. She wore a pair of red clip-on glasses, and she used both her magic and hooves to move sheets of fabric through the machine. Her pet cat Opalescence appeared to be assisting her, albeit involuntarily.

As Bronze Star, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle entered the building, the lavender mare muttered softly "Shh... Can't you see Rarity is trying to concentrate?"

Rarity seemed mildly annoyed by this interruption, but she did not let her visitors bother her.

Applejack tried to gaze over the white mare's shoulder to see what she was doing. She inquisitively whispered to the others "What do you think she's makin'?"

Twilight Sparkle took a step closer to get a better look, and then she quietly observed "Looks like a dress."

"Well, that makes sense," Applejack cheekily commented, "Since this is a dressmaker's shop and all."

"I was about to say that," Bronze Star quietly pronounced.

Despite their attempts to be quiet and courteous, Rarity had heard every word they said. She was not fond of working around noise or when people were watching her. Because of that, she decided to put her work on hold for a moment. She turned to the three ponies and queried "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Oh, so very sorry to trouble you, Rarity, but I need a quick favor," Twilight Sparkle thought aloud. She opened up her saddlebag and removed a dress from it. It looked a size or two too small for the lavender mare, it looked a little outdated, and it was rather frilly. Most notably, one of its buttons was in jeopardy of falling off. The lavender mare placed the garment on the table in front of Rarity, and she requested "Could you please fix the button for me? It's my dress for the Grand Galloping Gala."

Rarity seemed astounded to hear that. She firmly declared "Oh, no, no, no! You can't wear this... old thing. You need a glamorous new outfit for the Gala and I'll make it for you. No problem at all. It will be my pleasure!"

Some may find it peculiar that Rarity would make such a selfless offer. However, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle were not surprised to hear her make that proposal. After all, she was the Element of Generosity. Twilight Sparkle politely told her friend "Oh, that's really sweet of you to offer, Rarity, but I can't let you do that. It would be so much work. This dress is fine."

"Twilight Sparkle," Rarity said in mild exasperation, "I insist on making you a new dress."

"But..." the lavender mare began.

"Not another word!" Rarity sternly remarked, "I won't take no for an answer."

Twilight Sparkle could tell that the fashionista was adamant about this. She figured she may as well go along with her offer. She said gratefully "Well, in that case... Thank you for your generosity, Rarity. Knowing your handiwork, I'm sure it will be absolutely beautiful."

After a bit of silence, Rarity looked over at Applejack. She briefly looked over the orange mare, and then she drily mumbled "Let me guess, Applejack. You don't want a new gown either."

"Gown?" the farmer repeated in mild astonishment. She closed her eyes, smiled, and shamelessly disclosed "Shoot. I was just gonna wear my old work duds."

Rarity gasped in alarm at that. She sternly professed "You can't possibly be serious, Applejack! You absolutely must wear formal attire."

Applejack thought about that for a moment, and then she mumbled "Hm... Nah."

Rarity was not about to back down just yet. She was very good at compromising when it came to fashion. After thinking for a bit, she suggested "What if I just spruce up your... duds for you a little bit?"

"Okay, sure," Applejack coincided, nodding, "Why not? Since you're up for it and all. Just don't make them too... froufrou-y."

"Deal!" Rarity said brightly.

Bronze Star grinned, patted Applejack on the back, and stated "At any rate, I look forward to seeing you in some fancy getup."

Applejack chuckled at that, even though she was less than thrilled at the concept of being seen at a public event in a dress.

Rarity looked to the gold stallion and queried "Is there anything you need, Bronze Star?"

"Actually, yes," Bronze Star answered her. He approached the white mare, removed his hat, and held it out to her. He informed her "Applejack and I were hanging out at Sweet Apple Acres. Somewhere along the line, my hat got a hole in it. I was wondering if you'd mind patching it up."

"Oh, of course," Rarity asserted. She examined the blemish on the hat, and she remarked "It should only take me about five minutes to repair."

"Thank you," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He knew he had come to the right pony. When Bronze Star started living in Ponyville, he had brought all his upper-body clothing to Rarity so that she could modify for an Earth Pony. She had sewn flaps over the holes in the back of all his shirts, jackets, and vests. With those flaps in place, his clothes looked as though they had been made specifically for an Earth Pony. He could still wear those clothes when he was in Alicorn form. All he had to do was unzip the flaps and his wings would fit perfectly.

Rarity used her magic to take the hat from the gold stallion and place it on the table. She then gazed over her shoulder and stated apprehensively "I just hope you aren't making any plans to wear this on a certain occasion in the near future."

"Oh, relax, Rarity," Bronze Star bluntly retorted, "I'm not going to wear my hat to the Gala."

"That's quite a relief," Rarity murmured frankly as she turned back to face her friends, "Out of curiosity, what are you wearing?"

"I don't need a dress, if that's what you're really asking," Bronze Star cleverly replied.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle chortled at that blunt statement. Rarity could not help but giggle a bit as well. Bronze Star scoffed, as he found their reactions fairly amusing.

When everypony quieted down, Rarity looked to the prince and reiterated "Seriously though, what will you be wearing?"

"I normally just wear my regalia," Bronze Star apprised her, "It consists of two pairs of soft shoes, a vest, and – of course – my crown."

"That's all?" Rarity muttered in astonishment.

"That's all," Bronze Star affirmed.

"That hardly seems adequate for a prince," Rarity disclosed.

"Well, I've never had any problems with it," Bronze Star revealed, "My mother always wears her regalia as well, and hers is basically the same as mine. Besides, my regalia is a lot more meaningful to me than any suit or tuxedo could ever be."

"Still, I cannot help but think that you would be quite underdressed," Rarity perceived. After a short pause, she suggested "Perhaps I could make a slight addendum to your uniform."

"I suppose I'd be open to that," Bronze Star candidly remarked, "What do you have in mind?"

"Well…" Rarity muttered, rubbing her chin and contemplating the possibilities. A minute later, she proposed "I know; how about I make you a cloak to go with your regalia?"

"A cloak, huh?" Bronze Star muttered in interest, "Actually, I think a cloak might go well with a vest, soft shoes, and a crown. You sure you wouldn't mind making me one, though?"

"Absolutely," Rarity assured him, "I've always dreamed of designing clothing for the Equestrian Royalty. Now I have that very opportunity right now. There is no way I'd let this chance pass me by."

"When you put it that way, I would be a fool to refuse," Bronze Star reasoned, "As luck would have it, I have my regalia with me at the embassy. I could drop them off here later, if you'd like."

"I'd appreciate that," Rarity said in approval, "Knowing the measurements and color of your regalia could help me determine the most ideal dimensions for a suitably compatible cloak."

"Alright, I'll bring them to you sometime before dark," Bronze Star decided.

Rarity nodded in acceptance to that idea.

There was another short interval of quietness. It was abruptly broken by a shout of "Look out below!"

The sound appeared to originate from somewhere above the roof of the building. A moment later, Rainbow Dash crashed through the ceiling and collided with some of the equipment on the other side of the room. Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity were alarmed by the cyan mare's sudden unexpected entrance, but they were more concerned in her well-being than her intrusion. Fortunately, she crawled out of the mess unharmed and said apologetically "Sorry. New trick. Didn't quite work."

"Really, Rainbow?" Bronze Star mumbled incredulously, "You JUST had your stitches removed. Isn't it a little early to be getting yourself hurt again?"

"Hey, I was grounded for almost four days because of my injuries," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "I need to make sure that my wings are still in shape. It won't do any good to slack off."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Bronze Star asserted, "I went the whole first two months of my stay here without flying, and my wings worked just fine when I finally got them back."

"I know, Bronze," Rainbow Dash pronounced, "But you voluntarily gave up control of your wings. I have no intention of doing that with mine. As long as I have them, I'm going to keep using them the way I want to."

Bronze Star just scoffed and admitted "Fine, fine; it's your choice. And your safety."

At this time, Rainbow Dash was still standing in the mess she had made. There was a bucket on her head and a red drape was wrapped around her upper body. It made her look both adorable and ridiculous at the same time. Rarity actually found the cyan mare's appearance somewhat intriguing.

"Hmm..." Rarity uttered softly. She then gasped and giddily announced "Idea! I'll make you an outfit for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash."

The cyan mare seemed a little bewildered by that statement. She raised an eyebrow and queried "Outfit for the what now?"

Nopony answered her. Rarity gazed around at her friends and declared "I'll make one for you and you and all of you. Oh! And of course Pinkie and Fluttershy too. And… and… is there anypony else in town who will be attending the Gala?"

"Sir Haywood, for sure," Bronze Star enlightened her, "Noble Edict will be there, too. And Copper Hollow should be going with her."

"Then I'll make an outfit for each of them, as well!" Rarity declared in excitement, "Oh, and when I'm done, we can hold our very own fashion show!"

Bronze Star did not expect that. Evidently, Rarity was really worked up about all this.

"What a great idea!" Twilight Sparkle yelled cheerfully, "If you're sure you can handle it."

"Oh, it'll be a little bit of work," Rarity straightforwardly professed, "But it will be a wonderful boost for my business. Plus, fun!"

"Oh, I love fun things!" Rainbow Dash squealed eagerly.

"Then it's settled," Rarity proclaimed, "We'll have a fashion show starring us."

The white Unicorn then returned her attention to the sewing machine and went back to creating her own ensemble for the Gala. After a few seconds, Applejack approached her friend and noted "So all you have to do is make a different, stunning, original, amazing outfit for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... plus yourself, ten ponies? And lickety split?"

"Oh, Applejack," Rarity snickered in amusement, "You make it sound as if it's going to be hard. If I work around the clock, I should have all of them done by tomorrow."

"Damn, that's impressive," Rainbow Dash murmured in fascination.

"Well, I have been engaged in this business for a very long time," Rarity coolly insisted.

"Well, at any rate, good luck," Bronze Star bade the fashionista.

"Thank you," was all she said in response.

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash left Carousel Boutique soon after. Determined to atone for her earlier mistake, Rainbow swung by the office of the construction team and informed the forestallion that the roof of Carousel Boutique had a hole that needed to be repaired. They planned to get right on that job.

Twilight Sparkle took her old dress back to the library. In a way, Bronze Star was glad she had decided not to wear that outfit. In his opinion, it looked much too childish for her.

Bronze Star and Applejack went their own ways, but they brought their regalia and duds respectively to Carousel Boutique an hour later. When they arrived, Rarity was in the midst of creating Twilight's dress. Interestingly, she was singing while she worked. Based on the content of the song, it must have been improvised, but Rarity made it sound beautiful and well-rehearsed.

After Bronze Star and Applejack brought their respective regalia and duds to Carousel Boutique, Rarity told them that she would get to work on modifying or added to them as soon as she was finished with Twilight's dress. She then asked them to tell the others to come to the building in the early morning. She wanted to present all nine of the outfits to their owners at the same time.

Bronze Star and Applejack agreed to do this. However, it posed a slight problem to the gold stallion. Copper Hollow still did not know Bronze Star's true identity. If he saw the gold stallion's regalia when Rarity presented them with his cloak, Copper Hollow would easily work everything out.

Bronze Star did not want Copper Hollow to discover the truth like that. He wanted to tell him the truth directly. After all he had done for the investigation and for his friends, that was the least he deserved.

Initially, Bronze Star considered asking Rarity not to show his cloak with the other eight ponies' outfits. Ultimately, he decided against that idea. While one might say he would be buying himself more time to properly plan how to tell Copper Hollow his secret, in actuality he would just be putting off the inevitable for a little while longer. He was going to have to tell the copper stallion sooner or later.

Then he saw a way to make this scenario work to his advantage. Copper Hollow was one of six ponies that Bronze Star planned to reveal his identity to in the near future. Other than Scootaloo, he was the only one of the six that was not a family member of one of his closest friends. All things considered, it would probably be wisest if he started with Copper Hollow. He needed to see how a friend would react to knowing his secret. If Copper Hollow took it well, then Bronze Star would be certain he would have nothing to worry about for when he revealed his identity to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Apple Family.

After he left Carousel Boutique, Bronze Star made his way to the barracks. He quickly found Noble Edict and Copper Hollow, and he asked them to come with him to the embassy.

When they got there, Sir Haywood McCrank was in the study and Dapple Rhomb was in her office. Bronze Star checked in with his secretary and asked if anything had been delivered from the capital city since that morning. She informed him that they had not received any new progress reports from Canterlot Castle, but there was something in the international section of the Canterlot newspapers that she felt he would be interested in.

Bronze Star had already been reading the international sections every day to keep track of the power failures in Hoovston. Fortunately, they seemed to have stopped ever since he contacted the Firebrand Regiment. Apparently, they had found a way to counter Livewire's sabotage operations. However, that was the only thing Bronze Star had been looking for in the international section. He assumed Dapple Rhomb was referring to something different when she said there was some news that might interest him.

He planned to take another look at the international section later. For now, he had another item of business that needed his attention.

After speaking with his secretary, Bronze Star had Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank go with him to the meeting chambers. Then he locked the door and covered the windows. Once the room was secure, he approached the three older ponies.

"What's this all about, Mr. Ambassador?" Copper Hollow inquired.

Bronze Star did not answer straightaway. He stood in total silence for a few seconds, and then he sighed and answered with "Copper, there's something I'd like to show you. Please close your eyes for a moment."

The copper stallion would have complied, but before he could even move his eyelids, Haywood McCrank interjected with "'Close your eyes?' Wait, sir, you're not going to…?"

Bronze Star just nodded his head gently and confirmed "I'm going to tell him the truth."

"Are you sure about that, sir?" Noble Edict asked anxiously "Does it have to be now?"

"Yes, and yes," Bronze Star sternly replied, "He would have found out at the Gala, anyway. We needed to tell him sometime before then. We may as well tell him now."

Haywood McCrank and Noble Edict still seemed quite opposed to this stance, but they were hardly in a position to protest the gold stallion's decision. Ultimately, they just nodded their heads in acceptance of his choice.

Bronze Star turned back to Copper Hollow and stated "So, as I was saying…"

The copper stallion abruptly held up his front hoof to stop the gold stallion there. Bronze Star immediately quieted down. Copper Hollow then brusquely declared "Hold on a moment, I think I know what you're about to say. You're Prince Bronze Star, aren't you?"

That remark effectively took all three of the other ponies completely by surprise. Haywood McCrank and Noble Edict froze in place, and Bronze Star felt as though the color had drained from his face. Although he did not physically say anything, Copper Hollow had an expression across his countenance that plainly said "I thought so."

After a very long, very uncomfortable period of silence, Bronze Star composed himself and quietly uttered "How… how did you know?"

"Intuition, as well as a lot of circumstantial evidence," Copper Hollow illuminated calmly, "I wasn't one hundred percent certain until this very moment. Now I am."

At that, Bronze Star's demeanor went from shock to intrigue. Noble Edict and Haywood McCrank were rather bewildered, as well. The deputy chief of security could tell that they were confused.

"Let me explain," Copper Hollow professed, "I have often seen pictures of Prince Bronze Star in the newspapers. When the ambassador first came to Ponyville, I noted that he bore a heavy resemblance to those pictures. Initially, I did not try to make a connection; I just assumed he looked like Bronze Star and nothing more. Overtime, I did notice a few interesting details. I was mainly interested in the facts that he has ten years' worth of military training, that he's on good terms with Canterlot Castle's chief of staff, and that he's in Princess Celestia's inner circle. There was also how Princess Luna stayed here for the first five weeks after the Summer Sun Celebration, and the ambassador seemed to make her comfort and safety his personal objective.

"It wasn't until we learned about the murder plot that I really started to get suspicious," the copper stallion went on after a brief pause. Now he was speaking mainly to Bronze Star. "You see, Sir Haywood works for the Intelligence Bureau, and you've been passing yourself off as an emissary from the capital city. Sir Haywood made it clear that he would be in charge of this investigation. Yet he always seems to take orders and suggestions from you. I found it unlikely that a political representative would have such authority over a federal investigator, even if that politician answers directly to the Equestrian Royalty. Plus, when the investigation began, Sir Haywood informed us all that Prince Bronze Star was the one who commissioned the task force. However, ever since then, we've never sent any reports of the investigation to Canterlot. Not even one. It struck me as odd that we were carrying out Bronze Star's orders without keeping him updated on our operations. The way I saw it, there were only two possible explanations: Bronze Star was letting the task force work completely independently, or Bronze Star really was monitoring our progress somehow."

Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank could not deny that there was quite a bit of logic in those points.

Copper Hollow soon continued with "By itself, that theory would be totally absurd. But then there's the fact that you look exactly like a hornless, wingless version of Bronze Star. By taking that into account as well, my hypothesis did not seem too unreasonable. However, the thing that really solidified my notion was Princess Celestia's last visit."

"How do you mean?" Bronze Star queried.

"She seemed genuinely surprised that Sir Haywood was in Ponyville," Copper Hollow elaborated, "When Sir Haywood claimed that Prince Bronze Star had sent him here, I noticed she looked at you out of the corner of her eye. When Celestia mentioned her son, she was talking to Sir Haywood, but she was clearly focused on you. It was at that moment when I was almost entirely certain that my suspicions were correct."

Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank took a moment to absorb everything the copper stallion told them. He made quite a few logical and thorough observations. He had also noticed some minor compromising details that the three of them had taken for granted.

After another minute of quietness, Bronze Star broke it by scoffing and bluntly stating "You are rather perceptive, Copper."

"Don't I know it… Your Highness," Copper Hollow said in response, lightly bowing to the gold stallion.

Bronze Star placed his front hoof on the copper stallion's shoulder and gestured for him to stand up straight. After that, he turned to Noble Edict and told her "Noble, I think I understand now why Copper Hollow was the only person on your security staff that you immediately decided to put on the task force. His powers of deduction are extraordinary."

Noble Edict smirked, nodded her head, and disclosed "That's one of the reasons why he's my second-in-command, too."

"I appreciate you both saying those things," Copper Hollow asserted, "I only wish my 'powers' could have been more useful to us in the actual investigation."

"Do not blame yourself, Copper," Haywood McCrank advised, "Intuition and deduction based solely on circumstantial evidence can only get you so far. There are times when things are too difficult for even the most astute mind to find answers all alone. I would say now is definitely one of those times."

"While we're on this subject, we should probably address the investigation," Noble Edict proposed.

"I concur," Bronze Star muttered drily. He turned to the indigo stallion and queried "How has your research on those objects been going?"

"It hasn't," Haywood McCrank confessed, "I have committed most of the past ninety-six hours studying that spyglass, piece of cloth, and sliver of metal. The cumulative information I've acquired from them is minimal at best. I've concluded that I'm going to need additional resources to conduct a more thorough examination."

"What resources?" Bronze Star enquired.

"I'd like to send the objects to the Intelligence Bureau," Haywood McCrank expounded, "One of my colleagues there may be able to use the facility's assets to dig up some useful information on them."

"But the vigilantes cautioned us against using more than one federal investigator to solve this plot," Noble Edict pointed out.

"Actually, the vigilantes only requested that we not bring more than one federal investigator HERE," Haywood McCrank reminded her, "They never said anything about telling anypony who's staying in Canterlot."

"That is true," Bronze Star conceded, "There are plenty of reliable mares and stallions who work at the Intelligence Bureau. I can think of several who could handle this job. How about we send the objects to General Walther? He's an expert at following up on leads in this manner."

"I know he is," the indigo stallion proclaimed, "The General has not been with the Bureau for that long, but he is very proficient at wide-scale research. However, he would not be my first choice here. I have already selected the most ideal pony for this task. This particular pony is even better at researching clues than either General Walther or myself. Aside from that, the General will probably be too busy to assist us."

"Why do you say that?" Bronze Star asked in perplexity.

Haywood McCrank just smirked and cockily responded with "Didn't you read the paper this morning, sir?"

"Yeah, I did," the gold stallion disclosed, "Apparently I didn't read it close enough. Dapple Rhomb was under the impression that there was something in the international section that I would like."

"I can understand why," Haywood McCrank professed, "There's a snippet about General Walther in that section. I have a feeling that that's what she was referring to."

"What's it about?" Bronze Star queried.

"Apparently, the General will be at Best Young Fliers Competition in Cloudsdale this year," Haywood revealed, "He's been invited to attend it as both a judge and as an honored guest."

"Really?" Bronze Star said in fascination.

"Yes, indeed," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "It's to celebrate his thirtieth year of service to the Wonderbolts. The press is making quite a big deal about it."

"You can hardly blame them," Bronze Star debated, "Walther hasn't made a public appearance as a Wonderbolt in almost seven years. Even back then, he was a modern-day legend in the force."

"How true," Haywood said in agreement, "You should really read the article on him later on."

"Alright, I will," Bronze Star pronounced, making a note to find his copy of the Canterlot newspaper later on and search the international section for any mention of Walther.

"Let's get back to the subject of bringing another investigator into this matter," Noble Edict suggested.

Nopony had any objections to that idea.

"Who do you have in mind, Sir Haywood?" Copper Hollow asked.

"Agent Dread Naught," Haywood McCrank replied, "He has outstanding experience, resolve, and capability. He's more than qualified to carry out this task by himself. He can also do his research without coming here and without asking questions about the investigation."

"Are you sure this is the only available option?" Bronze Star inquired.

"If there was an alternative, I would have taken it," Haywood McCrank pronounced, "Alas, this is our best bet for now."

"You don't seem very pleased with that, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict noted.

"I'm not, Lady Noble," Haywood affirmed, "You see, I have another reason for wanting to send the objects to Agent Dread Naught specifically."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"It has to do with one of his previous cases," Sir Haywood explicated, "Eighteen years ago, Dread Naught was investigating the death of a wealthy entrepreneur in San Franciscolt. At first glance, the cause of death appeared to be a heart attack. He had been alone and in his home when he died, so there was nopony who could confirm or deny that. However, Dread Naught managed to find somepony who had been nearby when the entrepreneur died. According to her testimony, she had been walking home from work when she passed by his house. She spotted three ponies approaching the entrepreneur's house from across the street. She had been unable to see their faces, as they were wearing jumpsuits that covered their entire bodies. They moved very quickly and very stealthily, and they were an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus."

Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Bronze Star were stunned to learn this. After another period of quietness, the red mare uttered quietly "You don't suppose they're the ones we saw in Whitetail Woods?"

"I doubt it," Haywood McCrank countered, "This took place eighteen years ago. It's unlikely that they would be the same individuals. All the same… I believe I may know who we're dealing with."

"Who?" Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict demanded in unison.

"I would rather not say just yet," Haywood McCrank stated, "It's only a theory, and my faith in this theory is less than ten percent. I would prefer to have some input from an additional source before I share it with anypony else. Trust me, we can afford to put off discussing it for a while. Because if it turns out my theory is right, you'll be GLAD I waited to tell you about it."

The gold stallion, the red mare, and the copper stallion were quite alarmed by the unsettling nature of that last statement. It almost sounded like a warning, based on how it was presented. It could very well have been one, seeing as how Sir Haywood was adamant about avoiding the topic.

"You almost sound as though you're hoping your theory is wrong, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow observed.

"If you knew what it was, you would hope for that too, Copper," Haywood proclaimed, "If it's any consolation, I do not believe anypony in Ponyville is in any immediate danger. But even so, our troubles are far from over. And if Dread Naught is able to produce some proof that validates my theory, then nopony in Ponyville will be safe."

This declaration only disturbed Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow even more. As eccentric as Sir Haywood was, he almost never exaggerated. Whenever he was working on one of his cases, everything he said was completely and absolutely serious. So when he told them that they could all be in danger, they had every reason to be worried.

Another long, unpleasant period of silence followed. Ultimately, Bronze Star broke it. He told the indigo stallion "Go ahead and send the objects to Dread Naught. But please make sure that he handles them with utmost care, and let him know that haste is of the essence."

"It shall be done, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank assured the prince, "In the meantime, I want to cancel all the task force's meetings for the next week. That includes the one we scheduled for tomorrow. Until I hear back from Dread Naught, we should avoid gathering everypony together. Our correspondence will be limited to observing activity in town and conversing in private locations."

"What about the vigilantes?" Copper Hollow inquired.

"We'll continue to deliver them weekly updates of our progress," Haywood McCrank proposed, "The day before each one is due, I'll speak with every member of the task force separately and acquire a full report of any new discoveries they made. After that, I'll deliver our collective findings to the drop sites and pick up the new updates from the vigilantes."

"That works for me," Noble Edict stated in approval.

Bronze Star and Copper Hollow agreed with the red mare. As always, Sir Haywood had thought of everything.

The conversation about the investigation into the murder plot pretty much ended there. However, nopony had forgotten the reason why they had come to the meeting chambers in the first place. After some more silence, Copper Hollow turned to Bronze Star and remarked "Earlier on, you asked me to close my eyes for something. Out of curiosity, why did you do that?"

"It was part of my plan to tell you my real identity," Bronze Star elucidated, "I have the ability to change my appearance at will. I just don't like to do it with people watching me. You see, my plan was to show you my Alicorn form, and then let you put the pieces together. Evidently, you didn't even need that piece to solve the puzzle."

"Nope," Copper Hollow bluntly commented, "Still, if it wasn't for this secret meeting, I probably never would have come forward with my hypothesis that you were who I thought you were. So that must count for something."

"I suppose so," Bronze Star coincided, "You haven't discussed these suspicions with anypony else, though, have you?"

"No, of course not," Copper Hollow reassured him, "It would have been unwise and discourteous to go around gossiping about somepony as esteemed and admired as you. At the time, I would have just been spreading rumors. Aside from that, I respect privacy very much. I am a little curious, though; what made you decide to tell me your secret?"

"Truthfully, I plan to tell everypony in town eventually," Bronze Star apprised him, "Originally, I did not intend to come forward to you so soon. Then Noble Edict invited you to the Grand Galloping Gala. Since you would have seen me there in my true form, I decided you needed to know sometime before then."

"That's understandable," Copper Hollow perceived, "But the Gala isn't for another four months or so, and Noble and I did not even know we were going until a few days ago. What compelled you to tell me so soon? You weren't exactly in any rush to let me know."

"Actually… I was," Bronze Star notified him, "That brings me to the reason why I wanted Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank to be present when I told you."

"What do you mean, Bronze?" Noble Edict asked in interest.

"Rarity is making a special outfit for every person in Ponyville who is attending the Gala," Bronze Star informed the others, "That includes the four of us. She plans to have all of them finished by tomorrow morning, she wanted us all to see them at the same time, and my outfit utilizes my regalia. Get what I'm saying now?"

"You wanted me to know the truth before I saw your crown," Copper Hollow presumed.

"Precisely," Bronze Star affirmed.

Noble Edict and Sir Haywood McCrank seemed more interested in the content of Bronze Star's explanation.

The indigo stallion raised an eyebrow and muttered "So, Rarity intends to create an ensemble for each of us to wear at the Gala?"

"Yeah, she's in the process of making them as we speak," Bronze Star answered him.

"That's the first I'm hearing of this," the red mare commented.

"Makes sense," the gold stallion uttered frankly, "She only began working on them a few hours ago."

"In any case, I look forward to seeing what she comes up with," Copper Hollow thought aloud.

"Well, just make sure you show up at Carousel Boutique early tomorrow morning," Bronze Star advised, "Rarity is very enthusiastic about this project of hers."

"You got it," Copper Hollow acknowledged, "By the way, if Rarity's using your regalia for your outfit, that implies she knows your secret, too. So that makes me wonder; who else in town – other than the four of us – knows your real identity?"

"Just Spike and the Element Bearers," Bronze Star illuminated, "Altogether, there are eleven people in town who know the truth. I'd like to keep it that way for now."

"Then I won't tell a soul," Copper Hollow steadfastly declared, "You have my word on that."

"Thank you," the gold stallion said appreciatively.

> A Fatal Blow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After their talk in the meeting chambers, the four ponies went their own ways. Copper Hollow and Noble Edict headed back to the barracks to inform Rollin Fields, Cassia Sprig, Almond Wheeler, and Paisley Branch that the task force’s meetings had been cancelled until further notice. Sir Haywood McCrank trotted upstairs to his room and found the spyglass, the piece of the cloth, and the sliver of metal. He then proceeded to insert the three objects into a large envelope, seal it up, and address it to the Intelligence Bureau. Bronze Star went to Dapple Rhomb’s office to inform her that Noble Edict and the other security officers would not be gathering at the building for a while. The purple mare acknowledged this and adjusted her employer’s schedule accordingly by omitting the task force’s meetings from it.

By the time she was done modifying the timetable, Sir Haywood McCrank had come back downstairs to send away the envelope with the objects. He knew the embassy had its own private mailing system, but he was not quite certain how to use it. This was actually the first time he had ever needed to mail anything from Ponyville.

He noticed that Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb were still in the latter’s office. Haywood McCrank swung by the room and asked them where the mail receptacle was. Bronze Star would have told him. Dapple Rhomb went one step further and offered to send off the envelope for him. The superintendent accepted this offer appreciatively.

The purple mare took the envelope from the indigo stallion and headed out the front entrance to drop the envelope into the mail receptacle. Once she was outside, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank talked about their plans for continuing the investigation until they heard back from Agent Dread Naught. They knew it would not be easy to carry it on without corresponding with the town’s security force on a regular basis. Sir Haywood ultimately concluded that they would have to rely primarily on the vigilantes for information for a while.

They wrapped up their conversation by the time Dapple Rhomb came back into the building. Which was somewhat peculiar, as their conversation had not started until after she went outside, and it had lasted more than twenty minutes. Normally, it only took Dapple Rhomb about two or three minutes to use the mail receptacle.

When Bronze Star saw his secretary again, he asked her what took her so long. She merely claimed one of her closest friends had walked by the embassy when she was outside. She had not seen this friend in a while, and the two of them had taken a moment to catch up. She had only meant to talk for a minute or two, but the conversation ending up lasting for nearly a half-hour. When she realized how long she had been outside, she hastily told her friend that she had to get back to work. They said their good-byes, and her friend headed back home.

Bronze Star was content with this explanation. All the same, Dapple Rhomb apologized for being negligent. The gold stallion assured her that everything was alright. After all, Dapple Rhomb had been working very hard lately; he felt she was entitled to have an unannounced break once in a while.

Nothing much happened that day. Everything was pretty much business as usual for the three ponies at the embassy. Dapple Rhomb went back to her house at five o’clock like she normally did. In the early evening, Sir Haywood McCrank left the building and visited each member of the task force at his or her house. After gathering up some notes on each member’s observations from the past week, he headed back to the embassy to assemble the task force’s newest report.

The following morning, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank woke up early like they always did. The indigo stallion headed out to the new predetermined drop site. He found the vigilantes’ report there, and he exchanged it for the task force’s report. Then he swiftly returned to the embassy. He and Bronze Star planned to go over it later. For now, they were needed elsewhere in Ponyville for a much more personal affair.

By the time they had finished eating and getting ready for the day, Dapple Rhomb had arrived at the embassy. Bronze Star notified her that he and Sir Haywood would be going out for a little while. He instructed the purple mare to just carry out her regular duties and to take messages if somepony came by while they were out. Dapple Rhomb guaranteed him that she would do just that.

The prince and the investigator then left the embassy and made their way to Carousel Boutique. Applejack, Copper Hollow, Twilight Sparkle, Noble Edict, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were already there. Because they were standing outside, one might assume that Rarity was not yet finished with the outfits. She actually was; she just wanted to wait until all nine of her friends arrived to present them.

As soon as Bronze Star and Copper Hollow joined the group, Twilight Sparkle lightly tapped on the door with her front hoof and called out “We’re all here, Rarity!”

A couple seconds later, Rarity answered the door. She had been working all night, but she did not seem tired or worn out in the slightest. She smiled at her friends and told them “Everypony, close your eyes.”

All nine of the ponies complied with this request, including Copper Hollow. Once they all had their eyes shut tight, Rarity told them “Alright, now follow the sound of my voice.”

The three stallions and the six mares entered the building one at a time. When they were all in, Rarity closed the door and moved to the front of the group. She then guided them to the back room. They were all moving blindly, but Rarity managed to get them all to walk in a straight line. Except Pinkie Pie; instead of walking, she bounced.

As Rarity brought the nine ponies into the back room, she commented “That's it. Keep them closed. Don't look. Okay, you can look now!”

At that moment, all nine of the ponies were standing in a semi-circle. At the white mare’s request, they simultaneously opened their eyes. They were greeted with an impressive sight. In front of them were nine mannequins; each one displayed a different outfit.

Rarity then announced:

“These are your new outfits. What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, are they not? Bronze Star, doesn’t this cloak look as though it was MADE for a Royal? I hope so; because it WAS! And Twilight! I made this dress for you and I designed each outfit theme to perfectly reflect each pony's unique personality. Sir Haywood McCrank, I know you have no shortage of suits, but this one would make a fine addition to your collection. I used a deft combination of leather and velvet! Oh, it took me forever to get the colors right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I did it. Oh, and it turned out BEAUTIFUL, don't you think? Noble Edict, just look at yours. It really says ‘I’m a Lady,’ and by that, I mean ‘a Lady of Celestia’s court.’ Copper Hollow, since you and Noble are going together, I made you an ensemble to match hers. Only yours has a much more masculine tone to it, huh? Ooo, and I know you are going to love yours, Fluttershy. It just sings spring! And Pinkie Pie, look! Pink! Your favorite! Aren't they all amazing?”

None of the nine ponies answered her straightaway. Each of them took a minute to study the mannequin that held the outfit that was meant for him or her.

Copper Hollow was the first to give a response. He stepped forward, smiled brightly, and declared “Rarity, this… this is incredible. You did a spectacular job.”

“Thank you, Copper,” Rarity said appreciatively.

“It’s the truth,” the copper stallion pronounced, “You certainly got that ‘masculine’ part right. This tuxedo looks as though it says ‘You don’t want to mess with me’ and ‘Would you care to dance?’ at the same time.”

“Oh, I agree,” Noble Edict coincided, smirking, “I’m getting the exact same impression from my outfit. I don’t wear dresses often, but I’ll definitely make an exception in this case. You did even better than I was hoping for, Rarity. I can hardly wait to try it on.”

Rarity grinned widely at that.

Sir Haywood McCrank was the next to voice an opinion. He approached the tuxedo Rarity had made for him, briefly looked it over, and stated favorably “I haven’t put mine on yet, but I honestly believe this may be my new favorite suit.”

“I didn’t know you had favorites, Sir Haywood,” Rarity commented.

“When you have as many suits as me, you’re inclined to choose favorites,” Sir Haywood proclaimed, “At any rate, I’m deeply impressed with the results of your effort, Rarity. You must have gone all out.”

“You could say that,” the white Unicorn remarked candidly.

Bronze Star trotted over to the mannequin that displayed his regalia and the new cloak. He examined the cloak closely. It was not the Shroud of Valor, but it looked just as majestic and striking. It matched his soft shoes, vest, and crown perfectly. The gold stallion smiled and said “If I had known a cloak would go this well with my regalia, I would have gotten one long ago. I’m so pleased with this that… Rarity, you know that dream you have about getting to design clothing for the Equestrian Royalty?”

“Yes, it’s my greatest ambition,” Rarity thought aloud.

“Well, you may have just earned yourself a very high-status addition to your list of regular customers,” Bronze Star solemnly pronounced.

Rarity was absolutely elated to hear that.

So far, four of the nine ponies in the room had approved of their outfits. The other five Element Bearers still had yet to speak their minds. Bronze Star, Rarity, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank turned to look at the five mares and looked for their reactions.

At the present, they just remained staring at their own dresses and blinking. There was an awkward period of silence as Rarity waited for them to express their thoughts.

“Wow... They're...” Twilight Sparkle tentatively began.

“Yeah, they're...” Rainbow Dash uneasily added in.

“They sure are... sumth'n,” Applejack declared.

“Yes!” Twilight Sparkle conceded, “Something.”

“I love something!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully pronounced, “Something is my favorite!”

“It's... nice,” Fluttershy softly murmured.

Evidently, the five of them were not as thrilled as the other four. Rarity noted they seemed somewhat dissatisfied, and she asked apprehensively “But what's the matter? Don't you like them?”

“They're very nice...” Twilight Sparkle claimed.

“And we're plum grateful 'cause you worked so hard on them,” Applejack asserted.

“Mine's just not as cool as I was imagining,” Rainbow Dash said straightforwardly. The others glared at the cyan mare in disbelief. She casually and bluntly stated “She asked.”

The five mares turned back to Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle professed “I guess what we're all saying is that they're just not what we had in mind.”

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie collectively said “Yeah” in agreement.

Although they did not say anything, Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Noble Edict were all somewhat appalled by the mares’ intransigent reactions to their outfits. Especially Bronze Star; he was even a little disgusted. He would have expected them to be more appreciative and receptive of the white mare’s work.

Rarity herself did not seem as bothered by her friends’ dissatisfaction as the actual fact that she had dissatisfied them. As a firm believer in the policy “the customer is always right,” she did not blame them for feeling underwhelmed. Even so, she was determined to remedy this problem. She approached her workstation and edgily muttered “That's okay. Not a problem. There's plenty more where that came from. They were only a first pass. You're my friends and I want you to be 110% satisfied. Not to worry, I'll redo them.”

The five mares could tell she was under a bit of distress. Fluttershy took a step closer and tranquilly declared “Oh, Rarity. You don't have to do that. They're fine.”

“I want them to be better that just fine,” Rarity sharply countered, “I want you to think they're absolutely perfect.”

“Are you sure?” Applejack stated in concern, “I mean, we wouldn't wanna impose.”

“Oh, it's no imposition,” Rarity firmly maintained, “Really, I insist.”

The five mares looked back and forth between each other. After some more silence, Twilight Sparkle turned to face the white Unicorn and told her “Well, in that case... Thank you again, Rarity.”

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash all nodded in agreement. Then the five young mares turned around and started trotting away. Once they left the room, Rarity swiftly got back to work. She grimaced and mumbled worriedly “What have I gotten myself into?”

Sir Haywood McCrank, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Bronze Star stayed with the fashionista for a little while longer.

“I can’t believe what I just witnessed,” Noble Edict crossly uttered.

“Neither can I,” Copper Hollow conceded, “You’d think they would have been a lot more thankful than THAT.”

“No, it’s not their fault,” Rarity claimed as she began stitching two sheets of fabric together, “I should have asked them what they were specifically hoping for. Instead, I just assumed they would like whatever I made for them.”

“Well, the four of us certainly did,” Haywood McCrank pointed out. Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict lightly mumbled in agreement.

“That does give me some reassurance,” Rarity disclosed, looking over her shoulder, “However, even if I take your opinions into account, my approval rating is only four out of nine at best if I simply make assumptions. That is totally unacceptable.”

“I understand your position, Rarity,” Bronze Star proclaimed, “Still, you should not push yourself so hard. You just spent the past twenty-four hours creating nine different complex outfits, and now you plan to remake five of them right away. That seems like far too much work for one pony.”

“No, I would say it’s about the equivalent of what you accomplish every day at the embassy, Bronze,” Rarity debated.

“That’s not a good analogy,” the gold stallion refuted, “A few weeks ago, I went through a period when I was struggling just to get through the day. If I hadn’t hired Dapple Rhomb, I probably would have driven myself to total exhaustion. Plus, you remember what happened when Applejack overworked herself?”

“It would be hard to forget,” Rarity candidly murmured, “However, in addition to Applebuck Season, she had a number of other things going on at the exact same time. Other than designing and improving these outfits and organizing the fashion show, I have nothing on my agenda this week. Because of that, I’m sure I can remain properly focused on my work.”

“If you honestly believe that, then I trust your judgment,” Bronze Star remarked, “Just promise me that you will not push yourself too hard. Otherwise this situation might end the same way as the one with Applejack.”

“Well, none of us would want that,” Rarity rigidly claimed, “Unless, of course, you happened to be in the area.”

“Huh?” Bronze Star said in confusion.

Rarity just smirked and explicated “I don’t have to remind you that it was because of you that we did not lose Applejack that day.”

The gold stallion quickly realized what Rarity was implying. When Applejack collapsed and stopped breathing at Sweet Apple Acres, he had saved her by repeatedly administering CPR. That was one of the many factors that had enabled Bronze Star to develop an excellent reputation for himself in Ponyville. Still, he just felt lucky that he had successfully performed CPR once. There was nothing to indicate that it would work a second time. Even so, several of the townsfolk had faith in his ability to make it work. Clearly, Rarity was one of them.

After reflecting on this matter, Bronze Star lightly chuckled and told the white Unicorn “Still, let’s try to avoid any scenario that involves somepony passing out.”

“Alright, that’s reasonable enough,” Rarity plainly remarked.

There was another short pause. The only noise in the room was the sound produced by Rarity’s sewing machine. About a minute later, Copper Hollow stated “Bronze Star told us that once you were finished with all the outfits, you were going to have a fashion show with them.”

“That is true,” Rarity affirmed, “I still wish to have the fashion show sometime soon. It just needs to be postponed for a couple days.”

“Where did you plan to hold it?” Noble Edict enquired.

“Here,” the white mare bluntly replied, “Ideally, I can set up a stage and a walkway by the back entrance to the Boutique. There’s plenty of empty space surrounding the building. Well over a hundred ponies can gather there. Assuming they all stand, that is.”

“Looks like you’ve got everything in order,” Noble Edict noted, “Still, it sounds like a lot of additional work. Could you use a couple extra pairs of hooves to help you prepare for the show?”

“Only if you wouldn’t mind,” Rarity replied.

“Sure, I’d be happy to assist,” Noble Edict asserted.

“I’ll help, too,” Copper Hollow proclaimed, “If this thing’s going to be as big as you’re suggesting, you’ll need somepony to maintain order. You never know what might happen at these fashion shows; sometimes things can get out of hoof. Between the two of us, Noble and I should be able to keep the event safe and secure.”

“That sounds great,” Rarity stated approvingly, “We’ll still need to find a way to advertise the fashion show to the public. That’s the only way we’ll get enough people to attend.”

“Well, when would you like to hold it?” Haywood McCrank queried.

“Assuming the girls all like their outfits the second time around, I’d say… two days,” Rarity conjectured.

“That’s a little too soon to make flyers,” Bronze Star perceived, “The next best thing would be to spread the word the old-fashioned way. We could go door-to-door in Ponyville and let everypony know about the fashion show directly.”

“I’ve always found that to be an effective method for delivering news,” Sir Haywood thought aloud, “Given the circumstances, I believe I could undertake this task.”

“I’ll give you a hoof, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star proposed, “I’ll see if Spike could help us, too. He shouldn’t have anything going on this week, and he’s got plenty of experience in delivering messages. Theoretically, the three of us should be able to inform everypony in Ponyville in a matter of hours.”

“Well, knowing Spike, he would probably jump at the chance to help me,” Rarity hypothesized, “But are you two certain you wouldn’t mind paying every house in Ponyville a visit? Despite this being a small town, thousands of ponies live here.”

“It would be my pleasure, Rarity,” Haywood McCrank claimed.

“Mine, too,” Bronze Star agreed.

“Thank you so much,” Rarity told them appreciatively. She thought about everything they had discussed thus far, and then she announced “With Copper and Noble getting everything set up and organizing the event, Bronze, Sir Haywood, and Spike spreading the word and bringing in the crowd, and me managing the outfits and presentation, everything for the fashion show should be ready by the day after tomorrow. We’ll hold the fashion show in the early evening, say at eight o’clock.”

Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank had no objections to that proposal. However, Bronze Star did have a problem. It pertained to his last discussion with the Firebrand Regiment. At the end of his written conversation with SIG Sauer, the pine green Unicorn had requested that the prince speak with him and the other members of the Regiment again in exactly one week at the same time. That was five days ago, meaning that the Regiment would be expecting the gold stallion to contact them in two days at eight o’clock sharp. Unfortunately, that was the exact same time that Rarity had proposed for the fashion show.

“How about seven o’clock?” Bronze Star coolly suggested, “I’ve got something I need to do at eight o’clock that can’t be moved forward or backward at all. I’m assuming the fashion show won’t last more than an hour, right?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Rarity confirmed. She thought for a moment, and then she declared “Very well, Bronze. Seven o’clock works for me.”

Fortunately, it worked for Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank, as well.

Soon after all these arrangements were made, the gold stallion, the red mare, the indigo stallion, and the copper stallion decided to leave Carousel Boutique and carry on with their day. While they had the option to take their new outfits home with them, Rarity requested to hold on to them until after the fashion show. The four ponies were mostly fine with this proposal, but Bronze Star asked to have his regalia back so he could return them to the embassy. He had no intention of wearing them out in the open, especially not at a fashion show or any other public event. Rarity did not protest, as she respected the prince’s desire for confidentiality.

After leaving Carousel Boutique, Bronze Star swung by Golden Oaks Library. He apprised Twilight Sparkle and Spike of Rarity’s plans. The lavender mare was already aware of the fashion show, and she had mentioned it to her assistant. Bronze Star explained that he was there to seek out Spike’s aid so that they could let everypony in Ponyville know about the show. As he and Rarity had predicted, the baby dragon was more than willing to offer his services in this endeavor. Twilight Sparkle was proud of him for that, and she let Bronze Star borrow Spike for the afternoon.

The two of them met up with Sir Haywood McCrank in the town square. From there, they used a map of Ponyville to divide the town into three equally-sized sections. They then split up and each of them went to one of these three sections. They approached every house and building to inform the inhabitants of the fashion show. Although they were just acting as messengers, they took notes on anypony who seemed very interested by this news.

By the late afternoon, the two stallions and the baby dragon had notified virtually every pony in Ponyville of the impending fashion show. Secretly, Spike had an idea to inform somepony outside of Ponyville of the fashion show, as well. He was not going to bring this up to anypony else just yet; he planned to do it as a surprise favor to Rarity.

When they were finally finished, Bronze Star, Spike, and Haywood McCrank stopped by Carousel Boutique to let Rarity know. The white mare was very grateful for their work. Unfortunately, publicizing the fashion show was the least of her worries at this time. 

Rarity had spent most of that day making modifications to the other Element Bearers’ dresses. To ensure that she got everything right this time, fashionista spoke with each of the five mares separately. But even when focusing on one gown at a time, this endeavor proved to be very difficult.

Surprisingly, Fluttershy turned out to be the strictest of them. She had provided some criticism for nearly every single aspect of her gown. Although she was trying to be polite, she recommended a massive number of alterations to her dress. The other four mares were not as fastidious, but they were still quite demanding. Applejack suggested modifying her duds so that they were prepared for any sudden change in weather that might have occurred at the Gala. Twilight Sparkle wanted the star patterns on her gown to be properly aligned with the actual constellations in the night sky. Pinkie Pie was primarily focused on adding and removing ridiculous party-related adornments to her dress. Rainbow Dash did not have any specific requests; she merely said that her outfit needed to be “about 20% cooler.”

Throughout this process, Rarity reprised the musical number she had sung the previous day. At one point, each of the other five mares contributed a lyric to the song. However, during this new rendition, Rarity sounded a lot less composed than before.

After another whole day of stress, exhaustion, backbreaking work, and countless revisions, Rarity was finally done. However, she was less than pleased with the end results of her second attempts. In the late evening, she visited all nine of her friends and asked them to come see her the following morning.

Early the next day, the ten ponies assembled at Carousel Boutique. Bronze Star, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow arrived first. They got a glimpse of the new dresses Rarity had made for the other mares, and they were downright flabbergasted. And not in the good way. Based on how uncomfortable Rarity seemed around the dresses, she was not too thrilled with how they turned out, either.

After getting a closer look at the dresses, Bronze Star was convinced that one of two things must have been true. Either the other mares had very vivid and wild imaginations, or they had no sense of fashion whatsoever. He was hoping for the former.

Before long, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash showed up at Carousel Boutique. Once they got there, Rarity led them to the back room again. She did not bother asking them to close their eyes this time. She just wanted to get the presentation over with as soon as possible.

Once they were all assembled in the back room, Rarity had the five mares stand in front of five mannequins that displayed the new versions of their dresses. She meekly stated “Okay. I did exactly what each of you asked for. Now don't hold back. Let me know what you really think.”

The five mares were absolutely delighted with what they saw.

“Oh my!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.

“It's... perfect!” Fluttershy proclaimed.

“It's cool!” Rainbow Dash thought aloud.

“Why, they're the best duds I ever did see,” Applejack declared.

“It's exactly what I asked for!” They all happily yelled in unison.

Rarity lightly grinned at that, but despite the fact that she had finally satisfied her friends, this accomplishment had only provided her a modicum of relief. Inwardly, she was nowhere near as ecstatic as her friends were.

“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight Sparkle told the white mare.

“Are you as happy with them as we are?” Pinkie Pie queried enthusiastically, “Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“Well, I'm... happy that all of you are happy,” Rarity pronounced, “I'm just relieved to finally be done.”

Considering the hectic working conditions she had been facing, nopony could blame her for saying that.

Just then, Spike abruptly rushed into the room. After stopping to catch his breath, he announced to the ten ponies “You are never gonna believe this! You've heard of Hoity Toity?” 

“The bigwig fashion hotshot in Canterlot?” Twilight Sparkle presumed.

“Uh-huh,” Spike affirmed. He turned to Rarity and disclosed “He heard about your fashion show. Well, maybe I happened to mention it to him... He's coming here all the way from Canterlot to see your work, Rarity!”

Everypony but Rarity seemed downright amazed to hear that.

“Whoa, Nelly!” Applejack decreed, “You could sell a ton o' dresses to this guy. Your business will be boomin'!”

“Wow!” Twilight Sparkle cried.

“That's so cool!” Rainbow Dash called.

“I don't believe it!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Rarity had by far the least enthusiastic reaction to hearing that news. She muttered anxiously “Hoity Toity? He's coming here? To see THESE dresses?”

“Yep!” Spike confirmed, seeming unaware of Rarity’s uneasiness, “Get ready for all of your dreams to come true.”

At this time, Rarity did not look her best. Her mane was disheveled, and there were circles under her eyes. Spike meant for this bit of news to excite the white mare. Instead, it just made her feel even more uptight, and it did nothing to improve her morale.

After a short pause, Bronze Star stepped forward and pronounced “Now that Hoity Toity’s coming here, I think it would be for the best if I stayed out of the fashion show.”

“Why’s that, Bronze?” Fluttershy queried.

“I personally know Hoity Toity,” Bronze Star expounded, “He’s designed clothes for a lot of the Canterlot elite and for the staff of Canterlot Castle. In fact, he was the stallion who designed most of my regalia. Specifically, he made my soft shoes and my vest. Somepony else made my crown. At any rate, I’ve met with Hoity Toity enough times than he knows exactly what I look like. If he sees me while he’s in Ponyville, he may be able to recognize me, even without my wings and horn. That’s a risk I can’t afford to take.”

“If that’s what you wish, then I understand, Bronze,” Rarity proclaimed, even though she seemed a little bothered by the gold stallion’s choice.

Sir Haywood McCrank then stepped forward and declared “While we’re on this subject, I’ve chosen to withdraw from the fashion show, as well. I’ve thought about this carefully, and I have decided it would be unprofessional for a federal investigator to take part in this sort of event. Especially since I, too, am acquainted with Hoity Toity. I don’t need him telling everypony in the capital city that one of the Intelligence Bureau’s top members is flaunting his fashion style in public.”

“Very well, Sir Haywood,” Rarity tensely avowed.

Since Noble Edict and Copper Hollow planned to help Rarity organize the fashion show and monitor the actions of everypony who attended it, they would not have any time to participate in the actual show. So they had to back out of it as well.

Rarity became very distraught when this development occurred. The only good outfits she had made for the fashion show were the cloak for Bronze Star, the suit for Sir Haywood McCrank, the gown for Noble Edict, and the tuxedo for Copper Hollow. Now all four of them had opted out of partaking in the fashion show. So all she had left were the five disasters of dresses she had created for Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

It was far too late to cancel or reschedule the fashion show, though. Everypony in town was expecting it to take place the following day, and Hoity Toity was coming all the way from Canterlot to witness it. So Rarity and the others had no choice but to go through with it.

On the plus side, they managed to get the best disc jockey in Ponyville, a mare named Vinyl Scratch, to handle the musical accompaniment. Vinyl Scratch came very highly-recommended by fans of classical music and fans of contemporary music alike. Worst case scenario, her appearance at the fashion show would probably be its only saving grace.

The fashion show would be held in less than thirty-six hours. Carousel Boutique still needed to be prepared for it. Copper Hollow and Noble Edict stayed at the shop to help Rarity set up the portable stage and walkway. Everypony else headed home.

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank spent the rest of the day and most of the next day at the embassy. Bronze Star concentrated on his duties as the ambassador to Ponyville, and he closely read the most recent news reports from Canterlot. Dapple Rhomb assisted him every step of the way.

Haywood McCrank spent most of the day reviewing the latest update from the vigilantes. They had not produced anything very notable this week. Apparently, a few of their own members had entered the Running of the Leaves, as well. However, unlike the task force, they had not seen any suspicious figures, and they had not acquired any physical evidence that anypony had been using Whitetail Woods as a hideout. Still, they advised the members of the task force to be more wary whenever they directly investigated another location in the future. They seemed to be addressing Bronze Star more than anypony else when they gave that recommendation.

Other than that, there was nothing in the vigilantes’ report that was very useful or noteworthy to the investigation. Then again, the task force had been unable to dig up any prominent leads, either. Sir Haywood McCrank hoped that Agent Dread Naught would soon yield some favorable results from the clues he had sent him. Because until Sir Haywood heard back from his colleague, the investigation into the murder plot would be stuck at a dead end.

When Bronze Star read the news report from Canterlot the next morning, he discovered that Hoity Toity would be arriving at Ponyville at around six o’clock in the evening. He made a note to get to Carousel Boutique before then. That way, there would be no chance of Hoity Toity seeing the prince in the daylight.

Dapple Rhomb got off work at five o’clock as usual. A few minutes after she left, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank departed from the embassy, as well. When they got to Carousel Boutique, Copper Hollow and Noble Edict were already there. They had set up the stage and the walkway outside of Carousel Boutique. They were standing along the sides of the walkway. Vinyl Scratch was present, as well; she had set up her DJ station near the back of the walkway. When she saw Bronze Star and Sir Haywood arrive, she just smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

The gold stallion and the indigo stallion then entered the building. Straightaway, they encountered Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. They were in the process of getting into their dresses. Astoundingly, none of them seemed the least bit perturbed by how strange the dresses looked, even though they were actually wearing them now. Spike was also setting up a microphone near the back entrance. He had volunteered to handle the announcing for the fashion show. Luckily, the baby dragon would doing this task by himself. The fashion show would not be utilizing any of Pinkie Pie’s esoteric comments from the Running of the Leaves.

Rarity was near the front of the building. She looked as though she was trying to hide. All things considered, nopony could blame her. For some reason, she had the sink from her kitchen by her side.

When Sir Haywood and Bronze Star approached the white mare, she just looked up at them and smiled weakly. There was a short period of silence, and then Sir Haywood said “Well, Rarity, good luck.”

“I’m going to need a Tartarus of a lot more than luck, Sir Haywood,” Rarity drily remarked.

“We still have the option to call this whole thing off,” Bronze Star proposed, “Hoity Toity never travels anywhere unless he intends to stay there for several days. The townspeople aren’t going anywhere, either. We’ve got time to fix this problem.”

“No, we don’t,” Rarity argued, “It’s now or never. We won’t get another chance after today. It’s better to show the people something of poor quality than nothing at all.”

“I don’t know about that,” Bronze Star proclaimed. 

“Actually, she may have a point,” Haywood McCrank contended, “I have a similar policy. When conducting an investigation, it’s better to have bad intel than no intel at all. At least with unreliable information, one would be able to rule a few things out.”

“I’m not sure that logic would really apply here, Superintendent,” Bronze Star muttered drily.

“We’ll just have to wait and see, Your Highness,” Sir Haywood supposed.

After this conversation ended, some ponies started appearing outside Carousel Boutique. Over the next hour and a-half, the crowd grew progressively larger and larger. A few minutes after six o’clock, the Sun had begun to set. A train from Canterlot pulled in at the depot at approximately the same time. That was the train Hoity Toity was due to arrive on.

Hoity Toity himself showed up at Carousel Boutique at about five minutes before seven o’clock. He was an Earth Pony with a phthalo bluish gray coat, a light sapphire bluish gray mane with light gray stripes, and grayish cobalt blue eyes. His cutie mark was a paper fan. By then, scores of ponies had gathered around the stage and walkway of Carousel Boutique. Noble Edict and Copper Hollow were preoccupied with chaperoning them all.

Rarity approached the back entrance of Carousel Boutique, right where the stage had been set up. She pulled back the curtains slightly and peered out. Hoity Toity was sitting on a pillow near the very front of the walkway. Rarity spotted him almost immediately.

She gasped and mumbled anxiously “There he is!”

She backed away from the back entrance and started taking in deep breaths. After a few moments, she managed to calm herself down, and she told herself “Okay. Relax, Rarity. Your friends like their outfits and so will he.”

Just then, the lights in Carousel Boutique were extinguished.

“UUUAAA, what's wrong with the lights?!” the white Unicorn shrieked in alarm. Then she remembered that this was part of the arrangement. She uttered serenely “Oh, yes. That means the show's starting. Good.”

Once the lights were all out, Vinyl Scratch cued the music. She had composed it and recorded it herself, and it really matched the overall jovial mood of the fashion show. Of course, there was a huge possibility that the mood would change completely once the show actually began.

As the music played, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie walked out onto the stage. They were still standing in the dark, so nopony could see the mares or what they were wearing. For now, they were simply getting into position.

Shortly after this, Spike appeared at the head of the walkway. A spotlight shined on him in such a way that only his silhouette could be seen by the audience. He picked up his microphone and buoyantly announced “Since the beginning of time, the elite of Equestria have longed for pony fashions that truly expressed the essence of their very souls. Patiently waiting decades -- no, centuries -- for the perfect pony gown. Today, at long last, Equestria, your wait is over! Let's hear it for the breathtaking designs of Ponyville's own Rarity!”

More spotlights started shining, and the five mares stepped out onto the walkway one-by-one. Ironically, the music jerked to a halt at almost the exact same time. As a result, every little thing that was said by the people on the ground could be heard. Nopony was impressed or captivated by what the mares were wearing. They just murmured amongst themselves in shock and astonishment.

Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank were near the back end of the walkway. They were standing behind the open curtains and inside Carousel Boutique so that nopony could see them. They watched the whole show as it took place in front of them. They could already tell that it was not going well.

The indigo stallion leaned over to the gold stallion and whispered “Sir, prepare for a whole lot of cringing.”

“Way ahead of you, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star grimly thought aloud.

By now, the five mares had reached the front of the walkway. A rotating platform had been placed on this part of it. Once all of them were standing on the platform, it began spinning clockwise. Since the mares were directly facing the audience, they soon noticed the expressions of on the other ponies. At first, they were perplexed by how disgruntled everypony looked.

Why's everypony lookin' at us like that?” Applejack muttered quietly.

Twilight Sparkle looked herself and the others over, and she finally realized how outlandish their clothes really looked. She uttered nervously “Oh dear.”

“You think we overdid it?” Rainbow Dash theorized.

“Nah,” Applejack claimed. She paused for a moment, and she looked down at her galoshes. Then she mumbled “Okay, maybe a little.”

So all the mares had realized that they had gone overboard with their special requests, but it was too late to prevent a wave of embarrassment.

Hoity Toity stood up from his seat and announced in great displeasure “Oh, those amateurish designs look like a piled-on mishmash of everything but a kitchen sink!”

Many of the ponies in the audience laughed at that shot. Inside Carousel Boutique, Rarity still had the sink from her kitchen by her side. She casually pushed it away with her back hoof. In another time and place, that might have been funny to her.

Hoity Toity was not finished there. He continued berating with “It's a travesty, it's what it is. Those outfits are the ugliest things I've ever seen, oh for shame. Who is responsible for subjecting our eyes to these horrors? Not to mention wasting my valuable time.”

All of a sudden, another spotlight shined on the back entrance to Carousel Boutique. Rarity scurried away from it and turned to face Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank, and her cat Opal. She beseeched them “Oh! Hide me.”

The two stallions were more than willing to carry out that request. Unfortunately, before they could, Spike called out “Come on out and take a bow, Rarity. You worked really hard for this.”

Rarity was still considering the idea of hiding, but Spike had already broadcasted to the audience that she had been the one who designed the dresses. Now that they all knew, there was no real point in hiding any more.

The white mare sighed, lowered her head, and slowly trotted outside. Once she was on the walkway, one of the spotlights shined down on her. As she moved down the walkway, Spike cheered her on with “Yes! Alright, woohoo! Go, Rarity!”

The baby dragon was the only person there who was really looking on the bright side. Hoity Toity and everypony in the audience felt aghast, the five mares on the platform felt awkward, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank felt uncomfortable, and Rarity felt downright humiliated.

After a couple minutes of this, Noble Edict and Copper Hollow decided to intervene. The two of them climbed onto the walkway and approached Rarity. The red mare gently escorted the white mare back inside Carousel Boutique. The copper stallion covered them and announced to the spectators below “Alright, people, show’s over. You can all go home. Now get the Tartarus out of here.”

Some might have viewed that last statement as rude or offensive, but after what the townsfolk just witnessed, they were delighted to leave the area. The crowd quickly dispersed, getting smaller every second. Soon, Hoity Toity was the last pony left on the ground. He just shook his head in disapproval and trotted away from the scene.

Once Rarity was back inside Carousel Boutique, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank approached her and tried to comfort her. At first, the white mare gave no reaction to anything the stallions did at all. Then she burst into tears, galloped to her room, and closed and locked the door when she was inside.

Bronze Star, Spike, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow thought about going to her to try cheering her up, but Haywood McCrank advised against that. He claimed that Rarity needed some time to be by herself. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie reentered the building soon after.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Applejack commented.

The others sadly nodded in agreement.

“Is there anything we can do for Rarity?” Twilight Sparkle asked hopefully.

“No, I’d say you’ve done quite enough already,” Haywood McCrank snapped, a note of anger permeating his usually stoic voice. 

“How about you throw away those ‘dresses?’” Bronze Star scathingly remarked, “Or better yet, burn them.”

“I’d be happy to find some kerosene and a match,” Copper Hollow bluntly conceded.

“Let’s not do anything now,” Noble Edict proposed, “Rarity’s state-of-mind is probably very fragile at present. If we try to get her to feel better right now, we may just end up making things even worse.”

“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest,” Haywood McCrank thought aloud, “We should just leave Rarity alone for now.”

The other nine ponies and the baby dragon accepted this idea.

After a brief pause, Bronze Star looked up at the clock on the wall. It was a quarter to eight. The gold stallion looked around at the others and informed them “I need to get back to the embassy. I’ve still got some business there that I need to get done.”

“Alright, we’ll see you around, Bronze,” Copper Hollow acknowledged.

After bidding his friends good night, Bronze Star hastily left Carousel Boutique. He got back to the embassy within ten minutes. After checking in, he headed up to his room, locked the door, and covered the windows. Next he reached under his bed and pulled out his strongbox. He then found the key, used it to unlock the strongbox, and removed the magic blackboard, marker, and washcloth.

When all this was done, it was exactly eight o’clock. Bronze Star got settled on his bed, placed the blackboard on his lap, and promptly wrote this sentence on the surface:

Omicron-11, reporting in.

When he was finished, the words faded away. Bronze Star patiently waited for a response. Then these words appeared on his blackboard:

This is Omicron-10. Everything alright over there?

Bronze Star was amused by the casualness of that statement. He erased it with his washcloth, and then he wrote down:

Yes, we’re all doing excellent. Relatively speaking, that is.

He included the second comment to account for Rarity’s dilemma. Before those two sentences disappeared, he wrote a third one under them:

How are things going up there?

SIG Sauer’s answer came through ten seconds later:

We’re all getting by very well. We’ve got a lot to talk about.

After reading this, Bronze Star wiped the blackboard clean and wrote down on it:

Indeed we do. Before we get into any of that, could you give the blackboard to Omicron-9 for a moment? I have something I’d like to tell him.

Certainly, sir.

Bronze Star waited for a minute, and then another sentence appeared on the blackboard:

What is it you have to tell me, Your Highness?

The gold stallion recognized it as Walther’s writing. He then erased the sentence and wrote:

I simply wish to congratulate you, General.

Congratulate me on what?

Last week, I saw that article on you in the international section of the Canterlot newspaper. So you’ll be at the Best Young Flyers Competition as both a judge and an honored guest, huh? That’s quite a way to celebrate 30 years in the Wonderbolts.

I wholeheartedly agree. I must admit, though; I was a little surprised when I received the invitation.

I’m not surprised at all. You’re probably the most famous and most capable active living member of the Wonderbolts. You have plenty of achievements to show for your three decades of service.

I appreciate that, sir.

Well, it’s true. Are you looking forward to putting on your old uniform?

Yes, very much. I just hope the uniform still fits me.

I wouldn’t worry about that. I know it’s been nearly seven years since you last put it on, but I can tell that you haven’t let yourself go. Besides, you never really take the uniform off.

Exactly, sir. That’s a sentiment I have always embraced.

Bronze Star paused here for a few moments. He considered changing the subject, but then a thought occurred to him. He wrote down the following sentence on his blackboard.

Do you know whether or not Fleetfoot will be there?

This sentence disappeared like all the previous ones. Bronze Star had received a response to all of those sentences within fifteen seconds. However, he went an entire minute without getting any feedback this time.  Bronze Star was concerned that his last sentence might have upset the mahogany Pegasus. Luckily, that notion turned out to be unfounded. After that minute, this came through:

I’ve been told that Captain Spitfire will be attending. Since Fleetfoot is her Second Lieutenant, it is very probably that she will be there, as well.

Are you going to… make contact with her?

If she’s there, I’ll certainly try. But there’s no way of knowing whether or not she’d actually want to see me.

The only way you’ll find out is if you utilize the direct approach. You can’t expect her to come to you first.

I don’t expect that at all.

Then it’s up to you to make the first move. You need to be the strong one here.

With all due respect, Your Highness, that process is not as simple as that. When was the last time you had to make amends with an estranged family member?

Bronze Star could not deny that argument. Walther made a very fine point. He sighed and wrote:

I apologize, General; I know I have no business meddling in your personal life.

No, it’s quite alright, Your Highness. You’re just hoping that I’ll be able to resolve the quarrel between myself and my daughter. I actually appreciate your words of encouragement. Even so, I do not want to risk making things worse with Fleetfoot by approaching her before she’s ready to forgive me.

I understand, Omicron-9.

Bronze Star sat still for another minute. Then he added this:

That’s all I wanted to tell you. Please return the blackboard to Omicron-10.

I shall.

Bronze Star leaned back against his pillows and waited. Thirty seconds later, he received this:

What should we address first, Your Highness?

Bronze Star rubbed his chin in contemplation for a minute, and then he put down:

I’ve been reading the papers every day, and I’ve noticed that the power failures in Hoovston have stopped. Do I have you to thank for that?

Actually, you should first thank our field operatives. Then you should thank the electricians in Hoovston. Then you can thank us.

I see. So, how did you manage it?

We had our field operatives file anonymous tips to the Hoovston Police Department. In those tips, they suggested the possibility that somepony had broken into the electricity network and that he or she was purposely draining power from the electricity network for his or her own gain. The police followed up on those tips and discovered that the provided information was correct. Subsequently, they shared these revelations with the employees of the power stations. The stations’ board of directors quickly busied themselves with remedying the problem.

What exactly did they do?

They’ve added an additional firewall to the network’s failsafe program. Now whenever somepony tries to slice into the electricity network and redirect any part of it, the failsafe program activates straightaway. The new firewall has imposed another level of security that makes it virtually impossible for somepony to redirect the failsafe program.

Even somepony as proficient and experienced as Livewire?

Yes, even a veteran electrician like him. The new firewall was designed with a different type of code than the code that was used when the electrical upgrades were first installed in Hoovston. In other words, it uses an encryption algorithm that Livewire is unfamiliar with. He would be totally unable to bypass it, and even if he tried to, he would risk exposing himself in seconds.

That is fantastic. While we’re on the subject, do we now have some hard evidence that Livewire was responsible for the power failures?

Actually, yes; we do. Obviously, Livewire has noticed that Hoovston is no longer experiencing any more power failures. As you know, when the power failures were taking place, Livewire seemed to be the only person in Hoovston who was not the least bit frightened or alarmed by them. However, now that they’ve stopped, the roles have been reversed. While everypony else in the city is relieved that the power failures have ceased, our field operatives have reported that Livewire appears to be agitated and restless. He does not have any everyday problems that those negative emotions could be attributed to; no debts, no obligations, or anything of the sort.

He’s realized that his ingenious plan has encountered an unexpected setback.

That’s our guess, too.

That settles it; he’s the culprit.

It would seem so, Your Highness. However, according to our field operatives, he has refused to give up his scheme just yet.

What do you mean?

A couple days after the power failures stopped, Livewire went near one of the city’s power stations. He’s been spending more time in that general area every day.

What’s he doing there?

Our field operatives have been unable to determine that. They reported that Livewire has started going inside various buildings for whole hours. These are buildings that he was no business being in. However, we know he must be doing something when he’s inside them. Every time he goes into a building, at some point, all the lights flicker at the same time. But they only flicker for a brief moment. If you blinked at the wrong time, you could miss it. Even our field operatives almost did not notice it at first.

Peculiar. And this happens every time Livewire goes into a building?

ALMOST every time. The sole exception is the hotel Livewire’s staying at. But that hotel is more than two miles away from the power station. All the other buildings Livewire has entered in the past week are only a few blocks away from the station.

What could he possibly be up to?

Alas, we have no idea. Even Omicron-7 cannot venture a guess.

Bronze Star took a moment to reflect on this matter. He then worked out a new strategy, and he continued writing on his blackboard:

Tell the field operatives to get closer to Livewire. It is imperative that that they find out what he is scheming. Have them get within reaching distance, if that’s what it takes.

Are you certain that that’s the most prudent course of action, sir?

Yes, absolutely. We cannot let Livewire continue to temper with Hoovston’s electricity. At least not before we determine what his main goal is. Our only option is to close in around him without actually approaching him. Once the field operatives learn what he is up to, we can decide what to do about it. If need be, we’ll bring him in.

After these instructions disappeared, Bronze Star waited for them to be acknowledged. As he anticipated, he had to wait for a while. He assumed that the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment were discussing them amongst themselves. It was probable that a few of them had some uncertainties about his orders.

Ultimately, he was given this response from SIG Sauer:

As you wish, Your Highness. I’ll dispatch your new orders to the field operatives. I’ll ensure that they get close enough to Livewire to determine what he’s up to.

Good. Just be sure to advise the use of caution. I do not want Livewire to think he is being watched or followed.

Yes, sir.

The matter of Hoovston had pretty much been fully addressed by this point. Bronze figured they may as well move on to the next topic of interest. After wiping away those last two words, he wrote down the following declaration on the blackboard:

Now would be a good time to discuss the issue I mentioned in my last letter to Lord Bellerophon.

After receiving this message, SIG Sauer responded promptly with:

I assume you mean the matter which pertains to the whereabouts of one of the conspiracy’s ringleaders?

Precisely. And not just the ringleader, but the person who started the conspiracy in the first place.

You mean Esopus Spitzenburg?

Yes. I’ve discovered out he will be coming to Ponyville in a little more than a month.

Bronze Star assumed that SIG Sauer and the other members of the Regiment were surprised to hear this, as the pine green Unicorn did not respond for almost thirty seconds. After that, he sent this message to the young prince:

How did you manage to acquire this information?

Applejack told me it herself. Don’t forget that Spitzenburg is a member of the Apple Family; he’s Applejack’s great uncle. Apparently, he and a few more of her relatives have plans to visit her here in Ponyville soon.

That’s rather intriguing, sir. We have our best field operatives watching over Esopus Spitzenburg for the past five months, and the information they’ve acquired from him is trivial at best. In fact, Spitzenburg is so good at keeping his calendar private that we’ve never been able to uncover any of his long-term plans. Yet you were able to do that just by talking to one of your friends.

There are times when a friendly conversation can be more enlightening than a background check.

Perhaps. Still, you managed to acquire some pertinent information that even our most resourceful field operatives couldn’t.

It gets even better than that. Applejack actually wants to introduce me to him personally.

How convenient. She saved you the burden of having to ask to meet him yourself. Still, may I ask why she wants to introduce you and Spitzenburg to each other?

Well, according to her, I’m a lot like him.

That’s quite an alarming allegation.

She meant that as a compliment. Applejack has a lot of respect for Esopus Spitzenburg. She clearly doesn’t know anything about his criminal activities.

I doubt anypony in the Apple Family is aware of Esopus Spitzenburg’s role in the conspiracy. We’ve noticed that of all the conspirators we’ve identified so far, none of them are directly related to any of the others. In fact, no two of them even live in the same city.

The conspiracy was probably organized that way so that the people involved in it would never allow their personal feelings to pose a problem.

That would certainly make sense. Mixing family and work can often produce… undesirable results.

Unless the family runs an enterprise, like Applejack’s. Or a country, like mine.

True, Your Highness. But let’s get back to what you were saying before. Now that we know that you and Esopus Spitzenburg will be in the same town in about a month, how should we prepare for this?

For now, I do not want you to do anything.

What?

I would like to handle this matter myself. I’m going to try to get close to Esopus Spitzenburg while he’s here. Who knows; I may be able to get him to reveal some pertinent information. Our field operatives might not even have to do any work.

Sir, I admire your bravery and your drive, but I must protest. Putting you and Sir Raoul Jowl in a room was one thing. It is another entirely to put you in a room with Esopus Spitzenburg. There’s no telling what could go wrong. We cannot put you in that sort of danger. I mean, this is the very stallion who instigated a conspiracy to murder this country’s supreme leader.

You think I’ve forgotten that? As you know, that “supreme leader” is also my own mother. If I had the option to kill Spitzenburg myself, I would take it without hesitation. Of course, I don’t have that option, but I do have the next best thing. I have the opportunity to investigate him on a personal level. According to Sir Haywood McCrank, suspects are always far more cooperative when they do not even know they are being monitored or interrogated. If I can manage to get on Esopus Spitzenburg’s good side, there’s no telling what we could learn from him then. Let me do this, SIG. I know I can do it.

Bronze Star almost never addressed the members of the Firebrand Regiment by their actual names whenever he communicated to them through his blackboard. The only times he did were when he was trying to speak to them as a friend, or when he was reaching out to them.

He must have succeeded here, as he received this after a long hiatus:

Alright, Your Highness. If this is what you want, I have no right to deny you this chance.

Thank you, SIG. I greatly appreciate you giving me it.

Bronze Star leaned sat up on his bed and rubbed his temple to think. Then he finished up the written conversation with this:

In the meantime, I’m going to see what else I can learn about Esopus Spitzenburg from Applejack. I’m sure she’d be happy to share more details about her relatives’ upcoming visit. Whenever she tells me something noteworthy about Esopus Spitzenburg, I’ll be certain to share it with the rest of you. I’ll keep you apprised through the blackboard, so make sure one of you keeps it close-by at all times. Understood?

Understood, Your Highness.

Outstanding. Omicron-11 out.

After those last few words faded away, Bronze Star returned the blackboard, marker, and washcloth to the strongbox. Then he locked it back up and hid both the strongbox and the key in their regular hiding spots.

Bronze Star made a note to ask Applejack about Esopus Spitzenburg in the near future. If he had nothing else on his agenda, he would have talked to her about this subject the following day. However, before he did anything else, another of his friends needed his attention.

The next day, Bronze Star stopped by Carousel Boutique to look in on Rarity. The white mare had locked herself in her room, and when Bronze Star tried talking to her, she did not respond.

Over the next two days, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Sir Haywood McCrank, Fluttershy, Copper Hollow, Pinkie Pie, Noble Edict, and Rainbow Dash all visited Carousel Boutique at different times to check up on the fashionista. She did not speak to any of them.

On the third day after the fashion show fiasco, all nine of the ponies went to see her at the same time. Once they were all gathered outside her bedroom, Pinkie Pie approached the door and knocked on it with her front hoof. She called out “Rarity? You okay in there? You haven't come out for days.”

This time, Rarity finally gave a reply. She proclaimed drearily “I'm never coming out! I can't show my face in Ponyville ever again! I used to be somepony. I used to be respected. I made dresses. Beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now everypony is laughing at me. I'm nothing but a laughing stock!”

As the white Unicorn broke down sobbing, Twilight Sparkle attempted to cheer her up with “You're not a laughing stock, Rarity...”

“She kind of is,” Rainbow Dash countered. A few of the others glared at her for being so insensitive.

“And whose fault is that?” Copper Hollow remarked sardonically.

“Hey, it’s not just mine this time,” Rainbow Dash uttered defensively.

“Shhh!” Twilight Sparkle urged them. She turned back to the door and pleaded to her friend “Come on out and talk to us.”

“Leave me alone!” Rarity cried sorrowfully, “I want to be alone! I want to wallow in... whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! Do ponies wallow in pity? Oh, listen to me, I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'M SO PATHETIC!”

“Now what do we do?” Twilight Sparkle inquired.

“Uh... panic?” Fluttershy suggested worriedly.

“That's your answer for everything!” Rainbow Dash said crossly

“Well, we can't just leave Rarity like this,” Applejack perceived.

“Indeed, we cannot,” Haywood McCrank concurred.

“She'll become a crazy cat lady!” Pinkie Pie declared.

“She only has one cat,” Twilight Sparkle pointed out.

“Give her time,” Pinkie Pie debated.

“Well, if need be, we could break down the door,” Noble Edict proposed.

“That’d just make this thing even worse,” Bronze Star contended.

“He’s right,” Haywood McCrank coincided, “Rarity has to come out on her own volition.”

“Anypony got any ideas?” Applejack queried.

“I’ve got nothing,” Rainbow Dash commented.

“Me either,” Fluttershy pronounced.

“Well, I know we’ll think of something,” Copper Hollow asserted.

“Yeah, we have to,” Bronze Star agreed.

The nine ponies stood in silence for a while as they contemplated their options. After a short period of quietness, Twilight Sparkle proposed “What if we did her a favor?”

“Like what?” Noble Edict inquired.

“Rarity was busy making our outfits that she didn’t have time to complete her own,” Twilight Sparkle apprised them.

“I think I know what you’re implying,” Haywood McCrank presumed, “You believe that if we finish Rarity’s dress for her, we might improve her morale?”

“Exactly,” Twilight Sparkle confirmed.

“It’s certainly worth a try,” Pinkie Pie commented.

The nine ponies then headed downstairs to Rarity’s workshop. In the back of the room, they found a few sheets of fabric that had been partially stitched together. Applejack, Bronze Star, and Twilight Sparkle recognized them as the ensemble Rarity had been working on when they visited her six days ago. It was the dress she had been making for herself for the Gala.

“There it is,” Applejack informed the others.

The nine ponies approached the sheets of fabric and looked them over. So far, this was all Rarity had completed for her dress.

“Looks like she didn’t get very far along,” Rainbow Dash thought aloud.

Noble Edict noticed a few sheets of paper on the wall behind the sewing machine. She trotted over to the papers, removed them, and studied them. They were very detailed drawings of very well-designed outfits. She recognized all but one of them as the original outfits Rarity had made for her friends. The only one she did not recognize bore a slight resemblance to the sheets of fabric near the sewing machine. Noble Edict quickly concluded that it was a sketch of what Rarity envisioned her own dress to look like. The red mare held up the drawing and pronounced “Luckily for us, she made a sketch.”

“That’s good,” Twilight Sparkle proclaimed, “If we can follow it closely enough, we may be able to finish the dress by ourselves.”

“Only one problem; there’s no instruction manual,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.

“Right,” Bronze Star muttered, “Does anypony here know anything about making clothing?”

At first, none of the ponies said anything. All nine of them just looked around at each other, hoping one of them would have some experience in this field. Eventually, Fluttershy stepped forward and softly revealed “Actually, I… I know how to sew.”

The others all turned to her, surprised. Copper Hollow asked in interest “Really?”

“Yes,” the yellow mare quietly confirmed, “It’s a bit of a hobby of mine. I can’t guarantee anything here, but I’ll see what I can do for Rarity’s dress.”

“Be our guest, Fluttershy,” Pinkie Pie bade her.

Fluttershy spent the next half-hour working on Rarity’s dress. She was very careful and delicate with the sewing machine. She paid attention to every inch of fabric, every pattern of color, and every single stitch to ensure that she did everything just the way Rarity would have done it. When she was finally finished, the other ponies were very much impressed with the final product. They complimented the shy Pegasus on her ability. She just blushed heavily and looked down at the ground.

“There’s just one thing I don’t get,” Copper Hollow murmured, “What’s with the crown adornment?”

“It’s probably there to add a touch of majesty,” Twilight Sparkle propounded, “You see, the whole reason Rarity wanted to go to the Gala in the first place was to meet Prince Blueblood.”

“Yeah, I remember you telling me that,” Bronze Star recounted, “All I can say is that I pity Rarity.”

“How come?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

The gold stallion scoffed and disclosed “Not many people know this, but my cousin’s a hardcore douchebag.”

The other eight ponies were somewhat stunned by that remark. Even more alarming was how bluntly and seriously Bronze Star had presented it.

“Is that so?” Applejack asked her coltfriend.

“Ho, yeah,” Bronze Star affirmed, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the heart to tell Rarity that. She may have to learn that the hard way when she actually sees Blueblood at the Gala.”

“At any rate, we need to make sure she’s still willing to GO to the Gala,” Twilight Sparkle illuminated.

“Right,” Noble Edict coincided, “First things first, though. How are we going to get Rarity to come out of her room?”

Rainbow Dash ended up being the one who found a solution to this issue. There was a tree outside Carousel Boutique that directly faced the window to Rarity’s bedroom. Rainbow Dash suggested that they take Rarity’s cat Opalescence, put her up in a tree, and wait for Rarity to come out to rescue her. This plan may have seemed like a longshot, but Rarity was a very caring pet owner. If Opal was in distress, Rarity would not hesitate to come to her aid.

After placing Rarity’s dress on one of her mannequins, the other ponies moved the mannequin outside to the base of the tree. Then Rainbow Dash searched the building for Opalescence. Once she found the cat, the cyan mare flew her up to the tree and placed her on a thin branch. Luckily, Rarity’s window was open at the time.

Opalescence gripped the branch, stared at the ground below in terror, and began meowing restlessly.

A few seconds later, Rarity appeared at her window and stated “Huh? Opal?”

Opalescence did not respond to her mistress. She just continued meowing in fright.

“Opal, how did you get up there?” Rarity called out worriedly “Hang on, you poor dear! Mama's coming!”

A few seconds later, Rarity rushed out of Carousel Boutique. She was clad in a fluffy pink bathrobe, and she wore pink fuzzy slippers on her front hooves. Her mane looked rather unkempt, as well.

As soon as she was outside, she spotted Rainbow Dash on the same branch as Opalescence. The white mare glared up at the cyan mare and yelled “Rainbow Dash?! How dare you strand my poor Opal in a tree?”

Rainbow Dash just smirked and gestured to the ground, saying “Well, how else were we gonna get you out here to show you this?”

Rarity redirected her gaze from the top of the tree to its base. When she saw her Gala dress on the mannequin, her jaw dropped in amazement. “What is it? It's not... You...”

As she was gasping, Pinkie Pie happily told her “We all finished your dress for you.”

“Thanks to Fluttershy's freaky knowledge of sewing,” Applejack added in, looking to the yellow mare.

Fluttershy just blushed again and gazed at the ground for a moment. Then she looked up at Rarity and asked her “Do you like it?” 

“Like it?” Rarity repeated in disbelief as she approached the mannequin, “Like it?!” 

“Uh-uh,” Fluttershy said anxiously, “She doesn't like it.”

“No, I don't like it,” Rarity thought aloud.

“Awwww...” everypony mumbled in disappointment.

Right then, Rarity’s expression brightened up immensely. She turned to her friends and joyfully announced “I LOVE IT!”

“Yay!” everypony cheered in unison.

Rainbow Dash picked up Opalescence, brought her down to the ground, and placed her on her mistress’s back. Rarity studied the dress and observed “You ponies did an amazing job. It's exactly the way I imagined it.”

“We just followed your brilliant design,” Fluttershy remarked.

“Like we should have let you do for our outfits,” Twilight Sparkle candidly professed, “Those first dresses you designed were perfect.”

“I could have told you that five days ago,” Noble Edict proclaimed, “That’s why I didn’t ask to have mine redone.”

“We're so super sorry,” Pinkie Pie said apologetically.

“You worked really hard to make our dresses exactly the way we wanted them,” Rainbow Dash observed glumly, “We all saw how well that turned out.”

“Oh, I forgive you,” Rarity assured her friends.

“Well, that's mighty big of you,” Applejack said in admiration.

Just then, Rarity abruptly returned to her distressed mode and cried “But my whole career is still ruined!”

“Oh, right.” Applejack frankly stated, “That.”

Twilight Sparkle thought for a minute, and then she countered with “Maybe not.”

Rarity looked to her and asked “What do you mean?” 

“Hoity Toity is still in Ponyville,” Twilight Sparkle apprised her.

“He is?” Rarity inquired.

“Yeah, he’s been staying in the most expensive suite in the apartment complex,” Noble Edict expounded, “Apparently, he’s not going to leave town until he sees something that’s fashionable enough to get his attention.”

“We could make that work to our advantage,” Haywood McCrank recommended.

“Just what I was thinking,” Twilight Sparkle conceded, “How about we give the fashion show another try?”

“What do you mean?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“We could hold another fashion show,” Twilight Sparkle proposed, “This time, we’ll use the first round of dresses Rarity made for us.”

“That’s a good idea,” Applejack commented, “However, after what happened the other night, I doubt we’d have a very large turnout.”

“She’s got a point,” Rainbow Dash agreed.

“Then let’s not make it public,” Pinkie Pie advised, “We can hold it exclusively for Hoity Toity.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Fluttershy uttered softly.

“Yeah, I’m for that,” Copper Hollow proclaimed, “If there’s no crowd to organize, Noble Edict and I could partake in it, too.”

“I’d like that,” Noble Edict said approvingly.

“That’s wonderful!” Rarity exclaimed.

“If Hoity Toity will be the only person present at the fashion show, I suppose I could participate, as well,” Haywood McCrank remarked, “I could just make sure he does not mention me specifically.”

“That’s great, Sir Haywood,” Rarity stated, grinning widely.

“Looks like we’re all in,” Pinkie Pie declared giddily.

“Except…” Applejack countered, looking over at Bronze Star.

Everypony turned to the gold stallion. He rubbed his chin for a moment as if he was deep in thought. A few moments later, he began with “Actually…”

He paused again, and then he looked around at the other nine ponies and told them “Don’t get Hoity Toity just yet. I need to get something from the embassy.”

Everypony agreed to stand and wait. They watched Bronze Star as he galloped away from the scene. Twenty minutes later, he returned to Carousel Boutique with his strongbox.

“Alright,” Bronze Star stated, “I’m in.”

“Weren’t you concerned about Hoity Toity recognizing you?” Twilight Sparkle recalled.

“Yeah, I was at the time,” Bronze Star answered her, “But don’t worry. I have a plan.”

Nopony asked what he meant, as the gold stallion seemed confident with himself.

Rarity brought her dress back inside Carousel Boutique. Twilight Sparkle went to get Spike while the other eight ponies followed the white Unicorn inside. Once the lavender mare and the baby dragon returned, the group began making preparations for the second fashion show.

Rarity dug up the first dresses she had created for Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle, and she distributed them to their respective owners. She also got out Copper Hollow’s tuxedo, Noble Edict’s gown, Haywood McCrank’s suit, and Bronze Star’s cloak.

While the nine of them got into their outfits, Rarity asked Spike to head over to the apartment complex and find Hoity Toity. By using some pleading and persuasiveness, the baby dragon convinced the fashion representative to give Rarity a chance to redeem herself.

By the time they got back to Carousel Boutique, everypony else had gotten dressed up. They had also set up the stage in the front room, complete with curtains and a canopy. At the moment, they were all standing behind the curtains so that they were concealed from Hoity Toity’s view.

Rarity stepped backstage for a moment to tell everypony how the fashion show would go. They would each present themselves one at a time, and there would be music playing in the background. Spike was in charge of managing the music, and all the music was leftover from the previous fashion show. Every time another pony stepped on stage, the music would change.

Originally, Rarity planned to present herself last. However, Bronze Star requested that he go last instead, and that Rarity present him in a specific manner. This was part of his plan. The white Unicorn agreed to this proposal.

Once they had discussed everything, Rarity went back out to see Hoity Toity. She waited for him to give the signal to begin.

“All right, I haven't got all day,” the fashion representative pronounced, “Take two.”

Rarity stood in the center of the stage, and her horn started producing an aura. The aura grew larger and brighter, and soon the whole room was encompassed by it. New age music started playing in the background.

Soon the light generated by Rarity’s magic aura dimmed. Rarity was not standing on the stage; Twilight Sparkle was. She was surrounded by waves of shooting stars. When they dissipated, she turned to her side and smiled at Hoity Toity.

The phthalo bluish gray stallion lowered his sunglasses and commented in interest “Hello... Oh, this can't be the same designer.”

The new age music was then replaced by country music, and Applejack sauntered onto the stage. Visions of apples danced around her, and she looked as though she was brandishing a lasso. She waved her front hooves and smirked at Hoity Toity.

The fashion representative smiled and pronounced “Simply magnificent! And I suddenly have a fierce craving for some Dutch apple pie, candied apples on a stick, apple turnovers, apple cobbler...”

As he went on, the country music was replaced by jazz music, and Copper Hollow entered the stage. All around him were images of ceramic bowls and metallic vessels. As they faded away, the copper stallion turned to Hoity Toity and smirked down at him.

The phthalo bluish gray stallion rubbed his chin and pronounced “Oh, this is excellent; we’ve got costumes for both sexes now.”

The jazz music was then replaced by pop music. Illusions of candy and party decorations covered the stage. Pinkie Pie swiftly entered amidst them. Despite the fact that the candy was illusionary, she tried to eat a couple of them. After that, she smiled with her mouth open at Hoity Toity.

He exclaimed excitedly “Brilliant!”

The pop music was then replaced by rhythm and blues music. Noble Edict was the next one on stage. She was surrounded by waves of papers, badges, and cabinets. Once they disappeared, she struck a rather sultry pose and gazed in Hoity Toity’s direction.

This gesture had a pleasing effect on the fashion representative. He wryly observed “Oh my, this is getting invigorating.”

All of a sudden, there was a crash of thunder that took him by surprise. The rhythm and blues music was replaced by rock music, and Rainbow Dash had her turn. There were clouds, bolts of lightning, and rainbows all around her. She hovered in the air for a minute, and then she landed on the ground and smirked at Hoity Toity.

“Oh, spectacular!” Hoity Toity proclaimed.

The rock music was then replaced by metal music. Sir Haywood McCrank came on the stage next. Although the music did not seem compatible with his persona, it did go well with his presentation. Sir Haywood was immersed in a sea of illusions of tall buildings and case files. He calmly trotted to the head of the stage, straightened out his cufflinks, and stood up tall and proud.

Hoity Toity was surprised to see Sir Haywood there, but he was even more mesmerized by his new suit. He commented in astonishment “Unbelievable; they make clothing for everypony here!”

The metal music was then replaced by soul music. Fluttershy had her turn now. She closed her eyes, flew into the open, and delicately landed on the center of the stage. All around her were imaginary plants and animals. When one of the fake butterflies landed in her mane where her butterfly-shaped brooch was, she opened her eyes and grinned.

Hoity Toity was absolutely amazed by this point. He announced cheerfully “Now this is a fashion show! All of these dresses and suits are absolutely amazing. Who is responsible? Step forward, show yourself!”

The soul music was then replaced by classical music. The light blue aura from Rarity’s horn reappeared. Once again, it encompassed the entire area for a while. When it clearly up, Rarity was on the stage. During the show, she had gotten dressed in her own gown. She stood in the center of the stage and gradually withdrew the magic aura. Applejack, Copper Hollow, Fluttershy, Sir Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle gathered behind her in two rows.

Once the magic aura had vanished altogether, Hoity Toity shouted “Brava! Brava! Magnifico! Encore!”

Rarity looked as though she was going to cry tears of joy. She looked back and forth between Hoity Toity and her friends, and she stated appreciatively “Oh, thank you. Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!”

Hoity Toity remained smiling and he professed “This must be the most well-executed fashion show I’ve seen in a good long time. You didn’t even use any professional models, but your presentation and musical accompaniment was exquisite.”

“I am so pleased to hear that,” Rarity pronounced, “However, it’s not over just yet. We have a special guest who has yet to go.”

Hoity Toity raised an eyebrow in interest and remarked “Oh? Who might it be?”

Rarity just looked over her shoulder and called out happily “He’s ready for you!”

The classical music had stopped playing long ago, and now alternative music was playing in its stead. An image of Canterlot Castle appeared on the stage. After a few seconds of inactivity, Bronze Star burst through the illusion. He was clad in his regalia and his new cloak, and his wings and horn were visible. While he was alone backstage, Bronze Star had transformed into his Alicorn form.

He hovered in the air for a moment and used his magic to completely pull away the curtains. Then he landed next to Rarity at the front of the stage.

Hoity Toity was downright stunned to see Bronze Star there. He uttered in surprise “P-P-Prince Bronze Star?”

The gold stallion just smirked and said casually “Good day, Hoity. Nice to see you here.”

The phthalo bluish gray stallion bowed to him for a moment, and then he stood up straight again and declared “L-likewise, Your Highness. But at the risk of sounding too inquisitive, may I ask what are you doing here?”

“That’s a fair question to ask,” Bronze Star asserted, “So I’ll give you an answer. I sent Sir Haywood here a few months ago on a classified assignment. He’s kept me updated on both his progress and his relationships with the locals. Not too long ago, he informed me that a number of the town’s residents would be attending the Grand Galloping Gala, and they included all six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I requested a meeting with all six of them, which Sir Haywood arranged. At that meeting, I got to know them on a personal level. At one point, Rarity offered to make me something of my own to wear at the Gala. I decided to accept, and she made me this cloak.”

He then stepped forward, turned to his side, and queried “What do you think of it?”

Hoity Toity approached the stage, lowered his sunglasses, and took a closer look at the garment. After that, he looked up and told both Bronze Star and Rarity “It’s astonishing. Not only is it well-made and extravagant, but it also matches your vest and soft shoes perfectly. I’ve never seen anypony make an original creation that went this well with any of my own creations.”

“Then you like it?” Rarity assumed hopefully.

“Oh, I certainly do,” Hoity Toity affirmed, “Rarity, you are anything but an amateur. However, I’m still a little perplexed on why didn’t you mention earlier that Prince Bronze Star would be here.”

“She and I wanted this to be a surprise for you,” Bronze Star claimed, “In exchange for that, I would ask that you not tell anypony that you saw me today. Nopony outside this room can know that I was here. Not even Princess Celestia or the Royal Guard.”

“Very well,” Hoity Toity acknowledged, “Nopony other than those present will find out.”

By now the fashion show was over. Everypony kept their outfits on for a while and simply lounged around in them. Twilight Sparkle had Spike draft another letter to Princess Celestia about friendship. The lesson she had learned today was about how to properly express appreciation for a favor.

At the same time, Hoity Toity was discussing business with Rarity. The phthalo bluish gray stallion told the white mare “Rarity, my congratulations to you on a most impressive fashion debut. Would you do me the great honor of allowing me to feature your couture in my Best of the Best Boutique in Canterlot?”

Rarity gasped in delight at that prospect.

Before she had a chance to respond, Hoity Toity added in “Now, I'll need you to make a dozen of each dress for me by next Tuesday, as well as a score of each tuxedo and a hundred of that superb cloak.”

Rarity’s delight swiftly changed to worry. She looked as though she was going to faint when she heard that request.

Bronze Star could plainly see that she was distressed. He trotted over to her and patted her on the back. He then cockily remarked “Hey, nopony ever rose to greatness without going through some pain and strife.”

“That isn’t exactly reassuring, Bronze,” Rarity irately commented.

“Sorry,” was all he said in response.

Fluttershy approached Rarity and sweetly offered “If you want, Rarity, I could give you a hoof.”

Rarity turned to the yellow mare and stated happily “You’d do that for me, Fluttershy?”

“Of course,” Fluttershy confirmed, “You’re my best friend.”

The white mare was touched by that. She smiled and remarked “That means a lot to me.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Fluttershy reminded her.

“In fact, we could all drop in and give you a hoof,” Noble Edict proposed.

“Yeah, it’s the least we could do,” Pinkie Pie conceded. There were strong murmurs of agreement all around the room.

“Well, I would certainly be grateful for any extra help,” Rarity thought aloud, “Alright, it’s a plan. Thank you all so much.”

“Anytime,” Applejack told her.

After a while, Hoity Toity decided to head back to the apartment complex. Just before he left, he announced to the other ten ponies that he would be going back to Canterlot later that day. He also mentioned to Rarity that he looked forward to receiving his order next week, and he stated that he was going to tell all of his colleagues about her fantastic outfits. Rarity was a little nervous about that first point, but she was thrilled by the second point.

Shortly after Hoity Toity left, the ten ponies got undressed. Rarity told her friends that if any of them did not want to take their outfits home with them, she would be willing to hold on to their outfits until the night of the Gala. Most of them decided to leave the outfits in her care for the present. Only Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Fluttershy decided to take theirs home.

After Bronze Star packed up his regalia and his new cloak in the strongbox, he changed back into his Earth Pony disguise. Then he and Sir Haywood McCrank decided to head back to the embassy. The gold stallion asked Sir Haywood to go outside first to see if Hoity Toity was in the area. Once the indigo stallion confirmed that the phthalo bluish gray stallion was nowhere in sight, he and Bronze Star stepped out of Carousel Boutique and began making their way back to the embassy.

On their way, Haywood McCrank turned to the younger stallion and commented “Now that was a… rather pleasurable experience.”

“I agree, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star pronounced, “You think Hoity Toity bought my story?”

“Well, you were fairly convincing,” Haywood McCrank disclosed, “If I didn’t know the truth, I think even I might have believed you.”

“Good, then I’m sure Hoity Toity did,” Bronze Star concluded. After a short pause, he remarked “At any rate, I’m glad we were able to fix Rarity’s problem.”

“As am I,” Haywood McCrank stated, “This is one scenario where everything ended well for all parties involved. Especially Rarity herself.”

“Unless you count the massive order Hoity Toity placed,” Bronze Star pointed out.

“Oh, yeah; that might be a slight problem,” Haywood McCrank conjectured, “But as long as everypony helps her out, she should be alright.”

Bronze Star lightly nodded at that. After another pause, he smirked and thought aloud “And who knows? She may even make the front page of the newspapers tomorrow.”

“That’s certainly a possibility,” Haywood McCrank conceded, “You never know what you’ll read in the papers these days.”

Ironically, at that exact time, the two of them walked past a newsstand. Right then, dozens of ponies were gathered around the foundation, trying to get their hooves on a newspaper as soon as possible. There was no line; just a massive, disorderly crowd. The vendors were struggling to keep up with all their customers.

“What do you suppose is going on over there?” Bronze Star queried.

“I’m guessing a really groundbreaking piece of news just arrived,” Haywood McCrank hypothesized.

“Well, whatever it is, everypony seems to want to know about it,” the gold stallion noted.

“I’ll go check it out,” the indigo stallion declared, “You go on without me, sir,”

“Alright, Sir Haywood,” Bronze Star conceded, “I’ll see you later.”

Haywood McCrank headed over to the newsstand while Bronze Star made his way back to the embassy. Dapple Rhomb was there, working in her office. Bronze Star quietly trotted upstairs to his bedroom and hid his strongbox under his bed. After that, he went back downstairs and got to work with his secretary.

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb spent the next twenty minutes reviewing several business letters that had arrived that morning from the capital city. They had been receiving a lot of those recently, mostly due to Princess Celestia’s sudden interest in Ponyville. Bronze Star made a note to bring them up at the next meeting with Mayor Mare and City Council.

After those twenty minutes were over, Sir Haywood got back to the embassy. To be more precise, he burst through the front door and galloped inside. When he heard Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb talking in the latter’s office, he immediately went there.

The gold stallion and the purple mare were alarmed by the indigo stallion’s current appearance. He looked as though he had sprinted there all the way from the newsstand. He actually had. His suit pants were wrinkled, his tie had been loosened, and his collared shirt was stained with sweat. His breathing was quite labored, too. His most notable feature was his facial expression; he looked absolutely shaken.

“Sir Haywood, are you alright?” Bronze Star queried in concern

Haywood McCrank held his front hoof up to show that he needed a moment to catch his breath before he could answer. Once he managed to respire normally, he reached into his suit jacket and removed a newspaper. He held it out to Bronze Star and told him edgily “Sir, you… you need to see this.”

The gold stallion tentatively took the newspaper into his front hooves and looked down at it. On the front page, there was a picture of a building. Bronze Star recognized it as one of the power stations in Hoovston. But the station looked as though it had been struck by an earthquake, and it was surrounded by wreckage and many different groups of ponies. Above the picture, the headline read: Terrible Tragedy Befalls The Citizens of Hoovston.

The newspaper had the current day’s date, but the picture’s timestamp contained the previous day’s date. A lengthy article had been printed under the picture. Bronze Star anxiously began to read it. With every word he read, he felt himself become more wrought with shock, despair, and disbelief.

When he was finished reading, he got up from his chair and sternly announced “I’ll be in my quarters. Until I come out, do not interrupt me for anything.”

Haywood McCrank and Dapple Rhomb only nodded in acknowledgement.

Bronze Star ran upstairs and hurried into his bedroom. After locking the door and covering the window, he took out his strongbox and got out his blackboard, along with the marker and washcloth. Then he wrote on the surface of the blackboard:

Is anypony there? Anypony at all? Please, respond.

Shortly after the words disappeared, he received this answer:

Omicron-3 here, sir.

The writing was in fact Peacemaker’s. Bronze Star was relieved that the Firebrand Regiment had followed his request for one of them keep their own blackboard on-hoof at all times. He then erased these words and wrote down on his:

Are the others close by, Major?

Not five seconds after these words faded away, the physician replied with:

Yes, Your Highness. We’re all in the Compartment right now.

Alright, have everypony assemble around the blackboard. And please, hurry. This is urgent.

Right away, sir.

Bronze Star then set down his blackboard and impatiently waited to hear back from the Firebrand Regiment. About three minutes later, he received this message:

This is Omicron-10 reporting in, sir. The entire group is accounted for. We’ve been expecting to hear from you.

Bronze Star was intrigued by that last statement. He wiped his blackboard clean and wrote down:

So you know about Hoovston?

Ten seconds later, SIG Sauer sent him this:

Correct. I assume you found out just now?

Yes, I read about it in the afternoon papers. But according to the picture and the article, the disaster happened last night. Have you had time to look further into it?

Indeed, we have, sir. We’ve already investigated the incident thoroughly.

Incident? This was no incident. It was a bona fide catastrophe. Make no mistake about that.

As you say, Your Highness.

That aside, I still want to hear the tale from you. What the TARTARUS happened?

Well, since you’ve read the article, you know that the press is trying the pass the event off as an unfortunate accident. However, as I’m sure you’ve already deduced, it was no accident. It was Livewire. He was the guilty party here.

That’s what I assumed. We knew he was plotting something, but how could he have caused this?

We were uncertain at first, but by combining our own findings with the reports from the field operatives and Omicron-7’s expertise, we uncovered how he accomplished it.

Tell me what he did. I want every detail.

Very well. Let me take a moment to get my report ready.

Bronze Star sat down on his bed and waited for his trainer to send him more. A minute later, SIG Sauer began his lengthy explanation:

Firstly, you should know something about the power station whose picture was in the newspaper. It’s the same power station that Livewire had been spending so much of the last several days around. All the buildings he had visited over those days received their electricity directly from that specific power station. We were able to determine the reason why the lights flickered momentarily in all those buildings whenever Livewire was inside them. He had somehow tapped into each building’s individual grid. He did that so he could gain access to the source of the building’s power in the station’s network. Once he had that access, he could control each building’s flow of electricity any way he wanted. He would not even have to be in or near the building to redirect its power. As long as he was near a foundation that received its energy from the same power station, he could manipulate the power from any of the buildings whose grids he previously sliced into. Do you understand all of this so far?

I get the gist of it; Livewire was able to control the electricity of every building he hacked into, and he could do it from anyplace close-by, as long as he was at a building that received its power from that one specific power station. But how did that allow him to do… what he did?

Last night, Livewire released a complex program into part of the network that was operated by the power station. Once this program was in the network, it immediately caused an overload in all the electrical devices in every building he had already sliced into. The overloads were so powerful they caused all the devices to – for lack of a better word – explode. That action by itself did plenty of damage to the city and its inhabitants. But it didn’t end there. After all the electrical devices in those buildings had experienced an overload, Livewire’s program redirected the flow of electricity in all those buildings to its source. In other words, they channeled all the electricity straight back to the power station. Keep in mind, we’re talking about more than thirty volatile waves of electricity here, and all of them were being focused on one location. All that electricity in one place posed a massive problem for the power station’s mainframe. The failsafe program could not compensate for the sudden increase in energy, and within minutes, the entire facility experienced a critical failure. It ultimately resulted in what can only be described as a huge electrical blast. The blast encompassed the entire station, and it caused every single device to short-circuit. Finally, the station itself completely lost power, as did every building that had been relying on it for electricity.

After reading this report over thoroughly, Bronze Star erased it all and wrote:

I can only imagine how devastating this must have been to the city and the people. What sort of repercussions is Hoovston facing? 

Over two square miles of Hoovston are without electricity, heat, or other forms of power. Many of the buildings in the danger zone have been deemed uninhabitable or unsafe. At present, a number of people have been unable to find shelter or work. Several people have lost their jobs altogether, and a few smalltime corporations have gone out of business.

What about casualties? The article contained no mention of how many people were physically affected by this disaster.

Well, they’re waiting until they have an exact number to release the casualty list. The official tally has not been taken just yet. But we have already acquired some estimates. Currently, more than ten thousand ponies have been injured, and several dozen more are missing or unaccounted for.

Alright. And how many dead?

SIG Sauer did not reply to that straightaway. After a minute of inactivity, Bronze Star repeated:

How many dead?

This time, he got an answer. SIG Sauer sent him this:

There are over six hundred confirmed fatalities.

Bronze Star dropped his marker when he received this response. He stared at that number in absolute shock for over a minute. He tried to convince himself that he was reading it wrong, but he was not. His eyes never played tricks on him.

When he finally came to his senses, Bronze Star picked up his marker and wrote:

More than six hundred ponies are dead?

Yes, and the number continues to rise as more of the injured succumb to their wounds. The final number of the deceased could be anywhere between eight hundred and one thousand.

Bronze Star felt a jolt of rage flash through him at that revelation. He made up his mind right then, and he wrote down on the blackboard:

That settles it. This cannot go unpunished. I want you to find Livewire and bring him in immediately.

Unfortunately, that’s impossible, sir.

Why?

If you looked in the obituaries, you’d know. Livewire was killed in the blast.

He was?

Yes, and according to eyewitness testimony, he was one of the first to die.

Bronze Star was both upset and annoyed to learn this. Then something else occurred to him. He wrote:

What about the people who were monitoring him?

Three of the six field operatives who were watching Livewire were killed, too. One of the survivors has been hospitalized, and another is still in shock. The last one was able to provide us with a vivid firsthoof experience of the whole fiasco. She believes that this was Livewire’s plan all along. To use Hoovston’s revolutionary electricity network against it and turn the city into an impoverished wasteland.

We’re damn lucky that he only succeeded in doing that to part of the city. Still, that’s no consolation to make up for this huge loss of life and property. Needless to say, we cannot allow something like this to ever happen again. EVER.

We all agree with you completely. So we all feel the need to ask you this: Are you certain you’ll still be able to handle the affair with Esopus Spitzenburg without any assistance?

Bronze Star paused for a minute to think about this, and ultimately, he wrote:

Yes, I am. I want to investigate him personally. Before today, I already had a personal quarrel with this stallion for planning to overthrow my mother. Now that he’s responsible for bringing harm to so many innocent people, he’s made this thing even more personal. The only way I can ensure that Spitzenburg himself causes no suffering is if I can keep an eye on him myself.

Very well, Your Highness. But as an extra precaution, we should probably give you some tips and guidance on how to properly observe a suspect without the suspect being aware of your intentions.

I would like that, too. However, that is a topic that cannot really be discussed over the blackboard. For this matter, I should probably meet face-to-face with at least one of you.

That’s what we were hoping for. Who would you wish to meet with and when? We can all make ourselves available to you at any time.

Let me think for a minute. I’ll get back to you.

Alright; please, take your time. We’ll stand by.

Bronze Star spent the next few minutes pondering on which member of the Firebrand Regiment would be the most ideal one to meet with for this issue. All ten of them had some degree of potential.

SIG Sauer was typically his first choice. He had known the pine green Unicorn longer than any of the others. He could find a solution to nearly any problem, and he was the leader of the Firebrand Regiment. However, despite his extensive list of capabilities and accomplishments, he had a tendency to very direct when confronting suspects. Since Bronze Star needed to use an indirect approach when investigating Esopus Spitzenburg, this was one situation where SIG Sauer would not be the most ideal advisor. Bronze Star decided to go with one of the other nine members of the Regiment.

Heckler had plenty of experience in acquiring all sorts of information, but he normally did it when there was a table between him and the suspect, and they were in a dimly-lit room. Koch was an expert in accumulating knowledge, but he was much better at gathering it from objects rather than ponies. Peacemaker was very qualified at getting suspects to talk, but a lot of the time, he was using his medical knowledge to coerce them into cooperating or trying to save their lives. Glock knew how to approach suspects without tipping them off, but gathering information from them subtly was not his forte. Beretta had faced more suspects in the field than any of the others, but most of the time, she was forced to kill them. Caracal seemed the most promising, as she had gone undercover many times, just like how Bronze Star was masquerading under a different identity in Ponyville, but these operations of hers needed to be arranged weeks in advance, and Bronze Star did not have weeks. Ruger was arguably the most intelligent of the lot, but she had almost no experience in directly pursuing suspects. Carabine was well-versed in both ways to befriend suspects and ways to get information out of suspects, but unfortunately, he was not excellent at employing both strategies at the same time.

That just let Walther. Bronze Star thought about this, and he felt as though the General was the one best suited for this job. After all, he was charismatic, cunning, resourceful, smart, and he had a rather charming personality. Plus, Bronze Star might have had an opportunity to meet with him at someplace other than Ponyville or Canterlot.

Once he was finished going over his options, Bronze Star wrote this on his blackboard:

Is Omicron-9 still going to the Best Young Flyers Competition?

The words gradually vanished. Ten seconds later, he got this response:

He says “Of course.”

Then how about I meet him there before the actual competition? If we both get there early enough, he can debrief me on everything.

Is that wise, sir? Especially when considering your current… disposition?

If you mean my lack of wings and a horn, that’s no problem. I could just go as myself.

He did not get a response to that for almost a whole minute after that. Evidently, he had surprised SIG Sauer and maybe a few of the others, as well. Ultimately, he was given this:

Are you certain there aren’t any unacceptable risks in that idea?

Yes, I am certain of that. Think about this. Nopony in Cloudsdale has seen me in my Earth Pony disguise, so I wouldn’t risk exposing myself. Besides, my mother attends the Best Young Flyers Competition every year. I doubt anypony would question why her spirited, physically-active son would choose to attend it, too. Most of all, I find it unlikely that anypony would wonder why a member of the Canterlot Royalty was talking to a veteran Wonderbolt in public.

Those are all excellent points, Your Highness. Alright; I’m convinced you’ve got the situation under control. The General says he’ll be prepared to meet with you sometime before the Competition begins.

Excellent. I look forward to it.

Bronze Star paused for a short time after this. Then he wrote down:

If the situation in Hoovston gets any worse or if anything else pertaining to the conspiracy comes up, please inform me straightaway. I’ll check my blackboard as often as I can.

Very well, Your Highness. Until next time.

After erasing that last message, Bronze Star placed the blackboard, marker, and washcloth back into the strongbox, locked it up, and pushed it under his bed. He then sighed and sat down on his bed. He looked down at the newspaper.

He still could not believe it. In one day, six hundred souls had been lost, and countless more had been ruined. All because of one stallion.

That was what disturbed Bronze Star the most. There were only twenty people involved in this conspiracy. One of them had defected to the government, and two of them were dead. But one of the dead ones had managed to bring a wave of destruction to one of the largest cities in the country. Bronze Star did not even want to think of what the rest of his co-conspirators were capable of. There was a chance that all seventeen of them might end up inflicting an equally large amount of damage to the people of Equestria. Or they might do even worse than Livewire.

Regardless, Bronze Star was not going to let them succeed. He vowed that once all seventeen of the conspirators were identified, he would bring them to justice, and he would make them pay for all the wrongs they had done. At this point, he was even considering the idea of having all of them executed without a trial.
> One Step Further
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the next morning, everypony in Equestria was aware of the catastrophe in Hoovston. Unsurprisingly, the entire nation was left in a state of grief and despair. Of course, the citizens of Hoovston got the worst of it, especially the survivors of the electrical blast.

In response to the disaster, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had dispatched the Constabulary Contingent to Hoovston to take control of the situation and provide aid to the populace. The military's presence did improve the situation, but only by a marginal amount.

The number of ponies who were injured or missing rapidly declined. However, the number of the dead continued to rise throughout the following week. It ultimately stopped at 938. Twenty-nine of those were suicides. All of them were committed by ponies who were related to ponies who had died during the blast. Most of those ponies had not even been near the power station when it malfunctioned; they had simply been unable to cope with the loss of their loved ones.

Thousands of other ponies were still left without shelter or work. Many of them had been taken in by friends, families, or colleagues who lived in parts of the city that had been unaffected by the blast. The rest had to be relocated to other cities like Manehattan, Las Pegasus, or Chicacolt. A number of those individuals were actually relieved to leave Hoovston, and some planned on never coming back at all.

Since Ponyville was a small settlement, it received none of these refugees. Still, Mayor Mare made a proclamation that the town would keep its doors open to anypony who sought asylum from the calamity in Hoovston.

There were even some ponies who were too afraid to use electricity again after this episode. Luckily, those ponies were few in number. Since the press was still writing off the whole affair as a horrible accident, the vast majority of the ponies in the nation were willing to continue using electricity.

In spite of everything that had happened, Bronze Star was as determined as ever to stop the remaining conspirators. Still, other than Lord Bellerophon, Noble Edict, and the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment, he did not want anypony to be aware of his personal feelings on this matter. Aside from that, he could not afford to muse on this affair at this time. His top priority was to ensure that Livewire's seventeen co-conspirators would be apprehended or – better yet – killed as soon as possible.

Five days after he learned about the Hoovston disaster, Bronze Star had managed to push the whole ordeal to the back of his mind. By now, he was able to concentrate more on local events, primarily his social life.

On this particular day, the weather was too lovely to be spent indoors. It was the middle of spring, the Sun was shining, the sky had few clouds, the temperature was in the mid-seventies, and there was no breeze. In other words, it had the most ideal conditions for swimming.

Bronze Star and Applejack got together at nine o'clock in the morning. After observing the wonderful climate, they decided to stop by one of the town's ponds to go for an early morning swim. Dapple Rhomb and Big McIntosh would be able to handle managing the embassy and Sweet Apple Acres respectively in their absences. Since the gold stallion and the orange mare were already ahead of their work schedules anyway, they did not have to worry about falling behind.

There were plenty of ponds in Ponyville; many of which were more than suitable for swimming in. Bronze Star and Applejack chose to simply pick one at random. This proved to be a little too hasty on their part; the first pond they arrived at was infested with frogs.

It certainly was appropriate to label the phenomenon as an infestation. There were so many frogs at this time that a lot of them tended to bump into each other every time they hopped into the air. It was actually a little amusing to watch, but even so, it was much too overcrowded for anypony to swim in this pond.

Fortunately, Bronze Star and Applejack were not the only ponies who had noticed this overabundance of frogs, nor were they the first ponies who had come to this pond that day. Fluttershy was there, gathering up as many frogs as she could carry. Bronze Star and Applejack asked the yellow mare what she was up to, and she explained that she had taken it upon herself to solve the frog overpopulation problem. She planned to relocate a significant percentage of them to Froggy Bottom Bogg, a huge natural habitat for frogs. That way, their numbers in both places would even out.

Bronze Star and Applejack would have offered to help her, but they had not yet gone for a swim, and they wanted to get one in before noon. Aside from that, Fluttershy seemed to be in control of the situation. She was known for being distinctively excellent with animals.

The gold stallion and the orange mare left their friend to her work, and they swiftly started looking for another pond. The second pond they arrived at was larger and clearer, and there were no frogs in sight. They soon got set up there. They had brought some towels and sunscreen, as well as a basket of food in case they ended up having lunch outside.

Bronze Star and Applejack spent the next two hours in the water. For the first hour, they just swam together or independently of each other. In the second hour, they decided to have some fun by partaking in a few competitive activities, like seeing who could swim the most laps in a certain amount of time or who could dive further from the shoreline. They even held a contest to determine who could hold their breath under water longer. Bronze Star easily won this round.

Interestingly, Applejack always had her hat on when she was swimming, even when she completely submerged herself in the water. She never took it off once while she and Bronze Star were in the water. However, when they finally got out after those two hours, Applejack took her hat off. She mostly did that just so she could properly dry her mane. Still, even after her hair was dry, she decided to keep her hat off for a while.

After drying off, Bronze Star and Applejack spread out more towels on the sand and laid down on them. They then spent the next half-hour sunbathing. They decided to go ahead and have lunch, as it was nearly noon by then.

Bronze Star helped himself to an apple first. As he ate it, he looked over at his fillyfriend. She was eating a peanut butter and zap apple jam sandwich, and she still had her hat by her side. As much as Bronze Star liked seeing Applejack in her hat, she looked equally attractive to him when she was not wearing it. Perhaps even more so. He took a moment to admire her figure, primarily her head and face.

A minute later, Applejack noticed her coltfriend was staring at her. She turned to him and inquired "Anything on your mind?"

"Actually, yes," Bronze Star drily remarked, "There's something that's nagging at me."

"What do you mean?" Applejack said inquisitively.

He just smirked and replied cheekily "I can't decide if you're more beautiful with or without your hat."

Applejack almost choked on her sandwich at the abruptness of that comment. After forcing herself to swallow, she chuckled and rejoined "Well, I can't decide if you're more good-lookin' with or without your horn and wings."

Bronze Star snickered and muttered "You got me there."

He really was amused by that statement. In his opinion, Applejack was as witty as she was beautiful and strong. Also, there was something about that remark that made him feel content. By the way she described it, Applejack was just as accepting of Bronze Star's disguise as she was of his true appearance. That implied that she did not care about his royal background; she just liked him as a stallion.

He wondered if that had always been the case. After some silence, Bronze Star looked to the orange mare and stated "Applejack, I'd like to ask you something."

The farmer turned back to the gold stallion and said in acknowledgement "Alright, I'm listenin',"

Bronze Star took a moment to contemplate his wording, and then he asked "What was your impression of me before the Summer Sun Celebration?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow and murmured "I don't think I quite understand what you're asking,"

"Let me clarify," Bronze Star expounded, "What did you think of me before we met? I assume you knew of me from the newspapers and such."

"Of course I did," Applejack affirmed, "I've known about you for pretty much my entire life. When I was a filly, I was actually a bit of an admirer of yours. But then again, so was every other filly in my class. Most of them fantasized about meeting you and falling in love with you. Including Rarity, before she favored your cousin Blueblood."

"Why am I not surprised?" Bronze Star mumbled sardonically.

"I take it you're used to that thing?" Applejack presumed.

"Oh, yeah," Bronze Star bluntly confirmed, "Ever since I turned eighteen, I've gotten requests for courtship from countless mares. They all expressed a supposed desire to know me on a personal level. A few of them actually seemed appealing, but I would ultimately turn them all away. You see, every single one of them was just after riches, power, influence, or a… 'royal lay.' If you know what I mean…"

"Yeah, I know," Applejack asserted, "You don't have to give me any more details."

"Alright," Bronze Star stated, lightly nodding. "Anyway, what about you?"

"What about me?" Applejack queried.

"You said that you looked up to me when you were a filly," Bronze Star recounted, "I'm curious to know why. Were you one of those 'fanfillies' like Rarity, or did you have a more specific and unique reason?"

"Well, truthfully, I have a more personal reason for that," Applejack disclosed, "Ever since I learned to read, I've frequently picked up newspapers. Every now and then, there was an article on you. Some of those articles discussed how you had helped pass a bill that provided additional funding to independent farmers and other agriculturalists."

"Yes, I remember enacting those bills," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I regard them as some of my finest achievements. After all, it's a leader's job to feed his people."

"I know what you mean," Applejack remarked, "Plus, considering my family's business, it was only natural that I be grateful for the extra support you gave me."

"Well, I can assure you it was no problem," Bronze Star informed her, "You do realize that those bills were meant to enhance every plantation in the country and not just yours, right?"

"Yeah, I was aware of that," Applejack revealed, "However, that's not the only reason I respected you as a filly. In a way, you were an inspiration to me, too."

"How so?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.

Applejack did not answer straightaway. She needed a minute to carefully choose her wording. Finally, she elucidated with "As you know, I lost my parents when I was very young. After they died, the only adult I had in my life was Granny Smith. She was a fantastic guardian, but even she couldn't replace them. I went through a phase where I doubted that I would be able to carry on living without my mother and father. Luckily, that phase ended when I remembered you."

"Why's that?" the gold stallion asked.

"It's well known that you grew up without your father," the orange mare pointed out, "Yet you managed to do great things without him. I figured that since you were able to pull that off, I might be able to, as well. So you indirectly encouraged me to keep going on."

Bronze Star was amazed to discover this. He knew that his work and accomplishments as a Canterlot Royal had positively impacted the lives of many ponies in Equestria, but he never would have thought he would affect somepony in this manner. "I never knew that. I'm elated to know that I revived your will to live your life to the fullest."

"So am I," Applejack proclaimed, "Not only because I've had a great life so far, but also because I actually got to meet you."

"Now that's a sentiment I can agree with," Bronze Star conceded, "One last question: did you ever wonder what a meeting with me would be like?"

"Well, sometimes I was curious about what it would be like to meet you," Applejack apprised him, "Back then, I would have been far more concerned with making a good first impression than anything else. Oddly enough, I never once thought I would end up in a romantic relationship with you. Now that I have, I can't imagine otherwise."

"I'm delighted to hear you say that," Bronze Star told her happily, "On that note, there's something else I've been meaning to tell you. I've been wanting to say this for a while now; I just couldn't find the right opportunity. But I have it right now."

Applejack turned onto her side to face her coltfriend. As she balanced herself on her left front leg, she queried curiously "What might it be?"

Bronze Star smiled, gently took ahold of Applejack's head with his front right hoof, pulled her close, and kissed her full on the lips. She gradually closed her eyes and kissed him back. They remained like that for about ten seconds. After that, Bronze Star pulled away from his fillyfriend, but he continued holding her head close to his. He looked deeply into her lovely green eyes and softly told her "Applejack, I… I love you."

Bronze Star and Applejack had been together for five months. They had expressed their fondness for each other many times and in many ways since the beginning of their romantic relationship, but Bronze Star had never said it as passionately as he did just then. In actuality, neither had Applejack. That changed a moment later.

After a few seconds of quietness, Applejack gazed into her coltfriend's silver eyes and said affectionately "I love you, too, Bronze. So much."

Nopony could deny that the emotions they felt for each other were genuine and ardent. From the day they had met, the two of them had only gotten closer, and now they were finally at the stage where they were totally open about their feelings.

The two of them continued to stare lovingly into each other's eyes for a couple minutes. Neither of them spoke, but there was a profoundly amorous connection between them. Both of them were aware of the presence of this potent energy, and it made them think about doing much more than just kissing and cuddling.

However, given their current whereabouts, they decided that would not be wise. Even though they were alone, they were still out in the open. They did not want to risk any interruptions. Aside from that, they did not wish to accelerate their relationship that quickly. They wanted to wait until they were completely certain that their relationship would last.

After the period of silence, Bronze Star checked the time and noted "It's almost 12:30. You want to head back into town soon?"

"Sure," Applejack remarked, "Just as soon as we finish lunch."

"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star agreed. The two of them continued eating in silence for a while. While they had their food, Bronze Star turned to Applejack and queried "Have you got anything planned for the rest of the day?"

"Yeah, I gotta move a bunch of apples," Applejack said in response.

"Move them how?" Bronze Star enquired.

"For the past few weeks, Big Mac and I have been installing a cellar underneath our barn," Applejack responded, "We had it built mostly to add additional storage space for our surplus crops. I'll be spending the day filling it with apples."

"Need a hoof?" Bronze Star offered.

"I would appreciate it," Applejack stated gratefully, "Sure you don't mind, though? The apples have already been picked. We won't be doing any buckin'; just a lot of haulin'."

"Bucking the trees might be my favorite part, but carrying them is still a good workout," Bronze Star asserted, "Besides, since I passed those bills that gave extra funding to the farming industry, I figure I may as well give some direct assistance to the workers in the fields."

"I like that notion," Applejack commented approvingly, "Okay, Bronze. If you really want to help, I have no objections. I'm sure my family won't either; they love it when you're around."

"I'm glad to hear that," Bronze Star commented, smirking. Ten minutes later, the two of them finished eating lunch. As they proceeded to gather up their gear, the gold stallion pronounced "Before we get to Sweet Apple Acres, I have to stop by the embassy. It'll only take a minute; I just need to check in and see if anything from the capital city arrived this morning."

"Fine by me," Applejack declared, "Actually, I'm not in any rush to fill up my apple cellar. So if you want, I could go with you."

"Alright," was all Bronze Star said in response.

Once the farmer and the prince had packed up their supplies, they trotted back into town and made their way to the embassy. When they got there, Bronze Star put the towels, the sunscreen, and the picnic basket in a closet on the second floor. On his way down, he noticed that the door to Sir Haywood McCrank's room was closed and locked. He assumed that the indigo stallion was preoccupied with something important; otherwise the door would have been left wide open.

Bronze Star then swung by Dapple Rhomb's office. The purple mare was at her desk, working with her typewriter. When she heard somepony enter, she stopped typing and looked up. Seeing that it was her employer, she grinned and pronounced "Good afternoon, Mr. Ambassador. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, Dapple," Bronze Star answered her, "Everything going well?"

"Yeah," Dapple Rhomb stated frankly, "Things have actually been pretty quiet here today."

"It isn't that much louder outside," Bronze Star slyly professed. After a moment's pause, he leaned against the wall and asked "So, has anything new from the capital city gotten in?"

"Well, shortly after you left, we received a large envelope from the Intelligence Bureau," Dapple Rhomb enlightened him, "It was addressed to Sir Haywood, but he wanted me to mention it to you, too."

"How come?" the gold stallion inquired.

"He didn't say; he just wanted you to know about it," the purple mare expounded, "When I gave him the envelope, he went up to his quarters, and he hasn't come out since then. I don't know what he's doing, and truthfully, I don't really care. That's his business."

"You've got the right idea, Dapple," Bronze Star told her favorably. He stood up straight and queried "Apart from the envelope, is there anything that needs my attention?"

"Not really," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "There's just a bunch of paperwork, all of which I can handle by myself. Incidentally, this might be a perfect opportunity for you to take a day off, sir. Especially since you've been so busy this past week."

"It's funny you should mention that," Bronze Star remarked, "I spent most of the morning with Applejack, and I was considering spending a lot of the afternoon with her, too."

"Well, if you want, go right ahead, sir," Dapple Rhomb proposed, "I should be able to accomplish all this stuff on my own."

"Alright, if you insist," Bronze Star proclaimed. As he turned to the entrance of the room, he looked over his shoulder and added in "If you need me for anything, you can find me at Sweet Apple Acres."

"You got it, sir," Dapple Rhomb avowed.

The purple mare went back to work, pressing away at the keys on her typewriter. Bronze Star stepped out of his secretary's office and joined his fillyfriend out in the corridor. After he informed her that he would be free for pretty much the whole day, the two of them exited the embassy.

The gold stallion and the orange mare swiftly made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. For a while, they trotted in silence as they traversed through the streets of Ponyville. They did not encounter anypony or anything until they were about halfway through the town. After that, they came across Spike. The baby dragon was kneeling over a massive ditch that Bronze Star did not recognize.

Curious, they chose to investigate. When they reached the edge of the ravine, they gazed into it and discovered that Twilight Sparkle was lying on the bottom of it.

"Uh, Twilight?" Applejack muttered in perplexity "Why are you hanging out in a ditch?"

"The better question is: where did this ditch come from?" Bronze Star refuted.

Nopony bothered to answer the gold stallion's question, but Spike did give the orange mare an answer to hers. He brightly claimed "Because, Pinkie Pie predicted it!"

That answered one question, but it raised a few more. As Twilight Sparkle hoisted herself out of the ravine, she crossly mumbled "Honestly, Spike, she did not. Two coincidences in a row like this may be unlikely, but it's still easier to believe than twitchy tails that predict the future."

Applejack gasped in alarm at that last statement. She stated worriedly "Twitchy tail? Pinkie Sense? Woah! Nyu-uh!"

Without any warning whatsoever, Applejack grabbed Bronze Star by the shoulders and hurried over to a nearby produce cart. She ducked underneath it and pulled her coltfriend down with her. He did not even have a chance to resist her or ask why she was doing this. Once they were both safely underneath the cart, Applejack anxiously peered out from under it and looked towards the sky in various directions.

Bronze Star was very much confused by his fillyfriend's sudden discomfort. Before he could ask what was bothering her, Spike took a few steps towards the cart and notified them reassuringly "Don't worry, it's safe. Prediction already came true."

Applejack seemed to ease down considerably at that, and she pulled herself and Bronze Star out from underneath the cart. As they got back onto their hooves, Bronze Star queried in bewilderment "What the Tartarus is going on?"

Before anypony gave him a reply, Twilight Sparkle got out of the ditch and said to Applejack in astonishment "Oh, wait. Don't tell me you believe in this stuff, too?"

Applejack turned to the lavender mare, lightly grinned, and illuminated "I know it doesn't make much sense, but those of us who have been in Ponyville a while, have learned over time that, if Pinkie's-a-twichin', you better listen."

"Why's that?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"She has a sixth sense known as Pinkie Sense," Applejack elaborated, "In a nutshell, it's an ability to predict certain things about the future."

Bronze Star found that rather intriguing. All he said in response was "Peculiar."

Just then, Pinkie Pie rushed onto the scene. Her ears looked as though they were rapping against her forehead. She exclaimed "My ears are flopping! My ears are flopping!"

Spike recoiled in surprise and shouted "Nyuh! What does that mean?!"

Pinkie Pie did not answer straightaway. After a couple seconds, her ears stopped flopping, and the pink mare turned to Twilight Sparkle and proposed "I'll start a bath for you."

"Huh?" the lavender mare stated, baffled. She chuckled and commented "A bath? This thing keeps on getting more ridiculous by the minute!"

At this time, Twilight Sparkle was standing in front of a large mud puddle. At that moment, another cart zoomed through the area and rode directly over the puddle. As a result, a large amount of mud was tossed onto the purple mare. She grumbled in annoyance at being covered in mud. She also grumbled because she realized that this was the reason behind Pinkie's implication.

Pinkie Pie happily bounced over to Twilight and advised "Come on; let's get you cleaned up."

As the pink mare escorted the lavender mare away, Bronze Star watched them leave. He rubbed his chin in interest and let his mind wander. In all the time he had lived in Ponyville, this was the first he had ever heard of Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense. Now that he knew of it, he was inclined to learn more about it.

Applejack turned to her coltfriend and noticed he was lost in thought. She asked him "Something on your mind, Bronze?"

Bronze Star looked to his fillyfriend and professed "I'd like to know more about this 'Pinkie Sense.' What do you know about it?"

"Just that whenever it happens, it's usually very sudden and relatively accurate," Applejack stated, "Pinkie Pie could do a much better job of explainin' it than me. You should ask her, instead."

"I actually do have a few questions I'd like to ask Pinkie," Bronze Star disclosed, "Based on Twilight's reaction, she probably has some questions for her, too. My questions should only take a few minutes, though. I may as well ask them while they're fresh in my head. You can go ahead and get on over to Sweet Apple Acres; I'll be along shortly."

"Alright, I'll see you there," Applejack coincided.

The orange mare and the gold stallion then went their separate ways; she went to Sweet Apple Acres and he followed the pink mare and the lavender mare to Sugarcube Corner. Spike was then left alone in the area. Having nothing else to do, he simply chose to return to Golden Oaks Library.

Bronze Star soon caught up to Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle and requested to accompany them. Pinkie gladly accepted his request.

When they reached Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie led Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star up to the bathroom. She quickly drew a bubble bath and beckoned Twilight to climb into the tub. Once the lavender mare was in the water, the pink mare proceeded to clean her up.

"Phhhhft," Twilight Sparkle spat. She had gotten soap in her mouth.

After adding a little more bubble liquid, Pinkie Pie placed the bottle on the ground and turned to her friends. She already knew that they were going to ask about her Pinkie Sense; they did not even have to say anything about it. Somehow, she had predicted that they would be inquisitive about her ability.

At any rate, Pinkie Pie apprised them with "Sooo, basically, it works like this: I get different, little, niggling feelings and they mean different things. Like when my back is itchy, it means it's my lucky day. And, when my knee gets pinchy, that means something scary's about to happen."

She did those corresponding gestures as she described them.

"Is your knee pinchy now?" Twilight Sparkle queried.

"No, but my shoulder's achy," Pinkie Pie disclosed, gesturing to her left shoulder, "That means there's an alligator in the tub."

She then approached the bath tub, reached into it, and pulled out a baby alligator. Twilight Sparkle screamed in fright and jumped out of the tub. Amazingly, she managed to stand on the tub's thin wet rim with all four of her hooves. Despite being in shock, she had excellent balance. She yelled "How come your knee didn't get pinchy?! That isn't just scary, it's downright dangerous!"

"No, it's not, silly!" Pinkie Pie giddily countered, "This is my pet alligator, Gummy. He's got no teeth. See?"

The baby alligator widened his jaws, revealing that all his teeth were indeed missing. He then tried biting Pinkie Pie on various parts of her body, but he did not leave as much as a scratch on her. As the baby alligator continued chomping away, his mistress just giggled in enjoyment.

Twilight Sparkle settled down and climbed off the tub, saying candidly "Okay, okay... I get it."

Bronze Star gazed over at the pink mare and inquired "Pinkie, what's the range of your Sense?"

"What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked in return.

"Does it only work for local occurrences or things that happen in Ponyville?" Bronze Star clarified.

"Well, most of my twitches are caused by something that's very close to me," Pinkie Pie informed him, "However, there have been a few times when I was able to detect something that took place somewhere far away from Ponyville. Usually it has to be something pretty large, though. If it's just something small or insignificant, I won't pick it up from a great distance."

"That makes sense," Bronze Star perceived, "So, how long in advance do you experience these twitches before the corresponding events occur?"

"The event almost always takes place right after the prediction," Pinkie Pie answered, "There have been some cases where it took a few minutes for the prediction to come true after. The longest amount of time that's ever elapsed between the warning and the action is about an hour and a-half. It all really depends on where I am, relative to the event's location."

"So I see," Bronze Star commented. He was impressed to learn about these aspects of the pink mare's Pinkie Sense. Apparently, its range had no real limit. Theoretically, if the magnitude of an event was large enough, she might even be able to predict when it from the other side of the country. That realization made him wonder; he looked over at Pinkie Pie and asked "Did you by any chance experience a twitch six days ago? Specifically in the evening?"

Pinkie Pie thought about this for a moment. She wondered why Bronze Star wanted to know if she had any twitches on that specific night. Twilight Sparkle figured out his reason first. She presumed "You mean the night of the Hoovston disaster?"

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.

"Actually, yes," Pinkie Pie informed him sadly, placing one of her front hooves above her stomach, "I felt a sharp pain in my upper chest, right where my heart is. Whenever that happens, it means that something horrible is happening somewhere in Equestria. Something that negatively affects a large number of ponies. I don't feel that sensation often, but when I do, I know that somewhere, some ponies are suffering."

Up until now, Bronze Star had regarded Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense as a gift and a blessing. But that last remark made it sound like a bit of a curse, as well. He could not imagine what it would be like to know that a tragedy was going to occur only when it was too late to do anything to prevent it. Bronze Star approached the pink mare and placed his hoof on her shoulder. He stated sincerely "I'm sorry to hear that, Pinkie. That must be terrible. Nopony should have to endure that."

"Thanks for saying that, Bronze," Pinkie Pie remarked appreciatively, "But you shouldn't feel sorry for me. You should feel sorry for the ponies who were struck by the disaster. They're the ones who were undergoing real misery. All I felt was a slight heartache."

"I'm certain we all experienced heartache when we learned about the Hoovston disaster," Twilight Sparkle claimed. She had said that for two reasons. Firstly, she wanted to acknowledge that the tragedy in Hoovston had brought a wave of sorrow to the whole nation, and that she shared Pinkie Pie's grief. Secondly, she was providing a counterargument against the authenticity of the pink mare's Pinkie Sense. After all, it was unlikely that Pinkie was the only pony who felt heartache that night.

"How long have you add this Pinkie Sense?" Bronze Star queried.

"I guess I was just born with it," Pinkie Pie revealed candidly, shrugging.

Bronze Star was content with that response, even though it was brief. He checked the time and saw that it was already after one o'clock. He observed "Your Pinkie Sense is quite remarkable, Pinkie. If I had time, I would want to talk about it more. However, I've already got plans for this afternoon."

"That's fine with me," Pinkie Pie commented, "We can always talk about this on some other day."

"Good to know," Bronze Star stated approvingly. After a momentary pause, he announced "Well, I better get going. Applejack's expecting me at Sweet Apple Acres. I'll see you girls later."

"See you around, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle returned.

"Bye, Bronze!" Pinkie called out cheerfully.

The gold stallion soon departed from Sugarcube Corner. Once he left the sweet shop, he headed to the western border of Ponyville. On the way there, he spotted Fluttershy in the distance. It appeared as though she was still busy moving frogs to Froggy Bottom Bogg. The pond must have been even more overcrowded than they assumed.

Within the next fifteen minutes, Bronze Star reached Sweet Apple Acres. When he arrived in the plantation's courtyard, he saw three fillies moving a hay bale through the clearing. He immediately recognized them as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was not long before they noticed him as well. When they did, they released the hay bale and galloped over to him.

"Hey, Mr. Streak!" they gleefully declared in unison.

"Afternoon, girls," Bronze Star greeted, scoffing at the fillies' enthusiasm, "How are you doing?"

"We're doing great," Scootaloo disclosed, "Just conducting a few experiments."

"Apple Bloom had a brilliant idea that maybe we could earn our cutie marks as farmhooves," Sweetie Belle explicated.

"Oh?" Bronze Star muttered in interest, "How's that been going?"

"Nothing so far," Apple Bloom professed, pointing out their blank flanks, "But we've only been out here for a couple hours. It might be a while before our cutie marks appear, but we're not givin' up until we get 'em."

"I admire your resolve," Bronze Star wryly commented, "Out of curiosity, how long do you think it'll be before you receive your cutie marks?"

"We can't say for sure," Scootaloo remarked, "There's a lot of stuff to do around here. It could take a whole day to try everything out. Maybe two."

"However, we have a plan," Sweetie Belle explained, "We're going to try working nonstop around the entire farm."

"If we do that, we should be able to test our skills with everything on the farm by this time tomorrow," Apple Bloom conjectured.

"Wait, if you worked nonstop until then, that would imply that you'd be out all night," Bronze Star noted.

"Yeah, that's the idea," Scootaloo proclaimed, "What's your point?"

"Wouldn't your families want you back home by a certain time?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Normally, we'd have to be home by nine," Sweetie Belle affirmed, "But not tonight."

"Ya see, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are stayin' the night," Apple Bloom enlightened the gold stallion.

"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star avowed, "That would certainly be advantageous for your plan."

There came a short period of silence as the gold Alicorn looked around at the yellow Earth Pony, the white Unicorn, and the orange Pegasus. Then he asked them "At any rate, have you seen Applejack?"

"She's over there," Apple Bloom replied, gesturing in the direction of the barn. There was a concealed trapdoor near the front of the building. The filly in the bow added in "Applejack's down in our new cellar with Granny Smith. They're about to start loadin' it up soon."

"That's why I'm here," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I told your sister I'd give her a hoof with that. Better get over there before she starts wondering where I am. Good luck with your cutie mark endeavors, though."

"Thanks," the three fillies returned in unison. They then galloped back over to the hay bale and resumed attempting to transfer it to the barn. The three of them had sufficient combined strength to carry the hay bale, but they had some difficulties with moving it together. They tended to move at different paces or in different directions.

Bronze Star trotted over to the trapdoor. As he approached it, Big McIntosh entered the clearing. Bronze Star noticed the larger pony and gave him a polite nod of acknowledgement. The other stallion just grinned and remarked cordially "Good day, Mr. Streak."

Bronze Star did not know if Big McIntosh was always that formal when speaking to ponies, or if that was simply how he addressed Bronze Star. Either way, it implied that the red stallion had a lot of respect for the gold stallion, which pleased the latter very much. He was glad to be on good terms with the elder brother of his fillyfriend.

The prince turned his attention from the laconic stallion to the trapdoor. He thought about just opening it up and entering, but he wanted to be a little more discreet, so he chose to knock on it first. A few seconds later, he heard a raspy voice call out underneath it "Stand clear!"

Bronze Star cautiously stepped away from the trapdoor, and it promptly swung open. It revealed a short flight of stairs that led into the ground. Granny Smith was standing near the top of the stairs, and her front hooves were in the air, indicating that she had opened the trapdoor.

As the elderly green mare lowered her front legs, she looked up and spotted the gold stallion. She smiled at him and greeted him with "Ah, hello there, Mr. Ambassador."

"Hello, Granny Smith," Bronze Star returned, "Pleasure to see-"

"Same to you," Granny Smith interrupted. She swiftly turned around and stated over her shoulder "Now come on down; we've got a lot to do!"

Bronze Star just scoffed and wryly said "Yes, ma'am."

He followed the green mare down into the ground. When they reached the base of that staircase, they encountered Applejack. She and Bronze Star shared a quick kiss on the lips, even though her grandmother was standing right in front of them. Luckily, Granny Smith did not say anything about that.

Bronze Star took a moment to study the cellar. It was quite expansive; it went on for quite a ways. The whole area was immersed in almost total darkness. It was just bright enough for Bronze Star to see his surroundings and make his way around without bumping into anything. There were dozens of barrels against the wall. They had been placed five feet apart from each other, and the lids to the barrels had not been applied yet.

Bronze Star whistled and enquired "How'd you build all this so quickly?"

"There are two things that run in our family: apple farming and construction," Granny Smith replied, "Even with regards to excavation."

"Impressive," Bronze Star commented. He then trotted over to one of the barrels and peeked inside. It had been filled nearly to the brim with cold water. All the other barrels contained as much cold water, as well. The gold stallion asked "So, what's with the barrels?"

"They're what we'll be using to store the apples," Applejack enlightened him.

"Really?" Bronze Star uttered in mild surprise, "With all this water, there's hardly any room for anything else."

"Well, apples themselves are composed of water more than anything else," Granny Smith expounded, "Because of that, pure water by itself makes an excellent preservative for apples."

"As well as for a lot of other foods," Applejack pronounced, "Ya see, barrels of water have been natural refrigerators for ages. They can be used to keep a number of crops from spoiling. Apples are one of the best examples. If you keep them sealed in barrels of water, they can last for years after being picked."

"Sounds like an efficient system," Bronze Star perceived.

"Oh, it is, Mr. Ambassador," Granny Smith affirmed, "Especially with this setup. Although sunlight and fresh air are necessary for apples while they're in the trees, they are not needed once the apples hit the ground. In fact, they can cause apples to go rotten faster. That's why we plan to store our produce down here. The dark, dank setting prevents sunlight and fresh air from getting in. In this environment, the apples should remain fresh for about a decade or two."

"Nice," Bronze Star muttered in amazement. He gazed around at the cellar once more, and he observed "Forgive me if this sounds random or bizarre, but all things considered, this would make a perfect shelter in the event of an apocalypse."

"I'll keep that in mind next time the country's in mortal peril," Granny Smith cheekily remarked.

Bronze Star and Applejack chuckled at that. After they had their laugh, the elderly green mare proclaimed "Now, let's get started. I'm going to find Big Mac. He and I will gather up some apples and bring them here. While I'm gone, you two inspect the barrels. Make sure they don't have any cracks or anything of the sort."

"What should we do if we find any?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Just patch the openings up," Granny Smith responded, "If you're not sure how to do that, ask Applejack for instructions. She can show you how it's done."

"Very well, Granny Smith," Bronze Star conceded.

The elderly mare then trotted back up to the surface. Once she was gone, Applejack led Bronze Star to the back of the cellar. They soon began examining the barrels closely. It was quite dark down there, but Bronze Star and Applejack had superb night vision. By studying the barrels up close, they were able to make out every detail of their structure.

However, they did not have very much space to move about freely. As a result, Bronze Star and Applejack tended to accidentally bump into each other quite a bit. Sometimes one of them inadvertently made contact with the other in a rather compromising area. At one point, Bronze Star was inclined to wonder if some of these gestures really were accidental on Applejack's part.

When they were about a third of the way through the cellar, Bronze Star had a thought. He looked over his shoulder and pronounced to his fillyfriend "Hey, Applejack?"

"Yeah, Bronze?" she said in response.

"You didn't lure me down here just so we could be alone in a dark, enclosed area, did you?" he slyly conjectured.

Applejack was somewhat stunned by that allegation. However, she knew her coltfriend was not accusing her of any foul play. He was probably just toying with her. She lightly snickered and informed him "No, I didn't. But tell me something. If that really WAS my intent, would you have had a problem with that?"

Now it was Bronze Star's turn to be surprised. After a brief period of quietness, he bluntly disclosed "I'm not sure I should answer that question."

"Oh, come on; you can be honest with me," Applejack asserted.

"Well, yes… and no," Bronze Star hesitantly responded.

"Why 'yes?'" Applejack queried.

"Because I know what could happen if you leave a mare and a stallion in a private and secure room for long enough," Bronze Star explicated, "I'd be lying if I said I've never thought about that, but I don't want the nature of our relationship to escalate that quickly. Especially since I get along so well with your family; I'd hate to do anything to jeopardize their good view of me."

"Alright," Applejack avowed, "And why 'no?'"

"Because…" Bronze Star tentatively began. He knew what he wanted to say; he just needed to ensure that he worded it properly. Ultimately, he sighed and revealed "After what happened at the pond this morning, I feel as though I can be more open around you. Even more so than before, I mean. As a result, I still feel very comfortable when you and I are in this type of situation. Since we both know how we really feel about each other, I feel we can totally trust ourselves to never take advantage of each other, regardless of our surroundings. So I have no problems with 'fooling around,' as long as we don't do anything… 'impure.'"

Applejack understood exactly what the young prince was telling her. In actuality, she shared his viewpoints on these matters. She really was attracted to Bronze Star in more than the physical sense, but she would never coerce him into doing anything unchaste.

"Thanks for bein' straightforward with me, Bronze," Applejack stated gratefully.

"Of course," he told her reassuringly, "Let's just get back to work. I can imagine Granny Smith won't be pleased if she comes back and finds us talking. Or doing anything else apart from inspecting the barrels, if you know what I mean."

"No kiddin'," Applejack conceded, smirking in amusement.

The farmer and the prince quickly went back to work. It took them about twenty minutes to inspect the remaining barrels. Shortly after they finished, Granny Smith reappeared at the entrance of the cellar with Big McIntosh. They had brought over several carts loaded with baskets of apples.

"How's everythin' lookin'?" Granny Smith queried.

"All the barrels are free of blemishes, Granny," Applejack apprised her grandmother, "They're in peak condition for storage."

"Oh, that is grand," Granny Smith commented in satisfaction, "Big Mac and I have brought all the apples we planned to store down there. It's a good thing we decided to harvest 'em beforehoof. Otherwise we wouldn't have gathered 'em all so soon."

"Gold an' I will get to storin' 'em right away," Applejack declared, "If we need a hoof, we'll let you know."

"Sounds good to me," Granny Smith stated in approval, "You kids have 'fun' down there."

"Granny…" Applejack moaned, blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh, relax, AJ," the elderly mare told her granddaughter, "I'm just messin' with ya. I know you ain't gonna get up to no mischief with yer coltfriend."

"Nope," Big McIntosh mumbled.

Bronze Star did not know if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult. Either way, Granny Smith had implied that she trusted them to be alone together.

Big McIntosh and Granny Smith started to trot away, but at the last moment, the latter of them turned back to the cellar entrance, gazed down into it, and pronounced "Oh, by the way, Mr. Streak, before I forget, I'd like to ask; are you free this evening?"

"I guess so," Bronze Star answered, "Other than this, I don't have anything planned for the day."

"In that case, I was wonderin' if ya'd like to have dinner with us," Granny Smith proposed, "I know I'm giving this offer on short notice, but I figure I may as well make it. After all, it has been a while since you last stayed for a meal. Apart from that, we'd love to have you over again."

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh agreed.

"Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing?" Bronze Star questioned in caution, "I mean, Apple Bloom's friends are already spending the night here."

"So we'll have three houseguests instead of two," Granny Smith spoke candidly, "That's no problem whatsoever. You are more than welcome here at any time, my good stallion."

Bronze Star grinned at that and claimed "Then I would be delighted to join you, Granny Smith."

The elderly mare nodded in approval and thought aloud "I'll be sure to set the table for seven tonight."

After that, Granny Smith and Big McIntosh headed back over to the house. Bronze Star and Applejack were left by themselves to store the apples in the cellar. They trotted up to the surface to see what the green mare and the red stallion had left them. There were many baskets of apples gathered around the entrance to the cellar. The baskets outnumbered the barrels of water by a factor of at least three to one.

Applejack proposed that they take the baskets down four at a time, deposit their contents into the barrels, come back up for another four, and repeat the process. While it was an effective method, Bronze Star said that he did not want to constantly be making trips back up to the surface. He instead advocated that they go ahead and bring all the baskets down before unloading them. Then once they were all in the cellar, they would store the apples. After some consideration, Applejack agreed to this proposal.

Bronze Star had another reason for wanting to get all the baskets into the cellar first. He wanted to talk to Applejack about a personal matter, and he wanted to do that in private without any interruptions. They would not be able to do that if they kept coming back above ground.

It only took the two ponies fifteen minutes to move all the baskets into the cellar. Once they were all down there, Bronze Star closed the trapdoor. Now they were standing in total darkness. Once again, their excellent night vision proved to be a useful asset.

For a few minutes, they moved and worked in silence. After that, they started up another conversation.

"It's nice that you'll be stayin' over for dinner, sugar cube," Applejack proclaimed, "That's more pleasin' than the smell of a freshly-mown lawn."

"Oh, I quite agree," Bronze Star pronounced, "Having dinner here is a real treat. The location is secluded, the surroundings are noiseless, there is a wonderful view of the setting Sun, and you and your Granny are excellent cooks. Tonight's circumstances are even better than normal."

"In what way?" Applejack queried.

"I'll be dining at the same table with you, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo," Bronze Star illuminated, "This could be the perfect opportunity for me to come forward."

Applejack seemed a little stunned by that proposition. She presumed anxiously "Are you sayin' that you're thinkin' about telling them… who you really are? Tonight?"

"That is precisely what I am contemplating," Bronze Star calmly affirmed.

"Why now?" Applejack asked in interest.

"Well, we decided that the best way for me to tell the others my 'secret' would be if I told all of them at the same time," Bronze Star debated, "The five of them and the two of us will all be together on a piece of private land. We also planned on telling them sometime before your relatives come to visit you. That'll be in less than five weeks. Who knows if all seven of us will be together again before then?"

Applejack thought about these points. Her coltfriend made a good argument. She turned to him and remarked "I get what you're saying. I just wanna know; are you sure about this? Cause if you're sure, I'm sure."

"Don't worry; I'm sure," Bronze Star asserted.

"Alright," Applejack avowed, smirking lightly. After a moment's pause, she smirked and commented "I'm actually looking forward to seeing their reactions."

"Truth be told, so am I," Bronze Star professed amusingly.

"How are you going to tell 'em, anyway?" Applejack inquired.

"I have a plan," Bronze Star stated bluntly.

As the gold stallion and the orange mare continued storing apples in the barrels, the former explained his plan to the latter. Basically, it involved showing the others two things that belonged to him. These were also two things that only certain members of the Canterlot Royalty possessed. One of them was a physical object hidden under his bed at the embassy. The other was literally on him at all times; it just did not appear to be there when he was disguised. He was going to reveal both of those things to the others after they had dinner.

Applejack found this to be an excellent plan. She noted that Bronze Star had accounted for everything, like he always did. She just hoped that he would be able to explain everything without issue. If the situation called for it and the explanation did not go well, she would be there to assist him.

Once they were finished discussing this matter, Bronze Star and Applejack decided to drop it altogether until the evening. For the remainder of the time they spent working in the cellar, they chatted casually about more ordinary topics, like hoofball and recent events.

Within an hour, they managed to transfer all the apples in the cellar from the baskets into the barrels of water. That was not to say that they were finished altogether. It turned out that Big McIntosh and Granny Smith had underestimated the amount of apples that would be needed. When Applejack and Bronze Star were done, there were still half a dozen barrels that contained all water and no apples.

"Looks like we've got a bit more work to do," Applejack noted when they discovered this discrepancy.

"Should we harvest some more apples from the orchards?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"Where else would we get them?" Applejack sardonically replied.

Bronze Star scoffed and muttered frankly "True."

Before they went anywhere, Bronze Star and Applejack placed the lids on the barrels that had been filled with apples. Applejack also instructed Bronze Star to leave the empty baskets next to those barrels. That way, whenever they decided to bring the stored apples back up to the surface, they would already have a basket nearby to help carry out that task. They had no shortage of baskets at Sweet Apple Acres; they would not have to worry about running out of them, even if they kept so many down in the cellar.

Once the barrels were sealed and the baskets were set against the walls, Bronze Star and Applejack prepared to go out to harvest some more apples. Bronze Star trotted up the staircase first. As he reached the top of it, he thought he heard a familiar voice on the other side of the trapdoor. He listened closely, and it sounded like Twilight Sparkle. Bronze Star simply shrugged and pushed the trapdoor open. Not two seconds later, Twilight Sparkle reached him. She was talking out loud and walking in a straight line, yet she did not even notice the gold stallion or the hole in the ground. Before Bronze Star could warn her, the lavender mare screamed in surprise, tripped over the hole, and tumbled down the stairs. She shouted in anguish "Wo-o-ah! Ow! Ugh! Ow! Ow!"

After that, she landed painfully on the floor of the cellar. Applejack saw the magic student and declared happily "Twilight! You came to visit my new apple cellar, how nice."

Initially, she was genuinely pleased to see the lavender mare. Then Applejack got a better look at Twilight Sparkle, and she realized that she was not moving or speaking in any way. The farmer uttered worriedly "Twi? You okay? Uh, Twi?"

Bronze Star trotted back down the stairs and knelt next to Twilight Sparkle. She looked as though she had strained or fractured her legs and her back, and she was lightly moaning in agony. Strangely, she was already covered in bandages. Based on her previous injuries, she must have been attacked by a swarm of bees.

"We better take her to the hospital," Bronze Star suggested.

Applejack solemnly nodded in agreement. The gold stallion and the orange mare got on either side of the lavender mare and gave her a helping hoof. Even though the staircase was narrow, they managed to lead Twilight Sparkle up it with little difficulty.

When they got to the top of the staircase, they encountered Spike. The baby dragon seemed concerned for Twilight Sparkle's well-being, and for some reason, he also seemed reluctant to approach the cellar.

"You two alright?" Spike inquired.

"We're fine," Applejack assured him, "Don't think I can say the same about Twilight, though."

"What was she doing out here, anyway?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Don't ask," Spike advised them.

Bronze Star and Applejack were a little surprised by that response, but Spike appeared quite unwilling to explain Twilight Sparkle's actions. So they did not ask him any more questions.

The prince and the farmer promptly escorted the magic student to the hospital. Dr. Sharp Seams examined her, and he assured the lavender mare's friends that her wounds looked worse than they actually were. She just needed to have her legs bandaged and stay off them for a couple hours. That way they would regain their circulation on their own.

For some reason, Twilight Sparkle wanted to go back outside right away, despite Dr. Seams' opposition to that prospect. She managed to convince the Doctor to let her borrow a wheelchair until her legs had healed. Spike volunteered to help her operate the device.

Once Twilight Sparkle was released from the hospital, Bronze Star and Applejack headed back to Sweet Apple Acres. They had not forgotten about the apple cellar; they still planned to finish loading up the remaining barrels by the end of the day. They decided to harvest the trees from the east orchards, as the apples they grew were the most ideal for long-term storage.

There were six barrels that still needed to be filled, each barrel held about three large baskets' worth of apples, and Bronze Star and Applejack could both carry one large basket on their backs at any time. So altogether, they would have to make nine roundtrips between the cellar and the east orchard.

Nothing much happened during their first four trips. In the midst of their fifth trip, they noticed some activity in the sky. In the distance, they spotted a group of Pegasi moving an airborne truck through the air. They could not make out all the ponies in the small convoy, but Derpy and Lemony Hearts were among them. At one point, the two mares opened the back of the truck to take inventory of its contents. That was rather foolish of them; at that exact moment, the truck jerked to a halt and some of its contents – a flowerpot, an anvil, a group of haystacks, and a piano – fell out of it.

Bronze Star and Applejack could not see where the objects landed, as their view of the ground was obscured by the trees. By concentrating closely, they realized that the objects landed on what appeared to be a wheelchair. An occupied wheelchair, at that. As far as they knew, there was only one pony in Ponyville who had been given a wheelchair recently. That gave them a pretty good idea as to who was buried underneath the haystacks and the wreckage of the piano.

Their theory was correct; Twilight Sparkle crawled out of the rubble a minute later. Spike, Derpy, Lemony Hearts, and their supervisor rushed to her aid. The four of them seemed to have the situation under control, so Bronze Star and Applejack decided to let them handle this matter.

The two of them completed their next four trips between the east orchards and the cellar without any further interruption. During their ninth and final trip, they came across Pinkie Pie. She was bouncing along the road, humming merrily.

When she reached the orange mare and the gold stallion, she stopped in front of them and greeted them happily with "Hey, Applejack. Hey, Bronze. Whatcha doin'?"

"Takin' more apples to my new apple cellar," Applejack apprised her. She fiddled with her full basket on her back, demonstrating her impressive balance. Then she said cheerfully "How 'bout you, Pinkie? Whatchu doin'?"

"Oh, letting Twilight secretly follow me all day without me knowing," Pinkie Pie straightforwardly remarked.

Bronze Star and Applejack were perplexed by that statement. Just then, Twilight Sparkle limped onto the scene. She was able to move independently of the wheelchair by now, but her front legs were wrapped up in medical gauze, she sported a black eye, and her entire body was covered in scrapes and bruises. She mumbled angrily "You mean you knew all along?! Why didn't you tell me?"

Pinkie Pie giggled and responded with "Silly, that would've spoiled the secret!"

"Urgh!" Twilight Sparkle yelled in frustration.

"So that's why you've been acting so oddly today," Bronze Star noted, "Why exactly were you following Pinkie in the first place?"

"She wanted to learn more about her Pinkie Sense from firsthoof experience," Spike answered him. He turned his attention to the pink mare, tentatively approached her, and asked "Tail... still twitching?"

"All done," Pinkie Pie told him reassuringly, "Clear skies from here on in, as far as I can tell—"

Before she could say another world, Pinkie underwent her most bizarre twitch yet. Her entire body violently shook at the same time. She stuttered unsteadily all throughout that spasm.

When she stopped shaking, Spike stated worriedly "Oh no! What does that one mean?"

"Dunno, never gotten any like it before," Pinkie Pie claimed in bewilderment, "But whatever that shudder's about, it's a doozy. Something you never expect to happen is gonna happen!"

Right then, her whole body shook again for a few more seconds. Pinkie Pie seemed to paying close attention to it this time. After this spasm, she informed her friends "And it's gonna happen... at Froggy Bottom Bogg!"

Applejack gasped and announced "That's where Fluttershy's headed!"

"Oh no!" Spike murmured anxiously "Is it about her?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," Pinkie Pie commented.

"It could be," Bronze Star debated, "The Bogg is very close to the Everfree Forest. Who knows what dangers are lurking between the two?"

"We better go and make sure she's okay," Applejack suggested.

"Right," Bronze Star said in response.

As Applejack and Bronze Star carefully placed their apple baskets on the ground, Twilight Sparkle serenely pronounced "Calm down, everypony. All we know right now is that Pinkie Pie just got a case of the shivers. That's all."

Her words were wasted. By the time she got through the second sentence, Bronze Star, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were running down the path in the opposite direction. The lavender mare rolled her eyes and galloped after them. Interestingly, she no longer had a limp.

Within ten seconds, she caught up to the other three ponies and the baby dragon. She used her head to hoist Spike onto her back. She took him by surprise, both in that he was not expecting to be lifted off his feet, and in that Twilight Sparkle was coming along with them.

"Hey!" he yelled, "I thought you didn't believe in this stuff?"

"I don't," she mumbled deviously, a wicked grin on her face, "I just want to be there to see the look on Pinkie's face when we find out nothing's wrong."

She had meant to whisper that statement so that only Spike could hear it. Pinkie Pie was directly in front of them at the time, so she had heard every word of it. However, she did not seem offended in the least. She just smiled and declared "Okey-dokey!"

The four ponies continued galloping to the northeastern edge of town. When they reached it, they went to a path that led them directly to Froggy Bottom Bogg. As they followed the path, somewhere along the line, Twilight Sparkle's black eye, scrapes, bruises, and bandages vanished. Since she was running at the back of the group, nopony knew what happened to them. She seemed to have fully recovered from the painful episodes she had gone through that day. Bronze Star knew the lavender mare was very resilient, but even he was unaware that she could heal THAT quickly.

The four ponies and the baby dragon spent some time searching through a large cluster of trees. Bronze Star and Applejack were inclined to gaze upwards every now and then, as they had not forgotten what had happened during the Running of the Leaves.

At one point, Pinkie shivered once more for a few seconds.

"Cold?" Twilight Sparkle uttered mockingly, "Need a jacket or something?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," Pinkie Pie insisted. Then she immediately started shivering again.

As the four ponies and the dragon wandered through the greenery, Spike murmured restlessly "So... Whadda'ya think happened to Fluttershy?"

"I hope nothin'," Applejack said frankly.

"I know," Spike conceded, "But, whadda'ya think happened?"

"I'm tryin' not to think about it," Applejack remarked.

"Me too," Spike disclosed, "But I'm thinkin' about it anyway. Like, what if she exploded?"

Bronze Star glared at the baby dragon incredulously.

"Just exploded?" Applejack commented, unamused, "For no reason?"

"Yeah, like boom!" Spike shouted.

"Woah!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"I know," Spike spoke softly.

"You cannot be serious," Bronze Star muttered under his breath.

They did not seem to hear him. Pinkie Pie thought aloud "What if... What if she exploded, and then... and then exploded again!?"

"Can you do that?" Spike whispered in shock, "Can you explode twice?"

"Of course not," Applejack bluntly replied.

Spike did not stop there. He timidly theorized "But what if she exploded, and exploded again, and then—"

Twilight Sparkle bumped him before he could get out another word. She uttered in irritation "Will you two stop? She's fine, I'm sure of it."

Bronze Star was grateful that she had gotten Spike and Pinkie Pie to stop this discussion. All this talk about explosions made him feel profusely uncomfortable. After what happened in Hoovston, he did not want to even think about explosions for a long time.

"I hope you're right, for Fluttershy's sake," Applejack mentioned placidly.

The group walked on in silence for a short while. Soon they arrived at a ledge, and Applejack announced to the others "Look! There's Froggy Bottom Bogg!"

The group made their way to the base of the ledge, and they entered a large clearing. They split up so they could cover more ground, but they made sure to stay within sight of each other at all times. The only sounds that could be heard were those of dragonflies buzzing.

"Fluttershy?" Applejack called out.

There was no response; all that followed was another void of silence.

Pinkie Pie stepped further into the clearing and called out "Fluttershy?"

A moment later, Fluttershy appeared in the area. She was positioned less than two meters away from the pink mare. Spike noticed her first. He hopped onto Pinkie, accidentally pushing her into the swamp water, and jumped towards the yellow mare. He wrapped his arms around her upper body and yelled happily "Fluttershy! You're okay!"

Fluttershy seemed mildly stunned by that observation. She calmly stated "Of course."

"Phew, what a relief," Applejack muttered.

"I'm so glad everything's alright," Pinkie Pie thought aloud. Bronze Star nodded in agreement.

While Twilight Sparkle was also glad that Fluttershy was unharmed, she seemed more pleased by the fact itself. She smirked and scathingly uttered "Sorry, I know it's not nice to gloat but... AHA!"

That sudden outburst caused Spike to stumble backwards and fall into the swamp water. Just then, a thick white smoke started emanating from all around the clearing. As the smoke increased in volume, Twilight Sparkle went on with "I told you there was nothing to worry about, and I was right. Pinkie Pie said whatever she was shuddering about was a *cough* doozy, and *cough* and the only *cough* doozy here is how right I am."

By now, more than smoke had entered the vicinity. A large figure was rising from the swamp water behind Twilight Sparkle. Three more figures soon followed it up. They were massive, slender, and very flexible. Twilight Sparkle did not even seem to notice them. Her friends certainly did, though.

"Um... Twilight?" Applejack uttered fretfully.

Twilight Sparkle ignored the farmer and drove on relentlessly with "Pinkie's made a lot of predictions today but *cough* ugh, what is that smell? But what we've shown here is that there's no point in believing *cough* in anything you can't see for yourself."

Before she could boast about anything else, Spike pointed into the air and shrieked "W-well t-then, s-see what's b-b-behind you, Twilight!"

Twilight Sparkle dropped her cocky demeanor, and she slowly turned around. She looked up slowly, and she fully realized what her assistant meant. The four figures were at least fifty feet tall, and they were eyeing the ponies and the dragon menacingly. Bronze Star recognized them as the heads of a hydra, one of the deadliest and most feared creatures in all of Equestria.

Twilight Sparkle murmured fearfully "I see it... But I don't believe it!"

Soon the four heads rose to their full height, and three of them roared loudly together. After a moment, the fourth one – apparently the main head – joined in the roaring. That alone was almost enough to frighten the ponies and the dragon out of their minds.

"Is that a hydra!?" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"Yeah," Bronze Star whispered.

"Who cares?" Applejack yelled "RUN!"

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Spike turned around and started running from the clearing. The mares' screams could be heard all over the area.

Pinkie Pie was the only one who did not move at first. Initially, she was frozen in shock. She then took a few steps backward and whimpered. Two of the hydra's heads leaned closer to her. One of them eyed her closely and the other licked its lips.

Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star soon noticed the pink mare was not moving. The lavender mare shouted "Pinkie! Come on!"

One of the hydra's heads lunged towards Pinkie Pie. Twilight and Bronze hastily galloped back over to her. Twilight grabbed her by the tail and pulled her out of harm's way just in time. The hydra head smashed into the ground. Before it could recover, Bronze Star used his hind legs to buck the creature in the face, stunning it momentarily. This action bought him and the some time to put some distance between them and the hydra.

They desperately moved through the Bogg to avoid the hydra. Fluttershy seemed somewhat concerned for the well-being of the frogs she had brought to the swamp. Fortunately, all of them had gotten to some shelter. However, there was no shelter nearby that was large enough for the ponies and the baby dragon. They could not hide. All they could do was run.

After the group galloped for a hundred meters, Twilight Sparkle noticed a hill to the south. She directed everypony's attention towards it, and they proceeded towards it all at once. At one point, Spike accidentally tripped and fell into a deep pool of swamp water, but Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star managed to rescue him before he was pulled under by the current.

Once Spike was safely on Twilight's back, the five ponies sprinted up the steep hill. Along the way, Pinkie Pie's body experienced another round of vibrations. When the group was near the top of the hill, Twilight Sparkle declared "I think we're gonna make it."

"But Pinkie's still shuddering!" Spike notified her.

Right after he said that, Pinkie Pie was standing perfectly still. She giddily remarked "Oh, lookie there, it stopped."

Almost straightaway, she started shuddering again. She stammered "O-h-h-h, t-h-e-r-e i-t i-s a-g-a-i-n."

A minute later, the five ponies and the baby dragon arrived at the top of the hill. To their grim misfortune, they had come to a steep cliff. They all gasped in unison at this. Fortunately, there were three narrow pillars of rock that formed a partial bridge to another cliff on the other end of the huge ditch. They appeared to be stable enough for the group to cross.

"Ugh, he'll be up here in no time!" Twilight Sparkle proclaimed, "Quick, one at a time, cross!"

She and Spike were at the back of the group. The baby dragon kept an eye on the hydra as it continued moving towards them. Soon it started climbing up the hill. Spike shrieked in alarm, but soon he got an idea. He looked to the magic student and asked her "Uh, do you know any spells for turning a hydra into a mouse?"

"No," Twilight Sparkle informed him.

"How about a squirrel?"

"No!"

"How 'bout—"

"No small rodents of any kind!"

"That's too bad," Spike muttered in disappointment.

"We can't kill the hydra, either," Bronze Star apprised them, "It's a very tricky beast. Every time you cut off one of its heads, at least two more grow in its place. Worse yet, the main head is supposedly immortal. The only known way you can kill a hydra is by smashing it with a boulder the size of a mountain."

"Then unless we get out of here now, we're bucked," Applejack stated nervously.

Fluttershy decided to cross the ravine first. Although she had the capacity to just fly to the other end, she preferred to stay closer to the ground. She remembered how she had crossed the chasm on the mountain when the group was asked to convince that dragon to leave several months ago. She felt that that same strategy would be useful here. She stood in front of the nearest pillar and murmured quietly "A hop, skip, and a... jump!"

She then made her way across the three pillars, and she got to the other cliff safely. Spike cheered happily in reaction, but Pinkie Pie's twitches were getting stronger.

Applejack went next. She focused carefully on the pillars, and she grunted as she jumped from one to another. A moment later, she was standing safely by Fluttershy's side.

By now, the hydra was almost hallway up the hill. Twilight Sparkle saw that the creature was rapidly approaching them, and she pronounced "He's too close. I'll distract him. You three go, now!"

Pinkie Pie and Spike agreed to this, but Bronze Star stepped forward and insisted "No way in Tartarus am I leaving you behind."

The lavender mare would have tried to change his mind, but she had bigger things to worry about than a stubborn prince. The hydra was rapidly closing in on them.

Spike brought himself to cross the ravine next. As he reached the other cliff safely, Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star faced off the hydra. The lavender mare muttered tensely "Oh... What would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do?"

She quickly got an idea. She raised her head high, galloped right towards the hydra, and yelled "CHAAARGE!"

Bronze Star did not know whether to laugh or gasp. Still, as crazy as Twilight's approach was, it actually produced some good results. She ran right underneath the hydra's legs, and one of its heads followed her. When most of the head's neck passed through the legs, the whole body lost its balance and collapsed. While the creature was down, Bronze Star sprinted over to its other three heads and bucked them one at a time. The hydra was left temporarily incapacitated and disoriented. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star managed to buy Pinkie Pie the extra time she needed to cross. Her body continued shaking as she moved between the pillars.

As Twilight Sparkle returned to the edge of the cliff with Bronze Star, the gold stallion told the lavender mare in exasperation "So, that's what a 'brave' pony does? Twilight, there's a difference between bravery and recklessness!"

"Oh, excuse me," Twilight Sparkle sarcastically retorted, "And you're such an expert on bravery?"

"Well, I AM the keeper of the Shroud of Valor, in case you've forgotten," Bronze Star snapped.

"Fine, whatever!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, "We don't have time for this!"

"Right," Bronze Star acknowledged. The two of them turned to face the pillars of rock, and then the gold stallion proposed "Mares first."

"No way," Twilight Sparkle countered, "You go before me."

"But-" Bronze Star began.

"Don't argue!" she shouted, "We don't have time! Just go!"

Bronze Star sighed and nodded in agreement. He turned to face the pillars and lunged towards them. The first two felt as though they were going to buckle under his weight, but he avoided staying on any of them for more than a second. It was at times like this where his agility and speed were especially useful.

When Bronze Star arrived safely on the other cliff, Pinkie Pie was still shaking violently. She uttered anxiously "T-t-t-twilight!"

As the hydra got back to its feet, it caused the ground to vibrate heavily. It began stomping up the hill again, and the vibrations started effecting the cliffs, as well. A moment later, the first two rock pillars gave out and crumbled. As their remnants dropped into the creek below, Twilight Sparkle and her friends stared in utter horror and gasped.

The hydra seemed to smile when it realized that Twilight Sparkle was trapped. It roared in triumph.

Twilight Sparkle's friends were not about to give up on her. Pinkie Pie shouted "T-t-t-twilight! You have to jump!"

"I'll never make it!" Twilight Sparkle refuted

"You'll be fine!" Pinkie Pie asserted.

"I will not!" Twilight Sparkle countered heatedly.

By now, the hydra was almost upon her. It roared once more as it neared.

"It's your only ho-o-ope!" Pinkie Pie yelled, "You have to take a leap of faith!"

As much as the lavender mare doubted the likelihood that she would make the jump, she knew that if she did nothing, she would most certainly perish. Apart from that, she would have much rather preferred death by falling over death by hydra. So she decided to follow Pinkie's advice.

She gulped, took in a deep breath, and crouched down. She

Before she could make another move, the hydra caught on to what she was doing and took action. It thrust one of its heads towards the lavender mare and smashed it against the ground just as she lunged. Twilight's concentration was thrown off, and she was sailing through the air. She screamed "Y-ugh! No! Oh no!"

She struggled to propel herself forward, but the remaining rock pillar was far out of her reach. She yelled "Noooo!"

She desperately tried to grab onto the rock pillar, but her front hooves did not come anywhere close to it. When she got about as far as she could, Twilight Sparkle plunged into the chasm. Her friends watched in shock and terror as she plummeted to the ground below.

Just when it seemed absolutely hopeless for Twilight, she experienced an unexpected burst of luck. The swamp water in the creek was producing a number of huge, thick, gaseous bubbles on its surface. When she started falling, Twilight Sparkle was directly above towards one of the larger bubbles. She managed to land on top of the bubble, and instead of popping, it absorbed her force like a trampoline. When it had enough accumulated momentum, it flung the lavender mare back up into the air and slightly forward. All the while, she screeched "WA-A-A-AH!"

Her luck did not end there. Twilight was vaulted so high into the air that she was thrown above the top of either cliff. Soon she was directly over the cliff that her friends were on. Then she stopped ascending and gradually began to descend. A moment later, she landed on her feet, and she found herself standing with her friends. She mumbled "Ugh! Blegh!"

After that, the other four ponies cheered in enthusiasm. Pinkie Pie approached Twilight Sparkle and hugged her. Twilight hugged her back, and they spun around once as the pink mare pronounced "I knew you could do it, Twilight!"

When they pulled apart, Twilight Sparkle smiled and perceived "I don't know how it happened; coincidence, dumb luck, or what, but you said there'd be a doozy here at Froggy Bottom Bogg, and I'd say we just had ourselves one heck of a doozy. I mean that hydra—"

Before she got in another word, Pinkie Pie inexplicably began shuddering again, much to the confusion of everypony else.

Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow, saying "Pinkie?"

"That wasn't it," Pinkie Pie declared.

"Huh?" said Twilight Sparkle in bafflement.

"What wasn't what?" Spike inquired.

"What are you talking about, Pink?" Applejack questioned.

"The hydra wasn't the doozy," Pinkie Pie clarified.

She gestured to the other cliff, and the ponies looked in that direction. The hydra did not seem upset or disappointed by the fact that the entire group had gotten away from it. It merely turned around and headed back towards Froggy Bottom Bogg. One of its heads blew a raspberry at the group as it stomped away.

Bronze Star felt he should have seen something like that coming. He remembered reading an interesting fact about the hydra. As dangerous and terrifying as it was, it was more mischievous than anything else.

Once the hydra was out of the vicinity, Pinkie Pie explicated "I'm still getting the shudders. Oo-o-oh, oo-o-oh. You see? There it is again. Whatever the doozy was at Froggy Bottom Bogg, my Pinkie Sense says it still hasn't happened."

The others all seemed astounded by this to some degree, Twilight Sparkle most of all. She murmured impatiently "Huh? But I- WHAT?! The hydra wasn't the doozy?! How could it not be the doozy?! What could be doozier than that?!"

"Dunno, but it just wasn't it," Pinkie Pie informed her.

At that moment, Twilight Sparkle felt inexpressible rage coursing through her veins. Based on her countenance, she looked as though she was in the mood to hurt, maim, or even kill somepony. After a very unpleasant pause, Twilight Sparkle rose into the air, and something inexplicable happened. Her coat turned white, her eyes flashed red, and her mane and tail caught on fire.

Bronze Star, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike could only stare at her in alarm. They had no idea what the lavender mare was going to do, but they hoped it would not be anything drastic.

After hovering in midair for a few seconds, Twilight Sparkle's coat, mane, tail, and eyes returned to their normal appearance. Her body was still sizzling in a few spots, but other than that, she looked exactly the same as before. She eased down and mumbled drily "Ooh... I give up..."

"Give what up, Twi?" Spike enquired.

"The fight," Twilight Sparkle elaborated, "I can't fight it anymore. I don't understand how, why, or what, but Pinkie Sense somehow... makes sense. I don't see how it does, but it just does. Just because I don't understand doesn't mean it's not true."

Pinkie Pie was still violently shaking at this time. She muttered unsteadily "Y-y-y-you m-m-mean you b-b-b-believe?"

"Eyup, I guess I do," Twilight affirmed.

Right then, Pinkie Pie underwent her most powerful and unstable twitch so far. She looked as though she was experiencing a very intense seizure. While it looked painful to her friends, the pink mare actually did not mind, based on the vocalizations she made. Eventually, she got herself under control and stood perfectly still. After that, she gasped and pronounced "That was it. That's the doozy."

The others had no idea what she meant; they just stared at her blankly. Spike was so bewildered that he began twiddling with his lips.

"What?" said Twilight Sparkle "What is?"

"You believing," Pinkie Pie expounded, "I never expected that to happen. That was the doozy, oh and, oh what a doozy of a doozy it was!"

She then turned away and started bouncing alongside the cliff, chanting "La-la-la-la-la..."

Twilight Sparkle watched her leave the scene. For a moment, she was still quite baffled by the pink mare's exposition. Then it dawned on her what Pinkie meant, and she smirked and giggled.

The five ponies and the baby dragon headed back towards Ponyville. On the way back, Bronze Star trotted alongside Twilight Sparkle and told her "You know, she has a point. I never thought I would ever see the day when you admitted you were wrong about something."

"Hey, I've never denied any of my mistakes," Twilight Sparkle debated, "I never claimed to be right all the time, either."

"I suppose that's true," Bronze Star coincided, "There's one thing I don't get, though. Why didn't you just teleport across the ravine back there?"

Twilight Sparkle did not answer straightaway. The gold stallion raised a fine point. Oddly enough, when she was on the other side of that ravine, she had never once considered the possibility of teleporting across it. Even when the hydra was upon her, it had not occurred to her. After a minute of contemplation, she decreed "It didn't cross my mind, I guess."

"You didn't think about it when it was most convenient for you to do so?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yeah, I suppose not," Twilight Sparkle professed, "While we're on the subject, I'd like you to tell me something, Bronze. Since you have the ability to make your horn and wings reappear whenever you want, why didn't you switch to your Alicorn form, pick me up, and fly me over the ravine?"

Believe it or not, that concept had not occurred to the gold stallion, either. If he had, the situation with the hydra would have been a whole lot easier. Even so, everything had worked out fine in the end. Still, Bronze Star felt somewhat foolish for not considering the idea of using his wings and horn.

"That a good argument," Bronze Star professed, "I guess in the heat of the moment, we were both trying to think fast, and either we did not think fast enough or we thought too fast. SIG Sauer tells me that such things happen quite often in a situation like the one we were just in."

"Well, at any rate, we all made it out of that mess unharmed," Twilight Sparkle recalled, "That's what really matters. Plus, since things turned out the way they did, I finally have ample reason to believe in Pinkie's Sense."

"That's good for you," Bronze Star observed, "Now you can stop getting yourself hurt."

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike snickered at that statement. Twilight Sparkle joined in soon after, even though they were technically having a laugh at her expense. Fluttershy politely giggled along as ewll, despite the fact that she had no idea what Bronze Star was talking about, as she had not been around when Twilight Sparkle had gotten injured.

It was already the late afternoon by the time the group returned to Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle asked Spike and Pinkie Pie to accompany her to Golden Oaks Library. She planned to write another letter to Princess Celestia. Fluttershy felt she had moved enough frogs to Froggy Bottom Bogg, so she decided to go home and tend to her animal companions. Bronze Star and Applejack both headed back to Sweet Apple Acres. Their baskets were right where they had left them earlier. The gold stallion and the orange mare picked them up and carried them to the apple cellar. They soon had the last barrel of water loaded up with fruit.

After placing the lid on the barrel and setting the baskets aside, Bronze Star and Applejack headed back up to the surface. As Applejack closed and locked the trapdoor, Granny Smith stepped out of the house and approached the two ponies. She commented approvingly "You two finished up just in time. I'm about to start making dinner."

"I'll give you a hoof, Granny," Applejack offered.

Granny Smith nodded in acceptance to that proposal. As Applejack stepped forward Bronze Star told her grandmother "I'll be right back. I left something at the embassy."

"We'll see you soon," Granny Smith acknowledged.

As the elderly mare and her granddaughter went back into the house, the gold stallion hastily departed from the plantation. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the embassy. Dapple Rhomb was still in her office, but she was in the process of packing up her bag. The door to Sir Haywood McCrank's room was still closed, meaning the indigo stallion was still in there. Dapple Rhomb informed her boss that Sir Haywood had only come out once that day, and that was for lunch. She also mentioned that when he passed by her office to get to the kitchen, he had asked her to relay a message to Bronze Star. According to the message, Sir Haywood would be working late, but he had requested to speak to the gold stallion sometime before midnight. He had not specified why he wanted to talk, but Bronze Star was certain Sir Haywood had a good reason. Bronze Star asked her to tell Sir Haywood that he planned to be back by nine o'clock. He would have told the indigo stallion that himself, but he was in a hurry.

Following this exchange of words, Bronze Star went up to his room, reached under his bed, and pulled out his strongbox. He made sure to bring along the key, which was still hidden inside the pillowcase of the largest pillow on his bed. Just to be safe, he brought along his knapsack, as well. Once he had all these materials gathered, he left the embassy.

On his way back to Sweet Apple Acres, he passed by Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were stepping outside. For some reason, the two of them had small umbrellas attached to headbands around their foreheads.

He was confused by this at first, but then he noticed Pinkie Pie's tail was twitching, and he immediately realized what was going on. Pinkie Pie announced "There it goes again."

"I wonder what's gonna drop outta the sky this time?" Twilight Sparkle thought aloud.

"You never know," was all Pinkie Pie said in response.

Near the top of the library, Spike was leaning out of the window that overlooked the balcony. He was holding a scroll with the royal seal in ones of his claws. It must have been the letter Twilight Sparkle said she was going to write to Princess Celestia. Spike inhaled deeply, but before he could send the letter off, a sound that bore a strange resemblance to an engine resounded around the town. A moment later, Princess Celestia herself landed on the balcony.

Both Bronze Star and Spike were surprised to see the white Alicorn there.

"Twitchy tail?" Spike muttered in amazement.

Princess Celestia just smirked, took the letter from the baby dragon, and ascended back into the air. Spike leaned out to watch her rise, and he exclaimed "Holy guacamole!"

Before Celestia went anywhere else, she spotted her son on the ground below. She noticed he was carrying the strongbox she had sent him several months ago. He had asked for that strongbox so that he could hide his regalia in it during his stay in Ponyville. Bronze Star realized his mother had seen him and the strongbox, and he looked up at her and mouthed the words "I'm going to tell them."

That was all the enlightenment Celestia needed. Bronze Star had already mentioned his plan to reveal his identity to the Apple family, and she fully approved of it. In response to it, she smiled down at the gold stallion and nodded her head in approval. Bronze Star smiled back and waved to his mother.

After this, Celestia turned to the north and started flying back to the capital city. Once she was out of sight, Bronze Star made his way to Sweet Apple Acres without any more pauses.

When he got there, Granny Smith already had dinner well underway. Applejack was assisting her in the kitchen. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were in the family room, and Big McIntosh was supervising them. The four of them greeted Bronze Star when he came through the front entrance.

Big McIntosh offered the gold stallion a seat, which he happily accepted. First he set his strongbox on a table near the center of the room, and then he sat down at a chair on the side of it. The three fillies seemed to be intrigued by the strongbox.

"What's in the case?" Apple Bloom queried.

"It's a strongbox," Bronze Star corrected her, "And I can't tell you what's in it just yet. It's a surprise."

That remark really aroused the fillies' curiosity. They inched closer to Bronze Star, hoping he would at least give them a hint. He smirked and proclaimed "You'll find out after dinner."

The Crusaders agreed to drop the subject for the moment, but they were already looking forward to learning what was inside the strongbox.

A moment later, Granny Smith stepped out of the kitchen and declared "Dinner will be ready in about a half-hour."

The five ponies acknowledged that statement. Bronze Star could smell the food cooking, and it emanated a very pleasant aroma. He did not know what to anticipate more; the meal or the discussion that would follow it.

Just as Granny Smith had said, the meal was done in exactly one half-hour. Once it was ready, Applejack beckoned the others to come to the dining room.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo quickly got seated at the table. Bronze Star and Big McIntosh offered to set the table. So Applejack and Granny Smith joined the Crusaders as the two stallions moved the food from the kitchen to the dining room.

Once everything was in place, Bronze Star and Bic McIntosh saw down at the table as well. Naturally, Bronze Star took the seat next to Applejack. Once they were all settled, everypony began eating.

During the meal, the seven ponies discussed what all they had done that day. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had already been around most of the farm, trying their hooves at various tasks. They each had a certain aptitude in a few of those tasks, but none of them had showed any signs of getting a cutie mark yet. Big McIntosh and Granny Smith had just been busy around the farm; they had not witnessed anything especially exciting that day. Bronze Star and Applejack described how they had gone swimming that morning, filled up the new apple cellar in the early afternoon, and visited Froggy Bottom Bogg in the late afternoon. They left out the parts about their sweet-talking on the sand, their private discussion in the underground, and their encounter with the hydra. They did, however, go into detail about Twilight Sparkle's observations of Pinkie Pie's Sense. That was certainly an interesting experience in and of itself.

Within another half-hour, the seven ponies were finished eating. Bronze Star and Applejack cleared the table and wash the dishes. The gold stallion and the orange mare took their time with this process, as they knew that as soon as they were done with cleanup, they would be having a special talk with the others. They needed some time to mentally prepare themselves for this task.

Once all the dishes were cleaned and stored away, Bronze Star and Applejack went out to the family room to rejoin the other five ponies. Granny Smith was resting in her rocking chair, and Big McIntosh and the fillies were seated on the couch by the door. Bronze Star sat back down at the chair in front of the table, and Applejack stood next to him. Given the situation, she felt it would be most appropriate if she stayed right by his side.

Bronze Star sat totally still for a moment. He gazed around at the others anxiously, and he saw that he had their undivided attention. Bronze Star still needed a moment to prepare himself. While he was certain that he was doing the right thing, he was not certain that going through with this would be easy.

Ultimately, he took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and proclaimed "I have lived in Ponyville for more than seven months now. Applejack and I have been together for five of those months. Due to the nature of my relationship with her, I have gotten to know all of you very well. However, while I know pretty much everything about the five of you, you do not know very much about me."

"We know enough to classify ya as a decent stallion, Mr. Streak," Granny Smith contended.

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh coincided. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo nodded in agreement.

Bronze Star lightly smiled and stated "Thank you all. I am very pleased that you think so highly of me. I have developed a very high opinion of all of you, as well. So high, in fact, that I am convinced that I can trust all of you with a secret of mine."

Granny Smith raised an eyebrow and remarked "Of course you can, my good sir. We are no strangers to keeping secrets."

"I'm relieved to hear that," Bronze Star declared, "You see, what I'm about to tell you isn't like any ordinary piece of news. This is my absolute largest and most confidential secret. There are only ten people in Ponyville who know it. Now I'm about to extend that number to fifteen."

"Don't you mean sixteen?" Sweetie Belle presumed.

"No, Applejack already knows," Bronze Star illuminated, "She's one of the first ten."

The orange mare lightly nodded her head in confirmation. She then placed her front hoof on her coltfriend's shoulder to encourage him to continue.

The gold stallion leaned forward and pronounced "A few months ago, when I first had dinner here, I told you that I occasionally function as Prince Bronze Star's body double."

"You do?" Scootaloo said in astonishment.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom affirmed, "Since the two of them look so much alike, Mr. Streak stands in for the prince sometimes."

"Yes, that was what I told you," Bronze Star avowed, "However, you should know that there's a little more to it than that. Actually, a LOT more."

"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked in interest.

Here Bronze Star paused for a few seconds, and then he leaned closer to the table, grabbed onto the sides of his strongbox, and pulled it closer to himself. When the strongbox was just a foot in front of him, he turned it so that the lock was facing him. Then he opened his knapsack and removed the key to the strongbox. He looked up at the others and said "If you would, please close your eyes for a minute."

Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were perplexed by this request, but they complied with it. Right away, they closed their eyes and tilted their heads slightly downward. Applejack then went around the room to examine the five ponies up close and ensure that their eyes were shut tight. Once she confirmed this, she turned to Bronze Star and gave him the signal to go on.

Bronze Star then inserted the key into the lock and unfastened the bolt. He gradually raised the lid on the briefcase. His crown was right on top where he left it. He picked it up and placed it on top of his head. After that, he gestured for Applejack to cover her eyes as well. Once she did, he closed his own eyes and cast the spell that reversed the illusion charm on his back and forehead. Immediately, his wings and horn reappeared on those respective spots.

He nudged Applejack lightly, which meant she could look again. After she opened her eyes, Bronze Star turned to the others and announced "Alright, you can look now."

Straightaway, the other five ponies opened up their eyes as well. They were all directly facing Bronze Star when they did, and when they saw him, their eyes opened even wider.

At first, they were simply shocked by the fact that he had changed appearance. After that shock set in, they were able to focus more on what exactly it was about him that had changed, and that astounded them even more. In less than a minute, he had somehow sprouted wings and a horn, and he had a crown on his head. The five ponies all knew full well that if a pony had wings, a horn, and a crown, that could only mean one thing.

"No way…" Big McIntosh muttered quietly.

The gold stallion lightly nodded his head, rose to his hooves, stood up straight, and revealed "I'm not a doppelganger for Bronze Star. I AM Bronze Star."

Everypony reacted differently to that news. Big McIntosh's jaw dropped, Sweetie Belle stared in disbelief, Scootaloo whistled in amazement, and Granny Smith simply rubbed her chin, as if she was fascinated. Apple Bloom seemed the least surprised out of all of them. She widely grinned and exclaimed "I knew it!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned to her and simultaneously muttered "Huh?"

"Well, it's kinda obvious when you think about it," the filly in the bow debated, "His cutie mark, his military training, his political life, his connections to Canterlot Castle… add all that to the fact that Bronze Star hasn't made a public appearance in Canterlot since before the Summer Sun Celebration, and that can only mean one thing."

"How did you know he hasn't appeared in public since then?" Sweetie Belle queried.

"Don't you guys ever read the paper?" Apple Bloom snappily retorted.

"Only every now and then," Scootaloo disclosed.

"Well, whenever one of the Canterlot Royalty gives a speech to the public, the press is sure to mention it," Apple Bloom informed them, "Bronze Star used to give them all the time until about eight months ago. I was like the only pony in town who even seemed to notice that. I also noticed that the Ambassador's arrival coincided perfectly with that event. In fact, a few days before I met you two, the Ambassador all but CONFESSED to me that he was Bronze Star."

"No, I DID tell you that, Apple Bloom," Bronze Star recounted, "But I tried to make it sound like a joke to mislead you. Back then, I was trying to prevent you from learning the truth. Not that I thought you couldn't handle it; I just wasn't ready to share it with more ponies."

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad ya finally came forward, Your Highness," Apple Bloom proclaimed.

She then stood up and bowed to the gold stallion. One-by-one, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Granny Smith, and Big McIntosh rose to their hooves and did the same.

While Bronze Star was grateful for this show of respect, he was somewhat annoyed, too. He lightly sighed and bade them "Please, do NOT bow. And don't call me 'Your Highness,' either. 'Bronze Star' or just 'Bronze' will suffice."

As the five ponies rose to their feet, Granny Smith queried "Are you certain of that?"

"Yes, I am," Bronze Star insisted, "You can address me the same way you would any other pony."

"As you wish, sir," Granny Smith avowed. After a pause, she hastily added "Is 'sir' alright?"

"Yes, 'sir' is fine," Bronze Star asserted, "That's all the formality I need."

"Very well," the elderly mare conceded.

Bronze Star noted that Granny Smith and Apple Bloom seemed to have already accepted the fact that the gold stallion was a member of the Canterlot Royalty. The other three ponies were not quite there. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could not contain their excitement, and while Big McIntosh looked as stoic as ever, inwardly he was just as astonished as the fillies.

"I… I still don't believe it," Sweetie Belle thought aloud.

"Yeah, this is wicked awesome!" Scootaloo proclaimed.

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh concurred.

Bronze Star scoffed and pronounced "I thought you'd be amazed. I'm relieved to see that you're all taking this so well, though."

"Well, why the hay wouldn't we?" Granny Smith queried.

"I don't know; maybe you would have been offended that I didn't trust you enough to tell you my secret when we first met," Bronze Star conjectured.

Granny Smith firmly shook her head and disclosed "We are not offended at all, my dear."

"Nope," Big McIntosh stated.

"After all, I'm sure you had some good reasons for coming here under a fake name," Granny Smith perceived.

"He did," Applejack affirmed, "He wanted an opportunity to live a normal life."

"That's the short version," Bronze Star elucidated, "To be precise, I came here under a pseudonym so I could avoid attracting so much attention from the townsfolk. That way I could live as a civilian for a while, and I would not be the center of attention for once."

"Was that the only reason why you came here?" Granny Smith inquired.

"At first, it was," Bronze Star professed, "However, in the seven months since I arrived in Ponyville, I've come to greatly appreciate the town's livelihood. There's a type of kinship and benevolence here that doesn't exist in most other places nowadays. While I may have only had one reason for coming here, I now have several more reasons for wanting to stay. One of which is standing right next to me."

At that, everypony turned to look at Applejack. In response, the orange mare blushed and pulled her hat over her eyes. Bronze Star smirked and patted her on the shoulder. Then he looked over at the other five ponies and expounded "Although I've been passing myself off as somepony else, I can assure you that my feelings for Applejack are not part of the act. She and I really do love and care for each other. My relationship with her was what motivated me to tell the rest of you about my identity. Since she and I are so close, I felt it was only right that her family should know the truth."

"But Scootaloo and I aren't part of the Apple Family," Sweetie Belle pointed out.

"I know, but you ARE Apple Bloom's closest friends," Bronze Star observed, "It would not have been fair to force her to keep this secret from the two of you. That was reason enough to tell both of you my identity. That and the fact that Rarity and Rainbow Dash are two more of the ten people in Ponyville who already knew it."

"Out of curiosity, who are the other seven?" Scootaloo enquired.

"Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Sir Haywood McCrank, Fluttershy, Copper Hollow, Pinkie Pie, and Noble Edict," Bronze Star apprised her, "On that note, the five of you can address me by my real name from now on, but only when we're alone or when anypony on that list is nearby. If anypony else is in the area, I would ask that you continue to refer to me by my alias. You must not tell anypony else my secret without my consent."

"You have our solemn vow, Bronze Star," Granny Smith proclaimed.

"Eeyup," said Big McIntosh. The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded in agreement.

Bronze Star smiled in appreciation. By now, it appeared as though everypony there had fully grasped the concept that the stallion who had served as their ambassador from the capital city for the past seven months was actually a member of the Canterlot Royalty. However, Apple Bloom looked as though she was pondering deeply about something.

After a lengthy interval of silence, the yellow filly gazed over at the gold stallion and told him "Bronze, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead, Apple Bloom," Bronze Star beckoned her.

Apple Bloom hesitated for a few seconds, and then she stated "Forgive me if this sounds too forward, but I can't think of a way to bring this up without being direct. So I'll ask you flat-out. If you and Applejack ever get married, would that make her a princess?"

Apple Bloom was the only one who had been wondering about that subject, but now that she had asked that question, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Granny Smith, and Big MicIntosh seemed interested in it, too. They all turned to Bronze Star and waited for a response.

Applejack glared at her sister and mumbled in irritation "Really, Apple Bloom?"

Bronze Star chuckled and announced "Well, that IS a reasonable question. At any rate, I shall answer it. Yes, Apple Bloom; if Applejack became my wife, she would be inducted into the Canterlot Royalty. As such, she would indeed become a princess."

Apple Bloom smiled and turned to the orange mare. She cockily commented "Somethin' to look forward to, sis."

Applejack just rolled her eyes and drily muttered "You're gettin' a little ahead of yourself, AB. While I do love Bronze Star, he and I haven't gotten that far yet. And while I DO have some ambitions, becoming a princess isn't one of them. It might be one of Rarity's though."

"Yeah, but she already has her eyes set on my idiot cousin," Bronze Star reminded her, "And even if she didn't, I already have you."

"Thanks, sugar cube," Applejack told her coltfriend gratefully, "Still, as far as titles go, I don't need any. Least of all 'princess.'"

"Is the concept of that really that appalling to you, AJ?" Bronze Star queried.

"Not on a personal level," Applejack disclosed, "I just feel I'm mighty incompatible with that label."

"Well, I can't really blame you for that," Bronze Star admitted, "In this day and age, the term 'princess' has been sensationalized to the point of emptiness. I have no idea how that happened, but alas, it did. The term is actually a lot more meaningful than most ponies give it credit for. In all honesty, I think it might suit you very well."

"Oh?" the orange mare muttered in interest, "Why is that?"

"To begin, it's in your nature to be supportive, caring, and helpful," the gold stallion perceived, "Earlier on, when we were at the pond, you praised me for those bills I passed several years ago. The ones that benefited farmers. If you were a member of the Canterlot Royalty, you would have the ability to create and pass more of those bills. You'd be able to directly provide aid to every agriculture-based enterprise in the country. Including your family's."

Applejack seemed intrigued by that concept. She looked off to the side and rubbed her chin, saying "That's certainly somethin' to think about."

Bronze Star grinned and pronounced "Yes, and that's just for starters. I know there's no telling where our relationship will ultimately take us, but from the way it's going now, it just might end with you and me together in a more concrete sense of the word."

"That doesn't sound bad," Applejack happily remarked, "In fact, I would be delighted if that's how things turn out between us."

Bronze Star was elated to her that. He gently placed his front hoof on the back of Applejack's head, pulled her close, and kissed her full on the lips. She returned the kiss with just as much love and affection.

The other five ponies reacted differently to this exchange. Sweetie Belle watched on in awe, Scootaloo made fake gagging sounds, Apple Bloom snickered deviously, Granny Smith nodded approvingly, and Big McIntosh just grinned.

When they came apart, Bronze Star looked Applejack in the eyes and observed "Incidentally, there's another sign that you and I go well together."

"What might that be?" she queried in intrigue.

"Remember that night five months ago, when we shared our first kiss?" he asked her.

"Of course I remember it," Applejack replied.

"Then you recall that I had you try on my crown," Bronze Star proclaimed, "It went on your head as nicely as it went on mine. In other words, you and I are a perfect fit."

Applejack merely smirked and shrugged, saying "How 'bout that?"

Everypony else found that to be an interesting piece of information, as well. After a minute of silence, Big McIntosh cheekily remarked "I wonder if you two are a 'perfect fit' in that OTHER respect."

Initially, nopony understood what the large stallion meant. How else could two ponies be a perfect fit? Then it occurred to Bronze Star, Applejack, and Granny Smith that perhaps he meant "fit" as in the way a mare and a stallion fit together anatomically. That was indeed his meaning.

Upon this realization, Bronze Star and Applejack became very red in the face out of embarrassment. Granny Smith narrowed her eyes at the red stallion, clearly unamused. Big McIntosh was not bothered by the glare; he just lightly chuckled at his joke.

"Really, Big Mac?" Applejack uttered in irritation, "You rarely speak your mind, and on one of the few times you do, you had to say THAT?"

"No wonder he never talks very much," Bronze Star wryly pronounced.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were too young to recognize the innuendo Big McIntosh had made. Apple Bloom queried "What does he mean?"

"You'll find out when you're older," was all Granny Smith told her.

As much as the Cutie Mark Crusaders hated that response, they agreed to let this issue go.

Soon after this, Bronze Star looked over at the clock on the wall, and he saw that it was almost eight-thirty in the evening. He removed his crown from his head and placed it back into his strongbox. As he closed the case and locked it up, he told the others "I should be leaving soon. Tonight I have some business at the embassy that I must attend to."

"Is it royal business?" Apple Bloom presumed.

"No, but it does concern local and national security," Bronze Star disclosed, "And it definitely requires my attention. I'm really glad I was able to come here, though. I'd like to thank you for having me over."

"It was our pleasure, my good sir," Granny Smith claimed. As the other ponies murmured in agreement, the elderly mare declared "We must do this again sometime soon."

"Well, Applejack tells me that a bunch of your relatives will be visiting you in the near future," Bronze Star thought aloud, "She even wants to introduce me to one of them. How about I come over then?"

Granny Smith thought for a moment, and then she stated "That would be a great idea."

Bronze Star smiled and remarked "Then I guess I'll see you in five weeks."

At that, Granny Smith raised an eyebrow and inquired "What makes you say that?"

Bronze Star was a little bewildered by that. He explicated "Applejack said that your relatives would be here in about five weeks."

"Oh, well, that WAS the plan at first," Granny Smith affirmed, "However, I got a letter from Esopus Spitzenburg yesterday. He told me that due to recent events, he and the others will be able to come a lot sooner than they originally planned."

"How much sooner?" Bronze Star enquired.

"They'll be here in approximately two weeks," the elderly mare enlightened him.

Bronze Star was mildly unsettled by that answer. "Two weeks?"

"Yes, that's correct," Granny Smith confirmed, noting his reaction, "Is there a problem with that? Do you already have plans that week?"

"Oh no, no," Bronze Star asserted, "I'm just a little surprised that they accelerated their plans so quickly and on such short notice."

"That can happen sometimes," Granny Smith apprised him, "I can assure you that we are equipped to handle last-minute changes, though."

"Oh, good," Bronze Star commented, "Then I look forward to meeting your relatives. Even though I'll only be meeting them as the ambassador to Ponyville and as the stallion who's courting your granddaughter."

"That's fine by me," Granny Smith asserted, "We'll be sure to save a spot at the table for you."

"Thank you again," was all the gold Alicorn said in response.

After changing back to his Earth Pony disguise, Bronze Star bade the six ponies good night. Then he exited the house and departed from Sweet Apple Acres.

On his way back to the embassy, Bronze Star thought about everything he had just discussed with the other six ponies. He was pleased that they had reacted so well to learning his true identity. He was also glad that he and Applejack had talked about the possible directions their relationship might take in the future. He wondered if there was a chance that she might actually be his wife someday. He hoped so; he liked that idea. But he wanted to be absolutely sure of himself before he asked.

There was one aspect about that conversation that bothered him. His timetable involving the investigation into the assassination conspiracy had been compromised. He would be meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg three weeks earlier than he had originally planned.

On the plus side, the Best Young Flyers Competition would be in one week. Bronze Star would still be able to rendezvous with General Walther in Cloudsdale before he met Esopus Spitzenburg. The general would be able to give him plenty of useful advice on how to study Esopus Spitzenburg without interrogating him. However, he would only have one week to practice using that advice instead of four. He prayed that one week would be enough time to prepare himself. Otherwise, he would not be able to help the Firebrand Regiment carry out the investigation into Esopus Spitzenburg.

Ultimately, Bronze Star decided he could afford to worry about this topic later. For now, there was another matter that he needed to focus on.

The gold stallion got back to the embassy at nine o'clock, just as he planned. As soon as he entered the building, he encountered Copper Hollow. The copper stallion was standing outside the door to the meeting chambers. He greeted the younger stallion with "Good evening, sir."

"Hello, Copper," Bronze Star returned cordially, "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Sir Haywood asked me to come here," Copper Hollow revealed.

"He did?" Bronze Star uttered in slight surprise, "That's odd. As far as I know, he's been up in his quarters for almost the entire day."

"Well, he didn't ask me himself," Copper Hollow explicated, "Dapple Rhomb came to the barracks a few hours ago. Apparently, sometime after her shift here ended, Sir Haywood had sent her there to ask me to stop by the embassy at nine o'clock. And I wasn't the only one he had her deliver that message to."

He then opened the door to the meeting chamber and gestured for the gold stallion to step inside. Bronze Star trotted into the room, and he discovered that the whole task force was assembled there. Sir Haywood McCrank had a briefcase by his side.

As Copper Hollow closed the door behind them, Bronze Star looked around at the seven ponies and asked in concern "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, sir," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "All things considered, at any rate. Please, take a seat."

Bronze Star sat down in his usual spot at the front of the table. As he placed his strongbox next to his chair, Copper Hollow sat down as well. Bronze Star then looked over at the federal investigator and asked "Why the sudden unannounced meeting, Sir Haywood?"

"I have some news to share with all of you," the indigo stallion pronounced, "I apologize for summoning all of you here this late at night. I can assure you that this meeting will be brief. Very brief, as a matter of fact. But this meeting could not wait until tomorrow."

"Then let's go ahead and get it started," Paisley Branch wryly suggested.

"Very well," Haywood McCrank conceded. He reached down to his side and picked up his briefcase. He placed it on the table, opened it up, and removed a large opened envelope. This was the envelope he had received that morning from the capital city. He reached into it and pulled out three sealed evidence bags and a short stack of papers. The spyglass, the piece of cloth, and the sliver of metal were each in one of the evidence bags. Sir Haywood placed them off to the side for the moment, and then he turned his attention to the papers. He announced to the other seven ponies "As you all know, several days ago I sent the three clues we found during the Running of the Leaves to my colleague, Agent Dread Naught, at the Intelligence Bureau's HQ in Canterlot. He's taken this past week to study the objects extensively. This morning, he sent me the results of his research. I spent most of the day going over his findings, and I've made a very relevant yet unsettling discovery."

"What might that be, Sir Haywood?" Rollin Fields queried.

After a brief pause, the indigo stallion looked around at the seven ponies and informed them "I know who we should be looking for."

Everypony was pleasantly intrigued by that statement.

"You've identified the assassin?" Cassia Sprig presumed hopefully.

"No, but I know what motivation and reasons they have for committing this murder," Haywood replied.

"You say 'they,'" Almond Wheeler noted, "Does that mean you do not even know the assassin's gender?"

"No, I use 'they' because I'm not referring to one assassin," Sir Haywood McCrank expounded, "I'm talking about assassins, plural."

Everypony seemed stunned by that remark.

"What makes you think there's more than one?" Noble Edict asked curiously.

"That's the subject of this meeting," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "My theory is based on the objects we picked up in Whitetail Woods. I shall now tell you what Agent Dread Naught and I discovered from the objects."

Here he picked up the evidence bag containing the spyglass, held it up, and explained: "This spyglass is designed to hone in on a specific target. Once it has locked on, it can determine a pony's age, height, weight, build, and virtually everything else about that pony except his or her name. It's very useful for locating one particular pony in a huge crowd or for monitoring a certain pony's movements and activities."

The other ponies took everything the indigo stallion told them into account. Sir Haywood then placed the spyglass back on the table and picked up the evidence bag that contained the piece of cloth. He held it up and continued with "This cloth is made of a very stretchy material. It has the consistency of latex and spandex, only it's much more aerodynamic and flexible. It can be modified to accommodate any pony's exact measurements, it can cover a pony's entire body, and it allows the wearer to move completely unhindered whilst they have it on. Basically, a whole costume made of this material could allow a pony to move comfortably, quickly, and stealthily all at once."

The prince and the six security officers took notes on this, as well. Sir Haywood then placed the piece of cloth on the table and exchanged it for the evidence bag that contained the sliver of metal. He held it up high and went on with "This sliver of metal from the dagger is composed of a mixture of malleable iron, refractory clay, Senna auriculata wood, and carbon. Further analysis on the sliver indicated that it is made from an alloy known as wootz steel. It's arguably the severest and toughest steel ever made. Wootz steel is smelted and produced in many parts of Equestria, but almost all of it is reserved for use by the military or the Royal Guard. Wootz steel makes for one effective blade. A sword or dagger made of the stuff is very sharp, very precise, and very deadly. Such a blade can even cut through bone or slice a hair in half."

The others acknowledged all this new information, and this time, they were a little disturbed by it. Sir Haywood set the sliver of metal back on the table, and then he stood up and proclaimed "Even by themselves, none of these objects are commonplace. However, there is a certain organization in Equestria whose members use all three of these objects."

"What sort of organization, Sir Haywood?" Cassia Sprig queried.

"An underground criminal organization," Sir Haywood elaborated.

"You mean like a gang or a mob?" Paisley Branch assumed.

"No, much worse than that," the indigo stallion disclosed, "I am talking about a subversive guild of bounty hunters."

The prince and the six security officers seemed alarmed by this revelation. Rollin Fields raised an eyebrow and repeated nervously "'Bounty hunters?'"

"That's the only way to describe them," Haywood McCrank affirmed, "They have been around for a very long time. They were in business even before Agent Dread Naught and I joined the Intelligence Bureau. He and I have been after them for nearly nineteen years."

"So who are they?" Almond Wheeler enquired.

"Unfortunately, we do not know very much about these killers," Haywood McCrank elucidated, "We haven't even been able to determine the name of their guild. We simply refer to its members as the 'Vermane.' That label was his idea, not mine."

"Why do you call them that?" Copper Hollow asked in interest.

"Because they're essentially a group of parasites," the indigo stallion disclosed, "They survive through a series of carefully arranged murders. Every time they kill somepony, they manage to make a profit from his or her death. You see, many of their victims are prominent employees or executives of certain financial corporations. When those ponies die, their respective corporations suffer a downturn in the market. While those corporations experience a decline, a number of their competitors are able to benefit from their loss. Dread Naught and I have managed to determine that at least a few of the bounty hunters must be working for the competing corporations. The increase in their stocks must be what enables the Vermane to prosper."

"That's a rather elaborate system they have," Noble Edict perceived.

"Yes, and it proves to be a very lucrative one, too," Haywood McCrank pronounced, "The cumulative amount of income they've amassed over the years is well over nine billion bits."

"Nine… billion?" Paisley Branch uttered in shock.

"Wow, that is… incredible," Almond Wheeler commented.

"That'd be enough to have everypony in this town set for life," Rollin Fields observed.

"Not only that," Cassia Sprig declared, "With that much money, every single pony in Ponyville could live like the Canterlot Royalty."

"Alright, let's not get distracted by the guild's success," Noble Edict proposed.

"Noble's right," Bronze Star conceded, "Keep in mind that they are acquiring all this money through manipulation, deception, fraud, and the spilling of innocent blood."

Everypony managed to remember this, and they all stayed on-topic. After a momentary pause, Copper Hollow turned to the federal investigator and asked him "Sir Haywood, who else in the Intelligence Bureau is investigating this guild?"

"Nopony," Haywood McCrank admitted, "It's just me and Dread Naught."

"You mean the two of you are all the Bureau could spare for this?" Almond Wheeler muttered in astonishment.

"No, that is not what I meant," Haywood McCrank clarified, "What I meant is that he and I are the only ones in the Bureau who are even AWARE of the guild's existence."

"What?" Noble Edict practically shouted, "You've got to be kidding!"

"I am not, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank asserted, "When Dread Naught and I first learned of the guild's presence in Equestria, it did not take us long to discover the vastness of its scope. When he and I realized what we were up against, it occurred to us that the members of the guild could be anywhere. They could have even infiltrated the Bureau or the staff of Canterlot Castle. So we've never shared our knowledge of the guild with anypony else. Not even the Equestrian Royalty."

Bronze Star could vouch for that. This was the very first he had heard of this guild. But based on everything he had just learned from Sir Haywood, he could understand the indigo stallion's desire to keep this matter so confidential. At least now, he was being straightforward and honest on the subject.

Bronze Star leaned forward and perceived "Since you're now telling US about this guild, Sir Haywood, I assume you and Dread Naught are fairly certain that the Vermane are behind this murder plot?"

"Indeed, sir," Haywood McCrank verified, "There is one more piece of information that would validate that theory. That would be the most disturbing quality of this guild: its trademark."

"What do you mean?" Copper Hollow asked apprehensively.

"Whenever the Vermane take out one of their targets, they always send an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus to get the job done," Haywood McCrank illuminated, "In other words, they always operate in trios."

The prince and the six security officers were shocked by that news. None of them had forgotten that one meeting that involved that episode with the dice. Copper Hollow murmured softly "The number three…"

Sir Haywood nodded his head in confirmation and declared "I am absolutely confident that this is what that clue was referring to. We are not dealing with one assassin. We are dealing with three."

The seven ponies needed a minute to absorb this information. Once that minute was over, Rollin Field turned to the indigo stallion and asked him "Sir Haywood, what is this guild's rate of success?"

"As far as Dread Naught and I can tell… it's a solid one hundred percent," Haywood McCrank grimly answered, "He and I have tried many times to prevent these murders from happening, but we have never succeeded."

"What was the closest you ever came to averting one?" Paisley Branch queried.

"Well, eight years ago, Dread Naught and I intercepted a tip about an attempt on the life of a prominent merchant from Chicacolt," Haywood McCrank explained, "We travelled there together and kept a close eye on the merchant. We never approached him directly, as we were concerned that doing so would tip off the Vermane. Intrinsically, we used him as bait to lure them out of hiding. When they finally moved in on their target, we were ready for them. We managed to catch them in the act, but we were unable to take them into custody. All we did was drive them away. But what mattered was that we managed to save the merchant. Or so we thought…"

"What happened next?" Cassia Sprig inquired, clearly intrigued.

"After we stopped the bounty hunters, we returned to Canterlot," Haywood recounted, "It seemed as though the threat had been neutralized. However, three months later, we discovered too late that we had closed the case prematurely. You see, the merchant had a partner who was even more powerful and successful than he was. His partner was found dead outside his office. The description of his death matched that of the guild's previous victims. It turned out the partner was the real target all along; the merchant was just a decoy."

"Why would they do that?" Almond Wheeler mumbled in bewilderment.

"It's their style," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "Sometimes the guild's target is very high-status or difficult to approach. Whenever that's the case, they stage a mock attack to divert the public's attention."

"A mock attack?" Copper Hollow said, somewhat baffled.

"Allow me to clarify," Haywood requested, "If the bounty hunters ever target somepony who is too challenging to kill under normal circumstances, they send one of their teams after somepony close to the target, but they deliberately bungle the job. They do this because they know that the ponies who live in the same town as the target will be on high alert in the days immediately following the staged failure. However, if nothing happens for a certain amount of time after the failure, the authorities will ultimately conclude that the hunters have already made their move and that the danger has passed. Typically, they wait a few months and do nothing to rouse suspicion. Once everything has calmed down, they move in on the real target, and they always prevail then."

"So when Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I were attacked after the Running of the Leaves…" Bronze Star recalled.

Haywood McCrank nodded his head and perceived "That wasn't the murder attempt. That assassin never intended to kill you or either of the mares, sir. What he did was only meant to be a diversion."

"Damn," Paisley Branch mumbled in disappointment, "I was starting the think that this plot was already over."

"Unfortunately, that is not so," Haywood McCrank refuted, "That was just the first sign that the plot has begun."

"Terrific," Cassia Sprig sarcastically muttered, "So what we dealt with was just the reconnaissance team?"

"Precisely," Haywood affirmed.

"Wait a minute, Sir Haywood," Almond Wheeler interjected, "If the distraction is always directed towards somepony close to the target, does this mean that we can rule out Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and the ambassador as the target?"

Haywood McCrank thought about that for a few seconds, and then he observed "It's too early to say for certain, but I suppose it's not unreasonable to assume that the three of them are safe."

"That's a relief," Bronze Star commented.

There was another brief period of quietness, and then Rollin Fields turned to Haywood and told him "Now that you know that the assassins are from this guild, do you have any theories as to who the victim might be, Sir Haywood?"

"Alas, I have none," Haywood grimly professed, "Under the right circumstances, the Vermane could make a profit from virtually anypony's death. However, I can tell you this: these bounty hunters will stop at absolutely nothing until they eliminate their target. Both Dread Naught and I have come to that conclusion. Their determination is inflexible and unyielding. Once they have their sights set on you, you're pretty much dead already."

Everypony there could not believe what they had just heard. This whole situation suddenly became far more dangerous for all of them. They felt as though they should be fearing for their own lives, even if none of them was the target.

After a tense interval of quietness, Paisley Branch sighed and thought aloud "We can't do this."

"What was that, Paisley?" Noble Edict queried.

"We won't be able to stop this thing by ourselves," Paisley Branch specified.

"She's right," Almond Wheeler coincided, "We're going to need additional help."

"What about the vigilantes?" Copper Hollow pointed out.

"They're not even willing to sit in the same room as us," Rollin Fields countered, "We need somepony who is actually willing to cooperate fully with the task force."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Cassia Sprig proclaimed, "At the very least, we should let somepony in the Canterlot Royalty know about this."

"That will not be necessary," Haywood McCrank asserted, "We've already come this far by ourselves. With the information we've gathered so far and the vigilantes assisting us, we should have more than enough to stop the Vermane before they close in on the real target."

"Sir Haywood, we're not just trying to avert a murder plot anymore," Rollin Fields debated, "Now we're up against an entire organization of ruthless, unscrupulous, money-crazed bounty hunters."

"I am aware of that," Haywood McCrank muttered sardonically, "I know full well what these ponies are capable of. I have been trying to bring them to justice for eighteen years."

"And the seven of us have known about them for about twenty minutes," Almond Wheeler pointed out, "You seriously think we'll be able to make that big a difference in preventing the murder?"

"Well, we have come farther here than Dread Naught and I ever came when we investigated all of the guild's previous murders," Sir Haywood disclosed.

"Well, there's only so much we can do by ourselves," Cassia Sprig contended, "If it was not for Dread Naught's assistance, we might never have figured out that the guild was behind this plot in the first place."

"What would you have me do?" Haywood McCrank muttered, starting to sound a little impatient, "If we bring another of my colleagues here, we would easily alert the Vermane that we are on to them. So what do you think would happen if the Canterlot Royalty was made aware of the guild's existence? We may as well leave out a sign that says 'Come and get us.'"

Clearly, the indigo stallion was determined not to increase the number of ponies who knew about the guild of bounty hunters. However, the four security officers seemed just as adamant about doing the opposite. Noble Edict and Copper Hollow did not blame their colleagues for their feelings of uncertainty, but they did not know whose side to take here. Bronze Star was concerned that this debate would eventually turn into a heated argument. Luckily, he had an idea to prevent that from happening. It was a bit of a risky approach, but after what he had been through earlier that day, he was confident in the probability of its success.

He stood up from his chair and cleared his throat to get everypony's attention. Once he had it, he looked between the four security officers and stated "Paisley, Cassia, Almond, Rollin, would the four of you be satisfied if just one member of the Canterlot Royalty was made aware of this affair?"

The cobalt blue Unicorn, the gray Earth Pony, the periwinkle Pegasus, and the lime green Earth Pony all thought about this prospect for a couple minutes. Ultimately, they all decided that this proposal was acceptable for them. As long as somepony in the Canterlot Royalty knew of their situation, they would be content.

After they told Bronze Star this, the gold stallion smirked and declared "In that case, I would be happy to fulfill your request."

When he said that, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Cassia Sprig, and Paisley Branch assumed that Bronze Star meant that he would speak to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna on their behalf. Of course, he had something much different in mind.

Bronze Star picked up his strongbox and placed it on the table in front of him. Sir Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow realized what he was planning to do, but they did not protest. They were certain that the young prince knew what he was doing.

After Bronze Star removed the key to his strongbox from his knapsack, he looked around at the other seven ponies and instructed them "Close your eyes."

It is not hard to imagine what happened from here. Not long before that meeting started, the number of ponies in Ponyville who knew Bronze Star's secret had been raised from ten to fifteen. By the time that meeting ended, the number had increased yet again; this time from fifteen to nineteen.

> Layers Of Secrecy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Needless to say, Paisley Branch, Rollin Fields, Cassia Sprig, and Almond Wheeler were more than a little shocked to discover that Bronze Star was not who he first said he was. Of course, one could hardly blame them. For almost eight months, they had recognized him as the stallion who served as Ponyville's representative from the capital city. Now, without any warning whatsoever, they were being told that Bronze Star did not just work for the Canterlot Royalty; he WAS Canterlot Royalty.

After revealing his wings, horn, and crown to the rest of the task force, Bronze Star explained everything to them. Sir Haywood McCrank and Noble Edict aided him along the way. Copper Hollow helped as well, despite the fact that he himself had only been aware of the truth for a couple weeks.

Each of the other four members of the task force reacted differently to acquiring this knowledge. Paisley Branch seemed to take it the best. In fact, she was as excited as the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been when they learned the truth. Cassia Sprig was downright flabbergasted to learn this. The last time she had been this surprised was three years ago, when she found out she was pregnant with her daughter. Almond Wheeler was a little offended that Bronze Star did not trust her and the others enough to tell them the truth right away. Even so, she understood his reasons for concealing his identity for this long. Surprisingly, Rollin Fields seemed relatively indifferent to this news. He claimed that in his forty years of security work, he had seen stranger and more astonishing things. All the same, like the three mares, he had never once thought that Bronze Star was amongst them.

The primary reason Bronze Star chose to let the task force know his true identity was to inform them that the Canterlot Royalty was indeed aware of this murder plot, and as a result, to assure them that they were not alone in the investigation. When all was said and done, He managed to accomplish just that.

Bronze Star requested that the task force not discuss his secret with anypony else in town, apart from those who already knew it. All four of them swore on the spot that they would not betray the gold stallion's trust.

Once this topic had been wrapped up, they were able to return their attention to the murder plot. Haywood McCrank presented his plan on how to proceed next in the investigation. First, he was going to have Agent Dread Naught send them every piece of information he had on the Vermane. After that, he would have Dread Naught devote his attention and resources to aiding the task force from the capital city. Sir Haywood also planned to share his knowledge of the bounty hunter guild with the vigilantes. He was hoping that they might somehow be able to help the task force predict the guild's next move, or even locate its headquarters. That may have been a longshot, but Haywood McCrank was very confident that the vigilantes had the means to carry out such a task. Lastly, he announced that the task force would resume meeting at the embassy every other day.

The meeting ended shortly after all this was discussed. The six security officers headed home, and Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank went upstairs to their rooms. Before going to bed, Bronze Star made certain to conceal his wings and horn again, and he relocked his strongbox and stored it in its usual hiding place. After that, he laid down on his bed and got comfortable. It was a little after ten o'clock at night. This was still pretty early for the gold stallion to turn in, but it had been a long day for him. He needed some time to reflect on the day's events.

He could not decide what the most significant event had been. Maybe it was his intimate experiences with his fillyfriend. Maybe it was the discovery of Pinkie Pie's Sense. Maybe it was the encounter with the hydra. Maybe it was learning about the existence of a guild of frighteningly persistent bounty hunters. Maybe it was the fact that the number of ponies in town who knew his real identity had nearly doubled in the span of three hours. Or maybe it was the knowledge that he would come face-to-face with the stallion who orchestrated the conspiracy against his mother in just two weeks.

Bronze Star predicted that he would be even busier than usual in the upcoming weeks. Regardless, he was confident that he could handle any and all difficulties as they came along. He was able to get to sleep easily that night, and he slept soundly for the first time in months.

Over the next week, Bronze Star's typical day consisted of working on the task force, managing his duties as the ambassador to Ponyville, and interacting with his friends in town. Two days before the Best Young Flyers Competition, it occurred to him that he had not yet worked out when and where he would meet with Walther at the event. So he sent the General a letter to request instructions on this matter. Knowing Walther, Bronze Star predicted that the veteran Wonderbolt would send him a response at least a day in advance. He expected it would arrive before lunchtime the next day. All he could do was wait until then.

As it turned out, Bronze Star was not the only pony in town who had been exceptionally busy lately. Twilight Sparkle had a number of midterm exams coming up, and she planned to be ready for them. So for most of that week, she did only three things: eat, sleep, and study. On a general day, the studying part comprised more than twice the amount of time as the time she spent eating and sleeping combined.

After following this routine for six days straight, Twilight Sparkle finally felt as though she was wholly and properly prepared for her midterms. One would have expected her to be exhausted at the end of all that, but miraculously, she had managed to remain physically and mentally healthy for all that time. However, she had not exactly kept the library in as good a state. During her lengthy study session, she had removed almost every book from the shelves, and she had not even bothered to put the majority of them back in their places. As a result, the first floor of the library was practically overflowing with books. So while Twilight had eliminated the stress of preparing for her midterms, it was quickly replaced by the stress of having an untidy house.

She planned to clean up the library as soon as possible, but based on how vast the mess was, doing so would take her the better part of a week, even if Spike worked with her. So she chose to ask her friends for some aid. Bronze Star, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity happily agreed to assist her, but Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were already too busy with something else.

The next day, Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy at nine o'clock in the morning like she always did. After she and Bronze Star reviewed the latest news updates from Canterlot, the gold stallion informed the purple mare that he would be spending at least part of the morning at Golden Oaks Library. He also mentioned that he was expecting a letter from the capital city sometime that day. He asked his secretary to go ahead and bring the letter to him if it arrived before he got back. As usual, Dapple Rhomb was more than willing to carry out her employer's orders.

Bronze Star swiftly departed from the embassy and arrived at the library. He had to struggle a bit to get inside the building, as a huge pile of books was blocking the door. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were already there. They were standing near the center of the room with Twilight Sparkle.

The lavender Unicorn used her magic to clear the books away from the door. This enabled Bronze Star to enter the room, but as soon as he was inside, the books fell back in front of the door. The gold stallion looked around at the library's front room. The place was even more disorganized that he thought it would be.

After taking a minute to examine the setting, Bronze Star turned to the mares and queried "How'd you get inside with that huge pile of books in front of the door, anyway?"

"Well, I've just been teleporting in and out of the building," Twilight Sparkle disclosed, "As for the others, I've tried moving the pile every time I need to let one of them in. Somehow, the pile manages to fall right back into place almost immediately after that."

"Maybe that's actually the library's way of telling us that it doesn't want anything else inside that would clutter it up even more," Applejack conjectured.

"That would not surprise me at all," Rarity proclaimed.

"If that's so, we'd better start cleaning," Pinkie Pie suggested.

"That's why you're here," Twilight Sparkle stated. She then looked around and sighed, saying "This could take a while."

Bronze Star rubbed his chin and thought about the situation. Then he smirked and pronounced "I've got an idea. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, I'd like to speak with you in private for a minute."

The orange mare, the white mare, and the pink mare complied with this request and joined the gold stallion in a corner of the room. He then began explaining his idea to the three of them. He made sure to never raise his voice above a whisper. At various points, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie whispered something back to him, like a question or an observation. At the start of their conversation, the three mares seemed slightly perplexed. By the end of it, all three of them were smirking like the young prince.

"Sounds great," Applejack perceived.

"Let's do it," Rarity advocated.

"This is gonna be fun," Pinkie Pie said eagerly.

After that, Bronze Star, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity rejoined Twilight Sparkle at the center of the room. The magic student raised an eyebrow in interest and inquired "What were you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Bronze Star told her innocently, "So, where should we start?"

Twilight Sparkle pointed to a pile of unraveled parchment sheets and answered with: "How about those maps? I had them out so I could study the geography and topography of Equestria and its adjoining countries. They belong in the cabinet by the door to the kitchen."

"Very well," Bronze Star conceded. He then looked over at the other mares and lightly nodded his head, smiling deviously. They returned the devious smiles, and the four of them approached the pile of maps. Bronze Star then picked up a hoofful of maps and tossed them into the air. Rarity used her magic to keep the maps suspended in midair and roll them up. Then she let them drop, and Applejack used her back legs to buck the scrolls towards the cabinet on the other side of the room. Lastlly, Pinkie Pie rushed over to the cabinet and used her tail to open up the bottom drawer. The maps neatly and gracefully landed inside of it.

This method was very efficient at putting the maps away, but in Twilight Sparkle's mind, it was also a little risky. She knew that it was relatively easy to tear or distort the parchment. As her friends worked, the lavender mare stepped forward and beckoned them "Guys, please be careful. I just need the maps to be put away; I don't need you to reshape them!"

"Oh, you hear that, fillies?" Bronze Star cockily announced, "She says we'll 'reshape the maps…'"

The other three mares chuckled at that observation. Bronze Star had made that statement as if it was a type of cue. In actuality, it was.

Before long, all the maps had were stored in the cabinet. Rarity picked up some books off the ground and spread them around the room with her magic. All of a sudden, she began singing:

"Reshape the maps and forge the signs."

Applejack threw more books into the air and bucked them towards the shelves. As she did that, she started singing, too:

"Tear the pages and smudge the lines."

Pinkie Pie started tossing books around the room and she sang the next lyric:

"Erase the titles and switch the dates…"

Bronze Star stepped up to the magic student and finished the verse with:

"That's what Twilight Sparkle hates!"

Twilight Sparkle was genuinely confused by what her friends were doing, but she found it best not to intervene. Amazingly, every book that was launched into the air by them ended up landing in its respective bookshelf in its proper place. It was as though luck was on their side.

The gold stallion, the orange mare, the white mare, and the pink mare continued trotting around the room very quickly. As they moved, they picked up a random book and tossed it in an equally random direction. While they worked, the four of them sang in unison:

"Upturn the shelves, snap the quills.

Gather dust on the windowsills.

Spill the ink on the storeroom door…

Throw the books across the floor!

Toss the scrolls in a cauldron pot.

Burn them up so they can get hot.

When you're finished if any are not…

Leave them out so they can rot!"

Despite the suggestive nature of the lyrics, Bronze Star, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie did none of the dreadful actions they sang about. They had carried out this entire routine just to toy with Twilight Sparkle. Surprisingly, they managed to get through that whole musical number without causing damage to a single book or any other part of the library.

After a few seconds of silence, they finished it up with:

"That's what Twilight Sparkle hates!"

Then they stopped singing and started laughing instead. As for Twilight Sparkle, she could only stare. She was absolutely stunned by what just happened. Not two minutes beforehand, the room was so cluttered that she could barely see any part of the floor. By now, almost all of the mess in the library had been picked up. Only a few dozen books were left on the ground.

After a minute of quietly standing by, Twilight simply grinned, scoffed lightly, and said in amazement "Nice job, guys."

"No problem, Twi," Applejack remarked.

"That's what we're here for," Rarity asserted.

"I knew that was gonna be great!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed giddily.

Twilight Sparkle scoffed again and professed "I suppose it was. Did you make that whole thing up on the spot?"

"Pretty much," Bronze Star affirmed, "What did you think of it?"

"It wasn't bad," Twilight Sparkle admitted. She then looked around the room and saw that it was considerably cleaner than it had been five minutes ago. She trotted over to the remaining books on the ground. As she lifted them into the air with her magic, she told the others "I think I can handle the rest."

"Okay, but we'll stay with you until you're done, just in case," Bronze Star offered.

Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had no objections to that proposal. Twilight Sparkle was certainly grateful for her friends' willingness to continue helping her.

Just then, there was a heavy knock on the door. The stallion and the four mares promptly turned their attention to the front entrance.

"I wonder who that is," Rarity thought aloud.

"I'll get it!" Pinkie Pie proposed merrily.

As she bounced over to the entrance, Applejack wryly perceived "At least now we can answer the door without anything gettin' in the way."

"No kidding," Twilight Sparkle concurred.

Pinkie Pie soon reached the door and pulled it open. The pony on the other side turned out to be Dapple Rhomb. The pink mare smiled and greeted her with "Hi, Dapple."

The purple mare just grinned and uttered "Good day, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Mr. Ambassador. Are you busy? If so, I could come back later; I would hate to inconvenience you."

"No, no, not at all," Twilight Sparkle assured her, "Come on inside."

Dapple Rhomb nodded and trotted into the library. She was wearing a saddlebag on her back. Bronze Star assumed either Dapple Rhomb had gone out shopping, or she was delivering something. Considering the talk he had with her before he came to the library, Bronze Star was inclined to believe it was the latter.

"Next time, feel free to just let yourself in," Twilight Sparkle offered.

"Believe me, I tried to," Dapple Rhomb insisted, "But I couldn't even budge the door. It was like it was jammed or something. After several failed attempts to get in, I decided to just knock."

"Oh, alright, darling," Rarity acknowledged, "So how long were you standing out there?"

"Not that long," Dapple Rhomb revealed. She then looked over at Bronze Star and sardonically uttered "But I remember you saying on more than one occasion that you couldn't sing, sir. A moment ago, I could have sworn I heard some very compelling evidence that contradicts that claim."

The other four mares chuckled at that remark. Bronze Star lightly rolled his eyes and proclaimed "That wasn't exactly singing, Dapple. It was more like… crooning or chanting. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie did all the real singing."

"Speak for yourself," Dapple Rhomb refuted, "If you ask me, perhaps you really CAN sing, and either you won't admit it or you don't know it."

"She's got a point there," Applejack coincided.

"Fine, there may be some truth to that," Bronze Star drily admitted. He looked to the purple mare and observed "At any rate, I assume you did not come here just to analyze my musical ability?"

"No, I did not," Dapple Rhomb confirmed. She then reached back to her saddlebag, opened it up, and removed a scroll. She held it out to the gold stallion and apprised him "This is for you, sir. It's that letter from Canterlot you've been waiting for."

"It's already here?" Bronze Star muttered in amazement as he took the scroll in his front hoof, "It hasn't even been twenty minutes since I spoke with you at the embassy."

"Well, the letter arrived only about a minute or two after you left, sir," Dapple Rhomb enlightened him, "Since you emphasized how much you were looking forward to receiving it, I figured I may as well bring it here right away."

"As usual, you thought right, Dapple," Bronze Star stated approvingly. He gazed down at the scroll for a moment, and then he told his secretary "Could you please wait here while I look this over? It should only take a few minutes. Once I'm done, I may need you to take a replying message."

"You got it, sir," Dapple Rhomb avowed.

Bronze Star then sat down at the table at the center of the room, unraveled the scroll, and began to read it. Dapple Rhomb positioned herself near her employer and patiently waited for him to finish. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stood off to the side and passed the time by talking to each other. At this point in time, Twilight Sparkle was the only one there who was working to clean up the library, but only about forty more books needed to be put away. She could handle that many by herself.

Twilight used her magic to shuffle through the remaining books. Every time she found one particular book, she made her way over to a certain shelf and placed the book on it. Twilight had been living in Ponyville for so long that she knew where every single book in Golden Oak Library was supposed to go.

However, she had not paid as much attention to the actual bookshelves. This proved to be a foolish decision on her part.

Currently, the top shelf on the column closest to the staircase was unbalanced. The support on its right side had somehow come loose. If somepony looked closely, he or she would see that the shelf was in danger of crumpling. If any more weight was placed on it, the support would buckle and the entire shelf would collapse. Unfortunately, this shelf happened to be one of the few that was still missing a book.

At one point, Twilight Sparkle trotted over to this shelf and searched for the book that belonged there. Right when she found it, Pinkie Pie's tail suddenly began twitching. The pink mare looked over her shoulder and murmured "Huh?"

When the others noticed this, they snapped to attention.

"What's gonna to fall?" Applejack queried nervously.

"I'm… I'm not sure," Pinkie Pie disclosed.

"Keep your eyes on the ceiling," Rarity advised her friends.

Now that Twilight Sparkle believed that Pinkie Sense was authentic, she became somewhat concerned as well. However, after about ten seconds of inactivity, she casually dismissed the notion and got back to work. She used her magic to place a book on the top shelf. The moment she released the book from her aura, the support gave out and the shelf came toppling down.

Twilight Sparkle screamed in alarm as the books came tumbling down towards her. It would have only taken two seconds for them to reach her. That was not enough time for her to step out of harm's way. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack were standing on the other side of the room; they could do nothing to intervene. Bronze Star was closer, but he had been focused on his letter. Had he been paying attention to Twilight, he might have been able to save her.

Luckily, there was one pony there who had the means to save Twilight.

The very instant the bookshelf collapsed, Dapple Rhomb bolted across the room and moved in front of the lavender mare. Then she shielded Twilight with one of her front legs and seized the shelf with her other front leg. She managed to prevent any of its books from falling on her or Twilight Sparkle; the only thing they landed on was the ground.

All that activity happened in the span of no more than three seconds, and it all happened before anypony else knew what was going on. There was a very long, very unpleasant void of silence that followed it. During it, Bronze Star, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle gazed back and forth between Dapple Rhomb, the broken shelf, and the place where the shelf had been just moments earlier.

Eventually, the tense silence was broken when Dapple Rhomb turned to Twilight Sparkle and asked her "Are you alright, Twilight?"

The lavender mare was still in shock, but she managed to compose herself. Once she did, she nodded her head and pronounced "Yes, I'm… I'm fine. Thank you."

Dapple Rhomb merely grinned and reassured her with "Anytime."

Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were relieved to see that Twilight was unharmed. Bronze Star stood up straight and mumbled in amazement "Damn, Dapple. That was some excellent reaction time."

"Thank you, sir," Dapple Rhomb stated appreciatively, "It's a good thing you asked me to stay here."

"I'll say," Bronze Star coincided, rubbing his chin in interest, "Tell me; just how did you DO that? Have you had awareness training?"

"No, sir," Dapple Rhomb responded, "However, I have been known to think very fast. Especially when the situation calls for it."

"Well, that's good news for me," Twilight Sparkle keenly observed.

"Quite so," the purple mare remarked. She then looked around the room and noted "In the meantime, you've got to be more careful with these shelves, Twilight. You should probably check their supports every now and then. That way, you can ensure that this won't happen again."

"Thanks for the advice," the magic student told the older mare appreciatively.

Following that remark, there was another short pause in the room. After that, the door to the second floor opened and Spike poked his head out. He enquired in concern "Is everypony okay? I thought I heard a crash in here."

"Don't worry, Spike; we're fine," Pinkie Pie assured the baby dragon.

The other five ponies murmured in agreement. Spike sighed in relief and eased down. Just before he went back upstairs, he realized that somepony outside of his main circle of friends was there. When he realized who that somepony was, he smiled, stepped into the room, and called out to her "Oh, hey there, Dapple Rhomb."

The purple mare gazed up at the baby dragon. She grinned and told him cordially "Hello, Spike."

Spike nodded in acknowledgement and ran down the stairs. When he reached the base of the stairs, he extended his claw to her. Dapple Rhomb held out her front hoof and used it to shake Spike's claw. After that, Spike pronounced happily "It's good to see you."

"Same here," Dapple Rhomb rejoined, patting him on the shoulder.

Bronze Star was a little surprised. Based on how Spike and Dapple Rhomb interacted, they seemed to be good friends. The only time he had ever seen the two of them in the same place was during that party Pinkie Pie had thrown for SIG Sauer, Mauser, Alpine, General Walther, and Gilda. That was also where Bronze Star first met Dapple. However, that took place nearly seven months ago. Aside from that, Spike and Dapple had barely spoken a word to each other at that party. Yet they seemed to get along rather well. This drew his curiosity.

"I was unaware that you and Dapple Rhomb were so well-acquainted, Spike," the gold stallion interjected.

Spike turned to the gold stallion, seeming a little surprised by that comment. He queried in perplexity "Well, how is it YOU know her?"

"She's my secretary," Bronze Star candidly illuminated.

"Oh, yeah, Twilight mentioned that," Spike vaguely recalled.

"She was also the one who accidentally sliced his hoof open at that party," Twilight Sparkle reminded her assistant.

Everypony in the room snickered at that, even Bronze Star. While that incident had been very painful at the time, enough time had passed that he had come to associate it with some humor.

"How could I forget that?" Spike muttered drily.

"I sure won't," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Then again, it's practically impossible for me to forget anything. On that subject, I'm a little confused on how you and Dapple Rhomb know each other so well, because I have no memory of you two mingling at that party."

"Well, sir, the party was the only time when you SAW us together," Dapple Rhomb pointed out, "That doesn't necessarily imply that was the only time Spike and I were ever in the same place."

"So, what other occasion was there?" Bronze Star queried.

"Remember that day when Princess Luna went to Canterlot?" Spike elucidated, "You asked me to accompany her as a guide so that I could help her adjust to life in the capital city."

"Of course I remember that," Bronze Star recounted, "I was there when you got on the train with her, SIG Sauer, Mauser, Alpine, Noble Edict, and the six officers of the Royal Guard."

"Uh-huh," Spike acknowledged, "As you know, one of the train cars had been reserved for Princess Luna. She and the others stayed in that car for the whole trip. I, on the other hoof, decided to hang out in the passenger cars. When I entered the dining car, I came across Dapple Rhomb."

Bronze Star was intrigued by that statement. He noted "You met her on a train to Canterlot?"

"Yeah," Spike affirmed, "She recognized me from the party, and she called me over to her table. The two of us quickly started up a conversation. During it, she told me that she was going to the capital city to meet somepony. I just told her that I was going there because I had business at the castle."

"I figured out on my own that he meant royal business," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "After all, why else would the assistant to Princess Celestia's personal apprentice accompany her sister to the capital city?"

"That's a logical observation, Dapple," Twilight Sparkle proclaimed.

As the purple mare nodded her head in agreement, Spike continued with: "At any rate, by the time we reached Canterlot, Dapple and I had already gotten to know each other pretty well. Since she did not know many ponies in the capital city, I told her I would be open to hanging out with her. During the night, I remained by Princess Luna's side. During the day, I went out into the city to meet with Dapple Rhomb."

"So, when did you sleep?" Bronze Star queried.

"Sleep?" Spike repeated. He paused for a moment and rubbed his chin. Then he thought aloud "Probably during the afternoon. No, that was when I visited Donut Joe's or another shop. Let's see… when did I sleep? Actually… now that I think about it, I may have gone without sleep for almost the whole trip. But I planned to make up for lost sleep when I returned to Ponyville."

"No wonder you've been sleeping in so often ever since you got back," Twilight Sparkle perceived.

Spike giggled and frankly remarked "Yeah, now you know."

Dapple Rhomb lightly patted the baby dragon on the shoulder again and told him "I hope I didn't trouble you by having you visit me in the city so much."

"No, not at all," Spike reassured her, "Since Twilight and the Ambassador were in Ponyville, SIG Sauer and his colleagues were busy with their jobs, and the rest of my friends at Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns had their classes, there was nopony else in the city I could mingle with during the daytime."

"Well, I really appreciate all the help you gave me," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "Especially when you managed to get me on that tour group of the castle."

"It was no problem; all I had to do was put in a good word for you," Spike informed her.

"Still, I don't think I could ever repay you for everything you did for me," "I mean, nopony in the capital city spent as much time on me as you did."

"What about that stallion?" Spike countered.

That statement drew the others' attention. Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and inquired "What stallion?"

"Every time I left Dapple Rhomb after meeting with her, I looked back and saw a stallion approach her," Spike expounded, "He was even in the same castle tour group as her. Out of courtesy, I never brought him up when I met with Dapple, but I assumed he was the pony she had planned on meeting."

"Yeah, he was," Dapple Rhomb confirmed.

"Not that it's any of my business, but who was that stallion?" Spike inquired.

"Oh, he was my husband," Dapple Rhomb revealed straightforwardly.

While Spike and the other ponies did not know what answer the purple mare would give them, that was perhaps the absolute last answer they were expecting to receive.

Applejack uttered in fascination "Your husband?"

"Yeah," Dapple Rhomb replied, "He and I have been together for four years."

Bronze Star snickered and sardonically muttered "I tell you everything about me and Applejack; you don't even mention to me that you're married."

"I didn't think it was important, sir," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, "I mean, you didn't ask me about my family during the interview."

"You're right; I didn't," Bronze Star recounted, "For my curiosity's sake, would you mind telling me what you and your husband were doing in Canterlot?"

"We were there for our anniversary," Dapple Rhomb apprised him, "He and I have always wanted to visit Canterlot, and we figured that our anniversary would be the perfect excuse to do so."

"I can understand that notion," Bronze Star commented, "However, based on how much time you spent with Spike, it sounds as though you didn't spend very much of this getaway with your husband."

"Well, while it WAS our anniversary, my husband still had to work," Dapple Rhomb explicated, "He knew plenty of ponies in the capital city, but there was nopony there I knew other than him. Plus, I didn't have a job back then; I needed to find some way to keep myself occupied. So he did not mind if I spent a lot of my free time with Spike."

"That's fortunate for both of you," Rarity perceived.

"Indeed," Dapple Rhomb concurred.

"So, is your husband here in Ponyville?" Pinkie Pie queried.

"Not currently," Dapple Rhomb professed, "He and I moved here a couple months ago, but shortly after we finished getting settled, he had to leave town to go on a business trip. His job requires him to travel a lot. So I'm just looking after the house until he gets back."

"When will that be?" Applejack queried.

"A couple weeks," Dapple Rhomb hypothesized, "Could be sooner, depending on how the trip goes."

"Well, I'll be more than happy to keep you company until then," Spike proposed, "It'll be just like Canterlot."

"I really appreciate that, Spike," the purple mare claimed, "Right now, I don't need any more company, but I'll let you know if I ever feel lonely."

"I'll be here," was all the baby dragon said in response.

There was another brief pause in the room. After that, Bronze Star went back to reading the letter Dapple Rhomb had brought him, and Twilight Sparkle resumed sorting the remaining books in the shelves. Spike helped her fix the shelf that had collapsed, and they made sure the support was sturdy enough to hold an entire row of books.

When Twilight only had half a dozen books left to put away, Bronze Star had finished reading the letter. He rolled it back up, trotted over to his secretary, and held out the scroll. As Dapple Rhomb took it and placed it back in her saddlebag, Bronze Star stated "Thank you for bringing me this, Dapple. When you get back to the embassy, please forward a message to the address on the scroll. Use these exact words: 'Notice received. Shall be present at specified location at designated interval. Anticipate contact.'"

"It will be done, Mr. Ambassador," Dapple Rhomb assured her employer.

"Very good," Bronze Star murmured approvingly, "I'll see you in an hour or so."

Dapple Rhomb nodded in acknowledgement. Then she left the library and headed back to the embassy. Shortly after the purple mare departed, Spike went back upstairs to do whatever he was doing before he came down. Most likely, he had been sleeping.

Bronze Star, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie stood in silence as Twilight Sparkle went to place the last six books in their corresponding shelves. Within two minutes, the number decreased from six to one. Twilight Sparkle then looked around the room, and she spotted the last empty space in the bookshelves. She trotted over to this shelf, used her magic to slide this book into the opening. She sighed and pronounced "Last one."

The lavender mare then turned to her friends and told them appreciatively "Thank you so much for helping me clean up all these books, guys. It was a crazy week of studying."

The others just smiled and nodded in gratification. Their work at the library was done. Or so it seemed.

Out of nowhere, everypony in the library heard a scream. From what their ears could tell, it originated from somewhere outside the building. It was very faint, but it sounded as though it was getting closer to them.

They turned in the direction of the noise, and through the open window, they saw something rapidly approaching the library. They quickly realized it was Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare was soaring through the air in a straight line, but she appeared to have lost control of her wings. She was unable to alter her course before she reached the library. All she could do was brace herself for impact.

Before anypony could do anything, Rainbow Dash sailed through the open window and crashed into the library. The force of her landing was so violent and forceful that she caused the entire building to shake. As a result, every single book on the first floor was vaulted out the shelves and thrown onto the floor. Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were all at least partly buried under a massive pile of literature.

Several of the mares grunted in displeasure, but luckily, none of them had been hurt. Bronze Star pulled himself out of a pile of horror novels and surveyed the room. Somehow, it looked even worse than it did when he first arrived at the library. He grumbled angrily "Oh, come on."

Just then, Fluttershy appeared at the same open window. Although she had her eyes closed, she landed on it without any difficulty. She called out softly yet cheerfully "Rainbow Dash, you rock! Woohoo."

When she opened her eyes, she gasped in alarm and queried "Did my cheering do that?"

Nopony answered the yellow mare. They just glared at the cyan mare, clearly irritated by her intrusion and the result of it. Rainbow Dash grinned innocently and remarked "Hehe. Sorry about that, ladies. And Bronze."

She then composed herself and turned to the window. She declared crossly "THAT was a truly feeble performance."

Fluttershy moved from the window to the floor and observed "Actually, it wasn't all bad. I particularly liked it when you made the clouds spin."

"Ugh," Rainbow Dash muttered in annoyance, "I'm not talking about my performance, I'm talking about yours. That feeble cheering!"

"What are you two arguing about?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Were we arguing?" Fluttershy said worriedly, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Fluttershy," Bronze Star assured the timid mare.

Rainbow Dash grunted and looked around at the Alicorn stallion, the two Earth Pony mares, and the two Unicorn mares, saying "I wish you guys could come to Cloudsdale to see me compete in the Best Young Flyer Competition."

That answered Twilight Sparkle's question. Apparently, Rainbow Dash had been training for the Best Young Flyers Competition, and she had asked Fluttershy to cheer her on. Bronze Star did not know that the cyan mare had entered the contest, but considering her competitive nature, he felt he should have guessed that she did.

"What's that?" Twilight Sparkle inquired in interest.

"It's where all the greatest Pegasus flyers get together and show off their different flying styles!" Pinkie Pie enlightened the lavender mare, "Some are fast!"

She then imitated the sound of a motor and did a few laps around the room. She managed to gallop through the piles of books without being hindered by them at all. After that, she stopped in her tracks, stood up on her hind legs, and remarked "And some are graceful."

Pinkie Pie managed to balance herself on her hind legs for a couple seconds, but then she lost her footing. She stumbled through the books and yelled "Woah, woah, WooooaaAAAAHH!"

She ended up falling painfully against the wall, but she was still unharmed.

After a momentary pause, Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash and pronounced "Golly. I'd love to see you strut yer stuff in that competition."

Rainbow Dash smiled at that and uttered "Yeah. I wish you guys could be there. Fluttershy's a great support, but her cheering isn't exactly inspirational."

Bronze Star stepped up to the cyan mare and told her "Well, all the same, I, for one, look forward to seeing you perform."

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash murmured in confusion, "What do you mean, Bronze?"

"I was already going to the Competition," the young prince informed the weather maker, "Tomorrow, I'll be flying to Cloudsdale in my true form. Before the Competition starts, I'll be meeting with General Walther to discuss some business. After that, he and I are going to attend the performance. My Mother even arranged for me to give the opening speech."

"Wow, sweet," Rainbow Dash commented excitedly. She then got a curious look on her face, as though she had gotten a brilliant idea. She looked to the gold stallion and bade him "In that case… I don't suppose that… well, maybe… you could cheer for me, too?"

Bronze Star thought about this request, and then he lightly shrugged and stated "I suppose I could. If anypony heard me cheer for one particular contestant, I doubt they would ask any questions. After all, I'm just as entitled as the other spectators are to choose favorites."

"Thanks," Rainbow Dash told him appreciatively, "Could I hear an example of your cheer first? I just want to make sure you can be loud enough."

"Sure," Bronze Star conceded, "You all might want to stand back, though."

The six mares chuckled at that statement, assuming it to be a joke. However, Bronze Star had not been kidding around. He cautioned them "No, seriously; you're going to want to stand back."

Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash backed away from the gold stallion. Once they were all more than ten paces away from him, Bronze Star gestured for them to stop. After that, he took a deep breath; he breathed in very slowly until his lungs were full of oxygen. After holding it in for a few seconds, he boisterously shouted "OH, YEEEEEAAAAAAH, RAINBOW DAAAAAAAAASH!"

It was a good thing he had given the mares that warning. Had they been standing any closer, they probably would have gone deaf temporarily. However, even from their current distance, they all got a massive earful from him. Several of the books on the ground flew backwards, and a couple of the shelves buckled. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were even thrown off their hooves and onto their backs. Applejack and Rainbow Dash managed to remain standing, but just barely.

At the end of that, Bronze Star was the only pony there who had not been affected by his shout. He looked around at the mares and muttered cheekily "Told ya."

"How did you DO that?" Rainbow Dash mumbled in amazement.

Bronze Star slyly grinned and tapped his front hoof against his throat. He explained "Royal Canterlot Voice. Quite useful for speeches, announcements, getting attention, and – as you can see – cheering."

"Holy buck, that was intense," Applejack perceived.

"I'll say," Pinkie Pie concurred.

Bronze Star just scoffed at their reactions and looked to the cyan mare. He jokingly stated "Was that loud enough for you Rainbow Dash? If not, I could be even louder."

"No, that was just fine, Bronze," Rainbow Dash hastily pronounced, "That's just the right amount of volume. Many more, and you'd actually be TOO loud."

"If you think I'm good at using the Voice, you should hear my Aunt Luna," Bronze Star wryly proposed, "She's in Canterlot right now, but you could probably hear her from here."

"Well, if I had time, I might ask her to cheer for me, too," Rainbow Dash remarked in amusement, "Seriously, though, I really appreciate you agreeing to cheer for me."

"It's no problem," the gold stallion insisted, "Like I said before, I look forward to seeing you perform in the Competition. I just know that your routine will be great."

"Thanks," was all the cyan mare said in response.

"OOH! I'd love to see you make a sonic rainboom!" Pinkie Pie cried enthusiastically, "It's like, the most coolest thing ever! Even though I've never actually seen it, but I mean COME ON! It's a sonic rainboom! How not cool could it possibly not be?!"

"What's a sonic rainboom?" Twilight Sparkle enquired.

"You really need to get out more," Pinkie Pie told her incredulously. She then brightened up and elaborated "The sonic rainboom is legendary! When a Pegasus like Rainbow Dash gets going sooo fast... BOOM! A sonic boom and a rainbow can happen all at once!"

"And Rainbow Dash here's the only pony to ever pull it off!" Applejack proclaimed.

While they did not say anything, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were quite fascinated.

Rainbow Dash then commented in an uncharacteristically modest tone "It was a long time ago... I was just a filly."

"Yeah, but you're gonna do it again, right?" Pinkie Pie presumed optimistically.

"Are... you kidding?" Rainbow Dash retorted. She sounded anxious at first, but she quickly became more poised and announced "I'm the greatest flyer to ever come out of Cloudsdale! I could do sonic rainbooms in my sleep."

She was obviously exaggerating, but she seemed reasonably confident in her ability. Twilight Sparkle perceived "Wow. If you pull that off, you'll win the crown for sure!"

Rainbow Dash then professed fervently "The grand prize is an entire day with the Wonderbolts. A whole day of flying with my life-long heroes... It'll be a dream come true!"

"Yay," Fluttershy cheered softly.

Rainbow Dash was not amused by that. After another brief pause, she brightened up and told the others "I'm gonna go rest up. Don't wanna over prepare myself, y'know. Hehe."

After that, she looked over at Fluttershy and told her demandingly "YOU, on the other hand, better keep practicing. I need a cheering section to match my spectacular performance."

Rainbow Dash then spread her wings and flew out the open window. As she left the building, Fluttershy looked over at the others and informed them "She's practiced that move a hundred times, and she's never even come close to doing it. I don't know if I can cheer loud enough to help her."

"I'll have your back, Fluttershy," Bronze Star assured the yellow mare, "Keep in mind that the Cloudeseum is a big place. There will be hundreds of other ponies cheering there. Considering Rainbow Dash's popularity, it's likely that at least a few of them will be rooting for her, too."

"I hope you're right, Bronze," the yellow mare stated quietly. After that, she followed Rainbow Dash out of the open window.

Now the group was composed of the same five ponies from before. However, the library was also in a much worse condition than before. Surprisingly, Spike had not checked in on the ponies again, despite all the commotion they had made.

Twilight Sparkle gazed around the room and drearily pronounced "Well, guess we better get this cleaned up... again."

"Right," Bronze Star bluntly muttered, "I would be happy to help you out a second time, but there's some work I have to get done before tomorrow. So if it's all the same to you, I need to get back to the embassy soon."

"I understand, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle assured the gold stallion, "We'll manage. Besides, it didn't take us that long the first time."

"We'll be glad to lend a hoof," Pinkie Pie asserted.

"Yeah, and if need be, we're up for more singin' while we work," Applejack claimed audaciously.

Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie snickered at that. After that short round of laughter was over, the gold stallion declared "I'll see you mares around. Good luck with the sorting."

Bronze Star then departed from the library and swiftly made his way back to the embassy. Dapple Rhomb was at her usual spot in her office. She informed the gold stallion that she had already written and mailed a response to that letter he received from Canterlot, as per his request. Naturally, Bronze Star was quite appreciative for that.

The young prince spent most of the rest of the day working with Dapple Rhomb. He did not bring up anything that had taken place at the library, but Dapple's visit kept repeating in Bronze Star's head. While she was there, he had discovered that Dapple Rhomb had lightning-fast reflexes, that she and Spike were good friends, that she had been in Canterlot, and – most relevantly – that she was married. Bronze Star had learned more about his secretary in those few minutes than he had in all the time she had worked for him these past several weeks.

When this realization hit him, it occurred to Bronze Star that he really did not know very much about Dapple Rhomb's personal life in general. Then again, he had never really thought to ask her. Since he himself was a very secretive pony, he respected the privacy of others, and he did not have a habit of snooping around. Still, Dapple Rhomb was a bit of a mystery to him. As such, he was inclined to wonder what other surprises she had in store.

However, as curious as he was, Bronze Star knew he could afford to put these thoughts out of his mind for the present. At this time, he needed to remain focused on bigger, more urgent affairs. So he set his mind at ease and continued working with Dapple Rhomb for the late morning and the entire afternoon. He never brought up a topic that did not pertain to their efforts in some way.

They decided to call it a day at five o'clock, like they normally did. Shortly before Dapple Rhomb left, Bronze Star informed her that he would be out of town for most of the following day, and as a result, she would not have to come to the embassy tomorrow. She was a little stunned by this, but she was also quite delighted. After all, while she loved her job, she still enjoyed an occasional day off from work as much as the next mare.

After Dapple Rhomb went home, Bronze Star spent the rest of the day lounging. He passed the time by reading, tending to his pet hawk, and talking to Sir Haywood McCrank. He tried his hardest not to even think about work. He wanted to enjoy all this leisure time while he had it, because he was fairly certain that once he got back from Cloudsdale, he would have to spend as much time as possible preparing for his meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg.

That night, Bronze Star went to bed shortly after the Sun stopped shining, and the following morning he woke up long before it started. It took him less than twenty minutes to shower, eat breakfast, and feed Arthur. Once all that was done, he pulled out his strongbox from under the bed, retrieved its key from the pillowcase, and removed his knapsack from its place on the wall.

Evidently, Bronze Star was determined to get to Cloudsdale soon. He was not going to leave just yet though, as his rendezvous with Walther would not be for a few hours. Aside from that, before he went anywhere, he had a quick meeting with the task force. He knew he could have opted out of the meeting, but it was that time of the week when they received a weekly update from the vigilante group. Otherwise, he would have considered skipping the meeting.

Once Bronze Star had his objects gathered, he called his hawk over. Arthur D. Hawkins promptly flew out of his cage and landed on the gold stallion's shoulder. The young prince had decided to bring his loyal pet with him to Cloudsdale. It had been a long time since the two of them had gone flying together, and he figured this would be the perfect opportunity for both of them to stretch their wings. Once Arthur was perched on his master's shoulder, Bronze Star left his room, closed the door, and locked it. After that, he trotted down the stairs and made his way to the meeting chambers.

It was still dark outside, but the other members of the task force were already gathered downstairs. At their last meeting, Bronze Star had requested that they next assemble a couple hours earlier than they usually did. He had already told them about how he would be at the Best Young Flyers Competition in Cloudsdale, and how he planned to get there well before the contest began so that he could speak with General Walther. Naturally, he did not tell them what he and the General would be talking about, but he told them everything else. Now that the entire task force knew his real identity, Bronze Star saw no need to conceal the whole truth from them.

The task force meeting only lasted about forty-five minutes. The eight ponies only spent a few of those minutes discussing their own findings from the previous week. The vast majority of their discussion related to what they had learned from the vigilantes. Based on the report, they were just as shocked as the task force had been to learn that a guild of bounty hunters was behind the murder plot. On the downside, they did not have any definite leads on who the assassins or the victim may have been, but they had a few ideas on how to draw up a list of the most likely suspects. The vigilantes also requested that Sir Haywood McCrank somehow give them the ability to correspond with Agent Dread Naught. They were confident that by working with him, they would be able to get even further along. After all, they would have more direct access to the Intelligence Bureau's resources if they were able to work with somepony at its headquarters. Sir Haywood was somewhat tentative about fulfilling their request, but Bronze Star pointed out to the indigo stallion that they did not have to give the vigilantes unrestricted access to the Bureau. They only had to give the vigilantes enough admittance to satisfy their needs in the investigation. So Haywood agreed to accept this request.

The meeting was over by eight o'clock. As soon as it ended, Bronze Star announced that he would be leaving for Cloudsdale straightaway. The other seven ponies told him they hoped he would have a good time, and Cassia Sprig asked him if he could get Walther's autograph. She claimed it was for her husband; he was a longtime admirer of the General. Bronze Star was more than willing to do this favor for her.

The prince then took his strongbox, knapsack, and pet hawk, and he hastily left the embassy. The Sun was only starting to rise now, and there was nopony out on the streets. However, Bronze Star was not going to take any chances; he would not change into his Alicorn form until he was somewhere where he would have no risk of being seen.

He galloped towards the eastern border of town until he reached the Everfree Forest, and he cautiously entered the overgrown wasteland. After making sure that nopony else was around, he reversed the illusion spell on his forehead and back, revealing his horn and wings respectively. He needed a moment to readjust to them, and once he regained total control of his appendages, he used his magic to pick up his strongbox, and he began flapping his wings rapidly. Once he ascended into the air, he turned to his pet hawk and told him eagerly "Alright, Colonel. Let's rise."

Arthur screeched in approval, spread his own wings, and flew off his master's shoulder. The hawk and the gold stallion then rose out of the Everfree Forest, and they started flying in the direction of Cloudsdale.

It was a rather lovely day. The Sun was radiating, there was little breeze, and there were only a few clouds out. These were the ideal conditions for flying. Bronze Star and Arthur savored the weather and the relative peace and quiet as they soared through the sky.

Within an hour, they arrived at Cloudsdale. Even from a distance, Bronze Star could see that the place was bustling with activity. Evidently, the excitement of the Best Young Flyers Competition was shared by everypony.

As the name suggested, the city was made entirely of clouds. Its construction had been difficult, but the Pegasi had found a way to make the intricate design work. These clouds had been enchanted to remain attached to each other permanently, and they would never dissipate, erode, or expand.

When he reached Cloudsdale, Bronze Star set down on the nearest cloud. He did not phase through it, as Pegasi and Alicorns had the capacity to walk on clouds. As far as he knew, any winged animal had that ability, too. All the same, Arthur chose to remain hovering in the air over his master's head.

Once he was standing on the clouds, Bronze Star opened his knapsack and removed the scroll General Walther sent him yesterday. In the letter, the General had told him where and when they would meet. While he had been very specific, Bronze Star had never been to Cloudsdale before. So he was not entirely certain where to go.

He studied the instructions for a moment, and then he looked around the area for a sign or something else that would indicate where he was. When he was unable to find anything of the sort, he decided to just ask somepony to point him in the right direction.

Just then, a Pegasus in uniform entered the area. He was clad in blue pants, a little blue collared shirt, a dark blue jacket with a badge on the upper left side, a navy blue hat, and sunglasses. Evidently, he was a police officer. Currently, he had his back turned to Bronze Star.

The gold stallion trotted over to the Pegasus and tapped him on the shoulder, saying "Excuse me."

"Yeah?" the Pegasus remarked as he looked over his shoulder. When he realized who had approached him, he snapped to attention and stood up straight. He mumbled nervously "Oh, uh… Prince Bronze Star."

"Correct, my good stallion," the young prince bluntly commented.

The police officer quickly bowed to the gold stallion, and then he stood up straight again. He stated in a collected tone of voice "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

Bronze Star then looked down at the letter and pronounced "I'm supposed to meet with General Walther at the Flight Instructors Offices at nine-thirty. However, I'm not entirely certain where to find that building. Could you give me directions to it?"

"I can do you one better, Your Highness," the Pegasus proposed, "I'll take you there myself."

"Well, thank you," Bronze Star told him gratefully, "I appreciate that."

"Not at all," the police officer asserted.

Bronze Star looked over his shoulder, whistled sharply, and called out "Let's move, Arthur!"

The Colonel obediently flew towards the gold stallion. When the police officer saw the prince's animal companion, he eyed the avian suspiciously, and he queried "Is that hawk trained, sir?"

"Yes, but don't worry," Bronze Star reassured him, "Arthur won't attack you or anypony else. Not unless I order him to. And I have no reason to."

"I can assure you that nopony here will give you one," the police officer proclaimed, "Just make sure he stays by your side at all times."

"He always does," Bronze Star notified him.

"Excellent," the police officer remarked approvingly. He held out his front hoof to a nearby path and beckoned the gold stallion "Come this way, please."

Bronze Star nodded in compliance and followed the Pegasus down the path. Arthur flew alongside his master as the gold stallion and the cop trotted on the clouds. As they headed further into the city, they encountered many other ponies. Virtually all of them noticed Bronze Star was there, and the vast majority of them conspicuously reacted to his presence. Most of them appeared to be either stunned or amazed. Several of them pointed him out and whispered to their friends. Others smiled in the gold stallion's direction or lightly bowed to him.

Bronze Star was used to drawing this much attention, but he was mildly annoyed by it. He had managed to avoid receiving any of this during the eight months he spent in Ponyville. He got through this by reminding himself that he only had to appear in public as a royal for one day, while he was in Cloudsdale. After that, he would be able to resume his quiet life as a civilian in Ponyville.

After about fifteen minutes of navigating through the streets of clouds, the police officer and the prince arrived at the Flight Instructors Offices. Once they got there, Bronze Star turned to the Pegasus in uniform and told him "Thank you. That's all I needed. You may go now."

"Very well, Your Highness," the police officer avowed, "If you desire anything else, feel free to speak to me or one of my colleagues."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," Bronze Star pronounced.

The police officer then left the area and returned to his post. Bronze Star was left alone with Arthur at the front of the Flight Instructors Offices. He leaned against the building and waited patiently for General Walther to arrive.

Every now and then, somepony entered, exited, or passed by the Offices. Each of them expressed some amount of reverence towards the gold stallion when they saw him. In response, he gave all of them a polite nod of acknowledgement.

After ten minutes of this, Bronze Star saw somepony he actually recognized. It was not Walther, but it was somepony the General knew as well.

This pony was a mare in her forties. She had a purplish-blue coat, a jade mane, dark green eyes, and a lightning bolt over a chalkboard for a cutie mark.

Unlike all the other ponies he had come across in Cloudsdale so far, this mare did not swallow her pride around Bronze Star. When she realized the gold stallion was there, she kindly grinned at him and greeted him with "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Hello, Zippy Zap," he returned cordially.

Zippy Zap was a retired member of the Wonderbolts. She and Walther had entered the force at the same time. While they were at the academy, they had gotten romantically involved with each other, despite the fact that cadets were prohibited from engaging in intimate relationships. Fleetfoot was the result of their fraternization, and they managed to avoid getting expelled by appealing to the academy's board of directors.

After they graduated, Walther and Zippy Zap requested to be assigned to the same squad so they could raise their daughter together. This worked for the first several years. Every now and then, one of them was scheduled to be reassigned to another unit, but they got around this complication by requesting that the other of them be reassigned as well or by requesting for the order to be dropped altogether.

By the time Fleetfoot herself was old enough to fly, Walther and Zippy Zap had started to drift apart. They had discovered that they actually had very few similarities. All the same, they agreed to stay together for Fleetfoot's sake.

Then one day, Walther was offered a huge promotion. If he turned it down, he would be able to stay with Zippy Zap and Fleetfoot, but it would probably be years before he would receive a proposal like that again. However, if he accepted it, he would be placed on one of the most prestigious teams in the whole force and he would be able to do greater things for his country, but it would be difficult for him to make time for Zippy Zap and Fleetfoot.

For a while, he was unable to choose between the two options. Then Zippy Zap helped him make his decision by speaking her mind. She made it clear that if Fleetfoot was the only reason he was staying with her, then he should go ahead and accept the promotion.

Ultimately, Walther did just that. Shortly after he was promoted, Zippy Zap resigned from the Wonderbolts. She then moved back to Cloudsdale with Fleetfoot, and she got a job there as a flight instructor for foals. By then, any special feelings she ever had for Walther were gone, and vice versa. Still, Fleetfoot remained close to both of her parents.

At least, she did until she herself entered the Wonderbolt Academy. Then something happened between her and Walther; something that generated a great deal of friction between Fleetfoot and her father. Nopony really knew what instigated this conflict, not even Zippy Zap. However, based on how tense things were between Walther and his daughter nowadays, it would probably be a long time before this conflict was resolved.

On the plus side, Bronze Star was on good terms with Walther, Zippy Zap, and Fleetfoot. He was always open to having a conversation with any of them. He just hoped that one day, he would be able to have a pleasant conversation with all three of them at the same time.

"How long has it been since we last spoke?" Zippy Zap queried "Fourteen months?"

"Seventeen," Bronze Star corrected her.

"I can trust you to know, seeing as you're the one with the flawless memory," Zippy Zap commented. She lightly scoffed and added in "I still remember when you were just an energetic little colt, eager to get himself off the ground."

"It's mainly thanks to you that I did," Bronze Star recounted.

"I don't know about that," Zippy Zap pronounced doubtfully, "After all, I was just one of several teachers you had."

"Yeah, but you were the only one who treated me like any other pupil," Bronze Star reminded her, "For that reason alone, you were always my favorite."

"Why, thank you," Zippy Zap said gratefully, "Truth be told, you were probably my favorite pupil, too. I've taught hundreds of fillies and colts how to fly, and none of them were as well-behaved, respectful, and excited to learn as you."

"I'm glad I left you with such a high opinion of me," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I always strive to show proper respect to everypony I meet. Especially ponies of the previous generation, such as you."

"Oh, so I'm of the previous generation, huh?" Zippy Zap muttered cockily. After a short pause, she shrugged and disclosed, "Well, I guess you're right. After all, I AM old enough to be your mother."

"No, you're not," Bronze Star countered teasingly "If you were my mother, your age would be in quadruple digits."

"True," Zippy Zap conceded, chuckling in amusement. Bronze Star laughed with her with a few seconds. After that, they briefly stood together in silence. Zippy Zap looked over at the young prince's pet hawk, and then she looked to the prince himself and told him "While it's always a pleasure to see you, Your Highness, I'm a little surprised you got here this early. We weren't expecting you and Princess Celestia for hours."

"Well, I have some business here that needs my attention," Bronze Star informed the middle-aged mare, "I'm looking for General Walther. I don't suppose you've seen him?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," Zippy Zap responded, "Then again, his whereabouts have not been my concern for more than a decade."

"I'm well-aware of that," Bronze Star drily remarked, "Still, it's imperative that I speak with him today. He told me he'd be here at exactly nine-thirty, and I know that he always keeps his word."

"That I cannot deny," the purplish-blue mare conceded, "If that stallion has one commendable facet, it's his trustworthiness."

"So that's my only likeable aspect?" a deep voice muttered sarcastically.

Bronze Star and Zippy Zap turned in the direction of the voice, and they saw General Walther approaching them from an adjoining path. He was carrying his steel briefcase on his back. He smiled at the young prince, but he scowled a bit at the flight instructor. The two of them returned those respective gestures.

"Perhaps it is," Zippy Zap said in answer to Walther's question when he reached them, "It was a little hard to think of one."

"Uh-huh," Walther uttered, clearly unamused, "Well, believe it or not, I can think of quite a few admirable qualities that you possess."

"Such as?" Zippy Zap beckoned.

"I'm not going to bother listing them," Walther spat crossly, "Giving you praise is like giving praise to a cloud or a wall."

"Only when it comes from you," Zippy Zap corrected him.

"That's my point," Walther mumbled.

Bronze Star sighed and scathingly remarked "I see you two get along as well as ever."

At that, Walther and Zippy Zap quickly ended their dispute. The purplish-blue mare turned to the gold stallion and told him apologetically "I'm sorry you had to see that, Your Highness."

"It's quite alright," Bronze Star assured her, "But the General and I need to talk in private. So, if you would not mind…?"

Zippy Zap nodded in acceptance, lightly bowed to the prince, and headed into the Flight Instructors Offices building. Once she was out of earshot, Walther thought aloud "To think that mare was once the closest thing I've ever had to a wife."

"At first glance, one might think you actually were her spouse," Bronze Star cockily perceived, "After all, you two certainly behave like an old married couple."

Walther chuckled lightly and declared "I'm not THAT old, Your Highness."

"Well, at forty-eight years, you are the eldest member of the Firebrand Regiment," Bronze Star pointed out, "And Fleetfoot is almost as old as the youngest members."

"Don't remind me," Walther murmured grimly.

"Okay, I won't," Bronze Star told him. He noticed that while Walther and Zippy Zap did not get along, they did have one thing in common other than Fleetfoot: they both preferred not to discuss their age. There came a short pause, and then the gold stallion added in "At any rate, we only have a few hours before the Competition begins. We should probably get started on the debriefing."

"As you wish," Walther coincided.

The mahogany Pegasus removed his briefcase from his back and carefully placed it on the ground. The briefcase had been enchanted so that it would not fall through clouds. That same spell had been placed on Bronze Star's strongbox, too. Since he was not going anywhere for a while, he released it from his magic field and set it down on the ground, as well.

Walther then plucked out his feather-key from his wing and used it to unlock his briefcase. He lifted up the lid and took out a three-inch binder. Then he held it out to the young prince, and Bronze Star took it in his right front hoof.

The binder was very thick. It must have contained hundreds of pages, perhaps as many as a thousand. As the gold stallion opened the binder and began flipping through its contents, Walther told him "This binder contains everything you need to know about studying a suspect without him or her being aware of your intentions. I apologize for its size; we just wanted to be absolutely thorough."

"Yeah, one more sheet and you probably would have needed to start on a second binder," Bronze Star conjectured slyly, continuing to browse the binder's pages, "How much of this did Caracal contribute?"

"Nearly half," Walther responded, "I suppose that's to be expected. She's gone undercover so many times that you could fill a book with everything she learned from her experiences."

"Or a binder," Bronze Star commented drily. After taking a few more seconds to look over the contents of the binder, the gold stallion closed it, looked up at the General, and told him "Despite its length, I can probably read all of this in a few hours. It'll give me something to do tonight when I retire to my quarters."

Walther smirked and said candidly "As you say, Your Highness."

Bronze Star then opened his knapsack, carefully inserted the binder, and closed the bag up again. After that, he turned back to the mahogany Pegasus and told him "I discovered that Esopus Spitzenburg will not be arriving in Ponyville in four weeks like I originally thought. Instead, he will get there in only one week. Have we acquired any new intelligence on him? Any information we have on Spitzenburg might be useful in helping me prepare for my meeting with him."

"Well, Your Highness, we still have our best field operatives watching over him," Walther apprised the younger stallion, "Unfortunately, they have been unable to uncover very much about him. That's not to say that we have learned nothing at all. Even with what little information we got our hooves on, we managed to arrive at a few conclusions."

"Like what?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.

"For starters, six of the twenty conspirators still need to be identified," Walther disclosed, "As we uncovered their identities over the course of these past few months, we noticed a pattern. Lavender Dazzle appears to be the only one of them who meets with all three of the ringleaders on a regular basis. Five of the others receive their orders solely from Raging Tempest, and five more receive their orders exclusively from Sparker Blare."

"Which of them gave Material Study and Raoul Jowl their orders?" Bronze Star asked him.

"Tempest corresponded with Study, and Blare corresponded with Jowl," Walther "On that note, our field operatives have managed to intercept all of the messages Tempest and Blare send to Study and Blare respectively. We have them reply to those messages in such a way that their responses appear as though they actually came from Study and Jowl."

"Good, it would be bad news for all of us if the other conspirators realized that two of their colleagues were no longer involved in their plans," Bronze Star perceived.

"Quite so," Walther muttered in agreement, "At any rate, since Raging Tempest and Sparker Blare each communicate with five of the conspirators, we believe that five more of the remaining six correspond exclusively with Spitzenburg."

"That's not unreasonable," Bronze Star noted, "What about the last one?"

"While we're not entirely certain of this theory, we believe he may correspond with all three of the ringleaders, like Lavender Dazzle," Walther pronounced, "We have tried to locate him through many different methods, but he is very determined to remain anonymous."

"Perhaps he's the one who established the communications network between the conspirators," Bronze Star hypothesized.

"He could be," Walther professed, "However, regardless of his whereabouts, I may have an idea for how we can uncover the identities of the other five conspirators. But we'll need your help in order to carry this plan out, sir."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided, "What must I do?"

Walther then reached into his steel briefcase and pulled out a photograph. He held it out to the young prince, and Bronze Star used his magic to take the photograph, and he studied it up close. It was a picture of a brown, leather briefcase. Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and slyly remarked "Thinking of getting yourself a new briefcase, General?"

"No, that briefcase belongs to Esopus Spitzenburg," the mahogany Pegasus enlightened him, "Based on how close he keeps this thing, it must be his most prized possession. He almost never lets it out his sight. He brings it with him to work, to meetings, to meals, when he gathers with friends, when he's out running errands… he even sleeps with it."

"Do we have any idea what's inside it?" Bronze Star enquired.

"We're not entirely sure; Spitzenburg rarely opens the briefcase in public," Walther illuminated, "Plus, he is a very observant stallion; our field operatives are only able to get so close to him without tipping him off. However, they have managed to get a glimpse of the briefcase's interiors a few times. Based on their testimony, all he carries in it is a number of files."

"What sort of files?" asked Bronze Star.

"They appear to be personnel files," Walther stated, "Similar to the files you keep in that cabinet in your bedroom at Canterlot Castle."

"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star avowed, "Do you think those files are dossiers on the conspirators?"

"At least a few of them must be," Walther claimed, "We're almost one hundred percent certain of that, as every one of the files appears to have the face of a particular pony on it. Even from a distance, the field operatives managed to identify one of the faces as Lavender Dazzle's."

Bronze Star nodded his head in understanding, and then he thought aloud "You said 'a few' of those files must be of the conspirators. Why only a few?"

"Because according to what the field operatives have seen, Spitzenburg has no less than forty files in that briefcase," the mahogany Pegasus explained.

The gold stallion raised an eyebrow and muttered in amazement "Forty files in one briefcase?"

"It's bigger than it looks," Walther apprised him.

"It must be," Bronze Star commented candidly, "However, who do you suppose those other files are about?"

"Probably just associates or partners of Spitzenburg's," Walther theorized, "He likes to keep a record of everypony he does business with. While he is the stallion who orchestrated this conspiracy, he is still a member of the Apple Family. Like the rest of his family, he makes a living by cultivating apples. He's sold so many of them over the course of his lifetime that he's become a very rich pony."

"Well, Sir Raoul Jowl DID say that Spitzenburg provides all the conspiracy's finances," Bronze Star recalled, "That must be where the money came from."

"That's our guess, too, sir," Walther pronounced, "However, all else aside, we've come to the conclusion that the briefcase is the key to furthering this investigation. That's where you come in."

"I'm not quite certain I follow you, General," Bronze Star remarked, "Are you saying you want me to steal that briefcase?"

"No, stealing it is out of the question," Walther clarified, "Spitzenburg would notice right away if it went missing, and your cover would be blown immediately. Swiping the briefcase and replacing it with another one is out of the question, too, as there is no telling how often he opens it in private. That leaves us with only one course of action: we need you to find out what's in that briefcase without taking it away from Spitzenburg."

"Wait, a minute ago, you said he never parts with that briefcase," Bronze Star noted.

"I said he ALMOST never parts with it," Walther corrected him, "From what we've observed, the only time Spitzenburg leaves that briefcase unattended is when he has relatives over or the other way around. For whatever reason, he does not like mixing business with family in any way. So whenever he is with his family, he leaves the briefcase in another room. Since his reasons for coming to Ponyville are to visit the Apples at Sweet Apple Acres, it is reasonable to assume that there will be a few occasions when he will not have the briefcase by his side. Any one of those occasions would be any ideal time for you to find that briefcase and discover what's inside it."

"Alright, I think I can manage that," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Once I find the briefcase, what should I do?"

"First, I must ask: is your memory really as good as you claim?" Walther queried.

Bronze Star smirked and pronounced straightforwardly "If I wanted to, I could memorize an entire book word-for-word without even trying."

He was not trying to brag when he said that, but Walther did not mind if he was. He was actually quite pleased with that answer. He expounded to the young prince: "In that case, you should have no difficulty with carrying out this task. Once you find the briefcase, you'll have to open it up and look through each of the files individually. You do not have to read everything in them; all you have to do is study the pictures on the front of the files and read the first page on their insides. The names of the ponies the files pertain to are bound to be somewhere on the first page in each of the files. After you've done that, put the briefcase back exactly where you left it and act as though nothing has happened."

Bronze Star understood everything Walther was asking of him, but he was a little confused about certain aspects of it. He proclaimed "General, you're pretty much asking me to just take a simple peek inside that briefcase. How will only getting a glimpse at the files help the investigation?"

"Once you acquire the names and faces of everypony in that briefcase, the plan is for you to pass that information along to us," Walther explicated, "As soon as we receive that information, we'll run background checks on all of those ponies. From there, we should be able to determine who among them is one of the remaining conspirators."

There was a very brief pause, and then Walther looked the gold stallion in the eye and questioned "So, what do you say, Your Highness? Are you up for this?"

Bronze Star reflected on everything the veteran Wonderbolt had just told him. Walther was asking a lot of him; there was no denying that. Bronze Star had never doubted his ability to accomplish an assignment or a project, but he had never been placed in a situation such as this one. He had always left investigating the suspects up to the Firebrand Regiment and their field operatives. Plus, he would be spying on a family member of the mare he loved.

However, according to what Walther had just told him, the only way anypony got anywhere near Esopus Spitzenburg is if he allowed them to approach him. So this was a rare instance when the Regiment and their field operatives would not be able to get close enough to the suspect. Bronze Star, on the other hoof, was in the unique position of having an opportunity to get near Spitzenburg without tipping him off. He certainly had the capacity to do his own share of the investigating. He also had the biggest motivation to do this task, as the investigation's ultimate goal was to save his mother's life. With that in mind, he realized that he had to do this. In fact, he was the only pony who could do this.

He looked up at the mahogany Pegasus and lightly nodded his head, saying "I will do it, General. I will get you those names and faces."

Walther smiled in approval and stated in encouragement "I know you will, Your Highness. I have total faith in you. And so does everypony else in the Regiment."

Bronze Star was very pleased to learn that. He knew that the members of the Firebrand Regiment never gave anypony a task unless they were certain that that pony was capable of getting it done right. Since he had their confidence, the gold stallion had just cause to be confident in himself, as well.

Right then, the stallions' conversation about the conspiracy came to an end. Bronze Star and Walther had been talking for over a half-hour, and it was after ten o'clock. The Best Young Flyers Competition would be in roughly two hours.

Walther offered to let Bronze Star keep the photograph of the briefcase, but the gold stallion claimed he did not need it, as he could easily remember what the briefcase looked like. However, Walther insisted that he hold on to the photograph just to be safe, and Bronze Star agreed to take it.

As the mahogany Pegasus locked up his steel briefcase and hid the key in his wing again, Bronze Star placed the photograph in his knapsack. In addition to the binder, a quill, an inkwell, and some parchment was inside the knapsack. Remembering Cassia Sprig's request, he took out those objects and held them out to Walther. He informed the elder stallion that one of his friends in Ponyville had asked him to get the veteran Wonderbolt's autograph. Walther was more than willing to oblige.

He swiftly proceeded to use the quill and ink to write his name on the parchment, and he stamped his hoofprint right below his signature. After that, he gave the materials back to Bronze Star. The gold stallion thanked the mahogany stallion and returned the inkwell, quill, and parchment to his knapsack.

As Bronze Star closed up his knapsack, Walther leaned against the Flight Instructors Offices and gazed off into the distance. He took a moment to admire the view and the scenery. A few seconds later, he spotted two figures in the distance. He concentrated closely on them, and he realized that they were two Pegasi. One of them was cyan; the other was yellow.

Walther tapped Bronze Star and pointed him in the direction of the two figures. He asked rhetorically "Isn't that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?"

Bronze Star focused on the two Pegasi, and then he nodded his head and pronounced "Yeah, that's them alright."

Walther rubbed his chin and commented "I assume Rainbow Dash entered the Competition?"

"Yup," Bronze Star affirmed candidly, "She's been practicing all week, but she's not very confident in her ability to win. Fluttershy's not participating, though. Rainbow Dash just asked her to come along so she could cheer for her."

Walther scoffed and remarked "I did not spend a lot of time around Fluttershy when I was in Ponyville, but I do recall she said very little, and whenever she did speak, she spoke very quietly. So Rainbow Dash is probably going to have a pretty calm cheering section."

"That possibility occurred to her," Bronze Star revealed, "So she asked me to cheer for her, too."

"Will you?" Walther inquired.

"If she actually impresses me, yes, I will," Bronze Star decided, "Rainbow Dash is my friend, but nopony in Cloudsdale is supposed to know that. With that in mind, I can't show her favoritism at the Competition for no apparent reason. So I'll only cheer for her if she does something worthy of praise."

"Good call," Walther conceded, "I've been in a very similar position once before, so I understand your reasoning. Just be careful; you don't want Rainbow Dash to think you've turned your back on her."

"I'll remember that," Bronze Star averred.

The two stallions stood idly by for a while, and then Bronze Star proposed "Since the Competition isn't for a couple more hours, how about we go see how Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are doing?"

"That's fine by me," Walther proclaimed, "Just remember that you and I need to be at the Cloudeseum by noon."

"Right," was all Bronze Star said in response.

The young prince used his magic to pick up his strongbox, and then he, his pet hawk, and the veteran Wonderbolt rose into the air and flew towards the cyan mare and the yellow mare.

On their way there, Bronze Star noticed a familiar grey blonde Pegasus. He quickly recognized her as Derpy Hooves.

Inwardly, he panicked a bit when he saw the cross-eyed mare. Apart from Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Bronze Star had not expected anypony from Ponyville to be in Cloudsdale that day. If Derpy saw him, he would have some explaining to do.

Or so he thought.

A moment later, Derpy happened to spot the gold stallion. Her eyes widened in surprise, but not for the reason one might think. It was not out of shock for seeing a familiar face; it was out of astonishment for seeing a member of the Canterlot Royalty.

When she reached the mahogany Pegasus and the gold Alicorn, Derpy bowed to the latter of them. Or she bowed to him as best she could while in midair. Then she stated in her usual gawky tone of voice "Hello, Your Highness. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Bronze Star was stunned by how those statements were delivered. Derpy honestly did not seem to recognize him. Not being one to question good fortune, he went along with this and told her "Good morning, my dear. May I ask your name?"

She nodded her head and replied with "Derpy. Derpy Hooves."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and smiled at her.

A moment later, Derpy turned to General Walther. She looked surprised, almost as though she had not realized he was there until right then. Nevertheless, she grinned at him and pronounced "Oh, hi, General. Fancy seeing you here."

"Good to see you again, Ms. Hooves," Walther rejoined, "How is your daughter?"

"She's fine," Derpy replied, "How's yours?"

Walther was surprised to hear her ask him that question. He never would have guessed that Derpy was aware that he and Fleetfoot were related. However, she did not seem to be aware that the mahogany Pegasus and his daughter were not exactly on speaking terms, either. Ultimately, he just sighed and answered with "Unfortunately, I haven't a clue. Hopefully, that'll change soon."

"Well, good luck with that," Derpy bade him. After a few seconds of silence, she spotted Arthur by Bronze Star's side. Derpy smirked and commented "That's a nice bird you've got there. Our town's ambassador has one just like him."

At that, Bronze Star no longer had any doubt that Derpy did not recognize him. He felt quite relieved by that. He decided to humor the grey mare, and he claimed "I know. Gold Streak's a good friend of mine. He and I used to go hunting together quite often. If you see him, please tell him I said 'Hello.'"

"Yes, sir," Derpy uttered in a surprisingly stern tone, saluting the prince, "I shall relay this message with haste and exactness."

Bronze Star and Walther were a little astonished by the sudden formality, but Derpy immediately eased down, smiled, and remarked jokily "Sorry, I've always wanted to say that."

The two stallions chuckled at that. Derpy then bowed again, and she headed into the city. Bronze Star and Walther watched her as she flew away. Once she was a safe distance away, Bronze Star smirked and thought aloud "Derpy might not be the brightest lightning bolt in the sky, but it's really hard not to like her."

"I quite agree," Walther conceded.

They soon made their way to the section of Cloudsdale that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had set down in. They spotted the two mares in a clearing. They were talking with three stallions who were roughly the same age as them. Their conversation did not appear to be a friendly one. The stallions seemed to be taunting Rainbow Dash.

When Bronze Star and Walther were within earshot, they heard Fluttershy mutter crossly "Now wait just a minute!"

She was trying to stand up for Rainbow Dash without raising her voice. When the three stallions looked to her, she backed down a bit and mumbled softly Oh, I'm sorry. I'm trying to be more assertive. Anyhow... She is going to do a sonic rainboom!"

"No, she's not," one of them countered, "'cause there's no such thing!"

"Then show up at the Cloudeseum and see for yourself!" Fluttershy heatedly murmured. She then gazed downward and added in meekly "...If you're free."

The three stallions burst into a round of laughter that lasted more than ten seconds. In the midst of the laughter, another of them announced "Yeah, I'll be free."

"Oh, don't worry," the first one proclaimed, "We'll be there!"

The three stallions then started to leave the vicinity. As they withdrew, the second one called over his shoulder "See you then, Rainbow Crash!"

Once the three of them exited the clearing, Bronze Star and Walther entered it. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy quickly spotted the prince and the Wonderbolt. As the two stallions approached the two mares, the latter pair greeted the former pair.

Fluttershy grinned sweetly and said "Hi, Bronze Star. Good morning, General Walther."

Rainbow Dash stared at the ground and drearily mumbled "Hey, Bronze. Hey, General."

"Greetings, ladies," Walther pronounced cordially, "I must say, you handled that situation rather well."

Fluttershy beamed happily and remarked in excitement "Did you see that? I was so assertive!"

"Yes, you were," Walther contended.

At that moment, Arthur flapped over to Fluttershy and hovered in front of her. She smiled at the hawk and greeted him with "Hello, Colonel."

If Arthur had lips, he would have grinned at her. Instead, he just screeched in delight. He landed on the yellow mare's shoulder and nuzzled his head against hers. She remained smiling and gently stroked him behind the ears.

Bronze Star grinned at this tender display. Arthur must have remembered Fluttershy from all those months ago, when she repaired his broken wing. Clearly, he was still grateful to her for all the care she had given him. Fluttershy was still the only pony Bronze Star had ever seen his pet hawk warm up to.

A minute later, Arthur rose off the yellow mare's shoulder and flew back over to his master, who nodded in approval.

While she was glad to see Bronze Star and General Walther, Rainbow Dash still seemed depressed by the apparent hopelessness of her situation. She sighed and thought aloud "Those guys are right. I'll never be able to do it."

"Not with that attitude,"Bronze Star whispered to General Walther.

As the mahogany stallion nodded in agreement, Fluttershy tried to boost her friend's spirits. She calmly told the cyan mare "But, Rainbow Dash. Just because you've failed the sonic rainboom a hundred thousand times in practice doesn't mean you won't be able to do it in front of an entire stadium, full of impatient, super-critical sportsfan ponies."

That did absolutely nothing to improve Rainbow Dash's morale. If anything, it just made her more anxious and more insecure. As soon as Fluttershy stopped talking, Rainbow Dash shrieked in alarm and screamed "What do I do?! Everypony's gonna see me fail! The Wonderbolts will never let a loser like me join. Princess Celestia will probably banish me to the Everfree Forest! My life is ruined!"

Bronze Star did not know whether to pity Rainbow Dash or laugh at her. He was party compelled to do both at the same time.

"I think she's losing it," Walther perceived.

"Evidently," Bronze Star mumbled drily. He lightly rolled his eyes and announced to the cyan mare "Okay, Rainbow, first of all, my mother would never banish you for such a stupid reason. Secondly-"

Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Fluttershy. She articulated quietly "Rare..."

She was staring slightly upwards at a piece of the sky behind Rainbow Dash. Bronze Star and Walther gazed in that same direction, and they quickly realized why the quiet mare was so astonished. When they saw what she saw, they gaped in bewilderment.

"Rare?!" Rainbow Dash shouted, having misunderstood the yellow mare, "The sonic rainboom is WAY more than rare!"

None of the other three ponies paid any mind to that remark. Fluttershy murmured in profound disbelief "Rarity?"

At that, Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow in perplexity and turned around. She came face-to-face with an astounding sight, and she immediately understood her friends' reactions.

"Buck a duck," Walther muttered under his breath. The others were thinking the exact same thing.

Rarity was less than five meters away from the four winged ponies. By itself, the white Unicorn's presence in Cloudsdale would have been strange enough. However, at this time, she was physically floating in the air. There were two large, translucent butterfly wings on her back. She was not wearing them; they were not attached to a belt, a harness, or anything of the sort. They were literally fused into the fashion designer's back, as if they had always been part of her body. Based on her countenance, she seemed rather content with them.

"Rarity!" Rainbow Dash yelled in shock, "Are you... flying?!"

"I most certainly am!" Rarity merrily confirmed, "Aren't my wings smashing?! Twilight made them for me. I just adore them!"

Despite her candor and exposition, Bronze Star, General Walther, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were speechless. They had no words to express their thoughts on Rarity's new appendages.

The white Unicorn noticed her friends' discomfort, and she casually remarked "Why so shocked? We couldn't leave our favorite flyer without a big cheering section!"

"'We?'" Rainbow Dash repeated in confusion.

The white mare did not give a verbal response, but the cyan mare still got an answer to her question. A few seconds later, a purplish hot air balloon sailed upward through the ground of clouds. When the balloon was all the way through the ground, the others discovered that Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie were in the basket.

A smile slowly crept onto Rainbow Dash's face, and she uttered in amazement "I... I can't believe it!"

"It's incredible!" Fluttershy pronounced.

The four mares' arrival seemed to do volumes of good for Rainbow Dash. She brightened up and exclaimed giddily "This is so cool! You guys made it!"

"Sure did!" Pinkie Pie called as she hopped out of the basket.

"WAIT!" Rainbow Dash shouted in alarm. She was concerned that Pinkie Pie would plummet through the ground of clouds, but she did not. She landed right on them, which perplexed the four winged ponies. The cyan mare commented "How'd you do that? Only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds."

As Twilight Sparkle and Applejack climbed out of the basket, Pinkie Pie started giggling and doing cartwheels on the clouds. She remarked "Pretty cool, huh?"

Twilight Sparkle elaborated with "I found a spell that makes temporary wings, but it was too difficult to do more than once. So I found an easier spell that lets the rest of us walk on clouds."

"And we came to cheer you to victory!" Applejack claimed merrily.

"Now THAT'S what I call dedication," Walther stated approvingly.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Bronze Star pronounced, "It's great to see all of you here. When did you think of this?"

"Yesterday, right after you left the library," Twilight Sparkle answered him.

"We would have told you," Applejack disclosed, "But we wanted it to be a surprise."

"And what a pleasant surprise it is," Bronze Star thought aloud. He trotted over to the orange mare and embraced her. She hugged him back happily. After that, he pulled her in for a kiss.

Before he could place his lips against hers, Walther hastily intervened and told the gold stallion "Sir, I beseech your pardon, but I must ask that you be careful about how you present yourself with Applejack here. She's a well-known resident of Ponyville – a town you've supposedly never visited, as far as the common people know. If you were seen interacting with her like this in Cloudsdale, don't you think the ponies of this city would be suspicious?"

Both Bronze Star and Applejack could see the logic in Walther's observation. As much as they relished each other's company, they did not want to risk generating a scandal.

"The General's right," Applejack perceived.

"Yeah, he is," Bronze Star concurred.

Luckily, they had ample determination and self-restraint to prevent themselves from behaving intimately around each other for one day. They only had to hide their special relationship for as long as they were in Cloudsdale. Once they were back in Ponyville, they could return to it.

In the meantime, Rainbow Dash was just glad to have all her best friends and General Walther with her. She announced to them "To be honest, I was starting to get just the teeniest, tiniest bit nervous. But I feel a LOT better now that you guys are here. Hey, we've got some time before the competition. Why don't Fluttershy and I show you around Cloudsdale?"

Having never come to Cloudsdale, Applejack, Bronze Star, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie were very open to a tour of it. The five of them replied in unison "Yes!"

Walther lightly shrugged and declared "I suppose I may as well come along. I haven't been to this city in nearly seven years. It'll be nice to get reacquainted with it."

The eight ponies and the hawk then headed into the city. Bronze Star, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and General Walther trotted on the ground of clouds. Rarity never touched down on the clouds once. She only used her wings to get around.

As the group traversed through the streets of Cloudsdale, Bronze Star drew a number of looks from the locals. He had anticipated that, as he was fairly well-known in this city, despite having never visited it before that day. However, he was not the only pony in the group who attracted a great deal of attention. General Walther and Rarity gained just as many stares as the young prince.

Rainbow Dash trotted at the front of the group. As they progressed, she announced proudly "Here it is: the greatest city in the sky!"

They had a magnificent view of most of the city from their current position. Several ponies in the group all went "Oooh! Aaah!"

Rarity did not seem to pay much attention to the scenery. She was more focused on a large mirror against a wall of cloud. She gazed at her reflection and muttered "Oooh! Aaah!"

Rainbow Dash glared at her in irritation, but she decided to ignore the white mare's actions. She led the group down the walkway and informed her friends "Uhh... Some of the greatest Pegasi in history came from Cloudsdale!"

"Not me," Walther countered, "Canterlot is MY hometown, and I'm proud of that."

"I know, General," Rainbow Dash proclaimed, "That's why I only said 'some.'"

The group then moved on. When Rarity realized the others were far ahead of her, she called out "Oh, wait for me!"

A small team of construction workers were building a house on a nearby cloud. When they noticed Rarity flying by, they stopped what they were doing and stared in astonishment. One of them accidentally released his jackhammer, and the device fell off the side of the cloud.

Steam Roller yelled in admiration "Those wings are gorgeous!"

"Why, thank you!" Rarity rejoined giddily.

Twilight Sparkle looked over her shoulder and saw how complacent the white Unicorn was being. She cautioned her with "Be careful with those wings, Rarity. They're made from gossamer and morning dew, and they're incredibly delicate."

"Don't worry, Twilight," Rarity assured the lavender mare, "I'm sure they can't get worn out from too much attention."

The eight ponies continued through the area. After a brief interval of quietness, Applejack suggested "Since we're up here, I'd sure like to get a look at where the weather's made."

"Great idea!" Rainbow coincided, "C'mon, girls, Bronze, and General. To the weather factory!"

Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the weather factory. Before they went inside, a staff member at the front entrance told them that they were required by regulation to wear white coats and hats while inside the facility. She quickly distributed this attire to the eight ponies, who proceeded to put on the coats and hats. They even had a miniature coat and hat for Arthur.

Once the eight ponies and the hawk were properly dressed, they headed inside the foundation. The sound of thunder permeated the vicinity.

In the first room they came to, dozens of ponies were worked on making snowflakes. Rainbow Dash announced "This is where they make the snowflakes. Each one is hoofmade. As you can see, it's a delicate operation."

Even when indoors, Rarity did not stop using her wings. She rose up to the ceiling and examined the snowflakes that had been hung out. She gasped and declared "Ooh, the snowflakes look even better from up here."

She did not seem to notice that her wings were causing an artificial breeze to circulate through the room. Many of the snowflakes were caught in the breeze, and they were blown all over the place. The snowflake workers grumbled and yelled as they tried to reacquire the rouge snowflakes.

Rainbow Dash surveyed the place, and she drily proposed "We better move on before Rarity ruins winter and causes a drought."

While the snowflake workers struggled to recover the snowflakes, the eight ponies and the hawk moved on. They soon arrived at an outdoor room that produced massive amounts of rainbow juice.

Rainbow Dash apprised her friends "And here's where they make the rainbows!"

The group gathered around the nearest pool of rainbow juice. Pinkie Pie dipped her front hoof in it, brought it up to her mouth, and licked her hoof once. Almost straightaway, her face turned six different colors in three seconds. When it returned to its normal pink hue, she shrieked quietly "Spicyyyyyy!"

She then galloped away, searching for a raincloud or something to quench her sudden thirst. Applejack and Bronze Star laughed in amusement.

Rainbow Dash shook her head and revealed "Yeah, rainbows aren't really known for their flavor."

Several meters away, they heard a male voice yell "Whoa!"

Everypony in the group turned in that direction, and they realized that Rarity was no longer with them. She was flying around the area, and she was being followed by three stallions. Bronze Star recognized them as the three stallions who harassed Rainbow Dash earlier.

The leader of the group was nicknamed "Dumb-Bell." He called up to Rarity "Oh, where'd you get those amazing wings? I want a pair!"

Rarity rubbed her chin and mumbled "Hmm... Yeah, I guess I could see that."

Walther got a mischievous look on his face. He placed his front hooves around his mouth and shouted cockily "I've got a better idea. How about you GROW a pair?"

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash burst out laughing at that. Fluttershy chuckled politely as well, even though that was not her type of humor. Bronze Star patted the mahogany Pegasus on the back and told him "Nice one, General."

Dumb-Bell was annoyed by that insult, and he glared in the General's direction. However, he and his accomplices seemed to notice the cyan mare before anypony else.

He cheekily proclaimed "Oh, hey look, it's Rainbow Crash again!"

The second stallion, named Hoops, chuckled idiotically and murmured "Heheheyeah! Rainbow... Umm... Eyah... Crash!"

Rainbow Dash glared up at the white Unicorn and snapped angrily "Rarity! What're you doing talking to these guys?"

"Oh, they were just admiring my wings, Rainbow Dash," Rarity answered her candidly.

"Yeah," said Dumb-Bell, "You should forget the sonic rainboom and just get yourself some wings like these!"

He, Hoops, and their friend "Score" then broke into a wave of laughter and trotted away from the group.

Rainbow Dash gazed sadly at the ground and moaned "Oohh..."

Bronze Star was disgusted by those stallions' rudeness. If there was one thing he detested, it was insolent ponies. He thought about teaching them a lesson in manners, but before he took two steps towards them, Walther placed his front hoof on the prince's shoulder and held him back.

"Let them go, sir," Walther advised him, "They're not worth our time.

"Fine," Bronze Star agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Fluttershy noticed Rainbow Dash was under distress, and she thought aloud "Uhh... C'mon, girls, General, and Bronze. Why don't we go see how clouds are made?"

She then turned to Rainbow Dash and told her "Don't listen to them. You're gonna win that competition for sure!"

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow Dash sharply retorted, "I can't DO the sonic rainboom, and just look at these boring, plain old feathered wings. I'm doomed!"

By now, a whole crowd of workers were awing at Rarity. The number of ponies who were focused on her at this time was greater than the number of those who were focused on Bronze Star and Walther combined.

Rarity fluffed her mane once and proclaimed "What, these old things? Go ahead, everypony. Photos are encouraged."

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were really starting to lose patience with the fashion designer. The latter of them glared up at her and muttered irately "Rarity, we're supposed to be helping Rainbow Dash relax, remember? Put your wings away and stop showing off!"

"Oh, pfft," Rarity commented indifferently, "How can you ask me to put away perfection?"

When she said that last word, she extended her wings fully, and a few rays of sunlight passed through them. They touched her wings in just the right spots; it caused them to project multi-colored light beams all over the area.

The workers marveled in awe at the sight. When Rarity herself noticed that, she too became elated, and she shrieked in delight "Waa-haa-haa!"

While everypony else was busy admiring the white Unicorn, her friends tried to comfort the cyan mare. She looked as though her mind was slipping.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Twilight asked in concern, "You don't look so good."

Rainbow Dash panted unsteadily and muttered edgily "Of course! Why wouldn't I be okay? Everyone's so in love with Rarity's wings that they won't even notice when I totally blow it in the Best Young Flyer's Competition."

"Hey!" Rainbowshine called out, gazing up at Rarity, "There's an idea! YOU should enter the competition!"

"Yeah!" Foggy Fleece uttered in agreement, "I could watch you fly all day long!"

"There really isn't anypony who uses their wings quite like me," Rarity professed, as if she was contemplating the validity of this concept, "Perhaps I should compete."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

She was praying that her ears had deceived her, but they had not. Those words really did just come out of Rarity's mouth. As the workers continued awing at her, Rainbow Dash fretfully mumbled "What am I gonna DO?! I'll never win the competition now..."

In spite of how everypony seemed focused on Rarity, Rainbow Dash still had Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, General Walther, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie to support her.

Bronze Star approached her and placed his hoof on her shoulder. He told her "Rainbow, you can't let this thing get to you. You're not giving yourself enough credit. If you were really this skeptical about your chances of winning, you would not have entered the Competition in the first place. Try to have a little faith. All you need to do is trust yourself."

"You should listen to the prince, Rainbow," General Walther advised, "I've seen firsthoof what you can do in the sky. As I'm sure you know, I myself won the Best Young Flyers Competition when I was your age, and you're an even better flyer than I was back then."

The gold stallion and the mahogany stallion did improve Rainbow Dash's demeanor slightly, but not by very much. She looked up at her friends and commented "It's not just my performance that I'm worried about. What if I actually manage to do everything perfectly, but it turns out not to be enough to satisfy the judges?"

"I highly doubt that scenario would transpire," General Walther proclaimed, "Rainbow Dash, have you forgotten I'm one of the judges? I always evaluate every flight performance I see fairly. I'm not saying I will be inclined to automatically favor you over the other contestants, but I am fairly certain that you will do very well in the Competition. So let me give you some advice. You need more than just talent and skill to do well. You also need motivation, determination, and confidence. Those are the qualities that really produce an excellent performance. As long as you have them, victory is always attainable."

The veteran Wonderbolt's words of wisdom seemed to have a positive effect on Rainbow Dash. She stared at the ground for a few seconds, and then she looked up at Walther and told him appreciatively "Thank you for the tips, General. I'll try to remember all that when I'm out there."

Walther smiled in approval, patted her on the shoulder, and remarked "Good. Just have some confidence in your ability. I certainly do."

That made Rainbow Dash feel a little better. She was still very nervous and uncertain, but she was glad to know that there were ponies who believed in her. At the very least, she was at least going to TRY to put on a great performance at the Competition.

There was a brief period of quietness. After that, Bronze Star checked the time, and he quickly informed the older stallion "General, it's a quarter to noon."

"Alright, Your Highness," Walther conceded. He looked around at the other ponies present and announced "In the meantime, we better get to the Cloudeseum. Otherwise, we'll miss the Competition altogether."

The mares agreed to this proposition. After they managed to pull Rarity away from a group of admirers, the eight ponies and the hawk left the weather factory and headed to a certain part of Cloudsdale. They soon came to a massive stadium. It was big enough to accommodate hundreds of ponies, and – like the rest of the city – it was made entirely of clouds. This was the Cloudeseum.

When they arrived at the stadium, the group broke up into two pairs and a group of four. The first pair was composed of Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They made their way to the contestants' waiting room. The second pair was composed of Bronze Star and Walther. They made their way to the judges' preparation room. Arthur accompanied them, too. The group of form was composed of Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie. They made their way to the bleachers. They managed to get some good seats near the center of the Cloudeseum.

When Bronze Star and Walther arrived at the judges' preparation room, they found six other ponies there. Three of them were Wonderbolts. Their names were Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly. They were in their late twenties, and they were already in uniform. Bronze Star and Walther were acquainted with all three of them. It was also worth noting that they belonged to the same platoon as Fleetfoot.

Two of the remaining three ponies in that room were officers of the Royal Guard, and the last one was Princess Celestia.

Spitfire was the first to notice Bronze Star and Walther. As soon as she saw them, she stood up straight and called out "Attention!"

Soarin and Misty Fly immediately moved to either side of her, and they stood up straight as well. The three of them remained perfectly still until Bronze Star and Walther reached them. Then, one-by-one, each of them saluted the prince and their superior officer.

Bronze Star and Walther saluted them in return, and the latter of them pronounced "At ease."

The three young Wonderbolts lowered their front hooves and relieved themselves. Walther stepped in front of Spitfire and addressed her with "Captain."

She nodded in acknowledgement and said officially "General."

Walther then gazed around the room, as if he was expecting somepony more to be present. When he confirmed that nopony was in the room other than the eight ponies and the hawk, he turned back to Spitfire and stated "May I inquire as to the whereabouts of your third-in-command?"

"Yes, sir," Spitfire replied, "First Lieutenant Fleetfoot was initially scheduled to be on the panel of judges, but she requested to be excused from it. Second Lieutenant Misty Fly came in her place."

"What was her motive for abstaining?" Walther queried.

"She claimed it was for personal reasons," Spitfire enlightened him.

"So I see," Walther avowed, frowning, "Well, thank you for your time and answers."

"Of course, sir," Spitfire asserted.

While Walther was talking to the captain, Bronze Star went over to his mother and spoke to her in an equally formal yet much more sociable manner.

After greeting her son, Celestia asked him eagerly "How did they take it?"

Right away, he knew she was referring to when he revealed his identity to the members of the Apple Family. Bronze Star told her merrily "Oh, they took it VERY well."

"Excellent," Celestia commented in approval, smiling, "Did I not tell you that your best course of action would be to come forward?"

"You did," Bronze Star confirmed, "And as always, you were right. Things tend to go better when you stop hiding secrets from ponies close to you."

"I concur," Celestia conceded, "However, that does not mean you cannot keep any secrets for just yourself."

"Yes, if anypony knows that, it's me," Bronze Star commented in agreement, "And you, to an extent."

Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow in perplexity and asked "What do you mean?"

Bronze Star had been referring to how his mother had never told anypony who the father of her son was. She had never even told Bronze Star that, and she apparently had no plans to. Since she seemed to become very uncomfortable on the subject whenever it was brought up, he decided not to tell her that that was what he meant. He did not want to upset her, especially since they were about to appear in front of hundreds of ponies.

Ultimately, he merely told Princess Celestia "Never mind. It's nothing important."

The white Alicorn nodded in understanding, saying "Very well."

General Walther then took his steel briefcase and stepped into a small adjoining room. Other than the binder he gave Bronze Star earlier, the only thing he had in his briefcase that day was his old uniform. He planned to change into it straightaway.

Since he had been wearing nothing at all beforehand, he knew he could have gotten dressed in front of the others. He simply chose not to do so because he did not feel it would be appropriate to get dressed in the presence of royalty.

Bronze Star did not have the same reservations. He placed his strongbox on the ground in front of him, unlocked it, and opened it up. After removing his knapsack, he proceeded to adorn his regalia. He started with his soft shoes. The vest came next, and finally, the crown.

By the time Bronze Star finished adjusting his crown, Walther reentered the room. He was clad in standard issue Wonderbolts apparel. It covered him from head to toe; there were only seven openings in it for his eyes, his mouth, his wings, his mane, and his tail. He also had a pair of detachable goggles around his forehead. This was the very same uniform Walther had worn when he had flown with the Wonderbolts. Even though he had not put it on in over six years, it still fit him perfectly.

His uniform was nearly identical to the ones Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly were wearing. The only difference was the medallion on his chest. Every Wonderbolt wore a particular medallion to signify his or her rank in the force. Walther's was solid gold with black stripes and a red pin. This was the official marker of a general, the highest possible rank a member of the Wonderbolts could achieve without being on the Council.

Bronze Star looked the mahogany Pegasus over and smirked. He announced favorably "General, you look excellent in that getup."

"Well, I appreciate that, Your Highness," Walther uttered gratefully, "It only took me a moment to reacquaint myself with my uniform. It's almost as though I never took it off."

"In a way, you never DID take it off," Bronze Star perceived.

"Yes, you told me that once before," Walther recounted, "And I still agree very much with that sentiment."

Bronze Star merely nodded in agreement.

A minute later, they heard somepony make an announcement: "Judges, please report to the Cloudeseum! The show begins in five minutes!"

Bronze Star quickly placed his knapsack inside the strongbox and locked it up tight. He then looked around the room and proposed "Shall we to the Competition, then?"

Walther nodded his head, pulled his goggles over his eyes, and answered with "Yes, we shall."

Bronze Star, Arthur, Princess Celestia, General Walther, Spitfire, Soarin, Misty Fly, and the two officers of the Royal Guard departed from the preparation room. Altogether, they flew over to the eastern section of the Cloudeseum. Hundreds of ponies were gathered there. The sounds of chatting and cheering completely filled the area. The place was already buzzing with excitement and eagerness.

There was a round of trumpet fanfare, signaling that the show would begin very soon. The crowd was cheering heartily. Bronze Star spotted Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle on a patch of cloud near the bottom of the northern section of the Cloudeseum. He also spotted Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Score on a cloud not too far form them. Based on their laughter, the three stallions were quite amused by something.

Amidst the tumultuous cheering, the commentator – a stallion named Madden – announced "Fillies and gentlecolts! Please rise and join me in welcoming our beloved Princess Celestia and Prince Bronze Star!"

There came another round of fanfare, followed by a huge round of applause. Princess Celestia and Bronze Star entered the area and set down on a patch of cloud at the top of the Cloudeseum. Arthur flew up behind them and landed on his master's shoulder.

Madden then proclaimed "Please welcome our celebrity judges for the Best Young Flyer Competition: the Wonderbolts!"

As the crowd started cheering loudly once again, Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly entered the arena and landed on another cloud. This one was a little further down and slightly to the right of the Royals' cloud. General Walther and the two members of the Royal Guard remained in the air behind the Cloudeseum for the time being.

Once the three Wonderbolts and the two members of the Canterlot Royalty were settled, the Madden broadcasted "Welcome, one and all, to the annual Best Young Flyers Competition! We have a great lineup for you this year. Fifteen promising contestants have entered, including a last-minute entry who – believe it or not – is really a Unicorn! Yes, you heard me right! An actual Unicorn will be participating in this contest. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what this year's contenders will produce. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The event cannot begin without a proper introduction. So here to give the opening speech is a first-time spectator, Canterlot's own Prince Bronze Star!"

Everypony erupted into a round of applause at that. Bronze Star then rose into the air and flew about a hundred feet forward. Arthur stayed behind with his mother. The gold stallion then raised his front hooves to gesture for silence. Once he got it, he looked all over the Cloudeseum and pronounced "Thank you. I am delighted to be here, standing with all of you. Or, to be more precise, hovering with all of you."

Most of the spectators burst out laughing at that remark. The laughter subsided after about twenty seconds, and Bronze Star continued with "All jokes aside, I really am thrilled to join you here today. Nopony knows how much potential the ponies of my generation have more than I do. So I am expecting a very fine show today, at the Best Young Flyers Competition. I'm willing to wager most of you are, too. However, I am not your only special guest. There is somepony here who is just as deserving of your praise as I. I am referring to a certain stallion. This stallion is arguably the foremost definition of a living legend. I have known him for many years, and I have always held him in the highest regard. While he is many years my senior, he is also a close affiliate of mine, as well. He is also one of the greatest military officials I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Today he is here to celebrate this thirtieth year of service to the Wonderbolts."

There was a short pause, and then Bronze Star looked over his shoulder, held out his front hoof, and shouted "Mares and gentlestallions… I present to you… my good friend and your esteemed guest… GENERAL WALTHER!"

The mahogany Pegasus bolted into the arena. The very instant he entered the Cloudeseum, every pony there starting cheering enthusiastically. He zipped around the area with incredible speed. He was so quick that it was almost impossible to keep track of his movements. He did a number of complex and difficult maneuvers in midair without changing direction or altering his speed. Despite being in his late forties, he was still just as agile and flexible as he had been in his prime.

After about a minute of this, Walther abruptly ended his little show. The audience continued to cheer wildly for a long while. When they finally calmed down, Walther flew over to the gold stallion, and once he reached him, he loudly declared "Thank you for the introduction, Your Highness. It is an honor and a pleasure to be here."

"I'm very thrilled to see you in uniform, General," Bronze Star proclaimed, "And I'm certain I'm not the only pony here who is."

"I do believe you're right, sir," Walther conceded, "However, this event is not about me. I am here only as a judge. We are here to observe the aptitude of a number of very talented mares and stallions. There are fifteen in total, and one of them – and only one – shall be crowned the greatest flyer of the current generation. I'm sure the same question must be on everypony's minds: who will it be?"

Bronze Star gazed around the vicinity and dramatically broadcasted "Yes, who will it be?"

Following that, ponies all over the area started shouting the names of who they believed would be the winner. Bronze Star could swear that over all the commotion, he could hear Pinkie Pie cry "Rainbow Dash!"

Walther's speech was not over just yet. Once the arena was silent once again, he pronounced in a more firm voice "On a more solemn note, there is something I would like to add before we begin. As much as I hate to put a damper on everypony else's joy, this is something that I feel must be addressed."

After a short pause, the veteran Wonderbolt went on with: "As I'm certain you all know, a terrible accident occurred in Hoovston a mere two weeks ago. Nearly a thousand ponies lost their lives in that tragedy, and thousands more are without shelter or work. Most of those ponies had to relocate to other cities. I'm willing to wager that more than a few of them are here right now. If any of them are, I would like to ask that they rise up."

For a few moments, nopony moved. Then a male Pegasus at the bottom of the southern section rose up out of his seat. After that, a female Pegasus near the center of the eastern section rose up out of her seat, as well. Over the next few minutes, more Pegasi ascended into the air.

In the end, more than four dozen ponies had risen out of their seats. Bronze Star looked back and forth between all of them. To think, all these ponies had recently witnessed the death of a neighbor or loved one. All of them had been a victim of Livewire's act of sabotage. More to the point, they had all been a victim of Esopus Spitzenburg's conspiracy. Bronze Star could not figure out if General Walther had done this to elicit sympathy for the survivors of the Hoovston disaster or to give me more incentive to bring the remaining conspirators to justice. Either way, he was very effective.

Walther sternly announced "I would ask that you all close your eyes, lower your heads, and take a minute of silence to remember all those who lost their lives in the Hoovston disaster two weeks ago. Let us also remember all the ponies who were lucky enough to survive that event, but were unlucky enough to return to their normal lives in the aftermath."

Every single pony in the audience complied with that request. They all closed their eyes, lowered their heads, and remained total silent. Even the other Wonderbolts, the officers of the Royal Guard, and Princess Celestia did this. Bronze Star and General Walther were the very last two to do it.

The entire Cloudeseum was immersed in absolute quietness for a whole minute. Nopony spoke a word or moved an inch in all that time.

Once that minute was over, General Walther assertively called out "Now, let us honor their memory by holding this Competition in their honor!"

Almost immediately, the atmosphere in the Cloudeseum went from dreary to triumphant. There was not as much as a grimace or an uninviting expression to be seen anywhere in the area.

As the crowd continued to cheer, Bronze Star and Walther flew back over to the stands. Bronze Star set down next to his mother again, and Walther set down next to the other Wonderbolts. After the two stallions were comfortable, Madden resumed the announcements. He shouted "And now, let's find out who will take the prize as this year's best young flyer!"

The Best Young Flyers Competition then began.

The first contestant was Orange Swirl. She was very nimble and speedy. Her form was a little disorganized, but her reflexes and coordination compensated for that.

The second contestant bore an uncanny resemblance to Dr. Whooves. He had the same coat, the same mane, and even a very similar cutie mark. However, Bronze Star was fairly certain that that stallion was not Dr. Whooves. Unless the doctor had somehow regenerated into a Pegasus, or maybe he had learned the illusion spell that Bronze Star had acquired from his mother.

The third and fourth contestants were Cloud Kicker and Parasol respectively. Both of them performed a number of intricate moves over the whole arena.

Interestingly, the fifth contestant was Derpy. Bronze Star had no idea she had entered the Competition, and at first, he wondered if she had signed up by mistake. However, he quickly discovered that that was not the case. In spite of her disability, Derpy clearly knew what she was doing. She was light, swift, and very much in control of her movements.

The rest of the competition proceeded in much the same manner. Bronze Star kept waiting for Rarity or Rainbow Dash to come out. Strangely, neither of the mares made an appearance. Not until the very last act.

The first thirteen contestants all performed individually. Due to time constraints, that was not the case in the last act.

When Rainbow Dash finally emerged from the contestants' waiting room, Madden proclaimed "And now, for our final competitor of the day, contestant number fifteen!"

A few seconds later, Rarity appeared in the arena as well. Madden quickly added in bafflement "Uhh... And apparently contestant number four..."

Bronze Star was on the opposite side of the Cloudeseum, but even from that distance, he could tell that Rarity's face was buried under about three layers of makeup. She was also wearing a pendant and a multicolored feather boa around her neck. Obviously, she wanted to look extravagant for her debut in the Competition. It was worth noting that she did not share Rainbow Dash's apprehension.

"Oh, boy," the gold stallion murmured under his breath.

As the crowd continued cheering, Rarity flew near Rainbow Dash and stated "Good luck, Rainbow Dash. Just do your best. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of changing our music. That "rock and roll" doesn't really match my wings."

Classical music soon started to resonate around the arena. Rarity began to execute a number of graceful and poised moves in the air.

Rainbow Dash remained motionless at first, but she had already come this far; there was no turning back now. She gulped and said to herself "C'mon, Rainbow Dash. You can do this. Just remember the routine. Phase one."

She then started maneuvering to the cloud pillars in the center of the stadium. She flew quickly and nimbly to dodge each of the pillars one at a time. The crowd continued to cheer her and Rarity on at the same time.

At one point, Rainbow Dash came too close to one of the pillars and she bumped hard against it. That mistake caused her to veer off course and crash into the stands. She screamed "Oof. WAAAH!"

That blunder by itself was bad enough. What made it even worse was that she had hit the cloud directly below Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Score.

"Nice work, Rainbow Crash!" Hoops taunted her. He, Dumb-Bell, and Score laughed in amusement.

Rainbow Dash just ignored the three stallions, pulled herself together, and mumbled "Time for phase two."

She then started moving back and forth between several clouds in the sky. She made some of them spin, some of them rotate, and some of them disappear.

"Look!" Fluttershy pointed out to the other mares, "Phase two is working."

Ponies continued cheering all over the arena. Rainbow Dash seemed to have fully regained her confidence. Then she made another error. She bucked one of the clouds too hard, sending it hurling directly towards Princess Celestia.

Celestia gasped in shock as the cloud accelerated towards her. Luckily, Bronze Star stepped in front of his mother and struck the cloud with his back hooves, dispelling it before it could hit either of them. Celestia gazed at her son appreciatively; he just grinned in satisfaction.

Rarity was doing rather well in the show. So far, she had not made any slipups in her routine. She muttered softly "And now for my grand finale. I will fly right up to the sun and beam my beautiful wings over the whole city of Cloudsdale!"

She gasped and squealed in excitement, and then she added in "They'll be talking about it for years!"

As she started ascending further into the air, Rainbow Dash was preparing to execute the last part of her routine, as well. She uttered worriedly "Looks like this is my last chance to turn things around. Phase three. The sonic *gulp* rainboom. Wings, don't fail me now!"

She then bolted vertically upwards. The crowd gave a collective gasp when they saw how fast she moved through the air. Soon, Rainbow Dash had passed Rarity, but she did not decrease her speed there. If anything, she pushed herself to go even faster. She grunted in determination as she flew higher and higher.

Rarity stopped gaining altitude when she was about five hundred feet above the pinnacle of the Cloudeseum. She panted to gain her breath, and then she announced "Look upon me, Equestria, for I... am... Rarity!"

At that, she spread her wings to their full length. Several of the Sun's rays passed through the wings, and they reflected colorful waves of sunlight over the entire Cloudeseum.

Everypony in the arena was absolutely astonished. They all gave a collective "Ooh" in amazement. Even Bronze Star and General Walther had to admit it was an impressive display.

However, Rarity's moment did not last very long. She had gotten so high that the Sun's rays were pouring on her intensely. After a bit of inactivity, the tips of her wings started sizzling. In a split-second, her wings burned to ashes.

Rarity remained suspended in midair long enough for her to realize what had happened. She murmured anxiously "Uh-oh."

Immediately after, she started plummeting downwards. She screamed in fright and terror as she fell through the air

"Oh no!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, "Her wings evaporated into thin air!"

Soon, Rarity dropped through the top of the Cloudeseum, and within seconds, she had reached the bottom of the stadium. She continued to make her descent, gradually accelerating more with every passing second.

General Walther decided to take action. He gestured for Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly to follow him. The four Wonderbolts quickly rose out of their cloud and flew rapidly towards Rarity to save her. All the while, the white Unicorn continued screaming.

Unfortunately, Rarity was so frightened that she was erratically and involuntarily flailing her legs without paying any attention to her surroundings. Because of that, she ended up accidentally striking Misty Fly, Soarin, and Spitfire in the head when they got too close to her. As a result, all three of them passed out in midair.

General Walther noticed his colleagues had been neutralized, so he took a more cautious approach. He managed to gain enough speed so that he passed Rarity by. When he was about a hundred feet below her, he held out his front legs to catch her. Once he rescued her, he could worry about helping the other Wonderbolts.

This strategy appeared as though it would work. However, when Rarity was within a few meters of the mahogany Pegasus, her body did a 180-degree turn in midair. Walther had not considered the possibility of that; he had expected Rarity to have her back to him when she reached him. He tried to catch her when her front was facing him, but her flailing legs got in the way again. She ended up striking him in the head by accident, as well.

Luckily, unlike the others, Walther had not been knocked out when he got hit; he was still conscious. Even so, the blow to his head was strong enough that it severely disoriented him. He could not focus on his flying, and he was soon spinning out of control.

When Bronze Star saw this, he shouted in concern "General!"

The gold stallion hastily approached the edge of his cloud, spread his wings, and dove off. He concentrated on the five falling ponies and flew directly towards them. He pushed himself to move faster and faster until he was upon them.

He reached Walther first. When he was close enough, he grabbed the middle-aged Wonderbolt by his sides and held onto him tightly. He threw Walther's front leg over his shoulders, and he told him in assurance "Hang on, General; I've got you!"

Walther was still delirious from being kicked in the head, so he was unable to verbally respond. He managed to lift his head and weakly grin at the gold stallion.

Bronze Star had managed to save Walther, but Spitfire, Soarin, Misty Fly, and Rarity were still falling. They were at least five hundred yards below him. Bronze Star might have been able to reach them by himself, but he had a wounded comrade in his care, and he dared not release Walther before the mahogany stallion regained his bearings.

When Bronze Star viewed this scenario in perspective, he panicked. He knew there was no way he'd be able to save all four of the others before they hit the ground.

Fortunately, it turned out he did not have to.

In all this time, Rainbow Dash had been flying further upward. By now, she had finally heard Rarity's screams. She looked over her shoulder and saw that her friend was in mortal peril. At that, she stopped ascending, turned around, and flew straight downwards. She yelled "Hold on, Rarity! I'm coming!"

Within a few seconds, Rainbow Dash had flown through the Cloudeseum. She was determined to catch up with Rarity and the Wonderbolts

"Oh, I can't look!" Fluttershy cried, covering her eyes.

While Cloudsdale was many miles above the ground, there was only so much distance one could fall before meeting with an unpleasant fate. Rainbow Dash realized how desperate the situation was. Lives were at risk. That was enough to motivate her to go faster. She flew faster and faster with every passing second. Soon she was flying faster than she had flown in many years. She was flying so fast that it looked as though she was going to penetrate the sound barrier.

Rarity saw what was going on with the cyan mare, and she stopped screaming long enough to gasp in surprise. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle noticed what was happening, as well, and they gasped in astonishment, too. That encouraged Fluttershy to take a peek at what was going on.

Bronze Star noticed this, too. He hovered in the air and nudged the older stallion, beckoning him "General, look."

The mahogany Pegasus managed to focus just enough to keep his eyes on cyan mare. She continued to rapidly accelerate. She grunted as she flew at a speed that she had ever dared to fly at before. Then it happened.

Rainbow Dash went so fast that she broke the sound barrier. When she did that, six beams of light – each representing one of the colors of the rainbow – swirled in various directions around Rainbow Dash. That was not all that happened. As Rainbow Dash flew downwards, she left a huge rainbow in her path.

Bronze Star stared in absolute shock. Above in the Cloudeseum, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle stared with their jaws hanging open. Fluttershy did not stare. She started jumping up and down in excitement and she screeched "A sonic rainboom! She did it! She did it! WOOO!"

Amazingly, she was loud enough that even Bronze Star could hear her from his position miles below the Cloudeseum.

Just before Rarity and the Wonderbolts hit the ground, Rainbow Dash reached them. She managed to catch Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly on her back, and she grabbed Rarity by her front hooves.

Rainbow Dash continued flying a few meters above the ground, and she looked over her shoulder. When she saw all that had happened, she murmured in an astounded tone "Whoa."

After a bit, she changed her direction and flew back towards Cloudsdale. She took advantage of the situation to place a massive rainbow over the city. After that, she returned to the Cloudeseum. By then, Bronze Star and General Walther had gotten back to the arena as well.

A number of Pegasi quickly approached Rainbow Dash. Three of them each removed one of the unconscious Wonderbolts from the cyan mare's back, and the other two took Rarity for her. Rainbow Dash managed to catch her breath, and she landed down on one of the clouds on the sidelines.

The moment she touched down, the Cloudeseum erupted in thunderous applause. Every pony there was cheering ecstatically.

"A sonic rainboom!" Fluttershy shrieked,"Wooo! YEAH!"

Rainbow Dash fully realized what had just occurred. She muttered in delight "I did it. I did it!"

Rarity sighed in relief and pronounced gleefully "You sure did. Oh thank you, Rainbow Dash. You saved my life!"

"Oh, yeah," Rainbow Dash avowed, "I did that too. Ha, best day EVER!"

As the audience continued cheering, Bronze Star got an idea. He turned to the older stallion and warned him "General, cover your ears."

Walther managed to place his front hooves over his ears, even though one of them was still around Bronze Star's shoulder. Once he did that, the gold stallion turned to his front, took in a deep breath, and yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice "LET'S HEAR IT FOR RAINBOW DASH!"

He was so loud that he could heard over all the other noise in the vicinity. Most of the ponies there were stunned to hear somepony use that much volume. Nonetheless, the prince's remark had incited them to cheer longer, louder, and better than before.

Bronze Star looked back to the veteran Wonderbolt and asked him "Are you alright, General?"

By now, Walther had regained his coordination. He lightly shook his head to clear it, and then he turned to the gold stallion and told him "Yes, Your Highness. I'm fine. I must thank you for coming to my aid."

"Oh, don't mention it," Bronze Star asserted, smiling. Walther just smiled back.

A few seconds later, they heard a voice say behind them "Here, let me give you a hoof."

Both stallions thought they recognized that voice. Walther felt his other front leg being lifted up and placed around the shoulders of another pony. He and Bronze Star looked to his side, and their suspicions on the pony's identity were confirmed.

The pony was a Pegasus mare in her late-twenties. She had a light arctic blue coat, a light gray mane, brilliant fuchsia eyes, and a winged horseshoe for a cutie mark. Neither Bronze Star nor Walther had seen her in three years, but they would never forget her face or name.

"It's okay, Your Highness; I've got him," the mare informed Bronze Star.

Despite this assurance, Bronze Star continued to give Walther a helping hoof. The mahogany Pegasus stared in amazement and muttered softly "Fleetfoot?"

"Hi, Dad," the light arctic blue mare said in response, "I'm glad you're not hurt."

"Well, that remains to be seen," Walther perceived, gesturing to his forehead, "I'll probably get a large bump. But I can handle that. I've had worse. Much worse."

"True," Bronze Star conceded, "Your uniform does a good job of hiding your scars, though."

"What matters is that you're in good health," Fleetfoot declared.

"I'm surprised you're this concerned about my well-being," Walther commented.

Fleetfoot seemed offended by that statement. She murmured crossly "Of course I am, Dad! Why the Tartarus wouldn't I be?"

"Last time we spoke, you gave me the impression that you did not care what happened to me," Walther explicated, "After all, you told me that you despised me, and that you hoped you never saw me again."

"I said that mostly because I was angry," Fleetfoot insisted, "I may have meant it at the time, but even so, that doesn't mean I wanted you to get injured. Or worse. If that conversation ended up being the last one we ever had, I never would have forgiven myself."

Walther took a minute to absorb all that. For the past few years, he had been genuinely convinced that his daughter resented him. He had even started to believe that he would never make amends with her for their dispute. Now, all his worries had been lessened in two minutes.

Walther lightly scoffed and told Fleetfoot "If I had known that a near-death experience was what it would take to get you to approach me voluntarily, I would have gotten in one long ago,"

"Well, actually, you tend to have one quite often, General," Bronze Star pointed out, "After all, the work you do for the Firebrand Regiment is not exactly the safest in the world."

"Oh, you're right, Your Highness," Walther observed.

Fleetfoot paid no mind to those last few remarks. She just grinned, patted her father on the back, and stated "Well, now that I know you're alright, you better get back to work. The judges only have an hour to pick a winner for the Competition."

"That's correct," Walther affirmed, "All things considered, I'm sure it won't take a whole hour to decide."

"Yeah, but it may take that long to wake up Spitfire and the others," Fleetfoot conjectured.

"Good point," Bronze Star commented.

By then, Walther was able to move completely independently again. Bronze Star and Fleetfoot released their hold on him, and he started hovering in the air with them. A few seconds later, he instructed the Pegasi that were carrying Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly to bring the unconscious Wonderbolts to the judges' preparation room. They all quickly departed from the vicinity.

Fleetfoot planned to go along with them. Before she did, she approached the cyan mare and told her "Hello. Rainbow Dash, is it?"

"Yes, that's me," the younger mare confirmed, "Wait, aren't you… Fleetfoot?"

"You know it," the light arctic blue mare stated, "Please don't flip out or anything. I just wanted to say; I appreciate how you saved my teammates from falling to their deaths. Also, you were good out there. You may even have a chance at winning."

Rainbow Dash seemed elated at that. She grinned widely and inquired "You really think so?"

"Yeah, the odds seem to be in your favor," Fleetfoot proclaimed, "However, I should give you a word of caution. Don't put too much faith in your friendship with the General. That alone won't be enough to get him to vote for you. He has an excellent reputation for never letting his personal feelings for ponies influence his opinion of their abilities. If anypony knows that, it's me."

Both Bronze Star and Rainbow Dash were stunned by that allegation. The latter of them raised an eyebrow and uttered in acknowledgement "Um, thanks. I guess."

After that, Fleetfoot swiftly left the area without another word. Bronze Star and Rainbow Dash looked to each other and shrugged.

An hour later, the two of them were gathered with Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity in the southeastern corner of the Cloudeseum. The hot air balloon had been brought around so that Rarity could sit in the basket, as Twilight had not given her the spell that allowed non-winged ponies to walk on clouds. Arthur had joined them, as well. He was perched on his master's shoulder.

Rarity looked around at her friends and told them regretfully "I want to apologize to all of you for getting so carried away with my... beautiful wings. I guess I just lost my head."

"No worries," Bronze Star asserted.

"It's okay," Fluttershy claimed.

"Oh, don't worry about it, kiddo," Applejack bade her.

"We still love you," Pinkie Pie avowed.

Rarity then turned to Rainbow Dash and pronounced "And I'm especially sorry that I was so thoughtless as to jump into the contest at the last minute after you had worked so hard to win it. Can you ever ever forgive me?"

Rainbow Dash just smiled in understand and said in assurance "Aw, it's okay. Everything turned out alright, right? I just wish I could have met the Wonderbolts when they were awake."

Ironically, at that very moment, somepony tapped Rainbow Dash on her shoulder. She turned straight around, and she gasped in astonishment. Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly were directly in front of her. Walther and Fleetfoot were standing off to the side, as well.

Rainbow Dash stammered "OhmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohMYGOSH!"

"So you're the little pony who saved our lives," Spitfire thought aloud, smiling, "We really wanted to meet you, and say thanks."

All Rainbow Dash could get out was "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"

At that moment, Princess Celestia and the two members of the Royal Guard entered the scene, as well. Twilight Sparkle noticed her first and acknowledged her presence with "Princess."

She and everypony else there – including Bronze Star – bowed to the regal mare. Celestia grinned and pronounced "Hello, Twilight Sparkle, and hello to your friends too."

Rarity lowered her head in shame and declared sorrowfully "Princess Celestia, I am sorry I ruined the competition. Rainbow Dash here really is the best flyer in Equestria."

"I know she is, my dear," Princess Celestia commented straightforwardly. She was carrying a gold headpiece on her back. That was the marker for the winner of the Best Young Flyer Competition. She removed it from her back and announced "That's why, for her incredible act of bravery and her spectacular sonic rainboom, I'm presenting the grand prize for best young flyer to this year's winner, Miss Rainbow Dash!"

As the white Alicorn placed the headpiece on the cyan mare's head, the crowd started cheering once more. Rainbow Dash gaped in awe at the setting. Amidst the cheering, she muttered unsteadily "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!"

While all the attention was on Rainbow Dash, Celestia approached her student and remarked "So Twilight Sparkle, did you learn anything about friendship from this experience?"

"I did, Princess," the lavender mare proclaimed, looking over her shoulder, "But I think Rarity learned even more than me."

"I certainly did," the white Unicorn conceded, "I learned how important it is to keep your hooves on the ground, and be there for your friends."

Princess Celestia smiled in approval and commented "Excellent. Well done, Rarity."

"This really is the best day EVER!" Rainbow Dash joyfully reiterated.

At that moment, Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Score appeared. Dumb-Bell tried to get the cyan mare's attention's with "Uhh, hey, Rainbow Crash."

"Dash!" Hoops corrected him.

Dumb-Bell realized his mistake and pronounced "Oh! Uhh... Sorry. Rainbow Dash. Uhh, we just wanted to congratulate you on winning the competition."

"That sonic rainboom was awesome!" Hoops cried.

"Heh, thanks, guys," Rainbow Dash said appreciatively.

The stallions had more to say than just that. Dumb-Bell added in "Uhh, we're really sorry we gave you such a hard time before."

"Aww, that's okay," Rainbow Dash assured them, "Don't worry about it."

Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and Score were relieved to hear that. Dumb-Bell then proposed "Hey. Do you want to hang out with us? Maybe you could show us how you did that incredible trick!"

"Sorry, boys..." Rainbow Dash said in response. By now, two more members of the Wonderbolts had reached the immediate area. Rainbow Dash took off, flew towards them, and wrapped her front legs around their shoulders. As the three of them flew higher, she called over her shoulder "But I've got plans!"

Bronze Star just scoffed at that. Rainbow Dash was clearly savoring her victory. Just as well, she had definitely earned it.

Rainbow Dash spent the rest of the day mingling with General Walther, Spitfire, Soarin, Misty Fly, Fleetfoot, and several other officers of the Wonderbolts. Bronze Star and the others passed the time by hanging out in Cloudsdale. They had quite a bit of fun with the locals.

When Princess Celestia started setting the Sun in the late afternoon, Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity decided to go back to Ponyville. Fluttershy planned to wait around for Rainbow Dash. Once the cyan mare got back from her friendly gathered with the Wonderbolts, she and the yellow mare would head back to Ponyville together.

Bronze Star decided to go back to Ponyville separately from the other four mares. That way, he would be able to touch down in the Everfree Forest and change back into his Earth Pony disguise without being seen by the townsfolk.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Bronze Star returned to the embassy in Ponyville. His regalia was safely stored in his strongbox, and his wings and horn were concealed. Arthur was still resting on his shoulder. The two of them had gotten back to Ponyville without any setbacks.

Bronze Star headed up to his room. He hid his strongbox underneath his bed, hung his knapsack on the wall, and placed Arthur on his perch.

It had been a great day. Bronze Star had been able to fly and use magic for the first time in months, he had had some quality bonding time with both General Walther and his pet hawk, he had seen some old friends, he had been to the Cloudsdale for the first time ever, he had recieved a huge update on the assassination conspiracy, the Best Young Flyers Competition had been a thrill, Rainbow Dash had won the Competition, and – best of all – Walther and Fleetfoot were finally speaking to each other again. They had not completely mended their relationship just yet, but they were making progress.

Bronze Star did not have a lot of plans for the evening. He would just eat dinner, feed Arthur, and start to look over the contents of the binder. He only had one week to prepare for his meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg. He would need to get in as much preparation as possible before then.

Bronze Star soon left his room and headed for the kitchen. Before he even reached the top of the stairs, he noticed Sir Haywood McCrank was standing in the doorframe of his bedroom. He called out to the indigo stallion "Hello, Sir Haywood."

The federal investigator nodded his head and stated "Hello, Your Highness. How was the Best Young Flyers Competition?"

"It was great," Bronze Star illuminated, "Rainbow Dash won."

"Well, good for her," Sir Haywood commented. There was a short pause, and then he remarked "Now that you're back, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Would you mind coming in here for a minute?"

Bronze Star was in no hurry to get anything else done, as he did not have a lot on his agenda for that night. He agreed to accept Sir Haywood's request. He nodded his head, saying "Sure."

Haywood McCrank smiled in approval and trotted back into his room. Bronze Star followed Haywood and entered after him. He assumed the investigator wanted this to be a confidential meeting, so Bronze Star closed and locked the door. After that, he turned to face the indigo stallion. Once Sir Haywood had the gold stallion's undivided attention, he pulled out an envelope. Bronze Star recognized it as the envelope they had received from the vigilantes earlier that day.

"As you know, when we gathered with the task force this morning, we received our latest report from the vigilantes," Haywood McCrank recounted, "They shared a great deal of new and useful information with us. However, there was one piece of information that I withheld at the meeting. I wanted to wait until you and I were alone to discuss it."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star queried.

"At the end of their report, the vigilantes requested to borrow the clues we found in Whitetail Woods," Sir Haywood apprised him, "They claim that they want to examine the objects themselves. They're convinced that they might have a chance of learning something new about the Vermane from those clues; something that even we do not know."

"What's wrong with that?" Bronze Star muttered in perplexity, "It's a fairly reasonable demand."

"Yes, it is," Haywood McCrank affirmed, "Only one problem. I never mentioned those three clues to the vigilantes. Not once in any of the reports I sent them."

"You didn't?" Bronze Star uttered in surprise.

"No, I saw it necessary to remain quiet about the clues until I confirmed that the Vermane were behind this murder plot," Haywood McCrank revealed, "Apparently, that did not stop the vigilantes from learning about the objects' existence on their own."

"Well, keep in mind; these are the ponies who broke into my room at the castle and planted a message there without getting caught," Bronze Star pointed out to the indigo stallion, "They are incredibly resourceful."

"I know, but even they have their limits," Haywood perceived, "After all, that was why they approached us in the first place. Apart from that, I took steps to ensure that nopony other than Dread Naught and the members of the task force found out about the spyglass, the piece of cloth, and the sliver of metal."

"What sort of steps?" Bronze Star queried.

"For starters, for all the time between when we got back from the Running of the Leaves and when I mailed them to Dread Naught, the objects were always in my room," Sir Haywood expounded, "I spent most of that time with them, so I can verify that they never left my quarters. When I mailed the objects to Dread Naught, I placed them in an envelope that had been sealed with a special adhesive. Only Dread Naught and I have the solvent to that adhesive, so only he and I could have opened the envelope. The envelope itself was one-of-a-kind, too. Any attempt to open it by force would have resulted in it bursting into flames and destroying its contents. So nopony could have gotten the envelope open except me and Dread Naught. Also, Dread Naught assured me that he always had the objects on-hoof while they were in his possession, and the only times he removed them from the envelope were the times when he was studying them. Ever since he returned the objects, I've kept them close-by as much as possible. With all this in mind, it is completely impossible that anypony other than you, me, Dread Naught, or the six officers on the task force could know about the three objects."

Bronze Star took all of this into account, and he realized that Sir Haywood's logic was practically irrefutable. He looked up at the older stallion and asked him "So, in that case, how do you suppose the vigilantes managed to learn about them?"

"I've looked at this scenario from every possible angle, and I've concluded that there is only one plausible explanation," Haywood McCrank apprised him, "The only way they could have known about the objects is if one of their members actually saw all three of them at some point. That can only mean one thing: somepony close to us must be working for the vigilantes."

Bronze Star was absolutely astounded to hear that. Then again, it could have been worse. At least Sir Haywood had not theorized that somepony close to them was one of the assassins. Even so, the investigator had made a very serious and unsettling charge. He was accusing one of their friends of using them and working behind their back. Even more disturbing was the fact that not many ponies in town could have had an opportunity to eavesdrop on the task force. That greatly reduced the list of suspects.

After a very uncomfortable period of silence, Bronze Star proposed "You're not suggesting it's somepony on the task force, are you?"

"It could be," Haywood McCrank conjectured, "However, it could be somepony else. Lady Noble and her officers aren't the only ones who have access to the embassy."

"So, who do you think it might be?" Bronze Star queried.

"I haven't a clue," Haywood McCrank revealed, "But right now, we cannot afford to take anything or anypony for granted anymore. Be mindful of anypony who comes to the embassy or near it. More importantly, be careful about who you invite into this building. Even though the vigilantes are on our side, I'm inclined to question the integrity of ponies who spy on their allies like this."

"I understand, Sir Haywood," the gold stallion asserted, "Should we find that somepony we know really is working for the vigilantes, what are we to do?"

"There is only one thing we can do," Haywood McCrank decisively declared, "We will arrest that pony, bring him or her before the task force, and do whatever it takes to get that pony to talk. And I mean, whatever it takes. We must make it clear to the vigilantes that we are just as determined to prevent this murder plot as they are, and we must reassert your authority above them."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided, "If you believe that that is how this scenario must go, then that is how it shall go. You have the full support of the Canterlot Royalty to do whatever needs to be done."
> Far Too Close
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After his private meeting with Sir Haywood McCrank, Bronze Star spent most of that evening reviewing the contents of the binder General Walther had given him earlier that day. He had hoped to get all the reading done in one sitting. Had he chosen to stay up all night, he might have managed to do that. However, he had no intention of skipping out on sleep. Ultimately, he was content to read half of the binder tonight and the other half the following day.

He had to appreciate how much detail had been placed into the binder. Evidently, the members of the Firebrand Regiment were taking this matter very seriously. That was to be expected; they had to be extremely thorough so that Bronze Star would be prepared for every possible outcome in this scenario.

Once he finished reading the binder, Bronze Star swiftly began to practice using everything he had learned from it. Naturally, he could not "practice" properly without a second party, so he spent a lot of his free time the following week outside the embassy with the townsfolk. He used several of his neighbors as "test subjects" for utilizing and improving his investigative abilities. He did not do anything that would have drawn attention or made anypony suspicious of him. He made certain to be absolutely discreet.

All he did was strike up some casual conversations, and he let the pony or ponies he was talking to feel more and more comfortable around him. Once he had eased them into a sense of security, he got them to confess something about them that he did not know beforehand. They only did this once he had gained their trust. Sometimes, he would have to reveal one of his own personal secrets first. But he never shared anything that would have compromised his cover.

Part of him felt guilty for using the townspeople in this manner. But he was able to justify his actions by reminding himself that they were necessary to ensure that he was completely prepared for his meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg. In other words, he was doing these "experiments" to bring down a nationwide conspiracy, and to protect all the citizens of Equestria, including the residents of Ponyville.

Bronze Star did not try using any of these methods on Sir Haywood, or even when he was nearby. He doubted he could ever get Sir Haywood to confess anything. Aside from that, the gold stallion was certain that the indigo stallion would have recognized what he was doing straightaway. Some of the methods he used were basic undercover interrogation techniques that were employed by the Intelligence Bureau. Sir Haywood had been with the Bureau for so long that he knew ALL the interrogation techniques, and he could spot an amateur investigator on sight.

Bronze Star knew full well that he could have just told Sir Haywood what was going on, but he preferred not to involve any more ponies in the assassination conspiracy than he needed to. Plus, Haywood McCrank already had enough on his plate, what with the murder plot and its latest development.

On that subject, while Bronze Star was primarily focused on honing his capacity to conduct a casual interrogation, he could not help but wonder who in town could have been the mole for the vigilante group. At first glance, it theoretically could have been anypony in town. However, based on Sir Haywood's allegations, it had to be somepony who visited the embassy sometime after the Running of the Leaves.

That greatly narrowed the list of suspects. There was a bulletin board near the front entrance of the embassy that served as a record of the building's temporary and permanent occupants. Whenever somepony entered the embassy, he or she was required to sign in at the bulletin board, and whenever anypony left, they had to use it to sign out as well.

Of course, this could not account for anypony who had approached the building without actually going inside. Still, it gave Bronze Star somewhere to start looking. He examined the bulletin board's records, and he discovered that less than fifty ponies had come inside the embassy in the past month. That included him, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Sir Haywood McCrank, Derpy Hooves, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Dr. Sharp Seams, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Cassia Sprig, Paisley Branch, Mayor Mare, and the twelve department heads on City Council.

Bronze Star was inclined to believe that whoever worked for the vigilantes must have been somepony who was familiar with the embassy's layout and hours of operation. This in turn entailed that it could have been somepony who frequently came to the building.

The Mayor and City Council only visited once a week for diplomatic meetings, and the members of the task force visited every other day. The only ones who went there every day were Sir Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, and Derpy Hooves.

Bronze Star knew Sir Haywood was not the mole, and that was not just because the indigo stallion had brought this matter to his attention. He had known Sir Haywood McCrank for almost sixteen years; while some of his policies were unorthodox, he was a character of unquestionable integrity.

He found it unlikely that Derpy Hooves was the mole, either. That was not because of her slight disability. While it was possible that her visual impediment could have been an act to divert suspicion, Bronze Star doubted that she would go to such great length. Plus, she only came by to deliver the mail. That only took her one or two minutes every day; that was hardly enough time to know her way around the building.

Dapple Rhomb was the most likely of the three. After all, she had started working at the embassy shortly before the Running of the Leaves, and she had been in Canterlot at the same time as Spike, when the vigilantes had planted that letter in his room. She was also there when Sir Haywood mailed the three clues to Agent Dread Naught. Even so, there were a lot more factors that suggested she was innocent. For instance, she had not been present during any of the task force meetings when they actually discussed the three clues. So she never had an opportunity to learn of their existence before Sir Haywood sent them off.

As a result, the three ponies with the greatest opportunity to spy on the embassy had to be eliminated as suspects. Bronze Star was not especially bothered by that prospect. All things considered, he had to remain chiefly focused on his upcoming encounter with Esopus Spitzenburg. He could afford to wait until after Spitzenburg left to continue his search for the mole.

During his week of preparation, Bronze Star debated on whether or not he should inform Noble Edict of the situation with Spitzenburg. After all, she was the only pony in Ponyville who was aware of the assassination conspiracy. Also, if he experienced any major complications during the sting operation, he would need some backup, but he had given both the members of the Firebrand Regiment and their field operatives explicit instructions to stay away from Spitzenburg while he was in Ponyville. Subsequently, Noble Edict was the only pony he could rely on to assist him.

In the end, he decided to go ahead and tell Noble Edict. Two days before Spitzenburg was due to arrive, Bronze Star requested a private appointment with Noble Edict at her office. There he explained the whole situation to her. Basically, he apprised her of how Spitzenburg was only in town to visit family, how his briefcase had to contain files on a number of his co-conspirators, and how Bronze Star would try to look inside his briefcase when nopony else was around. Bronze Star made sure to emphasize that he would be conducting this sting operation in absolute secrecy.

He also mentioned that Noble Edict would only have to get involved if he specifically asked her to. In case the operation went south, he would need her to help him take Spitzenburg into custody. He was hoping it would not come to that. Not only would Bronze Star's cover be blown, but also according to Raoul Jowl, once the other conspirators found out that their ringleader had been apprehended, they would carry out his orders to launch a string of attacks against the most populated cities of Equestria. Also, Bronze Star would have had to tell the other Apples everything about Spitzenburg's plan to overthrow the government, and that was one unpleasant conversation he hoped to avoid altogether.

After one long week, the big day finally arrived. Applejack wanted Bronze Star to be there when her relatives actually got in, so in the early morning, he met her, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh at the train depot. All four of the Apples seemed very excited for the next train to get in. While Bronze Star was a little excited as well, he was more apprehensive than anything else. He had spent most of the past week preparing for this meeting, but he had no way of knowing how it would go. He simply hoped it would go well.

At seven o'clock on the dot, the first train of the day pulled into the station. There were not many ponies on this one, which made it all the more easy for the Apples to spot their family members.

Soon, three mares and two stallions emerged from one of the cars. All of them were Earth Ponies, and they ranged from young adult to middle-aged. All of them were carrying saddlebags or hoofbags. Granny Smith was the first to notice the small group, and she quickly waved them over.

As soon as the five new arrivals reached the other five ponies, both groups greeted the other one warmly. Bronze Star decided to stand off to the side while the Apples exchanged pleasantries. It was almost as though they had forgotten he was there. Even so, he did not intervene.

Apple Bloom was mingling closely with the youngest stallion. He stated in interest "Let's take a look at you."

The yellow filly stood still so that the stallion could look her over. After a moment, he smirked and commented "You're just as adorable as ever, AB."

She blushed and mumbled "Aw, shucks."

"It's the truth," the young stallion proclaimed, "Still no cutie mark, though. That's a shame."

"You're tellin' me," Apple Bloom thought aloud, "But my friends an' I have a plan to fix that problem."

"Well, good luck with that," the stallion bade her.

A few feet away, Big McIntosh was talking to one of the mares. Or at the very least, she was talking to him. She gazed up at the red stallion and claimed "You've certainly built up some muscle since the last time I saw you, Big Mac."

"Eeyup," Big McIntosh affirmed.

"So, this is all you?" the mare presumed, placing her hoof on his front leg, "No steroids, no stimulants; just pure natural strength?"

"Eeyup," he disclosed.

She chuckled and perceived "Apparently, your vocabulary hasn't grown as much as your body has."

"Nope," was all he said in response.

Granny Smith seemed especially interested in the eldest of the three mares. She queried "So, how's your husband?"

"He's doing great," the other mare pronounced.

"Excellent," Granny Smith stated, "And the foals?"

"Not foals anymore," the mare stated proudly, "Our oldest just got accepted into Pranceton."

"I'm not surprised," Granny Smith thought aloud, "He's got his father's smarts and sage."

"Which I can attribute to you," the mare observed, smiling lightly.

At the same time, Applejack was being rather friendly with the last mare and stallion.

"Glad you two could make it," she said happily.

"So are we," the stallion pronounced, "We almost didn't. You see, it was surprisingly hard to find a foalsitter for Ariane. Everypony we knew seemed to have something going on this week."

"Luckily, Margil was available," the mare revealed, "He was more than happy to watch over Ariane while we're away."

"Since he and Ariane get along so well, I guess it works out for everypony," Applejack perceived.

"True, Ari IS really fond of her uncle," the stallion stated, "She's almost more attached to him than she is to us."

"Oh, that's crazy talk," Applejack contended, "I've seen how Ariane acts around you. She adores both of you, just like how I adored my own parents. You two should know that from a foal's point of view, nopony is more important than his or her parents."

"Just wait until you have one of your own, AJ," the mare cheekily proposed.

"Believe me; that's something I look forward to," Applejack asserted.

"First you'll need a 'partner' to 'assist' you," the stallion pointed out.

"Oh, I'm working on that," Applejack cockily claimed, "Speaking of which, I want to introduce you all to somepony."

That was when Bronze Star entered the scene. Applejack turned to the gold stallion and gestured for him to come closer. Once he approached the nine Apples, Applejack presented the five new ones to him. She informed him "This is our first cousin Winesap, our first cousin Topaz, our Aunt Honeycrisp, and our second cousins Jonathan Washington and Brina Washington."

As she said all that, she pointed to the stallion Apple Bloom had been talking to, the mare Big McIntosh had been talking to, the mare Granny Smith had been talking to, and the stallion and mare Applejack herself had been talking to respectively.

Bronze Star knew all these names. They had been amongst the first twenty ponies Granny Smith had given when she recited the entire list of the Apple Family, when he first had dinner with her and her grandchildren at Sweet Apple Acres. He grinned at the five ponies and nodded politely in their direction. They returned the friendly gestures accordingly, and they shook hooves with him.

Once Bronze Star finished shaking hooves with all of them, Applejack placed her front hoof on his shoulder, looked around at her relatives, and declared "Guys, I'd like you to meet my coltfriend, Gold Streak."

The five ponies all reacted differently to that, but all of them reacted positively. Winesap smirked, Topaz raised an eyebrow in interest, Honeycrisp placed her hoof over her heart, and Jonathan and Brina simply nodded in acknowledgement.

After a brief period of silence, Apple Bloom looked up at the adults and queried "Where's Great Uncle Esopus?"

"Last time we saw him, he was at the back of the train, near the baggage car," Winesap recounted, "We picked him up last, and he sat by himself for pretty much the entire trip here."

"How come?" Big McIntosh inquired.

"He brought along a certain piece of luggage that was too big to be stored overhead or underneath," Topaz explicated, "He was unwilling to have it checked, and the staff told him that his only options were to leave it behind or stay by the baggage car for the duration of the trip. You can probably guess which one he picked."

"Knowing him, he must've picked the latter," Granny Smith hypothesized.

"Yeah, he did," Honeycrisp confirmed. She sighed and uttered drily "You'd think that briefcase was an appendage of his or something."

"It may as well be, considerin' his reluctance to part with that thing," Applejack wryly commented.

Those last few remarks intrigued Bronze Star. It appeared as though the members of the Firebrand Regiment were not the only ponies who had noticed Esopus Spitzenburg's strange fixation with his briefcase. As such, it would probably be difficult for him to get his hooves on it.

"Should we go find him?" Bronze Star suggested.

"No, we needn't bother," Jonathan asserted, "Since he was sitting so close to the baggage car, he offered to go ahead and gather up our bags and bring them to us once we got in."

"That's why we've only got hoofbags and saddlebags with us right now," Brina revealed, "We're waiting for Esopus to get our suitcases. He should be along shortly, though."

"Okay," Applejack avowed. "We'll wait."

The ten ponies stood idly by for a couple minutes. As they waited, the crowd of ponies at the depot slowly decreased in size. By the time everypony else had either gotten on the train or headed into town, a stallion exited from one of the last cars. He was pushing a cart loaded with about a dozen suitcases, and a leather briefcase was balanced on his back.

As soon as the other ponies saw this stallion, they made their way over to him. He grinned at them and slyly pronounced "Thanks for waiting up for me."

"If it weren't for the bags, we probably would have been long gone by now," Winesap sarcastically proclaimed.

The others snickered at that remark, including Esopus Spitzenburg. He cleverly responded with "That's the advantage of staying near the baggage car, 'Winey.'"

Winesap seemed slightly irritated by that statement, but everypony else found it somewhat amusing.

"The important thing is that you have the bags," Honeycrisp uttered, "And that you're here. Even though you might have taken a little long."

"Fine; I'll try not to keep you waiting so long next time," Spitzenburg proposed, "Either that, or you could all sit with me on the ride back."

"Maybe," Topaz said, shrugging lightly, "We'll see."

As the ponies retrieved their suitcases, Esopus Spitzenburg went over to the Ponyville Apples and greeted all of them. Soon after, he realized Bronze Star was there, too. He approached the prince and enquired "And who might this gentlestallion be?"

At this moment, Bronze Star was within reaching distance of Esopus Spitzenburg. He managed to abstain from sweating, shaking, or doing anything else that would give him away. He stayed totally calm and composed, and he was able to remain totally casual. There was a short pause, and then Bronze Star took in a deep breath, smiled as widely as he could, and extended his front hoof, saying cordially "My name is Gold Streak, sir. I'm Applejack's coltfriend."

"Her coltfriend, huh?" Esopus Spitzenburg stated in fascination, shaking hooves with the younger stallion. Once he lowered his hoof, he grinned again, looked over at the orange mare, and observed "Well, Mr. Streak, you certainly have good taste."

"I most definitely agree, sir," the gold stallion coincided.

The older stallion nodded his head, and then he grinned deviously and added in "However, I'd say Applejack has even better taste."

That remark took Bronze Star by surprise. He looked to Applejack, and she appeared to be just as stunned as he was. She just shrugged in bewilderment. Bronze Star then turned back to Esopus Spitzenburg, who was snickering in amusement. He claimed assuredly "I'm just messin' with you, son."

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star acknowledged. He smiled and pronounced "At any rate, I'm delighted to meet you, Mr. Spitzenburg. Applejack's told me a lot about you."

"That so?" Esopus remarked in interest, a little jokily, "Anything good?"

"Yes, sir," Bronze Star affirmed, scoffing a bit, "She speaks very highly of you, and she claims that you and I have a lot in common. In fact, she wanted to personally introduce us to each other."

"I'm glad to hear that," the elder stallion thought aloud, "I look forward to getting to know you better, my good sir."

"I feel the same way," Bronze Star candidly disclosed.

Before anypony could say anything more, Applejack interceded and advised "What say we wait until we get to Sweet Apple Acres to continue this conversation?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Spitzenburg stated in approval.

"I concur," Bronze Star pronounced.

Everypony else simply nodded in agreement. They resumed unloading their luggage from the cart. They were not allowed to bring the cart with them, since it was property of the railroad company. Despite this, not everypony there was as adroit as Esopus Spitzenburg was at balancing large objects on their backs. However, there were a few who actually were that skillful.

Big McIntosh offered to carry some of the bags, and his relatives gladly accepted his offer. However, he was only able to take half the bags. Any more and the stack would have been too tall. Luckily, Bronze Star was also willing to help them out. Initially, the Apples were a little skeptical about giving as many bags to the gold stallion, but he just smirked and told them "Trust me."

So they did. To their surprise, Bronze Star was able to balance even more on his back than Big McIntosh. An ordinary stallion would have buckled under that much weight. Of course, Bronze Star was not an ordinary stallion. While he was not as large or stoic as Big McIntosh, he was stronger and more graceful. He could balance all those suitcases on his back with ease.

After the six new arrivals recovered their suitcases from the cart, there was still one box left behind on it. Nopony seemed to claim it at first. It was marked "Volatile," its sides were made of metal, and there was a moveable slot on the top of it.

"The Tartarus is this?" Topaz questioned.

"I have no idea," Jonathan pronounced.

"Maybe it got sorted with ours by mistake," Brina conjectured.

"Oh, no, no, it didn't," Esopus Spitzenburg hastily declared as he approached the cart and removed the metallic box. As he placed it on his back with the briefcase, he notified the others "It's a gift for a friend. I plan to give it to him after our trip here. I just brought it along so I wouldn't forget about it."

"Alright then," Applejack bluntly remarked, "Considering how well you take care of your own luggage, I doubt you'd forget about this one, Uncle Esopus."

"Why do I get the feeling there's a punchline somewhere in that statement?" Esopus Spitzenburg asked rhetorically.

"Probably because there IS one," Applejack elaborated, "It's about you and that briefcase of yours, Uncle Esopus. You're practically inseparable from that thing."

"My entire career is regulated through this briefcase, Jackie," Esopus Spitzenburg illuminated, "Anything happens to it, and everything I've ever worked for gets thrown out the window. Surely you can understand my desire to keep it close-by at all times."

"I suppose that's fair," Applejack admitted. There was a momentary pause, and then she suggested "Let's head to the ranch."

The eleven ponies swiftly departed from the train depot and made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. Bronze Star and Applejack trotted at the front of the group.

After a bit of silence, Bronze Star leaned over to his fillyfriend and whispered "'Jackie?'"

She blushed slightly and murmured "Oh, pipe down."

"Whatever you say," he muttered straightforwardly, smirking in amusement.

Fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Once they were all gathered in the clearing in front of the house and the barn, Winesap, Topaz, Honeycrisp, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, and Esopus Spitzenburg reacquired their own suitcases.

Once they all had their luggage, Bronze Star announced to the six newly arrived Apples "I would love to stick around and get acquainted with all of you, but I have to go to work. Plus, I figure you'll need time to get settled before you… interact with the locals."

"I get what you're saying, son," Esopus Spitzenburg asserted, patting the gold stallion on the back, "Still, I hope to see more of you during our stay."

"Oh, you shall, sir," Bronze Star contended, "I work every day from the early morning to the late afternoon, but I'm typically available in the entire evening. So I can swing by any time after sunset. I could even have dinner with you one night. If you'll have me, that is."

"Of course we will," Granny Smith proclaimed.

"Indeed we shall," Esopus Spitzenburg conceded, "One thing you should know about the Apple Family, Mr. Streak: we always treat our friends with the finest hospitality."

"That's definitely true," Bronze Star pronounced, "I learned that long before Applejack and I started dating. She and the others welcomed me as though I actually WAS a member of the Apple Family. I didn't know if it was just her part of the family that did that or the entire clan as a whole. Now that I've met more of the Apples, I'm fairly certain it's the entire clan as a whole. At the very least, I would be a fool to doubt your claim, Mr. Spitzenburg."

"How perceptive," Esopus Spitzenburg stated approvingly, "I'm rather pleased to hear you say that. Like you, I tend to make various observations about ponies I meet, as well. For instance, I've known you for less than a half-hour, and I have already come to the conclusion that you, sir, are no fool."

"Well, what a relief," Bronze Star commented in satisfaction. There was yet another brief pause, and then he looked around at the Apples and told them "Unless something comes up, I'll see you all tonight. Say, sometime between six and seven."

"Sure," Applejack verified, "We'll wait up for ya."

Bronze Star swiftly made his way back to the front of Sweet Apple Acres. As he left, he looked over his shoulder and waved at the ten ponies, and they eagerly waved back. Once he was out of sight and out of earshot, Bronze Star smirked wickedly and thought You're right, Esopus. I'm no fool. I can see right through your act. If anypony here is a fool, it would have to be you.

Bronze Star's first encounter with Esopus Spitzenburg had gone far better than he thought it would. It was surprisingly easy to keep up his charade. While Spitzenburg did seem to be a relatively kind and pleasant individual, Bronze Star did not let those aspects sway him. He reminded himself that Spitzenburg was an expert at withholding secrets and misleading ponies. So no matter how likable and compassionate he may have seemed in person, Bronze Star would not forget that Spitzenburg was responsible for putting together one of the most appalling conspiracies in Equestrian history.

By the time Bronze Star got back to the embassy, Dapple Rhomb had already clocked in. Yesterday, he had told her that he would be going to the train station in the early morning to greet Applejack's relatives. Because of that, he had mentioned to her that he might not be at the embassy when she arrived. Fortunately, his role on the welcoming committee was not as time-consuming as he assumed it would be. He and Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy at approximately the same time.

At this time, Sir Haywood McCrank was in the kitchen eating breakfast. Since Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb had already eaten, they were able to get to work straightaway. They started by updating some of their files with the latest information they had received from the capital city.

As Bronze Star prioritized the information and Dapple Rhomb organized the files, the purple mare looked up at the gold stallion and queried "So, what are the other Apples like?"

"They seem like a pleasant bunch of folks," Bronze Star explicated, "I didn't spend very much time around them, but if they're anything like Applejack and her immediate family, then I'm certain I'll come to like them."

"Well, that's good," Dapple Rhomb commented, "It's always nice to see new faces, learn new names, make new friends. That opportunity is always prevalent in this town."

"Oh, I agree," Bronze Star remarked earnestly, "I've been here for eight months, and it still seems like I'm gaining at least one new friend every week."

"I could help you keep up that streak, Mr. Streak," the purple mare offered.

"How so?" the gold stallion enquired.

"My husband Rough Rider will be here in a few days," Dapple Rhomb enlightened him, "For the past month, my only correspondence with him has been in the form of letters. I've told him all about you, and he'd like to meet you."

"I'd be happy to oblige," Bronze Star proclaimed, "By the way, what line of work is your husband involved in?"

"He's a traveling salesstallion," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "Specifically, he's a traveling sales representative. That's why his job involves moving around so much."

"What exactly does it involve?" Bronze Star queried.

"Quite a lot," Dapple Rhomb expounded, "You know how sometimes, a company is not very successful in making a profit from some of its products? Typically, there is nothing wrong with the product itself; the company just has difficulties with advertising it properly. In order to improve their sales, they would call on my husband to effectively promote their product for them. Rough Rider is one of the most versatile in his field. He's helped sell furniture, insurance, clothing, produce, real estate… just to name a few. If he works his cards right, he could convince you to buy pretty much anything."

"Intriguing," Bronze Star noted, smirking, "Did he use those same convincing skills to win you over?"

Initially, Dapple Rhomb seemed stunned by the suggestiveness of that question, but then she chuckled lightly and pronounced "Perhaps he did. Let's just say that when he and I first started dating, he was VERY persuasive."

"So I see," Bronze Star muttered, "Well, I look forward to meeting him. If you want, you can have him come by the embassy when you're working. As long as his presence won't distract you, that is."

"I don't think it would," Dapple Rhomb assured him, "I haven't seen him in several weeks; I don't really care where I see him next, as long as I actually GET to see him. I'll think about bringing him here. He doesn't delve into the world of politics very often, but he might make an exception in your case."

"Oh, good," Bronze Star said in response, "Are you going to introduce him to Sir Haywood, too?"

"I might," Dapple Rhomb supposed, "I just hope Sir Haywood doesn't greet him in the same manner that he first greeted me."

"Then you're sadly out of luck," Bronze Star slyly declared, "Whenever Sir Haywood meets somepony for the first time, he almost always greets them with a kiss on both cheeks, regardless of their age, gender, or marital status. The only exception to this is when he meets a large group of ponies all at once."

"In that case, I'll tell Rough Rider to bring along a bunch of his work buddies whenever he visits the embassy," Dapple Rhomb cheekily proposed.

Bronze Star snickered at that, and he stated frankly "Whatever pleases you both."

The conversation about Dapple Rhomb's husband more or less ended here. She and Bronze Star stayed focused on their work for the rest of the morning and the entire afternoon. They stopped only once for a lunch break. On their way to the kitchen, they encountered Sir Haywood in the dining room. At that time, the indigo stallion was sitting in a chair, eating his lunch and going over some papers. He looked up at the gold stallion and the purple mare when they entered, and he lightly nodded in acknowledgement. After that, he looked back down at his papers and kept his gaze locked on them for the entire time Dapple Rhomb and Bronze Star were there.

At least, he appeared to. Every now and then, Bronze Star happened to look in Sir Haywood's direction, and he noticed that the indigo stallion momentarily turned one of his eyes towards Dapple Rhomb. It was as though he was studying her without her knowing it. It was highly likely that he was, as his behavior was one of the strategies that had been mentioned in the binder Bronze Star had received from General Walther. At first, Bronze Star was perplexed by Sir Haywood's actions, but it quickly dawned on him that he was simply following up on their new lead. Specifically, the lead about the vigilantes using a mole to infiltrate the embassy.

Although Bronze Star was fairly confident that Dapple Rhomb was not the guilty party, he decided not to ask Haywood McCrank to cease his observing of the purple mare. Sir Haywood was very methodical and efficient as an investigator, and he performed best when he was allowed to carry out his investigation by using his own approaches. As such, Bronze Star figured he was entitled to be suspicious of everypony.

After lunch, Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb returned to the latter's office and continued working until five o'clock. That was the usual quitting time for the purple mare. After signing out at the front of the building, she swiftly left the embassy.

Bronze Star had nothing else going on that evening, so he thought about heading on over to Sweet Apple Acres. However, the Apples typically ate dinner at around this time, and he did not want to interrupt their meal. So he decided to wait a while before he went to the ranch.

Ultimately, Bronze Star arrived at Sweet Apple Acres at about 6:45. He brought his knapsack with him, as he had come to do this habitually whenever he left the embassy. When he knocked on the door, Applejack had answered it, and she told him that he had gotten there at the perfect time.

The Apples had just eaten dinner and were in the process of cleaning up. Applejack told her coltfriend to wait in the front room while they finished this task; he complied with this request. Apple Bloom kept him company while the mares and stallions worked. Once all the dishes were washed and put away, the Apples retired to the front room.

Granny Smith rested in her rocking chair, Honeycrisp sat on the ground by her side, Esopus Spitzenburg, Topaz, and Big McIntosh took the couch, Winesap and Apple Bloom spread themselves out on the floor near the back of the room, Jonathan and Brina leaned against the far wall, and Applejack and Bronze Star sat on a couple of stools opposite the couch. Once everypony was comfortably settled, they started mingling with Bronze Star.

Bronze Star decided to open up a conversation. He looked around at the six new arrivals and inquired "How's your stay in Ponyville been?"

"So far, very pleasant," Honeycrisp pronounced, "Sure, we've been here less than twelve hours, but this is not our first trip to Ponyville. Trips to this town are very enjoyable."

"I gathered as much," Bronze Star commented. "So, are you all from the same city?"

"No, we all live in different parts of Equestria," Jonathan disclosed, "With the exception of Brina and I, of course."

"Outside of the occasional letter, we don't really see each other very often," Winesap added in.

"Then, if you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to come here together?" Bronze Star enquired curiously.

"Well, we were unable to attend the last Apple Family Reunion," Brina expounded, "We wanted to make it up to Granny Smith. So a few months after the reunion, we all wrote to her, asking if she would have us over some other time."

"I was quick to respond," Granny Smith informed Bronze Star, "I told 'em that I'd be happy to have 'em visit us. All we had to work out was when they would visit. At first, I thought about havin' 'em over at different times. But schedulin' five separate visits in the near future with little prior notice proved to be a bit of a challenge."

"Then Uncle Esopus suggested that we all come at the same time," Topaz revealed, "That solved the problem."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow, turned to the oldest stallion, and stated "So this was your idea, Mr. Spitzenburg?"

"Yes, Mr. Streak," Esopus Spitzenburg confirmed, "Since we all missed the Apple Family Reunion, I figured we may as well have ourselves a mini-reunion."

"I suppose that's as logical a reason as any," Bronze Star thought aloud. There was a short period of quietness in the room, and then Bronze Star leaned back in his chair and enquired "So, are all of you apple farmers, too?"

"Some of us are," Topaz answered him, "The rest are involved in… other industries. Take me for instance. I live in Mareami, a city that's known for growing tropical fruits like pineapples, papayas, and mangos. Not a lot of apples grow down there, though. Instead, I own a jewelry store near the shoreline. That's actually a very ideal location; in my city, people who love the water seem to love valuable metals, as well. My shop is one of the most highly-rated, and I get more customers per week than any other jeweler in the city. Every now and then, one of my customers is a celebrity."

"Sounds like a very lucrative business, Topaz," Bronze Star remarked. After a little more silence, he looked around at the other five Apples and asked "What do the rest of you do?"

"My husband and I are real estate agents in San Horsé," Honeycrisp expounded, "While we don't really have any celebrity clients, we are very good at convincing ponies to buy a piece of property in the city's subdivisions. Most of our own neighbors have moved into that area because of us. It proves to be a very profitable enterprise. We've made enough money that we can afford to send all four of our children to college. In fact, our oldest son will be going to Pranceton next fall."

"Then he and I will have something in common," Winesap disclosed, speaking mostly to Bronze Star, "A college education, that is. Currently, I live on-campus at Harlem University in Stalliongton, where I'm majoring in corporate financing and accounting. Right now, I'm a junior, and I'll be graduating in a little over a year. Once I have my Bachelor's Degree, I plan to move back to my hometown of Manephis, so I can help my parents expand their fruit sales. I've also got a part-time job as a delivery colt. The pay isn't anything glamorous, but it's still nice to have something on my résumé."

"My older brother Margil owns an apple plantation in Vanhoover," Brina Washington pronounced, "While he and his staff do most of the harvesting, Jonathan and I handle most of the sales. He and I are grocers at the town's largest supermarket. That's a very effective system we have. Margil and I grew up in the country, whereas Jonathan was brought up in the city."

"Although I talked Brina into giving an urban environment a chance, Margil still prefers the humility of a rural lifestyle," Jonathan continued for his wife, "So it works out for everypony. Margil does all the work in the fields; Brina and I manage all the labor in the city's markets. We also like the city more because we feel it's a better, safer place to raise Ariane."

"Your daughter?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Correct," Brina affirmed, "We would have brought her along, but she's very young, and she doesn't like to travel very much."

"Fortunately, Margil is very fond of Ariane and vice versa," Jonathan explicated, "So while we're here in Ponyville, he's taking care of her."

Bronze Star lightly nodded in acknowledgement. Then he turned his attention towards the oldest stallion in the room and proclaimed "So, what about you, Mr. Spitzenburg? You strike me as a very… ambitious stallion. You must be an executive of a large organization or something the sort."

"Close, Mr. Streak," Esopus Spitzenburg elucidated, "Like Granny Smith, Margil, and Winesap's parents, I run my own apple ranch. Mine is in Chicacolt. However, my orchard is by far the largest one in Equestria. In terms of size, it's almost as big as this town. It yields so much fruit every year that I've been able to mold my business into an empire."

"An empire?" Bronze Star repeated in fascination.

"Yes, that would be the most appropriate term," Esopus Spitzenburg, "Forty years ago, I was just selling apples on the streets or at the grocer's. Then one day, I got the idea to expand the range of my crops' availability. So I created my own company to increase my overall productivity. Instead of selling apples by the basket, I was selling them by the cartload. Overtime, my company grew larger in scale and wider in clientele. It's also enabled me to engage in trade with several other corporations across the nation. You'd be surprised at how useful food can be as a bargaining chip."

Bronze Star whistled in genuine amazement. "You must be one of the most successful ponies in Equestria, Mr. Spitzenburg."

"Yeah, I'd say I have to be somewhere amongst the top fifty entrepreneurs in the country," Esopus Spitzenburg conjectured, "I'm easily the richest member of the Apple Family. Probably the most prolific one, as well. Truth be told, Sweet Apple Acres is perhaps the only plantation in the country that could rival mine for that spot."

"Then it's mighty fortunate that we belong to the same family, Uncle Esopus," Applejack wryly stated.

"Indeed, Jackie," Esopus Spitzenburg conceded, smirking.

Applejack softly groaned at being called that. Bronze Star snickered a bit at her reaction, but he relented when Applejack shot him an annoyed glare.

There came another interval of quietness, and then Granny Smith turned to face Bronze Star and stated "While we're on the subject of jobs, how was work today, Mr. Streak?"

"Oh, relatively uneventful," Bronze Star drily replied, "I read four intelligence reports, composed a dozen letters, filled out a small mountain of paperwork, and updated about twenty files. The usual."

Applejack, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom just nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Topaz, Honeycrisp, Winesap, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, and Esopus Spitzenburg seemed somewhat astounded by how Bronze Star spoke so casually about doing so much work in one day.

"You did all that work by yourself?" Honeycrisp presumed.

"No, my secretary aided me," Bronze Star clarified, "It's primarily thanks to her that I got it all finished on time."

"You must be an important person to have your own secretary," Winesap perceived.

Bronze Star lightly shrugged and remarked "Yeah, you could say I am."

"What do you do for a living, Mr. Streak?" Topaz queried.

"I'm Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville," Bronze Star illuminated.

The Apples were intrigued to learn this. Esopus Spitzenburg sat forward in his seat and asked "Really?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "I've held that position ever since I first came here for the Summer Sun Celebration eight months ago."

"So you weren't born in Ponyville?" Jonathan assumed.

"Nope, I'm from the capital city," Bronze Star explicated, "I've lived there for nearly my entire life. In fact, Ponyville was the first place I visited outside of Canterlot."

"What made you decide to come here?" Brina queried.

"Actually, it wasn't my decision entirely," Bronze Star claimed, "You see, Princess Celestia herself assigned me here."

That statement appeared to fascinate the Apples.

"You work directly for Princess Celestia?" stated Esopus Spitzenburg. He seemed to be more interested in that fact than any of the others. All things considered, Bronze Star was not surprised by that.

Anyway, Bronze Star nodded his head in confirmation and said "Yes, she's had me under her employ for a long time. As a matter of fact, I have a seat on her Council, and I'm a member of her inner circle."

"That so?" Honeycrisp muttered in interest, "You seem kinda young to have that much responsibility."

"Well, I started my career at an early age," Bronze Star elaborated, "When I was fifteen, I became an intern for Princess Celestia's chief of staff, Lord Bellerophon. After a couple years of that, I was given a spot in the castle's administration. Overtime, I gained more status, and now I occupy one of the most prestigious spots in Celestia's cabinet."

"That's quite impressive," Topaz observed, "However, it bids the question; if you have so much political authority in Canterlot, what are you doing here as its emissary?"

"Like I said before, it wasn't my choice to come to Ponyville at first," Bronze Star proclaimed, "It was Celestia's. Truth be told, I'm not entirely certain WHY she sent me here. She must have her reasons, though. Regardless of what they are, I'm glad to be here. I've come to love this settlement and many of the ponies who call it their home."

"Well, good for you, Mr. Streak," Honeycrisp remarked in approval.

"You still haven't told us the part we've been waiting for," Winesap claimed deviously, scooting closer to the gold stallion, "How did you and Applejack hook up?"

Applejack was stunned by how abruptly that topic had been addressed. Bronze Star noticed her surprise and lightly patted her on the shoulder. He then turned to face the others, and it was obvious that Winesap was not the only pony there who hoped to receive an answer to that question.

After taking a minute to contemplate a response, Bronze Star announced "I'll give you the short version. She and I met on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. We were both present when Nightmare Moon returned and when she threatened to cast eternal night on Equestria. Ten ponies prevented that from happening; two of them were Applejack and I. During then, she and I saved each other's lives. She also helped me out with another matter after that crisis was resolved, and in return I helped her out with something else shortly after. It was then that we really started developing stronger feelings for each other. As time went on, we came to look past our differences and embrace the qualities we had in common. Two months after I moved here, we shared our first kiss. We've been together ever since then."

The Apples absorbed that brief recollection of the origin of Bronze Star and Applejack's relationship. By the time the gold stallion was finished, all of them seemed intrigued to a certain degree.

"That's quite a story, Mr. Streak," Honeycrisp commented. The others lightly nodded in agreement.

"I know you're Applejack's first coltfriend," Topaz pronounced, "Is she your first fillyfriend, too?"

"Yes, she is," Bronze Star affirmed.

"Six months, and you're still an item," Winesap perceived, "That's impressive. I only had MY first fillyfriend for three weeks. After that, I caught her with another stallion."

"Perhaps you should be more selective about who you associate with, Winesap," Jonathan cockily remarked.

"Either that, or be more mindful of how 'outgoing' your friends are," Brina leered.

"Yeah, sure; whatever," the young stallion mumbled. He propped himself up off the ground, looked over at Bronze Star, and stated "At any rate, have you enjoyed your time here, Gold?"

"Oh, absolutely," Bronze Star asserted, "Ponyville is very different from the capital city. While it's not as large and prosperous, it is much more tranquil and amiable. When I was in Canterlot, I was so busy that I rarely had time for a social life. My work here still keeps me busy, but to a much lesser degree. I've been able to make time for myself, and – more importantly – for my neighbors. Truth be told, I've made more friends in the past eight months than I have in the rest of my life combined. And I've experienced romantic love for the first time in my life, thanks to somepony in this room."

At that, all eyes were focused on Applejack. The orange mare blushed and tilted her hat over her eyes a bit. Bronze Star chuckled and lightly patted her on the back. Then he placed his left front hoof on the back of her neck and gently turned her head towards his. Once he was looking her in the eye, he told her sincerely "Sorry if I overstated that last part. I was just speaking my mind."

"Hey, no worries," Applejack asserted, "After all, I of all ponies have no right to criticize you for being honest."

Bronze Star smiled at that. He pulled Applejack in and kissed her on the lips. Even though she was sitting in front of nine of her family members, she did not protest this. She closed her eyes and accepted the kiss willingly. The other Apples just watched and grinned at that display of affection. None of them had any doubt that the gold stallion and the orange mare really were deeply in love with each other.

Bronze Star and Applejack soon pulled apart from each other. They continued to gaze lovingly into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Then they remembered that they were not alone, and they hastily turned back to the others.

Bronze Star took a moment to check the time. He saw that it was already getting pretty late in the evening. He needed to get back to the embassy so he could eat dinner and prepare for a couple meetings he had the next day.

Before he left, there was one thing he needed to find out He had not forgotten the main reason he had familiarized himself with the six new Apples in the first place. He needed to get his hooves on that briefcase of Esopus Spitzenburg's, and he needed to do it when nopony was around.

Currently, Spitzenburg did not have the briefcase with him, which seemed to validate the observation General Walther had made: the only time Spitzenburg did not keep the briefcase closeby was when he was mingling with his family. However, Bronze Star found it logical to assume that Spitzenburg was hiding the briefcase in the room he would be sleeping in during his stay in Ponyville. Of course, that was what he needed to find out.

"So, will this house be big enough for all ten of you?" Bronze Star queried.

"Yeah, we've already worked out those arrangements," Apple Bloom disclosed, "Winesap is stayin' with me in my room."

"Honeycrisp and I will be sleepin' with me in my room," Granny Smith revealed, "I have the largest bed in the house; it's big enough to split."

"Topaz and I are sharin' mine," Big McIntosh illuminated, "My room, I mean. Not my bed."

"Jonathan and Brina will be holdin' up in my room," Applejack specified, "I'll take the couch down here."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement, and then he asked the oldest stallion "What about you, Mr. Spitzenburg?"

"I'll be taking the second-floor room that faces the entrance of the house," Esopus Spitzenburg enlightened him, "It's the room directly above our heads."

"That used to be my parents' bedroom," Applejack informed her coltfriend, "Now we use it as the guest room."

"Oh, alright," Bronze Star avowed. He paused for a few seconds, and then he smirked and slyly proclaimed to Esopus "So you're the only one with their own room, huh? Looks like you really ARE the aristocrat of the family."

"I guess so, Mr. Streak," Esopus Spitzenburg coincided, smirking back, "Let's just say I'm a stallion who cherishes his privacy."

"I understand what you're saying," Bronze Star pronounced candidly, "At any rate, I hope you're all comfortable here. You sound as though you have a good setup already. However, if for any reason you ever feel as though you need more space, I'd be happy to accommodate you at the embassy. Only one other pony is staying there apart from me, and all of you would be able to have your own bedroom. Including Jonathan and Brina."

"That's a very generous offer, Gold," Topaz commented gratefully. The others murmured in agreement.

"Even so, I think we'll manage here," Applejack declared, "But we'll keep your proposal in mind."

"Great," Bronze Star proclaimed. There was yet another period of quietness, and then Bronze Star sighed, picked up his knapsack, and stood up out of his stool. Then he announced to the others "Well, I better be getting back to the embassy. I have a meeting with the Mayor and City Council in the morning. Thank you for having me over."

"Anytime, Gold," Granny Smith asserted, "Feel free to swing by whenever you'd like. We'll keep our door open to you."

"I'll remember that, Granny Smith," Bronze Star assured the green mare.

After biding the ten Apples a good night, the young prince exited the building and departed from Sweet Apple Acres.

On his way back to the embassy, Bronze Star thought about everything he had just learned from the six new Apples. All of them had arrived from one of the major cities in Equestria. That was one thing that separated them from their Ponyville kin.

Another thing that distinguished them was their dialect. They tended to use more modern vocabulary, and they did not speak in riddles as much. While Honeycrisp, Topaz, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, and Winesap all sounded as though they came from an urban setting, there was a bit of a country accent in all of their voices. However, there was no trace of a country accent anywhere in Spitzenburg's voice. At first glance, one might never have guessed that he was involved in the agriculture industry.

In a strange way, that made Bronze Star's job seem a bit easier. It did not obscure the fact that he was spying on a member of the Apple Family, but since the pony he was spying on bore little resemblance to the Apples he already knew, he felt that would take some of the pressure off.

All the same, he had to formulate a plan for investigating the briefcase. Although he knew where the briefcase was being stored, he needed to know where exactly it was. He could only go near that briefcase when nopony else was nearby, and he could not remove it from Esopus Spitzenburg's room. As soon as he opened it, he would have to read the cover page and first inner page of all the files. Assuming there were as many files as General Walther had said, that would take a half-hour at the very least. The most efficient way to do this would be if he read all the files in one sitting. Most of all, he could not afford to be interrupted by anypony when he was examining the briefcase. Clearly, he had his work cut out for him.

After he got back to the embassy, Bronze Star ate dinner and got ready for the meetings he had the next day with the task force and the heads of City Council. He spent the rest of the evening putting together a number of strategies for how he would obtain and examine the briefcase. He made sure to account for every possible detail of every possible scenario that could result from this affair.

Over the next three days, Bronze Star worked at the embassy from the early morning to the late afternoon. With the exception of the task force, City Council, and the Mayor on the first day, the only ponies he corresponded with over those days were Dapple Rhomb and Sir Haywood McCrank. After Dapple Rhomb went home, Bronze Star would head over to Sweet Apple Acres and mingle with the Apple Family. As he spent more time with them, he came increasingly fond of them, too. He still never forgot about Esopus Spitzenburg's dark secrets, and he always kept his eyes open for an opportunity to sneak a peek at the briefcase.

On the third night, he finally got one. At one point when Bronze Star was in the front room of the Apples' house, Topaz excused herself to the bathroom for a few minutes. Bronze Star knew there was one bathroom on the house's first floor, and there was another one on the second floor. A minute after Topaz left the room, Bronze Star got out of his seat and claimed that he needed to use the bathroom as well. Then he made his way upstairs.

As a precaution, he actually did stop by the bathroom to turn on the sink. After that, he silently tiptoed to the room on the second floor that faced the front of the house. Unfortunately, it was locked at that time. He did not have any training in picking locks, but he did have something better: magic. Bronze Star momentarily turned back into his Alicorn form, used his magic to turn the door's lock, and slipped inside.

Esopus Spitzenburg's room was modest, but fitting for an ambitious pony like him. Bronze Star briefly searched through the bedroom, and after a few minutes, he found the briefcase underneath a wardrobe. It had been very cleverly concealed.

Bronze Star had already seen this briefcase when he first met Spitzenburg at the train station. Just to make sure it was the same one that General Walther had told him about, Bronze Star removed the photograph of that briefcase from his knapsack and held it over the actual briefcase to compare. Sure enough, it was the very same one.

Bronze Star then noticed something he had not seen before. The briefcase had a six-digit numeric combination lock on the handle; it currently read "000000." Luckily, the latch was not silent, and Bronze Star had excellent hearing. If he placed his ear against the dials as he rotated them, he would be able to hear the locks as they became unfastened. Once he discovered the combination, he would be able to open up the briefcase, and the files would be his.

He would not do that now, though; he would need to allot a larger period of time for that. For now, he just returned the briefcase to its hiding place. After taking a moment to ensure that everything in the room was in its exact place from before, Bronze Star stepped out of the room, relocked the door with his magic, and transformed back into his Earth Pony disguise. Then he went over to the bathroom, switched off the water, and returned downstairs to where the Apples were gathered.

Bronze Star managed to remain totally casual throughout the duration of his stay there. None of the Apples suspected he had been poking around in Spitzenburg's bedroom. For his sake and theirs, he was determined to keep it that way. Still, he wondered when he would find time to be alone with that briefcase long enough to examine all of its contents.

Luckily, it did not take him long to spot his chance. Shortly before Bronze Star left the farm that night, Granny Smith pointed out that they still had not had him over for dinner, and she asked if he might come over tomorrow night.

Granny Smith told him that the only reason she had not invited him over sooner was because there was only room for ten ponies at their table, and the Apples preferred to sit all at the same table when they ate. She had suggested coming by tomorrow night because only nine of the Apples would be present.

Apple Bloom was able to elaborate on that. She informed Bronze Star that she planned to have a sleepover tomorrow night with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Since there were already so many ponies at Sweet Apple Acres, they would be sleeping over at Carousel Boutique. Somehow, Sweetie Belle had managed to convince Rarity to let her friends stay the night. With Apple Bloom spending the evening somewhere else, there would be an empty seat at the dinner table. Granny Smith was hoping that Bronze Star would take that seat.

Never one to turn down a fine meal or an opening, Bronze Star happily accepted Granny Smith's offer. As a sign of his appreciation, he offered to bring some wine to the banquet. With Apple Bloom gone, everypony there was old enough to drink. That included Applejack; she had turned twenty-one a few months ago.

Initially, the Apples were a little tentative about having wine at their table. Not that they had anything against alcoholic beverages. All of them had a fondness for cider, both the alcoholic type and the nonalcoholic type. However, they preferred to steer clear of other, harder forms of alcohol. While the belief that farmers tended to drink on a regular basis was somewhat true, that stereotype did not apply to the Apple Family. They liked to be careful with their intake. Sometimes having just a little caused them to become somewhat lightheaded.

This gave Bronze Star an idea. He assured the Apples that he would not bring any strong wine to the meal. On Hearth's Warming Day, he had brought a crate of wine from Canterlot. He had been keeping them in the cellar at the embassy. There was one bottle he thought the Apples would like. This particular wine had a notable tint of apple in it. Bronze Star had been saving it for a special occasion, and he figured this occasion was as good as any.

Believe it or not, the Apples had never heard of apple-flavored wine before. Even so, they were more than eager to give it a try. So they chose to take Bronze Star up on his offer. The young prince was very pleased with their decision.

Bronze Star left Sweet Apple Acres shortly before eight o'clock. By the time he returned to the town, he had already put together a plan for searching through Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase. However, he had concluded that he would be unable to carry out the plan without some assistance. So before he went back to the embassy, he stopped by the barracks and asked Noble Edict if he could speak privately with her. Naturally, the red mare granted his request without hesitation.

Bronze Star explained the whole situation to Noble Edict. He informed her about how he had already gained the admiration of the six new Apples, and how he had managed to learn the whereabouts of Spitzenburg's briefcase, as well as the difficulties he would face in getting to it. He also informed her that he had a plan to search the briefcase, but in order for this plan to work, he needed her help.

He told Noble Edict that the Apples invited him over for dinner the following night. Obviously, he would be going. But not just because he enjoyed their cooking or because he wanted to be gracious.

Granny Smith had asked Bronze Star to arrive at 5:15 or earlier. Dinner would be at 5:30, and it would be over in roughly an hour, including the time it would take to wash the dishes. After they ate, the Apples and Bronze Star would do what they always did after the evening meal: retire to the front room for dessert and some family bonding.

This was where Noble Edict came in. Bronze Star said that her role in this matter was a minor one, but an important one, all the same. All she had to do was come by Sweet Apple Acres at roughly six-thirty and knock on the front door. Once it was answered, she would enter, approach Bronze Star, and claim that something that required his immediate attention had come up. The subject itself did not matter; he would let her decide what it would be. At any rate, Bronze Star would go along with her, but not before assuring the Apples that he would be back later that evening.

The two of them would leave Sweet Apple Acres together, but they would not go any further than past the gate. Once they were there, Noble Edict would keep a lookout while Bronze Star changed into his Alicorn form. After that, he would teleport into Esopus Spitzenburg's bedroom. Then he would get out the briefcase, crack the combination lock on its handle, and get his hooves on the files inside. From there, he would read the cover page and front inner page of all the files. Here he would have to rely heavily on his photographic memory and his ability to read quickly.

Once he managed to browse through all the files, Bronze Star would put them back in the briefcase in the exact reverse order he had removed them. Then he would return the briefcase to its hiding spot underneath the wardrobe. After that, he would approach the window in the room and gaze outside.

The ranch's front gate was not visible from the first floor, but one could get a clear view of it from the second floor. Bronze Star took advantage of that fact. He would have Noble Edict remain at the front gate for the entire time that he was conducting his operation. She would stand where he could see her at all times. If at any point Noble saw somepony coming towards the ranch, she would casually wave in that pony's direction. That would signal Bronze Star that it was not safe for him to come outside yet. If she was just standing still, that would mean the coast was clear. He would then teleport back to her and switch back to his Earth Pony disguise. Then he would simply head over to the house and rejoin the Apples as though he had just gotten back.

Bronze Star had done all the calculations in his head. He estimated it would take five minutes to dig out the briefcase and discover its combination, forty-to-fifty minutes to read through the files, and five minutes to put the briefcase back and return to Noble Edict. He also had to account for the possibility of needing extra time, in case Noble Edict had company when Bronze Star was ready to leave. Altogether, he would need at least fifty minutes to carry out this operation; maybe as many as seventy. Of course, he would be doing this under the assumption that the Apples would not leave the front room, or at least, not go upstairs while Bronze Star was in Spitzenburg's room.

For the past four nights, Bronze Star had visited the Apples immediately after they finished dinner. All of his visits had lasted longer than an hour, and his activities with the Apples were confined to the front room on the first floor. With the occasional exception of going to use the bathroom or get a glass of water, none of them ever left the room for anything in all that time. So there was already a strong possibility that they would all remain in the front room while the gold stallion was upstairs.

Just to be safe, Bronze Star took another step to ensure that the Apples would stay put. This step was the bottle of wine he would bring to the meal. He had no intention of drugging the wine or lacing it with anything that would induce lethargy; he would never stoop that low. However, if the Apples consumed alcoholic beverages as rarely as they had claimed to, Bronze Star was certain that his wine would make them feel too cozy and mellow to leave the room. That would pretty much guarantee him total privacy while he examined the contents of Spitzenburg's briefcase.

Noble Edict had to admit that Bronze Star had a very excellent and expertly-crafted plan. As usual, he had accounted for everything. She was more than willing to play a part in it. She also told Bronze Star that she would stay close to the ranch even after he reentered the Apples' house, just in case he needed her help again later on. Bronze Star was alright with that, as long as Noble Edict stayed out of sight. After all, they only had one shot at this. If they bungled it in any way, the entire operation would be ruined.

Once they finalized all the details of the plan, Bronze Star left the barracks and headed back to the embassy. The first thing he did when he got back was go down into the cellar. The day after Hearth's Warming Day, Bronze Star had taken that crate of wine he had brought from Canterlot down to the cellar and assorted its contents. It took him a whole day to organize the bottles, but he managed to find an arrangement he was pleased with.

Thanks to his excellent memory, he remembered exactly where he had put that bottle of apple-flavored wine. It was near the center of the second rack. Interestingly, he also found a second bottle of that wine right next to the first one.

That struck him as odd; he could have sworn he only brought one bottle of this particular wine from Canterlot. If he had brought more than one, he would have certainly remembered doing so.

Then again, while Bronze Star had been the one who decided which types of wine he would bring and how many bottles of each would be included, he had not been the one who loaded up that crate. It occurred to him that perhaps the wine steward had given him a few extra bottles as a special treat, or something similar may have transpired. He was fairly certain that that was the case.

He also hoped it was. Because if he really HAD asked for two bottles of the apple-flavored wine and forgotten about doing so, then he would have reason to question his ability to remember everything he saw. Considering how he planned to memorize forty faces and pages in as many minutes tomorrow, this would have been the worst possible time for Bronze Star's supposedly flawless memory to fail him.

The next day started out like any other day. Bronze Star got up at six o'clock like he normally did. He took a short, ate breakfast, and bed Arthur like he normally did. He met Dapple Rhomb and gave her the agenda for the day like he normally did. He accomplished those tasks with her over a period of seven hours, pausing only once for lunch like he always.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Bronze Star started to deviate from his typical routine. He saw to it that he and Dapple Rhomb finished all their work by then. Once they were done, he told her she could take the rest of the day off. The purple mare was a little surprised by that. Generally, if they got all their work done early, the gold stallion would propose that they get a jumpstart on the next day's work. But she decided not to question her good fortune, so she gathered her things and went home.

Once his secretary left, Bronze Star grabbed his knapsack and the two bottles of apple-flavored wine. By 3:30, he was signing out of the embassy and stepping out the door.

He stopped by the barracks to check in with Noble Edict. He briefly went over the plan with her, and he asked her if he needed to clarify any part of it. Luckily, she did not need any elaboration; she had gotten a firm grasp of how the plan would be carried out. She assured him that she would fulfill her part of it, and she guaranteed him that she would be at Sweet Apple Acres at 6:30 sharp.

After this, Bronze Star promptly made his way to Sweet Apple Acres. He got there by 3:55. Applejack was surprised to see him there so early, but she had no complaints. Neither did the other Apples. They were thrilled to have him over, regardless of what time he arrived.

Scootaloo had come by a few hours earlier to see Apple Bloom, and the two of them had presumably gone to meet up with Sweetie Belle at Carousel Boutique.

Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Topaz were in the kitchen, working on dinner. Big McIntosh, Jonathan Washington, and Brina Washington were bringing in some apples from the cellar. Winesap was setting the table.

Bronze Star offered to lend a hoof, but Applejack assured him that he had already helped enough by supplying the wine. She told him that all he had to worry about was sitting down and relaxing while she and the others got everything else ready. He complied with his fillyfriend's suggestion.

Applejack then went into the kitchen to help Granny Smith, Topaz, and Honeycrisp.

Other than Bronze Star, Esopus Spitzenburg was the only pony who was not preoccupied with anything at this moment. The two stallions sat by themselves in almost total silence for a while. They did little to acknowledge each other's presence, apart from giving a polite grin or a slight nod.

After about twenty minutes of this, Applejack reentered the room. She was carrying an empty basket on her back, and she was moving towards the front door. Before she reached it, Bronze Star asked her "Where are you going?"

"To the barn," Applejack elucidated, "We're out of parsnips. We've got more out there."

"I could get them," Bronze Star offered, rising out of his chair.

"You sure?" Applejack enquired.

"Definitely," the gold stallion asserted, "You've already got enough to do. I have too little."

"Still, you needn't trouble yourself, Gold," Esopus Spitzenburg remarked.

"It's no trouble," Bronze Star proclaimed. Then he smirked and added in "Esopus."

The older stallion chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and commented "If you say so."

Without another word, Bronze Star took the empty basket from Applejack, exited the house, trotted over to the barn, and stepped inside. He looked around for a minute, and then he spotted a barrel labeled "Parsnips." He made his way over to the barrel, opened it up, and proceeded to fill the basket with them.

Once the basket was full, Bronze Star replaced the lid, picked up the basket of parsnips, and prepared to leave the barn. However, before he took one step towards the door, something caught his eye. A ray of sunshine was peering in through a hole in the roof of the barn, and the light beam was focused on the far corner of the barn. The light flashed at just the right angle to reveal a large object in the corner. Bronze Star could not tell what it was, but it looked oddly familiar.

He trotted over to the object to get a better look. He quickly realized it was the metal box Esopus Spitzenburg had brought from the train station. Esopus Spitzenburg had claimed that the box was a present for a friend.

Bronze Star wondered why Esopus would chose to keep the box out in the barn. Granted, he had heard of more unusual places to hide gifts for one's friends. But it would only make sense to go to such extreme lengths if the intended receiver of the gift was nearby. Bronze Star recalled that this friend of Spitzenburg's was in another city. That bid the question; what was the box doing out here?

Normally, Bronze Star did not make it his business to pry through other people's possessions. But seeing as how he would be doing that in a few hours anyway, he decided to go ahead and investigate the box.

Unsurprisingly, it was locked. However, the slot on the top had not been fastened. Bronze Star looked over his shoulders to make sure the coast was clear, and then he slid the slot open and peered inside.

Despite the fact that he was standing in a ray of sunlight, the box's interior was too dark to make out. As a result, Bronze Star could not get a clear glimpse on the inside. However, he could plainly see that something was inside it. Of that much he was certain. He had no idea what it was though; only that it was long, thin, and tightly compacted.

A moment later, the thing on the inside appeared to change its position. Bronze Star had not shaken or disturbed the box in anyway, and nothing had happened that might have caused the contents of the box to shift in place. That only meant one thing: the thing inside was moving independently.

Bronze Star then suspected that maybe the thing inside was a live animal. He leaned in a little more to get a closer look. A moment later, he saw the thing move again. When it stopped moving this time, Bronze Star became a little unsettled. He did not know why, but he felt as though he was being watched. A moment later, he felt something else: a strange, freezing sensation in his lower body. It was as though his back hooves had gone totally numb and solid, and he was gradually losing all sense in them. The sensation was slowly rising through his hind legs. Bronze Star tried to avert his gaze from the inside of the box, but he found himself unable to move away from it or divert his attention elsewhere.

Out of nowhere, he heard Applejack yell "Hey, Gold! You got them parsnips or what?"

That sudden interruption was enough to snap Bronze Star out of his trance. He quickly pulled himself away from the box and backed away from it. He took a moment to compose himself, and then he approached the box and slid the slot shut again.

By then, he had regained most of the feeling in his hind legs. He shook them a bit so he could regain all of it. After that, he brushed himself off, picked up the basket of parsnips, and casually trotted out of the barn. He came face-to-face with his fillyfriend.

"Sorry, Applejack," the gold stallion stated apologetically, holding out the basket of parsnips, "I was searching through the barrel so I could pick out the best of the lot."

"Oh, alright," the orange mare acknowledged, taking the basket from him, "I appreciate the effort. But next time, feel free to just grab the nearest specimens, regardless of how fresh they look."

"You got it," Bronze Star declared.

The two of them went back into the house. Applejack returned to the kitchen to help the other mares cook, and Bronze Star sat back down at his chair across from Esopus Spitzenburg.

As before, the two stallions just lounged around, doing pretty much nothing as they waited. Bronze Star was still keeping his mind at work, though. He was curious as to what the creature in that box might have been. Obviously, he would not ask Esopus Spitzenburg directly, and he was currently unable to take another look at the box. So all he could do now was speculate. He found it unlikely that it was a coincidence that he had lost all the feeling in his back legs at the exact same time that he had peered inside that box. Whatever was in it must have been what triggered that sensation. Bronze Star knew of a few things in Equestria that could do something like that, and only one of them was capable of movement and small enough to fit into that box.

A sudden thought occurred to Bronze Star. Whatever was in that box was probably something that was meant to further the assassination conspiracy. Maybe it was not really a gift for a friend; maybe it was actually a weapon of some sort. When this theory crossed his mind, Bronze Star realized something else: he was sitting in a room alone with the ringleader of a conspiracy. He had not forgotten Spitzenburg's role in the conspiracy or what he would be doing upstairs later on, but the irony of his situation did not sink in until that very moment.

By 5:30, the meal was finished and the food had been transferred from the kitchen to the dining room. The ten Apples took their place at the table. Esopus Spitzenburg and Granny Smith sat at the two ends. Winesap, Applejack, Bronze Star, and Honeycrisp sat on one of the long sides. Brina Washington, Jonathan Washington, Topaz, and Big McIntosh sat on the other long side. After taking a moment to admire the spread, they dug in.

Needless to say, the meal was fantastic. Of course, Bronze Star was expecting it to be; Granny Smith and Applejack were two of the best bakers he knew. However, this time, he had contributed something to the meal, too.

Bronze Star's apple-flavored wine was a hit with the Apples, much to his delight. He made sure that everypony had at least two glasses. He managed to talk Esopus Spitzenburg into having three. To avoid suspicion, he had a glass, as well. He was not worried about getting drunk; Alicorns did not become inebriated as easily as the other pony races.

About a half-hour into the meal, Esopus Spitzenburg picked up his glass and raised it into the air. He announced "I would like to propose a toast: to Mr. Gold Streak. Even though most of us have only just met him, I feel as though his deeds here and his relationship with Applejack have earned him his spot at this table."

The other eight Apples lifted their glasses as well, and they pronounced "To Gold Streak!"

Bronze Star was actually a little touched by that declaration, despite the fact that it came from the last pony he would have expected to hear it from. Wanting to appear courteous, he picked up his own glass, raised it up, and proclaimed "I'd like to raise a glass to you as well, Esopus. I am honored to call every pony here my friend, especially you."

"To Esopus!" the other Apples reiterated, holding their glasses high up.

The oldest stallion grinned at that. When the other ponies lowered their glasses, he looked to his own glass and professed "This wine is heavenly, Gold. Probably the finest I've ever had."

"Glad to hear it, Esopus," Bronze Star commented, "If you want, I could get you more of this wine."

"Actually, I think I'd rather try my hoof at making my own," Spitzenburg thought aloud, "My company makes a wide host of apple-based foods and beverages. We have apple bourbon, apple soda, apple martini, apple liquor, and more varieties of apple cider than you can count. However, we never once considered apple-flavored wine. Mostly because wine is primarily made from grapes, and unless it's fruit salad, we tend to avoid using other fruits in any of our products."

"It never hurts to diversify your options, Esopus," Bronze Star perceived.

"True," Esopus Spitzenburg conceded, "Well, I have been working on a formula for a new species of apple. This particular breed is meant to take very kindly to liquidation. Once the formula is approved by my chemists, I'll have fields of that apple grown. They'll be harvested almost exclusively for making beverages. Who knows; perhaps they can be used for wine."

"Sounds like a hot idea," Bronze Star declared.

A few of the others mumbled in agreement and eagerness. For some reason, Granny Smith seemed a little displeased by that proposal. She stated "Esopus, you mean to tell us you've been experimentin' on apples with them chemicals again?"

"Yes, I have," Esopus Spitzenburg affirmed, "What's wrong with that?"

"Apples are a product of the Earth, not of science," Granny Smith proclaimed, "I've told you that many times before, yet you seem to either forget it or ignore it. The land already provides the fruit; we just need to harvest it."

"Granny, I know you've always been adverse to my policy of using stimulants and other chemical compounds on fruit," Spitzenburg contended, "I'll be the first to admit it; genetically-engineered apples are not as good as naturally grown ones. Still, that does not mean we are not entitled to take what has been given to us and improve upon it. The chemicals are meant to enhance the apple, not diminish it."

"I get what you're sayin'," Granny Smith remarked, "There is nothing wrong with doing some tests. But you should think more of the customer than the apple itself."

"Granny, I can assure you that none of my engineered apples are unfit to eat," Esopus disclosed, "My chemists never approve the creation of any apple that would make the consumer sick or worse."

"I'm not talking about potential health risks," Granny Smith clarified, "I'm talking about sticking to tradition and to your values as a stallion of the land. Those are the very qualities that separate the Apples from every other family in the farming industry."

"If you're worried that I'll ultimately forget my roots, then you should relax," Esopus Spitzenburg countered, "I promise you that that will never happen. No matter how many experiments I conduct or how many engineered species of apples I create, I will never lose sight of my principles. I've always been a stallion of the land, and I always will be."

Those last statements seemed to set Granny Smith's mind at ease. She smiled and told the elderly stallion "Alright, I trust I can hold you to that."

"You can," Esopus maintained. There was a bit of quietness, and then he smiled and added in "After all, it was because of those policies that I was able to create an entire company with nothing but my head and my two front hooves."

"You mean you built your whole company all by yourself?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Indeed, I did," Esopus confirmed, "Sure, I always had plenty of subordinates working under me as staff and laborers. But before the company became what it is today, I did all the executive transactions and business relations by myself. I and nopony else."

Bronze Star whistled in amazement and said "That could not have been an easy task."

"It wasn't," Esopus guaranteed him, "It took years to build up my company to that level, and I had to spend almost every waking moment keeping it organized. But after almost a decade of sweat and toil, I formed my company into a bona fide empire. I don't think I can properly express the feelings of accomplishment I felt once I achieved that objective."

"I can imagine it must have been extremely satisfying," Bronze Star theorized, "Still, I don't think I'd ever try my hoof at a project of that magnitude without any assistance at all."

"Well, nowadays, my company has its own board of directors," Esopus revealed, "I leave them to handle the bureaucratic material, but I am still the CEO, and they answer to me. I have the final say on every deal the company makes. And before that, I had the ONLY say. I actually found that when I was building up the company, working alone was much more efficient than working with assistance."

"That so?" Bronze Star remarked.

"Yes," Esopus Spitzenburg elucidated, "Let me put it this way: When you try to climb the ladder of success, you can never count on other ponies to help you up the rungs. In this day and age, if you want to get something done, you can only rely on yourself to do it. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, Gold."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and claimed "Actually, I can't say I do."

"In that case, allow me to enlighten you," Esopus Spitzenburg proposed. He rubbed his chin for a few seconds, and then he explicated "A few days ago, you told us about how you and Applejack came to be in a relationship. During it, you mentioned the fact that you and she had witnessed Nightmare Moon's return. You also brought up how you and she had been two of the ten ponies who stopped her. I was a little intrigued by how you spoke so casually of that affair."

"Well, that did happen over eight months ago," Applejack pointed out, "While we were amazed at the time, it doesn't seem like such a big deal now."

"That isn't my point," Esopus Spitzenburg stated candidly, "I read several newspaper articles that recounted the events of the Nightmare Moon incident. While the stories differed in a few ways, all of them failed to account for the whereabouts of a certain mare throughout that ordeal. I am, of course, referring to Princess Celestia."

Bronze Star had been waiting for Spitzenburg to say something like that ever since he first shook hooves with him. Even so, he was not exactly thrilled to hear that statement. He looked over at the older stallion and queried "What do you mean?"

"It was rather strange how she was nowhere to be found in that whole affair," Esopus Spitzenburg explained, "I know she reappeared almost immediately after Nightmare Moon was defeated, but where was she while you, Applejack, and those other eight ponies were out risking your lives to make that happen?"

"Princess Celestia was… incapacitated at the time," Bronze Star revealed, "Nightmare Moon had imprisoned her in a mystical sphere of stable energy."

"So I see," Esopus Spitzenburg commented, raising an eyebrow, "Once she was released from captivity, did she ever explain how she had been captured?"

"No, she preferred not to reflect on that matter," Bronze Star informed him, "From what I gathered, Nightmare Moon simply managed to take her by surprise and trap her in the energy sphere without anypony noticing."

"Sounds as though she barely even put up a fight," Esopus Spitzenburg professed. He gave a deep sigh and uttered very sarcastically "What a surprise."

Bronze Star leaned closer and murmured "I beg your pardon?"

"Have you ever noticed how whenever Equestria is faced with a massive threat, Princess Celestia herself does absolutely nothing to stop it?" Spitzenburg expounded, "And I mean absolutely nothing."

"That's not true," Bronze Star countered, "Whenever there's a crisis, she's very quick to respond. She sends the best of the best to resolve the conflict as soon as possible while ensuring the survival of everypony involved. You can hardly call that 'nothing.'"

"No, I cannot," Esopus coincided, "So Celestia does employ thousands of other ponies who are expected to keep the country safe. But how often does she step in to resolve a conflict directly?"

Bronze Star thought about this, and he had to admit that Spitzenburg did make a decent point there. He ultimately replied with "Only on certain occasions. However, you must understand that Princess Celestia is a very busy mare, Esopus."

"Is she too busy to protect her country and her people?" Spitzenburg asked rhetorically.

"That would depend on the nature of the danger facing them," Bronze Star responded, "Regardless of that, the armed forces exist for a reason, Esopus. They can do a fine enough job of defending this country without any direct involvement from the Princess."

Esopus Spitzenburg leaned on his front leg and perceived "This only furthers the point I made earlier. If you need or want to accomplish something, you cannot rely on the higher-ups to aid you. Not even the supreme leader, the highest of them all. Case in point, if the citizens of a certain city in Equestria were in mortal peril, Princess Celestia would send in the military or somepony else to resolve the matter, but she would not go herself. Take Hoovston, for example. She was nowhere to be seen when the electricity network went berserk."

Bronze Star felt a flash of anger run through him. How DARE Esopus Spitzenburg bring Hoovston into this. He of all ponies had no right even talking about that disaster. Even so, the gold stallion managed to remain calm, and he answered that question with another question: "If one of your apple trees withers and stops producing fruit, would you go into the field to examine it yourself?"

The Apples were stunned by that remark, but they all looked to Esopus to hear his response. The elderly stallion shook his head and said bluntly "No, my workers could handle that."

"What about two trees?" Bronze Star inquired.

"No, they still wouldn't need me," Esopus claimed.

"Three?" Bronze Star spat heatedly, "Four? Five? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? A thousand? Tell me, Esopus. How many of your trees would have to become barren before you got out of your comfortable CEO chair and paid a visit to the fields? How many? In fact, when was the last time you even went out into the orchards and harvested any apples by yourself? You criticize Celestia for not bothering to get her hooves dirty, yet you don't seem willing to get yours dirty either. What does that say?"

Bronze Star did not bother to continue appearing emotionless here. If he remained as stoic as he had been up until this point, he would not have portrayed his disagreement as effectively as he wanted to. Here he needed to convey some anger so he could get Esopus Spitzenburg to see the hypocrisy and naivety in his accusations. He knew that that would definitely not be enough to change Esopus's mind and call off the conspiracy, but Bronze Star would at least be able to deliver a strong counterargument to the elderly stallion's harsh critique of his mother.

The prince and the nine Apples sat in an uncomfortable silence for a whole minute. Bronze Star eagerly waited for the elderly stallion to attempt to refute his points. It looked as though he had backed Spitzenburg into a corner, much to his satisfaction.

Eventually, Esopus Spitzenburg sighed and commented "You're quite right, Gold. I can hardly criticize Princess Celestia's decision to let the armed forced keep the country safe when I myself leave all my company's most difficult tasks to its laborers."

"I'm glad you see if from my perspective," Bronze Star pronounced, "Just because Princess Celestia rarely settles a dispute by herself, that does not mean she is uninterested in what happens to the people of Equestria. I've worked for her for ten years, and if there is one thing I've learned about her in all that time, it's that she loves and cares for every citizen of this country."

"Nopony's denying that, Gold," Esopus Spitzenburg disclosed, "I apologize if I sound as though I have a strong dislike for Princess Celestia. You must believe me; I don't. However, I AM a little adverse to some of her methods for running this country."

"Now that I can understand," Bronze Star claimed, "Everypony has their own ideas on the best ways to run the government. I'm sure you have your own share of views."

"Yes, I do," Esopus affirmed, "But now would not be an appropriate time to talk about them."

"Why's that?" Bronze Star queried.

Spitzenburg smirked and cheekily professed "There are two things you never discuss at the dinner table: your sex life and politics."

Everypony there snickered at that, including Bronze Star. When the laughter ended, Bronze Star looked back over at the elderly stallion and told him "Can't argue with that, Esopus. I wouldn't even have anything to talk about in one of those two subjects. Since Applejack's my first fillyfriend, you can probably guess which. However, I AM a very politically-active pony. I'm always open to sharing my own political views with others and listening to the political views of other ponies. Believe it or not, so is Princess Celestia."

That statement seemed to interest Esopus Spitzenburg. He enquired "She is?"

"Yes, certainly," Bronze Star confirmed, "She's been on the throne for more than a thousand years, and she is very much aware of how the country is constantly changing. She has acknowledged that the average citizen's cultural mindset is constantly changing, as well. Because of that, she has developed a keen interest in what other ponies are thinking. In addition to that, she often debates politics with ponies outside of her cabinet. Occasionally, she even considers incorporating some of their ideals into her own."

"Intriguing," Esopus Spitzenburg muttered, rubbing his chin, "How does one actually make one of these appointments to discuss politics with the Princess?"

"Well, there are a few criteria," Bronze Star disclosed, "Anypony who sees her must be of a sound mind, have excellent credibility, be highly respected in the community, and have the time and resources to visit the castle. In other words, somepony like you."

"Oh?" Esopus uttered, leaning closer to the gold stallion "So, you're saying we would actually hear somepony like me out?"

Bronze Star firmly nodded and explicated "She would be very interested in knowing what's on your mind. If you truly believe Celestia's methods could be improved, why not have an audience with the princess herself?"

Esopus Spitzenburg seemed to find that offer rather appealing. He sat in silence to think for a minute, and then he said to the gold stallion "She would really want to speak with me?"

"Of course," Bronze Star asserted, "If you want, I could even arrange the meeting for you."

That remark really caught Esopus's interest. He raised an eyebrow and presumed "You have the ability to make that happen, Gold?"

"Yes," Bronze Star guaranteed him, "I send her more than weekly updates of what happens in Ponyville. She's willing to hear me out on things like this. All you'd need to do is file a request and send it through the appropriate channels. With me as your reference, she's sure to grant your request."

Esopus Spitzenburg took another minute to contemplate this proposal. Ultimately, he looked up at the gold stallion, lightly nodded his head, and pronounced "Alright, Gold. Your offer is too appealing to refuse. Could you tell me how I would go about submitting one of these 'requests?'"

"You just need to fill out a certain form," Bronze Star answered him, "As luck would have it, I have that form on me."

The gold stallion was still wearing his knapsack. He picked it up, opened the main pocket, and pulled out a small stack of papers. He leafed through the papers until he found one with the title "Interview Bid." He removed that one from the others and held it out to Esopus Spitzenburg, who eagerly took it in his front hooves.

Bronze Star did not notice that when he pulled out the stack of papers, he inadvertently pulled out something else with them. It was a small, square-shaped piece of paper. It was a little thicker than most paper and much firmer as well. When he searched through the larger papers, he accidentally dropped the small square paper. It slid underneath the table without anypony noticing.

Esopus Spitzenburg took a moment to look over the form. Bronze Star returned the rest of the papers to his knapsack and closed it up, and he disclosed "Now before you can see the Princess, they'll need to do a background check on you."

The elderly stallion seemed a little startled by that statement. He remarked "May I ask why?"

"It's merely protocol," Bronze Star informed him, "With all the crazy stuff that goes on in the world nowadays, one can never be too careful. When I first applied for a job at the castle, they ran a background check on me, too. It was very uncomfortable, but very much worth the job."

"Son, look at me," Esopus Spitzenburg bade him, "Do I look as though I'd be capable of harming anypony?"

"No, you don't," Bronze Star claimed, "That just implies that you have a greater chance of passing the test. The Royal Guard can usually tell the bad ones just by their appearance. You don't have anything to hide, do you, Esopus?"

"No, of course not, Gold," Spitzenburg insisted, "I just don't like being probed and questioned like a terrorist suspect."

"Well, I'm sorry, but the background check is mandatory," Bronze Star adamantly declared, "It's not really that big of a deal, Esopus. We just need to make sure you're not a deranged idealist who's scheming to overthrow Princess Celestia's reign."

Esopus Spitzenburg was astounded by that last statement. He was not the only one; the other eight Apples appeared to be just as stunned. Bronze Star had said that remark as if was meant to be interpreted as a jest, but even he was not amused by it. After all, unbeknownst to the Apples, that observation applied perfectly to Esopus Spitzenburg.

After some unpleasant silence, Bronze Star stated apologetically "I'm sorry; that was a bad joke. A very bad joke, as a matter of fact."

"It's alright; I've made much worse jokes, Gold," Esopus Spitzenburg assured the younger stallion. He gazed down at the form again, and then he set it aside. After that, he thought aloud "I'll need some time to think about this, first. Would you mind if I waited until later to fill it out?"

"Not at all," Bronze Star responded, "After you fill out the sheet, you can deliver it to me at the embassy at any time. Or you could mail it to Canterlot Castle directly. The forwarding address is provided at the bottom of the form."

"Okay, I'll keep all that in mind," Spitzenburg acknowledged.

Fifteen minutes later, the meal was over. Everypony helped clear the table and clean up after. Most of them went to the kitchen to wash and put away the dishes. Applejack stayed in the dining room to sweep the floor. After clearing the visible parts of the floor, she swept underneath the table, as well.

The broom came into contact with something other than dirt, dust, and food residue. When she pulled the broom back out, Applejack spotted the object. She picked it up and took a moment to study it. It was the square piece of paper Bronze Star had dropped during the meal. She did not know what to make of the piece of paper or where it had come from, but she realized it had been right in front of Bronze Star's seat when she came across it.

For some reason, Applejack was compelled to hold on to the piece of paper instead of giving it back. She simply chose to tuck it underneath her hat and not speak of it for now.

Ten minutes later, the Apples and Bronze Star gathered in the front room. Bronze Star looked around and saw that the others were relieved to be settled down. Evidently, the Earth Ponies were already experiencing some of the intoxicating effects of the apple-flavored wine. Since Bronze Star had less to drink and a stronger liver, he was still entirely sober. That was fortunate; he needed to have a clear head for what he was about to do.

A couple minutes of relative silence passed. Bronze Star patiently waited for something to happen. Sure enough, right at 6:30, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Big McIntosh proposed. He got out of his chair and slightly stumbled towards the door. Then he opened it and came face-to-face with a certain red mare. He grinned down at her and greeted her with "Evening, Noble Edict."

"Hey, Big Mac," she returned cordially, "I'm looking for Gold Streak. I stopped by the embassy to see him, but Dapple Rhomb told me he came here. Did he?"

"Yes, he did," the large red stallion affirmed, "He's in here with us. Come on in."

Big McIntosh held the door open for Noble Edict, and she passed through the doorway. When Bronze Star saw her, he got out of his chair, grinned at her, and asked "What's up, Noble?"

"Forgive me for interrupting your evening, Mr. Ambassador," Noble Edict uttered hastily, "But I need you to come with me straightaway."

"Is everything alright?" Bronze Star enquired, trying to sound concerned.

"I can't say for sure just yet," Noble Edict explicated, "This is about that energy sphere in the Everfree Forest. It's… changed."

She had clearly been practicing that line, but the Apples seemed to buy it. Bronze Star proclaimed "Alright, just give me a minute. I'll be along shortly."

Noble Edict nodded her head and stepped back outside. Bronze Star turned to face the Apples and told them "Sorry to cut our time short, but I have to go."

"Okay," Granny Smith asserted, "Will you be coming back later?"

"Yeah, I'll probably be free again in an hour or so," Bronze Star decreed, "So until I get back, you guys stay put. I want to find you right where you are when I return."

The nine Earth Ponies lightly chuckled at that statement, but they seemed to have no objections to it. Right now, none of them felt like doing much of anything other than relaxing.

Bronze Star left the house and carefully closed the door behind him. Then he and Noble Edict headed down the path that led to the plantation's main entrance. As soon as they passed through the front gate, they stopped trotting.

The gold stallion looked to the red mare and commented "Flawless timing, Noble."

"Thanks, Bronze," she said appreciatively, "So, how was dinner?"

"It was pleasant," he apprised her, "The food was, at any rate. The talk during the meal, not so much. Spitzenburg managed to bring his opinion of my mother into the conversation, and he all but admitted that he's behind the conspiracy against her."

"Then he's either very daring or very complacent," Noble Edict theorized.

"No, I'd say he's just plain eloquent," Bronze Star perceived.

"Maybe," Noble Edict remarked, shrugging. After a few seconds of silence, she said to the young prince "At any rate, are you ready for this?"

"More than ready," Bronze Star asserted. He removed his knapsack from his shoulder and held it out to the red mare, saying "Could you hold on to this?"

"Won't you need it?" Noble Edict enquired.

"No, all I need is this," Bronze Star replied, pointing to his temple.

"Okay," Noble Edict coincided, taking the knapsack into her front hoof. After making sure that nopony was in the area, she then closed her eyes so Bronze Star could transform into his Alicorn form.

The prince took a minute to stretch his wings and give his aura a workout, and then he announced "Alright, this is it."

"Hold on a moment," Noble Edict requested. She pulled a knife out of the side of her belt, gripped it by the blade, and held the hilt out to the gold stallion. She suggested "You might want to take this."

Bronze Star smirked and shook his head. He stated "Noble, I'm not breaking into the headquarters of an extremist splinter cell. I'm conducting reconnaissance on an elderly stallion in my fillyfriend's house."

"I know, but it never hurts to be prepared," Noble Edict notified him.

"There's only one pony in that house that I would be willing to use that knife on," Bronze Star illuminated, "And if anything happens to him, we're the ones who will pay. If I encounter any setbacks, I'll handle them accordingly."

"Very well," Noble Edict agreed, albeit a little reluctantly. She returned the knife to its sheath on her belt and bade the prince "But please, be careful in there."

"You got it," he said reassuringly. He then turned to face the house in Sweet Apples Acres and concentrated on it carefully. Once he was properly focused, he told the chief of security "If all goes well, I'll see you in an hour."

"I'll be waiting here," she proclaimed. She would have asked how long he might have needed it all did NOT go well, but she figured he did not need any more worry or stress. So she stayed silent.

Bronze Star spread his wings and rose a couple feet into the air. Then he teleported to a spot a couple meters above the roof of the Apples' house. He gazed down at the building and stared intently at the roof, as if he was calculating the distance between his current position and the ground of the second floor. Once he worked that out, he teleported again. This time he arrived right in Esopus Spitzenburg's room, just as he had planned. He was still hovering in midair. Once he confirmed that nopony was there, he gracefully landed on the floor.

He could faintly hear the Apples talking below him. They seemed to be engrossed in a conversation.

Bronze Star crept over to the wardrobe, reached underneath it, and pulled out Spitzenburg's briefcase. He set it down in front of him, rested his ear against the lock on the handle, and placed his right front hoof on the combination dials. He carefully rotated the dials, one at a time. Every time he heard a faint "click," he moved on to the next dial.

When he found the number for the sixth dial, the lock became unfastened. The combination turned out to be 679345. There was nothing significant about it; it was just a random number.

Bronze Star placed his hands on either side of the briefcase and gradually separated them. Once the briefcase was fully open, he gently set it down on the ground. Inside the briefcase were dozens of files. Bronze Star removed the files and put them in a pile on the floor.

Now Bronze Star began the actual investigation phase of his operation. He picked up the first file and examined its cover page. It held the picture of a middle-aged stallion. Bronze Star studied the face closely so that it was etched into his memory. After that, he opened the file and read the top inner page. This page contained a summary report of this stallion's life and occupation. According to it, he was the director of a transportation network that delivered goods across the nation. Bronze Star figured that Esopus had struck a deal with this stallion to distribute his company's products to the cities in Equestria. As such, it was unlikely that he was one of the conspirators. Even so, he made sure to memorize this stallion's name, face, and personal information.

Bronze Star set that file aside and turned his attention to the next one. This one had the picture of another pony imprinted on the cover. He proceeded to commit this pony's face to memory as well. After that, he opened the file and read the first page inside of it. Once he was finished, he put it off to the side and moved on to the next file in the pile.

He followed this same sequence with every other file in that stack. He tried to limit himself to no more than one minute per file. He spent fifteen seconds memorizing the faces on the covers and the remaining forty-five seconds memorizing the first page on the inside of each of the files. A lot of these ponies did not seem like they were involved in the conspiracy. They simply appeared to be executives, merchants, or tycoons. However, every now and then, Bronze Star came across somepony who seemed out of place amongst the other ponies.

When he had looked through about half of the files, Bronze Star felt a tingling sensation in his legs. He had been kneeling in the exact same position for over a half-hour, and he was starting to get uncomfortable in that stance. So he shifted his legs to a more tolerable position. When he did that, he accidentally caused the floorboard beneath him to creak.

Bronze Star immediately froze in place. He hoped that nopony heard that. To his dismay, he was not so lucky.

"What was that?" a voice asked.

"What was what?" said another voice.

"I thought I heard something upstairs," the first voice clarified.

Bronze Star wanted to swear in frustration, but he dared not do anything that would generate more commotion. He did not move a muscle or make a sound. He remained perfectly still and waited for something to happen.

Ultimately, he heard somepony else say "Probably just a floorboard. You know how the place was rebuilt a few months ago? Well, some of the floorboards still haven't been broken in yet. Every now and then, they give off some noise without even being disturbed."

"There you have it," yet another voice muttered, "No cause for alarm."

"Oh, alright then," the first voice remarked.

Bronze Star silently breathed a sigh of relief. Then he went back to work studying the files.

When he was about three-quarters through the files, Bronze Star heard somepony below him say "Excuse for a moment."

This was followed almost immediately by somepony else saying "I'll be right back, too."

Bronze Star stopped what he was doing to listen. Two sets of hoofsteps could be heard moving throughout the house. The first set was not going towards the staircase, much to Bronze Star's relief. However, the second set sounded as though somepony was heading directly towards it. He soon heard the back door open and close, and the noise of the first set of hoofsteps disappeared. In the meantime, the second set of hoofsteps could clearly be heard going up the stairs.

Once again, Bronze Star held his breath and stayed totally motionless. The hoofsteps gradually got closer and closer to the front room of the second floor. As they approached, Bronze Star desperately whispered "Don't be Spitzenburg, don't be Spitzenburg, don't be Spitzenburg…"

Soon the hoofsteps reached the door, but they did not stop there; they went right past the bedroom. Bronze Star was immensely relieved, but he still did not move. When the hoofsteps reached another room further down the corridor, they stopped. Even then, Bronze Star stayed still, and he decided to remain that way until that pony went back downstairs.

He waited for a few minutes, but apart from the chatting in the front room, he heard nothing. He wondered if the pony who had come upstairs had fallen asleep or something. He kept his gaze on the files, but he had his senses focused on the door.

A few minutes later, the noise of the hoofsteps returned, but they sounded as though they were already at the top of the staircase. That struck him as odd; he had not heard anypony else come upstairs. It must have been the pony who had come up earlier. He or she must have either taken the longer way to the staircase, or had been a lot quieter than he or she had been when coming up.

Whatever the reason, Bronze Star was just glad he had not been discovered. The hoofsteps made their way down the stairs and returned to the front room. A few minutes later, he heard the back door open and close again, and whoever had gone outside returned to the front room, too. Once they did, Bronze Star swiftly went back to examining the files.

From this point onward, Bronze Star experienced no more hitches. He examined the last one-fourth of the files without interruption. Once he was done, he placed the files back into the briefcase in the exact same order and position that they had been in when he first opened the briefcase. After that, he carefully shut the briefcase, refastened the lock, and rotated the dials so they read "000000" again. Then he carefully slid the briefcase back underneath the wardrobe.

Bronze Star approached the window and peered outside. He could see Noble Edict standing outside the front gate. She was facing the house, but she was not waving. That meant the coast was clear. Bronze Star took a minute to concentrate, and then he rose into the air and teleported to above the roof of the house. From there, he teleported to the main gate of Sweet Apple Acres.

He managed to materialize right next to Noble Edict. He took the red mare by surprise, but when she realized it was him, she eased down. She looked to him, gave him back his knapsack, and said expectantly "Well?"

"Mission accomplished," he proudly announced. He quickly changed back into his Earth Pony disguise.

"Outstanding," Noble Edict stated in approval, "So, you going back in?"

"Yeah, but I'll only stay for about a half-hour," Bronze Star apprised her, "You can go back to the barracks now, if you'd like."

"I don't mind waiting here," Noble Edict assured him, "Plus, there's something else I want to talk to you about. But it can wait a half-hour."

"Alright, I'll see you then," he declared.

Two minutes later, Bronze Star was back in the front room of Sweet Apple Acres. He had retaken his spot next to Applejack. For some reason, the orange mare seemed somewhat distant and aloof. He just assumed she was tired or that her mind was elsewhere. So he did not talk with her a lot, but he talked plenty with the others. He talked with Esopus Spitzenburg more than any of the others. Now that Bronze Star knew the names and faces of everypony in that briefcase, he felt much more relaxed and laidback around Esopus Spitzenburg. In a way, the young prince felt as though he had already beaten the elderly stallion.

Bronze Star stayed with the Apples until 8:30. Then he bade them all a good night. He would have given Applejack a good-bye kiss, too, but she did not appear to be in the mood for that. So he just said good-bye and left.

By now, it was already quite dark outside. Noble Edict was still waiting for Bronze Star at the gate. When he reached her, he proposed "Should we head back into town?"

"I would prefer if we talked here," she remarked.

"Alright," the gold stallion conceded. After a brief pause, he queried "By the way, did you see anypony while I was inside?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Noble Edict illuminated, "There were about three or four ponies who came down this path while you were up in that room. They did not seem suspicious of me, and there was nothing suspicious about any of them. However, about thirty-five minutes after you went inside, I saw Esopus Spitzenburg leave the house through the back door."

Bronze Star became intrigued by that. "Did he see you?"

"No, I managed to stay out of sight," Noble Edict explicated.

"What was he doing?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I saw him enter the barn and reemerge a minute later with some sort of package," Noble Edict recounted.

"Like a metal box?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yeah, just like that," Noble Edict affirmed, "He took the box out into the orchards. Before long, he disappeared from my field of vision. I would have followed him, but I wasn't going to leave my post while you were inside."

"You made the right choice, Noble," Bronze Star assured her, "Did anything else happen?"

"Not much," Noble Edict informed him, "Spitzenburg came back into my sight a couple minutes later. He put the box back in the barn and reentered the house through the rear door. I didn't see him again after that. However, shortly after you went back inside, I did see something else. I don't know what it was, but it was very fast and very agile. It came from the same area that Spitzenburg had been in, and it bolted right through here."

"Did it go near you?" Bronze Star inquired.

"No, it didn't seem to notice me," Noble Edict replied.

Bronze Star gazed off to the side and rubbed his chin. He thought aloud "Spitzenburg told me that he was keeping a gift for a friend in that box. A friend from another city."

"He must've lied," the red mare conjectured.

"I'm sure he did," the gold stallion concurred, "I also managed to get a glimpse of the box's interior. I'm inclined to believe that a live animal was in it."

"What sort of animal?" she queried.

"I don't know, but it must have been a deadly one," he proclaimed, "You see, when I looked inside, it was as though I was unable to look away or feel my hind legs at all."

"What could have possibly done that?" Noble Edict muttered.

"I have a theory," Bronze Star pronounced, "It's not a very probable one, though. Regardless, I don't think we can afford to ignore this."

"You're right," Noble Edict said in agreement, "We'd better take a look around."

Bronze Star nodded firmly, and he remarked "You said the creature went past you?"

"Yes," Noble Edict affirmed, "It was moving to the southeast when I lost sight of it."

Bronze Star's eyes widened in shock and he mumbled "That's in the same direction as Fluttershy's cottage."

"Then there's no time to waste," Noble Edict decreed, "Let's go!"

The red mare and the gold stallion galloped as fast as they could to the southeast. About five minutes later, they arrived at Fluttershy's cottage. All the lights in the house were off, and the front door was locked. However, the back door had been left wide open. As a precaution, Noble Edict drew a knife from her belt and armed herself.

She and Bronze Star silently crept inside and scouted around. With the exception of some upturned pieces of furniture, a strangely-constructed wooden sculpture, and a pile of soot at the base of the fireplace, the house looked totally normal. However, apart from some of Fluttershy's animal friends, no one else was there. The yellow mare was almost always home at this time of night.

When they went back outside, Bronze Star and Noble Edict saw something they had missed before. A few meters away from the back door of the cottage, there were five sets of tracks in the ground. One of them had been made by tiny webbed feet, and it started at the chicken soup. The other four began at spot beyond the fence that marked Fluttershy's property. Those four tracks had been made by ponies, and three of them were considerably smaller than the freshest tracks. All five tracks headed directly into the Everfree Forest.

Bronze Star figured that the trail of tiny webbed feet had been left by one of Fluttershy's chickens, and the largest hoofprints must have been made by Fluttershy herself. He did not know what to make of the three smaller trails of hoofprints. The only possible explanation was that three preteen foals had been out here as well, and that was extremely unlikely. Unless…

Bronze Star looked over at Noble Edict and asked her "Have you by any chance seen Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom today?"

"Actually, yes," Noble Edict revealed, "This afternoon, when I was out on my lunch break, I saw them running through the town square. Fluttershy was with them; she appeared to be watching over the fillies."

"Maybe she still is," Bronze Star hypothesized, "Or was, at any rate."

"One way to find out," Noble Edict recommended, "We better go after them."

"I agree," Bronze Star thought aloud, "The Everfree Forest is already dangerous enough, but with that… that thing lurking around, nopony is safe."

"Precisely," was all Noble Edict said in response.

The two of them took a minute to examine the tracks. They were quite fresh; they could not have been made more than twenty minutes ago. Upon further inspection, Bronze Star and Noble Edict managed to find a sixth trail. This one was barely visible, mostly because it had not been made by feet or hooves. It looked as though it had been made by a snake.

Bronze Star turned to his affiliate and stated hopefully "Noble, about that knife you offered me earlier…"

The red mare promptly pulled another knife out of her belt and held it out to the gold stallion, beckoning him "Take it."

Bronze Star accepted the weapon and gripped it tightly in his front hoof. Then he announced "Let's move."

The two of them swiftly galloped into the Everfree Forest. They closely followed the trails of hoofprints at all times. Unfortunately, the deeper they went, the harder to detect the trails became. Soon, the trails became too faint, and the two ponies lost them altogether. After that, they were relying solely on instinct and reckoning. They hoped that that would be enough to lead them to Fluttershy and the others.

After a while, they spotted a huge mass on the ground. Bronze Star and Noble Edict cautiously approached the mass, and they saw that it was a statue of a pony. This pony was weirdly familiar, as if it was somepony they knew. That was when they realized that the figure was not really a statue of a pony. It was an actual pony!

"Oh, my…" Bronze Star whispered in shock, "It's Twilight!"

"What the Tartarus happened to her?" Noble Edict murmured apprehensively.

"She's been turned into stone," Bronze Star noted hauntingly, "That can only mean one thing…"

"What?" Noble asked, somewhat demandingly.

Bronze Star did not answer straightaway. Instead, he looked up at Noble Edict and resolutely announced "We have to find Fluttershy and the fillies right now!"

"What about Twilight?" Noble Edict yelled, "We can't just leave her!"

"Yes, we can!" Bronze Star countered, "Until we find the creature that did this, there's nothing we can do for her! If we don't hurry, she won't be that thing's only victim!"

As much as Noble Edict did not want to leave Twilight Sparkle in this condition, she could not deny that the gold stallion was right. Aside from that, she knew that he would never abandon the lavender mare.

Out of nowhere, the red mare and the gold stallion heard screaming. Loud, high-pitched screaming. The type of screaming that would be made by young fillies. The source of the screaming sounded as though it was getting progressively closer to them.

Right then, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sprinted through the area, screaming at the top of their lungs. When they ran through a thistle bush, they tripped and collapsed in front of Bronze Star, Noble Edict. They happened to land on the other side of Twilight Sparkle, too.

When they saw what had become of the lavender mare, they gasped in shock. At this moment, a snail was crawling across her solidified face.

Just then, Fluttershy arrived on the scene. She was surprised to see Bronze Star and Noble Edict, but she did not have time to wonder why they were there. She calmly told the Cutie Mark Crusaders "See? Now we have to –"

She was interrupted by another round of screaming from the fillies. They started panicking and running around the area frantically. Right now, they were anything but calm. A moment later, Bronze Star and Noble Edict discovered why they were so agitated.

A creature slowly emerged from the thistle bush. It had the head of a chicken and the body of a snake. It also had a murderous look in its eyes. Bronze Star and Fluttershy knew exactly what it was: a cockatrice.

The cockatrice was one of the most bizarre and most dangerous creatures in Equestria. Despite its laughable appearance, it was not to be trifled with. It could turn just about any other creature into stone just by staring into its eyes. For that reason, its kind had been driven away from every inhabited part of Equestria. Whenever a cockatrice was sighted, Special Forces would immediately be dispatched to chase away or exterminate the beast.

Unfortunately, Special Forces were nowhere near Ponyville at this time. The only ponies who could do anything to stop this cockatrice were Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Fluttershy.

The yellow mare tried to get the Cutie Mark Crusaders to calm down. She softly told them "Girls, please. Girls- now listen to me, girls, I- please!"

Obviously, she had very little luck in pacifying the fillies. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were screaming too loudly to hear her.

When Noble Edict saw the cockatrice, she felt an overwhelming desire to guffaw and cower in fear at the same time. As the creature squawked and got closer to them, she became more inclined to do the latter. She shouted in astonishment "What the BUCK is THAT?"

"It's a cockatrice!" Bronze Star announced, "Noble, whatever you do, do NOT look that thing in the eye. Or what happened to Twilight will happen to you, too!"

"Roger that!" the red mare acknowledged. She averted her gaze from the cockatrice, and then she asked the gold stallion "What should we do?"

"I'll distract it!" Bronze Star announced, "While it's coming after me, see if you can sneak up on it and subdue it!"

"You got it, sir!" Noble Edict proclaimed.

The two of them prepared to move in on the cockatrice. However, Fluttershy was standing between them and it. She saw how close the cockatrice was, but she did not seem afraid of it. She was far more concerned with the safety of the fillies.

After failing to calm them through her normally gentle demeanor, she became a little tense and demanded "GIRLS! Behind me, NOW!"

In response, the Cutie Mark Crusaders stopped screaming and ducked behind the yellow Pegasus. Bronze Star and Noble Edict rushed to her aid. Before they could engage the cockatrice, they were interceded by Fluttershy. She bade them "Bronze, Noble, stay back! Let me handle this!"

"But Fluttershy, that thing could-" Noble Edict urgently began.

"I know what it could do!" the wildlife preserver interrupted impatiently, "You need to trust me on this!"

Bronze Star and Noble Edict wanted to protest, but Fluttershy seemed reasonably confident in her ability to remedy this problem. So despite their skepticism, they brought themselves to step away from the cockatrice. They remained close-by, keeping their knives in plain sight. They were ready to defend the fillies and Fluttershy if the cockatrice tried anything.

Soon, the cockatrice was upon the six ponies, and it squawked menacingly. Since Fluttershy was at the front of the group, it focused on her first. It spread its wings, let out a piercing roar, and gazed hostilely into her eyes.

The effect was instantaneous; the yellow Pegasus' back hooves soon began turning into stone. Bronze Star was inclined to attack the cockatrice, but Noble Edict gestured for him to keep his distance.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, and then she stared into the cockatrice's eyes and yelled furiously "YOU! Just who do you think you are, going around turning others into stone?"

Bronze Star had not seen Fluttershy this angry since that disastrous episode with the dragon. Her words had a very strong effect on the cockatrice. The beast gave a dismayed squawk and backed away a bit.

At first, Bronze Star and Noble Edict were astounded, but then they realized what was going on. Fluttershy was using her unique ability to subjugate animals on the cockatrice. It was known by her and her friends as "The Stare." Basically, it involved gazing into an animal's eyes and gaining its full attention, putting it under her full control.

She crossly drove on with "You should be ashamed of yourself. I have a mind to find your mother and tell her what you've been up to, young man. Now you go over there, and turn Elizabeak and my friend Twilight back to normal, and don't ever let me catch you doing this again. Do you understand me?"

Fluttershy's Stare had never failed her before, and it did not fail her this time, either. She had made the creature totally submissive. It dismally squawked again and slithered away from her. Then it flickered its eyes like a strobe light for a few seconds. In response to that, Twilight Sparkle turned back to normal, as did Fluttershy's chicken Elizabeak, who had been lying on the ground a few meters away.

The cockatrice turned around and began to slink away from the ponies. Before it got far, Bronze Star chased after it and shouted "Oh, no, you don't!"

He seized the cockatrice from behind and lifted it into the air. The beast struggled to wiggle free of his grasp, but the gold stallion had a firm grip on it. Every time the creature attempted to slip away, Bronze Star countered its attempts. He smiled and muttered sardonically "You're not going anywhere, pal!"

After a minute, the cockatrice gave up the struggle and admitted defeat. Bronze Star smirked in satisfaction and covered its eyes. He declared triumphantly "That's right; there's no escape now."

Noble Edict grinned and trotted over to the gold stallion, saying "Nice capture, Bronze."

"Thanks, Noble," he told the red mare gratefully.

Fluttershy turned to the fillies and asked worriedly "Are you girls all right? I was so worried!"

"Yeah, fine!" Scootaloo assured her.

"Thanks to that stare of yours." Sweetie Belle added in.

"You're like the queen of stares," Scootaloo commented, "You're the—"

"Stare Master!" the three of them declared in unison.

Bronze Star chuckled at that, and Noble Edict uttered in amusement "Clever."

Fluttershy just smiled lightly. The three fillies then turned a little somber.

"We're sorry we snuck out of the house and into the forest," Sweetie Belle told her apologetically.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom remarked, "We'll listen to you from now on."

"We promise," Scootaloo conceded.

"Oh, you DO, do you?" Fluttershy murmured both playfully and edgily, "Well, you better, or I'll give you... the Stare!"

It was funny to see the timid mare attempt to be frightening. Bronze Star, Noble Edict, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo all giggled in amusement. After a moment, Fluttershy did, as well.

By now, Twilight Sparkle had regained her bearings. She pulled herself off the ground and joined the others. She mumbled in confusion "What... what happened?"

Just then, Elizabeak hobbled through the area, squawking excitedly.

Twilight Sparkle noticed what Bronze Star was holding in his front hooves. She uttered in amazement "Bronze, is that a…?"

"Cockatrice?" the stallion cut in. "Ho, yeah, Twilight. Managed to bag a live one."

"It'd make a great trophy," Noble Edict slyly commented.

Twilight Sparkle seemed perplexed by the prince's decision to hold on to the cockatrice. She asked him "Why don't you just let it go?"

"Simple," he answered straightforwardly, "We can't allow such a dangerous creature to roam freely. We have to ensure that it doesn't harm anypony or anything else."

"I say we slit its throat and be done with it," Noble Edict proposed, holding up her knife.

"I'm not sure it even HAS a throat, Noble," Bronze Star noted, looking the creature over, "Aside from that, I'd prefer not to kill it. It's rare that people manage to capture a live cockatrice."

"If you insist, Bronze," Noble Edict drily claimed, "But it's still a danger to us all."

"Actually, it's only really a danger if you make eye contact with it," Bronze Star apprised her. He thought for a moment, and then he pronounced "I have an idea, Noble. I'll hold this thing still while you take your knife and blind it."

"Sounds good to me," the red mare conceded. She gradually approached the gold stallion and raised her knife up to the cockatrice's level. He planned to remove his hoof from the creature's face just long enough for her to plunge her blade into its eyes.

Just before they did that, Fluttershy stopped them. While she was fully aware of what cockatrices were capable of, she despised cruelty towards animals in every form. She softly proposed "Couldn't you just… blindfold it?"

"With what?" Bronze Star queried, "I'm not about to carry this thing back to Ponyville with one hoof over its face the whole time."

"Perhaps I could help," Twilight Sparkle offered. She approached the gold stallion and focused on the creature in his front legs. She instructed him "Count to three, then remove your hoof from the cockatrice's face. I'll perform a charm to cover its eyes."

"Okay," Bronze Star complied. He took a deep breath, and then he announced "One… two… three!"

He promptly lifted his front hoof out of the cockatrice's face. Twilight Sparkle instantly tilted her horn towards the creature and cast a spell on it. A thin sheet of what looked like steel appeared around the cockatrice's eyes. Whatever the substance really was, nopony could say for certain, including Twilight. However, it could not be removed from the cockatrice's eyes through any means other than the counter spell, which only Twilight knew.

"Good work, Twilight," Bronze Star stated approvingly. "Now we just have to move this creature somewhere where it can't escape."

"For now, I could keep it in a special holding cell at the barracks," Noble Edict suggested, "It's completely inescapable. Nopony gets in or out of it unless I open the door."

"That'll do until we find a more practical place to put this thing," Bronze Star decided. There was another short pause, and then Bronze Star proposed "Well, I better get going."

"I'll go with you," Noble Edict offered.

"That's what I was hoping for," Bronze Star commented. He looked over at the lavender mare and queried "You coming, Twilight?"

"Nah, I think I'll linger for a while," Twilight Sparkle informed him, "I still want to find out how this happened."

"Suite yourself," Bronze Star avowed. He tightened his grip on the cockatrice and placed it over his shoulder. He then looked over at the quiet mare and told her "Hope you enjoy the rest of your evening, Fluttershy."

"See you later, Bronze," she returned sweetly.

Bronze Star then looked down at the fillies, who – he just noticed – were wearing matching capes. They looked somewhat similar to the cloak Rarity had made him for the Grand Galloping Gala. He smiled and remarked "Take care, girls,"

"We will, Bronze Star!" Sweetie Belle pronounced

"Thanks, Bronze Star!" Scootaloo declared.

"So long, Bronze Star!" Apple Bloom proclaimed.

The prince chuckled at their enthusiasm. He then advised Noble Edict "Let's head back into town."

"Right," was all she said in response.

The gold stallion and the red mare made their way back into Ponyville. Before long, they arrived at the barracks. The night shift had just started, so everypony else was too busy to notice them bringing in a live cockatrice. This enabled them to carry the beast to the holding cell Noble Edict had mentioned earlier. Once it was secure inside, Bronze Star and Noble Edict

"Do you suppose this is what Esopus Spitzenburg had in that box?" Noble Edict asked rhetorically.

"That's the only rational expalantion," Bronze Star perceived, "Still, I have no idea how he managed to acquire it in the first place."

"I'm more interested in why he released it, Bronze," Noble Edict commented, "Why would he knowingly let such a scarce and harmful creature loose in a small town like this one?"

"Maybe this was supposed to be another one of the conspiracy's attacks," Bronze Star theorized, "Like Material Study's chemicals or the Hoovston disaster."

"That's actually a reasonable assumption," Noble Edict admitted, "It's a gravely unsettling one, too. I mean, I never thought they'd target Ponyville."

"Neither did I, Noble," Bronze Star remarked, "It's a damn good thing we were there when he set the cockatrice free. Otherwise the creature might still be running amok right now."

"You mean slithering amok," Noble Edict corrected him cheekily.

"Yeah, right," Bronze Star stated, snickering. There was a short period of silence, and then he yawned once and announced "Well, it's getting late. I should get back to the embassy. I plan to a deliver a certain list of names and faces to the Firebrand Regiment soon."

"Very good, sir," Noble Edict acknowledged, nodding lightly.

Bronze Star soon departed from the barracks and returned to the embassy at approximately 9:45. It had been more than six hours since he had last been inside that building, but he felt as though it had been a lot longer. So much had happened in that time. Still, he was able to go to bed content that night. He was very pleased with himself for how he had both acquired new intelligence on the conspirators and thwarted another of the conspiracy's attacks in the same day.

The next morning, after getting himself ready for the day, Bronze Star waited for Dapple Rhomb to arrive. Once she got to the embassy, Bronze Star went over the day's agenda with her. After that, he ordered her to go ahead and get started on it without him. He explained that he would be up in his quarters for an hour or two, attending to a "classified work project."

By that, he was drawing the faces and writing the names of all the ponies he had seen in the files of Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase. There had been more than three dozen files in that briefcase, each one on a different pony. Even so, Bronze Star had managed to retain the faces, names, and personnel reports of all of them.

Among those individuals, there were about ten or eleven that he even remotely suspected of being one of the conspirators. Of course, only five of those ponies were actually involved in the conspiracy; six at most. He was not going to try to determine which of them were involved; he would leave that task to the Firebrand Regiment. They had the means to accomplish that in far less time and with greater efficiency. Of course, they would need the list of suspects before they began their search. Bronze Star planned to send them the list once he finished composing it.

He started working on the list at 8:15, and he completed it at 10:00. He then took another twenty minutes to go over the list and ensure that he had gotten every detail right. The list ended up covering both sides of half a dozen sheets of paper. Once he was satisfied, he took the sheets of paper, put them in a neat stack, and inserted them into a large envelope. All he had to do now was seal the envelope, address it to the Castle, and mail it to Canterlot.

Before he could do that, there was a knock on his door. Bronze Star looked over his shoulder and called out "It's unlocked."

The door was then pushed opened, and a certain orange blonde mare with a Stetson hat entered the room. Bronze Star turned around, stood up out of respect, and smiled. He greeted his fllyfriend with "Oh, good morning, Applejack. How're you doing?"

Strangely, Applejack did not seem as delighted to see him. She closed the door behind her, glared at her coltfriend, and mumbled in agitation "Bronze, we need to talk."

"About what?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I think you know what," Applejack tensely retorted.

The prince was alarmed by the farmer's tone of voice. There was a notable amount of fury in it. He asked in concern "Applejack, what's wrong?"

She did not reply right away. Instead, she slowly approached the gold stallion until she was standing directly in front of him. Then she pronounced "Yesterday, when Noble Edict came by Sweet Apple Acres to see you, she claimed that Dapple Rhomb told her you were there. That was at six-thirty, and the latest Dapple Rhomb has ever stayed at the embassy is six o'clock. I spoke with her just before I came up here. She said that you sent her home early yesterday, and she never saw Noble Edict even once. I also stopped by the barracks on my way here, and I spoke with Copper Hollow, too. He told me that that energy sphere in the Everfree Forest has been inactive since the Summer Sun Celebration. He assured me that Noble Edict would have told him if anything of the sort had happened."

Underneath his seemingly stoic façade, Bronze Star was starting to quiver with anxiety. Still, he managed to tame his uneasiness, and he muttered coolly "If you have something on your mind, just go ahead and come forward, Applejack. Are you accusing me of cheating on you with Noble Edict?"

"No, I know you aren't having an affair with Noble," Applejack disclosed, "But I DO know that you and she are up to something."

"And just why do you believe that?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Because of THIS," Applejack replied, pulling something out of her hat. It was a small square piece of paper. She held it up for Bronze Star to see. He took a moment to examine it, and he realized it was a photograph of Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase. He actually recognized that photograph.

Bronze Star's eyes widened in alarm. He went over to his desk, picked up his knapsack, and hastily searched through its interior. The photograph General Walther had given him at the Best Young Flyers Competition was gone. That was the very same photograph Applejack was holding right now.

Bronze Star looked back at Applejack and demanded "Where did you get that?"

"I found it under the dinner table in my house," she explicated, "It was right where you were sitting. Based on your actions right now, I'm certain you're the one who dropped it."

Bronze Star was beginning to sweat now. He rubbed the back of his head and stated "Would you believe me if I said I admire your Great Uncle's taste in luggage?"

"No, I wouldn't," Applejack proclaimed, "I know you're not interested in the briefcase itself. I saw you snooping through it last night."

Bronze Star felt a chill run down his spine when she said that. It was getting harder for him to remain passive to Applejack's remarks. He murmured through gritted teeth "When exactly was this?"

"Last night, when I was socializin' with my relatives, I heard a noise upstairs," Applejack illuminated, "The others casually dismissed it as nothing, but I decided to check it out. So I went upstairs a few minutes later. I gave the others the impression that I was just getting something from my room. The noise sounded as though it came from Esopus's room, but since the door was locked, all I could do was peek through the keyhole. I got a good view of you shufflin' through the contents of his briefcase."

Bronze Star could almost feel the color drain from his face when she gave that recollection. He needed a minute to pull himself together, and then he questioned nervously "Have you told anypony else about any of this?"

"No, I decided to wait until I talked to you first," Applejack asserted, "But I want to know what's going on, and I want to know right now. Otherwise, I'll tell all my relatives about what I saw. Starting with my Great Uncle Esopus."

Right now, Bronze Star was in a situation that he had trying to avoid like the plague. Despite his efforts to prevent it from happening, it had come about anyway. Worse yet, Applejack was demanding an explanation from him. He certainly did NOT want her to know about her Great Uncle's illegal activities. On the other hoof, he could not afford to let Esopus Spitzenburg know that he had been spying on him. If so, then the elderly stallion would realize that he was under surveillance by the government, and that was absolutely unacceptable.

Now Applejack had backed him into a corner, and his only option was to come forward to her on everything.

Bronze Star deeply sighed, and he pronounced "Very well. I'll tell you everything. Sit down, please; we'll be here a while."

"Fine," she conceded, sitting at the side of his bed.

Bronze Star sat down next to Applejack, and he proceeded to tell her everything about the assassination conspiracy. He started all the way at the very beginning, when it the Firebrand Regiment first acquired a lead on the activities on an activist named Lavender Dazzle. Lavender Dazzle had always been an outspoken opponent of Princess Celestia, but the Regiment had reason to believe she had plans to use more than words to voice her opposition. So they elected to keep a close eye on her. Overtime, they discovered that she must have been working covertly with others to carry out her plans.

A few months later, the Regiment had picked up on the activities of a chemist named Material Study. They decided to keep a watchful eye on him, as well. The day before the Summer Sun Celebration, the Regiment had managed to make a connection between Dazzle and Study. When they uncovered this connection, they had also realized that the two of them were plotting against the government.

Nothing much happened after that until the Regiment's encounter with Material Study and Sir Raoul Jowl at the Rosebud Hotel. After the Regiment captured the two stallions, they had subjected them to extensive interrogation for three whole weeks. They were unable to get either of them to talk, and just when Material Study was going to come forward, Raoul Jowl put him down permanently.

Luckily, Bronze Star managed to convince Sir Raoul Jowl to defect, and he had decided to strike a deal with him. It was then that the Regiment finally learned of the conspiracy's goals and itinerary. Raoul Jowl had explained everything he knew about the conspiracy. While he was unable to identify most of the other conspirators, he had told Bronze Star the names of the three ringleaders: Raging Tempest, Sparker Blare, and Esopus Spitzenburg.

When Bronze Star revealed that piece of information to Applejack, she was absolutely shocked. Of course, he could hardly blame her. Regardless, he continued to fill her in on everything the Firebrand Regiment had learned about the assassination conspiracy since then.

He informed her that the Hoovston disaster was not an accident. It had been an act of sabotage committed by one of the conspirators. He told her about the matter with the cockatrice last night, and he was fairly certain that Spitzenburg was responsible for setting it free.

He also mentioned that they had managed to identify fourteen of the twenty conspirators, and how Raging Tempest and Sparker Blare corresponded exclusively with five of them. That had led them to believe that Esopus Spitzenburg distributed orders to five of the remaining six unidentified conspirators, and that the final one communicated with all three of the ringleaders like Lavender Dazzle. The Firebrand Regiment was one hundred percent certain that some of the ponies in Spitzenburg's briefcase were the conspirators. Hence, Bronze Star's interest in it. Since the Regiment's field operatives had been unable to get even close to Esopus Spitzenburg without drawing his attention, and since Spitzenburg was coming to Ponyville to visit family, the Regiment had concluded that Bronze Star was the only one who could get his hooves on that briefcase. Hence, his actions from the previous night.

After forty-five long minutes, Bronze Star finally wrapped up his explanation. Needless to say, Applejack was beyond flabbergasted by the time he finished. Once he was done, the two of them sat in a very awkward, very unnerving period of silence for five whole minutes.

After that, Bronze Star placed his front hoof on Applejack's shoulder and beseeched her "Well? Say something."

She brushed his hoof off, and she muttered in astonishment "I don't believe this."

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth," Bronze Star insisted, "When we found out that Esopus Spitzenburg was leading this conspiracy, I didn't want to believe it myself. But in the time since then, we've acquired irrefutable evidence that substantiates his role in this thing."

"That doesn't make it any easier for ME to accept," Applejack snapped, "Is this why you were so eager to meet him in the first place?"

"Yes, it was," Bronze Star shamelessly admitted, "I know that tricking him into thinking I was his friend and using him to get to his briefcase was immoral, but it would have been even more immoral if I chose to just stand by and do nothing while Spitzenburg was here."

"I can almost understand that," Applejack professed, "But I've been taking notes about everything you told me, and there is one thing about all this that I don't quite get. When did you first learn that my Uncle Esopus was involved in this 'conspiracy?'"

"You remember that day when I went to Canterlot six months ago?" Bronze Star enlightened her, "One of the reasons I why travelled to the capital city that day was so I could question Sir Raoul Jowl. After I made that bargain with him, he gave me the names of the conspiracy's ringleaders, and he identified Spitzenburg as the pony in charge of everything."

"Was this the day after the parasprite infestation?" Applejack presumed.

"Yes, it was," Bronze Star affirmed.

Applejack rubbed her chin, and then she noted "That means that the day you found out about my Great Uncle's involvement… was the day before you kissed me for the very first time."

Bronze Star had never thought about it like that. Nevertheless, that observation was entirely true. He just solemnly nodded his head to confirm that statement's validity.

Applejack turned to the gold stallion and mumbled tensely "Bronze Star, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to be totally honest with me."

"Okay," Bronze Star conceded, somewhat uneasily.

Applejack looked him in the eye, and then she harshly pronounced "Did you get into a romantic relationship with me… just so you could spy on my family?"

Up until now, Bronze Star had managed to keep his emotions in check. But when Applejack made that accusation, something inside him snapped. His countenance tightened, he jumped to his hooves, and he whispered heatedly "How dare you…"

"How dare I?!" Applejack shouted, rising to her hooves, as well, "All things considered, I think I'm entitled to ask that! Now answer me, and I want the truth!"

"Of course I didn't!" Bronze Star yelled angrily, "Applejack, regardless of what your Uncle's done or will do, that does NOT change the fact that I care deeply for you!"

"But do you really love me?" Applejack demanded.

Bronze Star just glared at her, as if he was disgusted. He then looked away from her and mumbled "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"So you don't," Applejack proclaimed.

"Yes, I do!" Bronze Star exclaimed, turning back to her, "We've been dating for six months! How could you possibly think I don't love you after all that time?"

"Up until now, I had no doubt that you loved me," Applejack disclosed, "Believe me, I certainly loved YOU. Now you've given me reason to doubt both my love and yours."

"You think I WANTED this to happen?" Bronze Star bitterly rejoined, "You think I WANTED your Uncle to be a traitor to his country? More to the point, you think I WANTED to spy on him? Well, I sure as Tartarus did not!

"I'd like to believe that," Applejack claimed, "Still, you should have told me about this long ago."

"I wanted to, but I couldn't," Bronze Star asserted, "Besides, would you have even believed me?"

"Probably not at first," Applejack supposed, "But at least you would have trusted me enough to share such a huge secret with me. I also wouldn't have had to find out about it like this. Right now, I can't even bring myself to look you in the eye without feeling betrayed."

"You should feel betrayed, but not by me," Bronze Star pointed out, "Face the facts. Your Uncle is a two-faced, conniving bastard! Everything you thought about him is a lie."

"I could say the same about you," Applejack countered, "I don't know if I feel anything for you anymore. After what you've done…"

"What I'VE done?" Bronze Star debated wrathfully, "Open your eyes, Applejack! Your Uncle is a criminal! An insurgent! A collaborator! A terrorist! He would let thousands of ponies – no, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds – die, just so he could discredit my mother! Then he would have her killed! Perhaps even by his own hoof! That is a flat fact! If you want to see the evidence, I'll show it to you."

"I don't care how much evidence you bring me," Applejack pronounced, "It doesn't obscure the fact that you've been exploiting your friendship with my family to further your investigation."

"At times, the ends justify the means," Bronze Star firmly declared, "I'm not proud of what I did, but if doing it meant I could protect my mother and the people of Equestria, then I can live with it."

"How do you even know that any of the ponies in that briefcase are actually involved in the conspiracy?" Applejack alleged, "Maybe all of them really are business affiliates of Esopus Spitzenburg. Maybe you spied on him for nothing."

"I don't think so," Bronze Star confidently told her. He went over to his desk, picked up the envelope, and removed the list of ponies from it. He held it out to Applejack and advised her "See for yourself."

The orange mare took the list and began looking through it. She muttered "So?"

Bronze Star apprised her with "Most of the ponies in that list are clients, partners, or subordinates of Esopus Spitzenburg in some way. However, there's also a munitions dealer, a gangster, a frequent participator in the black market, and several other shady individuals in there. One of them is even employed at a rival apple company. What business would Spitzenburg have with any of them?"

Applejack did not know what to say to that. This list was very compelling evidence. It indicated that her Uncle really was involved in some very extreme crimes. She looked up from the list and asked "Why don't you just arrest Esopus now?"

"Because if anything happens to him, the other conspirators have explicit orders to launch a series of attacks against the country," Bronze Star elaborated, "For that reason, we cannot afford to bring any of the conspirators in until we've identified them all."

"What about Material Study and Raoul Jowl?" Applejack pointed out, "You apprehended them."

"Yeah, but that was before we learned about the conspiracy's structure," Bronze Star elucidated, "Aside from that, the two of them were ordered to go into hiding just before we arrested them. So nopony noticed when they disappeared. As far as we know, all the other conspirators are out in the open. It would be too risky to take any of them in before we've managed to identify all of them."

"And what will happen once you HAVE managed to identify them all?" Applejack inquired severely.

"I'll have them all apprehended," Bronze Star candidly informed her, "They'll be taken to a secret location, and then they'll be executed."

Applejack was shocked by that. She uttered incredulously "Are you serious?"

"Very," he somberly affirmed, "I am determined to see to it that justice will be served."

"'Justice?'" Applejack said in disbelief, "You're talking about justice? You sound more like you have a personal grudge against these ponies."

"I do," Bronze Star professed, "They've already killed hundreds of innocent ponies in Hoovston. They plan to do the same to thousands more. Once they've done that, they'll target my mother. In other words, they're planning to commit mass murder and treason. Even conspiring to do either of those crimes is punishable by the death penalty. At this point, all of them are beyond redemption."

"What about your Aunt Luna?" Applejack disputed, "Nopony tried to charge her with a crime after what happened at the Summer Sun Celebration."

"That's different," Bronze Star asserted, "She had been driven insane by her jealousy, and she was Nightmare Moon, she had not been in control of her actions. Aside from that, she had already been imprisoned for a thousand years. I would call that sufficient sentence. Plus, she was never responsible for anypony's death. Except for a hoofful of those Nightmare Moon cultists, but they deserved to die."

Applejack scoffed in astonishment and asked him irately "Do you always advocate capital punishment this strongly?"

"Only to those who truly deserve it," Bronze Star responded, "And believe me; the ponies involved in the assassination conspiracy have more than earned it."

"Including Esopus Spitzenburg?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Yes, especially him," Bronze Star frankly confirmed, "Since he's the one who instigated this conspiracy, he must pay for his crimes like all the others."

Applejack was astounded by the gold stallion's decisiveness. She paused for a minute, and then held up the list and remarked "You need these names and faces to identify the rest of the conspirators, right?"

"Correct," Bronze Star confirmed.

Applejack then raised an eyebrow and proposed "Tell me; what would happen if I just tore these papers up right here? Would you charge me with obstruction of justice or something?"

"No, I wouldn't," Bronze Star drily informed her, "You can shred the papers if you want, but it would make little difference in the long run. I've committed all of those names and faces to memory. I'd just recopy them onto more paper later on and send them to the Firebrand Regiment."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and stated scathingly "Do you have the memory of an elephant or something?"

"No, the memory of an Alicorn," Bronze Star cheekily disclosed, gesturing to his forehead, "I never forget anything. Ever."

Applejack grimaced at him angrily, gave him back the list of ponies, and muttered agitatedly "Then you should have no difficulty remembering this next sentence: you and I are through."

Bronze Star was taken completely off his guard by that last statement. He said quietly "What?"

"You heard me," Applejack spat back, "And I don't need to repeat myself, 'Your Highness.'"

Bronze Star was totally speechless. He almost looked as though he was in shock. Applejack could tell he had gotten the message. She straightened out her hat and trotted over to the door. As she placed her hoof on the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder and proclaimed "Out of respect for what we had – or what I thought we had – I won't say a word of this to Esopus or anypony else. But only on the sole condition that you stay away. If you know what's good for both of us, you'll stay away from me."

"For how long?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Until I can bring myself to face you again," Applejack responded heatedly, "Before then, I don't want you near me or anypony else in my family. Got that?"

Amidst the overwhelming feeling of shock he felt, Bronze Star managed to bring himself to nod his head a few times. In spite of everything that had just been said, he still wanted to respect Applejack's wishes. So he agreed to give her some space.

Applejack then opened the door, exited the room, and slammed the door behind her. Bronze Star continued staring at the door for about a minute after she left.

After that, he looked down at the papers in his front hoof. Amongst the list of ponies, at least five of them were traitors of their country. If he was extremely lucky, there were six. Either way, he and the Firebrand Regiment would soon be very close to wrapping up the assassination conspiracy.

He would have thought he would be very satisfied to know this. An hour ago, he would have been.

But now, he felt no satisfaction. Instead, all he felt was hatred and malice. Not towards Esopus Spitzenburg, not towards the other conspirators, and certainly not towards Applejack. Instead, he felt those emotions towards himself. By spying on Esopus Spitzenburg, he had hurt the mare he loved, and he loathed himself for that.

After standing in silence for a while, Bronze Star growled angrily and flung the papers against the wall. After that, he slapped himself in the face and said to himself "Bronze Star, you buckin' idiot."

> Illusions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Applejack left his bedroom, Bronze Star felt as though she had taken a piece of him with her. He underwent so many mixed emotions all at once; the majority of them negative. In addition to anger and frustration, he was overcome with confusion. In fact, he was so flustered and bewildered by what just happened that he did not know how to react to it. His mind was giving him a strange inclination to do several different things.

Part of him wanted to collapse onto his bed and break down weeping. Another part of him wanted to cast aside his normally stoic attitude and throw a tantrum. Yet another part of him wanted to bang his head against the wall out of exasperation. There was even one part that wanted him to take out his rage on somepony or something else.

That was primarily what confused him. He had never been compelled to do any of those actions in the past. Of course, he had never been in a situation quite like the one he had just endured. This was the first time in his life that he had experienced heartbreak.

Fortunately, amidst the overwhelming wave of shock he felt, Bronze Star had not disregarded everything he had learned about discipline and tranquility. Through impressively robust force of will, he was able to prevent himself from losing his composure, having a meltdown, or giving in to his emotions. Intrinsically, he did absolutely nothing. Nothing physical, at any rate.

After standing in silence for what seemed like an eternity, Bronze Star finally returned to his senses. He looked down at the floor, gathered up the papers of the list of ponies, and reorganized them. Once they were back in their proper order, he inserted them into the envelope, sealed it up, and addressed it to Lord Bellerophon's office in Canterlot Castle.

He planned to send the envelope off very soon. Before he mailed it, Bronze Star took a moment to gaze down at it. He knew that the information contained inside this envelope would be pivotal in determining who were the remaining ponies involved in the assassination conspiracy. If all went well, this information might be the very reason that he and the Firebrand Regiment would be able to avert a national crisis. However, at the same time, this information was also the reason that he had just lost the mare he loved.

Because of that, Bronze Star actually found himself wishing that he had never spied on Spitzenburg. For a few moments, he was genuinely convinced that if he had a chance to undo what he did last night, he would have taken it.

Then he remembered the Hoovston disaster, the encounter with the cockatrice, and several other attacks that the conspirators would have launched if the Firebrand Regiment had not intervened. That was what reminded Bronze Star of the reason why he had spied on Spitzenburg in the first place. He had not done that for himself; he had done it for everypony else in the country.

"This is for the sake of millions of innocent Equestrians," he muttered to himself, placing the envelope against his forehead, "You can't let your own personal feelings get in the way here. The people come first. They always come first."

Although those words came out of his mouth, it was very difficult for him to acknowledge them. That was rather strange; he had always upheld a strong belief in them before today.

As both a soldier and a member of the Equestrian Royalty, Bronze Star had been taught to always place the well-being of his people before his own well-being. He had embraced that policy for his entire life, and he had never once questioned it. He was actually quite proud of how he had managed to acquire this list of suspects without alerting the conspirators. Still, that feeling of pride did nothing to ease the stronger feeling of depression he felt at this time. None of his military training or upbringing could have prepared him for what he just went through. He just felt so… hopeless.

Even so, he realized that he was not the only pony who had been forced into this type of situation. There were many military officers and governments agents who had made huge sacrifices for the good of their country, as well. That included SIG Sauer, whose wife had been killed primarily because of his job. Most of all, there was Bronze Star's own mother. A millennium ago, Princess Celestia had been forced to banish her sister to protect the citizens of Equestria from eternal night. If ever there was a sacrifice harder to make than that one, Bronze Star did not know what it was.

However, Celestia and Luna had repaired their bond, even after a thousand years of estrangement. If their relationship could be saved, then theoretically any relationship could be saved, as well. Naturally, Bronze Star was not going to leave the current situation with Applejack as it was. He was going to make things right with her. He did not know when he would. Or could, for that matter. It would definitely not be today, tomorrow, or anytime this week. She had made it pristinely clear that she did not want him anywhere near her or the other Apples. All the same, he was determined to fix this problem. If he was lucky, he might even be able to salvage their romantic relationship. If not, he just hoped she would at least remain friends with him. As long as she did not hate him for the rest of her life, he would be content.

A few minutes later, Bronze Star left his room and headed downstairs. He went to the mail receptacle at the front of the embassy and deposited the large envelope into the outgoing mail bin. By the end of the day, the envelope would arrive in Canterlot Castle. There it would be delivered to the office of Lord Bellerophon, who in turn pass it along to the Firebrand Regiment. As soon as they received it, the Regiment would immediately begin running background checks on all the ponies on that list. From there, they would be able to determine who on that list was a conspirator.

Since only five or six of those forty-plus ponies were conspirators, Bronze Star did not know how long that whole process would take. At least a week. Maybe two. Three at most. However long it took, Bronze Star knew that as soon as the Firebrand Regiment had singled out the conspirators from the innocents, they would send him their results straightaway.

Bronze Star hoped that by the time he learned the identities of the remaining conspirators, Applejack would be willing to talk to him again. He still fully intended to bring all the conspirators to justice, including Esopus Spitzenburg. He planned to have all of the other conspirators executed, as per his original agenda. However, Bronze Star was contemplating the possibility of doing something else with Spitzenburg. Perhaps if he gave Applejack's Great Uncle a sentence other than death, he would be able to arrive at an agreement with her. Maybe then she would bring herself to forgive him.

But he was getting ahead of himself. It would be a while before he and Applejack would even be on speaking terms with each other. So he did not have to worry about making amends with her so soon. For now, he needed to remain focused on other matters. So he decided to put Applejack out of his mind for the present. It was highly likely she was already putting him out of her mind, as well.

Bronze Star spent much of the next week at a desk or table working. He kept himself busy by focusing on his duties as the ambassador to Ponyville and as a member of the Equestrian Royalty. Even when he managed to accomplish everything on his agenda, he persistently found something else to keep him occupied. This turned out to be a very productive week for him.

However, his social life had suffered a huge blow. During that week, he rarely left the embassy, and he interacted with almost nopony. The few ponies he actually did interact with – namely Dapple Rhomb and Sir Haywood McCrank – quickly noticed a change in his behavior, too. His normally optimistic and pleasant mindset had been replaced by a dreary and somewhat adverse outlook. He tended to become impatient at times, he seemed to get irritated by the smallest missteps, and it was actually possible to provoke a hostile reaction out of him.

Sir Haywood did not have to be a federal investigator to deduce that the prince was under a lot of stress. He could easily tell that Bronze Star was deeply troubled by a personal affair. Dapple Rhomb could plainly see that, too. At first, they did not say anything, as they did not wish to pry. However, one morning when he came downstairs looking as restless as he had when he went to bed, they practically demanded to know what was on his mind.

Although he was hesitant at first, Bronze Star eventually came forward and admitted that he and Applejack had had a fight. He did not specify the details or circumstances of the breakup, but he did tell them that he and Applejack would not be getting back together anytime soon. He had tried to just forget about Applejack, but that was easier said than done. The two of them had been together for six months, and they never had even one disagreement. You could not expect one to wipe away half a year of courtship, especially since theirs had been so intimate and ended on such a dismal note.

Dapple Rhomb and Haywood McCrank understood and sympathized with the gold stallion's situation. They told him that regardless of what had happened between Bronze Star and his fillyfriend, they were confident that he would somehow repair the damage. Until then, they guaranteed him that they would be there for him if he ever needed somepony to comfort him or talk with him.

That reassurance actually did a lot to improve Bronze Star's mood. He gradually returned to his normal pleasant self, and he revived his social life. While he still thought of the dilemma with Applejack, he was able to push it to the back of his mind so that it did not affect his actions, his daily life, or the way he treated others. That was not to say it no longer distressed him. It still did; just not as much as before.

On the bright side – albeit a rather dim one – Applejack kept her word about that vow of silence. She never mentioned anything Bronze Star told her about the assassination conspiracy to anypony else, including Esopus Spitzenburg.

Of course, when the gold stallion stopped showing up at Sweet Apple Acres in the early evening, the other Apples immediately noticed. Applejack did not tell her family why that was, as she would have had to explain why she and her coltfriend had split up. Luckily, she was able to come up with an excuse. She claimed that the morning after Bronze Star had eaten with them, he had been given a number of huge projects from Princess Celestia. All of them were very time-consuming, and they all needed his immediate attention. As such, he would be buried in paperwork for over a whole week, and thus, until he was finished, he would be unable to do anything else. That included visiting the Apples. She made sure to mention that Bronze Star would most likely not be done with his projects until after her relatives left Ponyville.

The Apples were disappointed and a little saddened to learn this. All of them – including Spitzenburg – had already grown fond of the gold stallion. Still, they respected ponies who valued their work in such high regard and took it so seriously. For that reason alone, they let him be.

Needless to say, when Honeycrisp, Topaz, Winesap, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, and Esopus Spitzenburg planned to go home, Bronze Star did not show up at the train station. While the six of them would have liked the gold stallion to have been there when their Ponyville relatives saw them off, they did not blame him for being too busy. Applejack told them that Bronze Star had asked her to say good-bye to her relatives for him. They asked her to tell him the same for them. She claimed she would, but she never specified when.

Even after Spitzenburg and the other five Apples left, Applejack stayed away from the embassy, and Bronze Star went nowhere near Sweet Apple Acres. The subject of their quarrel was gone, but the dispute over it was still there.

Although Applejack's absence had left a conspicuous void in Bronze Star's day, he was able to fill it up by mingling with his other friends in town. In addition to the other Element Bearers, Bronze Star spent a lot of his free time with Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Derpy Hooves. He also saw even more of Dapple Rhomb and Haywood McCrank than he usually did.

Two days after the six Apples left, another new face appeared in town. This particular face belonged to a stallion. An hour later, Dapple Rhomb showed up at the embassy for work. She brought this stallion with her.

At that time, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank were in the conference room. They had a meeting with the task force scheduled for that morning; they were waiting for the other six members to arrive. While they waited, they idly chatted about the weather, their plans for the day, and various other topics. During their conversation, there was a knock on the door.

Before he even got up, Bronze Star was certain it was Dapple Rhomb. He and Haywood were not expecting Noble Edict and her officers to arrive for another half-hour. Aside from that, they would not have bothered knocking; they would have just come right in.

When Bronze Star answered the door, his suspicions were verified. His secretary was in fact the pony on the other side. However, he did not expect to see another pony accompanying her. As a precaution, Sir Haywood McCrank quickly gathered up the material for the investigation into the murder plot and hid it in an inconspicuous manner.

"Morning, Dapple," he greeted her.

"Hello, sir," she rejoined, "May I have a moment?"

"Certainly," Bronze Star asserted, holding the door open. Dapple Rhomb and the stallion entered the conference room. Sir Haywood McCrank rose from his chair to acknowledge their presence.

After Bronze Star closed the door and trotted back over to Sir Haywood, Dapple Rhomb looked to the two of them, placed her front hoof on the third stallion's shoulder, and pronounced "I'd like you both to meet my husband, Rough Rider."

The third stallion beamed and bade them "Hello, gentlestallions."

Rough Rider was an Earth Pony with an olive coat, an azure mane, and fuchsia irises. His cutie mark was a sack of bits over a generic drawing of a map. Like his wife, he was in his late twenties, and he bore an intelligent expression. While he was strongly built, he seemed like a good-natured individual.

Although Bronze Star had known that Dapple Rhomb's husband would come to Ponyville soon, he had assumed she'd let them know in advance when she planned to bring him to the embassy. Nevertheless, Bronze Star greeted him with the same geniality he greeted everypony else with. As did Sir Haywood.

The federal investigator approached Rough Rider first. The olive stallion politely held his front hoof out, clearly meaning for him to shake it. The indigo stallion ignored it, placed his front hooves on Rough Rider's shoulders, and lightly kissed him on either cheek. Naturally, he took the younger stallion by surprise, but he released his shoulders right after showing him this friendly gesture.

Sir Haywood smiled and proclaimed coolly "Glad to make your acquaintance, sir."

Rough Rider awkwardly grinned and muttered "Uh, same here, Mr...?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" Haywood McCrank cheekily remarked, "I am Superintendent Haywood McCrank of the Intelligence Bureau."

"Thrilled to meet you," Rough Rider stated. He placed one of his front hooves on his cheek, scoffed, and queried "Is this how you welcome everypony you meet, Sir Haywood?"

"Just about," Sir Haywood replied bluntly, "But worry not, Mr. Rider. I can assure you that in terms of sexual preference, I favor the opposite gender over my own. There are at least five mares in Canterlot who can attest to that. Aside from that, I know better than to associate with married ponies in an intimate manner."

"Good news for two of us," Dapple Rhomb slyly commented.

Rough Rider chuckled at his wife's wisecrack. After that, he turned to Bronze Star and said inquisitively "And you are…?"

"Ambassador Gold Streak," the gold stallion responded, stepping up to the olive stallion, "As my title suggests, I'm a representative of Canterlot."

"Oh, so you're my wife's employer?" Rough Rider presumed.

"Yes, indeed," Bronze Star affirmed, holding out his front hoof, "And unlike my colleague, I'm content with using a hoofshake to say 'hello.'"

Rough Rider seemed pleased to hear that. As he shook hooves with Bronze Star, he disclosed "Dapple's told me all about you in the letters she sent me. I've been looking forward to this meeting for a while."

"Well, she must've given you a good impression of me," Bronze Star conjectured.

"Oh, she did," Rough Rider declared, "In fact, she almost sounded as though she admired you as more than her Boss."

Bronze Star appeared a little stunned by that remark. He quickly professed "I have come to view her as a good friend, Mr. Rider. But nothing more than that, I promise you."

"Relax, I wasn't accusing you or her of anything," Rough Rider revealed, snickering at his reaction, "I just wanted to emphasize how much respect she seems to have for you."

"Well, I'm glad to know that," Bronze Star thought aloud, turning to his secretary with a look of appreciation. There was a short period of quietness, and then Bronze Star announced "I would invite you to sit down and have a friendly conversation, but Haywood and I have a meeting in about twenty minutes. So we'll have to wait until later to get to know one another."

"Fine by me," Rough Rider stated, "I just arrived in town an hour ago, and I have nothing going on over these next few days. Whenever you'd like to talk, just let me know. I'll either be at home or somewhere near here."

"Got it," Bronze Star avowed, "If you want, you can stay here and visit with your wife."

"I'd like that," Rough Rider uttered in approval.

"So would I," Dapple Rhomb conceded, "Before I get to work, would you mind if I give him a quick tour of the building, sir?"

"Not at all," Bronze Star asserted, "Just stay out of my quarters."

"And mine," Haywood McCrank remarked, "But feel free to visit any of the other bedrooms. After all, when a married couple has been apart for as long as you two have, you can hardly blame them for having… urges."

Bronze Star could not tell if Sir Haywood was being serious or making a jest when he said that. Either way, he succeeded in causing the faces of the purple mare and the olive stallion to turn a shade of dark red for a few seconds. Bronze Star could not help but laugh a bit at their expressions.

After some uncomfortable silence, Rough Rider murmured "We'll keep that in mind, Sir Haywood."

Dapple Rhomb then took her husband's front hoof in her own and led him over to the door. As she opened it up, she beckoned him "Come on, Rough. Let's start with my office."

Rough Rider nodded in acknowledgement and followed his wife out into the corridor. He made sure to close the door behind them, leaving Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank alone in the conference room once more.

The federal investigator and the prince quickly sat back down at the table. As Sir Haywood brought back out the task force's resources for the murder plot, Bronze Star looked to him and enquired "Well, what do you make of him?"

"He looked like a decent pony," Haywood McCrank perceived, "However, while I can typically profile a pony just by reading his or her personnel file, I've never been one to judge anypony based solely on a first impression."

"So, did you think of him as a pony of respectable or questionable character?" Bronze Star asked interest.

"While I want to say the former, I'm partially inclined to say the latter," Haywood thought aloud.

"Why's that?" Bronze Star stated curiously.

"There's just something about Rough Rider…" Haywood McCrank tentatively began, "I could swear I've seen him somewhere before."

"Really?" the gold stallion remarked, leaning closer.

"Yes," the indigo stallion confirmed, rubbing his chin, "My memory might not be as impeccable as yours, but I'm very good with faces. I'm confident that I know Rough Rider from somewhere. At the very least, he seemed somewhat familiar with ME."

"What makes you say that?" Bronze Star questioned in interest.

"You may have noticed that after I told him my name, he called me 'Sir Haywood,'" Haywood recounted, "Neither you nor Dapple Rhomb referred to me that way before Rough Rider did, and I introduced myself to him as 'Superintendent,' not 'Sir.'"

"Uh, well, news flash, Haywood," Bronze Star muttered drily, "You're not exactly unknown. You've been controlling crime and solving cases in almost every city in the country for over two decades. You've also garnered a reputation as the unofficial top agent of the Intelligence Bureau. It would be hard to do all that without your name getting heard by a few ponies."

"I realize that, sir," Sir Haywood proclaimed, "There's no denying that I've made an international reputation for myself. However, there are not many ponies who live outside of Canterlot who are aware that I've been knighted by your mother. Apparently, Rough Rider knew, somehow."

"He may have heard of your title when he and Dapple in the capital city," Bronze Star hypothesized. The day after the Best Young Flyers Competition, Bronze Star had told Sir Haywood McCrank everything Dapple Rhomb had told him about her vacation in Canterlot with Rough Rider from earlier that year. Since Dapple Rhomb was still under suspicion, he saw it necessary to keep Sir Haywood informed of her activities from the past year. The indigo stallion had been grateful for that.

"You mean when they were on their anniversary seven months ago?" Haywood McCrank presumed.

"Yeah," Bronze Star illuminated, "Dapple Rhomb told me that by the time she arrived in Canterlot, Rough Rider had already been there for a few days. According to what Spike told me, she was all over that city during her stay. It would be logical to assume that Rough Rider had been everywhere, too. Also, Canterlot's size, location, and population make it an ideal epicenter for gossip. Somewhere along the line, Rough Rider may have heard your name with your title."

"While that is a clever theory, I can't really see myself as a target for gossip," Sir Haywood thought aloud, "Aside from that, I can't imagine how anything I do could ever be noteworthy or scandalous enough for anypony to gossip about."

"Oh, I can," Bronze Star wittily proclaimed.

Haywood McCrank lightly rolled his eyes, even though he could understand the prince's point. After a brief pause, he mumbled incisively "Now that I think about it, Rough Rider would not have had to physically gone to Canterlot to have heard of me. It could be a lot simpler than that. Maybe Dapple Rhomb just mentioned me in one of the letters she wrote to him."

"If she did, she probably would have warned him about your trademark 'greeting,'" Bronze Star wryly observed, "Apart from that, when he was in here a moment ago, he seemed to have no idea who you were. Granted, it would have been hard for him to know your title without knowing your appearance, as well. Still, if Dapple Rhomb mentioned both of us in her letters, he should have been able to identify both of us on the spot, too."

"An excellent point," Haywood coincided. They sat in relative silence for a minute, and then the indigo stallion pronounced "Let's not concern ourselves with this for now. For all I know, I could simply be overthinking this whole affair. Just because I vaguely recognize Rough Rider and he inexplicably knew of my title, that does not mean he's a crooked individual."

"I could have told you that ten minutes ago, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star candidly commented, "When I asked you what you thought of him, I was asking not if you suspected him of any wrongdoing. I was simply asking your opinion of him as a pony."

"I realize that, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank insisted, "That was precisely what I gave you. At first glance, Rough Rider appeared to be a respectable stallion, despite the fact that he looked familiar. Based on Dapple Rhomb's previous description of him and her behavior around him, he must be a good husband, too."

"Yeah, it's not hard to see that he loves his wife," Bronze Star observed, "Like you said before, since they've been away from each other for so long, they must be glad to be reunited."

"Evidently," Haywood McCrank concurred, "Let's just hope they can wait until they get back to their house to express how much they missed each other. If not… well, there are over a dozen vacant bedrooms upstairs."

Bronze Star chuckled in amusement, and cockily said "Sir Haywood, a husband and wife do not always need to be lying down to show their affection."

"Yes, but that IS typically the strongest and most effective method for doing so," Sir Haywood contended.

"Debatable," Bronze Star coincided, shrugging, "Depends on the circumstances, I guess."

"As long as it's consensual for both parties, the circumstances normally don't matter," Haywood McCrank proclaimed.

"If you say so," Bronze Star mumbled frankly, "After all, you'd know better than I, since you're the one with 'experience.'"

Haywood McCrank just smirked and softly nodded his head in agreement.

Fifteen minutes later, Noble Edict and the other members of the task force arrived at the embassy. After signing in at the front, they joined the prince and the investigator in the conference room. Once they were all assembled, Bronze Star locked the door and the meeting began.

That morning, the task force received their weekly update from the vigilantes. This time it was Paisley Branch's turn to pick up the intelligence report and exchange it for their own recent findings. The drop site had been in a secluded spot behind the train depot. Strangely, unlike most of the previous updates, this one had been relatively easy to find, and it looked as though it had been hastily put together. Apparently, whoever left the report was either in a hurry or negligent.

Despite its untidy appearance, the update contained a number of useful tips on how to locate the assassins. It also included several possible strategies for determining the victim. Based on the details, the vigilantes were fairly certain that the assassins were not in Ponyville at this time. They believed that they would arrive from one of the faraway towns sometime in the next two months. As for the victim, they were fairly confident that the target was an educated adult who had status in Ponyville. While there were well over a hundred ponies in town who met that description, it helped the task force narrow down the list of ponies who could be the victim.

After they discussed the vigilantes' report, the eight members of the task force shared their own experiences in town from the past week. Other than Bronze Star and Noble Edict's encounter with the cockatrice, they had not seen or heard anything that they could try to connect to the murder plot. Only Bronze Star and Noble Edict knew that the cockatrice had nothing to do with the murder plot. They were still determined to keep the assassination conspiracy a secret, so they did not tell the others everything about it. At this time, the cockatrice was still being held in the special cell at the barracks. The security staff could continue holding the monster there for as long as they needed, but Noble Edict strongly recommended moving it someplace else. She considered getting a special cage or kennel from Fluttershy. Until she decided what to do, they would keep the cockatrice at the barracks indefinitely.

Forty minutes after the meeting began, there was another knock on the door to the conference room. Sir Haywood McCrank quickly gestured for everypony to cover or hide their resources for the investigation. Once they did, Bronze Star trotted over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it up partially.

Like before, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were standing on the other side of the door when Bronze Star answered it. The gold stallion raised an eyebrow and murmured "Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting, Mr. Ambassador," Dapple Rhomb stated sincerely, "Rough Rider is about to head home, and he wanted to say good-bye before he leaves."

"Very well," Bronze Star agreed. He opened the door wider and stepped into the doorframe. As he shook hooves with Rough Rider again, he inquired "How was the tour?"

"It was very… enriching," the olive stallion pronounced, gazing around the area, "This is an impressive building. Was it designed by the government?"

"Well, its blueprints were drafted and finalized in the Canterlot," Bronze Star disclosed, "But the construction workers who built it were Ponyvillians. It was carried out as a collaborative effort to symbolize the joint association between the capital city and this settlement."

"That's what I thought," Rough Rider commented. After a brief pause, he added in "Well, like Dapple said, I just wanted to see you so I could properly bid you farewell. I won't waste any more of your time."

"You're not wasting my time," Bronze Star asserted, "In fact, while you're still here, allow me to introduce you to a few of my companions."

He stepped aside and gestured for the two spouses to enter the room. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider tentatively passed through the doorframe. They stood where the other ponies in the room could see them and vice versa.

Bronze Star gazed around at his associates and announced "Everypony, this is Dapple Rhomb's husband, Rough Rider. Rough, this is Cassia Sprig, Paisley Branch, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict."

The six security officers gave a nod of acknowledgement, waved a bit, or smiled politely. Rough Rider returned the gestures to the respective ponies who made them, and he raised an eyebrow when he heard that last name. He looked to the red mare and muttered "As in 'Lady Noble Edict?'"

The chief of security nodded in confirmation and stated "You've heard of me?"

"Of course I have," Rough Rider disclosed, "I was in Canterlot when Princess Celestia made you a Lady of her Court. That was big news at the time. You even made the front page of the papers."

"The local papers," Noble Edict clarified, "During my stay in Canterlot, I discovered that it's not that hard to make the front of the city's local newspaper. Now, the international paper, that's a different story."

"Oh, don't be so modest, Noble," Copper Hollow cockily pronounced, "However much recognition you received from that affair, you deserved all of it."

"Well, thanks, Copper," Noble Edict said appreciatively, grinning at her second-in-command. After another brief silence, the red mare looked over at the olive stallion again. She studied him closely, and then she enquired "Have you and I met before, Mr. Rider?"

"We may have," Rough Rider hypothesized, "When my wife and I were vacationing in Canterlot, we went on a tour of the Castle. That was shortly after you were inducted into Celestia's Court, so you may have been there at the same time as us. You probably saw us in passing."

"Oh, that's right," Noble Edict avowed, thinking back, "Say, wasn't that the day when that glass chandelier collapsed?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Dapple Rhomb affirmed, "It took us all by surprise. One moment, we were touring the throne room. The next, there was a loud resounding crash from one of the adjoining hallways. By the time we got there, the Royal Guard was in the process of quarantining the area and sealing it off until a maintenance crew could clean up the mess."

"That was scary and exciting at the same time," Rough Rider proclaimed, "Did they ever find out how the chandelier collapsed?"

Bronze Star answered him with "Lord Bellerophon ordered an examination, and the research team simply concluded that the chandelier's support must have given out. So it was just an error in the rigging."

"Well, as shocking as that event was, the rest of the tour was enjoyable," Dapple Rhomb declared.

"Yeah, other than that disturbance, it was a great tour," Rough Rider coincided.

"I'm glad you had fun," Bronze Star stated. After another short pause, he turned to Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider and asked "Is there anything else you need?"

"Actually, yes," Dapple Rhomb pronounced, "Rough and I have not seen each other in weeks, and we really want to spend some time together. So I was wondering… if it's at all possible, could I have the day off tomorrow? I'm sorry to bring this to you on such short notice, but we've already made plans."

"Sure, Dapple," Bronze Star replied, "After all, you've been working very hard lately. Even harder than usual. If you want, I'd even be willing to give you the whole week off."

"Thank you for the offer, but one day will suffice," Dapple Rhomb told him appreciatively. She then turned to her husband, nuzzled her head against his, and told him affectionately "See you at home."

"I'll see you there," he gladly said in response, kissing her passionately on the lips. The two of them then stepped back out into the corridor. Rough Rider turned headed to the main entrance of the building, signed out at the front, and left the building. Dapple Rhomb watched him leave, and then she turned to face Bronze Star and informed him "I'll be in my office."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and declared "I'll be along shortly. Go ahead and look over the agenda without me."

"Yes, sir," Dapple Rhomb pronounced. The purple mare then shut the door to the conference room behind her. As the sounds of her hoofsteps faded down the hallway, Bronze Star stepped up to the door and locked it back up.

Bronze Star then turned back to the other seven ponies. He smirked and cheekily remarked "What a happy couple."

"No kidding," Almond Wheeler remarked in agreement, "They looked as lovesick as my cousin."

"To their credit, my husband and I can be just as affectionate to each other as they were," Cassia Sprig contended, "Granted, we'd never behave like that in public."

"My ex-wife and I never did, either," Rollin Fields revealed.

"Well, they haven't been together in over a month," Copper Hollow pointed out, "How would you act if you were finally reunited with somepony you love after being away from them for a while?"

"If it were me, I'd welcome them back with open front legs," Bronze Star mumbled quietly. When he said that, he was indirectly referring to his situation with Applejack.

"Besides, there's nothing wrong with showing one's fondness for a relative in front of others," Paisley Branch proclaimed.

"I agreed with the sentiment," Haywood McCrank observed, "If you ask me, it was almost as though Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider WANTED us to see how close they were."

Bronze Star and the six security officers turned to the federal investigator all at once. Each of them was a little intrigued by that remark.

"What do you mean, Sir Haywood?" Copper Hollow asked.

"It may be socially acceptable to get 'friendly' with a loved one in front of strangers," Haywood McCrank expounded, "But how many ponies do you know who act that way in front of their employer?"

"I don't really see where you're getting at," Almond Wheeler thought aloud. A few of the others mumbled in agreement.

"Let me provide an example," Haywood McCrank proposed. He looked to Cassia Sprig and pronounced "Cassia, suppose your husband visited you while you were at work. At the time of his arrival, you were talking with Lady Noble Edict in her office. If your husband showed up right then, would you just stop what you were doing and embrace him in front of Lady Noble?"

"No, of course not," the periwinkle Pegasus replied, "It would be unprofessional and indiscrete."

"That's my point," Haywood McCrank explicated, "Ever since Dapple Rhomb started working here, she's demonstrated the utmost professionalism and discretion in her work. Her actions just now contradict her typical mannerisms. And while that could be attributed to how little she's seen her husband recently, I got the impression that I was watching a performance instead of a genuine instance of affection."

"That's a rather strange observation, Sir Haywood," Rollin Fields commented.

"Yes, and I have an even stranger one," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "I happened to look around the room while Dapple Rhomb and her husband were in here. Based on everypony's countenances, Lady Noble is not the only one who seemed partially familiar with Rough Rider."

Everypony found that statement very interesting, especially Bronze Star. He leaned against his chair and queried "Is that right?"

Haywood McCrank slowly nodded his head. Then he gazed around at the security officers and told them "I need you all to be totally straightforward with me here. Have any of you seen Rough Rider before today?"

"Actually, I saw him not two hours ago," Paisley Branch elucidated, "This morning, I went to the depot to pick up the latest report from the vigilantes. I got there about ten minutes after the first train of the day pulled in. I saw Dapple Rhomb was there, so I thought about saying hello to her. When I got close enough, I saw her talking to Rough Rider. I didn't know who he was at the time, but Dapple Rhomb seemed preoccupied, so I did not disturb them."

"So I see," Haywood McCrank acknowledged, stroking his temple, "Was there anything that seemed… out of place?"

"To tell you the truth, there was one thing," Paisley Branch apprised him, "Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were standing at the very end of the platform by the luggage car. However, Rough Rider only had two suitcases with him, both of which he could have easily stored under his seat or in the overhead compartments. So I have no idea what they were doing that far out."

"Interesting," Haywood McCrank muttered, "And where exactly did you find the vigilantes' report?"

"At the northwestern corner of the station, between two crates of imported goods," Paisely Branch recalled.

"That means that you saw Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider less than twenty feet away from the drop site," Haywood McCrank noted. He looked around the room again and queried "Has anypony else seen Rough Rider?"

"Now that you mention it, I saw him at the station, too," Rollin Fields illuminated, "But the circumstances were different. Instead of getting off a train that arrived, he was getting on one before it departed. The only reason I was there was to say good-bye to my oldest daughter, who had been in town to visit me at the time. While I saw her off, I happened to notice Rough Rider entering one of the private cabins. I only saw him through the train car window, but I could tell he had a suitcase opened up on his lap. Whatever was inside it, he seemed deeply engrossed in it."

"When was this?" Sir Haywood asked.

"About seven months ago," Rollin Fields recounted, "The same day that Gryphon came to town."

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Almond Wheeler uttered in fascination. "Believe it or not, I encountered Rough Rider on that day, too."

"Where?" Copper Hollow asked.

"Sugarcube Corner," Almond Wheeler enlightened them, "I was passing through the area when I saw him approach the sweet shop. He never went inside; he just trotted over to the dumpster at the side of the building. He briefly looked over his shoulders, as if he was concerned about being watched. As far as I could tell, I was the only pony there, and I managed to stay out of sight. After checking the area, he leaned down and pulled something out from underneath the dumpster. He promptly left the vicinity after acquiring it."

"What do you suppose that object was?" Noble Edict inquired.

"I was too far away to see what it was, but Rough Rider handled it very carefully," Almond Wheeler revealed.

"Now that is weird," Bronze Star claimed, "Pinkie Pie threw a party at Sugarcube Corner that day, and Dapple Rhomb and I both attended it. In fact, that was where I first met her. When Pinkie Pie brought out a piñata, she nominated me to be the first one to take a swing at it. To hit it, Dapple Rhomb gave me a baton, which turned out to be a gag item. It was actually a sharpened knife concealed within a tube. I ended up cutting my hoof open by accident."

"Damn, that must have been painful," Cassia Sprig mumbled.

"It was," Bronze Star affirmed, "Luckily, Dapple Rhomb gave me a white linen so I could clot my injury. She even offered to throw it away once I was stopped the bleeding."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she dispose of it?" Sir Haywood asked in interest.

"Well, she went outside," Bronze Star explained, "So, logically, she would have gone to… the dumpster."

He said those last two words with a note of apprehension. He caught on to what the indigo stallion was entailing. Haywood calmly leaned back and murmured inquisitively "Did she go alone?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star confirmed, "So nopony actually saw her throw the linen away. Come to think of it, they never found the baton either. All I remember about Dapple was that she was wearing this elaborate overcoat. I've never seen her wear it since then, though."

Haywood McCrank deeply sighed, rubbed the sides of his forehead, and sat up in his chair. He gravely announced to his colleagues "Something's going on here. A couple weeks after that event, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were in Canterlot. This was the exact same time that one of the vigilantes broke into Prince Bronze Star's room in the castle. Months later, we learned of the significance of the number three in this case, and Dapple Rhomb started working here. The number three was all around her at the time. Lastly, when Rough Rider arrived in Ponyville today, he came by train. The latest update from the vigilantes was left at the depot. Paisley Branch got there only ten minutes after the train got in, but you can accomplish quite a lot in ten minutes."

The prince and the six security officers absorbed everything the federal investigator told them. There was a very long period of silence, and then Noble Edict asked curiously "Sir Haywood, just what are you implying?"

"It could very well be possible that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider are somehow linked to the vigilantes," Haywood McCrank straightforwardly professed.

"That's a rather alarming accusation," Copper Hollow perceived, "But based on everything you just said, there may be some credibility to it."

"Not 'may be,' Copper," Haywood McCrank disputed, "There is plenty of credibility to this theory. We've been working on this case for more than six months, and we've been unable to identify a plausible lead on the identities of the assassins or the victim. But now, I am fairly certain that we've found one or two ponies who may be working for the vigilantes."

"This evidence is purely circumstantial, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star pointed out, "Aside from that, Dapple Rhomb's been in this building almost every day for seven weeks. Other than those scars on her neck and her excellent reflexes, there's nothing out-of-the-ordinary about her."

"I am aware of that, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank asserted, "But there are times when the truth can be so plainly obvious that nopony would realize it was right in front of them."

"He does have a point," Almond Wheeler coincided, "There's no better way to spy on ponies than by hiding amongst them and in plain sight."

"Anypony at the Bureau could validate that, Almond," Haywood McCrank stated.

"At any rate, how should we treat this new theory of yours?" Paisley Branch inquired.

"We should probably take a closer look at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider," Sir Haywood advised, "But I do not want them to get the impression that we suspect them. After all, this is only speculation; there is nothing that conclusively implicates either of them in this plot. So as a precaution, Prince Bronze Star and I will be the only ones who monitor them."

"Works for me," Bronze Star said approvingly. Nopony else had any objections to this proposal, either.

The meeting ended there. Noble Edict and her five security officers gathered up their supplies, signed out at the front of the embassy, and headed back to the barracks.

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank lingered in the conference room for a few minutes.

"How do you recommend we investigate Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider?" Bronze Star asked the older stallion

"We should try to arrange for both of them to meet us somewhere in the near future," Haywood McCrank advised, "Ideally, it should be at a crowded or public place. If there are more ponies around, they would be less likely to suspect anything. Getting them to sit long enough for a conversation will be simple. I'm just not sure how we could get them to get to the rendezvous without coming off as forceful or demanding."

"Leave that to me," Bronze Star suggested, "I have an idea. A simple one, but one that's guaranteed to work."

While that statement was a little vague, Haywood McCrank did not question the prince. If he said he could get the job done, he could get the job done.

Bronze Star left the conference room and went to Dapple Rhomb's office. The purple mare was in the process of organizing a number of folders. When her employer entered the room, she looked up from her desk and grinned.

"Hello, sir," she greeted him, "How was the meeting?"

"I guess you could say it was very thought-provoking," Bronze Star spoke truthfully, "Without going into detail, I can tell you we made some great progress. Anyway, you ready to get to work?"

"Of course, sir," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "I've already updated the files on the interrelationship between Canterlot and Ponyville. Right now, I'm in the process of sorting through a list of the town's upcoming events. I've also got a few documents from the capital city that are addressed to you."

"Are any of them from Lord Bellerophon or Princess Celestia?" Bronze Star queried.

"No, nothing from the castle," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "A few of the deliveries are just junk mail, but there are some important business letters among them."

"Alright, I'll take a look at them," Bronze Star pronounced, picking up a few of the business letters from his secretary's desk.

Bronze Star spent the next twenty minutes reading these letters. While he did that, his secretary remained sitting at her desk, working quietly and diligently as always. Once she finished reviewing the list of upcoming events in Ponyville, she used her typewriter to draft an outline of them.

Bronze Star finished reading the letters at almost the exact same time that Dapple Rhomb finished making her outline. He had been looking for the right opportunity to execute his idea, and he saw it right then.

The gold stallion placed the letters on the surface of his secretary's desk. Then he leaned against it and remarked "Dapple, do you and Rough Rider have any plans in the near future?"

"Currently, no," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "Why do you ask?"

"It's come to my attention that I haven't properly expressed my appreciation for all you do around here," Bronze Star proclaimed.

"Oh, I don't know about that, sir," Dapple Rhomb slyly commented, "My salary is certainly indicative enough of your appreciation."

"Yeah, I pay you plenty," Bronze Star drily avowed, "But there are better ways of showing one's gratitude than having some currency switch hooves."

"How so, Mr. Ambassador?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.

Bronze Star leaned closer and proposed "I would like to treat you to lunch."

Dapple Rhomb seemed a little surprised by that proposal. She apprehensively muttered "I… I'm grateful for the offer, but I'm not sure that would be a good idea. After all, my husband just got in-"

"Let me rephrase that," Bronze Star interrupted her, "I would like to have lunch with both you and Rough Rider. I'd pay, of course."

The purple mare was much less adverse with that condition attached. "If you don't mind me asking, what prompted this?"

"Well, in my opinion, every good boss needs to do something special for his best employee every now and then," Bronze Star observed, "Or only employee, in my case. An occasional free meal should come in at some point. I'd like Rough Rider to join us simply because I'd like to get to know him better."

"That sounds great, sir," Dapple Rhomb thought aloud, "Rough Rider has only been in Ponyville twice before, and only for a day each time. He's a pretty sociable pony, but he doesn't know many of this town's residents. By inviting him to lunch, I'm sure you'd do a lot to help him start getting settled."

"Excellent," Bronze Star commented. He stood up straight and pronounced "So, here's what I'm thinking: I'll set up reservations at that cafe Savoir Fare runs. How about the day after tomorrow at one o'clock?"

"Okay," Dapple Rhomb affirmed, "But why not tomorrow? You gave me the day off, after all."

"You just answered your own question, Dapple," Bronze Star cheekily responded, scoffing. He was laughing because she had given him that exact same response once, just before the Running of the Leaves. He had to appreciate the irony there. "After all you've done for me, I figure you deserve to get a whole day without seeing my face."

Dapple Rhomb chuckled in amusement and stated sardonically "You're not that bad, sir."

"That brings me a modicum of comfort," he commented candidly.

"Right," she mumbled frankly, "So, one o'clock at Savoir Fare's place the day after tomorrow. I'll remember that. Should I tell Rough Rider to meet us here or there?"

"Here's fine; we'll all just go there from here," Bronze Star answered, "By the way, I'm going to bring Sir Haywood along, too."

He would have thought she would protest that decision or at least question it. Surprisingly, she did not give any such reaction to it whatsoever. She just nodded her head in acknowledgement and slyly pronounced "Okay. We'll call it a double-date."

Bronze Star rolled his eyes and murmured in a very sarcastic tone "Ha, ha; very funny, Dapple."

He knew she was only joking, but he was not particularly fond of jokes that questioned people's sexual orientation, especially when it was his own. Aside from that, until he patched things up with Applejack, he did not even want to hear the word 'date.' Not unless it was used to refer to a certain significant day, a type of fruit, or a recognized event on a timetable.

At any rate, his idea to get Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider in a situation where they would sit down with him and Sir Haywood for a while had worked perfectly, just as he planned. He would see to it that lunch at the cafe would take at least an hour, maybe two. That would be plenty of time for him and Sir Haywood to become better-acquainted with Rough Rider. And Dapple Rhomb, as well. After all, while Bronze Star and Sir Haywood had only just met the olive stallion, they only knew his wife slightly better. Hopefully they would be able to fill in the blanks at this meal.

The next day, Bronze Star woke up early, showered, and ate breakfast like he always did. While he ate, he overviewed the agenda for the day. After cleaning the dishes and putting them away, he started carrying out the tasks on the agenda.

Since he had so much work to do and nopony to aid him, Bronze Star expected to be busy for the entire day. Unfortunately, his prediction turned out to be correct. Not because he did not have any assistance. But instead because he was offered and given some assistance from an unwanted source.

Shortly before noon, Bronze Star managed to get more than half of the things on his agenda done. That was when he heard a knock on the main entrance of the embassy. The rapping sounded as though it was made by somepony with small hooves, but it was very loud and persistent. Since Sir Haywood was preoccupied with preparing for the investigation at tomorrow's lunch with Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, Bronze Star had to answer it.

His visitors turned out to be Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom. Although he was under a lot of pressure and stress, he managed to form a grin and greeted them cordially with "Hello, girls."

"Hi, Bronze Star!" they exclaimed in unison.

The gold stallion snickered at that. The three fillies were still as energetic and enthusiastic as ever. Normally, he would have been annoyed that they had announced his real name when they were outside and in town. But there was nopony else in the vicinity at this time, so it was forgivable.

Bronze Star gazed down at the younger ponies and queried "Is there something I can help you with?"

"That's what we were going to ask you," Sweetie Belle proclaimed.

"But since you asked, there actually is," Apple Bloom disclosed.

"Can we come in?" Scootaloo requested.

"Of course," Bronze Star stated. He stepped away from the door to allow the fillies entrance into the building. They eagerly entered the building, and Bronze Star closed the door behind them. He then gazed down at them and remarked "So, what's up?"

Currently, Apple Bloom was carrying a bounded scroll on her back. She removed it and held it out to the gold stallion, who took it in his front hoof and unrolled it. He examined the scroll and realized it was a crude yet relatively accurate map of Ponyville. Most of the town's major foundations and landmarks had been highly detailed, and a lot of them had been crossed out by a huge red X. The only ones that were untouched were the embassy and Golden Oaks Library.

Once he was finished studying the map, he looked back at the fillies and queried "What's this?"

"You might call it our it…it…it," Sweetie Belle stammered, as if she was uncertain how to pronounce the next word.

"Itinerary?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yeah, that," Sweetie Belle affirmed.

"We're determined to get our cutie marks ASAP," Scootaloo elaborated, "We've spent most of the morning going around town, trying our hooves at a number of different activities."

"Nice," Bronze Star remarked, "Any fruitful outcomes?"

"None so far," Apple Bloom bluntly replied, "We've tried slopping pigs, pulling taffy, salon work, psychic abilities, mountain climbing, and underwater exploration. Nothing's been remotely successful."

"That's a shame," Bronze Star commented, "If I didn't have so much work today, I'd offer to help you in your endeavors."

"Actually, that's why we're here," Sweetie Belle disclosed, "We know how busy you've been lately, and we found out that Dapple Rhomb has the day off today."

"We haven't done anything with paperwork today, either," Scootaloo, "So we were thinking; maybe we could give you a hoof with your work."

Bronze Star was a little stunned to hear them make such an offer. He was also intrigued by one of their reasons for wanting to assist him. He inquired "What makes you think I've been THAT busy?"

"When you stopped visiting Sweet Apple Acres last week, Applejack told us that that was the reason," Apple Bloom disclosed, "She says you've been buried in so much paperwork that you can hardly find room to breathe."

"She exaggerates," Bronze Star pronounced, smirking, "But not by very much. By the way, does she or anypony else know you're here?"

"No, not really," Apple Bloom answered, "We've been going around town all by ourselves."

"I suspected as much," Bronze Star thought aloud. He was actually glad to know that nopony had been supervising the fillies. Applejack had made it quite clear that she did not want the gold stallion around her or any of her family members. As long as she did not know Apple Bloom and her friends were at the embassy, Bronze Star had no problem with them being there.

After a short pause, he gave the map back to Apple Bloom and stated "So, you girls really want to help me with my work?"

"Yeah, that's the general idea," Scootaloo affirmed.

"Just think of us as temporary substitutes for Dapple Rhomb," Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Well, I admire your resolve," Bronze Star pronounced, "However, I should warn you; the stuff I do here is a lot harder and more complicated than anything else you've been through today. It requires careful attention to detail, heavy reliance on memory, steadfast determination, and the ability to balance several assignments at the same time."

"We're capable of using all that," Apple Bloom insisted, "Come on, Bronze. Give us a chance. Between the three of us, we should be able to fill in for Dapple Rhomb."

Bronze Star could tell that the fillies were not about to accept "no" for an answer. They did seem genuinely interested in helping him, and they could tell well enough on their own that his paperwork was much more complex than the schoolwork they were normally assigned. Plus, they were not so naïve as to assume that this undertaking would be simple. He figured he may as well give them a chance.

After taking a moment to think, Bronze Star caved in and told the fillies "Alright, come with me."

All three of them squealed giddily at that. He swiftly led them to Dapple Rhomb's office. Once he got there, he picked up his agenda and debriefed them on it. Not very much remained to be done. He just needed to review the latest report on the progress with the Nightmare Moon cult, establish a schedule for his next meeting with City Council, distribute a number of documents between a few addresses in Ponyville and Canterlot, and compose some letters to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Lord Bellerophon.

He only trusted himself to examine the report on the Nightmare Moon cult. He gave the other three tasks to the fillies. He made sure to give them specific instructions.

Scootaloo decided to draw up the timetable. Bronze Star showed her a pile of folders that contained everything he wanted to bring up to the Mayor and her staff. He told her that they needed to be arranged in order of precedence. Federal matters came first, followed by local and social affairs.

Apple Bloom offered to organize the incoming and outgoing documents. Bronze Star explained that each of those papers needed to be forwarded to one particular pony, and he showed her how to tell when it was better to use the pony's work address rather than the home address.

Sweetie Belle was fairly good with a typewriter, so she volunteered to write the letters. Bronze Star informed her that he would dictate them to her, and all she had to do was reproduce what he said on paper word-for-word. He made sure to speak slowly and articulately so she could keep up with him.

These tasks seemed to be fairly straightforward. While the fillies handled them, Bronze Star closely studied the report on the situation with the Nightmare Moon cult. Lately, he had been so preoccupied with the murder plot and the assassination conspiracy that he had had very little time to even think about the cult. Luckily for him, other ponies had been able to think about it. Unlike the conspiracy and the plot, the cult's existence was known by more than a hoofful of ponies. In fact, every law enforcement entity in the country was aware of the cult. In the time since the Firebrand Regiment discovered one of their outposts in Hoofington, the authorities had managed to create a nearly complete list of the cult's members. The majority of them had already been taken into custody. Only about a thousand of the cultists were still free, and almost all of them had vanished. Hazy Wisp was one of those thousand. Bronze Star was really hoping that she would be apprehended soon; she had been confirmed as one of the cult's top members.

Bronze Star found the report very enlightening and encouraging. According to it, the entire cult would be disbanded in less than a year. Once Hazy Wisp and the other leaders were arrested, Bronze Star was hoping to get an opportunity to interrogate them in person. Then he could find out what their motivation was for worshipping Nightmare Moon in the first place.

Once he was finished reading the report, he checked in on the fillies' progress. Initially, he was both thrilled and pleased to discover that they were already finished with their assignments. Then he took a closer look at their work, and his glee quickly faded.

Their projects were riddled with mistakes. Not just a few mistakes; there was well beyond an unacceptable amount. The three fillies watched the prince eagerly as he reviewed their work. Their excitement was gradually replaced with nervousness when they saw the dissatisfied expression on his countenance. Ultimately, he turned to face the fillies and irately muttered "Scootaloo, I told you that the roster needed to be ordered chronologically, not alphabetically. The Mayor can't use this timetable if it goes back and forth between federal affairs and local affairs. Apple Bloom, you mixed up the 'forward' and 'return' lists on the documents. If you put these in the post, I'd just be mailing them back to the original senders! And Sweetie Belle, haven't you ever heard of syntax? There's at least one misspelled word or grammatically incorrect phrase in every sentence of each of these letters."

Bronze Star was typically very forgiving and understanding of mistakes, but when it came to critiquing the work performance of others, he rarely showed any leniency. Especially when he had been convinced him that another party could be trusted to properly handle the tasks he gave them. He hated it when people misled him, even when it was done unintentionally.

While his criticism of the fillies' work was rather harsh and merciless, the Cutie Mark Crusaders did not seem upset by it. By now, they were so used to failing that they were not surprised that this endeavor had been a miss, as well. However, they did seem a little saddened by the fact that they had disappointed Bronze Star. He was somepony they deeply admired and respected.

Bronze Star sighed and dropped their projects on his secretary's desk. He covered his forehead with his front hoof and mumbled impatiently "It's gonna take me hours to fix these errors."

"Sorry, Bronze Star," the three fillies told him apologetically, gazing down at the ground in sorrow.

"It's alright, girls," Bronze Star claimed, suddenly easing down in mood considerably, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have expected so much of you."

"We let you down, though," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"I know, but you're not the first ones who have done so," Bronze Star apprised them, "Many times in the past, I've been let down in much bigger ways by ponies who had much more experience and status than you. Compared to how badly they screwed up, you just made a simple blunder here."

"Yeah, but on top of that, we're still blank flanks," Scootaloo contended, gesturing to her hindquarters and her friends'. Needless to say, none of the fillies had gotten her cutie mark yet.

"Well, at least now you know that you won't get your marks in being a secretary," Bronze Star observed.

The three fillies were all able to agree on that. Sweetie Belle then asked hopefully "Is there anything else we could do around here?"

"Not for me," the gold stallion proclaimed, "Why don't you go see if Sir Haywood needs help with anything?"

"No, thank you!" came a stern voice from upstairs.

Bronze Star just smirked and uttered "Okay, that answers one question. Guess you should look elsewhere, girls."

"Guess so," Apple Bloom conceded. She removed the map from her back, unrolled it, and pronounced "Fortunately, there's still plenty of Ponyville that we haven't covered yet. Sooner or later, we're bound to come across something that's right up our alley."

"Hopefully sooner rather than later," Scootaloo commented.

"Yeah, we should just keep searching," Sweetie Belle declared.

Bronze Star scoffed in amazement. Despite this setback, the Crusaders were just as determined as ever to find their cutie marks as quickly as possible. He sagaciously informed them "These things take time, girls. I know you're probably sick of hearing that, but patience really is crucial for this sort of thing."

"We know, Bronze," Apple Bloom claimed.

"Could you give us any advice?" Sweetie Belle inquired.

"Actually, I can," Bronze Star disclosed, "Think about this. Of the seven activities you've tried so far, how many of them did you actually enjoy doing?"

"Only about one or two," Scootaloo responded. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle lightly nodded in agreement.

"That may be your problem," Bronze Star conjectured, "Try being a little more selective in your search. Look for a pursuit that you could honestly see yourself doing for the rest of your life. Something you're passionate about. Something you could use to turn a hobby into a career."

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom actually found that advice to be very encouraging. They gathered around the map and searched it for someplace they had not visited that day.

"Maybe we could stop by Golden Oaks Library next," Scootaloo thought aloud.

"Well, we all like to read," Sweetie Belle stated, "So I'm up for that."

"Me, too," Apple Bloom remarked, "A librarian cutie mark sounds pretty good."

"Now that's a good strategy," Bronze Star said in approval, "Even if you're unsuccessful with that, too, Twilight Sparkle can probably provide you with some more guidance. Hers might be even better than mine. So regardless of what happens, it won't be a total loss."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had completely regained their confidence and determination by this point in time. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were already ready to leave the embassy. However, there was one thing Apple Bloom wanted to address before they departed.

After rolling the map back up, the yellow filly gazed up at the gold stallion and pronounced "By the way, when do you plan on coming by Sweet Apple Acres again?"

Bronze Star had hoped to avoid that question, but he had been prepared for it. He simply shrugged his shoulders and answered with "I can't say for sure. I've still got loads of work to do."

"For today, maybe," Sweetie Belle contended, "Sorry about that, by the way. Anyway, since you only have to do all the things on your to-do list once, and since Dapple Rhomb is usually here to help you, you don't really have that much in the long run."

"Well, it still keeps me busy for the better part of the day," Bronze Star debated.

"But not the whole day," Scooatloo noted, "Somewhere along the line, you should be able to have a couple hours of spare time."

"Well, that would depend on how much I have on my agenda," Bronze Star disclosed, "The amount of work I have each day varies. One day, I could have only a little. The next, I could be swamped with cartloads of work. The latter scenario pretty much applies to every day for the past week."

"Still, we haven't seen you at Sweet Apple Acres in like eight or nine days," Apple Bloom professed, "For months, you've always been able to visit us at least once a week. Why would that change now?"

"As much as I'd like spending time with you and your family, whenever I visit you is not really my choice," Bronze Star claimed, "I'm afraid I don't have very much say in the matter. Right now, there is a lot going on here, and I cannot afford to put anything aside."

"So you're saying you can't come see us anytime soon?" Apple Bloom assumed.

"That's right," Bronze Star affirmed, "I'm too busy to leave the embassy."

"Okay," Apple Bloom acknowledged, "In that case, how about we come visit you instead?"

"No!" Bronze Star severely replied. He had practically shouted that word, and he inadvertently startled the fillies. He immediately realized his slipup, but it was already too late to correct it. That did not stop him from trying, though. He stammered uneasily "I mean… well… visitors here wouldn't be a good idea. I can't afford any distractions. Not that I'd ever regard you or your family as a distraction… even so, I-"

"Bronze, there's something you're not telling us, isn't there?" Apple Bloom perceived accusingly.

The gold stallion tried to think up another excuse, but he had been backed into a corner. No matter what he told the fillies next, they would easily tell that it was not the truth. There were unwilling to let the issue go, so Bronze Star concluded that he only had one option. He had to come forward.

He inhaled deeply, exhaled solemnly, and announced "Alright, I'll tell you what's really going on. I really do have a good reason for not visiting you this past week. But the reason has nothing to do with my workload or the size of it. The real reason why I haven't come by is because… I was told to stay away."

Clearly, the three fillies were alarmed to hear this. Apple Bloom asked in shock "By who?"

"Your sister," was all Bronze Star said in response.

That comment surprised the fillies even more. Apple Bloom was downright flabbergasted by it. "Applejack told you to stop coming?"

"You got it," Bronze Star dismally confirmed, "The day after I had dinner with your family, she and I got into a fight. It started out as little more than a disagreement, but it ultimately evolved into a heated quarrel. We managed to avoid resorting to violence, but she made it quite clear that she did not want to see my face anytime soon."

"Oh, that's horrible," Sweetie Belle sadly remarked.

"Yes, it is," Bronze Star bluntly muttered.

"Must have been a really bad fight," Scootaloo theorized.

"What was the fight about, anyway?" Apple Bloom queried.

"I can't tell you," Bronze Star uttered candidly, "And I mean that. I really can't tell you. It's a VERY personal matter. Even if I told you the whole story, there's nothing you could do to help my situation."

"You sound really sure of yourself," Sweetie Belle realized.

"Believe me, I am," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Applejack and I both said some very unpleasant things to each other. A few of the things I said, I deeply regret. But I can't even apologize to her for them. Until she's willing to let me go near her, all I can do is keep away and hope that she can forgive me. Of course, there's no telling how long that might take."

"So how long do YOU think you'll be apart?" Scootaloo inquired.

"It's already been over a week, and it could be several more weeks before she and I are even on speaking terms again," Bronze Star observed, "To tell you the truth, as of right now, I'm beginning to doubt that she and I will ever get back together."

"But you gotta make up!" Apple Bloom proclaimed, "You two are perfect together."

"That's what I thought, too," Bronze Star remarked, "But even ponies who suit each other perfectly don't end up together very often. Circumstances being as they are, I wouldn't blame Applejack if she stays angry at me. If she knew you were here right now, that might just make her even angrier."

"Then there's something I think you should know," the filly in the bow countered, "While you haven't seen Applejack at all this past week, I've been spending a lot of time with her. I will admit, she does look as though something is deeply bothering her. Whenever I asked, she told me she was fine and she insisited that it was nothing for me to worry about. Also, whenever I mention her to you, she does not appear to get angry. Instead, she looks sad."

Bronze Star was intrigued by that revelation. "Sad in what way?"

"Well, every time I bring you up, she looks like she's overcome with despair and woe," Apple Bloom explicated, "I just assumed she was sad because she missed you. Now that I know what happened between you and her, that could actually be the reason."

"I doubt it's that simple," Bronze Star refuted, "She's probably sad because of something I did or said during our fight."

"No, I don't think so," Apple Bloom contradicted "I may be a young filly, but I know the difference between sad as in 'emotionally hurt' and sad as in 'holding a grudge.' The sadness Applejack is going through is not caused by any feeling of betrayal or hatred. In fact, there's this look she has whenever she hears your name. I've seen her make that facial expression before. It was the exact same look she had on her face when our parents died."

This time it was Bronze Star's turn to be stunned. Since he had not been anywhere near Applejack in almost ten days, he had no idea what emotions she was going through. But he never would have forecasted anything quite like what Apple Bloom just told him.

After standing in silence for a while, Bronze Star looked back down at the filly in the bow and smiled. He stated gratefully "Thanks for telling me this, Apple Bloom. Believe me; I LOVE your sister. Even if she really does hate me, I care for her every bit as much as I did before our breakup."

Apple Bloom smiled back and remarked "I should tell her you said that. That might help patch things up between you two."

"No, please don't," Bronze Star bade her, "In fact, I don't want you to tell Applejack you were here today at all. When we broke up, she explicitly told me not to go near you or anypony else in her family. I don't want her to get the impression that I deliberately disregarded her request. Besides, I want to repair this problem with her all by myself. It's my responsibility to make amends with her and mine alone."

"You sure?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "I promise you; I'll make things right with your sister. As soon as she's willing to talk to me again, I'll do everything I can to earn back her trust and respect."

Apple Bloom appeared to be elated to hear this. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could not help but grin a bit, too. Evidently, although they did not know the circumstances under which Bronze Star and Applejack had broken up, they were really hoping that the gold stallion and the orange mare would get back together. He was at least glad to have the three fillies on his side.

After another long interval of quietness, Bronze Star turned back to Dapple Rhomb's desk and declared "Well, I'd better get back to work. I'm more than a little behind schedule right now."

"Right, sorry again about that," Scootaloo told him sincerely. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"It's no problem," Bronze Star assured them, "Compared to what I've been through lately, catching up on this stuff is going to be a cakewalk. In the meantime, don't you three have an adventure of your own to return to?"

"We sure do," Sweetie Belle brightly responded, "Let's get to the library, girls!"

The Crusaders then stepped out of the office and galloped to the front door. Right before they went outside, Apple Bloom jauntily yelled "Here we come, librarian cutie marks!"

Bronze Star was by himself once again. His workload had not really decreased in the past hour. If anything, in the time since the Crusaders arrived at the embassy, it had actually increased slightly. Despite this, Bronze Star was in a very good mood.

Up until now, he had assumed that Applejack despised and abhorred him completely, and that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Based on what the yellow filly just told him, it would appear as though his assumption had been quite wrong. If Apple Bloom's observation was correct, then there was a strong possibility that Applejack still felt something for Bronze Star. That in turn applied that he could actually save his relationship with her.

While the additional work was tiring and time-consuming, Bronze Star managed to accomplish everything by nine o'clock. When he finally finished, he ate a late breakfast and fed his pet hawk Arthur D. Hawkins. After that, he spent the rest of the evening in bed reading. He wanted to get up a little earlier than he usually did. That way, he would have some additional time to prepare for the investigation that he and Sir Haywood would conduct at lunchtime.

Inwardly, Bronze Star was somewhat uncomfortable with what he and Sir Haywood were going to do. One might call it following up on a lead. In actuality, they would be spying on his secretary and her husband. Of course, like Sir Haywood had said, there was a possibility that the two of them were involved the vigilantes. No matter how small or unlikely this chance may have been, they had a dutiful obligation to thoroughly examine this lead. Even so, the last time Bronze Star spied on somepony, he had ended up losing somepony he deeply cared for. He had no desire to repeat that process ever again.

The next day, Bronze Star woke up at five instead of six, like he planned. After getting ready for the day, he spent that extra hour with Sir Haywood. The indigo stallion debriefed the gold stallion on how they would investigate Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. Basically, they would have what appeared to be an everyday casual conversation over a meal with friends. During that conversation, they would slip in several questions that did not seem out of place or unusual to ask. Sir Haywood claimed that based on how the two spouses reacted to and answered those questions, he would be able to determine whether or not they really were working for the vigilantes. It really was that simple.

Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy at eight o'clock sharp like always. She informed Bronze Star that Rough Rider would come to the building at around 12:30. That way, the three of them and Sir Haywood would be able to go to the cafe together. Bronze Star was more than content with this arrangement.

Sure enough, at 12:30 on the dot, Rough Rider showed his face at the embassy. As soon as he arrived, Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb stopped what they were doing and went out to meet him in the corridor. Sir Haywood McCrank came down from his quarters a minute later. After they all signed out at the front, the four ponies promptly left the building and headed further into town.

By a quarter to one, they reached the café. Bronze Star had already made reservations for four, so as soon as they entered the building, Savoir Fare guided them to a table that been prepared in advance. Once they were seated, the posh waiter passed out menus and asked them what they would like to drink. It was still in the early afternoon, so it was too early for wine or anything of the sort. The four ponies settled on two glasses of green tea and water apiece.

It only took Savoir Fare about ninety seconds to return. Once the three stallions and the mare had their drinks, he asked them if they were ready to order. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood already knew what they were going to get, as they had eaten at the café many times beforehand. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider needed some more time to look over the menu first, so Savoir Fare told them he'd come back in five minutes.

The café was about two-thirds full at this time. Most of the booths, half of the tables, and almost all the stools at the bar were occupied. Still, the ambience was relatively calm and pleasant. Rough Rider looked around and commented "This is a fancy place."

"Indeed it is," Sir Haywood remarked. Bronze Star nodded in agreement

"Do you gentlestallions come here often?" Rough Rider queried.

"Yeah, I come at least thrice a week," Haywood McCrank disclosed.

"I just come every now and then," Bronze Star revealed, "While I usually prefer to make my own food, sometimes I find it more convenient and satisfying to dine out. In fact, Sir Haywood and I have become frequent customers of this particular café. I think Savoir Fare has us on the list of his favorite patrons."

"I can believe that," Rough Rider cheekily observed, "It's relatively easy to become a favorite of anypony when you're rich."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and inquired "What makes you think Sir Haywood and I are rich, Rough?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious in Sir Haywood's case," Rough Rider perceived, "According to the labor department's national census, federal investigator is amongst the top five most prosperous occupations in the country."

"That's true," Sir Haywood affirmed, "It's also amongst the top five most difficult and hazardous ones."

"You seem to take well to it, Sir Haywood," Dapple Rhomb noted.

"An astute deduction, my dear," the indigo stallion slyly retorted.

Bronze Star, Rough Rider, and Dapple Rhomb chuckled at the irony in that statement. After the laughter subsided, the gold stallion looked to the olive stallion and pronounced "Okay, Sir Haywood I can understand. But what gives you the impression that I'm wealthy?"

"Simple," Rough Rider replied, "Since you answer directly to Princess Celestia, that means you earn your wages straight from the Royal Family. I imagine it's not hard to make a hefty profit when your employer regulates both the treasury department and the Federal Reserve. To substantiate that theory, I need to look no further than at Dapple's salary. The only ponies who are that generous with their secretaries are CEOs and executives of prominent organizations."

"I was unaware that fifteen thousand bits a week was regarded as 'generous' nowadays," Bronze Star wryly commented.

"With all due respect, Mr. Ambassador, are you kidding?" Rough Rider sardonically muttered, "That's almost as much as what I make. I never would have thought you could make that much money while sitting behind a desk in a private office."

"Well, I know for a fact that you can, Rough," Dapple Rhomb reassured her husband, "In fact, isn't my next payday tomorrow, sir?"

"Actually it is, Dapple," Bronze Star acknowledged, "If it's really that hard to believe that your wife earns that much, Rough, feel free to stop by the embassy tomorrow when I pay her and see for yourself."

"I might just do that," Rough Rider wryly proposed, "But only if I don't have anything better to do. Truthfully, I don't really care how much money Dapple makes. As long as she's happy with her work, nothing else matters to me."

"Thanks, Rough," the purple mare said gratefully, patting her husband on the back, "Believe me, I'm VERY happy with my work."

"I'm glad to know that, Dapple," Bronze Star commented in approval.

Savoir Fare returned to their table a minute later. By then, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had found something on the menu that looked appealing to them. The two spouses, the federal investigator, and the prince all told the waiter what they would like. After taking their orders, he brought them to the kitchen.

While they waited for their food, the four ponies resumed their conversation.

"So, Dapple, Rough, tell us more about yourselves," Haywood McCrank requested, "The ambassador and I were neither born nor raised in Ponyville. I assume that you two weren't, either?"

"That's correct, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider confirmed, "We're originally from San Franciscolt."

"We've known each other since we were foals," Dapple Rhomb illuminated, "You see, we grew up together as friends. We were even roommates in college."

"Really?" Bronze Star stated in interest, "Which University?"

"Skybrook," Rough Rider disclosed, "She majored in accounting; I majored in merchandising and marketing."

"Did you graduate at the same time?" Sir Haywood queried

"Yeah," Rough Rider remarked, "Shortly after we received our diplomas, I popped the question to her."

"His timing couldn't have been more perfect," Dapple Rhomb cheekily proclaimed, "I was starting to get impatient."

Rough Rider and Bronze Star chuckled at that. Sir Haywood just gave a slight smirk. Other than that, he did not give any reaction. He was about to bring up another topic. This would be one of the most critical parts of the discussion, and depending on how Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider responded, the indigo stallion might be able to use this part alone to determine if they really were involved with the vigilantes.

After a moment, he leaned closer to the red mare and the olive stallion and remarked "Forgive me if this sounds out of line, but ever since you canonized your relationship, have you ever had any… problems?"

The two spouses were a little perplexed by that question.

Rough Rider inquired "What do you mean? What sort of problems?"

"You mean like problems with money or housing?" Dapple Rhomb conjectured.

"No, I meant with… each other," Sir Haywood clarified, "For example, take a look at those three scars on the side of Dapple Rhomb's neck. Sure, they're barely noticeable, but if you look closely, you can clearly make them out."

"Yeah, I know about the scars," Rough Rider pronounced, "I was there when she got them."

"So I see," Sir Haywood avowed. He leaned closer to the olive stallion and continued with "Dapple Rhomb claimed the scars were caused by a knife. That may be, but I'm inclined to wonder; was somepony holding the hilt of the knife when the blade came into contact with her skin?"

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were shocked by that allegation. Bronze Star was a little stunned, too. Sir Haywood never told him that THIS would be part of the investigation.

At first, Rough Rider looked as though he was going to jump out of his chair and slap Sir Haywood across the face. Truthfully, Bronze Star would not blame him; he would probably do the same thing if somepony accused him of attacking Applejack.

In the end, Rough Rider gave no hostile reaction. Instead, he took a deep breath, looked the indigo stallion in the eye, and told him tranquilly "Sir Haywood, I haven't even known you for two days. What have I done to make you think so lowly of me this quickly? Do I really look like the kind of stallion who would assault his wife?"

"No, you don't," Sir Haywood McCrank serenely perceived, "Nor do I think you are. If you were that kind of stallion, you would have gotten very defensive and impatient when I brought this subject up. Since you remained calm, I am convinced that you are a civilized and good-natured stallion."

"Well, that's a relief," Rough Rider commented, "Why did you bring that up, anyway?"

"It was a test," Haywood McCrank revealed, "From my experience, the easiest way to discover a pony's true nature is to provoke a reaction out of him or her. I just wanted to know the real you."

Rough Rider seemed amused by that. He slyly stated "Well, I could TELL you about the real me, Sir Haywood. All you had to do was ask."

"Then from now on, I'll resort to that," Sir Haywood claimed, leaning back in his chair.

By now, all the angst that had resulted from Haywood McCrank's seemingly accusatory statement had dissipated. The pleasant atmosphere from before had returned. Bronze Star was determined to keep the conversation going. He rested his chin on his front hoof and stated "You said you both lived in San Franciscolt for the first two decades of your lives. I'm curious; how did you come to reside in Ponyville?"

"That's a bit of an interesting story," Dapple Rhomb expounded, "After our wedding, Rough and I wasted no time in finding some work. At first, we decided to stay in San Franciscolt. I got a job as a bank clerk, and he was hired by an advertisement agency."

"That's how it remained for a few months," Rough Rider recounted, "The money we earned was more than enough to support us, but we both felt as though we could be doing more with our lives. After all, we had almost never been outside of San Franciscolt. So I did some research in the job market, and I discovered that there were some more lucrative opportunities in other parts of Equestria. So I decided to change jobs. I went from promoting products to full-out selling them."

"Oh, yeah; Dapple Rhomb told me that you're a renowned salespony," Bronze Star muttered, "On an unrelated note, you seem to know a bit about architecture, too. At least, that was the impression I got when you expressed your fascination over the embassy's structure. Have you ever been involved in the real estate industry?"

"I'm a travelling salespony, Mr. Ambassador," Rough Rider apprised him, "The idea is that I sell things that can be transported."

"Oh, right," Bronze Star avowed, "I can't really visualize a 'house on wheels.'"

"Now there's an idea," Haywood McCrank murmured, "I've actually hard of a pair of Unicorn brothers in Baltimare who are trying to devise such a contraption. What were their names? Shim and Sham, I believe. Something like that."

"Interesting," Rough Rider thought aloud, "If they succeed, perhaps I could help them publicize their product."

"Smart thinking," Bronze Star commented, smirking, "Tell me, Rough; do you see everypony as a potential client?"

"Just about," Rough Rider replied, "I also see everypony as a potential customer. When you hold a job in a competitive market like mine, it helps to have such an open-minded perspective."

"So I see," Bronze Star muttered, "Anyway, let's get back to what we were talking about earlier. After you changed jobs, I take it that you didn't stay in San Franciscolt for much longer?"

"That is correct, sir," the olive stallion answered him, "Once I acquired my salespony license, Dapple quit her job and we sold our house. We spent the next three years moving from city to city. I made quite a few sales everywhere we went."

"Sounds like a prolific line of work," Bronze Star perceived, "Not to mention a pleasurable one. After all, since you roamed around so much, I bet it was almost like you were going on vacation very often."

"You could say that," Dapple Rhomb conceded, "It certainly felt like vacationing to me. We never stayed in any place for very long, and most of the time, I didn't have time to find a job of my own. But I tried to get work whenever and wherever I could. You see, even though Rough Rider earned plenty of money through his sales, I still wanted to do something productive."

"Based on your résumé, I'd say you were plenty productive," Bronze Star professed.

"Thank you, sir," Dapple Rhomb said gratefully. After a short pause, she went on with "Anyway, while Rough and I both enjoyed seeing more of Equestria and earning more money, our system of moving to a different hotel every few weeks became very tedious and tiring after a while. Rough could put up with it, but I really wanted a break from it. We soon started talking about renting an apartment or buying a house. Whenever we went to a town after that, we took some time to browse through the available residences."

"Eventually, we came to Ponyville," Rough Rider continued, "Keep in mind, this was about five weeks before the Summer Sun Celebration. At first, we only came here to deliver a large shipment of silk and fabric that had been ordered from my catalogue. The buyer was that young white Unicorn who runs that dress emporium."

"I believe you're referring to my friend Rarity," Bronze Star hypothesized.

"Yes, that's her," Rough Rider verified, "Initially, we planned to go back to our hotel suite in Las Pegasus after we completed the delivery. However, soon after we arrived in Ponyville, we quickly noticed there was a lot to love about this town. It's quiet, peaceful, secluded, and strongly represented by companionship. So after spending just one day in Ponyville, we decided to move here."

"I can relate," Bronze Star drily stated, "It only took me one day to become attached to this town, too."

"It seems to have that effect on a lot of ponies," Sir Haywood observed.

Dapple Rhomb lightly nodded in agreement. She informed the gold stallion and the indigo stallion "It was a while before we had an opportunity to visit Ponyville again. In all that time, we kept track of all the houses that were for sale here. Granted, house hunting isn't as easy when you don't have the luxury to visit the houses in person, but we still managed to find one that we loved."

Right then, Savoir Fare arrived, carrying a tray with four hot plates of food. The three stallions and the mare put the conversation on hold so that the waiter could serve them their orders. Once the plates were placed in front of them, Savoir Fare bade them to enjoy their meal, and he left them alone.

The four ponies continued having a dialogue as they ate.

"So, when did you actually purchase the house?" Sir Haywood inquired.

"About eight weeks after we delivered that shipment of silk and fabric to Rarity," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "Due to Rough's hectic work schedule, that was the first and only time we were able to visit the town again. Rough Rider was only able to stay for one day, since he had some work in the capital city the following day. He had two business deals in Ponyville that day, too. One of them took up most of the morning; the other occupied most of the afternoon. So I handled the touring and acquisition of the house."

"Was this the day of that party at Sugarcube Corner?" Bronze Star queried.

"Yeah, it was," Dapple Rhomb responded, "I got there about twenty minutes after I signed the house's deed. Since I would be living here from then on, I thought the party would be a great way to get to know the town's populace. It certainly was. I just wished Rough Rider could have joined us."

"I'm surprised he didn't," Haywood McCrank proclaimed.

"Why's that?" Rough Rider asked.

"One of our colleagues saw him approach Sugarcube Corner that day," Haywood McCrank notified them, "She says he never went inside; he just went over to the dumpster, pulled something out from underneath it, and left the area right after."

Once again, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were stunned by the indigo stallion's remark. This was another of the traps Sir Haywood had set for them. If they failed this one, he would be almost entirely certain that they were working for the vigilantes. If they passed it, he would still be suspicious of them, but to a much lesser degree.

When he saw the worried expressions on the purple mare and the olive stallion's faces, Haywood McCrank raised a front hoof in assurance and affably uttered "You don't have to explain what you were doing there. I mean, it's certainly none of MY business."

Bronze Star could tell that Sir Haywood was using reverse psychology in that statement. It seemed to work; a few moments later, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider eased down. The latter of them pronounced "We have nothing to hide, Sir Haywood. I won't deny your colleague's claim. I really did stop by Sugarcube Corner that day, I really did approach the dumpster, and I really did take something out from under it."

"So what was it?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"It was the deed for our house," Dapple Rhomb elucidated steadily, "Since Rough Rider wasn't there when I bought the house, I was the only one who signed the deed. Because of that, the house officially only belonged to me at the time. In order for Rough Rider to be recognized as another owner, he needed to sign the deed, too. We wanted to get that done while he was still in town."

"However, we experienced a few inconveniences," Rough Rider explicated, "Like I mentioned earlier, I had two business deals that day. In the morning, I sold some innovative teeth-cleaning equipment to a mare named Colgate at her dentistry office, and in the afternoon, I delivered several crates of spirits and meads to a mare named Berry Punch at her liquor store. Both of those transactions took several hours to complete. The first one began shortly after Dapple and I arrived in town; the second one ended soon before I had to leave for Canterlot. I knew I would only have about ten minutes of free time between the two."

"Plus, I didn't want to bother him while he was working," Dapple Rhomb explained, "Luckily, Pinkie Pie's party happened to coincide with when Rough was free. I found out about the party's time and location soon after we arrived in Ponyville, and we were able to come up with a plan for how I could get the deed to Rough. I kept track of the time all throughout the party. Soon before Rough's ten-minute break began, I excused myself outside. After that, I went over to the dumpster, placed the deed in plastic bag, and slid it underneath the dumpster."

"Soon after, I appeared on the scene and retrieved the deed," Rough Rider recalled, "All I had to do then was sign the deed and submit it to the landlord. I managed to accomplish that before my second business deal began."

Haywood McCrank raised an eyebrow and uttered in amazement "That's a rather methodical plan."

"Meticulous, I'd say," Bronze Star stated in agreement, "There's one thing I don't get, though. Why didn't you just go inside Sugarcube Corner and get the deed from Dapple Rhomb directly?"

"Two reasons," Rough Rider enlightened him, "Firstly, we didn't know how many ponies would be at the party, and I didn't want to have to push my way through a crowd to find Dapple. Secondly, Pinkie Pie would probably insist that I stay so everypony could get to know me, and I couldn't afford to linger there at all."

"Well, those are both good reasons," Bronze Star admitted, smirking. Evidently, Pinkie Pie's reputation preceded her, seeing as how Rough Rider had known very little about Ponyville when he and his wife decided to move there, but he DID know of the extravagant manner in which Pinkie Pie greeted newcomers. He then asked Rough Rider "Have you been away from Ponyville ever since then?"

"No, I've been pretty much everywhere except here," Rough Rider illuminated, "Dapple Rhomb did visit me a few times, such as on Hearth's Warming Day and Hearts and Hooves Day. But I never came here. Fortunately, I've found a way to manage my sales from Ponyville. That means I can take a break from travelling. I'll be staying her for at least the next few months."

"That's great," was all Bronze Star said in return. Haywood McCrank nodded in agreement.

Here they dropped this subject and moved on to something else. Most of the rest of the conversation was about Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, too. The olive stallion and the red mare did not seem to mind that the conversation was centered primarily on them. After all, Sir Haywood McCrank rarely discussed his personal life with others, and Bronze Star only talked about his with ponies who knew his true identity.

Sir Haywood McCrank and Bronze Star discovered several interesting things about Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. They learned about what products Rough Rider typically sold, about what transactions he had made since he and his wife moved to Ponyville, about what Dapple Rhomb had kept herself occupied in town while her husband was away, and about what they had done in Canterlot for their anniversary.

By the time they got to dessert, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank felt as though they had been told the entire life stories of both Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. At the very end of the meal, Rough Rider picked up his glass of green tea and proposed a toast to Bronze Star. He claimed it was "for being the best boss his wife had ever had." The other three ponies humored the olive stallion and raised their glasses as well.

After Bronze Star paid for the meal, the four ponies left the café. They stayed together until they reached the embassy. Then Rough Rider bade the others a good day and went back home.

Once they were inside the building, the three ponies signed back in at the front. Sir Haywood McCrank went up to his quarters and closed the door. Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb headed to the latter's office and got back to work.

It was a fairly straightforward day of work. Most of the tasks on their agenda were the same as the previous day's tasks. They wrote letters, organized files, outlined timetables, distributed documents, and accomplished several other jobs. Unlike yesterday, they only had to do these assignments once, much to Bronze Star's delight.

When Bronze Star looked over the new list of upcoming events, he found one that really attracted his attention. A talent show had been scheduled for the following night. It was going to take place at the school, so all of the participants were fillies and colts. Interestingly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were among the list of contestants.

Bronze Star found it reasonable to assume that this was the fillies' latest attempt at trying to earn their cutie marks. He could only imagine what they had planned for the performance. Given their dismally low rate of success in their past endeavors, he was inclined to believe that it might not go well for them. Even so, he figured he may as well show up and see them perform. If not for amusement, then he would do it for support.

Since the talent show was open to the public, Dapple Rhomb decided she would attend, too. She would also try to get her husband to join her. Bronze Star had no problem with that.

Dapple Rhomb mentioned that she was open to inviting Sir Haywood again. However, Bronze Star advised against that. He knew that Sir Haywood McCrank was not a fan of talent shows in the slightest. He was against the notion of having a number of ponies strut onto a stage and flaunt their abilities in front of a crowd of bystanders. He found the whole concept contemptuous and wasteful.

So this time, they would not bring Sir Haywood along.

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb continued working until five o'clock. Then the purple mare went home to her husband, leaving the gold stallion and the indigo stallion alone in the embassy. Bronze Star knew there was a joke about questionable sexual orientation somewhere in that scenario, but he despised such jokes, so he put that ridiculousness completely out of his mind.

He actually did go to Sir Haywood's room that evening, but only to talk to him about their lunch with Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. Bronze Star admitted to Sir Haywood that he no longer felt the least bit suspicious about the two spouses. In his mind, there was no way they could have been working for the vigilantes.

Sir Haywood had been the one to suggest that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were working for the vigilantes. Even so, he confessed to the prince that he had hoped that he was wrong, despite the fact that he was almost always right. He was pleased to say that this appeared to be one of the few occasions when he was incorrect. He revealed that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had passed every single one of his tests. They had gotten past all the traps he had set up during their conversation; they never fell for even one of them. Everything pointed to the possibility that they were innocent. In fact, Haywood said he was more likely to suspect himself or Bronze Star of collaborating with the vigilantes than Rough Rider or Dapple Rhomb.

All the same, Sir Haywood did not end an investigation until he was absolutely, positively, one hundred percent certain that he had arrived at the correct conclusion. He informed Bronze Star that he would do a little digging around. One might call him stubborn or intransigent because of this decision. In all honesty, Sir Haywood just wanted to ensure that everything Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider told them checked out.

Bronze Star did not protest this suggestion. If this additional research would help Sir Haywood set his mind at ease, then he was all for it. He just hoped they would be able to resolve this matter soon. He was less than thrilled with the idea of continuously monitoring his secretary and her husband.

The next day, when Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy, she and Bronze Star worked for nine straight hours without interruption. They had not managed that in four days. Fortunately, they had no estranged husbands, overly enthusiastic fillies, or elongated lunch breaks to get in the way of progress.

Bronze Star had not forgotten that today was payday for Dapple Rhomb. However, his moneybag was a little light at this time, so he needed to stop by the bank. He had hoped to do that before five o'clock, but he had received a large number of messages, documents, letters, forms, and files from Canterlot in the late morning. It was almost as though that nonexistent "extra work" he had mentioned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders had actually arrived.

Due to this unexpected increase in his workload, Bronze Star was unable to find time to stop by the bank before Dapple Rhomb went home. Although she was willing to wait until the next day to get paid, he did not want to ask that of her. Luckily, it did not take him long to formulate a plan.

He told Dapple Rhomb that he would go to the bank right after she left, and he would withdraw however much money he had invested there. Then he would stop by her house and pay her.

Dapple Rhomb told him that she would have been alright with this plan, but she informed him that she and Rough Rider were going to dinner and a movie that same evening. As soon as she got home from work, they would head out to a restaurant, and after they ate, they would go to the cinema. Once the movie was over, they would go straight to the talent show.

She suggested that Bronze Star could pay her when they met up with him at the talent show. However, the gold stallion was a little adverse to the idea of bringing that much money to a crowded place. Not that he questioned the integrity of the townsfolk; he just did not want to risk finding out the hard way if there actually were any pickpockets in Ponyville.

Finally, they arrived at a proposal that they both approved of. After he visited the bank, Bronze Star would just bring the money back to the embassy. Then he would meet Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider at the school. They would watch the talent show together, and after it was over, they would all go back to the embassy. Bronze Star could pay Dapple Rhomb then.

A few minutes after Dapple Rhomb left the embassy, Bronze Star departed from it, as well. Then he arrived at the bank. After showing the teller his credentials, he was allowed to access his account.

Bronze Star had set up a bank account a couple days after he came to Ponyville. For every week since he came to Ponyville, he had received one hundred thousand bits from the capital city in this account. He rarely withdrew all of it at once; he just took however much he needed for his own expenses.

He collected the money under the pretense of earning his wages as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville. Truthfully, one hundred thousand bits per week was more than twice the salary of an actual ambassador, but his mother was the one who made the deposits, and she wanted to ensure that her son was adequately funded at all times.

This time, Bronze Star withdrew about a third of the newest hundred thousand bits. Fifteen thousand of those would be for Dapple Rhomb. The rest would be used to get him through the week.

It only took Bronze Star half an hour to make a trip to the bank and return to the embassy. The time then was five-thirty, and the talent show was not until eight o'clock. Bronze Star decided to pass the time by hunting in the Everfree Forest with Arthur.

Recently, whenever Bronze Star and his pet hawk went hunting, they were accompanied by Applejack and Winona more often than not. Obviously, this was one of those "not" instances. Arthur had noticed the absence of the orange mare and the Border collie. However, since he lived in Bronze Star's room at the embassy, he had been there when the farmer and the prince had their fight. While he may not have understood everything that had been said between his master and his fillyfriend, Arthur could fathom why Applejack and her dog were not there this time. Still, Arthur had come to enjoy Winona's company and vice versa. While Arthur typically did not get along very well with ponies and animals, he and Winona did make great hunting partners.

While Bronze Star and his hawk were out hunting, a thought occurred to the prince. Since Apple Bloom was competing in the talent show, there was a very strong likelihood that Applejack might be there to watch her sister perform. That thought made him feel a little uneasy. Bronze Star had no idea if Applejack still had as little desire to see him as she did at their last encounter.

Regardless of that, he was still going to attend the talent show. He decided that if Applejack was there, he would just keep his distance and stand somewhere where she could not see him.

At 7:30, Bronze Star and his hawk headed back to the embassy. The gold stallion took a few minutes to clean up and freshen up his appearance. He also fed Arthur his dinner. He himself would wait until later to eat. Once he looked and felt presentable, Bronze Star exited the embassy and made his way to the school.

When he got there, he found over two hundred ponies crowded around the outdoor stage. As he suspected, Applejack was one of them. However, she was standing near the center of the crowd. As long as Bronze Star stood at the very back, she would not notice him. Still, he could not help but gaze over at her every now and then. He wondered what was going through her mind at that moment.

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb showed up a couple minutes after Bronze Star. They happily greeted the gold stallion, and he greeted them with just as much cordiality. They decided to watch the talent show together. Even though they were standing in the back, they were able to clearly make out everything on the entire stage. They had perhaps the best views out of everypony there.

The show began right at eight o'clock. Twist was first. Her performance involved little more than recalling a list of her favorite recipes from memory step-by-step. It was nothing mesmerizing but it was at least interesting.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon went next. Their act was employed what they referred to as "Amazing Acrobatic Agility." That was far less impressive than it sounded. The two fillies simply employed a series of generic and insipid movements that they tried to pass off as death-defying stunts. Out of courtesy, nopony said anything offensive, but their thoughts were far less magnanimous.

The first very notable act was performed by Snips and Snails. The two Unicorn colts did a series of magic tricks. This was an attempt to demonstrate their so-called aptitude with magic. A couple of their tricks were slightly impressive, but Bronze Star could tell the difference between real magic and stage magic, and the two colts' tricks tended to fall into the latter category.

Snips and Snails wrapped up their routine with an old-fashioned hat trick. They placed a rabbit on a stool. Snips then proudly announced ...And on the count of three, this rabbit will disappear, and something tasty will reappear in its place."

He placed the top hat on top of the rabbit, used his magic to wave his prop wand, and declared "A one, a two, and a three!"

When he lifted the hat up, the rabbit was gone. But it had not been replaced by anything. Snips yelled in confusion "Hey! Where are they? Snails, where are the..."

At that moment, Snails was haplessly chewing on some long, orange, crunchy vegetables. Snips drily finished his sentence with "…carrots."

This misstep provoked a number of chuckles from the ponies in the audience. Snips scowled at his best friend and shouted "SNAILS!"

As the shorter colt chased his best friend off the stage, more ponies laughed at their expense.

Rough Rider snickered and mumbled "Is this supposed to be a talent show or a talentless show?"

"Oh, cut them some slack, Rough," Dapple Rhomb sardonically told her husband, "They're just colts."

"I know, Dapple," Rough Rider assured his wife, "But honestly, even I could do better magic that THAT."

"So could I," Bronze Star proclaimed. That was actually true. When he had his horn, he was a very capable magician.

The school teacher, Cheerilee, trotted onto the stage and announced "Uh, how about a round of applause for the S&S magic act?"

When nopony applauded, she declared "Now for our next act, we have Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie reciting their favorite poem... on roller skates!"

A moment later, two fillies rolled onto the stage. They skated around the stage for a few seconds, and then they started chanting. Bronze Star recognized the poem. His mother had read it to him several times when he was younger. He thought Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie had excellent presentation. Some of the lines, they said in unison. The rest of the lines, they alternated. Their routine reminded Bronze Star of that one musical that ran on Bridleway in Manehattan. This musical was performed entirely on roller skates, as the actors were pretending to be trains. It was a strange musical, but Bronze Star enjoyed listening to its tunes.

Unlike Snips and Snails, Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie earned a long round of applause after they finished their routine. Once they were off the stage, Cheerilee announced "Now, we have the Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, singing an original song they like to call 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders' Theme.'"

The stage was then covered in darkness. Three small silhouettes moved a number of props and a circular pedestal onto various parts of the stage. Once they were done, the three figures climbed onto the pedestal, and music that sounded like a mixture of old-school pop and rock started playing.

Right then, a spotlight shined down on the figure in the center of the platform. It turned out to be Scootaloo. She was wearing a very elaborate and overly-detailed costume. She immediately began to sing:

"Look, here, are three little ponies,

Ready to sing for this crowd,

Listen up, 'cause here's our story

I'm gonna sing it"

Right then, the entire stage was illuminated, revealing Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to be the other two figures. They were dressed similarly to Scootaloo. The three of them sang altogether:

"Very loud!"

The majority of the ponies in the audience just stared blankly at the three fillies, as if they had no idea what was going on. Applejack winced and gazed apprehensively at the ground. As for Rough Rider, Dapple Rhomb, and Bronze Star, they just had a hard time believing what they were seeing.

"And I thought MY singing was bad," Bronze Star muttered under his breath.

"What were they thinking when they constructed that set?" Dapple Rhomb asked rhetorically.

"If you think that's a riot, take a look at that 'dancing,'" Rough Rider cockily noted.

Bronze Star had seen a wide variety of musical performances in his life, but this one was by far the tackiest. Firstly, Scootaloo was singing conspicuously off-key, and her lyrics were very bland and simplistic. Secondly, Apple Bloom seemed to be functioning as the main dancer, and her idea of choreography was comprised of shaking her hips, jumping, punching, and kicking the air. She reminded Bronze Star of himself before his military training began. Thirdly, the costumes and sets did not match each other at all, and Sweetie Belle appeared to be in charge of coordinating everything on stage. She was rushing to keep up with Scootaloo's monotone pace.

Yet despite all those problems, there was something about the fillies' performance that made it strangely enjoyable.

Scootaloo continued singing:

"When you're a younger pony

And your flank is very bare

Feels like the sun will never come

When your cutie mark's not there

So the three of us will fight the fight"

That was followed by Apple Bloom diving upwards and kicking the air again. Scootaloo sang:

"There is nothing that we fear

We'll have to figure out what we'll do next…"

Here Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom joined in:

"Till our cutie marks are here!

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks"

Right now, the stage was immersed in a thick non-toxic smoke. It rendered the audience incapable of seeing the three fillies. Unfortunately for the fillies, they could not see a thing, either. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle began hopping up and down, and they accidentally collided with each other.

Scootaloo continued singing:

"They all say that you'll get your mark

When the time is really right

And you know just what you're supposed to do

And your talent comes to light

But it's not as easy as it sounds

And that waiting's hard to do

So we test our talents everywhere"

Sweetie Belle had gotten a blue-tinted spotlight to shine near Scootaloo's face. The orange filly quickly shifted her position so that the blue light was directly on her face, and she, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom sang together:

"Until our face is blue.

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks!"

All throughout that last verse, the performance had gone progressively downhill. Apple Bloom had gotten her left hind foot wedged in one of the pieces of the set. The other pieces of the set were in danger of collapsing, and despite her best efforts, Sweetie Belle was unable to keep up with them. Scooatloo's singing voice had only gotten more broken and more strained; she was clearly having a hard time maintaining his tone. On top of all that, when they reached the end of the final verse, the entire set collapsed all around the three fillies.

When the smoke finally lifted, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo managed to extricate themselves from the rubble. They gazed down at the audience expectantly, eagerly anticipating their reactions.

After an awkward pause of silence, everypony burst out laughing, much to the fillies' dismay. They hung their heads and sullenly trotted off backstage.

At this point, not a single pony in the crowd could remain quiet. Even Bronze Star was chortling in amusement. Next to him, Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb were downright guffawing.

When Bronze Star finally caught his breath, he slyly thought aloud "Talk about a comedy of errors."

"Emphasis on 'errors,'" Dapple Rhomb conceded.

"And 'comedy,'" Rough Rider added.

"Oh, well, at least they weren't hurt," Bronze Star mentioned, "Not physically, at any rate."

"Can't wait to see the award segment, though," Rough Rider commented.

"Yeah, this should be rich," Dapple Rhomb observed.

It took a couple minutes to remove the huge pile of rubble from the center of the stage. After that, Cheerilee had all the contestants regroup at the front of the stage. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were unwilling to show their faces at first, but Cheerilee persuaded them to be good sports.

After all the contestants were gathered on stage, Cheerilee pronounced "Let's hear it for all our talented fillies and colts."

There was a long, loud round of hooves stomping against the ground. When it was over, Cheerilee presented the winners. She stated "Our first award goes to... Snips and Snails for best magic act."

The two Unicorn colts excitedly approached the front of the stage and a medal was placed on each of their necks.

"Hey!" Snips exclaimed, "Mine's at least shinier."

"Well, mine's bigger," Snips muttered bluntly.

"Oh yeah?" Snips rejoined, "Well... Well, mine is, um... heavier?"

Dapple Rhomb whispered to her companions "At least they're not trying to argue whose is longer."

Her husband and her boss got a good laugh at that observation. Rough Rider then added in "Not yet, at any rate."

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb laughed even harder.

Cheerilee went on with: "The next award goes to... Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie for best dramatic performance."

The two named fillies gasped in surprise and glee. As they were given their medals, Bronze Star commented "At least one of the prizes was earned legitimately."

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider nodded in agreement.

Only one prize remained. Cheerilee broadcasted: "And finally, the last award of the night goes to... the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"What?" Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom uttered in disbelief.

Cheerilee finished her statement with "For best comedy act."

As they were given their medals, the mood of three fillies immediately shifted from astonishment to delight. The ponies in the audience cheered wildly for them and the other contestants.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon seemed annoyed that they did not win a prize, but Twist did not mind; she was happy just to have competed.

As the fillies and colts returned backstage, the audience started to disperse. Most of the ponies started heading back into town. The relatives of the contestants climbed onto the stage, as well. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were there to pick up Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo respectively.

When she spotted her younger sister, Applejack called out "Apple Bloom! You did it!"

The three fillies hastily galloped over to the mares. They had removed their costumes, and Bronze Star could see that they still had no cutie marks, but their sense of confidence and determination in their abilities seemed to have been renewed. Bronze Star smiled; he felt happy for them.

However, his smile faltered after a few seconds, when Applejack happened to turn her head in his direction. Before the gold stallion even had a chance to move, the orange mare had spotted him. Before that, she had been very pleased and proud of her sister's achievement. However, any cheery emotion she had felt seemed to drift away the moment she saw the prince.

Bronze Star was worried about what might happen next. There was no denying that his presence had incited a negative reaction out of the farmer. Interestingly, she did not seem to get angry, impatient, or hostile in any way. Even from this distance, Bronze Star could tell she was not angry. Instead, Applejack looked straight-up depressed.

At first, he was bewildered by that. Then he recalled what Apple Bloom had told him the other day. It seemed as though the yellow filly's theory that his sister was bothered by Bronze Star's absence may have had some truth to it. In fact, while Bronze Star could not tell for certain, Applejack was looking at him in such a way that she actually looked as though… she missed him.

Regardless of whether or not that really was the case, Bronze Star decided not to risk finding out the hard way that he was wrong. Aside from that, he did not want to spend any more time in this area. He scowled in displeasure, turned to face Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, and uttered "Okay, we're done here. Who's up for leaving now?"

"You'll get no argument out of me," Rough Rider disclosed.

"Yeah, let's blow this joint," Dapple Rhomb cockily recommended.

The olive stallion, the purple stallion, and the gold stallion quickly departed from the area. Bronze Star did not even bother looking back as they headed out. Even so, he could practically feel Applejack's gaze on the back of his head.

As they headed back into down, Bronze Star looked to his companions and proposed "We should get to the embassy. I believe I have something that belongs to you, Dapple."

"Very good, Mr. Ambassador," his secretary avowed, smirking.

On their way back to the embassy, the three ponies trotted in relative silence. When they were about halfway there, the gold stallion looked to the others and commented "So, tell me honesty; what did you think of the talent show?"

"It was… enjoyable," Rough Rider disclosed, "A few of the acts could have used some more work, but overall, they were pretty good. The foals in this town seem to have a lot of promise."

"Yeah, and some of them don't realize just how much they have," Dapple Rhomb perceived, "That's the thing about foals. They're capable of so much, and sometimes, they don't even know just HOW much."

"All they really need is some proper guidance," Rough Rider professed, "Guidance from the right sources, of course."

"You two don't have any foals of your own, do you?" Bronze Star queried.

"Sadly, no," Dapple Rhomb replied.

"Not yet, at any rate," Rough Rider explicated, "While we've always been able to earn a living, we've never really settled down. It's kinda hard to raise a family when you're always moving."

"But since we've become homeowners, and now that Rough will be in town for the next several weeks, we'll have plenty of time to get started on one," Dapple Rhomb pointed out, gazing at her husband a little deviously.

Rough Rider was stunned by his wife's not-so-subtle hint, but he did not seem opposed to it. He grinned at her and pronounced "We can talk about it tomorrow, sweetie."

"Thanks, dear," Dapple Rhomb said appreciatively.

The three ponies did not speak another word until they arrived back at the embassy. Once they passed through the front door, Bronze Star asked his companions "You want to stay down here, or would you like to come up with me?"

"First specify the context," Rough Rider wryly suggested.

Dapple Rhomb snickered at that innuendo, whereas Bronze Star merely rolled his eyes. He uttered in slight annoyance "You know what I meant."

Dapple Rhomb shrugged and declared "We may as well stay together until the end."

"Fine by me," Bronze Star coincided, "Come on up."

The olive stallion and the purple mare followed the gold stallion up the stairs. When they reached the door to his room, he turned to them and stated "I must ask that you stay out here."

"Don't want us to see where you keep your money?" Rough Rider audaciously presumed.

"Something like that," Bronze Star affirmed, "Just wait here. I'll be right out."

The two spouses agreed to remain out in the adjoining hallway. Bronze Star opened the door to his quarters, slipped inside, and trotted over to the other side of the room. Currently, Arthur was perched on the chair that accompanied the desk.

As he approached his desk, he smiled at his pet hawk and told him "Excuse me, Arthur."

The hawk obediently flapped off the chair and returned to his open cage. From there, he watched his master as the gold stallion pulled back the chair, knelt in front of the desk, reached underneath it, and opened a secret compartment that he had installed himself. This compartment was where he kept his money. He pulled out a wool sack which contained Dapple Rhomb's wages for the week. Once he had this sack, he sealed up the compartment and returned the chair to its original position.

Bronze Star then went back to the front of the room and opened the door. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were standing to the left of the door. When he had their attention, he held up the wool sack for them to see, and then he tossed it towards them. Dapple Rhomb caught it in her right front hoof.

Bronze Star grinned and pronounced "There you go. Fifteen thousand bits."

"How could that much money fit in such a small sack?" Rough Rider murmured in bafflement.

"The sack's been specially enchanted to hold a nearly unlimited amount of objects," Bronze Star enlightened him, "No matter how much you put in, it never gets larger or heavier. If you don't believe me, try emptying it when you get home. Or here, if you'd prefer."

"That won't be necessary," Rough Rider asserted, "I'll take your word for it."

"Okay, good," Bronze Star acknowledged, "If it's at all possible, try to return the sack sometime after you take out the money."

"You got it," Dapple Rhomb averred.

There was another brief interval of quietness, and then Rough Rider grinned, stepped up to the gold stallion, and held out his front hoof. He uttered thankfully "Well, I'd like to thank you for these past few days, Mr. Ambassador. You've really made me feel welcome here, and you've given my wife a job that she loves. For that, I'm extremely grateful."

"Anytime, Rough," Bronze Star assured the older stallion, shaking his hoof.

Dapple Rhomb was rather pleased by how her boss and her husband were getting along so well. She grinned at the gold stallion and told him "Guess I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

"I'll be waiting for you, Dapple," Bronze Star affirmed, holding out his front hoof.

The purple mare did not even hesitate. Straightaway, she approached the prince, took his front hoof in hers, and shook it firmly.

Then something completely unexpected happened.

Right now, Bronze Star was standing right in the doorframe of his quarters. However, he was not completely obstructing his room's view of the hallway, or the hallway's view of his room. Case in point, Arthur D. Hawkins had a rather decent view of the exchange between his master and the two spouses.

When Rough Rider entered his sight, the hawk simply watched as he and his master shook hooves. Basically, he had no really reaction to this gesture. However, when Dapple Rhomb stepped up to his master, Arthur reacted. He let out a shrill screech, rose into the air, and rapidly zoomed over to the purple mare.

Before any of the ponies knew what was going on, Arthur was upon them. He spread his wings wider, shrieked angrily, bared his talons, and waved them wildly at Dapple Rhomb's face. He looked and acted as though he was seriously going to scratch her eyes out.

"What the…!" Rough Rider yelled.

"Arthur, no!" Bronze Star shouted.

"Get away from me!" Dapple Rhomb screamed.

The hawk ignored them and continued trying to attack the purple mare. Dapple Rhomb dropped the sack of money and tried to cover her face with her front hooves, but that did not discourage Arthur from finding another way to harm her. Rough Rider threw his own hooves at the hawk in an attempt to strike him down, but Arthur was too agile. Bronze Star tried to use commands to get the bird to back down, but he did not seem to even acknowledge the words that came out of his master's mouth. He just relentlessly continued his attack on Dapple Rhomb.

At one point, he managed to sink his right talon into Dapple Rhomb's left cheek. He ended up leaving a shallow yet lengthy gash on her face, and she yelled in agony.

Luckily, Bronze Star managed to spot a weakness in Arthur's actions. He took a few seconds to concentrate on the weakness, and once he found the right opening, Bronze Star moved it. He gripped Arthur by his wing, right on the spot where it had been broken several months earlier. While that wound had almost completely healed, that spot on Arthur's wing was still tender to the touch. When his master grabbed him there, he immediately broke off his attack.

Bronze Star then took ahold of Arthur's other wing so that he was unable to fly. While the hawk put up a struggle, his master had already overpowered him. With a bit of difficulty, Bronze Star carried Arthur back to his room, tossed him inside, and shut the door behind him.

By now, Dapple Rhomb was on the ground, lying flat on her back, and Rough Rider was kneeling by her side. Bronze Star hastily came to her other side, and the two stallions helped her sit up.

"Dapple, are you alright?" Rough Rider asked in concern.

"I… I think so," the purple mare responded, holding her front hoof against her bleeding cheek.

On the plus side, other than the cuts Arthur had given her on her left cheek, Dapple Rhomb seemed to be unharmed. She was clearly quite shaken over what just happened, though.

"Dapple, I'm so sorry," Bronze Star told his secretary sincerely, "I don't know what got in to Arthur. He's never behaved like that before."

"For his sake, he better never behave that way again," Rough Rider muttered through gritted teeth, "You should keep that crazy beast locked up!"

"That 'crazy beast' is my faithful pet and companion, Rough," Bronze Star irately mumbled, "Don't you dare insult him like that! Not in front of me!"

"Well, excuse me if I value the life of my wife over your damn pet!" Rough Rider mockingly remarked.

"Okay, that's enough, you two!" Dapple Rhomb interjected.

The olive stallion and the gold stallion were alarmed to hear her make that outburst, but they quickly stopped before their minor dispute evolved into a heated argument or worse.

The purple mare managed to sit up straight, and then she pronounced "Look at me; I'm fine. There's no reason for you to freak out or turn against each other. Got that?"

Rough Rider and Bronze Star slowly nodded in acknowledgement. Dapple Rhomb grinned and stated "Good."

"Still, I'm very sorry," Bronze Star asserted, "Arthur never attacks anypony unless he's provoked or unless I order him to."

"Well, I've never been very good with animals," Dapple Rhomb claimed, "So I tend to avoid them anyway. Still, I've never had an encounter with an animal quite like that one."

"I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," Bronze Star pronounced. He then examined the cuts on Dapple Rhomb's cheek. While they were not very deep, they were leaking blood at a slow and steady rate. They needed to be treated straightaway. Bronze Star stood up and told the two ponies "Stay here. I'll get something to clean the wound."

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb agreed to stay put. Bronze Star then turned to the door to his room, carefully pulled it open partway, and slipped inside. As he made his way to the bathroom, he spotted Arthur sitting in his cage. Bronze Star flashed an angry glare in his pet's direction, but Arthur did not seem the least bit repentant about what he had just done. Bronze Star made a note to discipline him later.

Anyway, he entered the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and removed two small white towels, a bottle of peroxide, a roll of gauze, and medical tape. Once he had all these items, he headed back out to the hallway. He made sure to keep the door to his room at least partly closed so that Arthur could not see Dapple Rhomb or her husband.

Rough Rider helped his wife sit up while Bronze Star knelt next to her again. He then took one of the small towels and used it to wipe away all the blood from her injury. Dapple Rhomb lightly groaned as he patted the towel against her cheek.

"I hope you're not in a lot of pain," Bronze Star commented.

"It hurts a little, but not too much," Dapple Rhomb apprised him.

"These looks like some pretty bad cuts," Bronze Star perceived as he continued wiping away the blood.

"I can handle it," Dapple Rhomb reassured him. There was a bit of silence, and then Dapple Rhomb scoffed and inquired "This remind you of anything?"

"Oh, yeah," Bronze Star commented, smirking, "It's the incident at the party all over again."

"Only the roles have been reversed," Rough Rider noted.

"I would say so," Bronze Star muttered in amusement.

After Bronze Star finished wiping away the blood on Dapple Rhomb's face, he took another moment to examine her for any other damages. Luckily, Arthur had only left those cuts on her cheek. However, at one point, he noticed the scars on the side of her neck. When he saw those scars and her new cuts at the same time, he froze. He slowly looked back and forth between the scars and the cuts, and he stared at them in astonishment.

After about fifteen seconds, Rough Rider raised an eyebrow and inquired "Are you okay, Mr. Ambassador?"

Bronze Star snapped out of his reverie and replied with "Yeah, Rough. Just wanted to make sure she didn't have any other injuries. I'm pleased to say she does not."

The first towel was now stained with Dapple Rhomb's blood. He set it aside, and picked up the other towel and the bottle of peroxide. After soaking the towel with a small amount of peroxide, he dabbed it against her cheek. She moaned softly, but she could tolerate the pain. Once the wound was sterilized, Bronze Star used the gauze and medical tape to cover the wound.

"There we go," Bronze Star muttered, "It should take about two or three days for the cuts to heal. You'll want to change the bandage once or twice a day until then. After that, you'll be good to go."

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Ambassador," Dapple Rhomb stated appreciatively. Rough Rider helped her to her hooves, and then she picked up the money sack and told her employer "At any rate, I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock."

"I'll see you then," Bronze Star avowed, smiling.

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider then trotted down the stairs, signed out at the front of the building, and left the building. Bronze Star remained smiling for as long as they were there.

However, the moment they left the building, his smile faded away and was replaced by an nervous frown.

Just then, Sir Haywood McCrank opened the door to his quarters, peeked outside, and asked "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"

"Yeah, Sir Haywood," the gold stallion tentatively proclaimed. As he picked up the towels, bottle of peroxide, gauze, and medical tape off the ground, he bluntly professed "Actually, I'm not sure about that. Right now, I need to think. I'll talk to you about this later."

"Very well," the indigo stallion coincided. He stepped back into his quarters and shut the door again.

Bronze Star then went into his own quarters. Arthur was still sitting in his cage. He watched his master anxiously as he neared him.

Bronze Star had planned to chastise his hawk for his violent behavior, but due to a sudden development, he decided to do nothing of the sort. He just reentered the bathroom, put the peroxide, gauze, and medical tape back into the medicine cabinet, and closed the cabinet up.

He then took the towel that had been soaked in peroxide and washed it in the sink. The other towel – the one he had used to clean Dapple Rhomb's wound – was too soaked with blood to clean. Initially, he was impelled to toss the bloodied towel into the trash can. But something was telling him not to dispose of it so soon.

Ultimately, he just walked over to his desk, opened the top drawer, and deposited the bloodied towel inside. After closing the drawer, he sat down at his desk and thought about what had just occurred.

Bronze Star had gotten a very close look at the scars on the side of Dapple Rhomb's neck and the cuts Arthur had just carved into her cheek. The two injuries were practically identical.

As far as he knew, Dapple Rhomb had never been in the same room as Arthur before today. In fact, Bronze Star had never even mentioned either of them to the other. Bronze Star had never ordered Arthur to attack anypony since they came to Ponyville, and there was nopony in town that Arthur was on poor terms with.

With all that in mind, it made no sense why he attacked Dapple Rhomb without provocation. Then again, perhaps he actually had been provoked by her. By adding that theory to the fact that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had been in Canterlot at the exact same time that the vigilantes had broken into Bronze Star's room in the castle, everything was starting to make a lot more sense.

Yesterday morning, Bronze Star had partly suspected Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider of being connected to the vigilantes. This morning, they had been totally free of his suspicions.

Now he did not know what to think. He stared at the wall and mused "What is going on?"

> Primal Motive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star woke up well before six o'clock the following morning. He had been doing that quite often as of late. The difference was that this time, he had not intended to get up that early. However, now that he had, he figured he may as well take advantage of his extra time.

Shortly after he got out of bed, Bronze Star left his room, made his way to Haywood McCrank's quarters, and he firmly pounded on the door with his front hoof. After some silence, he heard light moans and the sounds of shuffling in place, and then he heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching the door. When the indigo stallion answered the door, his appearance was unkempt and he was notably fatigued, but he managed to stand at attention.

He loudly yawned, and then he asked the gold stallion "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Sir Haywood, I'd like to talk to you about what happened last night," Bronze Star requested, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but given the circumstances, I feel it would be ideal to discuss this as soon as possible, and I'd like to do it before Dapple Rhomb arrives."

The federal investigator rubbed his eyes to clear them out. Then he nodded his head and proclaimed "Alright. Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

"Okay," Bronze Star conceded, "We'll talk about it over breakfast."

"Sounds good," was all Haywood said in response. He closed the door and proceeded to prepare for the day.

Bronze Star swiftly returned to his own bedroom so that he could prepare, as well. In the span of ten minutes, he took a shower, dried himself off, and woke up his pet hawk so he could feed him. Bronze Star typically just brought Arthur D. Hawkins breakfast while he was in his bedroom. For this morning, he wanted Arthur to have breakfast in the kitchen with him and Sir Haywood.

A few minutes later, Bronze Star trotted downstairs with Arthur perched on his shoulder. When they got to the kitchen, it was empty. Bronze Star was not surprised; he had expected it to get there first. Although he generally wore nothing, Sir Haywood still wore a suit almost every day. So naturally, he would need a little more time to get dressed before he came downstairs.

Luckily, it only took him five additional minutes. Once he arrived in the kitchen, Sir Haywood helped Bronze Star make breakfast. They had fried eggs, sweet potato waffles, and a couple of fruit smoothies. Arthur had a fish which his master had caught in the town's largest pond a couple weeks ago.

Once everything was ready, Haywood McCrank and Bronze Star went to the dining room and sat down at the table. Arthur landed on the spot of the table that was right next to Bronze Star's seat. He avidly pecked away at his fish while the stallions ate slowly and quietly.

As they had their breakfast, Bronze Star apprised Haywood of the incident that had transpired outside his bedroom the previous night. Although the event and its aftermath had been very brief, he was able to describe what happened in vivid detail. He put especial emphasis on the fact that Dapple Rhomb's old neck injury and the cuts Arthur had given her were almost exactly the same.

When Bronze Star was finished with his recollection, Sir Haywood McCrank took a minute to ponder on everything he had been told. After reflecting on it all, he turned to the prince and queried "How often does Arthur attack other ponies without cause?"

"Never," Bronze Star informed him, "I mean, he IS an aggressive bird, but he never attacks anypony without a reason. So I can't imagine why he would assault Dapple Rhomb."

"Could it be possible he just doesn't like her?" Haywood McCrank speculated.

"I doubt it," Bronze Star debated, "It would take a lot more than that for him to behave violently. Plus, yesterday was the first time he and Dapple were ever in the same room. So he doesn't know her nearly enough to decide if he likes or dislikes her."

"As far as you know," Haywood McCrank commented.

"Yes, as far as I know," Bronze Star affirmed, "That's why I'm telling you this. Something about that episode doesn't seem right."

"Because Arthur attacked Dapple Rhomb without warning?" Sir Haywood presumed.

"No, not just that," Bronze Star clarified, "Sure, it's strange enough he did that at all. What really disturbs me is the fact that the scratches the Colonel put on Dapple's cheek are remarkably similar to the scars on her neck."

"You're right, that is unsettling," Sir Haywood stated. He rubbed his chin for a moment, and then he noted "She may have told us that she got that injury from an accident with a knife rack, but one cannot always believe everything one is told."

"Precisely," Bronze Star declared, "I think it'd be safe to assume that she didn't acquire those scars from another hawk. Perhaps they came from Arthur, too. With that in mind, maybe she inflicted some damage onto him in return."

Haywood McCrank raised an eyebrow in surprise and muttered "What exactly are you implying, sir? Do you believe Dapple Rhomb was the one who planted that letter in your bedroom at the castle?"

"Well, she WAS in Canterlot during the same week Spike was there," Bronze Star professed, "She also toured the Castle on the same day that he visited my bedroom. The timing works out perfectly."

"While I've correctly made grander assumptions from even less evidence to go by, that seems like a bit of a longshot, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "She may've had opportunity, but there are a lot more factors that need to be accounted for. For one thing, how could she have entered your bedroom? Isn't it kept under watch, even while you are gone?"

"Yes, it is," Bronze Star elucidated, "As you know, it is impossible to teleport into Canterlot Castle without special permission from my mother. There are always two guards posted outside the main door of my bedroom, and whenever I'm away, all the entrances to it are locked. The keys to those entries cannot be replicated through any means. The only possible way one could get inside is through an open window above the door to the balcony, and that window's been enchanted so that only Arthur can pass through it. That's how he was able to take care of himself before I had him brought here."

Haywood McCrank lightly nodded his head in acknowledgement and observed "So like the rest of the castle, your room is meant to be impenetrable."

"And inescapable," Bronze Star told him, "Getting out would be just as hard as getting in."

"I thought so," Sir Haywood remarked, "Even so, we know that it is indeed possible to slip in and out of your room undetected. That was how the letter from the vigilantes made its way into your filing cabinet. We know for a fact that somepony broke into your room, but I'm pretty sure that Dapple Rhomb is not that somepony. I just don't think she possesses that kind of capability."

"Or maybe we just don't know the full extent of her abilities," Bronze Star theorized, "She has amazing reflexes and reaction time. I discovered that three weeks ago, when she managed to save Twilight Sparkle from a collapsing bookshelf. She is very resourceful, and she has a practical ability to learn and adapt, too. I know that from working with her for these past couple months."

"That may be," Sir Haywood mentioned, "But what about stealth? Tactics? Combat Prowess? Audacity? A prior knowledge of Canterlot Castle's layout? Those are the things one would REALLY need to execute a proper break-in at the castle, and I doubt Dapple Rhomb knows very much of them."

"Sir Haywood, you seem very determined to convince me that Dapple Rhomb is innocent," Bronze Star bluntly noted, "Why are you so against this hypothesis of mine?"

"I'm not, sir," Haywood McCrank claimed, "Believe me; I'm on your side, and I always have been. I just want you to keep an open mind about everything like I do. What really matters to me is this: do you truly believe there is a chance that Dapple Rhomb was the pony who put that letter in your bedroom?"

Bronze Star sat in silence for about thirty seconds as he thought about this matter. After that, he looked to the indigo stallion, gradually nodded his head, and replied with "Yes, I do. I'm hoping that I'm wrong, but until I know for sure, I cannot ignore the possibility."

"Very well," Sir Haywood avowed. There was a brief interval of quietness. After that, the federal investigator sighed, leaned back in his chair, and pronounced "I was just about to officially eliminate Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider as suspects. Now that you've come to me with this, I'm going to hold off on ruling them out."

"Okay," Bronze Star accepted this proposal, "How should we handle this?"

"The simplest way to confirm your suspicion would be if we managed to incite another reaction out of Arthur," Sir Haywood recommended, "Maybe you could stage another encounter between the Colonel and your secretary."

"Bad idea," Bronze Star refuted, "I'm not about to have those two in the same room again. Not only would Dapple become inquisitive, but she might also get seriously hurt."

"You could just show him a picture of her," Sir Haywood suggested.

"That wouldn't work; he knows the difference between the image of a pony and the actual pony," Bronze Star revealed, "Aside from that, it would be hard to get my hooves on a picture of Dapple. I couldn't just ask her for one or request to take a photograph of her. Not without making her suspicious."

"Right," Sir Haywood glumly commented, "Then we'll have to handle this the old-fashioned way. We'll do some research."

"What sort of research?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I'm going to contact Agent Dread Naught," Haywood McCrank expounded, "I'll have him run a background check on both Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. Using the resources of the Intelligence Bureau, he can look up a complete record of their entire lives. He can confirm if either of them ever did anything worthy of notice by the authorities. If they ever so much as littered, Dread Naught can find out."

"Alright," Bronze Star stated in approval, "There's no harm in seeking out aid from Agent Dread Naught, seeing as how he aided us in this investigation once before."

"Actually, sir, he's been helping us ever since I mailed him those three objects we found in Whitetail Woods," Haywood McCrank illuminated, "I've asked him to keep a careful eye out for any signs of activity by the Vermane. For the past few weeks, he's been monitoring reports of local crime in every city of Equestria."

"Has he found anything indicative of the bounty hunters' whereabouts or actions?" Bronze Star queried.

"I'm sure he has, but I haven't contacted him since he returned the three clues," Haywood elaborated, "Whenever he mails us the background checks on Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, I'll have Dread Naught send us a summary of his examination's findings alongside them."

"Good idea," Bronze Star murmured, "Any idea when that might be?"

"Since he'll be balancing the background checks with his ongoing search for the Vermane, it could be a while before we hear back from him," Haywood McCrank admitted, "After all, he'll be working all by himself. It should take him at least three or four days. Could even be as long as a week."

"As long as he's absolutely methodical, I don't care how long it takes," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Just tell him this is a matter of great precedence."

"He knows, sir," Haywood McCrank insisted, "The fact that this order comes directly from you is all the motivation he needs."

"I'm glad to hear that, Haywood," Bronze Star muttered appreciatively.

Before long, the two stallions and the hawk finished breakfast. Once they cleared the table, washed the dishes, and put them away in the kitchen, both stallions went upstairs to their respective rooms. Sir Haywood McCrank closed the door, sat down at his desk, and composed a letter to his colleague Agent Dread Naught. In the letter, he included everything that pertained to the conversation he had had with Bronze Star at breakfast. He was sure to emphasize that while haste was of the essence, meticulousness was of even greater importance in this scenario.

As for Bronze Star, he only went up to his room to drop off Arthur. He did not need or want the Colonel outside his quarters while Dapple Rhomb was at the embassy. The hawk did not protest. He actually seemed to welcome the security of his cage.

It was at times like this that Bronze Star really wished Arthur could talk. That way he could confirm or deny directly if Dapple Rhomb really was the pony who attacked him in Canterlot Castle. Alas, the most he could do was shake or nod his head, and he only did that in response to certain personal questions.

Bronze Star knew full well that if Arthur did attack the purple mare again, that would bring him one step closer to validating his theory that she was the one who sent him that letter all those months ago. But he did not want to take a course of action that would involve unnecessary violence. It was in his nature to look out for the well-being of everypony, even those he suspected of foul play. If there was ever an alternative to using such force, he would always take it.

Dapple Rhomb showed up for work at the usual time that day. Despite what had occurred at the embassy the previous night, she did not seem reluctant or uncomfortable to be there at all. She acted as though the incident with Arthur had never happened. If not for the bandage on her face, one might think that it did not.

Bronze Star, on the other hoof, was not about to pretend it did not happen. In his mind, that affair was too significant to overlook.

Still, although Bronze Star now had reason to suspect his secretary of scheming against him, he did not behave any differently towards her. He just worked with her in the same methodical manner that he always used. He barely mentioned the encounter from last night. He did ask her if she was alright, and when she assured him that she was, he dropped the matter altogether.

By noon, Sir Haywood had finished composing his letter to Agent Dread Naught, and he had mailed it to Canterlot. By the time Dapple Rhomb went home that evening, Dread Naught would have received the letter on his desk. Since it was marked "classified & high-priority," and since it was from Sir Haywood, Dread Naught would put it right at the top of his to-do list.

This part of the investigation was placed entirely in Dread Naught's hooves now. All Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank could do was wait until they heard back from him.

Over the next five days, the two stallions continued their own investigation in Ponyville. They managed to narrow down the list of suspects of who could have been the assassins, but they were no closer to discovering who may have been the victim. Still, they had made a lot of progress in this past month; almost as much progress as they had made in the previous five months combined.

On the fourth night, Bronze Star received two letters from Canterlot. Neither of them was from the Intelligence Bureau, but they had been sent by Lord Bellerophon and SIG Sauer, so whatever was in them must have been equally important.

He chose to read the one from Lord Bellerophon first. The information in this one was fairly interesting and pleasing. In the letter, Lord Bellerophon claimed Princess Celestia had not forgotten her promise to grace Ponyville with her presence. She had already come to the town three times since the Summer Sun Celebration, but she had only stayed for about a half hour in total for those occasions. This time, she wished to pay the town a longer visit, and she planned to do it sometime in the next month. She would let Bronze Star and Mayor Mare work out the date and details of the affair. Lord Bellerophon was sure to include Princess Celestia's assurances that she would not miss this rendezvous like the last one

Bronze Star was glad to know that his mother would be coming to Ponyville soon. He had not seen her since the Best Young Flyers Competition, and they had barely had any time to talk at all on that occasion. In fact, he had spent much more time speaking with General Walther than with her.

Interestingly, there was another reason why Celestia was planning to come to Ponyville soon. According to Lord Bellerophon, a number of high-ranking executives in a few prominent companies had planned to hold a summit. For various reasons, they had requested for a member of the Canterlot Royalty to listen in on their talks and for the conference to take place somewhere other than one of Equestria's major cities. Celestia agreed to witness the meeting, and she had chosen Ponyville as its location. She would specify the particulars of this affair in another letter.

The letter from SIG Sauer contained even better news. Ever since the Firebrand Regiment received the list of forty ponies in Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase from the prince, they had been studying it extensively. Three whole weeks had elapsed since they began, and they had managed to positively identify five of those ponies as conspirators. Technically, there were six in total, as Lavender Dazzle had been on that list, too. Bronze Star was thrilled that they had made so much progress.

The good news did not stop there. Of the twenty ponies who were involved in the assassination conspiracy, only one of them still needed to be identified. With the intelligence they already had, the Regiment had managed to confirm their theory that the last conspirator was the one who established the communications network amongst his colleagues. In other words, the last pony involved in this matter must have been in contact with the conspiracy's ringleaders. As a result, SIG Sauer had decided that the Regiment would monitoring all correspondence between Raging Tempest, Sparker Blare, Esopus Spitzenburg, and anypony they all spoke with on a regular basis.

From here, the Regiment had composed a list of about sixty possible suspects of who could have been the final conspirator. They had already narrowed the list down to thirty-eight, but it would be a while before the list even got into the single digits. They were still keeping a very close eye on Esopus Spitzenburg.

Currently, Spitzenburg was in Appleoosa, a town in the deep south of Equestria. Until recently, it had only been a small, underdeveloped settlement with only a hoofful of ponies living there. But within the past year, a number of settlers had come to the town to expand its population. Most notably, several members of the Apple Family had relocated there, and they had planted a huge apple orchard in the land adjoining the town. One could say they were making Appleoosa live up to its name.

Unfortunately, since it was such a small town, the Firebrand Regiment's field operatives were unable to follow Spitzenburg to Appleoosa. If they went there, they would become unacceptably conspicuous. That meant as long as he stayed in Appleoosa, Spitzenburg would be free from the watchful eye of the federal government. He would be able to scheme in privacy for as long as he wanted.

For that reason, the Regiment was convinced that Spitzenburg would be the key to identifying the final conspirator. So they would continue devoting their resources to attempt to find out what Spitzenburg was doing in Appleoosa. Even if that meant they could only study him from afar.

Bronze Star just hoped they would learn the identity of the last conspirator soon. Once he or she was identified, the Regiment would be able to take out all the conspirators simultaneously. Of course, part of him was hoping that the Regiment would not learn the conspirator's name TOO soon. He wanted a chance to make things right with Applejack before he gave the order to have her Great Uncle executed, and currently, he had no idea how to approach this matter. He needed time to decide a plan. Because at this time, he was still unsure about even going near her.

The following evening, Sir Haywood McCrank received a large envelope from Agent Dread Naught. As soon as the letter got in, the indigo stallion went to the gold stallion's quarters to discuss its contents with him.

As Sir Haywood had pledged, Dread Naught's background checks on Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were extremely thorough. He had managed to dig up a record of virtually their whole lives. Dread Naught was able to confirm almost everything the purple mare and the olive stallion had told Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank during their lunch at the café. They were indeed foalhood friends, they were both originally from San Franciscolt, they were both alumni of Skybrook University, and ever since they graduated, they had been traveling all over the country together.

Rough Rider was a legitimate travelling salespony, as well as a rather prolific one. He and Dapple Rhomb had indeed been everywhere he claimed they had visited in the past four years, and he had conducted all the sales he claimed to have made. Dapple Rhomb had gotten some work of her own every now and then, but her temporary jobs only lasted for as long as their stay in that city did. She just went with her husband wherever he went.

Haywood McCrank had asked Dread Naught to pay close attention to the nature of Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's relationship. He had considered the possibility if they actually were working for the vigilantes, their marriage could have just been a ploy to preserve their cover. With that in mind, he got the idea that perhaps they were not really married.

It turned out they were. Their ceremony had been carried out by the president of Skybrook University, and it had taken place in front of scores of their family members and friends. Both of her parents and both of his parents had attended, as well. They must have hired an expert photographer, as there were over a hundred available pictures of their wedding and the reception. Moreover, everypony who knew Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider felt they made one of the best couples ever.

So even their marriage was for real. But there was one aspect about it that did not check out.

Dapple Rhomb had told Bronze Star twice that she and Rough Rider had spent a week in Canterlot to celebrate their anniversary. Dread Naught was able to confirm that they had been there; he had acquired their hotel records, and he found their names on a roster of everypony who toured the castle back then.

However, he had also gotten his hooves on a copy of their marriage certificate. According to it, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had gotten married three weeks before Hearts and Hooves Day. They had been in Canterlot about six weeks after the Summer Sun Celebration. The dates did not match; there was a five-month difference between them.

Ordinarily, Bronze Star would have conjectured that perhaps Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had been so busy before that week that they may have simply moved their anniversary to another date. However, during their lunch at the café, Dapple Rhomb had mentioned that on the actual day of their anniversary, they had gone on their tour of the castle. So they had lied about the date of their anniversary.

That was enough to convince Bronze Star that they had lied about why they had been in the capital city, too. They might have gone there for a reason other than their anniversary or work.

When they were finished going over the background checks on Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank looked over Dread Naught's report on the recent activity of the Vermane.

A week and a-half ago, a retired army officer had been found dead outside his private cabin on Foal Mountain. At first glance, his death appeared to be the result of a rock-climbing accident. However, the description of his death matched that of the Vermane's previous victims. Three figures – one Earth Pony, one Unicorn, one Pegasus – had been spotted in the area shortly before the officer had died, they had been clad in full-body jumpsuits, and they had been very quick and stealthy. In addition to that, the army officer had come from a wealthy family. When he died, he had left everything to an army-supported charity organization. Dread Naught and Sir Haywood had long ago concluded that one of the Vermane's members was employed by that organization. Because of that, the bounty hunters would be able to make a profit from the officer's donations.

Foal Mountain was not that far from Ponyville. This suggested that the Vermane were very close to the town. Sir Haywood did not believe the bounty hunters were there yet, but the townsfolk had to be just as cautious and alert as ever.

The task force had been unable to prevent the army officer's murder, but they still had a chance to save the pony in Ponyville who had been targeted by the bounty hunters. Sir Haywood and Dread Naught had noticed that the Vermane never killed more than one pony in a four-week interval, so the task force had at least a month to determine who their next victim was.

When Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank gone over all the information Dread Naught had sent them, the prince turned to the federal investigator and queried "What do you propose we do now?"

"Now, we resume our investigation," Sir Haywood remarked.

"I was unaware that we ever paused it," Bronze Star wryly muttered.

"I meant the investigation of your secretary and her husband," Haywood McCrank clarified, "The whole reason we had Dread Naught run a background check on Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider was because you suspected they were connected to the vigilante group. I may have doubted you at first, but now I believe your theory may have some merit to it."

"Shouldn't we be more focused on locating the assassins or the victim?" Bronze Star suggested, "I mean, the vigilantes are not a threat to us, and we decided that we would not pursue them. That was part of the arrangement we made with them."

"I realize that," Sir Haywood professed, "However, the deal also stipulated that we would share knowledge with them equally. Have you noticed that lately, the vigilantes have not been as helpful as they used to be? Some of their leads have led us nowhere, and a lot of the information they're sharing is information we already know. They are deliberately withholding data from us."

"Well, we haven't let them see the clues we found in Whitetail Woods," Bronze Star conjectured, "Since we denied their request to examine the three objects directly, this could be their way of protesting."

"That may be," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "Even so, we have not kept anything else from them. We told them practically everything we knew about the Vermane. Despite that, the content of the reports they've sent us has been steadily declining in quality. We can hardly trust an ally who so blatantly violates the terms of an agreement. As such, we should 'persuade' them to cooperate with us like before. The best way to do that would be to confront one of them directly. Or two."

"Good point," Bronze Star commented, "We'll still need some additional evidence before we can verify if Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider really are working for the vigilantes. Dread Naught pretty much gave us their entire life stories in one large envelope, though. There's not much else we could do to investigate them further."

"There is one thing," Sir Haywood asserted. He picked up the stack of papers they had received from Dread Naught, and he pulled out a certain document. He handed it to the gold stallion, and Bronze Star saw that it was a record of all the business deals Rough Rider had made during his career. As the prince examined it, the investigator disclosed "Almost all of Rough Rider's sales have taken place in Equestria's major cities, like Fillydelphia, Detrot, Manehattan, and San Horsé. Only three of his transactions have taken place in a suburban town. Oddly enough, it was the same town all three times. Guess which one?"

"This one?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Correct," Sir Haywood affirmed, "At our lunch, Rough Rider said that the first time he came to Ponyville, he sold some fabrics and silks to Rarity. The second time, he sold some teeth-cleaning equipment to Colgate and some spirits to Berry Punch. He also mentioned that he and Dapple Rhomb did not decide to move here until after their first visit. Therefore, I cannot help but wonder what enticed him to do some business here."

"Well, Rarity did order those materials through Rough Rider's catalogue," Bronze Star pointed out, "Then again, that bids the question; why hasn't anypony in another small town ordered something from his catalogue? And for that matter, how did she acquire his catalogue?"

"An excellent question," Haywood McCrank pronounced, "The same concept could apply to Colgate and Berry Punch. There may be something special about these three particular mares. There could be a specific reason why he chose to do business with them and nopony else who lives outside the cosmopolitan areas of the country."

"Could be," Bronze Star murmured, rubbing his chin. There was a short period of silence, and then the gold stallion asked "So, with all that accounted for, what would you recommend?"

"We should speak with those three mares," Sir Haywood advised, "They should be able to tell us a little more about what Rough Rider was doing in Ponyville during his last two visits. Perhaps they observed something strange about his attitude or mannerisms, or something indicative of ulterior motives for coming here."

"That doesn't seem very likely, but at this point, I'm willing to consider any course of action," Bronze Star uttered, rubbing his chin. After another brief pause, he inquired "How should we handle this?"

"Tomorrow, I'll go visit Colgate and Berry Punch," Sir Haywood declared, "The two of them each spent nearly half a-day with him. They must've learned something about him in all that time. Could you handle Rarity?"

"Yeah, I'll talk to Rarity," Bronze Star conceded, "She knows me personally, and she has a talent for noticing tiny yet essential details. If Rough Rider exhibited any abnormal behavior or said anything noteworthy when he visited her, she'll be happy to share that information with me."

"Great," Sir Haywood said in approval, "Are you going to see her tomorrow, too?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star stated, "I have a meeting with the Mayor and City Council in the morning, so I'll go see Rarity sometime after noon. There's no telling how long I might be there; Dapple Rhomb might be stuck working here by herself for most of the day. So I'm going to go ahead and get a jump start on tomorrow's workload. That way, there'll be less for her to do."

"Good idea," Haywood drily commented, smirking, "She's lucky to have such an empathetic boss."

Bronze Star scoffed and muttered "I suppose so. But if I find out she and her husband really are working for the vigilantes, I won't be so 'empathetic' towards her then."

"I wouldn't expect you to be," was all Sir Haywood said in response.

This private meeting soon ended. After it did, Haywood McCrank returned to his bedroom and prepared some questions to ask Colgate and Berry Punch. Bronze Star did not bother with any of that; he would just ask Rarity questions as they came to him. Instead, he concentrated on accomplishing the more difficult tasks on his agenda for the following day.

When he was about halfway done with next day's workload, he decided to call it quits. He ate a light dinner, and then he sat in bed reading until midnight. After that, he went to sleep.

The next day, Bronze Star had the meeting with Mayor Mare and City Council. It lasted about two hours; slightly longer than normal. He notified the others that Princess Celestia planned to grace Ponyville with her presence sometime soon, and that she would be hosting a conference there whenever she did. Naturally, the mayor and the members of her cabinet were delighted to learn this.

Sir Haywood McCrank had gone to see Colgate and Berry Punch before the meeting began. After it ended, Bronze Star informed Dapple Rhomb that he was going out to see Rarity for a few hours. He also explained that since he did not know how long he would be gone, he had already accomplished half of that day's workload. She was quite grateful for that, and the purple mare assured her employer that she would complete the rest of the workload before she went home, if not before he returned to the building.

Bronze Star had brought his knapsack to the meeting. After putting it on and signing out at the front, he departed from the embassy and made his way across town. He was hoping that nopony was seeing Rarity at that time. Otherwise he would have to wait for that customer to leave or be more subtle with his questions.

It did not take him long to reach Carousel Boutique. When he got there, he went inside the building right away. He did not have to knock; a bell had been hung above the front door to signal when somepony entered or exited.

As Bronze Star passed through the entrance, he heard a voice call out "Be right there!"

A few seconds later, Rarity stepped into view from behind a curtain. When she saw who her visitor was, she smiled and greeted him with "Oh, hello, Bronze Star."

"Hey, Rarity," Bronze Star rejoined happily, "I was hoping to talk to you. Are you busy?"

"Well, yes," the white mare bluntly replied, "But I can talk and work at the same time. Come on over."

"Thank you," Bronze Star said appreciatively.

As Bronze Star approached her, the white mare turned back to the curtain and pulled it open. The gold stallion got a good look at what she was working on. Behind the curtain was a mannequin that held a full-body skintight white garment. By itself, it was nothing extravagant. But Rarity was in the process of lining the outfit with gems. The gems gave it a lot more texture, depth, and distinctiveness. They also made it quite pleasing to look at.

An open chest was next to the mannequin, and it was partly full of gems. Rarity used her magic to remove a small blue gem from the chest, transported it over to the costume, and attached it to the collar.

As she did this, Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and asked "What's this?"

"My latest inspiration," Rarity apprised him, "I got the idea to adorn an entire ensemble with gems from top-to-bottom."

"Peculiar," Bronze Star murmured in interest, "I imagine that'd be a little painful to wear, though. Not to mention heavy."

"No, I've compensated for that," the fashion designer expounded, "The material I used for the outfit is very light and absorbent. It's designed so that the gems won't irritate the wearer or weigh the wearer down."

"That's fortunate for you and the garment's future buyer," Bronze Star perceived.

"Indeed," Rarity concurred. There was a short interval of quietness as Rarity used her magic to attach a miniscule red gem to the garment's front left sleeve. Then she looked over her shoulder and asked "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

"I just have a few questions," Bronze Star disclosed, "Have you by any chance met Dapple Rhomb's husband, Rough Rider?"

"Actually, yes," Rarity answered. She continued attaching more gems on the garment as she had this conversation with the prince.

"Before he arrived in town the other week?" he assumed.

"Yes, before then," she confirmed, "A few weeks before you moved to Ponyville, he visited my shop. At the time, I didn't know he was Dapple's husband, but he did mention that he was married."

"Why'd he come here?" Bronze Star queried.

"He was delivering some specialty cloth that I bought from him," Rarity explicated.

"What sort of cloth?" he remarked.

"I believe it was a few rolls of luxury fabric and a case of finely-woven silk," she recalled.

"Sounds expensive," Bronze Star candidly perceived.

"Yeah, the materials cost a little more than I was willing to spend," Rarity informed him, "So I tried to haggle with Rough for a better price. After a while, we managed to come to an agreement. He gave me a fifteen percent discount of my order in exchange for something else."

"What did you give him in return?" Bronze Star stated inquisitively.

"Nothing much," Rarity illuminated, "He just wanted some information about Ponyville. He asked to know a few things about the town, its inhabitants, and its surroundings. Since I've lived here all my life, I was able to answer all of his questions. Except the ones about the Everfree Forest, of course."

"Of course," Bronze Star mumbled frankly, "Why did he want to know so much about Ponyville, anyway?"

"At the time, I was actually wondering that, too," Rarity revealed, "After I answered all his questions, I asked him why he was so interested in the town, and he told me he was thinking about moving here."

"After being in town for less than one day?" Bronze Star noted skeptically.

"Oh, yes," Rarity asserted, "He seemed to admire Ponyville. He said it was 'a far cry from the hectic and demanding routine of the urban lifestyle he had grown up with.'"

"I can relate," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I got almost the exact same impression of this town after just one day in it, too."

"I believe that," Rarity commented, "It's hard not to appreciate everything this town has to offer."

Bronze Star lightly nodded his head in agreement. At this time, Rarity was almost done with decorating the garment on the mannequin. As she attached another gem to its midsection, she looked over her shoulder again and remarked "Is there anything else you'd like to know about Rough Rider?"

"Yes, I do have a few more questions," Bronze Star informed her, "If you would not mind, that is."

"I'll be glad to answer them," Rarity assured him, "Just give me a moment to finish this ensemble."

"Okay," Bronze Star agreed.

By now, there was only one bare spot on the white garment. Conveniently, there was also only one gem left in the chest. Rarity used her magic to pick up the last gem, carefully levitated it over to the mannequin, and attached it to the final bare spot. Once it was in place, the white Unicorn smiled and proudly announced "Perfect!"

Bronze Star studied the garment for a few seconds. Then he smirked and decreed "I have to admit; I'm impressed."

"Thank you, Bronze," the white Unicorn stated gratefully, "Don't suppose you'd be interested in buying it, would you?"

"Nah, I've already got plenty of fancy and elaborate clothing in my room at the castle," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Aside from that, it's a bit too… 'flamboyant' for my taste."

"Alright, if you say so," Rarity avowed.

Bronze Star was ready to continue discussing the topic of Rough Rider and his activities from his first visit to Ponyville. Just before he could readdress that subject, the bell over the front door rang and the door was slowly pushed open.

Almost immediately, Rarity called out "Coming!"

She used her magic to pull the curtain around the white mannequin. While she did that, Bronze Star looked over at the building's entrance. When he saw who the customer was, his eyes widened in amazement and disbelief, and he found himself speechless.

Once the mannequin was concealed from view, Rarity closed her eyes, turned to the front of the room, and announced formally "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique."

She had given that introduction in a very professional tone of voice. When she opened her eyes, she gasped in shock and astonishment, and she loosened up on the professionalism.

The pony who had entered the store was an Earth Pony mare in her late twenties. She had a pale light grayish gold coat, a light brilliant cobalt blue mane with light brilliant azure stripes, and light brilliant amber eyes. Her cutie mark was not visible, as she was wearing a sumptuous, puffy dress that covered all of her body except her legs. She also wore a small hat to match the dress.

Both Bronze Star and Rarity knew who she was.

Rarity screeched unsteadily "Sapphire Shores! The pony of pop!"

"Good afternoon, Miss Rarity!" the pale light grayish gold mare pronounced.

Rarity was struggling to retain her composure, and she was failing miserably at it. She stammered frantically "You yah... Y-y-you know my name?"

"Well, of course I do, darling," the pop singer stated calmly, "I make it a point to know all of the up-and-coming designers, and Clothes Horse magazine simply raved about you."

Bronze Star whistled in astonishment, and he told the white mare "I didn't know you were featured in Clothes Horse. That'd put you right up there with Hoity Toity in terms of prestige."

Rarity did not seem to hear or acknowledge the gold stallion's statement. She seemed to be overcome with enthusiasm. She muttered under her breath "Oh my stars. If I'm dreaming, do not wake me up."

Luckily, she came to her senses right after that. She composed herself, looked to the other mare and eagerly asked her "How may I help you, Miss Shores?"

"Oh please, call me Sapphire," the diva beckoned her.

Rarity giggled and murmured excitedly "How may I help you, Sapphire?"

Sapphire Shores grinned and replied energetically "Well, as I'm sure you know, I'll be touring all of Equestria with my latest concert, Sapphire Shores' Ziegfilly Follies, so I need to look seeensational! Ow!"

"Then you've come to the right place," Bronze Star claimed drily, smiling lightly.

"I'm sure I have," Sapphire Shores muttered giddily, "I'll believe it when I see it. Show me what ya got, honey."

"I have just what you need," Rarity declared. She trotted over to the curtain, and then she looked over to the pop singer and disclosed "Sapphire Shores, prepare yourself for the pièce de résistance de la haute couture."

Despite that introduction, Sapphire Shores did not seem particularly excited. She was waiting until she actually saw a costume to give a reaction.

When Rarity used her magic to pull aside the curtains, she gave one. As the bejeweled garment Rarity had been working on was revealed, Sapphire Shores' facial expression gradually changed from stoic to enthralled. She seemed stunned by the design, the shape, and everything else about the outfit.

The gems glimmered brightly when the costume was exposed to the store's lights. This effect only made it look even more appealing.

Sapphire Shores stepped next to Rarity to get a closer look at the ensemble. She appeared to be very pleased with what she saw. Rarity apprised her "I used every last diamond I found on this one garment."

The pop singer gasped and observed "And it is spectacular! I'll take it."

"Really?" Rarity uttered in anticipation.

"Oh yes, and five more, each done up in a different jewel," Sapphire Shores firmly decided.

At that, Rarity's excitement was quickly replaced by worry. She mumbled quietly "Beg pardon?"

"Costume changes," the diva clarified.

Rarity looked to the garment on the mannequin. There were well over a hundred gems on it. She then looked at the chest that had held those gems. It was completely empty now. She had exhausted her supply of gems.

Just by looking at her countenance, Bronze Star could tell what would happen next. Sure enough, Rarity gripped her forehead, groaned softly, and swooned backwards. Bronze Star saw that coming, so he managed to rush forward and catch her before she hit the ground.

As the white Unicorn crumpled in the gold Alicorn's front legs, the pale light grayish gold Earth Pony chuckled and remarked "Yes, I do have that effect on ponies."

"I'll bet," Bronze Star slyly muttered, "And a lot of ponies seem to have that effect on HER. She does this quite often. It doesn't take much to overwhelm her."

"Well, will she be able to fill my whole order?" Sapphire Shores asked in concern.

"I'm certain she will," Bronze Star hypothesized, "I've never known Rarity to reject a special request. Especially one made by a celebrity. So don't worry about her; she'll manage. I'll just see if I can revive her."

"You do that, honey," the pop singer stated "I can stay in Ponyville for as long as Rarity needs to make the other costumes. Until she's finished, I'll be at the apartment complex. Be sure to tell your fillyfriend that when she wakes up."

"I will," Bronze Star asserted, grinning, "Oh, and she's not my fillyfriend. She's just a really close friend."

"That so?" Sapphire Shores said dubiously, "Do you work for her or something?"

"No, I work at the embassy," Bronze Star disclosed. He continued supporting Rarity with one of his front legs. He used his other front leg to open his knapsack, pull out his credentials, and show them to the diva. He told her "Ambassador Gold Streak, Canterlot's official emissary to Ponyville,"

"Oh, a capital city colt, huh?" the pale light grayish gold mare perceived in interest.

"Yes, ma'am," Bronze Star affirmed as he returned his credentials to his knapsack.

Sapphire Shores snickered and murmured "'Ma'am?' You're too formal, sweetie. Just call me 'Sapphire.'"

"As you wish, ma- er, Sapphire," Bronze Star hastily corrected himself, blushing slightly, "Sorry, force of habit."

The pop singer laughed in amusement and told the prince "You're cute, honey."

"Umm, thanks, I think," Bronze Star said in response, blushing a deeper shade of red.

Sapphire Shores just smiled at his reaction. Then she raised an eyebrow and muttered "You know who you remind me of?"

"Who?" he enquired in interest.

"Prince Bronze Star," she responded.

The gold stallion did not expect that. He actually had met Sapphire Shores almost five years beforehand, and he had treated her with just as much compassion, primness, and respect back then as he did now. Although he was in disguise this time, Sapphire Shores had been able to recognize his mannerisms. He had to be careful, lest she catch on to his real identity.

After a bit of silence, Bronze Star cocked his head and muttered "Is that right?"

"Ho, yeah," Sapphire Shores elucidated, "On his twentieth birthday, Princess Celestia asked me to hold a private concert for him at Canterlot Castle. It may have been a small crowd, but the ponies who work at the castle have great taste in music. I even got to meet Bronze Star after the concert. Like you, he was a sweetheart."

"So I see," Bronze Star acknowledged, grinning deviously, "Since I work for the Equestrian Royalty, I happen to be a good friend of Bronze Star's. Would you like me to tell him you said that?"

Sapphire Shores seemed interested to learn that. She thought for a moment, and then she lightly shook her head and stated "Nah, don't bother, sweetie. I like Bronze Star, but I doubt he feels the same way. Plus, he wasn't really my type."

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star pronounced. Truthfully, the gold stallion actually admired Sapphire Shores as a performer and as a pony, but not as a mare, even though he could not deny that she was a very attractive mare. He was a little curious about her "type," though. He gazed up at her and remarked "In what way? Was he too young?"

"No, too serious," Sapphire Shores enlightened him, "As sweet as he was when I met him, he talked to me as though I was somepony from the freakin' state department instead of a music idol. I don't think I could ever get into politics; his entire life revolves around them."

"That makes sense, Sapphire," Bronze Star observed. After another brief pause, he looked back down at Rarity and muttered "Well, I don't want to waste any more of your time. I'll try to bring Rarity around, and knowing her, she'll want to get started on your costumes right away. I'd like to say you could expect them in a couple days, but I don't want to decide Rarity's deadlines for her."

"Tell her to take as much time as she needs; I'm in no rush," Sapphire Shores beckoned him, "Until she's done, you can find me in the V.I.P. section of the apartment complex at any time."

"Very well," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Hope you enjoy your stay in Ponyville."

"I already am," the diva revealed, "I've only been here an hour, and I already love this town."

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean," Bronze Star claimed.

Sapphire Shores left Carousel Boutique soon after. Her bodyguard had been standing outside the store; he trotted with her to the apartment complex. Once they were both gone, Bronze Star busied himself with reviving Rarity. He gently tapped his front hoof against her cheeks and softly whispered to her until she began to stir. He grinned when she gradually opened her eyes.

When the white mare saw the gold stallion smiling down at her, she swiftly sat up, turned to him, and queried "What happened?"

"You fainted," Bronze Star informed her, "Sapphire Shores left a minute ago. I hope you don't mind, but before she departed, I assured her that you'd be able to get her those additional costumes."

"Good, I'm glad you did that," Rarity assured him, "I'm not going to let her down. I've already got all the velvet I need for the actual outfits. Unfortunately… as you can see, I'm a little short on gems right now. I'm going to have to collect more."

"I suspected as much," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Where will you get them?"

"Well, I could go out and buy more gems, but if I did that, my expenses would outweigh my profits," Rarity noted.

"Really?" Bronze Star uttered in surprise, "How could several hundred gems cost more than half a dozen outfits that are adorned with those same gems?"

"In this economy, gems are less valuable when they're used as decorations," Rarity expounded, "I don't know how that's supposed to work, but that's just the way it is."

"It could be similar to those offers you get at certain stores," Bronze Star contended, "You know, the ones where two products are cheaper when they're bought together."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Rarity coincided. There came another interval of silence, and then Rarity sighed and announced "At any rate, I need more gems. A lot more gems. I can't afford to purchase them in stores, so I'll just have to go out and harvest them myself."

"How?" Bronze Star enquired.

"There's a large quarry just outside of Ponyville," Rarity explained, "Gems can be found in abundance there. If you know where to look and how to locate gems, you could collect as many as you want. It could take me a while to amass the amount I need, so we'll have to put our conversation on hold until I get back."

While Bronze Star could understand Rarity's desire to prioritize work before talking with friends, he did not want to delay their discussion about Rough Rider for too long. He got an idea that would benefit both of them, and he proposed "What if I went with you? I happen to know a thing or two about gems, myself. I could even help you find them. Would you still be able to talk while you work?"

"Sure, I can do that," Rarity said in acceptance, "Especially since I don't plan to be doing that much work."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"The gems at the quarry are buried underground, and digging is not exactly my forte," Rarity disclosed, "Luckily, you and I have a friend who specializes in that sort of thing."

Bronze Star could already guess who she was referring to. He grinned and asked rhetorically "Are we talking about somepony or somedragon?"

She grinned in return and cheekily muttered "Let's just say one thing he and I have in common is a fondness for gems."

"And for you," Bronze Star quietly mumbled under his breath.

Rarity did not hear that last remark. She merely trotted over to the door and pulled it open. As the bell rang, she told the young prince "I'm ready to go now. Are you?"

"Yeah, I've got what I need," Bronze Star pronounced, gripping his knapsack by its strap, "But you aren't bringing anything?"

"No, all I need is something to transport the gems with," Rarity proclaimed, "And our 'third party' can provide that."

"If you say so," was all Bronze Star said in response.

The gold stallion and the white mare soon departed from Carousel Boutique. They made their way to Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle was in her usual spot upstairs, reading a book. Spike had nothing going on at the time, so they asked him if he would like to go "gem hunting" with them. Obviously, the baby dragon was more than willing to accompany them. After notifying Twilight that he was going out for a while, Spike got his red wagon, wheeled it outside, and travelled with the prince and the fashion designer to the southern border of Ponyville.

As they headed to the outskirts of town, Bronze Star and Rarity explained the situation to Spike. They told him all about how not one hour beforehand, Sapphire Shores had come to Carousel Boutique and placed a large order for six heavily gem-laden costumes. Rarity also mentioned that in return for his assistance, she would let Spike have some of the gems they found. The dragon became progressively more excited as they told him more.

When they got to the quarry, Spike murmured elatedly "Oh my gosh! Sapphire Shores! The pony of pop! She is awesome! I mean, she's gorgeous and talented and-"

Rarity glared over at him as though she was annoyed. When he noticed this, he ceased his description of Sapphire Shores and spoke anxiously "Heh... and not even half the pony you are. I mean, you're ten times more gorgeous and talented and-"

"Spike, a lady is never jealous," Rarity coolly declared.

"Eh, of course not," Spike avowed, "But were you totally flipping out or what?!"

"Ladies do not 'flip out,' Spike," Rarity insisted, "However, I was quite in awe."

"That's putting it mildly," Bronze Star sardonically uttered.

"Well, what about you, Bronze?" Spike queried, "Were you 'in awe?'"

"No, I managed to control myself," Bronze Star recounted, "You see, I met Sapphire Shores once before. Near the start of her career, she performed for me at the castle."

"Really?" Spike said in amazement "Too cool!"

"So how was your 'reunion' with her?" Rarity inquired.

"It was lovely, even though it was one-sided on my part," Bronze Star revealed, "She didn't recognize me, but she did recognize my personality. To avoid compromising my cover, I should probably keep my distance from her until she leaves."

"Suit yourself," Rarity conceded, "In the meantime, I better concentrate on filling her order. Oh, I need to find more jewels than ever before to decorate her costumes."

By now, the two ponies and the baby dragon were more than a mile away from Ponyville. They were currently standing in a large section of flat land. There was not a blade of grass as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect place to find precious minerals.

The aura on Rarity's horn illuminated brightly, and she used it to scan the ground. After hovering for a few moments, she interjected "Oh, aha!"

"Did you find some?" Spike inquired.

"Yes, Spike!" Rarity confirmed, pointing to a spot on the ground, "Right there!"

The baby dragon scuffled over to the spot and rapidly dug with his claws. After he cleared away about a foot of dirt, he uncovered a rich deposit of gems. As they glistened brightly in the afternoon sunlight, Spike eyed them and mumbled hungrily "Ooooo! You look so delicious..."

"Are you talking about the gems or Rarity?" Bronze Star stated jokily.

Rarity lightly rolled her eyes at that, and then she patiently pronounced to the baby dragon "Spike! I promised I'd give you gems to snack on, but we need to collect more first or I'll never be able to make these outfits for Sapphire."

Spike was disappointed, but he was capable of self-restraint. He gathered the stash of gems in his arms and whispered sadly "Hm... I will miss you, my sweets."

Bronze Star chuckled at that. As Spike tossed the gems into his wagon, the gold stallion approached the white mare and queried "So, are you ready to resume our earlier discussion?"

"Not just yet," she responded, "I want to wait until we've gathered more gems. After we've made some progress, I'll tell you anything you want."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. Rarity looked back at the dragon and bade him "Come along, Spike. We have many jewels to find."

"At your service, milady," Spike proclaimed cheerfully.

Over the course of the next hour, Rarity used her magic to locate over a dozen hordes of gems in the area. Every time she pointed the gems out, Spike eagerly dug them up without complaint. He managed to avoid eating any of them. The most he did was stare at them longingly and lick his lips.

At the end of the hour, the wagon was nearly full. Rarity approached the dragon and told him gratefully "You've been very patient today, Spike. And for that you get the finest reward."

She used her magic to pick out the largest gem in the cart, and she passed it to Spike, who accepted it happily. She declared "This is from me to you."

The baby dragon held the large gem and gazed at it wistfully. While he did that, Rarity raised an eyebrow and enquired "Is something wrong, Spike?"

Spike quickly snapped out of his trance and reassured her with "No. It's perfect."

Rarity simply smiled. Just then, her horn lit up again, and she announced "Ooo, bring the cart, Spike. There are more over here."

As she trotted away, Spike looked back at the gem and commented giddily "For me. From Rarity."

Bronze Star snickered, and he patted his companion on the back, saying slyly "Come on, you can gawk over it later. Work before pleasure."

"Right," Spike conceded, setting the large gem aside, "Let's get moving."

The gold stallion and the dragon soon caught up to the white mare. Bronze Star and Rarity trotted side-by-side while Spike trudged behind him. The prince looked to the fashion designer and requested "So, can we talk now?"

"Of course," she remarked, "But before we do, I'd like ask; why are you so interested in Rough Rider, anyway?"

"Simple; I'd like to know more about my secretary's husband," Bronze Star claimed, "Since you met him before I did, you might know him a bit better."

"Debatable," Rarity muttered, shrugging, "Very well. What more would you like to know about him?"

"Well, you've already told me plenty about your business deal with him, and about what he did during his first visit here," Bronze Star recalled, "I'm curious, though; how did you come to make that transaction with him in the first place?"

"I ordered the silks and fabrics through his catalogue," Rarity explained.

"I know you ordered them through his catalogue," Bronze Star revealed, "He told me that last week."

Rarity seemed a little stunned by that statement. She raised an eyebrow and muttered suspiciously "If you already knew about my business with Rough Rider from him, why did you bother asking me about it?"

"I just wanted to hear the matter from your point of view," Bronze Star averred, "I apologize if I sound as though I'm prying. That's not my intention."

"It's alright, darling," Rarity proclaimed in understanding, "At any rate, you were saying?"

"I'd like to know how exactly you ordered the silks and fabrics," Bronze Star requested, "Specifically, how did you get access to Rough Rider's catalogue?"

Rarity needed a moment to recall the circumstances of this matter, and then she elucidated with "A couple weeks before I met Rough Rider, we found out that the Summer Sun Celebration would be held in Ponyville. I wanted Princess Celestia to see that this town had an excellent sense of style when she came here. So I got the idea to make my own line of specialty clothing. It did not take me long to outline a plan. I had everything I needed, except for some special silks and fabrics. Unfortunately, nopony in Ponyville was selling anything like what I needed.

"Then one night, I was lying in bed, looking through a magazine," she went on, "The advertisement section contained a catalogue that I had never seen before. After browsing for a bit, I found precisely what I was looking for. Rolls of luxury fabric and a crate of finely-woven silk. Price was a little high, but I figured I could negotiate on it later. At any rate, once I saw that ad, I grabbed the nearest pen, tore out the form for the silks and fabrics, filled it out completely, and submitted it into the mail."

"And Rough Rider made the delivery soon after?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Yeah, it only took him a few days to respond," Rarity affirmed, "I must say, it was delightfully convenient that he had exactly what I needed in stock."

"Yes, that is convenient…" Bronze Star noted. He paused for a moment to review what he had just learned. After that, he turned to Rarity and asked her "Out of curiosity, what was the name of the magazine you found Rough Rider's catalogue in?"

Rarity rubbed her chin and thought for a minute. After that, she sighed and glumly admitted "To tell you the truth, I've completely forgotten the magazine's name. That was probably the only issue of it that I ever read. You see, I have no memory of subscribing to that particular magazine. I just found it lying on my nightstand when I went to bed one night."

"Could you at least tell me how it got there?" Bronze Star stated hopefully

"I'm afraid not," Rarity refuted, "Your guess is as good as mine as to where it came from."

"Perhaps somepony put it there," Spike suggested.

That was the first time the baby dragon had spoken ever since the two ponies had resumed their earlier conversation. He had not been especially interested in their dialogue, but he had not tuned them out, either. Bronze Star and Rarity looked over at him, and the latter scoffed and murmured "I doubt that, Spike."

Bronze Star, however, was not so quick to dismiss Spike's claim. He declared "Actually, he may be on to something. Did you by any chance have any customers directly before you found that magazine?"

"Yes, I did have one," Rarity reminisced, "There was this one stallion who came in on a Sunday. I don't normally get customers on Sunday, but I agreed to service him."

"What did he ask for?" Bronze Star queried.

"Just a tuxedo," Rarity expounded, "No, I shouldn't say 'just' a tuxedo. He had drawn up a sketch of it in advance, and he instructed me to use the sketch as an exact base for the tuxedo. He put a lot of detail into its pattern and design. For him, every stitch had to be just right. I told him that with so much to account for, his tuxedo would take most of the day to create. But he assured me that he could wait, and that he would pay me extra for my efforts."

"Did he stay with you the entire time?" Bronze Star questioned.

"Yeah, pretty much," Rarity disclosed, "He stayed in Carousel Boutique, that is. He wasn't with me during all that time. You see, while I was in my workshop creating his tuxedo, he waited in the lobby. I only stepped into the next room once to inform him of my progress."

"So I see," Bronze Star acknowledged, viewing the scenario in perspective, "So he was alone in the front of Carousel Boutique for hours. That would entail that he had plenty of time to look around the store. Moreover, he would have had the perfect opportunity to leave something behind. If he wanted to do so, I mean."

Despite that last comment, the gold stallion's observation attracted Rarity's attention. She looked to the young prince, raised an eyebrow, and perceived suspiciously "Bronze, you make it sound like there's some sort of ploy underneath all this. I'm starting to think you're interested in much more than learning about Rough Rider."

"I'll be honest with you; I am," Bronze Star confessed, "I can't really talk about it, but I assure you it's nothing you should worry about."

"Then why are you asking so many questions?" Rarity inquired.

"Simply because I'd like to get all the facts straight," Bronze Star claimed, "So you don't have to be concerned. Nothing's wrong; I'm just digging for some information."

Rarity was still a little skeptical, but she agreed not to press the issue any further.

After a bit of quietness, Spike stepped up to the mare and stallion, and he reminded them "Speaking of digging, shouldn't we be looking for gems?"

"Oh, right," Bronze Star commented, "That's the whole reason we came out here, anyway."

"Better get back to work," Rarity advocated, "At this rate, by the end of the day, I won't have enough gems for one costume, let alone five."

"Do you suppose we could we talk more about this later?" Bronze Star requested.

"Absolutely," Rarity asserted, "But let's wait until after we head back to Ponyville."

"That's acceptable," Bronze Star decreed.

Soon, Rarity's horn lit up again. Initially, the aura was a little weak, but it became stronger when she moved to the west. She galloped over to a certain spot in the ground, and her aura was shining so brightly that it could have temporarily blinded somepony. She called out expectantly "Spike, where are you? You know, it's terrible to keep a lady waiting."

Spike tightly gripped the handle of his wagon and ran over to the white mare. He yelled "Coming!"

Once he reached her, Rarity pointed out the spot on the ground, and Spike proceeded to clear away the dirt. Rarity wittily muttered "I think we're really going to strike gold this time. So to speak."

As she and Bronze Star laughed at her joke, Spike reappeared out of the hole with his arms full of gems, and he broadcasted "Jackpot!"

Bronze Star whistled at the size and quantity of the latest batch of gems. He perceived "The deposits seem to be getting larger. In both ways."

"We must be near a rather rich part of the quarry," Rarity speculated.

"Great news for us," Spike remarked giddily.

Just then, Bronze Star thought he heard some noise, like whispering. He looked over his shoulder and saw nopony was there. In fact, the only thing that could be seen in the immediate area was a single bush.

After a moment, Bronze Star shrugged and turned back to his friends. Soon after, the whispering noise returned. This time, it was accompanied by the sound of leaves rustling and a twig snapping. He immediately looked back at the bush. There did not appear to be any activity, but he could have sworn he saw movement behind it.

"Did you hear that?" he pronounced.

"Hear what?" Rarity inquired.

"It sounded like… raspy voices," Bronze Star explicated, "It came from that bush. I think I saw something move, too."

"Well, I didn't see or hear anything, Bronze," Spike asserted.

"Neither did I," Rarity claimed, "Just relax, Bronze."

Although Rarity and Spike seemed certain that the area was deserted, Bronze Star was not as convinced. He told them "You two go on without me. I'm going to take a closer look."

The white mare and the baby dragon agreed to that proposal. While they went off in search of gems, Bronze Star went to scout around. He cautiously approached the bush, as if he expected somepony or something to jump out of it. He trotted towards it slowly, but when he reached the bush, he speedily moved forward and pushed aside the brushwood.

There was nothing there. Just a huge mass of twigs and leaves.

Bronze Star sighed in relief and stepped away from the bush. However, when he moved away from the bush, he noticed a pile of dirt next to the bush. He was certain the pile of dirt had not been there a minute ago.

He tentatively walked around the bush to get a better look at the pile of dirt. He then discovered where the pile of dirt had come from. There was a hole in the ground right beside it.

This hole was far too large to have been dug by Spike. It was also much deeper. Bronze Star knelt down by the hole and peered inside. He could not see the bottom of it; it appeared to go on for quite a distance. In fact, it was more a void than a hole.

He thought about tossing a heavy object into the void so he could find out how deep it was. However, there were no small rocks or anything of the sort nearby. He could have spat into it, but if the void was as deep as he thought, he doubted he would be able to hear the sound of his spit hitting the earth below.

In the end, Bronze Star resorted to leaning forward and calling out "Hello!"

He could hear his voice echo into the ground. As the reverberations faded away, Bronze Star listened closely for any form of response.

After a bit of silence, he got one.

There came a sound that resembled a person shuffling around. It was very distant, but it seemed to be getting nearer with every passing moment. Bronze soon realized it was the sound of climbing upwards on soft earth. That meant somepony or something was rapidly rising to the surface.

Right before the source of the sound reached him, Bronze Star hastily dove backwards away from the void. A moment later, three figures jumped out of the void, and they each landed on the ground in a row.

Right away, Bronze Star could tell that they were not ponies. They looked more anthropomorphic dogs. All three of them were clad in steel armor that protected their heads and chests, and each of them was at least twice as big as Bronze Star. They seemed rather hostile and unfriendly, as well.

Despite the fact that he was outnumbered and outsized, the young prince was not afraid. He took a defensive stance and prepared himself for any possible attack.

Immediately, the three armor-clad dogs simultaneously moved in on him. He held his ground until they were upon him. Then he lunged over them, and struck the middle one hard on the back of his neck. In response, the center dog groaned and dropped to the ground.

The other two dogs regained their focus, and they tried swiping at Bronze Star with their arms. Their blows were strong and powerful, but they were also quite slow, which made it easy for the gold stallion to dodge them. At one point, he gripped one of the dogs by his arm, flipped him onto his back, and punched him right under his chestplate. He succeeded in knocking the wind out of this dog.

The final dog was angered that his companions had been taken out. He bared his fangs and tried to bite Bronze Star. Luckily, the gold stallion was too fast for the dog to concentrate on him or latch on to anything. After eluding these attacks for about ten seconds, Bronze Star seized the dog by his throat and decked him upside the chin. In response, the dog fell flat on his back and laid still.

It had only taken Bronze Star about two minutes to disable all three of these dogs. He had hardly even broken a sweat or quickened his breath. He smiled in satisfaction at his victory.

His feeling of triumph was short-lived. A few seconds later, he heard Rarity scream.

The gold stallion promptly rushed to the source of her scream, and he saw what the trouble was. At this time, Rarity was surrounded by three more of those strange dogs.

Unlike the other dogs, these three were not clad in armor; all they wore was a starched vest and a diamond-encrusted collar apiece. They seemed slightly more intelligent and crafty, as well. Only slightly though.

Spike managed to create a distraction by maiming the tail of one of the dogs and tripping another. As he struggled to hold down the second dog, he grunted and shouted "Run, Rarity! Run!"

The white mare tried to make a run for it, but she was intercepted by the third dog. Luckily, Bronze Star came to her aid right then. He charged towards the third dog and thrusted his weight at him. He succeeded in knocking the dog off his feet and onto his side.

He quickly looked to Rarity and urged her "Let's go! Move! Move!"

Rarity vigorously nodded her head and called out "Spike! Come on! Hurry!"

Spike had already been thrown off the dog he had attacked. He was unhurt, but the other dogs had already recovered and were about to attack again. Spike quickly joined the two ponies. Bronze Star stayed close-by his friends; he was more than prepared to defend them.

Regrettably, the armored dogs who had attacked Bronze Star had regained their composure, as well. They swiftly jogged towards the scene to join in the fray. Feeling vengeful, they concentrated all their attacks entirely on the gold stallion.

Bronze Star was capable of dueling all three of the armored dogs at once, but he was unable to protect Rarity and Spike at the same time. That left them vulnerable to other three dogs.

The one with the collar labeled "Rover" grabbed Rarity from behind and yelled "Gotcha!"

Rarity screamed distressfully and shrieked "Spike! Bronze!"

"Hang in there; I'm coming!" Bronze Star assured her as he fought off the other dogs.

"Got him, Rarity!" Spike informed her, as he gripped the largest dog by his legs, "I got him!"

At this time, Spike and the other two dogs were underneath a dead tree. The larger dog – the one with the collar labeled "Fido" – shoved his legs upward. Spike was vaulted off of him, and he hit his head against one of the branches in the tree. His scales became wedged in the bark.

"Haha! Nope!" Fido taunted him.

"Sorry, scaly one," the smaller dog – the one with the collar labeled "Spot" – leered mockingly.

Spike struggled to extract himself from the branch, and he cried "Wait! Rarity?"

Rover picked up Rarity, gripped her body tightly, and tucked her underneath his right arm. His armored companions were still fighting Bronze Star, and he ordered them "Leave him! We don't need him! She's the one we want!"

The armored dogs broke off their attack. One of them managed to strike Bronze Star on the side of his head, which disoriented him momentarily. While he was dizzy, the dogs made their getaway. All six of them sprinted towards a huge hole in the ground.

Rarity demanded angrily "Unhand me this instant, you ruffians. Stop! Put me down, you thugs! You brutes!"

Needless to say, the dogs ignored her. The three armored ones dove into the hole first, and then Fido, Spot, and Rover jumped in after, taking Rarity with them.

Spike managed to liberate himself from the tree. Once he was back on the ground, he gasped and yelled in worry "Rarity!"

By then, Bronze Star had gotten back his coordination. He and Spike rushed towards the hole in the ground. Rarity appeared at the mouth of it, and she was struggling to pull herself to the surface. She screeched "Spike! Bronze!"

At one point, her hoof came in contact with a patch of wet earth. She looked at her hoof and muttered in disgust "Ah, dirt!"

As a result, she had let her guard down. This gave Rover, Spot, and Fido the chance to grab her and pull her back into the hole. She squealed again and called out desperately "Spiiiike! Broooonze!"

As Bronze Star and Spike approached the hole, the latter muttered in shock "Which, what, where?"

By the time they got there, they were too late. Rarity was gone. All they heard was her voice echoing "Save me...!"

Bronze Star scowled angrily. As for Spike, he gave much more dramatic and less restrained reaction. He tilted his head backwards and shouted at the top of his lungs "Nooooooooooo!"
> Coercion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In another setting, Bronze Star might have found Spike's outburst hilarious. But now was hardly the time for humor. One of his friends had just been abducted by a group of underground-dwelling mongrels. Another of his friends appeared to be in shock.

Spike turned to Bronze Star and questioned him hysterically "What are we going to do? Whatarewegoingtodo? Whatarewegoingtodo? WHATAREWEGOINGTODO?"

Bronze Star gripped the baby dragon by his shoulders and told him "Calm down, Spike! Calm down! For the sake of Starswirl the Bearded, you need to calm the buck down!"

Spike was still notably disturbed, but he managed to ease down slightly. His breathing was quite labored. He distraughtly pronounced "We've got to save Rarity!"

"And we will," Bronze Star assured him, "But I need to know; who were those beasts?"

"They said they were 'Diamond Dogs,'" Spike recounted fearfully.

Bronze Star's eyes widened in alarm, and he murmured nervously "Oh, no."

"You know them?" Spike presumed.

"I've heard of them," Bronze Star revealed, "They're a race of overgrown canines who live beneath the surface. They covet jewels with an unearthly desire. For that reason alone, they've been forbidden to come within thirty miles of Canterlot. You see, they'll do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to increase their supply of precious stones."

"But why would they kidnap Rarity?" Spike enquired shakily.

"My guess is they want her for her gem-finding spell," Bronze Star theorized, "They must've seen us harvest the quarry and discovered her ability to locate hidden gems."

"Actually, that makes sense," Spike conceded, "Before they attacked us, one of them said she was a better hunter than them, so that could be what he meant."

"That'll mean big trouble for us," Bronze Star illuminated, "These creatures are very elusive and very greedy. Once they get their paws on something they want, they never let it go. At least not willingly."

Spike reverted to his previous unsettled state of mind. He uttered apprehensively "So, how are we going to rescue Rarity?"

"I have a plan," Bronze Star apprised him, "Firstly, I need to ask; are you capable of running all the way back to town by yourself?"

"I… I guess so," Spike timidly replied, "Why?"

"I need you to go back to Ponyville and get help," Bronze Star instructed him, "As soon as you find some, come right back here."

"Okay," Spike avowed, "What about you?"

Bronze Star took a deep breath, gazed down into the large hole, and decisively announced "I'm going after them."

Spike was stunned by that. He assumed "By yourself?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "Somepony will have to scout ahead before we send a group down there. May as well be me. SIG Sauer's taught me plenty about infiltrating hostile territory."

"But there's no telling how many dogs are down there," Spike debated.

"Not to worry; I'm prepared," Bronze Star insisted. He opened his knapsack and pulled out a sharpened knife. He declared "Ever since that incident with the cockatrice, I've started carrying this around with me for protection. Since I'm armed and an experienced fighter, I should be alright."

Spike had to admit; Bronze Star made a very compelling case for his capability. As much as he desired to save Rarity, he was a little reluctant to leave the gold stallion by himself. He did not want the prince to have to rush into danger alone.

Bronze Star noticed Spike's discomfort, but he quickly devised a solution to remedy his uncertainty. He declared "Tell you what. Just to be safe, I'm going to change into my Alicorn form. That way I'll also have the advantages of magic and flight on my side. By combining those with my combat training and my weapon, I'll be ready for anything the Diamond Dogs can throw at me."

"Alright, that sounds like a great idea," Spike muttered in approval, "In that case, I'll make sure all the ponies I bring back from Ponyville know your real identity."

"I appreciate that," Bronze Star stated thankfully, "Now hurry back to town. If I'm not back by the time you are, just wait for me. If you still don't see me for fifteen minutes after you return, go after Rarity by yourselves. I can take care of myself. Don't worry about me until after you locate Rarity."

"You got it," Spike acknowledged, saluting the prince, "See you soon. Hopefully."

Bronze Star nodded and returned the salute. Spike then turned around and hurried away from the area. The gold stallion watched as the baby dragon sprinted his way back to Ponyville. Once he was out of his sight, Bronze Star turned back to the hole. He closed his eyes, cleared his mind of distractions, and removed the illusion spell on his forehead and back. Once his wings and horn reappeared, he took a moment to test them. After verifying that they were in fine condition, he slowly stepped up to the mouth of the hole. He then leaned forward and dove into the hole.

He was in absolute freefall for about a hundred feet. He was plummeting through a vertical tunnel that had been expertly dug in the earth. After that, he spotted what appeared to be the end of the tunnel. He spread his wings and flapped them robustly to break up his descent. Once he stopped plummeting altogether, Bronze Star hovered in the air for about a minute. Then he carefully lowered himself to the tunnel's opening. When he reached the opening, he warily poked his head out.

He discovered that he had arrived in a large cavern. He turned his head in all directions, and to his fortune, the place was empty. Subsequently, he dropped out of the tunnel and landed firmly on his hooves. Once he was on the ground, he studied his surroundings.

He was impressed by the cavern. It was made of stone and earth, and its walls and ceilings were heavily fortified. Clearly, the cave was not a naturally-occurring structure. It had been crafted entirely by the Diamond Dogs. Bronze Star had to admit; while Diamond Dogs were not very wise or clever, they were excellent miners.

He just hoped they were not TOO excellent. Otherwise, he would probably have to traverse through a labyrinth of tunnels while he was down in the caverns. He might also run into a number of traps or obstacles along the way. And there was no telling if he would actually get any closer to Rarity even after he endured all of that. For all he knew, these passages could have gone on for miles in every direction. Including downwards.

Still, he was not going to let Rarity down. He would do everything he could to find her and save her from these foul beings. While he might not have known where or how to locate her, he was very determined to succeed in this scenario.

Bronze Star proceeded unhurriedly and vigilantly down the passageways of the cavern. He made sure to keep his knife bared at all times. He trotted at this moderate rate for about fifty feet, and he still did not encounter any Diamond Dogs. So he decided to pick up his pace. He soon accelerated to a full gallop, but he was very light on his hooves, so he was able to avoid making any noise with his hooves. He was very grateful for his excellent memory, as well; he was able to compose a map of the cavern in his head.

After moving without interruption for five entire minutes, Bronze Star finally encountered someone.

He had been travelling through a straight corridor when he came across another corridor that ran perpendicular to the first one. Just before he reached the intersection, he spotted a Diamond Dog on the path ahead.

The dog was also clad in armor, and he was walking back and forth in a line. Evidently, he was patrolling the area. Bronze Star kept a close eye on that dog, and he waited until his back was turned. Once it was, the gold stallion rushed up behind the dog, seized him from behind, and wrapped his left front leg around his throat.

The dog immediately started resisting Bronze Star. Although he was larger and bulkier, Bronze Star sill possessed superior strength and agility. He squeezed his front leg tighter around the dog's throat, and after another twenty seconds of this, the dog finally succumbed to this assault. He slipped out of awareness and went limp.

Bronze Star smirked in appeasement and carefully lowered the Diamond Dog to the ground. Then he studied the vicinity and ascertained that no one else was there; just the single patrol dog. After that, he contemplated if he should continue on his previous path, go back the way he came, or choose a different route. In the end, he headed to the east on the adjoining corridor.

Over the next twenty minutes, Bronze Star encountered several more Diamond Dogs. Luckily for him, he rarely came across more than one of them at any time. He was able to disable them with the same stealthy tactical method he had used on the first dog. Sometimes he bumped into a pair of them, but he was able to separate them from each other and take them out individually.

In all that time, he managed to avoid detection. He never once had to use his knife, and he was hoping he would not have to resort to using it at all. Just to be safe, he held it in his front hoof at all times.

After wandering through the tunnels in almost complete silence for about a half hour, Bronze Star heard voices. It sounded like a group of people yelping in distress. That was accompanied by a high-pitched feminine voice that went "Whee! Ha, ha, ha!"

Bronze Star recognized that voice as Pinkie Pie's. He listened closely, and her voice appeared to originate from the east. Based on how her voice reflected off the walls of the cavern, she must have been below the surface when she cheered.

Not long after, Bronze Star heard another voice scream "Nooooooooooo!"

Obviously, it was Spike. Based on his voice's point of origin, he must have been standing at the same level as Bronze Star when he yelled. On the bright side, at least Bronze Star knew he was no longer alone in the caverns. However, despite how loud Spike had yelled, he sounded as though he was at least a couple hundred meters away from the gold stallion. Based on the negative nature of Spike's outburst, the baby dragon and the ponies he had brought back were no closer to finding Rarity than Bronze Star was.

Bronze Star could have used the Royal Canterlot Voice to reach out to them, but he would risk alerting the Diamond Dogs to his presence, too. So for the present, it looked as though he was still on his own.

Then a thought occurred to him. If the dogs really wanted Rarity for her gem-finding spell, they must have taken her to the section of the quarry with the greatest concentration of gems. Of course, Rarity was the only one who had that spell. Unless she had taught Twilight Sparkle how to perform it, of course. As for Bronze Star, he had to resort to more unconventional means to singling out the tunnel with the richest gem deposits.

He recalled everything he had ever learned about the history of mines in Equestria, and when he put all that information together, he noticed an intriguing pattern. Most of the time, the biggest and most prosperous yields in a mine were in the section that was directly northwest of its center. With that in mind, he got the idea to head to that part of this cavern.

As luck would have it, his inclination produced fruitful results. Ten minutes later, he arrived in the region that was northwest of the heart of the cavern. When he got there, he heard a whimpering that was unmistakably Rarity's. She sounded very close by; like she was in the very next chamber.

Since he could not ignore the possibility that Rarity was not alone, Bronze Star did not rush to her. Instead, he steadily trotted to the end of the tunnel and peeked around the corner.

Sure enough, Rarity was right there. She had been backed against a wall by Rover, Fido, and Spot. She pleaded with them "Oh please, Diamond Dogs. Please let me go."

"No!" Spot refused.

"You're our precious little pony," Fido proclaimed.

"Forever!" Rover added in, "Muhahahaha!"

Bronze Star watched this scene, and he rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath "Why is it every articulate adversary we face has an evil laugh?"

"But whatever do you want from me?" Rarity franticly inquired.

"Gemsss!" Rover uttered lustily.

"Yes!" Spot conceded, "The gems. The jewels."

"Find them!" Fido demanded, "Find them all!"

So Bronze Star's theory as to why the Diamond Dogs had captured Rarity was correct. They got the idea to force her to use her gem-finding spell for them. That was unusually astute for a Diamond Dog.

At any rate, Rarity seemed to take that news surprisingly well. She brightened up and stated "Oh! Is that all?"

She trotted forward a few steps and used her magic to examine the ground.

Bronze Star considered the idea of intervening and getting Rarity out of there right then. But Spot, Fido, and Rover were keeping a close eye on her. There were a number of armored guard dogs in this chamber, too. While Bronze Star was very proficient in skirmishing, he would not be able to engage all of them at once. Plus, he still had no idea how they were going to get out of the mine. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the dogs he had knocked out were discovered by their companions. Once that happened, the route he had used to get to this part of the mine would be swarming with dogs. So whenever Bronze Star and the others escaped, they could not go back the way he came.

For the moment, all he could do was watch and plan.

After a few seconds of searching, Rarity located a healthy stash of gems. She picked up a stick with her magic and used it to mark an X on a spot on the ground. She pronounced merrily "There. A lovely pocket of jewels are right there. Now, if you'd be so kind as to show me the exit?"

She was about to leave, but an armored Diamond Dog appeared in front of her and pointed a spear at her menacingly. The three alpha dogs gathered around the X, and Rover remarked "Good!"

He laughed nastily and told the white mare "Now, dig them up, pony."

"What?" Rarity uttered in disbelief, "But you said you wanted me to find the gems."

"Yes!" Spot affirmed, "Find and then dig."

"Dig?" Rarity repeated incredulously.

"Yes," Fido responded, "Dig."

Rarity hesitantly approached the X. All at once, Fido, Rover, and Spot ruggedly pointed at it. Realizing she had no choice, Rarity groaned in uneasiness, and she started patting at the ground with her front hoof. She softly grunted in displeasure as she did this. Apparently, this was her version of digging.

Spot, Rover, and Fido just blinked in perplexity as she did this.

A few seconds later, Fido zoomed forward and snapped "What are you doing? We said dig!"

Rarity stopped "digging" and sternly rejoined with "Forgive me, but prior to you so rudely dragging me into your dirt pit, I had a pony-pedi and I am not about to chip a hoof because you dislike my style of digging."

After that, she continued gently patting the ground with her front hoof. All the while, she grunted uncomfortably.

Bronze Star could not help but snicker at this display. Evidently, Rarity was not going to make this easy for the dogs.

Before long, Rover covered his face with his paws and murmured in exasperation "Oh, for goodness. Fine! Just stop. Stop!"

Rarity complied with this order and backed away. Bronze Star noticed that a number of armored Diamond Dogs were sticking out of the entrance to a tunnel on the ceiling of the chamber. Rover looked up at them, pointed at the X, and commanded them "Dig, dogs! Dig! And fast."

The armored dogs dropped out of the tunnel, landed on the ground, and proceeded to clear away the dirt around the X. Rarity smirked in satisfaction. She had managed to get herself out of digging.

However, the alpha dogs had other plans for her. Fido picked up a wagon of gems, and Spot picked up the harness that went with it. The former of them declared "She won't dig, she pulls."

The two of them walked over to Rarity. The fashion designer gapped in astonishment and backed away from them, saying furiously "I beg your pardon, but what, pray tell, are you doing?"

"Others will dig," Fido clarified as he and Spot backed her into another wall, "You will haul the wagon."

"Prrrecious pony-pedi will be preserved," Spot proclaimed as he slid the harness on Rarity's back.

As the two dogs fastened the harness to the white mare, she derided them with "Well, somebody certainly needs proper nail care. When was the last time you two had a manicure? You're scratching up my coat with those jagged things!"

Rover slunk forward and bade her "Please be quiet!"

"Good heavens, what is that smell?" Rarity asked in disgust.

"Smeeeeeell?" Rover mumbled, leaning closer to her.

"Ah, mystery solved," Rarity cheekily commented, "It's your breath."

Rover seemed bewildered by that statement. He took a moment to smell his own breath, and he realized that it actually was rather foul. Even so, he disregarded that fact and muttered "Enough! Search, pony!"

"Well, since you insist..." Rarity grumbled. Over the next minute, she trotted around the chamber, pulling the cart in tow. As she moved, she used her magic to pinpoint every horde of gems. Every time she found one, she used her stick to mark it. At one point, she inadvertently caused a small piece of the ceiling to collapse on two of the diggers. Bronze Star found that both amusing and ingenious. Rover, Fido, and Spot always stayed close by Rarity's side as she moved. All the while, she made some very eloquent observations about the Diamond Dogs and their lifestyle.

She ranted with "But I must say the working conditions in here are simply dreadful. Musty and damp, it's going to wreak havoc on my mane. And this air is stifling, suffocating. And when I try to take a deep breath, the stench of all you dogs makes me nauseated. You look and smell like you haven't bathed in weeks. Have you never heard of soap? You could all do with a good round of soap and water."

She was not kidding about the bathing part. When two of the guard dogs sniffed their armpits, they both passed out. So far, she had taken out four of them without delivering a single blow. Bronze Star thought this rather convenient. If Rarity kept this up, she would soon reduce the Diamond Dogs' numbers to an amount that he would be able to successfully fight off by himself.

Just then, Rarity stopped the wagon and professed "Oh water, oh water, I'm terribly thirsty. Could I please have some water?"

By now, she had succeeded in greatly irritating the alpha dogs. Spot shuttered and spoke impatiently "Good gracious, I can't take this anymore. Be quiet, pony!"

"And that's another thing," Rarity rebuked them, "I would appreciate if you stopped calling me 'pony.' I am a lady and I wish to be addressed as such. So you may call me 'Miss' or 'Rarity' or 'Miss Rarity.'"

"Enough!" Rover shouted, grabbing his ears, "Your whining! It-it-it hurts!"

"Whining?" Rarity scolded him, "I am not whining. I am complaining. Do you want to hear whining?"

"Uh-oh," Bronze Star whispered to himself. The dogs were in for it NOW.

Rarity then said in a profoundly bothersome and sarcastic tone of voice "Thiiis iiis whiiining! Oooh, this harness is too tiiight! It's going to chafe. Can't you loosen it? Oooh, it hurts and it's sooo ruuusty! Why didn't you clean it first? It's gonna leave a staaain! And the wagon's getting heeeavy, why do I have to pull it?!"

Fido had jumped into the cart in an attempt to drown out Rarity's shrieking. Spot and Rover both had their paws clamped over their ears. All three of the dogs were struggling to mute the agonizing sounds, but nothing they did was even remotely successful in muffling Rarity's obnoxious tirade.

Bronze Star chuckled at the scene. At this time, he did not know who to feel sorrier for: Rarity or the Diamond Dogs.

Ultimately, Spot collapsed to the ground, groaned, and demanded "Make it stop!"

"Stop whining!" Rover yelled.

"But I thought you wanted whiiining!" Rarity wailed, stomping her front hooves.

Rover fell onto his stomach and firmly held his paws against his ears. He gazed up at Rarity and desperately pronounced "Geh! We'll do anything, pony!"

Rarity stopped her irksome rant, but she glared at Rover as though she was cross with him. Noting his mistake, Rover quickly corrected himself with "Oh, uh, uh, we'll do anything, 'Miss Rarity.'"

As he laughed nervously, Rarity gazed off to the side and dreamily asked "Anything?"

Bronze Star was amazed at how easily Rarity had managed to turn the tables on the Diamond Dogs. She did not even have to throw a single blow to get them to submit.

Currently, she appeared to have the situation here well under control. Because of that, Bronze Star figured he could afford to leave her for a short time. While she handled the alpha dogs, he decided to slip away and search for an escape path.

Bronze Star made a note of the chamber's location so that he would remember how to return to it. Then he departed from the chamber. He silently galloped through the tunnels and looked everywhere for any possible path that could lead out of the mines.

Pretty much all the floors to the tunnels were smooth and flat. However, after aimlessly searching for a while, Bronze Star came across a passageway whose ground was slanted slightly uphill. That discrepancy attracted his attention, so he decided to pursue that pathway.

As he followed this route, Bronze Star noticed that it consistently went upward. He was fairly confident that it led to higher ground. Within minutes, he arrived in a vast hall. After confirming that the area was deserted, he crept quietly into the hall. Ever since he had entered the mines, he had been keeping track of how far below the surface he was, and if his calculations were correct, he was less than twenty-five feet below ground. Including the passage he had taken to get here, there were eight other tunnels that could be accessed in this hall. Bronze Star was inclined to believe that at least one of them had to lead outside.

A moment later, he spotted a gleam of light coming from one of the tunnels. He trotted over to the mouth of this tunnel and gazed inside. Like the last passageway, this one ascended at an angle. The light became brighter, and it originated somewhere above Bronze Star's head. It was less than twenty meters away, and he could tell that the light was the Sun's natural rays.

Bronze Star smiled and said to himself "Bingo. A clear path to the surface. This'll be perfect for when we make our getaway."

"Well, congratulations," a raspy voice mockingly stated from behind him.

In response, Bronze Star swiftly turned around, and he was greeted with a dismal sight. Just a moment ago, he had been alone. Now the room was swarming with Diamond Dogs. Somehow, they had snuck in without the prince noticing.

There where thirteen Diamond Dogs in total. All of them were clad in armor, and twelve were armed with spears. The thirteenth won was armed with a shield and sword, and he wore a cape, as well. He stood at the center of the pack, towering over his associates. Clearly, he was their leader.

The caped Diamond Dog gave a wicked grin and pronounced "Boys, it would appear as though today's our lucky day. First we captured the gem-finding pony, and now we have our very first visit from the rulers of her people."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and presumed "So you know who I am?"

"Of course," the caped dog affirmed, "Just because we live below ground, that does not mean we know nothing of what goes on above our heads. We know all about the ponies and the immortal Alicorns who lead them. I would have thought they'd be smart enough not to intrude on our turf. It seems you have proven me wrong, Prince Bronze Star."

"Well, for that, I apologize," Bronze Star scathingly retorted, "Believe me, I would prefer not to linger in this filthy place any longer than I need to. I am only here to recover what you took."

"What did we take?" the lead dog demanded.

"You're holding my friend Rarity prisoner," Bronze Star illuminated, "Free her, and we'll leave without conflict."

The dogs laughed at that proposal as if it was completely ridiculous. Once they quieted down, the leader declared "It will not be that simple,"

"Then perhaps we can negotiate," Bronze Star suggested hopefully, "There must be something we have that we could give you in return for her release. Surely you are capable of reason."

"Reason?" the caped dog spat heatedly "You think you can reason with me? Do you know who I am?"

"No, I do not," Bronze Star drily replied, "You know my name, but I know not yours."

"You speak to Brutus," the leader revealed, "Remember that well. That is the name of your new master."

"'Master?'" Bronze Star remarked, as if he found that concept amusing, "Last time I checked, my people were YOUR masters."

"Yes, until we retreated to a place where they could not pursue us," Brutus contended angrily.

"I don't know about that," Bronze Star wryly countered, "I'm here, after all."

"Yes, and here you'll stay," Brutus firmly decided, "Princess Celestia would give a healthy ransom for your safe return."

"That's your plan?" Bronze Star muttered, scoffing, "To use me as a bargaining chip?"

"Yes, you are now our hostage," Brutus decreed.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a person have to be disarmed and restrained before you can declare them as your hostage?" Bronze Star sarcastically alleged, "Take a look at me. I have a military-grade weapon, and I'm completely capable of independent movement."

"Are you blind or something?" Brutus bellowed crossly, "Look around you. You are outnumbered thirteen to one."

Bronze Star chuckled and spoke derisively "I'm amazed you can count that high."

Brutus grimaced in anger and snapped "You'll learn to control that tongue of yours, or I'll cut it out!"

"That so?" Bronze Star dared him, raising his knife, "I'd like to see you try."

"Very well," Brutus proclaimed. He gazed down at his subordinates, and he sternly ordered them "Take him."

All at once, the twelve armored dogs charged towards the gold stallion. He waited until they were within reaching distance of him. Then he reacted.

He focused on the closest dog and shoved his body weight against him. The dog was knocked flat on his back, and Bronze Star landed on him hard. After that, he jumped off the downed enemy, landed on his hooves, and turned to face the other eleven dogs.

Another dog tried to grab Bronze Star, but he ducked underneath the dog's legs, seized him by his hindquarters, and threw him against a wall.

A third dog tried to stab Bronze Star with his spear; the gold stallion easily evaded his blows. Then he clutched the dog's shoulders and tossed him at two other dogs. The three of them roughly collided together; all three were effectively taken out at once.

The remaining seven dogs attempted to surround the gold stallion. He avoided this by spreading his wings and rising into the air. He was high enough so that they could not reach him. He focused on the nearest dog and soared towards him, shoving him forcibly to the ground.

Immediately after, he picked up another dog, sailed upwards, and slammed him against the ceiling. He managed to drop him on another dog below him, disabling that one, too.

The last four dogs tried to get Bronze Star to return to the ground by throwing their spears at him. He used his magic to rapidly teleport to different parts of the room. By carefully timing his movements, he was able to confuse the dogs and take three of them out individually.

When there was only one dog left, Bronze Star landed back on the ground and faced him one-on-one. The dog was determined to succeed where his colleagues had failed. He lifted his spear and bolted towards Bronze Star. The gold stallion did not so much as flinch until the dog was upon him. Then he almost effortlessly raised his free front hoof and struck the dog in the face. The dog groaned and collapsed on the ground.

It had taken Bronze Star less than five minutes to neutralize all twelve dogs by himself. He looked around the hall and nodded in satisfaction.

He then looked up at Brutus. The caped dog was notably flabbergasted by what he had just seen. Bronze Star grinned and told him slyly "Wow, that was anticlimactic. Then again, I should have known better than to expect much from them. I hope you have a little more skill."

Brutus glowered and lightly nodded his head. He drew his sword, held it in a threatening manner, and proclaimed "I'd be happy to oblige."

Bronze Star assumed a defensive stance again, and he goaded the caped dog "Come and get me, then."

In response, Brutus raised his weapon and darted towards the gold stallion. He waved his sword violently; Bronze Star just barely managed to parry his blow.

He soon learned that Brutus was indeed much more skilled than his twelve subordinates. He had to put up some serious effort to resist his attacks and defend himself at the same time.

After about three minutes of intense dueling, Bronze Star spotted an exploitable flaw in Brutus' technique. The upper half of his right leg was unprotected. The prince waited for an opening, and then he waved his blade at the caped dog's weak spot. He managed to nick Brutus' thigh. He did not slice him deep, but he did cut him enough to knock him off balance. Bronze Star rebounded and used his hind legs to buck the caped dog in the back.

Consequently, Brutus fell flat on his stomach. Before he had a chance to recover, Bronze Star jumped onto his back and struck him repeatedly on the back of his head with the hilt of his knife. By the time he relented, Brutus was barely offering any resistance.

Bronze Star smiled in satisfaction and flipped the caped dog onto his back. He stood over him and professed "For a society that lives in isolation from civilization, you dogs must not have a lot of time on your paws. Otherwise, your fighting prowess would have been considerably better than THAT."

"You'll regret this," Brutus mumbled menacingly.

"Oh, shut up," Bronze Star sharply retorted. He lifted his knife and struck Brutus on his forehead, knocking him out cold. After that, he went around to the other twelve dogs and knocked out those of them who were still conscious, as well.

Now he was standing in the hall with thirteen incapacitated Diamond Dogs at his hooves. The best part was that his knife was totally clean. He had disabled all of the dogs without spilling a drop of blood, just as he had hoped to do.

A lot of time had elapsed since he had last seen Rarity, though. Now that he had secured a safe escape route, he decided to return to the chamber and ensure that she was alright. If there were fewer Diamond Dogs around this time, he would be able to get her out of there without any further delay. Of course, considering what he had just accomplished in the hall, he doubted he would have any trouble.

When he got to the chamber, Rarity was still pointing out the locations of various gem hordes in the ground. However, that was the only thing she was doing for the Diamond Dogs. The circumstances had changed; she looked more like their mistress than their prisoner now.

Currently, the dogs were hanging decorative banners for her, fanning her, and had given her a goblet of water to drink. They were doing all the digging themselves. In fact, Fido, Spot, and Rover were hauling the wagons.

Rarity sipped water from the chalice, sighed, and remarked in slight disappointment "This water is hardly sparkling. But I suppose it will have to do."

Several meters away, Spot, Fido, and Rover were struggling to transport the wagons across the chamber. They did not seem to be questioning this at all.

Rover panted in exhaustion as he caught his breath. Then he seemed to come to his senses. He uttered snappily "Wait! Why are we doing this?"

"To stop the awful noises from the pony's mouth, remember?" Spot replied. He then made a sound to imitate Rarity's whines, but Rover hastily covered the smaller dog's mouth with his left paw.

"Yes, yes, I know," Rover stated edgily, "This is ridiculous! Letting a pony order us around. What are we? Mice or dogs?"

Fido and Spot looked at each other, and they said simultaneously "Mi... dogs?"

"Dogs do not pull," Rover firmly observed, "Ponies pull. Let her make the awful noises."

The three alpha dogs promptly unfastened themselves from their carts. Rover then rolled his cart all the way over to Rarity and proceeded to place the harness on her back. She did not even seem to notice him until he began fastening it. She glowered at him and demanded "What are you doing?"

While he adjusted the clasp, Rover deliberately knocked over the goblet she had been drinking from.

"Hey, you spilled my drink," Rarity pointed out, annoyed. Rover ignored her and finished fastening the harness. Rarity could feel it dig into her coat, and she whined "Not sooo tiiight!"

"Ha!" Rover rejoined in defiance, "Make the noises all you want. But move while you make them."

He slapped Rarity's flank and jeered "Hyah, mule!"

Rarity seemed quite stunned by that statement, but it gave her another idea for how she could turn the tables on the Diamond Dogs. She slowly looked over at Rover and uttered in shock "Did you just call me a... mule?"

Rover anxiously gazed off to the side, and then he looked back at her and mumbled "Ehh..."

Right then, Rarity's eyes were flowing with tears. She said gloomily "Mules are ugly. Are you saying that I too am ugly?"

She then collapsed onto her stomach and started crying loudly. Rover stared at her in astonishment.

Spot walked up to his side and queried "What are these noises?"

"He called me ugly!" Rarity drearily claimed.

"No!" Rover disputed, "Mule! I said mule!"

"An old ugly mule!" Rarity uttered in misery, "And it's true! Just look at me. I used to be beautiful, but, but nooow..."

Fido appeared next to his compansions and stated reassuringly "No, no! You're still beautiful, po... uh, Miss Rarity."

"You're just saying that!" Rarity whimpered.

"No, you're still pretty and... and..." Spot insisted.

"Oh, uh, uh, nice," Rover added in, "Yeah."

"I don't believe you!" Rarity murmured sadly, "You never liked me!"

She continued wailed noisily. Right now, the Diamond Dogs were struggling to retain both their hearing and their sanity.

As for Bronze Star, it was extremely difficult for him to resist the urge to laugh. He noticed that Rarity's sobbing had driven most of the armored guard dogs out of the chamber. Including the three alpha dogs, there were only five dogs left. Bronze Star was about ready to move in.

Fido, Spot, and Rover clamped their paws over their ears, but this did nothing to muffle the Unicorn's wails. Rover uttered impatiently "Oh, I've had just about enough of this!"

"So have I," Bronze Star brashly announced, stepping out of his hiding place.

After he made that declaration, Rarity and the Diamond Dogs turned to face the gold stallion.

The two armored dogs promptly charged towards him. He just smirked and casually walked forward. When the first armored dog reached him, Bronze Star seized him by the neck and slammed him into the ground. When the second armored dog reached him, Bronze Star raised his free hoof and punched him squarely in the face.

Both dogs were now lying on the ground, moaning in anguish. Bronze Star nonchalantly sauntered past them, and he gradually approached Rarity and the three alpha dogs. Beneath her apparently hopeless appearance, Rarity was overjoyed. The Diamond Dogs, however, were shaking in fear.

"How'd you get here?" Fido inquired anxiously.

"I found a hole in the ground," Bronze Star cheekily retorted, "Funny thing is, I wasn't planning on coming here today. But don't worry; I'll be leaving now. And she's coming with me."

Rarity dropped her miserable act, grinned widely, and got back to her hooves.

When the Diamond Dogs did not say anything, Bronze Star pointed his knife at them and commented "Do you have a problem with that? Your buddy Brutus had one, and I had to beat some sense into him. Literally. Must I do the same to you?"

"Hey, no need for threats," Rover asserted, holding up his paws.

Spot nodded his head and agreement, saying "You want her, she's yours."

"She's not even worth the trouble," Fido perceived.

"Very good," Bronze Star remarked, lowering his knife, "Now, get that harness off her."

"Yeah," Fido avowed. He then approached the white Unicorn and prepared to remove the harness from her back. However, Rarity gestured for him to stop.

"Actually, leave it on," she stated, "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll take this cart."

"Out of the question," Rover rebutted, "Those gems are ours. You and your lover can go, but the gems stay."

Bronze Star rolled his eyes at that last remark, and Rarity's facial expression tightened. She cried crossly "For the record, he's NOT my lover. We both have our sights set on another pony. But you do NOT want to mess with him. Or me! Need I remind you that you wouldn't have FOUND these gems without me? They're rightfully mine! So I'm taking them with me. You got theat? They're mine!"

Fido, Rover, and Spot covered their ears again, and Fido declared "Fine! Keep them!"

"Thank you," Rarity said appreciatively.

She was prepared to leave, but Bronze Star had a clever idea. He trotted over to his friend and told her "Actually, Rarity, hold on. You came out here for gems, right?"

"Correct, Bronze," she affirmed.

"Well, I think you deserve some compensation for all the trouble you've been through," he proposed. Rarity grinned and nodded in agreement. The gold stallion turned to the three alpha dogs and observed "Surely you can spare more than one wagon of gems."

"Are you trying to extort us, Alicorn?" Spot mumbled irately.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rarity snapped angrily, "'Alicorn?' Don't you know who he is?! He could have you thrown in a dungeon for all eternity, you vicious brutes! If you know what's good for you, you'll treat him with respect!"

"Okay, okay, no more!" Rover pleaded with her. The three alpha dogs rushed out of the chamber and hastily returned with five more loaded carts of gems. After that, Rover declared "You can take all that! Just stop tormenting us, we beseech you!"

"I will," Rarity proclaimed easily. She then smirked wickedly and shouted "But get out of my sight! Or I'll…"

"Noooooooo!" the three alpha dogs yelled in unison. They bolted as fast as they could away from Rarity.

Bronze Star watched as they sprinted away, and he chuckled in amusement. He turned to the white Unicorn and revealed "Believe it or not, I pity them."

"Truthfully, I do, too," she claimed, giggling.

Just then, a door on the other side of the chamber was thrown open, and Twilight Sparkle and Spike entered the chamber. Spike had a rope around the lavender mare's muzzle, and he was using a stalagmite as a sword. He waved it around and announced "Lady Rarity, I'm here to save you!"

Six other mares entered after the magic student and her assistant. They were Cassia Sprig, Paisley Branch, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. The eight of them were greeted with an unexpected sight. Spot, Rover, and Fido were running towards them frantically; they were screaming over each other: "Save us!" "Please, save us!" "Make it stop!" "Please!"

When they reached the seven mares and the dragon, they stopped. Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow and queried "Excuse me?"

"So picky," Spot commented.

"And critical," Fido added in.

"She won't stop talking," Spot disclosed.

"And crying," Fido remarked.

Rover gestured over his shoulder and revealed "We, uh, give her back. Yes."

Bronze Star and Rarity gradually approached the group of eight. The latter was still pulling the cart in tow.

"Rarity!" Spike cheered giddily, hopping off Twilight's back, "You're safe!"

"Why, yes," Rarity confirmed as Spike hugged her. She looked up at the mares and favorably told them "Hello, girls. You arrived just in time to assist me."

"Assist you with what?" Applejack inquired in perplexity.

"With those," Rarity elucidated, gesturing to the five loaded wagons behind her. The others seemed amazed by how many gems there were.

"You're letting her leave with all these... jewels?" Spike presumed in astonishment.

The alpha dogs were cowering in fear in a corner of the chamber. Rover stated pleadingly "Yes. Take them. And her with them."

"Please!" Spot implored them.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle each hooked herself up to one of the other five carts. Spike climbed into the one Rarity was hauling. Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, and Bronze Star were the only ones who were unburdened.

The gold stallion wanted to ensure that the group made it out safely. He instructed the two security officers "Paisley, Cassia, watch the rear. Make sure we're not followed. I'll cover the front."

"Aye, Your Highness," Paisley Branch acknowledged.

"Got it, Your Highness," Cassia Sprig asserted.

Bronze Star smirked at their responses. Ever since he had revealed his true identity to the entire task force, all of its members had been much more reverent to him.

"Okay, let's blow this dump," the young prince proposed. Nopony needed to be told twice. Rover, Fido, and Spot watched in angry defeat as the nine ponies left.

As the group departed from the chamber, Bronze Star informed the others "I found a passage that leads directly to the surface. Follow me; I'll take us there now."

The young prince led the eight mares through the quarry's many tunnels. The place was like a maze, but he had not forgotten the route that would bring them outside. Within ten minutes, they found the corridor that went uphill. Bronze Star told them in advance that there were thirteen Diamond Dogs in the area ahead, but he had already dealt with them.

When they arrived, they found the armored Diamond Dogs unconscious. All the mares seemed astounded, particularly Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig.

"You neutralized all these dogs singlehoofedly?" Cassia Sprig assumed.

"Yeah," Bronze Star validated, "I attempted to negotiate with them for Rarity's freedom. They were unwilling to see reason, so I resolved the conflict with a less diplomatic approach."

Paisley Branch smirked and pronounced "If you did all this to them just for kidnapping Rarity, I'd hate to imagine what you would have done if they kidnapped Applejack."

Everypony except the farmer and the prince chuckled at that statement. As for Bronze Star and Applejack, the two of them just frowned and gazed off to the side apprehensively. The last time they had been this close to each other, their meeting had ended dismally, and they had not talked to each other since then.

Ultimately, Bronze Star shrugged and professed "Let's just say that if they ever tried, I'll make them regret ever going up to the surface. Oh, well; I doubt they'd be able to get their paws on her, anyway."

"I agree," Rainbow Dash contended, "After all, it was because of Applejack that we managed to avoid capture, too. She helped us take out a bunch of those guard dogs when they tried to use us as workhorses."

"Yeah, that was mighty enjoyable," Applejack recounted, smiling.

Bronze Star was glad that she was in a good mood. He just hoped she would stay positive if he ended up talking to her.

Funnily enough, a moment later, Applejack trotted next to Bronze Star's side and remarked "By the way, you know something funny? On the way here, Spike almost kissed me by accident."

"Really?" Bronze Star said in interest.

She nodded her head and disclosed "Uh-huh. He was fantasizin' about rescuing Rarity, and I'm guessin' he mistook me for her or something."

"Nice," Bronze Star muttered in amusement, "And meanwhile, I was in the process of actually trying to saving Rarity down here."

"How about that," Twilight Sparkle noted, "Looks like the pairings were switched today."

"Indeed," Bronze Star conceded. He had to admit; there was quite a bit of irony in this setting. However, it was debatable if either of those "pairings" really existed. After all, Spike's affection for Rarity was almost completely one-sided, and Bronze Star was uncertain of the exact nature of his relationship with Applejack.

At least she was actually talking to him again. Moreover, she was acting as though their argument at the embassy never occurred. Either that, or she was pretending it had not happened. Still, he was glad that they were on speaking terms, and that she was not behaving as though their special relationship had never occurred. He hoped she was willing to talk more later on.

While the group passed through the hall, Pinkie Pie curiously looked around the area. Shortly before they reached the tunnel that led to the surface, Pinkie Pie told them "Wait, stop."

The other ponies halted in their tracks and turned to the pink mare.

"What is it, Pinkie?" Fluttershy queried.

Pinkie Pie continued gazing around the vicinity. Then she turned to the gold stallion and murmured nervously "Bronze, you said there were thirteen dogs, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Bronze Star replied.

"Well, look around," the pink mare bade him, "I only see twelve."

Straightaway, Bronze Star and the mares turned their attention to the unconscious Diamond Dogs. They counted them up several times, and each time, they arrived at twelve total. One of the dogs was unaccounted for. Bronze Star quickly found out which; none of the dogs on the ground were wearing a cape.

Brutus was missing.

After ten seconds of inactivity, Bronze Star thought he felt a wisp of something on his head. He quickly realized it was a miniscule amount of earth that must have fallen from the ceiling. The gold stallion looked upward, and he was greeted with an alarming sight.

Brutus was hanging from the ceiling. As soon as the gold stallion spotted him, he released his grip and dropped to the ground below. He landed on his back paws a few feet away from Applejack. Then he snarled angrily, drew his sword, and muttered furiously "You will pay for crossing me, Bronze Star. I'm going to take away the one you love."

Brutus then turned to Applejack and raised his sword high in the air.

Under normal circumstances, Applejack would have been able to move away safely or fight back. But because she was attached to one of the carts of gems, her range of motion was severely limited, so she was unable to do anything of the sort. She couldn't even trot backwards.

Brutus flashed an evil grin and plunged his blade forward. In less than a second, he drew blood.

But it was not Applejack's blood.

In the split-second beforehand, Bronze Star had intervened. He did not have enough time to counter Brutus' attack; his only option was to dive in front of the orange mare and take the blow for her. Brutus' sword sank into his lower chest.

Everyone there recoiled in shock. A few of the mares screamed. Even Brutus himself was astounded by what just happened.

For a few seconds, Bronze Star groaned in tremendous pain. However, his anguish was quickly replaced by a stronger and more dangerous feeling. He felt inexpressible rage passing through him. Completely ignoring the massive ache in his abdomen, he brought a terrible grimace on his face and slowly gazed up at Brutus. When the Diamond Dog saw the expression on Bronze Star's face, he was overcome with fear.

Bronze Star slowly raised his own knife into the air and slashed Brutus underneath his chin. He managed to draw blood as well; he cut the caped dog's throat open. Immediately, Brutus dropped his sword, stumbled backwards, and collapsed onto his back.

The blade of his sword was still protruding from Bronze Star's lower chest. He hastily gripped the weapon by the handle and yanked it out. The prince yelled in pain as he extracted it, but he managed to avoid collapsing.

Obviously, Bronze Star needed some time to recover from his injury. Applejack placed her front hoof on his shoulder and asked frantically "Bronze, are you alright?"

He lightly nodded his head, but he remained focused on the Diamond Dog. Once he regained his bearings, he limped toward Brutus, jumped onto his chest, and stared down at him. His facial expression was still conveying the utmost hatred and fury.

Brutus was too weak to fight back; he was bleeding steadily from his neck. However, Bronze Star had purposely missed his jugular vein. So he would not bleed out. Unless, of course, Bronze Star chose to inflict more damage.

For the first time that day, Bronze Star felt a great desire to do just that. He glared down at Brutus, gripped his knife tightly, and raised it over his head. He looked as though he was going to stab Brutus in the head with it.

"Bronze, don't do it!" Twilight Sparkle implored him.

The young prince ignored her and brought the knife crashing down. But he abruptly stopped when the tip of the blade was less than an inch away from Brutus' eye. The dog yelped in two forms of surprise; first in horror, and then in disbelief.

As Bronze Star held his knife in front of Brutus' face, he mumbled through gritted teeth "It would be incredibly easy to kill you. I wouldn't need to think twice about it, and I doubt anyone would mourn you after you're gone. Even so, I'm going to prove that my species is superior to yours. I'm going to spare your pathetic life, you monster."

He then withdrew his knife, learned forward, and darkly pronounced "But if you EVER harass one of my friends again, if I see you anywhere near Ponyville, if I catch so much as a whiff of your stench, I will put you in the ground permanently. Understand?"

Brutus was terrified. The witty, humorous stallion he had faced earlier was gone. He was seeing a totally different version of Bronze Star. This side of the prince only came out occasionally, but anyone who was unfortunate enough to witness it prayed that they never saw him like that ever again.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Bronze Star shouted.

Although he was frozen in fear, Brutus lightly nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Good," Bronze Star muttered. He then slammed the hilt of his knife against Brutus' forehead, knocking him out again.

Bronze Star gazed down at his defeated opponent and took a deep breath. Then he swiftly climbed off the caped dog. When he was back on the ground, he groaned and clutched his abdomen. Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig promptly came to his aid. They knelt next to him on either side.

Paisley Branch helped him stand on his hooves. She asserted "Hang in there; I got you, Bronze."

At the same time, Cassia Sprig tried to get a look at his wound. She requested "Come on, let me see it."

Bronze Star reluctantly removed his front hoof from his side. Brutus had cut him pretty deep. The periwinkle Pegasus studied the injury, and then she grimaced in displeasure and commented "This looks pretty bad, Bronze. It needs to be treated right away."

"Yeah," the cobalt blue Unicorn coincided as she helped Bronze Star remain upright, "We better get you to a hospital before-"

"No!" Bronze Star firmly interrupted, "No hospitals!"

The mares were alarmed by that sudden outburst.

"Why do you say that?" Pinkie Pie queried.

"Because there's no way I could receive treatment without giving myself away," Bronze Star expounded, "If the doctors ran any tests on me, they would know right away that I'm not an Earth Pony."

"He's right," Twilight Sparkle verified, "Even medical students can tell the anatomical differences between Alicorns and other types of ponies."

"So if I check myself into the hospital, I may as well broadcast my identity to the entire town," Bronze Star proclaimed.

"Well, um, news flash, Bronze," Rainbow Dash drily muttered, "In case you've forgotten, you don't exactly LOOK like an Earth Pony right now. The townspeople wouldn't need a doctor to tell that you're an Alicorn. So what's the point?"

"You've forgotten that I don't forget, Rainbow," Bronze Star cheekily rejoined, "I know full well that my wings and horn are visible. Luckily, I still have the strength to change back into my Earth Pony disguise."

"That IS good, but what about your injury?" Rarity pointed out, "You don't have the ability to heal yourself, too, do you?"

"Actually, I have something like that," Bronze Star revealed, "I'd tell you about it, but it might take a while to explain. I'd prefer it if we got the Tartarus out of here first."

"Great idea," Spike agreed.

Bronze Star took a moment to clean his knife and slide it into his knapsack. After that, Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig both gave him a helping hoof. The two security officers escorted the prince up the tunnel that led to the surface; the six mares with the wagons of gems followed close behind.

A few minutes later, the group was outside. Soon they were making their way back to Ponyville.

By now, Bronze Star had eased back into his usual jovial self. He smiled happily and announced "You have to admit; that was quite an adventure."

The eight mares murmured in agreement.

"No argument there," Paisley Branch uttered.

"I haven't had this much excitement since the Summer Sun Celebration," Cassia Sprig claimed.

"You sure you'll be alright, though?" Applejack asked in concern.

"Yeah," the gold stallion asserted, "The blade didn't pierce my Refresher Box."

"Your what?" Pinkie Pie queried in confusion. Several of the others seemed just as baffled as her.

"His Refresher Box," Twilight Sparkle answered for him, "Alicorns have an extra organ that other ponies lack. It's believed to be the very thing that makes them immortal."

"It has no scientific name; we simply refer to it as the 'Refresher Box,'" Bronze Star explicated, "A few minutes ago, I told you that I have an ability to heal myself. To be precise, the Refresher Box is what does all the healing. Whenever I get hurt in any way, the Refresher Box kicks in and repairs the damage. It can fix anything from a minor scratch to a concussion to a broken limb. It can even patch up injuries that would otherwise be fatal to other types of ponies. In fact, it's already begun working on my stab wound. Take a look."

Bronze Star had Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch turn him around so he could show the other mares his chest. While some of them were disgusted to see his wound, they all noticed that it did not look as bad as it did when they were down in the cavern.

"You see?" Bronze Star declared, "My Refresher Box has already assessed the damage, and my body is in the process of repairing itself. It's already begun to cauterize the bleeding."

Rainbow Dash whistled in fascination and commented "Sweet."

"So, this happens every time you get hurt?" Pinkie Pie presumed.

"Yes, it does," Bronze Star affirmed, "My Refresher Box never fails me. So I never have to worry about anything."

"What if your Refresher Box itself got damaged?" Applejack proposed.

"That's unlikely," Bronze Star declared, "But not impossible. I'd rather not think about that."

"Right," the orange mare avowed.

"So how long does it take for your Refresher Box to heal you?" Fluttershy queried.

"Depends on the injury," Bronze Star elucidated, "Regardless of that, it always takes a while. The one downside to having a Refresher Box is that its healing process is very slow. Even the smallest of scrapes can take over an hour to heal."

"Is there any way to speed up your rate of recovery?" Rarity questioned.

"Well, the healing process is most effective whenever I'm standing still," Bronze Star illuminated, "So until it's better, I'll have to do as little movement as possible. I've never got an injury like this before, but I'm fairly certain it'll be at least a couple days before this one closes itself. It'll take several more days for the wound to fully heal. Looks like I won't be doing a lot of strenuous activities for the next week."

"If you want, Paisley and I could accompany you back to the embassy, Bronze," Cassia Sprig offered.

"You sure, Cassia?" Bronze Star asked the older pony.

"Of course," the periwinkle Pegasus affirmed.

Bronze Star smiled and commented gratefully "I appreciate that."

"Think nothing of it, Bronze," Paisley Branch told him in assurance, "By the way, you may want to switch back to your other appearance before we get back."

"I was about to do that," the prince claimed.

He had the baby dragon and the eight mares shut their eyes, and then he cast the illusion spell on his horn and wings again. Once he was back in Earth Pony disguise, the group continued making their way back to Ponyville.

On the way, Rarity told the others about her experiences down in the mines, and how the real victims of that fiasco had been the Diamond Dogs instead of her. Her friends found it amusing that she had irritated them so much that they had chosen to free her and send her away with six cartloads of gems.

"I can't believe you found all these gems!" Pinkie Pie pronounced.

"Heh," Rainbow Dash wryly muttered "I can't believe you tricked all those dogs."

"Just because I'm a lady doesn't mean I cannot handle myself in a sticky situation," the white Unicorn coolly debated, "I had them wrapped around my hoof the entire time."

"I can vouch for that," Bronze Star interjected.

Twilight Sparkle trotted closer to Rarity and told her excitedly "I can't wait to write to Princess Celestia to tell her what you taught me today."

"Me?" Rarity said in perplexity, looking over her shoulder, "What did I teach you?"

Twilight Sparkle smiled and perceived "Just because somepony is ladylike doesn't make her weak. In fact, by using her wits a seemingly defenseless pony can be the one who outsmarts and outshines them all."

Currently, Spike was lounging in Rarity's cart, munching on one of the jewels. He spoke candidly "Hm... 'Outshines' is right. Now you have enough gems to cover Sapphire Shores's costumes."

"Not if you eat them all, Spike," Rarity countered, using her magic to pull the half-eaten gem out of the baby dragon's claw.

As Spike sulked, the nine ponies burst out laughing.

Bronze Star then turned to Twilight Sparkle and stated "Great lesson, Twilight. But make sure you add that in the event that all else fails, it never hurts to have a weapon in your hoof."

The lavender mare snickered and sarcastically uttered "I'll think about that."

As the group made its way back to Ponyville, Fluttershy trotted beside Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, and Bronze Star. When she got a closer look at his injury, she proclaimed "Bronze, you probably shouldn't wait until you get back to the embassy to bandage your wound. How about you come to my cottage instead? I could go ahead and bandage it for you."

"I thought your specialty was in treating animals, not ponies," the gold stallion recounted.

"It is, but I know plenty about first aid," the yellow mare informed him, "I've treated plenty of my friends in the past. I could also do a thing or two to alleviate the pain."

Bronze Star thought for a moment, and then he nodded his head and pronounced "Okay, Fluttershy. Thank you."

"Not at all," she said quietly, smiling.

Soon the ten ponies reached the southern border of Ponyville. There they broke off into two smaller groups. Bronze Star, Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, and Fluttershy were in the first group; they would be going to the yellow Pegasus' cottage. The other group was composed of Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike; they would go to Carousel Boutique.

Since Fluttershy was not in the second group, she removed herself from the cart of gems she had brought back from the mines. Somepony in the other group would have had to take it back instead. Applejack offered to haul it. Since she was the strongest pony there, the farmer could easily transport two carts at once.

Fluttershy then proceeded to attach her cart to Applejack's. When she was done, the yellow Pegasus headed over to the prince and the two security officers. Just before she reached them, Applejack stopped her and whispered something into her ear.

Bronze Star had no idea what it was, but he noticed Applejack appeared to be looking at him. When she was finished talking, Fluttershy just smiled and nodded her head.

Before the ten friends went separate ways, Bronze Star had Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch bring him over to Rarity. He spoke just loud enough so that only the four of them could hear him. He remarked "Rarity, remember our conversation from earlier?"

The white mare solemnly nodded her head in response. Bronze Star proclaimed "You already answered almost all of my questions. There's just one more thing I would like to ask you."

"Alright, I'm listening," Rarity conceded.

"That customer you had on the Sunday before you met Rough Rider… what was his name?" Bronze Star requested.

"I'm afraid he never told me his name," Rarity professed, "I asked him for it, but he managed to evade telling me."

"Damn," Bronze Star mumbled, "In that case, could you give me a description of him, instead?"

"I suppose," Rarity muttered. She needed a moment to think, and then she murmured "Let's see… Early thirties, strongly-built, slightly taller than the average stallion… As for his appearance, he was a Pegasus. His coat was a brownish-tan, his mane was composed of two shades of blue, like sapphire and navy. He also had plum eyes, and his cutie mark was… well… I believe it was a compass. Either a compass or a set of directions you'd find on a map. I know it was something that resembled a rhombus. I'm sorry if I sound vague. That stallion was a first-time customer. I never saw him before that day. Nor did I ever see him again any time after."

"It's alright," Bronze Star claimed, "You've been extremely helpful. Thank you."

"Anytime," was all she said in response.

It was then that the nine ponies and the dragon split up. As the smaller group made its way to Fluttershy's cottage, Paisley Branch looked to the gold stallion and inquired "What was that about?"

"Yeah, what's so important about this 'stallion?'" Cassia Sprig enquired.

"I'll tell you at our next meeting, if not sooner," Bronze Star insisted. The two mares were content with that.

Soon, they arrived at Fluttershy's cottage. Once they were inside, the yellow Pegasus instructed the cobalt blue Unicorn and the periwinkle Pegasus to bring the gold Alicorn over to the couch at the back of her room. As the two security officers helped the prince get comfortable, the wildlife preserver went to get some supplies.

She came back a minute later with a first aid kid. Then she kneeled in front of Bronze Star and tended to his wound. It took her about two minutes to diagnosis the injury, three minutes to treat it, and five minutes to wrap it up.

Bronze Star already felt much better after those ten minutes ended. Now that his wound was no longer exposed to air, his Refresher Box would be able to concentrate on healing him properly. Fluttershy might not have been a licensed physician, but she definitely had the capacity to heal all sorts of injuries.

As Bronze Star grew accustomed to his bandage, Fluttershy gathered up her medical supplies and returned it all to the first aid kit. She put away everything except a cloth she had used to wipe away the excess blood from Bronze Star's wound. Before she put that away, she tore off a piece of the cloth and put it in a tiny plastic bag. Then she labeled it with a marker.

Bronze Star watched her and asked "What are you doing?"

"Cataloguing a specimen of your blood," Fluttershy enlightened him.

"Why?" the gold stallion queried.

"It's my way of keeping an official record," Fluttershy explicated, "I always do this whenever my patient has an open wound."

"Is that so?" Bronze Star said in bewilderment.

"Yes," Fluttershy affirmed, "You seem surprised, Bronze."

"Well, no offense, but I would have thought you'd be adverse to things like blood," Bronze Star admitted.

"I am, but I can put up with it if it's for a friend or an animal," Fluttershy professed.

"That's admirable of you," Bronze Star remarked in approval.

"Thanks," Fluttershy said gratefully.

Bronze Star really did find it commendable that Fluttershy could so easily set aside her dread of blood to help a friend. He had always respected ponies who faced their fears, particularly if they were doing it for a friend's benefit. Valor was his defining attribute, after all.

Once he took into account what Fluttershy told him, he realized something. Perhaps her system of gathering blood from her patients could help HIM in another way. Most ponies would have considered this idea a longshot, but he felt it was worth checking out.

After a long interval of quietness, Bronze Star presumed "So, you collect a bit of blood from all your patients?"

"Just the ones where the blood is visible," Fluttershy specified, "For the ones with no external blood, I just take a hair or something."

"Okay," Bronze Star avowed. He paused for a minute, and then he leaned forward and commented "You remember when you treated Arthur all those months ago?"

"Of course I do," Fluttershy answered him, nodding.

"Well, you told me that when you examined him, you found some blood on his talons," Bronze Star recounted, "You said the blood wasn't his, but I don't suppose you gathered a sample of it, anyway?"

"Actually, I did," Fluttershy illuminated, "It was a little hard to obtain, since it was mostly dry at the time. But with some difficulty, I managed to get it all."

Bronze Star smiled in a mixture of relief and delight. He then took a deep breath and muttered "Forgive me if this sounds strange, but… would it be alright if I borrowed that blood sample?"

All three mares found that to be a rather odd request. Even so, Fluttershy just nodded her head and told him "Sure. Stay right here; I'll go get it."

The yellow Pegasus slipped out of the room for a minute. Again, Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch looked to Bronze Star in confusion. He smirked and stated dismissively "Trust me."

Soon after, Fluttershy returned to the room. She was carrying a tiny plastic bag in her front hoof. Inside the bag was a glass slide that had been lined in the center with a see-through cover. This part of the slide was red, due to the bit of dried blood it held. Fluttershy held the plastic bag out to Bronze Star, and he gladly took it into his own front hoof.

After that, he got up off the couch and declared "Well, thank you for your help, Fluttershy. I better get going now."

Without warning, Fluttershy stepped in front of the gold stallion and lightly pushed him back onto the couch. She muttered sternly "Bad idea. You should stay off your hooves for at least an hour. That'll give your bandage time to set in place."

"It couldn't do that when I'm trotting around?" Bronze Star queried.

"It could, but not as well as it would if you sat down," Fluttershy perceived.

"Fluttershy, I'm grateful that you're looking out for my well-being," the gold stallion proclaimed, "But I can't stay here; I've got work to do."

"The work can wait, Bronze," Fluttershy adamantly countered, "Listen to me; you should consider yourself extremely lucky that you're still ABLE to trot. If that dog had stabbed you just a couple inches deeper, his sword would have impaled you. I know you have an incredible tolerance for pain, but you're not invulnerable. None of us are."

As much as Bronze Star wanted to get back to the embassy and return to his work, he could tell that Fluttershy was very serious about this subject. In fact, the corneas of her eyes looked as though they had gotten bigger in the last minute. He had a pretty good idea what that meant, and he did not want to risk finding out if he was correct. Bronze Star hastily leaned back in his seat and coincided "Alright, alright. I won't argue with you anymore. Just refrain from using the Stare on me, please."

Fluttershy snickered and said softly "Okay."

There came another period of quietness, and then Bronze Star asked "How long would you recommend I sit down?"

"About an hour," Fluttershy conjectured, "You don't mind staying here that long, do you?"

"No, an hour's fine," he asserted.

"I could make some tea, if you'd like," Fluttershy offered.

"Alright," Bronze Star accepted happily.

"Cassia, Paisley, you want any?" the yellow Pegasus asked the two security officers.

"No, thanks," Cassia Sprig replied.

"I'm good," Paisley Branch responded.

"Suit yourself," Fluttershy acknowledged. She then turned around and headed into the kitchen.

Bronze Star waited until she was out of the room. Then he looked to the cobalt blue mare and the periwinkle mare, and he professed "Paisley, Cassia, I need both of you to run an errand."

This sounded more like a command than a request, but both mares agreed to aid the prince. First, he briefly explained what he had been discussing with Rarity earlier that day. After that, he assigned each of them a task. He gave Cassia Sprig the plastic bag with the blood sample, telling her to drop it off at a certain place. He asked Paisley Branch to pick something up at the embassy and drop it off at the same location.

He figured their errands could easily be accomplished within an hour, so he asked them to come back to Fluttershy's cottage as soon as they were finished. Once he gave Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch their instructions, the two mares left the cottage and went to carry out their assignments.

Fluttershy came back a few minutes later with two teacups. She gave one to Bronze Star and sat down beside him on the couch. When she noticed Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig were gone, he claimed that they both had to go back to town for something, but they would be back in an hour.

For a few minutes, the yellow mare and the gold stallion idly chatted. Bronze Star remembered what he had seen right before he, Paisley, Cassia, and Fluttershy had left the others. He looked to the yellow mare and said "Hey, Fluttershy?"

"Yes?" she commented.

"Earlier, I noticed Applejack whispered something in your ear," Bronze Star recalled, "If you don't mind me asking… what did she say?"

Fluttershy did not answer straightaway. After a short pause, she smiled lightly and revealed "She said 'Please, take care of him. Tell him I said 'thank you.' And tell him… I'm not angry.'"

When Bronze Star heard those words, he felt waves of joy wash over him. So Applejack no longer harbored any ill feelings towards him.

Of course, that alone did not imply that she wanted to get back together with him. After all, she had asked Fluttershy to deliver that message instead of delivering it herself. Maybe she was still unwilling to talk to him directly. However, that was unlikely, seeing as how she had clearly spoken to him several times back at the mines.

Whatever the case, Bronze Star was fairly certain that his relationship with Applejack was salvageable in some way.

Forty-five minutes later, Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig returned to the cottage. When they got there, they asked Bronze Star if he was ready to head back to the embassy. First, the gold stallion looked to Fluttershy for her approval, and to his fortune, she did not object this time. She was confident that he was well enough to trot now.

Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch both gave Bronze Star another helping hoof, and together, they escorted him across town, all the way to the embassy. They aided him all the way to the entrance of the building. When they got there, he bade them a good day and told them that he would see them tomorrow morning at the task's force next meeting.

He got back to the embassy at roughly five o'clock. That was normally the time when Dapple Rhomb headed home. She had already packed up, and she was ready to leave. In fact, she encountered Bronze Star right at the main entrance. She was alarmed to see his bandage, but he told her not to worry about it. She informed him that nothing new had cropped up while he was gone, and she assured him that she would see him early the following day.

Before she left, Bronze Star got a last-minute idea. He suggested that Dapple Rhomb bring along Rough Rider with her tomorrow. When she asked why, he simply told her that maybe Rough Rider would like to see what his wife did at work. Plus, he claimed he did not get houseguests often, so he figured an immediate relative of his only employee would be as good as any. In the end, he convinced Dapple Rhomb to accept his proposition; she agreed to bring her husband to work tomorrow. After that, she signed out and left.

Bronze Star had another reason for inviting Rough Rider over. He was planning to do something big tomorrow. Or rather, he was preparing to do something big tomorrow. Currently, his decision on whether or not he would go through with this plan was still pending. But he would make his decision very soon. Specifically, he would make it as soon as a certain object arrived at the embassy. Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig told him to expect the object before the day was over, so he only had to wait for seven hours or less.

While he waited, Bronze Star figured he may as well get something done, so he went up to Sir Haywood McCrank's room. To his good fortune, the indigo stallion was there. He had gotten back a while ago; his visits with Colgate and Berry Punch had only taken about three hours in total. Bronze Star suggested that they discuss the progress they had made in their secret investigation. Haywood McCrank was more than happy to accept that proposal. The two stallions proceeded to review what they had done that day.

Sir Haywood went first. It had been a relatively uneventful day for him. He had simply gone to see Colgate and Berry Punch, and he had asked them to recount their first encounters with Rough Rider. Both mares had been able to thoroughly describe the events to him.

The circumstances of their business deals with Rough Rider were nearly identical to those of Rarity's business deal with him. Both Colgate and Berry Punch had ordered a product from his catalogue a week in advance, and both of them had never before seen the particular magazine they had found his catalogue in. In addition to that, less than a day before they found this magazine, both of them had had a customer whose description perfectly matched the description of the stallion Rarity had serviced on the Sunday before she met Rough Rider.

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank were certain that this was no coincidence. It must have been the same stallion who visited all three mares, and he must have been the one who left the magazine with Rough Rider's catalogue behind. Still, they had no idea who this stallion was or how he was involved in this affair. All they could do was speculate and wonder.

Once Sir Haywood was finished recalling the events of his day, Bronze Star had his turn. He had been through quite a lot in the past twelve hours. His conversation with Rarity only occupied a minor part of his recollection. He described the incident with the Diamond Dogs in vivid detail.

Sir Haywood found it humorous how Rarity had managed to gain the upper hoof on the Diamond Dogs. He never would have thought it would be possible to win over an adversary by pestering and irritating them to the brink of insanity. Since Bronze Star had been there, he could confirm that such a thing was indeed possible. He still could not get Rarity's obnoxious whining out of his head.

When Bronze Star got to the part where Brutus had attacked him, Sir Haywood was clearly shocked. Of course, he had noticed the gold stallion's bandage even before their talk began, but he had simply assumed the prince had inadvertently injured himself somehow. He was relieved when Bronze Star informed him that he had managed to subdue Brutus and get the rest of his friends out of the mines without incurring any other casualties. Still, it would be hard for the prince to get around by himself for the next week. Sir Haywood offered to remain nearby at all times in case Bronze Star ever needed assistance.

Bronze Star also covered what had gone on at Fluttershy's cottage. To him, that was perhaps the most significant part of his day. He told Sir Haywood all about how Fluttershy collected a sample of blood from her patients whenever blood had been drawn. That was when he had asked to see the blood sample she had taken from Arthur's talons when she repaired his wing. He had had Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch take the blood sample and an item from the embassy somewhere for an "experiment."

Now he was waiting for the results of that experiment. He had resolved that as soon as he received the results, he would use them to choose his next course of action. If they came back negative, he would do nothing. If they came back positive, then he would be faced with a difficult scenario.

At eight o'clock, there was a knock on the front door of the embassy. Sir Haywood helped Bronze Star get to the front door, and the gold stallion answered it. Nurse Red Heart was standing on the other side. She was carrying a large sealed envelope on her back.

She grinned and stated cordially, "Hello, Mr. Ambassador, Sir Haywood."

"Good evening, Nurse," Haywood greeted her.

"What can we do for you, Red?" Bronze Star asked.

"I have something for you," the white Earth Pony disclosed. She pulled the large envelope off her back and held it out to the gold stallion.

Bronze Star took the envelope in his front hoof, and then he grinned and uttered gratefully "Thank you."

"Of course, sir," Red Heart asserted. Just then, she spotted the bandage on Bronze Star's chest, and she queried anxiously "Are you alright?"

"Yes, it's just a flesh wound," he claimed serenely, "Nothing you should worry about."

"If you say so," Red Heart avowed. After a little silence, she bade them "Well, have a pleasant evening."

"Good night," the two stallions rejoined in unison.

As the white mare left the premises, the indigo stallion and the gold stallion went back inside and shut the door behind them.

They both gazed down at the envelope, as if they were uncertain about opening it. However, they knew they HAD to open it; the information inside could change the course of their entire investigation into the murder plot.

Ultimately, the prince just looked to the superintendent, as though he was expecting some advice from him on how to proceed.

"Time for the moment of truth, I guess," Haywood McCrank drily declared.

"Right," Bronze Star concurred bluntly.

After that, the gold stallion opened the envelope and removed its contents. He spent the next five minutes going over them. When he was done, he passed the information along to Sir Haywood so that he could examine it, as well. After the federal investigator had his chance to study everything, he returned the material to the young prince and waited for him to make his decision.

After a minute, Bronze Star sighed and gravely nodded his head. Sir Haywood nodded in acknowledgment. They both knew what had to be done.

The next day, Noble Edict and her security officers got to the embassy at eight o'clock sharp. Dapple Rhomb always got there by nine o'clock, meaning she would arrive within one hour. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood had that long to explain the situation to the other members of the task force.

Luckily, it was more than enough time; the two stallions were able to discuss all the events of the previous day with their six colleagues. There were parts of it that even Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig had been unaware of. By the end of their recollection, the security officers were quite shocked.

Even so, they were all supportive of Bronze Star's decision, and they assured him that they would back him up all the way. He was very thankful for that. If things got ugly because of what he was about to do, he would need their help.

Five minutes before nine o'clock, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider arrived at the embassy. Bronze Star was there to greet them when they entered the building. After they signed in at the front, he told them that he was not the only pony who wanted to make them both feel welcome. To prove his point, he asked the couple to step into the conference room for a moment.

The purple mare and the olive stallion saw nothing wrong with this request, so they complied with it without hesitation.

Bronze Star held the door wide open for Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider to pass through, and he closed it once they were inside.

At the time, Copper Hollow had been standing beside the door. As Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, and Bronze Star walked over to the table, the copper stallion approached the door and locked it. In addition to that, Rollin Fields and Almond Wheeler had been standing conspicuously close to the windows, as though they were guarding them.

Bronze Star sat down in his usual spot at the head of the table, and he gestured for Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider to sit in the chairs that adjoined his. As they sat down, Bronze Star shuffled a stack of documents in front of him. On the top of the pile was the envelope Nurse Red Heart had delivered.

Once they were comfortably settled, Bronze Star looked back and forth between the purple mare and the olive stallion. He had a very pleasant expression on his face. After a minute of quietness, he looked at his secretary and muttered "Dapple, have I ever told you how grateful I am to have you?"

"Yes, you have, sir," Dapple Rhomb responded, "Quite often, I might add."

"That's because I truly am appreciative for everything you do around here," Bronze Star pronounced, "If not for you, I probably would have driven myself to exhaustion."

"Well, I'm grateful to you as well, sir," Dapple Rhomb claimed, "You gave me a job I love. A job with excellent hours and incredible pay. In fact, I'd say it's the best job I've ever had."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Bronze Star commented, "In that case, could you do me a favor?"

"What?" Dapple Rhomb asked.

"Say my name," Bronze Star requested.

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider found that to be a strange wish. They looked to each other in confusion, and then they turned back to the gold stallion. The purple mare said straightforwardly "Gold Streak,"

"Are you sure?" Bronze Star murmured, leaning closer to his secretary.

"Is this a trick question or something?" Rough Rider stated sardonically.

"You decide," Bronze Star said in response.

"Then I'm going to say Gold Streak again," Dapple Rhomb thought aloud.

Bronze Star stared at her intently. Then he sighed, faced forward, and mumbled "Very well."

There was a lengthy interval of silence following that comment. It ended when Bronze Star turned back to Dapple Rhomb and told her "By the way, I want to apologize for that incident last week. The one with my pet hawk Arthur. I have no idea what he was thinking."

"It's alright, sir," Dapple Rhomb asserted, "Rough and I have no plans to sue, and as you can see, my face has already healed."

"Yes, it has," Bronze Star conceded. After another pause, he noted "Don't you think the scars Arthur left on your cheek bear a strange resemblance to the knife scars on your neck?"

"Really?" Dapple Rhomb inquired in fascination.

Bronze Star firmly nodded his head, and Rough Rider uttered "Huh, I never noticed that. Isn't that peculiar?"

"Indeed it is," Bronze Star acknowledged, "That aside, I find it bewildering that Arthur attacked you in the first place. He is a fierce bird, but he never starts a fight. Unless he's in one of three special situations."

"Special situations?" Rough Rider repeated.

Bronze Star nodded again and expounded "Arthur only throws the first blow in a skirmish if I order him to attack, if he sees a known enemy of mine, or if he has a personal grudge against the person he's attacking. Now, I've never told him to attack anypony in Ponyville, and I'm pretty sure Dapple isn't my enemy, if the past nine weeks are any indication."

"I should say so, sir," Dapple Rhomb contended, "So, what does that leave? You think Arthur has a grudge against me?"

Bronze Star shrugged and uttered "Could be."

"That's absurd," Rough Rider disputed, "Why would your pet hawk have a grudge against my wife?"

"I have a theory," Bronze Star disclosed, "Want to hear it?"

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider looked at each other again, and then the latter of them sarcastically replied with "Sure, why the Tartarus not?"

Bronze Star slowly got out of his chair and rested his front leg on the top of it. He gazed off at the wall, and then he announced "Let me tell you a story. About seven months ago, Spike travelled to Canterlot. Of course, since she interacted with Spike on a daily basis, Dapple Rhomb knows that he went there primarily to serve as Princess Luna's guide. However, that was not the only reason he went to the capital city. You see, Twilight Sparkle and I asked him to swing by our houses so he could pick up a few of our belongings and bring them to Ponyville. I also asked him to pick up Arthur. Seems like a pretty straightforward task, right? Well, get this; when Spike got to my bedroom, he found my pet hawk lying on the ground. His wing had been bent straight backwards."

Rough Rider winced at that and remarked "Wow, that must've hurt."

"That's just horrible," Dapple Rhomb gloomily observed, "What happened next?"

"Well, Spike was able to bring him to Ponyville the next day," Bronze Star recounted, "As soon as I saw how much pain Arthur was in, I took him to Fluttershy. She discovered that his wing had been broken, and it must have been done intentionally by a pony. So my house must've had an intruder, and Arthur had tried to fend off."

"Wow, that's… astonishing," Rough Rider remarked.

"Not as astonishing as this next part," Bronze Star mentioned, "Fluttershy also found out that Arthur didn't go down without a fight. You see, he had some blood on his talons that wasn't his. So whoever his attacker was, at least he managed to inflict some damage of his own on them."

"Good for him," Rough Rider mentioned drily, "Mr. Ambassador, I'm sorry if I sound imprudent, but is there a point to this story?"

"Yes, I'm getting to it," Bronze Star asserted. There came another pause, and then he continued with "We never found out who broke into my house. Luckily, nothing was stolen, so I suffered no material loss. Even so, I wanted to know who was responsible for harming Arthur. Unfortunately, I had no apparent means of finding out. Until recently."

"What do you mean?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.

"Yesterday, I learned that whenever Fluttershy has a patient with blood visible somewhere, she collects a sample of it to keep a record," Bronze Star disclosed, "Even if the blood is not the patient's, she catalogues it accordingly. As luck would have it, she kept a sample of the blood on Arthur's talons. She let me borrow the sample for a project I'm doing."

"She did?" Dapple Rhomb asked, intrigued by that tidbit.

"Uh-huh," Bronze Star affirmed. He picked up the envelope from Nurse Red Heart, opened it, and removed a tiny plastic bag. It was the same bag that held the bloody glass slide Fluttershy had given him. He held it up for everypony to see.

"What kind of project involves using seven-month old dried blood?" Rough Rider muttered acerbically.

"A mysterious kind," Bronze Star cockily responded, "That's not the only blood sample I collected for this project. I also used this."

At that, he removed a larger plastic bag from the envelope. Inside this one was a bloodstained towel. He looked down at his secretary and observed "You may recognize this, Dapple."

"Sorry, can't say I do, sir," the purple mare retorted.

"When Arthur attacked you, I used this to wipe your face," Bronze Star reminded her, "I thought about throwing it away right after I finished, but something urged me not to dispose of it so soon. So I held on to it."

"Do you have a blood fetish or something, sir?" Rough Rider asked wittily.

"No, but I DO have an ever-present longing for the truth," Bronze Star countered, "Please do not interrupt me. I'm getting to the best part of the story."

"Very well," Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider stated in unison.

Bronze Star placed the bloody slide and the bloodstained rag on the table. Then he pulled out the last items in the envelope: two sheets of paper. As he looked over the papers, he illuminated "Yesterday afternoon, I had Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig take these two blood samples to the forensics lab at the hospital. They had Dr. Curt Tread and Dr. Gale Torrent conduct a DNA test on both of them. After that, they instructed the physicians to compare the results of the tests and send me their findings afterwards. They did just that. You know what they found?"

He was actually expecting a response from either Dapple Rhomb or Rough Rider, or both. Alas, all they did was shrug and shake their heads.

Despite this, Bronze Star smirked and tossed the envelope and the papers in front of the two spouses. The papers turned out to be the DNA tests of the two blood samples Bronze Star had provided. They were remarkably similar. In fact, there did not appear to be any discrepancies between them at all. It was as though the same blood sample had been submitted both times.

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider gazed up at Bronze Star, and he smugly revealed "The two samples were a complete match."

Ever since they had entered the conference room, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had seemed calm, cool, and collected. Now, beneath their seemingly indifferent appearances, they were starting to get anxious. It was fairly easy for Bronze Star to detect this feeling from them.

"This indicates that Arthur has a VERY good reason to harbor a grudge against you, Dapple," Bronze Star perceived drolly. A moment later, his smugness immediately turned to fury, and he mumbled through gritted teeth "And now, so do I."

"There must be some mistake, sir," Dapple Rhomb insisted.

"My wife would never-" Rough Rider began.

"Would she?!" Bronze Star interrupted crossly, "Don't insult me by feigning ignorance. You're both too smart for that. Much too smart."

"Sir, do you have any idea how… outrageous you sound?" Dapple Rhomb snapped.

"I can venture a guess," Bronze Star shot back, "But when you have as much evidence as I do, it doesn't matter how outrageous your theory is."

"The evidence is wrong," Rough Rider debated, "Sir, just because we were in the castle on the same day that Spike found your pet hawk, that doesn't entail that we could have broken into your room!"

Bronze Star slowly turned to look at the olive stallion. Then he chuckled and pointed out "I never said my bedroom was in the castle."

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider turned pale when their realized their mistake. This slipup just made Bronze Star feel all the more satisfied. He gradually sat back down in his chair, and he sternly told them "Let me make a few things clear. I don't like being used. Or being spied on. Or being lied to. Or believing that I know a pony only to find out they're hiding a dark secret. Above all, I ABHOR it when somepony goes out of their way to totally deceive another pony."

Rough Rider seemed disgusted by that statement. He scowled and uttered angrily "After what you've been doing here for the past eight months, you of all ponies have no right to criticize anypony else for using deception."

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow and noted "That sounds like a confession to me."

"I think it is," Bronze Star coincided. He turned towards Dapple Rhomb and asked her "What do you have to say to that?"

The purple mare was silent.

"Speechless, huh?" Bronze Star stated, "If you have nothing to say about this matter, then say something else."

He leaned closer to his secretary and demanded "I ask you again; say my name."

At the moment, Dapple Rhomb was unable to even look the gold stallion in the eye. The only pony she could face was her husband.

However, when she looked at Rough Rider, the olive stallion had a confident grin on his face. He looked his wife in the eye and calmly nodded his head.

In response, she sat up straight and bore the same type of grin on her own face. Then she turned to her employer, looked up at him, and cheekily proclaimed "Fine. You want me to come forward? Then I'll come forward. I figure that's the least I can do… Bronze Star."

> Change In Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bronze Star found it somewhat perplexing that his secretary and her husband were smiling at this time. Nevertheless, a small smirk slowly appeared on the gold stallion's face, as well.

He wryly observed "So, now we both know each other's secret."

"Yes," Rough Rider sardonically remarked, "And it took you long enough to discover ours."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and queried "How long have you been aware of mine?"

"For almost as long as you've known me," Dapple Rhomb disclosed.

Haywood McCrank gradually walked around the rectangular table and approached the head of it. He moved behind the young prince and rested his front leg on the back of his chair. He looked down at the olive stallion and the purple mare, and he pronounced "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

"We've already surmised as much, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider calmly stated.

Bronze Star glared at the two spouses and mumbled heatedly "Start at the beginning of everything. How did you learn my true identity? I demand to know."

"If you want the whole story, it might take a while to go over everything," Dapple Rhomb claimed.

"Well, take your time," Noble Edict bade her, "We've got all damn day."

There was a short period of silence, and then Rough Rider divulged "Our organization monitors all activity in every part of the country. We pay attention to certain minor details that most other ponies take for granted. Naturally, we take notes of everything of precedence, as well. For instance, before the last Summer Sun Celebration, Prince Bronze Star frequently appeared in public to make a speech or announcement. The topic typically varied; it could have been anything from healthcare reform to revising the draft for the military to upcoming holidays. Regardless of the subject, Bronze Star would always make one speech and one announcement once a week without fail."

"However, after the Nightmare Moon fiasco, Bronze Star abruptly stopped making these public appearances," Dapple Rhomb continued for her husband, "Of course, we weren't the only ones who noticed that. The Royal Guard announced that they had chosen to reduce the prince's public appearances because they felt so much exposure would ultimately become a hazard to his safety. Although the common ponies bought that excuse, our people didn't. We were certain that something else was going on."

"By this point in time, we had already learned of the murder plot," Rough Rider explicated, "As soon as we found out that it would take place here, our organization decided to have two members move to Ponyville so they could observe the locals. Obviously, those two ended up being me and my wife."

"Living here gave us nearly unrestricted access to the whole town," Dapple Rhomb elaborated, "We were able to monitor everything and everypony without drawing attention. However, when we realized the full scale of the murder plot, we worried that we were not equipped to avert it by ourselves. All we knew was that if the murder occurred, it would yield consequences for the entire nation. We had to ensure that there was a zero-percent chance of the killers succeeding. In order to do that, we would need additional resources. After much debate and reflection, we gave in and did something unprecedented: we reached out to the government."

"The only question was who in the government we would reach out to," Rough Rider muttered, "We couldn't approach just any official. A bureaucrat would have spent days analyzing and cross-examining our information just to ensure that it was valid. He would have also shared it with too many of his colleagues. We needed somepony with status and influence. Somepony who was capable of keeping secrets. Somepony who would take our warnings seriously. Somepony who always looks out for the well-being of the ponies in this country."

"It turned out that 'somepony' was right in front of us," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, looking to Bronze Star, "To be precise, you were right in front of us."

"Well, I AM everything you just described me as," Bronze Star avowed, "Still, you haven't explained how you knew I was more than just the newest ambassador from the capital city."

"Like we said earlier, we noticed that you stopped making public appearances just before the Summer Sun Celebration," Rough Rider recounted, "Your arrival in Ponyville perfectly coincided with that event. A few of our colleagues had been in town during the Celebration, and all of them noticed the striking resemblance 'Ambassador Gold Streak' bore to the youngest member of the Equestrian Royalty. Your coat, your mane, your eyes… even your cutie mark. You don't have to be a genius to see the connections."

"All the same, we didn't want to make any premature judgements," Dapple Rhomb stated, "We needed a way to confirm that you were in fact who we thought you were. Luckily, we easily had the means to do such a thing."

"What means?" Bronze Star demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rough Rider asked rhetorically, "Like you, we appreciate and recognize how much you can learn from a blood test."

Bronze Star's eyes widened in astonishment, and he uttered quietly "The party… when you offered me that baton…"

"That's right," Dapple Rhomb affirmed, nodding her head, "When the hidden knife in the baton cut your hoof open, it was no accident. We arranged for that to happen."

"Then you gave me that linen so I could clean up the blood," Bronze Star recalled, "I wondered how that blade could have cut my skin so easily. In order to have accomplished such a feat, the metal would have had to have been military-grade steel. I did not believe that was the case, as ordinary civilians have no business using military-grade steel. But you two – and the ponies you work with – are hardly 'ordinary civilians.' And let me guess; when you went outside to throw the bloodied linen away, you didn't really put it in the dumpster, did you?"

"No, I put it underneath the dumpster," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "Shortly after, Rough came along and collected it."

"I picked it up right after my meeting with Colgate," Rough Rider went on, "After my meeting with Berry Punch, I left Ponyville and rendezvoused with our colleagues. Our forensics experts ran a complete test on the blood sample, and they confirmed that it was not the blood of a Unicorn, a Pegasus, or even an Earth Pony. It was definitely Alicorn blood."

"So I see," Bronze Star muttered bluntly. There was a brief interval of quietness, and then he commented "Now I know how you uncovered my identity. Next you can tell me how you broke into my room at the castle and planted that letter without anypony noticing."

"That required a little more careful planning," Dapple Rhomb expounded, "Actually, a lot more. But we managed to pull it off. Right after we confirmed that you were in Ponyville, we were determined to deliver that letter to your room ourselves. We knew it would not be simple; it would require plenty of skill and the perfect opportunity. So we spent the following three weeks composing a meticulous plan. All the while, we kept an eye open for the most ideal circumstances to carry it out."

"During those three weeks, I remained in Canterlot while Dapple stayed here," Rough Rider explained, "In addition to the time I spent working, I spent plenty of time familiarizing myself with the capital city, particularly the castle. She, on the other hoof, spent her time familiarizing herself with you. From a distance, that is. Most of what she picked up from you was just extraneous material, but shortly before she joined me in Canterlot, she acquired some VERY useful news from you. She overheard your conversation with him at the train depot; the one where you gave him the key to your room in the castle and asked him to pick up a few things from it."

"After that, I became Spike's best friend for the week," Dapple Rhomb cheekily remarked, "By spending a lot of time around him and getting on his good side, I was able to 'convince' him to get me and Rough Rider in one of the castle's tour groups. That was how we got inside the building."

"I figured that out on my own," Bronze Star murmured candidly, "But how did you get into my bedchamber? It's one of the most secure rooms in the castle."

"That was the tricky part," Rough Rider muttered, "We knew in advance that the only way we could get in there was through the main entrance. We also knew that it's guarded 'round the clock by two officers of the Royal Guard, and that the lock was incapable of being picked. Plus, our group would only spend a very minor percentage of the tour in that section of the castle."

"So how did you pull it off?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.

"Firstly, we had to get the key to your room," Dapple Rhomb illuminated, "That was where Spike came in. We did have several chances to steal the key from him before the tour, but the likelihood that he would realize it was missing was too high. Aside from that, we couldn't take the key to a locksmith. The smith would know right away that it was from the castle, and they would report it immediately."

"That's true," Bronze Star conceded, "Also, it is completely impossible to make copies of keys that unlock doors in the castle. They are specially enchanted that way to avoid security breaches."

"We're aware of that," Rough Rider commented, "With all that in mind, our only option was to 'borrow' the key from Spike while we were in the castle. So the day before Dapple and I went there, she talked him into meeting up with our group sometime during our tour."

"Halfway through, he showed up," Dapple Rhomb mentioned, "Once he did, we executed our plan. When nopony was looking and Spike's back was turned, I opened his backpack, grabbed the key, pulled it out, and closed the backpack up again. I was so quick and graceful that he didn't feel a thing."

"Remarkable," Bronze Star muttered, resting on his front leg, "What about the guards? How did you get past them?"

"We created a diversion," Rough Rider replied simply.

"What sort of diversion?" the gold stallion queried.

Rough Rider smirked and said slyly "Why don't you ask Noble Edict? She was there, too, after all."

That much was true. This was back when Princess Celestia had summoned Noble Edict to Canterlot to properly thank her for the role she had played during the Summer Sun Celebration. The red mare did not expect to be put on the spot like that, but her seven colleagues turned to her, hoping she could elaborate on Rough Rider's statement.

"Do you know what he's talking about, Noble?" Copper Hollow enquired.

Noble Edict thought back a bit, and then she murmured "This was the day before Spike went back to Ponyville, right?"

"Correct," Bronze Star affirmed.

"Well, then it was also the day after Princess Celestia made me a Lady of her court," Noble Edict thought aloud, "I spent most of that day in the throne room with the princesses, SIG Sauer, and Lord Bellerophon. A number of the Canterlot Elite and the Royal Guard were there, too. By the castle's standards, it was a relatively uneventful day. In fact, the most exciting thing that happened was that… mishap with the chandelier."

"Bingo," Dapple Rhomb affirmed.

"That was you?" Bronze Star presumed, "When I went back to the castle, I noticed a chandelier was missing from the ceiling, and I remember Shining Armor telling me that it had collapsed a couple weeks earlier. They never found out how; he just told me the support broke."

"It didn't break; I severed the link," Rough Rider enlightened the others, "After Dapple took the key from Spike, I slipped away from the tour group and made my way to a corridor that adjoined Bronze Star's bedchamber. I made certain nopony was around, and then I climbed up to the ceiling and cut the cable to one of the chandeliers. I hid right after the crash, and when everypony else came to investigate, I casually rejoined the group, as if I had been there all along."

"Well, unless my memory is faulty, I didn't even see you when I arrived on the scene," Noble Edict recalled.

"Good; I was hoping to avoid your notice," Rough Rider claimed.

"Wait; you climbed up to the ceiling?" Bronze Star noted, "Are you part ape or something?"

"No, but I AM an expert at scaling walls," Rough Rider disclosed, "Everypony in our organization is. Remember that note you left us outside the window to your second-floor bedroom here in the embassy? The one where you decided to work with us? How do you think we got up there?"

"Actually, I did wonder about that," Bronze Star admitted.

"Well, now you know," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, "Anyway, the crash was very effective. It attracted everypony within fifty meters. Including the two Royal Guard officers that had been posted outside your room. Shortly before the crash, I had snuck away from the group, too. By the time I got to your bedroom, the guards were gone. All that remained was to enter your chamber, plant the letter in your filing cabinet, and leave."

"How'd you know how to open my cabinet?" Bronze Star inquired.

"She overheard your conversation with Spike, remember?" Rough Rider reminded him, "So she overheard you telling him that the key to the cabinet was behind a volume in your bookcase."

"Compared to the risks we took with the key and the chandelier, delivering the letter should have been fairly straightforward," Dapple Rhomb muttered, "But there was still one thing we did NOT account for: the possibility that your room was still occupied."

Bronze Star scoffed and stated "Ah, yes. I can imagine your surprise when you realized Arthur was there."

"Well, I can assure you; he was even more surprised," Dapple Rhomb mumbled grimly, "So surprised, in fact, that almost the literal second he saw me, he attacked me."

"Sounds like him; that's how he generally deals with intruders," Bronze Star contended, "Still, I would have thought you'd be prepared for that. I mean, since you overheard my conversation with Spike, you should have known that Arthur was there."

"I didn't overhear the entire conversation," Dapple Rhomb told him.

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star acknowledged, "So what happened next?"

"Before I even had a chance to defend myself, he gave me this," Dapple Rhomb revealed, pointing to the scars on the side of her neck, "I resisted the urge to scream in pain, and I fought back. As you know, I have excellent reflexes and reaction time, as does everypony else in my organization. With proper focusing, I managed to seize Arthur by his wing, and I bent it backwards."

"In two places," Bronze Star angrily added in.

"Yes," Dapple Rhomb confirmed, "That was the only way I could ensure that he would break off his assault."

"You almost tore his wing off," Bronze Star disclosed crossly, "Fluttershy tells me that he could have lost his ability to fly. He's damn lucky that he didn't. So are you. Otherwise, I would be treating you with a lot less courtesy and patience right now."

"I apologize for disregarding the well-being of an animal," Dapple Rhomb said sarcastically, "My only concern was delivering the letter. Arthur was little more than an obstacle to that objective."

"You really are astounding," Haywood McCrank scathingly uttered, "Let's review your actions from that day. Pickpocketing, destruction of private property, breaking and entering, cruelty towards animals… all done to deliver one letter. You two belong to a very peculiar bunch of vigilantes."

"The ends justify the means, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider perceived, "Everypony in our organization could tell you that."

"Anypony with a sense of justice could tell you that, too," Copper Hollow debated, "Doesn't mean they have to take it to heart."

"Well, we do," Dapple Rhomb countered, "Anyway, after my… 'scuffle' with Arthur, I found the key in your bookcase, used it to open your filing cabinet, and placed the letter in the very back. After that, I locked the cabinet back up, returned the key to its hiding place, departed from the room, sealed the door shut, and returned to the tour group."

"I had gone back to the throne room by then," Noble Edict recounted, "Tell me; how'd you explain the state of your neck?"

"Fortunately for me, everypony was still gathered around the collapsed chandelier," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "I pretended to trip near the base of it, and I acted as though I had accidentally landed on a shard of glass. Rough Rider and several others promptly came to my aid. Some ponies suggested calling for a doctor. In all the confusion, I managed to inconspicuously return your bedroom key to Spike's backpack. Eventually, I got my neck bandaged. Shortly after, the tour resumed, and Rough and I behaved casually until we left the castle."

Bronze Star reflected on everything he had just heard, and then he rubbed his chin and pronounced "I have to admit; that is a very extraordinary plan. The amount of detail and intricacy that you put into it is incredible. There's only one thing I don't understand. Why didn't you just send the letter to the embassy? I mean, you had no way of knowing when I would go back to Canterlot. Aside from that, it would have been a Tartarus of a lot easier."

"Two reasons why," Rough Rider elucidated, "Firstly, there was no way we could safely deliver the letter to the embassy without running the risk of exposure. If we mailed you the letter, we would have had to put a stamp and address on the envelope. Even if we excluded a return address, you would have been able to trace it back to its sending location. We could have left it at the front entrance without a stamp and address, but that would have been a telltale sign that somepony in town left it. How long it took us to get you the letter was irrelevant. All that mattered was that we got it to you discreetly."

"Ironic, seeing as how you were hardly discreet in the letter," Bronze Star observed, "So that's one reason. What's the other?"

"The other reason is a little more straightforward," Dapple Rhomb continued for her husband, "Anypony could have trotted up to the embassy and slipped an envelope through the mail slot. We needed to emphasize that we are not 'anypony,' and we needed you to take us seriously. In order to do that, we had to show you the full extent of our capabilities. That meant we had to send you the envelope through the most difficult method we could pull off."

"You certainly proved your point," Bronze Star commented, "I wish I could say I'm impressed. Alas, I cannot. As astonishing as your little stunt was, you broke about half a dozen laws to accomplish it. Not to mention the fact that the people you represent routinely violate the policies that have been set forth by both the local and federal governments."

"Well, that does come with the turf when you're a vigilante," Rough Rider cheekily declared, "Apart from that, what does it matter to you if we violate some of those policies? I mean, you're one of the few ponies in this country who could break pretty much any law and get away with it completely."

"The difference is that I choose not to," Bronze Star pointed out, "I don't need to abuse my above-the-law status to get things done. Instead, I rely in the principles of integrity, allegiance, and trust. Those are the things you really need to protect a nation."

"How much integrity, allegiance, and trust do you need to deceive an entire town for over eight months?" Dapple Rhomb audaciously refuted.

Bronze Star glared at her furiously. She was obviously referring to how he had come to Ponyville under a false name and title, and how he was still keeping up with this charade. After a moment, he smirked and muttered sardonically "Not an entire town. You two know who I really am. So do the seven other ponies in this room. And that's not all. There's Twilight Sparkle. Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Granny Smith. Big McIntosh. Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. Consider that."

"That's what; less than two dozen individuals in a settlement of thousands?" Rough Rider noted, "That's like being in a class of a hundred ponies and sharing a secret with just one of them."

"Aside from that, your claim that you never have to break the law is questionable," Dapple Rhomb muttered, "Isn't impersonating a politician one of the most serious felonies in Equestria?"

"Yes, it is, but seeing as how I come from a family of politicians, I never really impersonated one," Bronze Star pronounced, "You can try to contradict my claim all you'd like, but you won't. Throughout my entire stay in Ponyville, I have not engaged in any wrongdoing. That's far more than I can say for you two."

"That's merely your opinion, sir," Rough Rider contended.

"As it turns out, his is the only one that matters here," Copper Hollow argued.

"Whatever," Dapple Rhomb commented. There was quietness for about a minute, and then the purple mare wryly pronounced "So, can we leave now?"

"You're kidding, right?" Noble Edict spat angrily.

"We've already given you a full confession," Rough Rider pointed out, "What more do you want? An apology?"

"No, I'd say we're past that," Haywood McCrank professed, "We're also past letting you two go around unsupervised."

"Oh, we are, are we?" Rough Rider asked rhetorically, his wicked grin returning to his face. A similar grin reappeared on Dapple Rhomb's face, too.

"I wouldn't be smiling if I was you," Bronze Star recommended.

"Why shouldn't we?" Dapple Rhomb countered, "We're not worried, sir. If anything happens to us, our people will withdraw their support to your task force. You'll be totally on your own to solve this case."

"That's not a very compelling threat," Bronze Star pronounced, "Lately, we've been managing just fine without you. Ever since Whitetail Woods, most of the biggest developments in the investigation have been made by us, not you. So the loss of your assistance would not cause any irreparable damage."

"You may want to rethink that perspective," Dapple Rhomb suggested, "We were the ones who brought this plot to your attention in the first place. We helped you get the task force running. We provided you with the best leads. We advised you to search Whitetail Woods. I even helped you spot those assailants in the Woods when I gave you that tip to constantly look up during the Running of the Leaves. If you ask me, your group's the one that's been less helpful."

"Then why has the information from your side been declining in quality over the past few weeks?" Haywood McCrank inquired.

"You're the investigator, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider mentioned cockily, "You deduce why."

"The way I see it, there are four possibilities," the indigo stallion conjectured, "For one, this could be your way of getting back at us for refusing to show you the three clues we found in Whitetail Woods."

"Really?" Dapple Rhomb mumbled in disbelief, "We're not the type to hold a grudge. Sure, we were annoyed that you didn't allow us to examine the objects ourselves, but even if we were desperate to see them, we wouldn't have resorted to extorting you. We would have just continued to protest."

"Guess again," Rough Rider leered.

"My next theory is simple," Haywood McCrank announced, "Perhaps your organization has hit a roadblock in your search, and you're currently unable to amass as much intelligence as you used to. So you're 'rationing' what little information you DO have in your updates to maintain your credibility."

"That's not our style," Rough Rider apprised him, "Unlike you, we do not have to worry about maintaining an image or reputation. So regardless of how little information we accumulate, we are not ashamed to share it with you. If we found nothing, we would not resort to fabricating info, either."

"That brings me to my third hypothesis," Sir Haywood went on, "Maybe you've begun to doubt our ability to carry out this investigation. So you're cutting back on information to test us."

"That's ridiculous," Dapple Rhomb stated, "While you may question our motives and capabilities, we never once questioned your competence. If we truly were that skeptical, we would not have even bothered to reach out to you. There is no such 'test.'"

"That leaves only one explanation," the federal investigator proclaimed, "You have found something special. Ideally, something you don't want us to see, but something you'll have to show us eventually. So in order to prepare us for it, you've chosen to temporarily cut back on the information you send us. Overtime, you'll gradually produce greater amounts of info, and once you feel we are ready, you'll share this special thing with us."

This time, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider did not say anything to counter Sir Haywood's observations. Instead, they looked to each other nervously. Although their smiles had faltered, another smile quickly appeared on the indigo stallion's face. He muttered "That's it, isn't it? You've picked up something you're reluctant to share with us. Not because of how it would affect you, but because of how you think it will affect us."

After about a minute of silence, Rough Rider sighed and murmured "You're correct, Sir Haywood. We have acquired something like that."

"I thought so," Sir Haywood acknowledged, smiling in satisfaction.

Bronze Star leaned forward and queried "So what is it? What are you hiding from us?"

"With all due respect, I don't know if you're ready for it, sir," Dapple Rhomb uttered uneasily.

"I don't care what you think," the gold stallion sharply retorted, "Tell us right now, or so help me, I'll bring Arthur down here and reintroduce him to you."

The others were surprised by that threat, particularly Dapple Rhomb. While she was not necessarily intimidated by it, she could tell that Bronze Star was being absolutely serious. Ultimately, she sighed and said frankly "Very well."

Dapple Rhomb then pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Rollin Fields inquired.

"To my office," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "The 'special something' is in my desk. I assume you'd prefer to see it rather than just have it described to you."

"Yes, that would be better," Noble Edict conceded. She looked around the room and announced "Copper, Almond, Paisley, go with Dapple to her office. Only stay there for as long as it takes for her to get what she needs. If she tries anything, use whatever force you deem necessary to restrain her."

"Got it, Noble," Copper Hollow asserted. Almond Wheeler and Paisley Branch nodded in agreement.

The copper stallion unlocked the door to the meeting chamber and held it open. Almond Wheeler left the room first. Dapple Rhomb trotted out next, followed by Paisley Branch. Once all three of the mares were through, Copper Hollow exited as well and shut the door.

Cassia Sprig moved over to the door and stood there in Copper Hollow's place. Rollin Fields remained by the windows, and Noble Edict and Bronze Star stayed in their chairs. Sir Haywood McCrank continued to lean against the back of the gold stallion's chair; he kept a close eye on Rough Rider. He still had a myriad of questions that he wanted to ask the olive stallion. He decided that for now, those questions could wait.

A couple minutes later, Dapple Rhomb, Copper Hollow, Paisley Branch, and Almond Wheeler returned to the conference chamber. When everypony was back inside, Copper Hollow shut the door and locked it up again.

Dapple Rhomb sat back down in the chair next to Bronze Star's. She placed a large, yellow envelope on the table in front of her.

"An envelope, huh?" Bronze Star murmured irately, "Practically every major breakthrough in this investigation has involved an envelope of some sort. What's so unique about this one?"

Dapple Rhomb slid it towards the gold stallion and beckoned him "Look at who it's addressed to."

Bronze Star gazed down at the large envelope and picked it up. The front of it was blank, but when he flipped it over, there was a caption. He read it aloud: "To the group that convenes in this building every other day."

Nearly everypony in the room became somewhat uneasy when they heard that. Bronze Star gazed up at Dapple Rhomb and demanded "Where did you get this?"

"A few days after the Running of the Leaves, it showed up here at the embassy," the purple mare explicated, "On that day, both you and Sir Haywood were out on the town. I was the only one here. I don't know who left the envelope or when it was left; it just showed up in the mail receptacle. I found it when I checked the receptacle in the late morning, and shortly after, I decided to hold on to it. So I hid it in my desk, figuring that would be the last place anypony would look."

"It certainly would have been my last choice," Bronze Star proclaimed, "But are you saying that the subtitle on the back of the envelope was ominous enough to convince you that the task force couldn't handle whatever's inside?"

"No, but the subtitle incited me to open the envelope," Dapple Rhomb apprised him, "It's the contents that encouraged me to withhold it from the task force. Take a look inside, and maybe then you'll understand my reasoning."

"We'll see about that," was all Bronze Star said in response.

The young prince turned to the yellow envelope and held onto it with his two front hooves. A few seconds later, he turned the envelope upside down and shook it lightly. Over the next several seconds, seven small white envelopes fell out. They landed in a neat pile in front of Bronze Star.

He placed the large yellow envelope off to the side and focused on the smaller white envelopes. He picked up the one on top and looked at the front. He looked over his shoulder and pronounced "Copper… this is for you."

"What?" the copper stallion said in perplexity, stepping up to Bronze Star.

The gold stallion passed the white envelope over to Copper Hollow. Sure enough, his name was written on the front of it. The envelope's seal had not been fastened, so he did not have to tear it open. Copper Hollow pulled up the top flap and removed about a dozen rectangular pieces of stiff paper. When he saw the one on top, a look of confusion came across his face. He started flipping through the papers. He went slowly at first, but he soon quickened his pace, and the expression on his face gradually changed from bewilderment to anxiety.

When he was finished leafing through the papers, he muttered apprehensively "Oh, my Celestia…"

"What is it, Copper?" Noble Edict queried in concern.

Copper Hollow placed the rectangular papers on the table so that the others could see them. The papers turned out to be photographs. There were all of two middle-aged Earth Ponies, and based on the background, all of them had been taken in Ponyville. Copper Hollow was in a few of these photographs, too, but the middle-aged mare and stallion seemed to be the primary focus.

"These are pictures of my mother and father," the copper stallion expounded nervously, "Notice they're not smiling or looking at the camera in any of them. In fact, there's nothing to indicate that they're posing for the pictures at all."

"So the photos were taken without their consent," Haywood McCrank noted, "Perhaps they were taken without their awareness, too."

He gazed down at the other six letters on the table, and he proposed "Let's see what's in the others."

Bronze Star nodded and turned the letters onto their fronts. Each one of them had been addressed to a different member of the task force. The gold stallion's was labeled as "Gold Streak." Sir Haywood McCrank was the only one who did not receive an envelope.

The other six members of the task force proceeded to take their respective letters, open them, and shuffle through the contents. Like Copper Hollow, the six ponies each received about a dozen photographs. All the photographs were of somepony close to the pony they had been mailed to.

The pictures in Paisley Sprig's envelope were of a teenage Unicorn stallion. He was her younger brother.

The pictures in Cassia Sprig's envelope were of a Pegasus stallion in his late twenties and a small Pegasus filly. They were her husband and daughter.

The pictures in Almond Wheeler's envelope were of an Earth Pony stallion in his early thirties. He was her first cousin.

The pictures in Rollin Fields' envelope were of an Earth Pony stallion and an Earth Pony mare; both less than thirty years old. They were his younger son and his younger daughter.

The pictures in Noble Edict's envelope were of a middle-aged Earth Pony. She was her aunt.

Lastly, the pictures in Bronze Star's envelope were of the Apple Family, particularly Applejack. There was even a picture of when he and the orange mare had gone swimming together at the pond.

Five minutes later, the six ponies were finished looking over the photographs. At that time, most of the task force was undergoing an unpleasant combination of worry and anger.

"What is the meaning of this?" Cassia Sprig demanded.

"Evidently, somepony has developed a strange interest in your loved ones," Rough Rider declared.

"Is this supposed to scare us?" Almond Wheeler snapped furiously.

"How the Tartarus should we know?" Dapple Rhomb retorted.

"Since you saw it necessary to keep these from us, you must have some idea of what their purpose is," Copper Hollow proclaimed.

"Well, they're not letters," Rough Rider pointed out, "But they're clearly meant to convey a message of some sort,"

"That's rather observant," Paisley Branch pronounced, "A little too observant, actually."

"I agree," Rollin Fields coincided, "For all we know, your people could have taken these pictures just to mess with our heads."

"No, they didn't," Sir Haywood McCrank interjected, stepping forward, "The vigilantes had nothing to do with these photographs. This is definitely the work of the Vermane."

Everypony looked over at the indigo stallion, and Noble Edict said uneasily "The Vermane sent us these?"

As Haywood solemnly nodded his head, Copper Hollow asked him "How do you know, Sir Haywood?"

"Because they've done this before," the federal investigator disclosed, "Take a seat and I'll explain."

At his request, everypony quickly pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Once they were all settled, Sir Haywood himself took a seat at the head of the table that was opposite Bronze Star's chair. He spent about thirty seconds looking around at the other nine ponies, and then he announced "This isn't the first time I've had prior knowledge of one of the Vermane's plots. In the twenty years I've been pursing them, I've managed to catch wind of more than a dozen of their schemes well in advance. In some of those cases, Dread Naught was not my only co-investigator. You see, sometimes he and I reached out to some of the law enforcement officials in the town where the murder was set to take place. We actually found that we were much more efficient when we had our own team to assist us, but involving others in our search was always a huge risk, and not just on our part."

"How so, Sir Haywood?" Noble Edict enquired.

"Somehow, the Vermane always found out what we were up to," Haywood McCrank elaborated, "No matter how cautious and alert we were, they always caught on. Most of the time, they just let us be, partly because they did not view us as a genuine threat. However, there were times when we managed to come very close to stopping the Vermane, and whenever that happened, they did this."

At that, he gestured to the dozens of photographs that were now spread across the table. Then he added in "I had been hoping to avoid this. But alas, despite my best efforts, it happened anyway."

"What exactly IS this, Sir Haywood?" Copper Hollow inquired.

"This is the Vermane's way of giving a warning," the indigo stallion explicated, "By taking these photographs of you and your loved ones, they're demonstrating how they have eyes everywhere, and that they could be anywhere. By sending you the photographs, they're essentially saying 'Back off, or suffer the consequences.'"

"You mean there's a chance that the Vermane will come after us?" Almond Wheeler supposed anxiously.

"No, they won't lay a hoof on any of you," Haywood McCrank asserted, "But they WILL target the ponies in these photographs."

The seven members of the task force stared at him, completely stunned. Paisley Branch whispered hauntingly "You can't be serious…"

"I am," Sir Haywood candidly proclaimed, "The first time this happened, Dread Naught and I were working with the sheriff of Trottingham and a number of his deputies. A month after we began that investigation, the Vermane sent us pictures of at least one family member or good friend of everypony on our detail. Originally, we assumed it was just a ruse meant to scare us away. But we were very wrong. Not long after, the ponies in those photographs became involved in a string of deadly injuries. The sheriff's fiancé was even found beaten and raped in her own home."

He paused for a moment, and then he went on with "Before long, the sheriff and his deputies withdrew from the investigation. Agent Dread Naught and I were left to prevent the murder by ourselves. Needless to say, we failed."

Again, there came a brief interval of silence, and after that, the indigo stallion declared "Ever since then, whenever the Vermane send us photographs of certain ponies, we take the threat extremely seriously. They never send me or Dread Naught any pictures; most likely because all the ponies he and I care about are in Canterlot, and, therefore, cannot be touched. However, all the ponies we've worked with received pictures of at least one pony close to them. Once the pictures arrive, about eighty percent of our assistants leave the investigation. The remaining twenty percent is bold enough to stay around, but before long, at least one of the ponies in the photographs they received became gravely hurt. Because of that, almost every case ended with Dread Naught and me working alone."

"This one won't, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star professed, rising out of his chair, "I'm not going to let a bunch of dishonorable, cowardly murderers scare me away. Their threat is futile. I can keep the Apple Family safe, and Applejack is more than capable of looking out for herself. So you can count on me to stand by your side until the plot is over."

"I appreciate that, Your Highness," Sir Haywood muttered gratefully, "But can you speak for everypony here?"

"No, I can't," Bronze Star admitted, sitting back down, "Maybe we should hear everypony else's thoughts on this."

"Precisely what I was thinking," Haywood McCrank conceded. He rested his front legs on the table, and he gazed around at the nine ponies in front of him. He took a deep breath and announced "I'm certain some of you are annoyed or furious that I didn't mention this earlier. I can assure you that I did not put you or your loved ones in any danger by leaving this information out. I knew they would be safe as long as no photographs turned up. You see, as reprehensible as the Vermane are, unless the victim is one of their targets, they never attack anypony without giving a warning. But now that they've sent us one, you can no longer take the safety of your loved ones for granted. Now that you know this, some of you are bound to have second thoughts about being on this task force. I cannot blame you; you have every right to be wary. I am not going to mislead you; these threats are genuine. If you continue working on this task force, you could be putting your loved ones at risk. They could be injured, go missing, or even die at any time. With all that said, I cannot force you to stay here. So now you must all make a decision. If you are willing to see this thing through to the end despite the danger your loved ones are in, then stay here. But if you are unwilling to accept these risks, then please leave now."

There came yet another period of silence as Sir Haywood McCrank waited for his colleagues' responses. Although Bronze Star was determined to stay with Sir Haywood, none of the others was as decisive as the young prince was in this matter.

The six security officers looked around at each other, as if each of them was expecting one of the others to speak up first. All of them were at least considering the idea of standing up. After all, they were very close to their families, especially to the ponies in the photographs they had received. However, they had been on the task force for more than half a year. In those six months, they had become a very tight-knit group, and all of them had even come to view the other ponies on the force as a type of second family.

In a way, one could say that they had to choose between their two families; one being their business family, the other being their immediate family.

Ultimately, Paisley Branch let out a deep sigh, rose out of her chair, and told the indigo stallion "I'm very, very sorry, Sir Haywood. But since my parents are always away, I practically raised my little brother on my own. He's dearer to me than anypony else in this town. I'd never forgive myself if he got hurt because of me. I'd hate to trot out on you all like this, but I'm afraid I must."

"Alright, Deputy Branch," Sir Haywood acknowledged.

A few seconds later, Cassia Sprig stood up as well and pronounced "I don't want to abandon any of you, either. But I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my husband or daughter. They're everything to me. If leaving this task force is the only way I can ensure their safety, then that is what I must do. I hope you understand, Sir Haywood."

"Trust me, Deputy Sprig; I do," Haywood McCrank assured her. He looked around the room again and enquired "Anypony else?"

He patiently waited for a response as he gazed back and forth between Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict. To his amazement, none of them stood up or spoke out. They just sat up or leaned back in their chairs, as if they were determined to stay there.

"My cousin's tougher than he looks," Almond Wheeler disclosed, "He's on the security force, too, and he's an expert in hoof-to-hoof combat."

"My son and daughter are well-aware of the dangers of the world," Rollin Fields professed, "I raised them to be mindful of everypony they see and meet. They are both heedful and intelligent, and they know how to avoid the wrong types of ponies."

"While I love my parents, I'm not too worried about them," Copper Hollow expounded, "Both of them are highly respected in this community. If anything bad happened to them, I can almost guarantee that the entire town would be outraged."

"My aunt is the only member of my immediate family who's still around," Noble Edict declared, "She knows that my job is a dangerous one, but she told me that she'll always be proud of me for selecting it. I've devoted my life to protecting other lives, and she believes that as long as I do it correctly and never lose sight of what's right, nothing else matters."

"So you're all in?" Sir Haywood said, a note of relief in his voice. The four ponies nodded in affirmation. After that, Sir Haywood muttered "Very well. Paisley, Cassia, you may leave. Copper, let them out."

Copper Hollow got out of his chair, trotted over to the door, unlocked it, and held it open. The cobalt blue Unicorn and the periwinkle Pegasus sorrowfully said their good-byes and left the meeting chamber. Once they were gone, the copper stallion shut the door and relocked it. Then he returned to his seat at the table.

Rough Rider scoffed, turned to Bronze Star, and told him "How do you like that, Your Highness?"

"Like what?" the gold stallion asked in bafflement.

"They say the average Earth Pony has a bigger backbone than the average Unicorn or Pegasus," Rough Rider clarified, "Based on who chose to stay, would you say it's true?"

Paisley Branch was the only Unicorn on the task force, and Cassia Sprig was the only Pegasus. Other than Bronze Star, everypony else on the task force was an Earth Pony. So were Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider.

Noble Edict was disgusted by the olive stallion's observation. She snapped angrily "They're fearing for their loved ones. You can hardly blame them for leaving. If my aunt wasn't such a fearless mare, I might have left with them."

"Nopony ever accomplished anything without facing a few perils," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, "To get anything done, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. That's why we kept those photographs from you; we knew some of you would be unable to accept those risks."

"I'm amazed you can say that so nonchalantly," Almond Wheeler commented.

"I'm guessing they've never been on particularly good terms with their families," Rollin Fields conjectured.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Noble Edict remarked, "After all, most married couples generally don't make a living through such… shady means."

"Now that you mention that, there's one thing that still needs some clarification," Bronze Star thought aloud. He looked at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, and he muttered "I want the truth about your marriage. Is it for real? Or was it just part of the act like everything else?"

For the first time since their confession, Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb were outraged.

The purple mare mumbled angrily "I can't believe you'd actually say that."

"Well, since basically everything else about you was a lie, I feel I'm entitled to ask it," Bronze Star sharply contended.

"No, our relationship was not a farce," Rough Rider spoke through gritted teeth, "Despite what you may think, Dapple and I really do love each other, sir. When I proposed to her, it was not in public where everypony could see it and regard it as a performance. Instead, I asked her in private."

"How romantic," Bronze Star uttered sarcastically, "But did your wedding take place before or after you joined your organization?"

"Before," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "The ponies who recruited us were initially a little skeptical about bringing us into their organization. One of their requirements is that all of their members must be capable of keeping family separate from business. We managed to convince them that we could do such a thing."

"Honestly, I'd say we actually do a better job of that than most of our colleagues," Rough Rider debated, "A lot of them have distanced themselves from their own families, and many of them are single. In fact, we're the only two ponies in our entire organization who are married to another member."

"Several of the other members see our marriage as a liability," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "We view it as an asset. Especially since Rough and I were close friends long before we ever joined the vigilante group."

"Oh, so you haven't been in it for your entire lives?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Of course not," Dapple Rhomb rejoined, "Did you think we were born into our organization like those Nightmare Moon cultists?"

"No, though the thought did cross my mind," Bronze Star pronounced, "After all, you seem just as committed to your cause as those lunatics are to theirs."

"Those ponies are renegades and insurgents," Rough Rider muttered tensely, "They're nothing more than criminals. You cannot possibly compare them to us. You may regard us as criminals, as well, but in the long run, we are merely idealistic keepers of the peace."

"Yes, I have come to accept that your only objective is to maintain security in the land," Bronze Star perceived. He slowly leaned forward and stated "And I truly believe that you two really want to enforce justice on those who deserve it. That's why I believe that we can continue to function as allies. You're going to help us with the investigation."

"What do you mean?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

"There will be no more of this 'indirect collaboration,'" Bronze Star declared, "Starting today, your group and mine will be working together face-to-face. Until this investigation is over, both of you will attend every meeting here at the embassy. Every time we meet, you will tell us everything your group has recently learned, and once we are satisfied, we will allow you to pass along our own findings to your people."

"That's pretty much what we've been doing so far," Dapple Rhomb pointed out, "The only difference is that Rough and I will be working as liaisons."

"No, that will only be a minor part of the investigation," Bronze Star proclaimed, "The majority of it will involve us actively working alongside one another to dig up new leads, new information, and new suspects. Our relationship will be a genuine partnership instead of just a symbiotic affiliation."

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider seemed astounded by the gold stallion's proposition. Rough Rider smirked and muttered "A minute ago, you looked as though you were about to burn us at the stake. Now you want us on your team?"

"I was already under the impression that my team and yours were the same one," Bronze Star commented, "But that is the general idea. I need you to be our cohorts."

"Is this a request or a demand?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.

"Either way, you'd be wise to accept it," Bronze Star advised.

"What happens if we refuse?" Rough Rider queried.

"Then I'll have you taken into custody right here and right now," the gold stallion stated, "Once that happens, we'll 'coerce' you into aiding us. And trust me; we'll be a lot less lenient with you then."

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb could tell that the prince was not bluffing. He was clearly willing to go to whatever length he deemed necessary to get them to cooperate.

"You don't give us a lot of options, Your Highness," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "Basically, you're telling us that we could either sit at this table or sit in an interrogation room."

"Your only other alternative is to sit in a cell at the barracks for an indefinite amount of time," Bronze Star pronounced, "I'd prefer to have you work with us by your own volition. That would be the best arrangement for all of us. So I'll make you an offer. If you voluntarily agree to work with us, I will not have you arrested at all. I will allow you to continue living in your house without any surveillance."

The olive stallion and the purple mare found that offer quite appealing. Considering what they had just been through during this confrontation, it almost sounded too good to be true.

"You'd actually let us stay in our home without any supervision whatsoever?" Dapple Rhomb assumed.

"Yes, that's the general idea," Bronze Star affirmed.

The olive stallion and the purple mare slowly turned to each other, as if they were having a wordless conversation about what they should do. Ultimately, they both turned back to Bronze Star and lightly nodded their heads. This indicated that they were freely agreeing to work with him fully.

Bronze Star smiled and muttered "Good choice. I can guarantee you that after this meeting, you'll still have a house to go back to."

"That's a bold decision on your part," Rough Rider commented, "I'm amazed you trust us that much."

"So am I," Dapple Rhomb mentioned, "After all, what's to stop us from fleeing the town in the middle of the night or something like that?"

"Oh, don't worry; I've already devised a method to ensure that that won't happen," Bronze Star wryly revealed. He turned to the indigo stallion and bade him "Sir Haywood, if you would…?"

Haywood McCrank nodded, rose out of his chair, and trotted over to the other side of the table. When he was at Bronze Star's side, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small plastic bag. Inside of it were two objects that looked like legbands.

As he opened the bag and removed the long, thin objects, Sir Haywood turned to Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb, and he instructed them "Hold out one of your front legs."

The olive stallion and the purple mare tentatively complied with the indigo stallion's order, and they both extended their front right legs. Sir Haywood took one of the legbands, wrapped it around Rough Rider's front hoof, and fastened it tightly. Then he did the same thing to Dapple Rhomb's front hoof with the other legband. Once he made sure that both the legbands were firmly clasped in place, he reached into his jacket again and pulled out a wooden tablet. He used his left front hoof to hold it in front of himself, and he calmly pressed his right front hoof against the surface of the tablet.

The moment he touched the tablet with his right front hoof, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider both let out a groan of pain and clutched their own right front hooves. Then they saw something that startled them immensely. Although Sir Haywood had pulled the legbands pretty tight, they now looked as though they were digging into Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's skin. The legbands were fused with their flesh.

"What the buck…" Rough Rider muttered in shock.

"What the Tartarus is this?!" Dapple Rhomb yelled heatedly.

"A little insurance policy," Bronze Star apprised them, "These legbands were created with a certain form of magic. A very potent, heavily concentrated, rare form of magic."

"This device is designed to hone in on and locate that magic," Haywood McCrank continued, raising the tablet into the air, "In other words, it can keep track of the legbands' exact position, right down to the nanometer."

"So as long as you two wear these legbands, we'll know precisely where you are at all times," Bronze Star pronounced, "There's nowhere you could go where we can't find you."

"You can't be serious," Dapple Rhomb uttered in disbelief, "This is demeaning."

"Well, too bad," Bronze Star scathingly retorted, "This is also nonnegotiable."

"How are we supposed to explain these to our people?" Rough Rider queried, "And everypony else, for that matter?"

"Simple; you don't," Bronze Star proposed, "Even from up-close, they look and feel exactly like ordinary legbands. Just pass them off as that."

"But make no mistake; they are hardlyordinary legbands," Sir Haywood proclaimed, "We haven't even told you the best part about them yet."

"Then what, pray tell, is the 'best part?'" Rough Rider said irately.

Sir Haywood McCrank grinned and explained "If – after the legband is activated – the wearer puts too much distance between themselves and this tablet, the tablet sends the wearer a 'warning.' By that, I mean the legband pumps fifty thousand volts of electricity into the wearer's body for ten seconds."

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were downright petrified to learn this. Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Almond Wheeler, and Rollin Fields seemed a little surprised, as well.

"Don't worry; that dosage isn't enough to kill you," Bronze Star bluntly stated, "But it IS enough to give you the sensation that you're being electrocuted."

"To get a more realistic idea of what'd be like, imagine receiving a prolonged blow from a Taser," Haywood McCrank commented, "That's the best and most accurate way to describe it. That's also how we can make certain that you won't try to run away."

"How much distance are we talking about here?" Dapple Rhomb enquired, "How close do we have to be to avoid that?"

"Right now, I have the tablet set at five meters," Haywood McCrank announced, "You couldn't even leave this room without getting shocked. But before this meeting ends, I'll recalibrate it to ten miles. That should give you plenty of freedom to move about Ponyville and continue with your normal, everyday routine. If you ever need to go anywhere outside of the town, you must get permission from me and the prince first."

"And don't even think about taking the legbands off by yourselves," Bronze Star warned them, "Not that you could, seeing as how they're ingrained into your skin. Even so, you should know that any attempt to forcefully remove the legband will also result in you getting shocked."

"So unless you can bring yourselves to amputate your front hooves, those things aren't coming off until I say so," Haywood McCrank asserted, holding the tablet up high. He almost sounded as though he was taunting Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. He was not, but he did feel enormous satisfaction at that instant.

Bronze Star leaned forward again and asked "Are we at an understanding?"

Evidently, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were less than pleased with having to wear the legbands. All the same, it was a better arrangement than getting arrested and being detained in a holding cell. So once again, they looked the gold stallion in the eye and nodded their heads.

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement. He sat up straight in his chair and pronounced "Now here's what you're going to do. Contact your people as soon as possible. Tell them your current situation, and inform them that you'll be answering to me from now on. Be sure to mention that if they have a problem with our new relationship, they can discuss it with me directly. If they have a problem with THAT, then they can solve this case on their own. I want them to know that I'm the one who's calling the shots now."

"We'll be sure to convey that message, sir," Dapple Rhomb reassured, "It could be a while before our people receive it, though. To preserve their cover, they only make themselves available to us at certain times of the week"

"Well, luckily, I'm a patient stallion," Bronze Star pronounced, "As long as you contact them by the end of the week, I'll be content."

"I can definitely reach them by then," Rough Rider insisted.

"Good," was all Bronze Star said in response, "I look forward to the beginning of our new alliance with them."
> Redeeming Qualities
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, what happens now?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.

"Now, the meeting's over," Bronze Star declared, "I'd say we already made plenty of progress. At the very least, we now know that our two groups will finally start working together fully."

"That remains to be seen," Rough Rider pointed out.

"Well, I expect you to get them to see things our way," Bronze Star declared. He looked over his shoulder at the indigo stallion and asked him "What else would you recommend, Sir Haywood?"

"Given the circumstances, I find it ideal to postpone all our meetings until two things happen," Haywood McCrank proposed, "First, we need to hear back from the vigilantes. Second, we need to make another addition to the task force."

"Who?" Copper Hollow asked.

"Agent Dread Naught," Sir Haywood McCrank replied, "I've decided that he could better assist us here than at the Bureau. So I'm going to have him come to Ponyville."

"I'm not certain that'd be prudent, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider muttered in concern, "The presence of more than one federal agent could incite the Vermane to move in on their target sooner. Our people cautioned you about that in the letter we sent Bronze Star."

"I realize that," Haywood disclosed, "Your people also advised us not to waste resources trying to figure out the identities of their organization's members. Yet we did, and that could prove to be a benefit. Besides, we already know that the Vermane are aware of our investigation. Dread Naught's presence here will make little difference to them, if any."

"Well, since you and he are apparently the experts on the Vermane, he could definitely be helpful to us," Bronze Star observed, "Go ahead and summon him, Haywood."

"I shall, Your Highness," the investigator proclaimed, "I'll compose a letter to Dread Naught after the meeting. He should receive it by tonight, and once he does, he'll start gathering every piece of information we have on the Vermane. It'll take him about three or four days to amass all that material. Once he has it all, he'll travel to Ponyville and join us."

"Alright, so we can expect him by the end of the week?" Noble Edict assumed.

"Correct, Lady Noble," Sir Haywood verified.

"If we're temporarily suspending the meetings, what should we do in the meantime?" Almond Wheeler enquired.

"We just keep monitoring all the happenings in town," Sir Haywood remarked, "To ensure their safety, I would also advise that you spend more time with your loved ones."

"You don't have to order us to do THAT, Sir Haywood," Rollin Fields contended.

"I should hope not," was all the indigo stallion said in response.

"What about us?" Dapple Rhomb asked, gesturing to herself and her husband.

"That is up to the prince," Haywood McCrank pronounced, looking to Bronze Star.

The gold stallion spent a minute considering the possibilities, and then he announced "I told you that you would be allowed to go back to your everyday lives, and I meant it. There are a few conditions attached, though. The first is the legbands; those stay on until I tell Sir Haywood to take them off. You are not permitted to leave this town for anything. Secondly, Rough Rider, I want you to remain on constant alert and have two eyes open for any signs of your people. As soon as you're able to contact them, tell them about our new arrangement. Lastly, Dapple Rhomb, you will continue working here as my secretary. That way, we'll avoid suspicion and you can keep helping me with my work."

"As long as I still get paid, I'm all yours," Dapple Rhomb cheekily stated.

"Now is hardly the time for jokes," Copper Hollow snapped.

"Who says I was joking?" Dapple Rhomb uttered scathingly, "Nopony works for free."

"I do," Bronze Star debated, "I haven't made even one bit from my job as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville."

"That may be," Rough Rider refuted, "But your family controls the treasury department and the Federal Reserve, so you're hardly impoverished."

"Yeah, whatever," Bronze Star candidly murmured, "You'll still earn your usual salary, Dapple, but don't think your workday will be just like what it was before this meeting. I'll be watching you closely."

"I assumed as much," Dapple Rhomb pronounced.

There came a brief period of quietness, and then Bronze Star stood up, gazed around at the seven Earth Ponies, and told them "Alright. Meeting adjourned."

Everypony proceeded to gather up their supplies. After the door was unlocked, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider departed from the embassy. Sir Haywood McCrank headed upstairs to his quarters, and Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb went to the latter's office.

The gold stallion and the purple mare worked for about twenty minutes. Every now and then, Bronze Star looked up from his work towards his secretary. After that, he put down his files, turned to Dapple Rhomb, and pronounced "I'm still curious about one thing. What made you decide to take the job here? Was it to get close to me, or were you genuinely interested in the occupation?"

"A little of both, actually," Dapple Rhomb professed, "When the position opened up, my people saw it as an ideal opportunity to put one of our own near you. Since I already lived in Ponyville and since I've held similar jobs before, I was the easy choice. I will admit; I was told to spy on you, but not because my people didn't trust you or anything. They just wanted to know how you performed while undercover. You may not believe me, but I really enjoyed working here, sir."

"No, I do believe you," Bronze Star claimed, "You've greatly helped me in more ways than one. I'm still grateful for all the assistance you've given me over the past several weeks. In fact, that's the primary reason why I chose not to have you and your husband arrested."

"So it wasn't because doing so would have caused a problem between your people and mine?" Dapple Rhomb presumed.

"That's the secondary reason," Bronze Star revealed, "I still don't know what I'm going to do with you and Rough once this investigation is over, but if all goes well, I may choose to pardon you for your actions."

"We would be very appreciative of that, sir," Dapple Rhomb commented.

"That's a big 'if,' though," the gold stallion notified her, "I can't promise anything just yet, so don't give your hopes up."

"I won't, sir," Dapple Rhomb asserted, "As long as we stop the murder from happening, Rough and I are willing to accept whatever fate you pick for us afterwards."

"Very well," Bronze Star acknowledged.

The two ponies continued working in relative silence for about an hour. During that time, Dapple Rhomb's attention was frequently drawn to Bronze Star's lower body. She had long ago noticed the bandage over the gold stallion's abdomen, but she had chosen not to say anything at first. However, based on the size of the injury and how it impacted Bronze Star's range of motion, she could tell that it must have been a serious wound.

Eventually, she looked to the gold stallion and muttered "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your chest?"

"Long story," Bronze Star explicated, "I'll just give you a synopsis. Yesterday, Rarity, Spike, and I were searching for gems in the quarry south of Ponyville. While we were down there, we encountered some Diamond Dogs, who took Rarity hostage. Spike went to get backup, and I went after her. After spending a couple hours in the mines, we managed to get her out of there. But on the way out, one of the dogs took a stab at me with a sword. Got me right in the lower chest."

"Ouch," Dapple Rhomb winced.

"Yeah, ouch," Bronze Star affirmed, "Although I have a very high threshold for pain, it hurt like Tartarus."

"Good thing you got it treated," Dapple Rhomb commented, "I'm surprised they didn't keep you overnight in the hospital."

"That's probably because I never set hoof in the hospital," Bronze Star disclosed, "If I did, I ran the risk of exposing myself."

"Because they would have found out you weren't an Earth Pony?" Dapple Rhomb supposed.

"Precisely," Bronze Star revealed, "Luckily, Fluttershy knows a thing or two about first aid. So she bandaged the injury for me. Sir Haywood helped me change the bandages this morning, and he's been helping me get around."

"That's good," Dapple Rhomb remarked, smirking, "It would seem that sharp objects and you don't particularly get along."

"Of course, you'd know that," Bronze Star cheekily mumbled.

"Yeah, but I never gave you anything like THAT," Dapple Rhomb debated.

"True," Bronze Star conceded.

"Still, are you sure it's been adequately treated?" Dapple Rhomb stated, "Even if cared for properly, an injury like that could take weeks to heal."

"Not if you're an Alicorn," Bronze Star contended, "I have an extra organ that enables my body to repair itself. We call it the 'Refresher Box.' It would take too long to explain how it works. I myself am not entirely certain how it works. But basically, anytime I get hurt, the Refresher Box mends the damage."

"Interesting," Dapple Rhomb said in fascination, "How long does it take to heal you?"

"For a wound of this magnitude, I'd say a week," Bronze Star conjectured, "Regardless of the injury, my Refresher Box is typically very slow-working. That's one of two cons to having it, despite all its pros."

"What's the other con?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

"It doesn't provide any pain relief," the gold stallion illuminated, holding his side, "While my Refresher Box is able to repair the damage, it does little to alleviate the aching. So far, I've managed to tolerate the pain, but it might get worse, and the stinging will take a while to go away. Unfortunately, there's little I can do about this, either. Morphine and painkillers don't have any real effect on me, and as you know, I can't afford to go to the hospital. So I'll have to deal with the pain on my own. Needless to say, it sucks."

"I bet it does," Dapple Rhomb wryly pronounced, "If you're interested, I might have a solution to your problem."

"I'm listening," Bronze Star proclaimed.

"You could visit the spa," Dapple Rhomb proposed, "Lotus and Aloe have an excellent treatment that's meant to relieve tension and pressure. From what I've heard, it helps with all types of discomfort: physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual."

"You had me at 'physical,'" Bronze Star mentioned. He thought about this suggestion for a minute, and then he shrugged and muttered "It certainly sounds appealing. Maybe I will stop by the spa later today."

"You won't regret it, sir," Dapple Rhomb assured him.

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb promptly resumed their work. They spent a few more hours drafting letters, cataloguing reports, and filling out paperwork. After their lunch break, Bronze Star discovered that they were well ahead of schedule, despite having a somewhat late start. Since they had so much spare time, he asked Dapple Rhomb if she would mind escorting him to the spa. He would have gone alone, but he still had a notable limp from his injury, so it was hard for him to get around by himself. In spite of everything, the purple mare was willing to do this favor for her employer.

Bronze Star went up to his room and grabbed his knapsack. Before he and Dapple Rhomb left, they informed Sir Haywood that they were going out. The indigo stallion offered to come along. Not that he was partial to spas; he merely wished to assist the prince, as well. He had already written and mailed the letter to Agent Dread Naught, so he had nothing else planned for the day.

Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, and Haywood McCrank left the embassy. The purple mare and the indigo stallion both gave the gold stallion a helping hoof as they traveled through the streets. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the spa.

As soon as they stepped inside the building, the three ponies were approached by Lotus and Aloe, who asked for their orders. Bronze Star informed them that he was the only one who was there as a customer; Haywood McCrank and Dapple Rhomb were just there for support. With some difficulty he peeled off his bandages and showed the two spa ponies his wound. They were alarmed by it, but the gold stallion assured them that it was not as bad as it looked. That was a lie, but Lotus and Aloe seemed to believe him.

He requested the treatment Dapple Rhomb had recommended; the one that relieved all forms of pressure and tension. The two mares happily agreed, and they proceeded to service the prince.

The treatment involved a number of therapies, mainly a sit in the sauna, a full-body massage, and a soak in the hot tub. Bronze Star found that these therapies did an excellent job of expelling the pain from his wound. Not only that, but it also seemed to lessen a lot of the stress he had been through lately.

Bronze Star used to get this kind of treatment all the time in Canterlot. He had not forgotten how pleasing it had been, but after going so long without it, all this appeasement felt somewhat foreign to him. After everything he had been through in the past few months, this was just what he needed to help him relax.

By the end of the treatment, Bronze Star felt considerably revitalized in body and in mind. He paid Lotus and Aloe for their services and thanked them immensely. The two spa ponies were happy to accept his money and his praise, especially the latter. They also told him that they would be happy to have him back anytime.

Bronze Star was glad they said that. He mentioned to them that he was thinking of coming back once a day until his wound was healed. The two mares certainly had no objections to that.

The next four days went by in a fairly straightforward fashion. Since the task force's meetings had been cancelled for the present, its members found themselves with some free time on their hooves. This enabled them to spend some quality time with the ponies close to them.

Almond Wheeler started returning her cousin's affections, Rollin Fields interacted more with his son and his daughter, Copper Hollow had lunch with his parents at their house every day, and Noble Edict spent most of her off-duty hours with her aunt.

One good thing had come out of the Vermane's warning; it made the members of the task force appreciate the company of their loved ones even more than they did before.

Although Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig did not regret their decision to leave the task force, they felt terrible for leaving the others. Still, nopony blamed them for wanting out, and Noble Edict assured the two mares that she would not hold their worries against them. In fact, she decided to loosen up their schedules o that Paisley Branch could spend more time with her brother and Cassia Sprig could spend more time with her husband and daughter.

Rough Rider spent those four days around town, attempting to contact the vigilante group through various methods. He knew it would be tough to reach them without any prior notice, but he knew it could be done, and he was determined to pull through for his wife and the task force.

Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, and Bronze Star continued to do all their work inside the embassy. Sir Haywood was actually able to do some investigating from his quarters, whereas Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb were more focused on the obligations of their jobs.

Once a day, Bronze Star stopped by the spa to receive the same treatment for his wound. Every time he left the spa, he felt more tranquil and vigorous than the time before. The treatment had also enabled his Refresher Box to close and mend his injury faster. After his fifth visit, his wound was almost fully healed, and the pain was practically nonexistent. He figured one more visit would do the trick.

Also on the fourth day, two letters from Canterlot were delivered to the embassy. The first was addressed to Sir Haywood McCrank, and it was from Agent Dread Naught. According to its contents, Dread Naught informed his colleague that he had finally gathered up all the information they had collected on the Vermane over the years. He also mentioned that he would be coming to Ponyville sometime the following morning.

The second letter was addressed to Bronze Star, and it was from his mother. In it, Princess Celestia discussed certain topics she had brought up in her last letter, namely her upcoming visit to Ponyville. She had finally decided on a date about five weeks in the future. She asserted that she would not miss this visit.

She also brought up the matter she had included in the last letter; the one about a conference that was going to take place in Ponyville. Here she elaborated on the purpose of the conference and what it would entail. It was meant to resolve a dispute between some major companies that had been in a business rivalry for years. There were six companies in total, and they formed two conglomerate trios. On either side, there was a banking firm, an insurance corporation, and an advertisement agency. The companies' CEOs would send their vice-presidents to confer in the conference. The whole reason Princess Celestia was involved was because she had been asked to function as the mediator and deliberator, and she accepted this request.

Bronze Star was fascinated by this news, and he was wondering if his mother wanted him to partake in the conference. He was certainly an excellent negotiator. Arguably one of the best, as a matter of fact. At any rate, he made a note to inform the mayor and City Council of both Celestia's impending visit and the conference. That way, the town would have plenty of time to prepare for both events.

So that was how the four relatively ordinary days passed by for the task force.

On the fifth day after their last meeting, things gradually become a little more exciting. It started when Bronze Star arrived at the spa in the late morning. By then, he had recovered from his limp and he was able to get around without any aid, so he went to the spa by himself. When he got there, he found Fluttershy in the lobby. She was sitting on a bench, reading a magazine. She looked as though she was waiting to be serviced, too.

"Morning, Fluttershy," he greeted the yellow Pegasus.

"Hello, Bronze," she told the gold Alicorn in response.

Lotus and Aloe were in their office, so it was safe for Fluttershy to address the prince by his real name. He took a seat next to her and asked "Do you come here often?"

"Rarity and I meet here once a week," she revealed, "She's running a little late today. I'm just waiting for her to arrive. Once she does, I'll go in."

"I could keep you company until she gets here," he offered.

"Thanks," Fluttershy said appreciatively.

After that, Aloe came out of the office and noticed the gold stallion. She stated "Greetings, Mr. Ambassador. Same treatment as before?"

"If you please," Bronze Star affirmed.

"My sister and I will have it ready for you momentarily," the pale rose mare proclaimed.

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and murmured "I'll be right here."

Aloe went back into the office. Once she was gone, Fluttershy mentioned to the gold stallion "I didn't know you were a frequent patron of the spa, Bronze."

"Before this past week, I wasn't," Bronze Star disclosed, "In fact, the only reason I'm here is because of this."

When he said "this," he placed his front hoof on the bandaged spot on his abdomen. He added in "They have a treatment here that helps ease the pain. Thanks to the combined effects of the treatment and my Refresher Box, my injury is healing nicely. After today, I'll be able to take the bandages off permanently."

"That's fortunate," Fluttershy remarked.

Bronze Star nodded his head, and then he grinned at the quiet mare and told her "Don't think I properly thanked you for bandaging my wound for me."

"It's no problem," she assured him, "I'm just glad you're alright."

As he continued smiling at her, Bronze Star opened his knapsack, pulled out the bloodied slide, and held it out to the yellow mare, saying "Oh, by the way, I believe this belongs to you."

"Thanks," she said appreciatively, taking the slide in her hoof, "Why'd you want to borrow it, anyway?"

"It was for a project," he claimed, "I had a theory that blood could still be analyzed after being outside the body for seven months. I'm pleased to say I was able to validate my theory."

"Good for you," was all Fluttershy said in response.

The two ponies sat in silence for minute. Fluttershy resumed reading her magazine, and Bronze Star looked over some papers in his knapsack. Soon Lotus appeared behind the counter at the front desk. She was studying a clipboard.

A minute later, the main entrance was pushed open and Rarity stepped inside. She was wearing an interesting headpiece that looked as though it had been made entirely from the parts of a peacock's body.

She looked to the yellow mare and told her apologetically "So sorry, Fluttershy. I hate being late for our weekly get-together."

Fluttershy just smiled knowingly. Rarity then turned to Lotus and declared "The usual!"

The light cerulean mare grinned and hurried to prepare the white mare's order.

It was then that Rarity realized that Bronze Star was in the room, as well. She grinned and remarked cordially "Oh, hello, Bronze. What brings you here?"

"I'm just getting some treatment for this," Bronze Star replied, gesturing to his wound.

"Oh, yeah," Rarity uttered awkwardly, gazing off to the side, "Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault," Bronze Star reassured her.

"I know, but I still feel somewhat responsible," Rarity revealed.

"Well, it's almost fully healed, so no worries," he observed, "So how'd it go with Sapphire Shores?"

"Oh, it went great," Rarity informed him, "She absolutely adored all six of the costumes I made her. I practically earned a fortune when I sold them to her."

"Nice," Bronze Star pronounced, "Is she still in town?"

"No, she left the other day," Rarity disclosed, "However, it just so happens that another Canterlot-based celebrity is currently in Ponyville."

"Really?" Fluttershy spoke in interest, "Who?"

Before Rarity could answer her best friend, Lotus reappeared in the front room and announced "Rarity, Fluttershy, Mr. Ambassador, we're ready for you."

The three customers nodded and followed the beautician into the spa. On the way, Rarity told her companions "I'll tell you while we're being serviced."

As it turned out, the "usual" for Rarity and Fluttershy was very similar to the treatment Bronze Star had been receiving for the past week. Their service was composed of a sit in the sauna, a mud mask, having their hooves filed (and horn, in Rarity's case), a full-body massage, a mud bath, and soaking their hooves. The only differences were that Bronze Star did not get the mud mask or hooficure, and instead of just his hooves, he soaked his whole body in the hot tub. Because of that, he was able to stay nearby Rarity and Fluttershy for the entire time they were serviced.

Rarity and Fluttershy both adorned a bathrobe, and Rarity exchanged her hat for a towel to wrap her mane in. Bronze Star did not bother with either. He was never one to fuss over the state of his mane, and a bathrobe would have covered his wound and defeated the purpose of his treatment. So instead of putting anything on, he took off his bandages. Currently, his wound was little more than a large abrasion. After today, a scar would be all that remained of it.

Bronze Star, Rarity, and Fluttershy started in the sauna. Lotus continuously poured water over red-hot rocks, causing them to generate steam. Rarity was in the process of explaining why she had been late. She expounded "But you will not believe what happened to me."

"Is everything all right?" Fluttershy asked in concern.

"Oh, it's much more than all right," the fashionista proclaimed, "I was on my way here, wearing my latest hat creation, when who should stop me on the street but Photo Finish!?"

"Photo Finish?" Fluttershy repeated in amazement.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and mumbled in interest "Photo Finish is in Ponyville?"

Rarity smirked and nodded her head. Lotus poured more water over the hot rocks, making them hiss and produce more steam.

Rarity waited until they were done in the sauna to elaborate any further. Soon they arrived in the main room of the spa. Next, Rarity and Fluttershy got their mud masks. In Fluttershy's case, it was closer to mud dimple; she only got mud on the center of her cheeks. Whereas Rarity got the whole mask, complete with cucumber slices over their eyes. Bronze Star just stood idly by as he waited for the next phase of his treatment.

Rarity described her encounter with Photo Finish. She pronounced "She is the most famous fashion photographer in all of Equestria. Anywho, she saw my hat and said it was absolutely marvelous!"

"What a lovely compliment," Fluttershy spoke softly.

"Especially when it comes from her," Bronze Star perceived, "Trust me; she's not easily astonished."

Rarity raised an eyebrow and inquired "Have you met her?"

"Several times," the gold stallion responded, "She's probably taken more pictures of me than anypony else in Equestria."

"What's she like?" Fluttershy stated inquisitively.

"For starters, she's very good at what she does," Bronze Star expounded, "She's very professional, very meticulous, and very ambitious. And often VERY hard to please. However, if you somehow manage to amaze her, it's a sign that you're going places."

While Fluttershy and Rarity got their mud masks, Lotus and Aloe also gave them their hooficures. The two beauticians scooted two pillows underneath Rarity's body, and then Lotus started filing Rarity's horn. As she did that, the white Unicorn muttered "I can believe that. She was so impressed that she wants to take some pictures of my shop featuring some of my clothes!"

Aloe approached Fluttershy with a file as well, but the yellow mare just went "squee," indicating that she wanted to skip the hooficure. Aloe nodded in understanding and backed away. Then the yellow Pegasus uttered "That's wonderful."

Shortly after this, the three customers received their massages. Aloe serviced Bronze Star, Lotus serviced Fluttershy, and their colleague – known only as the Masseuse Pony – serviced Rarity. As the Masseuse Pony rapidly struck her legs along Rarity's back, the fashionista spoke in a vibrating tone "Do you know what this could mean for my fashion career?"

"Oh, Rarity, I'm so happy for you," Fluttershy uttered giddily.

"First Hoity Toity, then Sapphire Shores, and now Photo Finish…" Bronze Star noted, "You really ARE going places."

"I'd like to think so," Rarity avowed.

A short time later, the fashionista, the wildlife preserver, and the prince got their mud baths. For this, Rarity and Fluttershy removed their bathrobes, but Lotus and Aloe wrapped Rarity's body in green vines. To some, it may seem strange why this was part of Bronze Star's treatment. In actuality, the mud was quite good for his wound; it helped cleanse the opened flesh.

During the mud baths, Rarity continued talking about her plans for her engagement with Photo Finish. She hinted to Fluttershy "But I'm going to need somepony fabulous to model for me. Somepony with beauty. Somepony with grace. Somepony... like you?"

Fluttershy immediately realized where this was going, but she did not reply right away. After resting in the mud baths for a while, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Bronze Star got out and rinsed themselves off. After that, Bronze Star lounged in the hot tub and the two mares put their bathrobes back on and soaked their hooves.

It was then that Fluttershy murmured nervously "Oh, goodness. I don't know."

"Can't blame you," Bronze Star professed, "Photo Finish is not exactly the friendliest pony I've met, either."

Rarity was not about to give up without a fight. She had already thought up an argument that would convince Fluttershy to agree to her proposal. It was there that she presented the argument. She began with "Oh, this is such a huge opportunity. And it would mean so much to me."

"I'm flattered, really," Fluttershy thought aloud.

"Nopony is going to have your elegance and poise," Rarity debated.

"But..." the yellow mare uttered softly.

"Nopony!" the white mare insisted.

"There has to be somepony more quali..."

"Please!"

"Somepony more into fashion."

"Please!"

"Somepony more comfortable in the spotlight."

"Please, please, PLEEEASE!"

Bronze Star was partly hoping that Fluttershy would accept just so she would get Rarity to shut up. But he was not going to say that out loud; he did not wish to offend either mare.

Ultimately, Fluttershy gave in and mumbled "Oh, if it's that important to you, of course I'll do it."

"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Rarity pronounced, extremely grateful, "You are the best friend a pony could ever have!"

Fluttershy just smiled happily. Bronze Star scoffed and muttered "This should be interesting."

Fifteen minutes later, the gold stallion got out of the hot tub and dried himself off. He examined his wound, and he found that it was fully mended. There was a small scar on his lower chest, but he could put up with that. Rarity and Fluttershy were about ready to leave, as well.

Lotus and Aloe led their three customers back to the lobby. Once there, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, and Rarity paid the spa ponies for their services, and then they left the establishment. As they stepped outside, Fluttershy sighed merrily and proclaimed "What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon."

"Isn't it?" Rarity commented, "Though I was so afraid you wouldn't agree to model for me that I felt completely frazzled."

"Well, you can be very 'persuasive,'" Bronze Star pointed out.

"How true," Rarity concurred, "By the way, Bronze, if you're not too busy, do you suppose you could lend me a hoof with this thing, too?"

"In what way?" the gold stallion queried.

"Well, you sound as though you know Photo Finish fairly well," Rarity observed, "You must have some idea of what she prefers and what she's attracted to."

"I might have a few tips I could give you," Bronze Star thought aloud.

"That's all I'm asking for," the white Unicorn pronounced.

"Alright, maybe I can help," Bronze Star uttered, rubbing his chin, "When's your appointment with her?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten," Rarity answered.

"That soon?" he remarked in surprise.

"Yeah, sorry," she professed, "I know it's short notice, but I wanted to meet her as soon as possible. Is tomorrow a bad time?"

"Well, today, I have an appointment of my own," Bronze Star revealed, "But as far as I know, I've nothing going on tomorrow. So I suppose I could meet with you a few hours before your appointment."

"Thank you so much, Bronze," Rarity told him appreciatively, "You don't know how much that means to me."

"Oh, I can imagine," Bronze Star drily commented.

Rarity grinned at him. After a pause, she flinched, placed her hoof on her cheek, and muttered "I think I feel a pimple coming on. Oh! Only one solution!"

She then rushed back inside the spa and slammed the door behind her. Fluttershy and Bronze Star chuckled at her action.

"Looks like you were right," Fluttershy commented, "She IS persuasive."

"Yeah; she doesn't seem to take 'no' for an answer," Bronze Star noted, "Anyway, I better get back to the embassy. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then," she conceded, "By the way, I enjoyed spending this time with you, Bronze."

"So did I," he admitted, "We should hang out more often. Just get together and talk or something."

"Maybe we could do that during the trip," Fluttershy suggested.

"What trip?" he inquired.

"The trip to Appleoosa," Fluttershy clarified, a little perplexed.

Bronze Star seemed very confused by that statement. He informed the quiet mare "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"You don't?" she muttered, cocking her head.

The gold stallion swiftly shook his head. Fluttershy explained what she meant: "In about three weeks, Applejack will be traveling to Appleoosa. She'll be visiting her relatives and delivering them one of the trees from her orchards. She invited me to go with her. She also invited Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike to come along."

"When was this?" he enquired.

"The other day, when she first brought the trip up to us," she enlightened him, "She hasn't invited you?"

"Nope," Bronze Star bluntly declared, "Guess she still doesn't want to talk to me."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"A few weeks ago, AJ and I got into a fight," Bronze Star elucidated, "I'd rather not talk about it, though. Let's just say it did not end pleasantly, and Applejack and I have rarely spoken to each other since then. That said, maybe it's for the best that she didn't invite me along. I don't want to risk giving her another reason to be angry at me."

"I don't think she's angry at you at all," Fluttershy professed, "Remember when we got back from the mines? She told me to tell you that she wasn't angry, and I believe her. Based on her behavior, it seems more like she's concerned that you're angry at her instead."

"What possible reason would she have to think I'm angry at her?" Bronze Star muttered in bewilderment, "She hasn't done anything to warrant my wrath. If anything, it's ME who's done something deserving of HER anger."

"What are you talking about?" Fluttershy asked in alarm.

Bronze Star hastily looked away and mumbled "Never mind; I've said too much. It's a very personal and delicate subject. One that I'd prefer not to discuss in detail."

"Okay, I'll drop it," the yellow mare asserted, "Still, I hope you'll be able to make things right with Applejack."

"As do I," Bronze Star declared, "Please don't mention anything I just told you to her, though."

"I promise I won't," Fluttershy assured him, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Bronze Star smirked at that statement. That was a sacred pledge that had been patented by Pinkie Pie. Once somepony made that pledge, they never broke it. He knew he could trust Fluttershy not to discuss his relationship issues with Applejack or anypony else.

The two ponies then parted ways. Fluttershy headed back to her cottage and Bronze Star returned to the embassy.

When he got inside the building, he heard voices emanating from the meeting chamber. The voices belonged to two middle-aged ponies, and Bronze Star recognized both of them. One of them was Sir Haywood McCrank's; the other was a voice he had been waiting to hear all day. When Bronze Star signed in at the front, he saw the name of the pony who had signed in before him. This confirmed that the second voice really di belong to the pony he thought it belonged to.

Bronze Star trotted over to the meeting chamber and stepped inside. There he found the indigo Earth Pony talking with another stallion. This stallion was a Unicorn with a greenish-blue coat, a goldenrod mane, and beige irises. His cutie mark was a stack of organized files.

When he spotted the gold stallion, the greenish-blue stallion stopped talking, flashed a smile, and trotted over to the door. He lightly bowed and held out his front hoof, saying in a gruff voice "Always a pleasure to see you, Your Highness."

"It's good to see you, too, Agent Dread Naught," Bronze Star declared as he shook hooves with the older stallion.

While Bronze Star viewed Sir Haywood McCrank as the greatest investigator in Equestria, Agent Dread Naught was a very close second. Although he did not utilize Haywood McCrank's eccentricities and unconventional methods, Dread Naught employed a number of innovative strategies and procedures to solve his cases. Now that he was working directly with both stallions, Bronze Star felt considerably more confident in their chances of preventing the murder plot.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything of precedence," the gold stallion commented.

"You didn't, sir," Haywood McCrank asserted, flipping through some folders, "I've just been bringing Dread up to speed on the current situation. He's already given me a lot of fascinating input."

"I've been able to fill in some of the few blanks that Haywood didn't fill," Dread Naught revealed, "For instance, I just figured out how the vigilante group knew about those three clues you picked up in Whitetail Woods."

"Now that's something I'd definitely like to know," Bronze Star remarked, "How'd they do it?"

"It's actually quite simple," Dread Naught explicated, "It happened on the day Sir Haywood mailed me the objects. He mentioned that earlier that day, you and he were in here with Ponyville's chief of security and deputy chief of security."

"That was when you told Copper Hollow your true identity," Haywood elaborated.

"I know; I remember that," Bronze Star commented. He looked to Dread Naught and beckoned him "Go on, Agent."

"While the four of you were in this room, your secretary was alone in her office," the greenish-blue stallion noted, "During then, she must have gone upstairs to Sir Haywood's bedroom, where he kept the three objects. Although he hid them well, Dapple Rhomb could have found them if she searched hard enough. Once she did, she simply put them back and made a note to inform her people of the objects' existence later on."

"That's quite believable," Bronze Star admitted, "But she had no way of knowing when Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, Sir Haywood, and I would emerge from this room. So wouldn't she have been in a hurry to search Sir Haywood's bedroom?"

"Yes, she would have been," Dread Naught confirmed, "But she could have been haste without making a mess. After all, she was able to break into your room at the castle without leaving a trace."

"Almost no trace," Bronze Star corrected him, "She was forced to leave one, courtesy of my pet hawk Arthur."

"That's certainly true," Dread Naught contended, "At any rate, that's the only time Sir Haywood left the objects unattended for more than a half-hour. So it's also the only opportunity the vigilantes had to get a look at them."

"Actually, now that I think about it, there is one other opportunity they had," Bronze Star thought aloud.

"What might that be?" Sir Haywood queried.

"When you mailed Dread Naught the envelope with those objects, Dapple Rhomb offered to send away the envelope for you," Bronze Star recalled, "She was outside for over twenty minutes. Quite a long time to deposit one envelope. When we asked her what kept her so long, she claimed one of her friends had come by and that the two of them had started up a conversation."

"Perhaps this 'friend' was another of the vigilantes," Haywood theorized.

"That's my point," Bronze Star mentioned.

"Not a bad hypothesis," Dread Naught proclaimed, "But they couldn't have known about the objects unless they opened the envelope, and Sir Haywood had sealed it with a very durable glue; a kind that only he and I have the solvent for. Could you explain that?"

"Well, maybe Dapple Rhomb really DID go up to Sir Haywood's room," Bronze Star hypothesized, "And maybe she did not find the objects, but she did manage to find the solvent, and she decided to take that instead. She could have used it on the envelope when she took it outside."

"That's doubtful," Dread Naught refuted, "How would she have known that Sir Haywood would use the glue on the envelope? For that matter, how could she known he would mail me the three objects in the first place? There's a lot of holes you still need to account for, Your Highness."

"Yeah, you're right," Bronze Star frankly admitted, "This theory is kind of a longshot. I just wanted to make sure we didn't overlook anything."

"Still, I commend you for considering every possibility, sir," Dread Naught pronounced, "That's what every excellent investigator does."

"Thanks for saying that, Dread," Bronze Star uttered appreciatively. There was a short interval of silence, and then the gold stallion queried "So, have you met Dapple Rhomb yet?"

"Yes, shortly after I got to the embassy," Dread Naught responded, "She seems like a decent mare. Such a pity she turned out to be a mole."

"Yeah, I was more than a little disappointed when I found out," Bronze Star muttered grimly, "Oh, well. At least we know she and her husband really are on our side. What really matters is that we can get them to cooperate with us. Hopefully the other vigilantes will accept this new arrangement."

"If they see things our way, they should," Dread Naught perceived, "If not, we need to emphasize just how important it is that they cooperate with us. The must know how serious this threat really is. After all, Sir Haywood and I have been pursuing the Vermane for almost two decades. We know far more about them than the entire vigilante group combined. We need them to know just how dangerous the Vermane really are."

"Well, to put it bluntly, they are the very definition of psychopaths, and they are not above killing anypony," Haywood McCrank observed, "If we tell the vigilantes that, I'm sure they'll agree to comply."

"Let's just wait and see," Bronze Star recommended, "Maybe Rough Rider will be able to convince them to agree to our proposal. But if it turns out he cannot, we'll resort to using other means to sway their positions on this matter. One way or another, I can guarantee they'll be answering to us from now on."

"Alright," Dread Naught stated, "That's good enough for me."

Sir Haywood McCrank was content with this suggestion, as well.

"So, what else have you deduced, Agent Dread Naught?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Quite a lot, Your Highness," the greenish-blue stallion proclaimed, "But I would prefer to wait until the task force convenes again to discuss my findings. That way I won't have to repeat it all over again."

"That's acceptable," the gold stallion coincided. After another brief pause, he queried "So, have you gotten settled into the embassy yet?"

"Yes, I've already moved in," Dread Naught replied, "First thing I did when I arrived was go upstairs. I selected the room at the very end of the hall as my quarters. Dapple Rhomb even helped me with my bags. I made certain not to leave her alone with any of them, though. Lest one of them go missing."

"Smart thinking," Bronze Star commented, "A spy she may be, but she's an excellent secretary."

"Maybe you should keep her under your employ after this is all over," Sir Haywood slyly suggested.

"Perhaps I will," Bronze Star contended, "Of course, that'll depend on how cooperative she, her husband, and the other vigilantes are, and if we actually manage to avert the murder."

"We will, sir," Haywood McCrank pronounced confidently, "The Vermane have always succeeded before, but I KNOW they won't this time. I'm certain why I know that; I just do. This time, we will come out on top over them."

"I believe you, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star avowed.

A few minutes later, the young prince left the two federal investigators and went to Dapple Rhomb's office. The two of them spent the next four hours doing their regular work. In all that time, they barely talked about the task force or the murder plot at all. However, Dapple Rhomb did mention that Rough Rider had managed to make contact with the other vigilantes that morning. According to the purple mare, he was currently in the process of apprising them of everything that had been discussed at the task force's last meeting. Rough Rider had told his wife to tell Bronze Star that he would come see him sometime the next day. Once he did, the olive stallion would tell the gold stallion about his people's response to the prince's proposition.

Bronze Star asked Dapple Rhomb to tell her husband to make a note to visit the embassy before eight o'clock. That way, they would have time to talk before the gold stallion had to help Rarity prepare for her appointment with Photo Finish at Carousel Boutique. Although Dapple Rhomb herself typically did not arrive at the embassy until nine o'clock, she could afford to come an hour early with her husband tomorrow.

After Dapple Rhomb went home, Bronze Star headed up to his bedroom. He locked the door, reached underneath his bed, and pulled out his strongbox. He retrieved the key, used it to unlock the strongbox, opened it up, and removed his special blackboard, marker, and washcloth.

It had been a while since he used the blackboard to communicate with the Firebrand Regiment. The last time he had done so was a couple days after he had sent them the information he had acquired from the contents of Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase. He had conversed with them on the blackboard mostly as a way to follow up on the operation.

He had gone over everything that had taken place over the course of his reconnaissance. That included the unpleasant affair that had taken place the morning after. In other words, the Firebrand Regiment was fully aware of his situation with Applejack.

That was one thing he did not enjoy recounting for the Regiment. He felt more like he was describing his personal problems than the aftermath of the operation. Plus, he was somewhat ashamed with the fact that he had told Applejack everything about the conspiracy while everypony else in the Regiment had been sworn to absolute secrecy. Nevertheless, the Regiment had a right to know that somepony outside of their ranks was aware of the conspiracy.

He assured the Regiment that Applejack could be trusted to keep quiet about the conspiracy, even though she was no longer with Bronze Star. He also insisted that the Regiment did not have to keep her under surveillance or anything of the sort. Sometimes they did that when a third party caught on to their activities. But Bronze Star would not have that for Applejack; he would respect her space.

Of course, they were still monitoring Esopus Spitzenburg closely. Or at least as closely as they could, given the circumstances.

As far as Bronze Star knew, Esopus Spitzenburg was still in Appleoosa. That settlement was out in the middle of the desert, where the Regiment's field operatives could not follow Spitzenburg. Remembering what Fluttershy had told him outside the spa earlier, Bronze Star saw it ideal to pass that information along to the Regiment. Maybe they would find it useful in some way.

Once he had his blackboard on his lap, he wrote on the surface with the marker:

Omicron-11 to base. Please respond.

Fifteen seconds after the words disappeared, this sentence appeared in their place:

This is Omicron-8, Your Highness.

Bronze Star grinned at the prompt reply. This time it was Brigadier Carabine who answered him. He erased the sentence and wrote on the blackboard:

Get everypony together, Brigadier.

Carabine gave him this in response:

Right away, sir.

Bronze Star patiently while the Brigadier gathered the other nine members of the Firebrand Regiment. About five minutes later, this sentence showed up on his blackboard:

What do you need, Your Highness?

He recognized the writing as SIG Sauer's. The gold stallion wiped the blackboard clean and wrote on it:

I made a discovery this afternoon. It was a small discovery, but a relevant one, nonetheless.

SIG Sauer asked in interest:

What might that be, sir?

Bronze Star apprised him:

Applejack and a number of our friends will be traveling to Appleoosa in about three weeks. She'll be visiting some of her relatives down there, which is likely to include Esopus Spitzenburg.

After those words vanished, Bronze Star waited an entire minute before SIG Sauer sent him this:

She couldn't have picked a better time.

Bronze Star found that statement perplexing. He wrote down:

How so?

SIG Sauer enlightened the prince with:

We believe we've found a way to determine the identity of the last conspirator.

The gold stallion was both amazed and thrilled to read this. He hastily wrote down:

Tell me. I'm eager to learn it.

SIG Sauer began his explanation with:

We've confirmed that Spitzenburg is in contact with the other conspirators, even though he's out in the middle of nowhere.

How could he pull that off?

Although our field operatives have been unable to get near Spitzenburg, they're still keeping a close watch on the other conspirators. A number of times, we've managed to spy on them while they are inside their houses. Occasionally, one of the conspirators is found sitting or standing in front of a large piece of poster board. Whenever they are, the face of another conspirator is on the poster board.

What do you mean the 'face of another conspirator?' You mean like a photograph or painting?

No, it's never just an image of the face. Whenever a face shows up on those poster boards, it is moving and speaking. In other words, it's the actual face of the conspirator.

Bronze Star was rather stunned by that revelation. After absorbing that, he hastily wrote:

Are you saying that they've devised a way to speak directly with each other over a large distance?

That is essentially it. Those poster boards are similar to the blackboards you and I use to communicate with each other. Only the conspirators use the poster boards to exchange words by talking instead of writing. It is as though they are having a conversation with another pony face-to-face without even being in the same room.

That's extraordinary.

We all agree. Even Omicron-7 admits that she is impressed. Such a pity that those poster boards are being used for detestable means.

Yes, that is rather unfortunate.

Luckily, we're still one step ahead of the conspirators.

What do you mean?

After we learned about the conspirators' poster boards, Omicron-7 began construction on a contraption that has the same functions as them. She's created a pair of picture frames that have a camera, sound system, and screen hidden in the glass.

Fascinating. Will they work just as well as the poster boards?

They should; we just finished testing and perfecting them. In fact, Omicron-7's device has one capability that the poster boards lack. Whenever one uses one of the picture frames, one has the option to record what is taking place from the perspective of the other picture frame. As a bonus, the second frame can be made to blend in with any room it's in. That way it can record what it sees without the pony on the other side being aware of it.

This is all really quite impressive. But how will that help us identify the final conspirator.

I'm getting to that, sir. You see, based on what our field operatives have observed, none of the conspirators seem to be in direct contact with Esopus Spitzenburg. Not even Raging Tempest or Sparker Blare. However, from what we've gathered, all their orders come directly from Spitzenburg. That implies that at least one of them must be in contact with him, and whoever it is, he must be the one who relays Spitzenburg's orders to the others.

You believe it's the final conspirator?

It must be. All the others have only been seen talking with Tempest or Blare. So the conspirator who established this network must be the one who's in contact with Spitzenburg.

I can buy that. So where do those picture frames come in?

That's our strategy for uncovering the last conspirator. In order to carry out this strategy, somepony will have to plant one of the picture frames in whatever room he's staying at in Appleoosa. Once it's been put there, we'll be able to use the other picture frame to monitor everything that goes on in there. Sooner or later, he's bound to contact the last conspirator.

Sounds like an excellent plan. Only one problem; who will plant the picture frame?

That's the one thing we haven't worked out yet. In order to plant the picture frame, somepony will have to get very close to Esopus Spitzenburg. Of course, none of our field operatives can pull that off; it would be too hard for them to go incognito in the desert, and Spitzenburg might see them coming from far away.

I could send Noble Edict to do it. Her status as a Lady and her job as a security officer is enough to get her passage to any town in Equestria.

Bad idea; with everything that's been going on lately, Ponyville shouldn't be without its chief of security.

Then what else can we do? Other than Noble Edict and Lord Bellerophon, there's nopony outside of the Regiment who knows about the conspiracy.

No, there is ONE pony. This particular pony possesses one thing none of us do: a direct connection to Spitzenburg.

Bronze Star immediately realized who SIG Sauer was referring to. He slowly erased the blackboard and wrote uneasily:

Omicron-10, I hope you're not implying what I think you are.

I am, sir. Perhaps you should bring Applejack into this affair. Maybe you can get her on our side.

Easier said than done.

Yes, it is MUCH easier said than done. But definitely not impossible. It would be in everypony's best interests if you somehow convinced her to plant one of the pictures in Spitzenburg's bedroom when she visits him in Appleoosa.

Omicron-10, if you went into a bar and insulted the patron sitting next to you, would you request that he buy you a drink immediately after?

No, but I'd be more intrigued by what I was doing in a bar in the first place.

It was a hypothetical scenario, SIG. It's also pretty much what I'd be doing if I asked Applejack to betray her Uncle after I told her about our plans to have him executed. You don't ask a favor from somepony after you've offended them; that's plain common sense. Aside from that, she hasn't exactly been speaking with me a lot lately. I can hardly blame her. Not only did I tell her that her Great Uncle is an immoral madstallion with a plan to assassinate my mother, but I also told her that I aim to have him killed in the near future. I wasn't exactly very empathetic towards her at the time, either.

Well, if she hasn't told anypony else what she knows, that implies that she at least cares. That in turn suggests that it could be possible for you to reconcile with her. Trust me, sir; it may not be possible to make amends with a former alley, but it is always possible to make amends with somepony you love.

What makes you so certain of that?

SIG Sauer did not reply straightaway. More than a minute passed before he finally sent this:

May I speak to you on a personal level, sir?

Of course you can. Just tell me; why are you so confident I can make things right with Applejack simply because she's the mare I love?

Because I know from experience that that's reason enough. I'm a stallion who was married for seventeen years. While my marriage was generally a happy one, it was far from perfect. When my wife was alive, she and I got into a fair share of arguments. Once I even considered the concept of divorce. But I never suggested it to her directly. You know why? Because I was always looking for a better alternative, and we always found one. No matter how many disagreements Wysteria and I got into, she and I always made up afterwards.

Bronze Star had to admit that SIG Sauer presented a very compelling counterargument. Still, Applejack was the first pony he had ever been involved with romantically. As such, he had no idea how to resolve this kind of conflict. He wrote on his blackboard:

You make a great case, SIG, but I'm not as confident as you are. I mean, Applejack and I have been apart for weeks. Are you sure it's not too late already?

Certainly not. Omicron-9 is in the process of mending his relationship with his daughter, and the two of them have been estranged for years. If they can make amends, you should be able to, as well.

That was an excellent point. For years before the Best Young Fliers Competition, Walther and Fleetfoot had barely spoken to each other. Ever since then, they had been gradually reforming their bond. Knowing that gave Bronze Star some hope.

I get what you're saying, SIG. What must I do?

Do you still love Applejack?

Of course I do.

Do you trust her?

Absolutely.

Then you should try to repair your relationship with her. Doing so would be good for our investigation, and more importantly, it would be good for you.

There's no telling how long it might be before she's ready to talk to me again.

Well, you cannot expect her to make the first move. If you are serious about this, you have to be willing to approach Applejack first.

But she threatened to expose us if I didn't stay.

Maybe she was bluffing. Even if she wasn't, that's a risk we'll have to take. As of right now, there is no other way we can learn the identity of the last conspirator. It's the picture frame or nothing. This NEEDS to happen. Besides, I'm sure you know that our business is all about taking risks. So is love.

Bronze Star took another minute to reflect on this. Ultimately, he sighed and wrote on his blackboard:

You're right, SIG. This has to be done.

Althought Bronze Star could not see the pine green Unicorn at this time, he could imagine that SIG Sauer was grinning very widely at that time. Soon after those last two sentences vanished, SIG Sauer responded to them with:

Very well, Your Highness. Sometime this week, we'll send you the two picture frames. Omicron-7 will include a set of instructions on how to use them. We'll let you handle the situation with Applejack. Do you think you'll be able to make things right with her by the time she leaves for Appleoosa?

I will certainly try. But if I fail, we'll need a contingency plan.

We'll get started on one. But I don't think we'll need it. For what it's worth, I have faith in your ability, sir.

I appreciate that, SIG.

It's no problem, sir. I wish you the best of luck.

Alright, thank you. Omicron-11 out.

Bronze Star quickly returned his blackboard, the marker, and the washcloth to his strongbox, locked it back up, and slid it underneath his bed. Then he laid down on his bed and let out a slow, steady breath. He reflected on everything he had just discussed with SIG Sauer.

He was not comfortable with the current predicament. He had been waiting for the right opportunity to make amends with Applejack for weeks. Now he HAD to attempt to make things right with her, but it would not simply be for his sake and hers. In a way, it would also be for the sake of thousands of other ponies, including his mother.

During their argument, Applejack had accused Bronze Star of getting close to her just so he could spy on her family. He had quickly denied that allegation, but he did not know if she believe him. If he went to her now with the news of the Firebrand Regiment's plan to identify the last conspirator, she might accuse him of not really wanting to get back together with her, and instead she may believe he was simply using her against her Uncle. Because of that, he would run the risk of making things even worse.

Bronze Star was a very strong stallion in every way: physically, mentally, and emotionally. But he did not know if he could handle that type of heartbreak a second time. Regardless of that, he had given SIG Sauer and the other members of the Firebrand Regiment his word that he would try to mend his relationship with Applejack soon. Aside from that, he had an additional incentive for approaching her.

Fluttershy was certain that Applejack was no longer angry at him. Bronze Star hoped the yellow mare was correct. There was only one way he could make sure, and that would be if he faced her directly.

Ultimately, Bronze Star decided he would not back down here. Making things right with Applejack would set both his mind and hers at ease. Plus, it was the right thing to do on both the moral level and the ethical level. So sometime before Applejack and the others left for Appleoosa, he would go to her and do whatever he could to earn her forgiveness.

The next morning, Bronze Star woke up at 5:30, thirty minutes earlier than the time he normally got up. He wanted that extra half-hour to prepare for everything he had planned for that morning.

He was totally ready for the day by 7:30. Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught were still eating breakfast at that time. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider showed up at the embassy shortly before eight o'clock. Bronze Star welcomed them at the front entrance.

"Nice of you to come so early," he commented wryly.

"That was what you asked of us, sir," Rough Rider muttered bluntly.

"Yes, it was," the gold stallion affirmed, "However, you're not quite as early as I would have preferred. Rarity asked me to help her with something at eight o'clock, and I'd hate to keep her waiting. So you could either come back later or come with me and talk on the way to Carousel Boutique."

"I'd prefer the latter," Rough Rider pronounced, "It would be better for all of us if you heard what I have to say sooner rather than later."

"That's what I was hoping for," Bronze Star conceded. He turned to Dapple Rhomb and told her "Dapple, today's itinerary is on your desk. Go ahead and get started on it. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Yes, sir," Dapple Rhomb acknowledged.

As the purple mare headed to her office, Bronze Star turned back to her husband and declared "I'm kind of in a hurry to get to Carousel Boutique. We should leave now."

"I'm down with that," Rough Rider mumbled.

After Bronze Star signed out, he and the olive stallion stepped outside and left the embassy grounds. There were very few ponies out at that hour, so they could afford to speak openly without whispering.

Bronze Star opened a conversation by asking "So what's the current situation?"

"I've brought my people up to speed on everything," Rough Rider apprised him, "After some careful consideration, they've agreed to accept your proposition. They have no objections to me and Dapple being working directly with your people. Truth be told, they actually feel that having a few members of their group on the task force would benefit both parties."

"That's what I think, too," Bronze Star disclosed. He then gestured to the object around the older stallion's right front leg and inquired "How did they react to the, uh…?"

"They're not too pleased about the legbands," Rough Rider candidly stated, "They feel as though it's a violation of privacy and rights on my part and Dapple's part. They also take it as a sign that you don't really trust any of us."

"In this scenario, there are few ponies I DO trust," Bronze Star enlightened him, "In fact, when we first began to suspect that somepony we knew was working for the vigilantes, Sir Haywood considered the possibility that anypony who had recently been inside the embassy was a spy. Including the other ponies on the task force."

"Did you share his suspicions with Noble Edict or the others?" Rough Rider queried.

"No, we didn't want to cause unnecessary tension between them," Bronze Star explicated, "We kept that theory to ourselves until we positively identified that your wife was the leak."

"Wise decision," the olive stallion commented. After a momentary pause, he gazed down at his right front leg and proclaimed "Anyway, I've convinced my people that the legbands are for the best. So you don't have to worry about them giving you any difficulties on this matter."

"You seem surprisingly accepting of the legband," Bronze Star noted, "If I was in your position, I'd be very adverse."

"You said yourself the legband was nonnegotiable, so what's the point of protesting?" Rough Rider contended. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Everything of interest to me is located within ten miles of the embassy. So the legband doesn't really get in my way. Except, of course, when I shower."

"I can imagine that'd be a little tricky," Bronze Star observed.

"Indeed; I haven't washed the area around my right front hoof for a week," Rough Rider murmured, "But other than that, the legband doesn't bother me. Most of the time, I'm able to ignore it and forget that it's even there. So is Dapple."

"Good," Bronze Star avowed, "So, did your people have anything else to say?"

"Just one more thing," Rough Rider replied, "They wish to assure you that you'll have our full cooperation in everything from this point onward. So as a sign of goodwill, they'll be sending another of our members to work alongside us in the task force."

"That's generous of them," Bronze Star uttered in mild astonishment.

"They're just trying to stay on your good side," Rough Rider claimed.

"So far, they're doing a fairly adequate job," Bronze Star mentioned, "Who are they sending?"

"His name is Shakedown," Rough Rider elucidated, "He's one of our best trackers and researchers. I can vouch for his capabilities and trustworthiness; I've worked with him for years. As a matter of fact, he helped me and Dapple get settled in Ponyville."

"So he's the stallion who orchestrated your business transactions with Rarity, Colgate, and Berry Punch?" Bronze Star presumed.

Initially, Rough Rider seemed surprised that Bronze Star was aware of that fact. However, it occurred to him that since Bronze Star had investigated him and his wife, it would follow that he knew about the two had come to reside in Ponyville. Plus, Rough Rider no longer had anything to hide from the gold stallion. So he merely smirked and disclosed "Yeah, that's him alright. In addition to his other skills I mentioned, he's very good at setting up meetings between other ponies, too."

"When will he arrive in Ponyville?" the gold stallion enquired.

"Sometime before noon tomorrow," the olive stallion revealed, "As soon as he gets in, the first thing he'll want to do is get acquainted with the task force."

"Alright, I'll tell Sir Haywood to schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning," Bronze Star claimed, "There Shakedown can properly introduce himself to us all at the same time."

"That'll work," Rough Rider said in approval, "Shakedown's expressed interest in working with the members of the task force; you in particular."

"Well, I look forward to meeting him," Bronze Star pronounced.

"I bet you are," Rough Rider perceived, "You should know, though; he's not quite as… sociable as me and Dapple."

"As long as he's competent and cooperative, I don't care if he has the personality of a cobra," Bronze Star asserted.

"He is, and he doesn't," Rough Rider revealed, "But he can be very stalwart at times."

"I have no problem with 'stalwart,'" Bronze Star insisted.

Just then, the two stallions arrived at Carousel Boutique. The front door was wide open, and Rarity was standing in the door frame. She looked a little tense, but she eased down when she saw the gold stallion approaching the store.

"Thank goodness you're here," the white Unicorn mumbled in relief when Bronze Star was in earshot, "I was starting to think you'd forgotten."

"Rarity, I don't forget," Bronze Star cheekily reminded her, "Memory of an Alicorn, remember?"

"Oh, right," Rarity muttered, slapping her forehead in exasperation, "Anyway, come on in, please."

"You got it," the young prince stated.

As Bronze Star trotted into the building, Rarity noticed he had not come alone. She turned to the olive stallion and greeted him with "Hello, Rough Rider."

"Good day, Rarity," he rejoined.

"Is there something I could do for you?" she asked.

"No, he and I were just talking on our way here," Bronze Star illuminated.

"Anything else you need to know, sir?" Rough Rider queried.

"Nope, you've answered all my questions," Bronze Star answered him.

"Then I guess I'll be on my way," Rough Rider pronounced.

He started to turn around. But before he could rotate his entire body, Rarity interjected with "Actually, Rough, are you doing anything today?"

"Not really; no," Rough Rider disclosed, looking back at the white mare.

Rarity rubbed her chin as though she was thinking. Then she looked up at Rough Rider and proposed "In that case, now that you're here… could I ask you for a small favor?"

Rough Rider was intrigued by that request. He stated in perplexity "How could I help you with this? I don't have anything to sell you at the moment."

"I don't need any material objects from you," Rarity proclaimed, "Come inside and I'll explain."

"Very well, if you insist," Rough Rider coincided.

The olive stallion entered the building, and Rarity shut the door behind him. The fashionista then led the prince and the salespony to the other side of the front room.

Fluttershy was standing on the pedestal by the curtains. It was surrounded by three large mirrors at this time. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were gathered around the base of the pedestal. The four of them exchanged pleasant greetings with the two stallions. Rarity then asked for her friends' attention.

"Sorry if I don't seem very welcoming right now," Rarity told them apologetically, "I'm just a little anxious. Actually, I'm very anxious."

"No worries; we understand," Bronze Star assured her, grinning lightly, "It's not every day you have a celebrity come to your store, after all."

"Unless, of course, we count you," Rough Rider cockily pointed out, "In terms of status, you'd put probably outshine every other celebrity in this country."

"Yeah, I guess so," Bronze Star uttered drily.

The four mares and the dragon found that to be a strange observation from the olive stallion. Twilight Sparkle stated in interest "Wait, does he…"

"Know my real name?" Bronze Star finished for her, "Yep. So does Dapple Rhomb. Told them a week ago. Let's just say I finally decided that my secretary had a right to know who she was really working for. And in turn, her husband had just as much a right to know, too."

"That makes plenty of sense," Fluttershy remarked.

"Seems like somepony new is learning your identity every week," Twilight Sparkle perceived.

"Tell me about it," Bronze Star wryly commented, "Including myself, there are now twenty-three residents of Ponyville who know it."

"When do you actually plan to tell the entire town?" Rough Rider inquired.

"I don't know; maybe sometime after the next Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star supposed, "Before then, I want to get as much out of this civilian lifestyle as I can. So the rest of you don't need to be passing along my identity to anypony else, okay?"

"Don't worry; I'm very good at keeping secrets," Rough Rider asserted.

"I know you are," Bronze Star mumbled with a smirk. He turned to the mares and the baby dragon, and he observed "I'm sure I can trust you all to keep quiet about it, too."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye," Pinkie Pie assured him, using pantomime to represent what she said. Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle did the same.

Bronze Star just chuckled and said "Excellent."

There came a short period of quietness. It ended when Rarity announced "Photo Finish will be here in less than two hours. We've got a lot to do before she arrives."

"Like what?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Well…" Rarity began falteringly. She then stepped behind the curtain and remerged with a rack of a dozen different costumes. She wheeled it into the center of the room and proclaimed "These are the outfits I've chosen to show to Photo Finish. As busy as she is, it's doubtful that she'll have time to take pictures of all of them. So I'll have to narrow my selection down to three or four. Bronze Star, since you know what Photo Finish prefers, could you help me pick?"

"Sure I can," Bronze Star asserted, "Right off the top of my head, I can tell you that three of those outfits are something she definitely won't like."

"What?" Rarity murmured restlessly, turning to the clothing line and using her magic to sort through them, "Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Which ones?"

"Calm down, Rarity," Bronze Star beckoned her, "There are only three. The other nine costumes have some degree of potential."

"That's somewhat reassuring," the white Unicorn commented, breathing a sigh of relief. After another pause, she announced "Pinkie, Twilight, Spike, once Bronze Star and I have decided on one particular costume, I'll need your help to embellish it. And Fluttershy, of course, will be wearing the outfit."

"Right," Spike avowed, gazing at Rarity dreamily. The other three mares nodded in acknowledgement.

"So Bronze Star is here to help you decide on a costume, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike are here to help you adjust it, and Fluttershy is here to model it," Rough Rider noted, "You still haven't told me; what am I here for?"

"I'll need your help with the presentation," Rarity explicated, "Photo Finish might take me more seriously if I have my own advocate by my side. So I was wondering if you could pose as my agent."

Rough Rider raised an eyebrow and pronounced "That's an intriguing proposal. It never hurts to have some form of advertisement. But why would you need me specifically for that?"

"I've seen how effective you are as a salespony," Rarity illuminated, "I'm certain you can come up with a few clever things to say about my costumes and my style. Make them seem even more appealing than they are."

"I can definitely do that for the costumes," Rough Rider claimed, "I don't know about your style, though. My experience has always been in the promotion of the products of other ponies. I've never really represented an actual pony."

"It can't be that different," Rarity debated.

"Actually, it can be," Rough Rider countered, "Let me put it this way. When you promote a product, all you need is the permission of the creator or the owner. Whereas when you represent a pony, you must agree to all the terms he or she establishes and vice versa. That's just one of many dissimilarities between the two."

"Well, you DO sound like you know what you're talking about," Rarity observed.

"Of course I do," Rough Rider affirmed, "I've been a salespony for four years. In that time, I've sold all sorts of products. I've made sales in every town worth visiting, and I have a client list as long as my leg. My customer list is even longer. Three times longer, in fact."

Bronze Star whistled and commented "You must be very good at what you do."

"I am," Rough Rider admitted, "You might say I'm fairly well-known in my line of work, too."

"All the more reason for you to put your skills to use here," Rarity contended, "Just give it a try. Maybe you'll find you're just as good with representing ponies as you are with representing goods."

"It couldn't hurt to try," Rough Rider declared, lightly shrugging, "Plus, I haven't sold anything since I arrived in Ponyville a couple weeks ago. It would be nice to have some work, even if I don't get paid for it."

"So you're in?" Rarity presumed hopefully.

"I'm in," Rough Rider confirmed, "However, wouldn't it make more sense if I was Fluttershy's agent instead?"

"Why do you say that?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Every professional model has at least one pony who handles their business for them," Rough Rider debated.

"Fluttershy isn't an actual model, though," Rarity pointed out.

"Yes, but Photo Finish doesn't know that," Rough Rider professed, "If she believes you managed to get a model with a licensed agent, she may be more impressed."

"That's a great point, Rough," Bronze Star uttered in approval.

"Yeah, it is," Twilight Sparkle agreed.

"Alright, let's do it!" Rarity proposed happily.

The six ponies and the baby dragon swiftly got to work. They started by deliberating on which outfit would be displayed to Photo Finish first. Bronze Star gave plenty of tips to Rarity.

"Photo Finish is typically drawn to exotic apparel," Bronze Star thought aloud, "In order to get her attention and keep it, she needs to see something that's mesmerizing and extravagant. So you need the first costume to be something that would really stand out in a crowd and in a store. Ideally something that could only have been made by you."

"I have an idea," Rarity proposed. She approached the clothing rack and removed a very elaborate, full-body dress. She declared "We could use this. It took me three entire days to make it, and I designed it entirely from scratch. I doubt there's a thing like it anywhere in town."

Bronze Star whistled in amazement. The others seemed just as impressed, especially Rough Rider.

"Astonishing," Rough Rider commented, stepping forward, "Is that your best costume?"

"Yes, I consider it my finest creation!" Rarity proudly stated.

"Then you should NOT use it first," Rough Rider sternly muttered.

"Huh?" Rarity said in confusion, looking to the olive stallion.

"You don't ever want to present the best thing in your inventory first," Rough Rider advised her.

"Why not?" Rarity queried.

"Imagine if you start an exhibit with your number one product, and it turns out to be inadequate to satisfy the customer," Rough Rider speculated, "That's one scenario you'd never want to transpire. Believe me; there's nothing worse than being asked 'Is that the best you got?' and having to reply with 'Yes.' With that in mind, you must never show your top product first."

"Oh, that's a very good point," Rarity concurred. She quickly returned the elaborate dress to the clothing rack. "I'll save that for later."

"Hypothetically, if it turns out your best product still isn't good enough – even when it's not shown first – what would you do then?" Twilight Sparkle conjectured.

"Unless your customer is a real tight-ass, that's almost never the case," Rough Rider pronounced, "But if it is, you should just move on to the next customer."

"That's not exactly an option here," Fluttershy stated softly.

"Obviously," Rough Rider mumbled drily. He looked to Rarity and told her "Regardless of what you show Photo Finish, there are only three things that matter: it must be yours, it must be innovative, and it must be original. You don't misrepresent your product, and you don't take credit for the work of others. That's what's commonly known in the world of business as a 'gentlestallion's agreement.'"

"That's my kind of agreement," Rarity avowed, "You really know all about presentation, Rough."

"Yes, I do," Rough Rider affirmed, "The most important part of representation is the presentation."

"What about the 're'?" Pinkie Pie inquired curiously.

Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy all snickered at that. Rough Rider just rolled his eyes and stated sarcastically "Sure, that's important, too."

After going through the costumes extensively, Rarity finally narrowed the selections down from nine to four. From there, she decided on the order she would present those four outfits to Photo Finish.

After Fluttershy adorned the first costume, Rarity had Twilight Sparkle dim the room so that only one concentrated beam of light was shining down on the yellow mare.

Now they had to work on embellishing the costume. The white Unicorn paced at the base of the pedestal and thought aloud "Hm... She's going to want to see attitude and pizzazz."

Fluttershy quietly repeated "A-a-attitude and, um... pizzazz."

She looked as though she was having second thoughts on the modeling idea. Regardless, Rarity crouched at the base of the pedestal to get a different perspective of the costume. She was not pleased with what she saw.

She rushed to the other side of the pedestal and announced "More light! It has to catch the sequins just so or the whole outfit is just a disaster."

In response to that, Twilight Sparkle used her magic to return the lighting in the room to its previous level. Once she did that, Rarity focused on ways to enhance the costume itself.

"Oh, and the headdress need more feathers," she proclaimed. "Pinkie Pie! More feathers!"

The pink mare happily skipped over to the pedestal with a basket of feathers in her mouth. Rarity used her magic to extract a number of rosy feathers from the basket and attach them to the headdress. Strangely, the headdress still looked exactly the same as before, but Rarity was somehow more content with its appearance now.

"And sequins!" Rarity declared, "More sequins!"

At that, Spike pranced over the pedestal with a basket of sequins. He had that familiar lovelorn expression on his face; the one he always bore whenever he was around Rarity. When he reached the fashionista, she used her magic to gather up the entire pile of sequins, and she plopped them all on top of Fluttershy. The timid Pegasus whimpered in slight discomfort at that. A moment later, she was glittering from head to hoof.

"And more ribbon!" Rarity ordered.

Spike rushed behind Fluttershy and placed two large blue ribbons on her headdress.

"Oh no!" Rarity called out, "Less ribbon."

Spike promptly removed the ribbons.

"No!" Rarity snapped, changing her mind again, "More ribbon."

Spike put the ribbons back, inciting a squeal from Fluttershy. She glared over her shoulder at the baby dragon, but he was too smitten with Rarity to notice.

Rarity went to the back of the pedestal again to get another look at the dress from behind. She commented restlessly "Oh, this hem is completely off. PINCUSHION!"

Spike hurried out of the room and returned on all fours a moment later. He had several sharp pins protruding from his back. He smiled giddily up at Rarity, who did not smile back.

The Unicorn used her magic to extract four of the pins, and then she gestured for the baby dragon to back away.

As Spike crawled backwards, Rarity used the pins to modify the hem of Fluttershy's ensemble. She gazed over at the other ponies and told them gratefully "Thank you all for helping me. I'm sorry to be so short with you, but I'm... I'm just so nervous."

"It's fine, Rarity," Rough Rider asserted, "I've dealt with a lot of ponies who were much 'shorter' than you."

"So have I," Bronze Star claimed, "Spend an afternoon with the Canterlot Elite and you'll know precisely what I'm talking about."

By then, Spike had back up to where Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and the two stallions were standing. He still had some pins protruding from his back. Twilight winced at the sight and said in concern "Oh, doesn't that hurt?"

"Thick scales," Spike notified her, standing up straight, "Can't feel a thing."

After that, he gazed longingly at Rarity and mumbled pensively "And even if I could, there is no pain that would keep me from assisting the most beautiful creature in the world."

"No wonder you were so helpful to my wife when you and she were in Canterlot," Rough Rider remarked sardonically

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle snickered at that statement, and the latter observed "I don't think he was referring to Dapple Rhomb, Rough."

"I realize that, Twilight," the olive stallion muttered in assurance. There came another period of silence, and then Rough Rider thought aloud "By the way, a thought occurred to me. Don't you four mares normally hang out with two other mares?"

"If you mean Applejack and Rainbow Dash, then yes," Pinkie Pie affirmed.

"How come they're not here?" Rough Rider queried.

"I didn't bother asking them for help," Rarity revealed, "Applejack and Rainbow Dash don't have very much experience in this sort of endeavor. They don't have any interest in it, either."

"Their loss," Rough Rider slyly contended.

Bronze Star had also noticed that the cyan mare and the orange mare were not present, as well. However, he had not brought that up because he was trying to avoid any scenario that would involve somepony asking about his relationship with Applejack. Fluttershy knew the current state of their relationship, but she had promised not to mention it to anypony else. He knew she could keep a secret, as laconic as she was.

Speaking of secrets, while Rarity was preoccupied with adjusting Fluttershy's costume, Spike turned to Bronze Star, Rough Rider, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. He whispered "I'm gonna tell you four a secret. But you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay," the gold stallion conceded.

"Sure," the olive stallion uttered.

"I promise," the lavender mare pronounced.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," the pink mare professed, using the same pantomime as earlier.

Once they all gave Spike their word, the baby dragon dramatically looked over his shoulder and gestured for the four ponies to approach him. Once they were close enough to feel his breath, he leaned forward and pulled them even closer. Finally, he quietly informed them "I have a crush on Rarity!"

Pinkie Pie gasped loudly and placed her front hooves over her mouth. Once she calmed down, she guaranteed Spike "We won't say a word!"

She was the only one of the four ponies who was genuinely surprised by that "secret." The other three looked downright unamused.

"You don't say?" Bronze Star mockingly commented.

"Seriously?" Rough Rider murmured irately.

"Give me a break," Twilight Sparkle leered, rolling her eyes, "Everypony already knows how you..."

"Twilight!" Pinkie Pie urgently interrupted, "You promised Spike you wouldn't say anything. He trusts you. And losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend forever!"

"But..." Twilight calmly began.

"FOREVER!" Pinkie Pie firmly repeated. Evidently, the hyperactive mare was determined for nopony to openly discuss Spike's feelings for Rarity.

"My lips are sealed," Twilight Sparkle assured her assistant, "Though I'm pretty sure Rarity is gonna pick up on your feelings."

"Yeah," Bronze Star stated in agreement, "The only way he could possibly be any less subtle is if he wore a shirt that said 'I love Rarity.'"

At that moment, Bronze Star was facing both Twilight Sparkle and Rough Rider. Both of them had kept their eyes on Spike, and Rough Rider tapped the gold stallion's shoulder and pointed the baby dragon out to him. Bronze Star quickly looked back at Spike, and he realized what the olive stallion wanted to show him.

In the past few seconds, Spike had somehow gotten out a shirt and put it on. Even more interesting than the shirt's sudden appearance was the emblem on its front. The shirt contained a side-view shot of Rarity's head inscribed inside a large red heart.

Bronze Star sighed and bluntly commented "I rest my case."

"Has he always been this stupid?" Rough Rider enquired.

"Yeah, pretty much," Bronze Star professed, "But to his credit, he is technically still a baby. Hopefully as he matures, he'll develop a better understanding of hormones. And love."

"Let's hope so," Rough Rider "I mean, am I the only who's disturbed by the concept of a dragon harboring some romantic interest in a pony?"

"Nope, you're not the only one," Bronze Star contended, "There's definitely some form of bestiality in there."

"Well, as long as he looks but doesn't touch, I'm not really worried," Twilight Sparkle admitted.

Bronze Star and Rough Rider laughed at that declaration.

By this point in time, Rarity had finished adjusting the dress. Her timing could not have been more perfect. A moment later, the bell to the front door rang. The six ponies and the dragon turned to the entrance and saw three Earth Pony mares.

All three of them were dressed rather elegantly, especially the one in the middle. She had a light grayish cerulean coat, a light gray mane, and very dark indigo irises behind a pair of shades. Her cutie mark was obscured by her dress, but it bore an interesting resemblance to Twilight Sparkle's.

Bronze Star recognized her easily. This mare was none other than Photo Finish herself.

She announced in a thick, distinctive accent "I, Photo Finish... have arrived."

Her entrance was brief but candid. Rarity trotted over to the photographer and muttered in astonishment "Let me just say, what an honor-!"

Photo Finish did not even give her enough time to finish the sentence. She trotted past Rarity and moved towards the pedestal. Bronze Star, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike moved aside for her. Bronze Star put some space between himself and the light grayish cerulean mare so he would not risk being recognized by her.

Rough Rider stepped in front of Photo Finish, put a big smile on his face, held out his front leg to the pedestal, and declared "Ponyville's very own Fluttershy will be modeling some of Rarity's finest costumes today. If you have any questions, please address them to me. I can speak for her."

"Right," was all Photo Finish said in response. She immediately brushed past the olive stallion and focused on the pedestal. She proclaimed "We begin..."

At that, one of the two mares that had accompanied her slid a suitcase across the floor. When it reached Photo Finish, she nudged it with her front hoof and it instantly transformed into a large camera. The light grayish cerulean mare stood behind the camera and finished her earlier remark with "NOW!"

At first, Fluttershy simply gazed apprehensively at the camera.

Rarity hastily rushed to the Pegasus' side and whispered "Attitude and pizzazz!"

Rough Rider then came to her other side and softly added in "Big smile, too. Always carry a big smile when you're advertising. Trust me; it makes a huge difference."

The white mare and the olive stallion then moved away from the pedestal, leaving Fluttershy to handle the situation by herself.

Photo Finish started by taking a couple unannounced pictures of the yellow mare. She effectively caught Fluttershy off-guard in both shots.

"Yes!" Photo Finish pronounced happily, "Show Photo Finish something."

Fluttershy stood on her hind legs, leaned lightly backwards, and raised her front legs in the air. That did seem like a good pose, but Photo Finish cried "No!"

In response, Fluttershy set herself back down and cowered in worry. Oddly enough, Photo Finish approved of that. She took another picture and commented "Yeees."

Rarity and Rough Rider were standing behind Photo Finish. They silently used gestures to remind her to smile.

Fluttershy managed to bring a wide grin on her face. However, Photo Finish yelled in disapproval "No!"

This caused the yellow mare to frown and gaze down at the ground in dismay. Photo Finish seemed to find that much more appealing, as she took another picture and remarked "Yeees."

Rarity and Rough Rider were rather perplexed by Photo Finish's abnormal directions. They gestured for Fluttershy to stand up tall and proud and to straighten up.

The yellow mare turned to her side, lifted her right front leg, and held it in the air. She closed her eyes to give the pose a more atmospheric effect. Once more, Photo Finish shouted "No!"

Fluttershy was very discouraged by this point. She just lowered down to the ground, rested on her front legs, and stared at the space in front of her hopelessly. Sure enough, that was what Photo Finish was going for. She snapped another picture and stated "Yeees."

She took one more picture of that lost pose, and then she raised her leg and shrieked "ENOUGH!"

Then she nudged the camera again, causing it to fold back up into its suitcase. One of her companions went to collect the suitcase. After that, Photo Finish turned around and wordlessly trotted towards the front door. Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Rough Rider watched her in stunned silence.

"Two hours of work for THAT?" Rough Rider mumbled in disgust.

"She hardly took any pictures," Twilight Sparkle noted.

"That's generally how she does it," Bronze Star disclosed, "But she's usually a little more… talkative."

Rarity was already helping Fluttershy get undressed. She used her magic to remove the headdress and transfer it back to the clothing rack. Needless to say, she did not look very happy.

"I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said sincerely, "I tried my best."

"Well, the headdress is too big for you and cape had too much sparkle," Rarity candidly professed, "I can't believe I ever thought I could impress her."

None of them seemed to have realized or cared that Photo Finish had not even left yet.

All of a sudden, she rushed to the center of the room and announced "It seems that I, Photo Finish, have found the next fashion star here in Ponyville."

Rarity quickly brightened up and asked in amazement "Really?"

"Yes," Photo Finish muttered frankly, "Really. And I, Photo Finish, am going to help her to shine all over Eqvestria. Tomorrow a photo shoot in ze park."

There was a short pause, and then the light grayish cerulean mare proclaimed "I go!"

Photo Finish immediately galloped towards the door; her entourage followed close behind. In seconds, the three mares were gone.

Rarity trotted over to the front door and watched as they headed away. Then she turned to her friends and uttered excitedly "Did you hear that? I am going to 'shine all over Equestria.'"

Bronze Star, Rough Rider, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie smiled at that. Spike was grinning, too, even though he was still fixated on Rarity. Fluttershy seemed relieved that things had gone well after all.

She climbed off the pedestal and stated "Oh, Rarity. I was so worried I'd ruined everything."

"Oh, never," Rarity asserted, "I knew you'd be perfect."

The room was immersed in total silence for a few seconds. However, it was very difficult for Rarity to contain her enthusiasm right then. She soon broke out into excited giggling and jumped up and down in ecstasy. She was so overjoyed that she did not even notice that she was jumping on Spike's tail. Neither did he, as the baby dragon was still mesmerized by the white Unicorn. Twilight Sparkle did notice this, and she quickly pulled her assistant out of harm's away.

Once Rarity finally calmed down, Bronze Star muttered "So what now? Can we go?"

"Sure, you can leave if you want; we're done here," Rarity proclaimed, "I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do tomorrow. Most of you don't have to show up at the photoshoot in the park. Obviously, I'll need Fluttershy there. And Rough, do you suppose you could act like her agent one more time?"

"I suppose I could," the olive stallion responded, "First I'll need to know the exact time of the photoshoot. What time do you think it will be?"

"I'd assume the same as today's photoshoot; ten o'clock," Rarity conjectured, "I'd need you to get there a few minutes early, though."

"Alright, that works," Rough Rider affirmed, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Rough Rider then departed from Carousel Boutique. Bronze Star left soon after him, and he hurried to catch up to him. Once he reached the olive stallion, Bronze Star requested "May I have a word, Rough?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Rough Rider responded in an official tone.

Bronze Star trotted alongside the older stallion and stated "While it's nice of you to assist Rarity with her appointment, are you sure you'll have time for the photoshoot? I mean, what if Shakedown arrives while you're in the park?"

"I doubt that would be the case," Rough Rider contended.

"How come?" the gold stallion questioned.

"Shakedown told me he'd be in Ponyville in the late morning," Rough Rider explicated, "The last train that gets in before noon arrives at eleven. I'm sure he'll be on that one. So as long as the train arrives on schedule and tomorrow's photoshoot was as brief as today's, I'll have plenty of time to welcome Shakedown at the station and escort him to the embassy."

Bronze Star found that observation to be reasonably acceptable. He pronounced "Very well. I'll go ahead and tell the others that we'll have a meeting tomorrow. I'll have the entire task force assembled at the embassy well before you and Shakedown arrive."

"Excellent," Rough Rider commented, "See you tomorrow, then?"

"See you tomorrow," Bronze Star avowed.

The two stallions parted ways. Rough Rider went straight to his house. Before he headed back to the embassy, Bronze Star stopped by the barracks and spoke with Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict. After filling the four of them in on the current situation, he instructed them to be at the embassy by ten o'clock the next day. They assured him that they would be there.

Bronze Star then returned to the embassy and shared what he had learned from Rough Rider with Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught as well. The two federal investigators were just as eager to work directly with the vigilantes, so they agreed to have everything ready for a meeting the next day.

Bronze Star spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon working with Dapple Rhomb in her office. Before she left the building, he mentioned to her that when she got home, her husband would have an interesting tale to tell her about the day's events. Dapple Rhomb did not press him for details, but she was curious as to what this tale would involve.

At ten o'clock the following morning, the task force was congregated in the meeting chambers at the embassy. It was now composed of Bronze Star, Haywood McCrank, Dread Naught, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Rollin Fields, and Almond Wheeler.

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank introduced Agent Dread Naught to Noble Edict and her security officers. They all took a liking to him almost immediately, and he was delighted to finally meet the lot of them.

They had at least an hour before Rough Rider arrived with Shakedown. So they found ways to pass the time.

Bronze Star told the others about what had gone on at Carousel Boutique the previous day. Dapple Rhomb was able to contribute to this story; last night during dinner, her husband had described the event to her in detail. She was quite intrigued by the idea of Rough Rider acting as somepony's agent. She was also looking forward to hearing about that day's photoshoot later on.

At eleven thirty, there was a knock on the door to the meeting chamber. Bronze Star swiftly got out of his seat and answered it. Standing on the other side were two stallions. One of them was Rough Rider.

The other was a tall, strongly-built Pegasus in his thirties. He had a brownish-tan coat, a sapphire and navy mane, and plum eyes. His cutie mark was a set of four arrows connected at one spot and pointing outwards, like the cardinal directions of a map.

His appearance perfectly matched the description of the stallion who had visited Rarity, Colgate, and Berry Punch a week before they had each done business with Rough Rider.

"Shakedown, I presume?" Bronze Star pronounced.

"Indeed, Your Highness," the Pegasus bluntly affirmed, "Are we permitted entry?'

"Of course, of course," Bronze Star asserted, standing aside and holding the door open, "Come in."

Rough Rider and Shakedown stepped into the meeting chamber. Bronze Star carefully shut the door behind them. Rough Rider then proceeded to introduce his colleague to the members of the task force. The other ponies welcomed Shakedown warmly and cordially, but the brownish-tan stallion did not seem nearly as receptive.

Sir Haywood McCrank did not give Shakedown his traditional greeting. That was something he rarely passed up, but making an exception in this instance was probably a wise decision on his part.

Bronze Star offered Shakedown a seat at the table, but the brownish-tan stallion said that he preferred to remain standing, despite the fact that almost everypony else was in a chair.

Bronze Star just sat down at his usual place at the front of the table, and Rough Rider sat down next to his wife.

Dapple Rhomb leaned closer to him and queried in interest "So, how'd it go?"

"The photoshoot?" he assumed.

"Yeah," the purple mare specified.

"It went well, I guess," Rough Rider disclosed.

"You guess?" Copper Hollow muttered in bewilderment.

"Well, it seemed like it would be fairly straightforward, like yesterday's shoot," Rough Rider elaborated, "However, shortly after Photo Finish arrived, an interesting twist developed."

"What sort of twist?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"Well…" Rough Rider tentatively recounted, "It turned out Rarity wasn't the one Photo Finish wanted to hire. Instead, she gave the offer to Fluttershy."

"Really?" Bronze Star said in interest.

"Yep," Rough Rider affirmed, "Fluttershy accepted the offer, primarily due to peer pressure. Furthermore, she's not the only one who's been forced into that arrangement."

"What do you mean by that?" Rollin Fields asked.

Rough Rider then took out a slip of paper and showed it to the others. It was a business card from Photo Finish with all her information. The olive stallion revealed "Somehow, I've gone from posing as her agent to actually being contracted as her agent."

The others were surprised to learn this. Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and queried "How'd that happen?"

"Apparently, my merits as a salespony were enough to convince Photo Finish of my abilities," Rough Rider perceived, "She honestly believes that I'm capable of functioning as Fluttershy's agent."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you can do it, too," Dapple Rhomb commented.

"Thanks, Dapple," Rough Rider told his wife gratefully, "But there are a few… reservations I have about this. To begin with, I've never been anypony's agent before."

"Yeah, but you've represented a lot of ponies by selling their products for them," Haywood McCrank pointed out.

"That's another matter entirely," Rough Rider debated.

"How?" Dapple Rhomb countered, "Other than your relationship with your client, how is it different?"

That was actually a good point. Rough Rider had never considered it from that perspective, but it seem fitting. Maybe there weren't as many dissimilarities between a salespony and an agent as he had thought. Still, he was not so certain about being Fluttershy's. He proclaimed "Dapple does have a point. Regardless, I don't think it'd be possible for me to represent Fluttershy and contribute to our investigation at the same time."

"Sure you can," Dread Naught insisted, "If you were able to balance your job as a salespony with your obligations to the vigilante group for the past four years, you could easily make time for being an agent and a member of this task force simultaneously."

"It would also be an excellent way for you to divert attention," Noble Edict contended, "After all, they say an agent sees all and hears all. It would be an ideal vantage point. Plus, you might end up enjoying yourself a bit."

Rough Rider thought about that, too. It was another good point. After all, he had not gotten work in a couple weeks, and he would be able to be more inconspicuous if he held a job while he did his investigating for the task force. That arrangement sounded difficult, but if he did things right, it just might work.

"You got me there," Rough Rider remarked, "But the biggest problem is this."

At that, he held up his right front leg so everypony could see his legband. Then he continued with "Unless Photo Finish never has Fluttershy leave Ponyville, I'll be unable to go anywhere with her. And I know they will leave Ponyville at some point. Photo Finish's enterprise is based in Canterlot, after all. I also heard her say something about making it to a train the day after tomorrow."

"Oh, right…" Bronze Star avowed.

Nopony really had anything to say to contradict that. Rough Rider professed "I won't even bother asking you to take off the legband; I know you won't. What's the maximum range of that tablet of yours, Sir Haywood?"

"Twenty miles, give or take a few meters," the indigo stallion replied.

"The nearest town is more than twice that distance," Dread Naught notified the others.

"Then I couldn't leave town, even if one of you came with me and brought the tablet along," Rough Rider pointed out.

"Why not?" Dapple Rhomb asked her husband.

"Because as soon as we got out of range, you would get shocked by your legband," Rough Rider apprised his wife.

"Oh, yeah," Dapple Rhomb realized, gazing off to the side. Then she suggested "What if I went with you?"

"No, I need you here, Dapple," Bronze Star insisted, "Both as my secretary and as my liaison to your people."

Dapple Rhomb was mildly annoyed by that, but she was not really in a position to disagree. She sighed and conceded "I understand, sir."

There came another round of silence. Then Dread Naught asked Rough Rider. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll just have to refuse Photo Finish's offer," the olive stallion pronounced "It's as simple as that."

"And leave Fluttershy without an agent?" Bronze Star argued.

"She could find another agent," Rough Rider debated, "One with better skill and prior experience in the field. I might actually be doing her a favor by standing down."

"Or you could be abandoning her in a time of need," Noble Edict theorized. She leaned closer to Rough Rider and told him "Listen, I know Fluttershy. She feels infinitely more relaxed and in-control in the company of a familiar face. That's something no agent could provide, but you can."

"You might be overestimating my friendship with her," Rough Rider declared, "I've only known her for a few weeks."

"That's long enough," Bronze Star countered, "Think about this, Rough. By getting some work as Fluttershy's agent, you could be helping her, yourself, the task force, the vigilantes, and several other people all at the same time."

Rough Rider reflected on that for a minute, and he shrugged, saying "Maybe I could. But you still haven't provided me with a solution to the problem posed by these legbands."

"Actually, I may have a solution," Bronze Star announced, "It's not guaranteed to work, but it has potential."

Everypony turned their attention to the young prince. The gold stallion elucidated "That tablet Sir Haywood used isn't one-of-a-kind. Agent Dread Naught has one just like it. It can monitor the positions of the legbands just as well. Also, the two tablets can be set on different frequencies. So can the magic in the legbands. Currently, the legbands are both set to the frequency of Sir Haywood's tablet. But maybe we could set Rough Rider's legband to the frequency of Dread Naught's tablet. That way, both Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider would have freedom to move around anywhere. They would just have to stay within ten miles of Sir Haywood and Agent Naught respectively at all times."

"I think that could actually work, Your Highness," Dread Naught thought aloud.

"Yes, it seems to account for everything," Sir Haywood conceded.

"I will admit; it does sound like a good idea," Rough Rider commented, "However, I can't ask one of you to follow me everywhere I go while I'm working as Fluttershy's agent. You've got more important things to do than keep track of my whereabouts, like manage the investigation and such."

"Then what would you propose?" Dread Naught queried.

Rough Rider thought for a minute, and then he proposed in a very frank manner "I don't suppose you'd trust me enough to let me take Agent Dread Naught's tablet with me while I was away with Fluttershy, would you?"

"If we trusted you that much, you wouldn't be wearing that legband in the first place," Sir Haywood refuted, "That's definitely not an option."

"That's what I thought," Rough Rider muttered grimly.

Shakedown had not spoken in a while. He had just been standing off to the side and observing the conversation between the other nine ponies. Right then, he gave a deep sigh and mumbled "Do you always waste this much time talking about your personal issues?"

The others were a little taken aback with that outburst. They all collectively turned towards the brownish-tan stallion, and Haywood McCrank muttered "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," Shakedown cockily retorted, "I think I know why you haven't stopped the Vermane yet. You don't utilize the discipline required to carry out an investigation of this scope."

"Trust me; we have plenty of discipline, Mr. Shakedown," Dread Naught insisted.

"I bet you do," Shakedown averred, "What you lack is proper guidance on how to use it."

"You doubt our ability?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"No, I doubt your level of commitment," Shakedown professed, "I believe you really do wish to prevent this murder, but I don't believe you're willing to consider stopping it through any means necessary."

"Well, what means would you suggest we use?" Rollin Fields enquired.

"The ones that account for every single possible factor," Shakedown replied.

"Would you mind being a little less cryptic?" Almond Wheeler drily proposed, "We're all adults here. You can be direct."

"Certainly," Shakedown conceded. He stepped up to the table and rested his front hooves on it. He gazed around at the other nine ponies and announced "My people sent me here to assist you. I came here to stop the Vermane. That is exactly what I intend to do."

"That's what we all intend to do," Copper Hollow pronounced, "We've been on their trail for weeks, but the Vermane are very elusive."

"They may not be as elusive as you think," Shakedown contended.

"How so?" Noble Edict inquired.

Shakedown did not answer right away. First, he stood up straight on all four hooves and walked around the table. Then he declared "I really can help you solve this case. In fact, I can give you a lead bigger than any discovery you've made so far."

"You have a plan, I'm guessing?" Bronze Star supposed.

"Yes, and my plan could change the course of this entire investigation," Shakedown claimed, "But before I can execute my plan, I need one thing from you."

"What?" Bronze Star queried curiously.

Shakedown turned to face the gold stallion directly, and he answered him with "I need a copy of the passenger manifests of every train in the country."

Bronze Star found that to be an odd request. So did Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught. The latter investigator asked "Which manifests? They're changed every time the trains are operated."

"All of them," Shakedown specified, "I need you to get me all the train manifests from as far back as they go."

Despite that straightforward response, Bronze Star, Dread Naught, and Sir Haywood McCrank seemed flabbergasted by it.

"You must be joking," Haywood McCrank snapped, "There are scores of trains in this country. They've been in service for decades, they all average a dozen trips each day, and each one accommodates over a hundred ponies for every trip they make."

"We're talking about millions of manifests here," Dread Naught disclosed, "There'd be well over a hundred million passengers altogether, many of them recurring ones. It would take months to collect them all."

"I guess I should rephrase what I meant," Shakedown perceived, "I don't need every train manifest ever written. I only need the ones for the three days that come before and follow certain events."

"Which events?" Sir Haywood queried.

"The Vermane's previous murders," Shakedown clarified, "I assume you have a record on their activities from the past."

"Indeed we do," Dread Naught affirmed, holding up a large file, "We've documented each and every one of their murders as a different case. Even the ones they committed before Sir Haywood and I joined the Intelligence Bureau."

"The information you've collected includes the date and location of each murder, I assume?" Shakedown hypothesized.

"Of course it does," Sir Haywood responded frankly, "That's the simplest information to acquire in each case."

"That's also all the information you need for my plan," Shakedown expounded, "For each case, look up the manifests for every train that visited the respective city of the murder in the three days preceding it. Also look up the manifests for the trains that left that city in the three days succeeding the murder."

Bronze Star and the two federal investigators could see where the brownish-tan Pegasus was going with this matter. Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, and the security officers were getting a good idea, as well.

"That's definitely a more reasonable request," Dread Naught thought aloud, "But we'd still need over a thousand train manifests. We'd require at least a week to acquire that many."

"I know it's a difficult task, but only you can do it," Shakedown professed, "My people would have tried to get the manifests themselves, but they don't know the date of each of the Vermane's murders, whereas you do. Aside from that, the trains' ledgers are always submitted to long-term storage at the end of each day. Once they've been logged, the records can only be accessed by the president of the railroad company or employees of the federal government."

"He's right," Bronze Star conceded, looking to the indigo stallion and the greenish-blue stallion, "Sir Haywood, Dread Naught, you both have the authority to subpoena those records."

"Yes, Your Highness," Dread Naught affirmed, "However, we normally just examine then without taking them out of the archives. The railroad company is difficult enough when we need to 'borrow' a hoofful of the past manifests. I can't even imagine how displeased they'll be if we ask them for over a thousand."

"Aside from that, who's to say this plan will actually work?" Sir Haywood proposed, "We don't even know anything about it yet."

"Actually, he's right," Bronze Star concurred. He turned to the greenish-blue stallion, eyed him suspiciously, and queried "Just what exactly are you playing at, Shakedown?"

"I am simply trying to help you prevent a murder, Your Highness," Shakedown coolly insisted, "You want a solution; I'm offering you one. Our only option is to subpoena the trains' ledgers. Once you get me those records, I can show you my technique for finding the Vermane. Believe me; this is for the good of everypony in the country. I'm so confident in this plan that I'm honestly willing to wager my life on its success. I don't say that often, but whenever I do, I mean it."

Bronze Star had been very skeptical a minute earlier. But Shakedown was very convincing. Even though he had just met the stallion and he had a tendency not to trust people so soon, he was strangely compelled to believe the brownish-tan stallion. Perhaps it really was in everypony's best interests if he heard the vigilante out.

The prince spent the next few minutes thinking about this proposal. Eventually, he made his decision. He turned to the greenish-blue stallion and ordered him "Agent Dread Naught, get to work on the subpoena."

Dread Naught solemnly nodded his head compliantly.

After that, Bronze Star turned to the indigo stallion and instructed him "Sir Haywood, contact the railroad company. Tell them the federal government needs unrestricted access to their archives. If they have a problem, they can take it up with me."

"It will be done, Your Highness," Sir Haywood asserted.

Bronze Star let out a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Then he told the two federal investigators "Once we have permission to see the archives, one of you will need to go to Canterlot to gather the manifests."

"I'll do it," Dread Naught offered.

"No, you just got here," Sir Haywood refuted, "I, on the other hoof, haven't been to the capital city in months. I'll go."

"You sure, Sir Haywood?" Dread Naught queried.

"Quite," Haywood McCrank claimed.

"Okay, if you insist," Dread Naught agreed.

So that was another matter settled. Bronze Star looked to the indigo stallion and asked him "How long do you think it'll take to collect all the manifests, Sir Haywood?"

"I'd say a week," Haywood McCrank ventured, "It'll take a day to draft and submit the subpoena and another day for it to be accepted. After that, I'll be able to leave for Canterlot."

"So when would you be ready to leave?" Bronze Star queried.

"Probably the day after tomorrow in the late morning," Haywood McCrank theorized.

According to a statement Rough Rider made earlier, that was approximately the same time and date that Photo Finish planned to take Fluttershy to Canterlot.

With that in mind, Bronze Star turned to the olive stallion, smirked, and slyly observed "Looks like you'll have an opportunity to travel to Canterlot, after all, Rough."

Rough Rider smirked back and murmured "I suppose so."

He then turned to the indigo stallion and proposed "You wouldn't mind if I tagged along, would you, Sir Haywood?"

"Not at all," Haywood McCrank asserted, "Just stay within ten miles of the Intelligence Bureau's headquarters at all times. If you need to go further than that, be sure to let me know. Last thing I need is you getting pointlessly shocked."

"That's the last thing I need, too," Rough Rider cheekily commented.

Shakedown then approached the olive stallion and grinned. That was the first time anypony had seen him evoke any form of emotion. The brownish-tan stallion asked his colleague "Looking forward to working as a genuine agent for the first time?"

"Actually, I am," Rough Rider pronounced, "I'm sure it'll be quite the learning experience."

"I bet," Bronze Star conceded, "Enjoy yourself at the modeling agency, Rough. Just try not to get too distracted by all the attractive mares you'll constantly be in contact with."

"I'm not worried about that, sir," Rough Rider remarked, gazing at Dapple Rhomb out of the corner of his eye, "It'll take a lot more than a bunch of pretty faces to make me forget that I'm a married stallion. And a happily married one, at that."

"Oh, you," Dapple Rhomb muttered teasingly, scooting closer to her husband and resting her front hoof on his shoulder.

Rough Rider turned to his wife, smiled at her, wrapped his front leg around her, and pulled her close.

Bronze Star used to get uncomfortable when couples were so affectionate towards each other in public like this. However, ever since his unpleasant breakup with Applejack, he had come to appreciate just how beautiful such displays of emotion really were. Particularly in the case of Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider.

Even in the midst of all the turmoil around them, the purple mare and the olive stallion had each other. Bronze Star had even come to view the two of them as a beacon of hope for both the investigation and his chances of making things right with the mare he loved.
> Reparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the task force meeting ended, Rough Rider met up with Rarity and Fluttershy, and he agreed to act as the latter's agent while she was in Canterlot with Photo Finish. Both mares seemed relieved that he had decided to accept the position, especially Fluttershy. Rough Rider actually found himself looking forward to representing the yellow mare in her modelling career.

Sir Haywood McCrank contacted the railroad company and notified them that he would be visiting their head office in two days. He told them that when he got there, he would require total unhindered admittance to their archives. The president of the company was willing to comply with this request, but he mentioned that Sir Haywood would need to present a warrant first.

Dread Naught had that part covered. As soon as the meeting ended, he wasted no time in drafting a subpoena. It took him about a day to compose it, and once it was finished, he forwarded it to the railroad company. The day after that, the ponies at the embassy received a message from the railroad company telling them that their request had been accepted.

Over the course of those two days, the rest of the task force had been carrying out the investigation in their usual manner by keeping a close eye on all the activity in town. However, it had been a few weeks since they had seen anything that could even be mistaken for a lead. In fact, they had come to put more faith in their group discussions than their work in the field. As such, Bronze Star suggested that they not worry too much about looking for clues in their immediate surroundings.

The other members of the task force seemed to approve of that decision, especially Shakedown. He was very confident that his plan for locating the Vermane through the train manifests would be successful. So confident, in fact, that he felt the task force could afford to take a break from the investigation altogether until the manifests arrived in Ponyville.

Naturally, the task force did not elect to stop the investigation altogether, but they had no problem with devoting a little less time to it. That way, they could focus more on their other obligations and responsibilities.

By the late morning of the second day after Shakedown arrived in Ponyville, Sir Haywood McCrank, Rough Rider, and Fluttershy were all packed and ready to go. All three of them packed rather lightly. Only a very small percentage of their luggage was composed of apparel. After all, Sir Haywood was the only one of the three who wore clothing on a regular basis.

Before they left, each of the three ponies had a small request to ask of one or more of their friends.

Sir Haywood McCrank gave Dread Naught provisional command of the task force, and he asked him to give Shakedown his support, even if the brownish-tan stallion seemed unreasonable at times. The greenish-blue stallion assured his colleague that he would work well with Shakedown.

Fluttershy asked her friends to take care of her animal companions while she was away. They were more than willing to grant her wish.

Rough Rider asked to borrow some of the photographs that the Vermane had sent to the task force. When asked why, he claimed that he had gotten an idea for how to pursue another lead for the investigation. Ultimately, each member of the task force gave the olive stallion two or three of their photographs.

After two days of preparation, Fluttershy, Rough Rider, and Sir Haywood McCrank headed to the train station in the early morning of the third day. There they said good-bye to their friends. Earlier that day, Dread Naught had taken his tablet and calibrated the frequency on Dapple Rhomb's legband to match the frequency of his tablet. That way, Sir Haywood would be able to take his tablet to Canterlot so that he could monitor Rough Rider's legband safely.

Rough Rider, Fluttershy, and Sir Haywood then got on a train to the capital city. They sat with Photo Finish and her entourage, so they did not have a lot of time to talk between themselves. A few hours later, the train pulled in to the station at Canterlot.

While Photo Finish and her staff gathered up their luggage, the indigo stallion took advantage of their absence and spoke with the yellow mare and the olive stallion.

"I'm going to check in at the Bureau," Sir Haywood informed them, "After that, I'll be going over to the railroad company's head office. If either of you need me, you can find me at one of those places at any time."

"Okay, Sir Haywood," Fluttershy avowed.

As Rough Rider nodded his head, Haywood McCrank queried "How long do you suppose you'll have to be here, anyway?"

"Well, we've got photoshoots, interviews, a couple of fashion shows…" Rough Rider thought aloud, "Altogether, it'll be about eight or nine days."

"That should be more than enough time for me to gather all the manifests I need from the train company," Sir Haywood pronounced, "I'm also glad to have an approximate date on when we return to Ponyville. I'll be bringing along about ten or eleven crates' worth of manifests. Or more. That said, I'm going to have to reserve a whole lot of freight space on the train that takes us back."

"Photo Finish intends to go back to Ponyville with us," Fluttershy disclosed.

"And we all saw how much junk she and her staff brought," Rough Rider cheekily perceived, "By combining that with the crates of train manifests, there probably won't be any room left in the storage car of the return train."

"Hopefully that won't be the case," Sir Haywood commented. After a momentary pause, he looked to the timid Pegasus, smirked, and stated "I wish you luck with the modelling, Fluttershy. I bet you'll leave them in awe."

Fluttershy blushed lightly, smiled softly, and remarked "Thank you, Sir Haywood."

Haywood then turned to the younger stallion and told him "Represent her well, Rough. I'm counting on you not to let her down."

"I won't, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider guaranteed him, "Take care."

"I shall," was all the investigator said in response.

Sir Haywood McCrank left the depot and made his way to the Intelligence Bureau's headquarters. For the past twenty years, he had practically lived in that building, but he had not even seen it in months. He was delighted to revisit the place. As soon as he stepped through the front entrance, he was approached by several of his colleagues. Many of them wanted to pat him on the back, shake his hoof, or simply say hello. Evidently, he had been missed. That was to be expected; Sir Haywood was one of the most respected members of the Bureau.

After this friendly greeting, Sir Haywood headed up to his office. Over the years, he and Dread Naught had collected intelligence on all of the Vermane's previous murders. Although Dread Naught had brought along all the information when he went to Ponyville, he did not include a concise list of the victims.

Luckily, Sir Haywood kept such a list in his office. He just needed to pick the list up, and then he would be on his way.

The list had not been updated since Sir Haywood had gone to Ponyville with Bronze Star. In the time since then, the Vermane had committed six more murders. All of those victims were smalltime in the long run, and the two investigators had no prior knowledge on any of their deaths. Dread Naught had apprised Sir Haywood of the dates and locations of the victims. Once he found his list, Sir Haywood added those six ponies to it. Now he had all the information he needed for determining which train manifests he needed.

Sir Haywood then made his way to the railroad company's head office. As soon as he arrived there, he was greeted personally by the president of the company. The president assured Sir Haywood that he would cooperate with him fully. After that, he escorted the indigo stallion to the company's archives.

The archive room was massive. It contained the manifest of every trip made by every train that had travelled around the country for at least the past fifty years. There were closer to ten million of them than one million. Fortunately, Sir Haywood only required a few hundred of them.

Once the president left him alone, Haywood McCrank proceeded to collect the manifests he needed. He looked over his list for the details of each murder. He looked over the date first, and he went to the section that contained the exact day and year. Next he consulted the location, and he found the records for the town in which each murder took place. After that, he gathered all the manifests of the trains that travelled to the cities in the three days preceding the murders, as well as the manifests of the trains that departed from the cities in the three days succeeding the murders.

Collecting the manifests was simple. The hard part was finding them, considering the archive room's size. This was why Sir Haywood believed it would take him a whole week to get everything he needed. Given the circumstances, that would indeed be the case.

While Sir Haywood kept himself busy at the railroad company, Fluttershy and Rough Rider were preoccupied with another task in the city five miles away.

Photo Finish had already scheduled a fashion show for the yellow mare. She and her staff were in the process of preparing Fluttershy for her debut. They had dressed her in a fancy, finely admonished outfit, and her mane had been styled in buns and fastened with a headband. Currently, they were working on her makeup.

While this went on, Rough Rider stood off to the side. He had Fluttershy's contract in his front hooves, and he was looking it over thoroughly. He had to ascertain that the details of the contract were acceptable for all parties involved.

He also had to ensure that Fluttershy had the option to back out at any time if she chose to do so. Knowing how adverse she was to being the center of attention, he found it reasonable to assume that she may not want to remain involved in this profession for very long. All the same, he was willing to represent her for as long as she needed him to.

When he verified that the contract was in order, Rough Rider put it in his saddlebag and watched Fluttershy as Photo Finish's staff finished touching up her appearance. One of them straightened out the hem on her dress, another gave her a shot of hairspray, and a third applied some blush to her cheeks. The blush stood out a little too much.

Photo Finish noticed this and declared "Too much blush."

The makeup artist wiped away most of the blush with her front hoof. Fluttershy became a little dizzy, but the blush was almost entirely gone from her face. Photo Finish observed "Not enough."

Once more, the makeup artist dabbed the blush brush against Fluttershy's cheeks. Again, she went a little overboard. Photo Finish stated "Too much."

So the makeup artist wiped the blush away once more, which caused Photo Finish to decree "Not enough."

For the third time, the makeup artist applied the blush to Fluttershy's face. When she was done, the yellow mare's cheeks were as rosy as they had been the first two times. However, Photo Finish said in approval "Perfect."

"Really?" Rough Rider mumbled sarcastically, "That's how much she had to begin with."

"Not exactly, Mr. Rider," Photo Finish countered, "It's a very minute difference, but minute differences are everything."

Rough Rider decided not to question Photo Finish's reasoning. After all, he was no expert on makeup. Nor was Dapple Rhomb. His wife rarely used makeup. She did not even use any to cover her scars.

All of a sudden, Fluttershy's face scrunched up, and she looked as though she was about to sneeze. She then went "Ah... Aaah..."

She ended up giving a very tiny sneeze.

"Bless you," Rough Rider bade her.

Photo Finish seemed pleased by that. She proclaimed giddily "Oh, yes! Even her schneezes are graceful."

After a bit of silence, the light grayish cerulean mare ordered her staff "NOW GO!"

The three other mares quickly exited the room, leaving the fashion photographer, the new model, and her "agent" by themselves. Photo Finish gestured for Fluttershy and Rough Rider to trot with her. As the three ponies made their way to the door that connected to the stage in the adjoining room, Photo Finish asked the yellow mare "How do you feel? Excited? Overjoyed? Thrilled beyond your wildest dreams?"

"N... nervous," Fluttershy candidly revealed.

"Nervous?" Photo Finish muttered in astonishment, "Dun be ridiculous. You're only facing a large crowd of ponies who will be watching your every move and silently judging you."

Naturally, that last statement did not help ease Fluttershy's anxiety. It just made her even more anxious than before. Luckily, Rough Rider was much better at providing comfort. He placed his front hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder and whispered into her ear "It's alright, Fluttershy. Just remember I'll be close-by if you need me. And if at any point you want out of this, just say the word and I'll pull you out."

She looked to the olive stallion, smiled sweetly, and said appreciatively "Thanks, Rough."

Right then, music started playing in the next room. Photo Finish promptly jumped into the air and yelled "Your cue! Now go!"

She then shoved Fluttershy through the door without any warning whatsoever. There were over a hundred ponies in the next room. All of them were crowded around the walkway, and many of them were brandishing cameras. They had been talking amongst themselves before Fluttershy entered the room. Once she appeared, they continued chattering, but the yellow mare was the subject of their discussions.

Straightaway, the sounds of cameras clicking emanated from all over the room. Fluttershy had not even started down the walkway yet, and already ponies were capturing shots of her. When she realized just how many ponies had come, she was overcome with apprehension once more. Fortunately, she managed to put those feelings aside by thinking of Rarity. She took a moment to compose herself, and then she proceeded down the walkway and murmured quietly "You can't let Rarity down. You must do this. You must. You must. You must."

The cameras continued to go off all over the room. Before long, the ponies in the crowd had gone from chattering to cheering. Clearly, they liked what they saw. Even those of them who were among the Canterlot Elite were impressed.

"So graceful," Lyrica Lilac commented.

"So lovely," Royal Ribbon remarked.

"So perfect for my new advertisement," Hoity Toity pronounced.

Rough Rider and Photo Finish were able to watch the whole show from the makeup room. Photo Finish seemed to approve very much of Fluttershy's presentation and elegance. Rough Rider had to admit Fluttershy took well to modelling; she was like a natural at it.

At the very end of the fashion show, Fluttershy flashed a friendly grin at the audience, and she graciously sauntered off the stage. All the while, the ponies in the crowd robustly cheered her on.

When she was back in the makeup room, Fluttershy dropped the grin and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Amazing, my dear!" Photo Finish praised her, "What a way to make a debut!"

Rough Rider gently patted Fluttershy on the back and spoke frankly "See? You've got what it takes to do this."

Fluttershy lightly shrugged and conceded "I guess you're right."

"So, you think you'll be able to continue this?" Rough Rider queried.

"I think I can," Fluttershy proclaimed, "At least, I hope I can."

"Well, I'll be by your side at all times," Rough Rider asserted, "You won't be alone in this thing."

Fluttershy was very grateful for that.

"Come!" Photo Finish interjected "We must ready you for your next appointment!"

"Next appointment?" Rough Rider repeated in perplexity.

"I arranged for photoshoot in the marketplace this afternoon," the light grayish cerulean mare enlightened him, "We hurry there now, lest we be late!"

"If you say so," the olive stallion acknowledged. He looked to the yellow mare and asked "You up for it, Fluttershy?"

The quiet Pegasus lightly nodded her head in acceptance.

Photo Finish then summoned her staff back to the dressing room, and they swiftly began preparing Fluttershy for the photoshoot.

While they busied themselves with that objective, Rough Rider saw this as an ideal opportunity to speak with Photo Finish about something. He trotted over to the fashion photographer and got her attention with "Pardon me, Miss Finish."

"Yes?" the light grayish cerulean mare uttered in response.

"Could I speak with you in private?" Rough Rider requested.

Photo Finish cocked her head and inquired in interest "What for?"

"I'd like to show you something," Rough Rider replied vaguely.

Photo Finish then grinned deviously and leered "You said you were married stallion."

"Huh?" Rough Rider mumbled in confusion. A few seconds later, he realized she was referring to what a mare and a stallion often did when they were alone, other than talk. Rough Rider slapped his forehead in exasperation and stated impatiently "Not that something."

"Oh, that for your wife's eyes only?" Photo Finish slyly presumed.

"Sure, yeah, whatever," Rough Rider answered, removing his hoof from his face, "I would love to drop this subject right now, if you don't mind."

"I'm just toying, Mr. Rider," Photo Finish assured him, "No need to take all I say so seriously."

"Well, I NEED you to be serious for a moment," the olive stallion proclaimed.

Photo Finish solemnly nodded her head, looked the stallion in the eye, and enquired "What do you want?"

Rough Rider was not entirely certain how to address the subject he wished to discuss with her, so he began tentatively with "As a fashion photographer, I would assume you're an expert on many different types of cameras."

"That is correct," Photo Finish affirmed, "All types, actually. Including ones that have been out-of-date for long time."

"Then I'd like to show you some photographs," Rough Rider pronounced, "Don't pay any mind to the ponies or objects IN the photographs. I just want to know if you can tell me anything about the photos themselves."

"Very well," Photo Finish agreed, "I will take a look."

Rough Rider then reached into his saddlebags and removed the photographs the task force had let him borrow. He carefully passed them along to the light grayish cerulean mare. As she looked through them, the olive stallion queried "Can you tell me anything about these pictures?"

"These pictures were taken by somepony experienced in photography," Photo Finish expounded, "Not experienced enough to be my level, but enough that they know how to properly handle cameras."

"What makes you say that?" Rough Rider asked.

"Everything about the picture is done just right," Photo Finish illuminated, "The lighting, the focus, the distance from the subjects, the lack of tilting or glare… definitely not the work of an amateur."

"So I see," Rough Rider pronounced, "Do you have any idea what type of camera was used?"

"I have more than idea," Photo Finish explicated, "I can tell you these were taken with a Kojak Plus."

"A what?" Rough Rider muttered.

"Kojak Plus," Photo Finish reiterated.

"Never heard of it," Rough Rider declared.

"No surprise," Photo Finish contended, "It's a very rare variety of camera. Most cities in Equestria do not sell it, and it's usually too expensive for all but the wealthy. Even so, it's very popular in my industry. I myself own two."

"I take it it's a very good camera?" Rough Rider assumed.

"One of the best," Photo Finish confirmed, "It is revolutionary in both design and capability."

"Is the Kojak Plus distinctive from other types of cameras?" the salespony inquired.

"Yes, in many way," the fashion photographer elucidated, "It is small, compact device. The lens is both adjustable and interchangeable. When used, the flash can hardly be seen by anypony but the user. The camera also comes with an auto-focus mode. But its main feature is its quick-frame setting. With that, it can take several pictures in rapid succession without any loss in quality or appearance. You won't find that on any other camera, I assure you."

Rough Rider was fascinated by how much Photo Finish was able to determine from these photographs, even though she was a professional in this field. Soon she gave him back the photographs, and he inquired "Where would be the best place to purchase a Kojak Plus?"

"Ideally, Manehattan or Chicacolt," Photo Finish professed, "They sell very well in Las Pegasus, too, but normally you have to order it instead of buying one in a store."

"Does the camera's city of origin make any real difference in its functionality?" Rough Rider asked her.

"No, I should say not," Photo Finish stated, "They've been in production for several years, and regardless of where Kojak Plus is sold, it is very good camera."

Rough Rider rubbed his chin and thought for a bit. Then he held up the photographs and questioned hopefully "Could it be possible to trace the camera that took these?"

"No, only if you have that specific camera's serial number," Photo Finish disclosed.

"Damn," Rough Rider mumbled in disappointment, "Oh, well. Thanks for your help anyway."

Photo Finish nodded her head. As Rough Rider returned the photographs to his saddlebag, the light grayish cerulean mare asked him "Why are you so interested in this anyway, Mr. Rider? What are those photographs about?"

"Just a personal matter," Rough Rider claimed bluntly, "You see, for various reasons, I'd like to meet the pony who took those photos, but I have no direct way of finding him or learning his identity. I was hoping I might be able to locate him through his photographs. I guess not, though."

"Alright," Photo Finish acknowledged, "Well, I hope you manage to find him."

"So do I," Rough Rider stated sincerely.

This conversation ended shortly before Photo Finish's staff finished preparing Fluttershy for her next appointment. Once she was ready, the yellow mare, the olive stallion, and the light grayish cerulean mare headed out to the marketplace. Her photoshoot there was just as big a hit as her debut in the fashion show.

That day officially marked the beginning of Fluttershy's career as a model. She only got bigger from there. Over the course of the next week, she progressively gained the notice of more and more of the city's population. Almost everywhere she went, somepony took pictures of her. Some of those pictures even wound up in newspapers, magazines, and advertisements. By the end of that week, she was already more famous and popular than most professional models.

Despite all this positive attention and admiration she was receiving, Fluttershy was still very averse to being in the spotlight. Photo Finish did little to ease the timid Pegasus' apprehension. All she did was constantly entice her to make "the magics." Either the fashion photographer did not notice her turmoil or she did not care.

On the plus side, Rough Rider continued to be a source of comfort for Fluttershy. He stayed by her side both when she was being ogled at by the public and when she was away from it. He knew what it was like to be under this kind of pressure. That was why he was wearing that legband, after all.

Remarkably, as a result of Fluttershy's fame, Rough Rider became somewhat popular, as well. That was hardly surprising, seeing as how he was with her almost everywhere she went. Quite a few ponies were eager to learn about the agent of the up-and-coming model.

A number of mares had even attempted to flirt with Rough Rider. Although some of them seemed nice and genuinely interested in him, he always turned them away by giving them this frank response: "Sorry, ladies, but I'm a married stallion. My wife loves and respects me dearly, just as I do her. Better luck next time."

Although Fluttershy and Rough Rider had been all over Canterlot that week, Sir Haywood McCrank spent almost all of that time in the railroad company's head office. Every day he left the office with one or two whole crates' worth of manifests. He only stopped collecting the manifests four times a day to get meals and sleep. So his week was considerably less exciting and eventful than his companions'.

One day, Fluttershy had been invited to attend the premiere of a certain motion picture in Las Pegasus. Naturally, Photo Finish had accepted the offer for her, but Fluttershy was actually eager to attend this event. Since this was not entirely a business-related one, Rough Rider did not have to accompany Fluttershy this time. That was fortunate for him, as Sir Haywood was unwilling to leave the city before his work at the railroad company was done.

Fluttershy had been in the company of Photo Finish and her encourage when they travelled to Las Pegasus. When Rarity found out her best friend would be attending the premiere, she had travelled all the way to Las Pegasus to surprise Fluttershy. The fashionista had worn the same hat she had worn when she met the fashion photographer, hoping that it might get her noticed again.

When Fluttershy and Photo Finish arrived at the theater, they received the full celebrity welcome. That included a ride in a limousine carriage, a long red carpet, and scores of ponies taking pictures. Rarity had been in the crowd at the time. She had tried to follow the yellow mare and the light grayish cerulean mare into the theater, but the security guard at the front entrance only let those two in. The white mare was left waiting at the entrance with the paparazzi. Rarity was left both shocked and angered.

By then, Fluttershy's fame had already extended well beyond Canterlot. Her face could be found on bulletin boards, clothing, and stores in nearly every city of Equestria. She became a popular icon in Ponyville, as well. Applejack and Rainbow Dash got permission to use Fluttershy to promote the farm and the weather makers respectively. Rarity was quite annoyed by these endorsements, but she did not say anything.

One would think that Rarity would have been happy for her best friend. She actually was, but she was also extremely jealous that she was not in Fluttershy's horseshoes. That was the whole reason why she had brought Photo Finish to Carousel Boutique in the first place.

While Sir Haywood McCrank was working in Canterlot, his colleagues in Ponyville were doing their best to further the investigation without him. They did not make a lot of progress that week, but Shakedown continuously assured them that they were in no rush, and that once the task force had the train manifests, they would be able to locate the Vermane soon after. He seemed confident to the point of complacency that his idea would work.

Outside of meetings, Shakedown never interacted with the other members of the task force. Noble Edict had offered to show him around town, and he had politely refused. Almond Wheeler and Rollin Fields had invited him to join them at the tavern, and he claimed he did not drink. Copper Hollow proposed that he introduce Shakedown to the mayor, and he turned him down, saying that he wished to keep a low profile in Ponyville.

A low profile was one thing, but it was as though Shakedown was determined to remain a complete mystery. It was amazing how reclusive and laconic this stallion was.

Bronze Star and Dread Naught tried several times to just get Shakedown to talk to them, and all he told them was that he was not one to engage in Smalltalk.

Even Dapple Rhomb did not mingle with the brownish-tan stallion. Bronze Star had asked her for some information about Shakedown, and the purple mare revealed that she and her husband did not know very much about their colleague, despite the fact that they had worked with him for years.

Before long, Bronze Star decided to just let Shakedown be, and he instructed the other members of the task force to give him some privacy. He doubted learning about the brownish-tan stallion's background would do much good in the long run, anyway.

During that same week, Bronze Star received two more letters from Canterlot.

The first one was from his mother. She had sent Bronze Star more details about her upcoming visit next month.

At the last meeting with the City Council, Bronze Star had informed the Mayor and her cabinet of Princess Celestia's impending trip to the town. He had told them that while it was meant to be a friendly get-together, Celestia had arranged to host a conference in Ponyville, as well. Naturally, Mayor Mare and the City Council were delighted to learn that Princess Celestia would be coming soon. They were also very interested to learn about this "conference" she planned on having.

Bronze Star explained it to them as best he could. Of course, at the time, even he did not have all the details on it. He did know the conference would be held between six companies who belonged to two business trios, and he knew that among them, there were two advertisement agencies, two insurance corporations, and two banking firms altogether. According to his mother, the purpose of the conference was to resolve a dispute between the two conglomerates. Bronze Star assured the Mayor that he would let her know the specifics of the conference once he had them.

This letter gave him those specifics. It told him everything he needed to know about the conference.

One of the business trios had been established in Canterlot. The other was founded in Manehattan.

The Canterlot-based trio was composed of an ad agency known as Uptown Mystique, an insurance corporation named MonuMarental, and a banking firm called Fabian.

The Manehattan-based trio consisted of an ad agency known as Radical Innovation, an insurance corporation named Landslide, and a banking firm called GrandiHorse.

Each of the six companies had been around for more than half a century, and their respective partnerships had been around for almost as long. So had their rivalry.

Up until then, their opposition had been strictly business-related. But recently, they had gone from being mere competitors in their industries to enemies on a personal level. Some ponies had been spreading some very alarming and disturbing rumors about all six companies' policies and methods. Each company had been accused of corruption and wide-scale embezzlement at least once. There had been no evidence to validate any of those claims, but those slanderous accusations had generated a lethal amount of friction between the two trios. All six companies had been planning to expand at the same time, but they were unable to go through with those plans until these issues had been fixed.

It had been decided that a conference needed to be held in order to resolve this dilemma once and for all. At this conference, they would decide what needed to be done. Princess Celestia explained that she had been asked to mediate the event because she was the only pony in the nation who had the authority, impartiality, and judgement to come up with a fair ruling for all parties involved.

She also revealed the reason why Ponyville had been selected as the sight for this conference. They had considered most of the major cities, but having the conference at any of them would have pushed the outcome of the meeting in the favor of one or more of the companies. However, none of the six companies had ever done any business in Ponyville. It was the closest thing they had to "neutral ground," so it had been decided that the conference would take place there.

Bronze Star could understand this reasoning. Over the years, he had helped his mother resolve several similar conflicts in Canterlot. Some of them were between delegates from other countries. Bronze Star had even handled a few of those disputes all by himself. That was probably why his mother had offered him the chance to partake in the conference, as well.

Princess Celestia wrapped up the letter by mentioning that she missed Bronze Star, and that she was looking forward to seeing him and Applejack together.

While Celestia was very wise, she was not omniscient. Her son had not told her anything about his breakup with his fillyfriend. Of course, if he did tell her, he would have had to tell her about the assassination conspiracy as well, and that was one thing that he was determined to avoid at all costs. However, if Bronze Star and Applejack were still apart when Celestia came to Ponyville, he would have to tell her what happened between them.

If that was not incentive enough to get Bronze Star to make things right with Applejack, the other letter was.

The second letter was from the Firebrand Regiment. A small package also came with this one. In the package were what appeared to be three empty, average-sized picture frames. One of them actually was just that. Bronze Star knew there was much more to the other two. A camera, sound system, and screen had been built into the frames. These were the very tools Bronze Star would use to identify the final conspirator.

The letter contained a set of instructions on how to operate the frames. Bronze Star made sure he read them carefully; he did not want to leave any room for uncertainty or vagueness. Once he had read them three whole times, he fully understood how the picture frames worked.

He was glad that the instructions were so thorough. Sure, Bronze Star was an educated stallion, and he knew plenty about magic, science, and the laws of nature. Even so, he was not very familiar on electricity, seeing as how it was relatively new in Equestria.

Still, he had no doubts that the frames would work. After all, they had been designed and built by Specialist Ruger, one of the greatest modern-day inventors. Ever since she started working for the defense department, she had created or helped create over a dozen breakthroughs in technology. In fact, she was the one who designed the legbands that Sir Haywood McCrank had put on Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb.

When he was done looking over the instructions, Bronze Star read the rest of the letter. It was mostly a bunch of tips and suggestions on how to plant one of the special picture frames in Esopus Spitzenburg's room, as well as how to use the other one to monitor all the activity. The Regiment had sent him a third, ordinary picture frame so that whenever he learned what he needed from Spitzenburg, Bronze Star would be able to sneak it into Spitzenburg's room sometime afterwards and replace the special picture frame with it. The Regiment emphasized the importance of this part; they had decided that there were too many risks associated with leaving either of the special picture frames behind in Appleoosa.

It looked as though everything was ready. Except for one critical factor. Bronze Star would not be able to get near Spitzenburg unless he went to Appleoosa. He could not go to Appleoosa unless he was invited, and the only pony who could invite him was Applejack.

He still did not know the nature of his relationship with the orange mare now. They had been apart for more than three weeks. In all that time, they had only spoken to each other on one occasion. Bronze Star was still apprehensive about whether or not it was still too soon to fix the situation with Applejack.

However, he now had three very good reasons to make amends with her. First, it would make his mother proud. Secondly, it would enable him to get close to Spitzenburg again. Third, and most importantly, he truly did love her. He could not imagine how much pain, shock, and anger he must have caused her when he told her about the assassination conspiracy. He hoped that somehow, he would be able to make everything right with Applejack and soon. If he did not, his mother's positive impression, the fate of Equestria, and his own self-respect would all be placed in jeopardy.

Nine days after Fluttershy began her profession as a model, she had completed all the activities and jobs Photo Finish had scheduled for her in Canterlot. The day before, Sir Haywood McCrank had finally amassed all the manifests on his list. So on the ninth day, the two of them returned to Ponyville, along with Rough Rider, Photo Finish, and her entourage.

As Rough Rider had predicted, between Sir Haywood's crates and Photo Finish's equipment, the storage car on the return train was very clustered. The train's staff almost had to utilize one of the passenger cars as secondary storage space.

Sir Haywood had let Bronze Star know in advance that he and the others were coming back to Ponyville that day. So the gold stallion and the rest of the task force – save for Shakedown – went to the train depot to wait for them.

The train got in shortly before noon. When Fluttershy saw how many ponies were gathered at the station, she became a little uneasy. She had been hoping to get a break from being the center of attention. Then she realized that most of those ponies were actually there for Sir Haywood. So for the moment, it looked as though she was getting a break from all the cameras.

As soon as Rough Rider stepped off the train, Dapple Rhomb trotted over to him and gave her husband an affectionate greeting, which he happily returned. He had spent so much time in dressing rooms this past week that he smelt of cosmetics and incense. But Dapple Rhomb was pleased to discover that he did not have the scent of another mare on him, meaning he had stayed totally faithful to his wife, despite all the "temptation" Bronze Star had mentioned.

Rarity had shown up at the station as well. She really wanted to congratulate Fluttershy on her success, but she wanted to gain the notice of Photo Finish even more. Unfortunately for her, she was unable to do either. Photo Finish only gave Fluttershy enough time to exchange pleasantries with the members of the task force. Once her entourage had their bags, their employer escorted them and the yellow mare away from the station. Rarity thought about following them, but she decided against it. So she chose to go back to Carousel Boutique, a note of frustration evident on her face.

Once they were gone, the members of the task force helped Sir Haywood McCrank with his cargo. In terms of personal effects, he and Rough Rider had only brought one suitcase apiece. However, he ended up taking enough train manifests to fill twelve large crates. Even so, he was hoping to get them all to the embassy in one trip.

Bronze Star was the strongest pony there; he was able to carry three crates on his back. Copper Hollow carried two, and the other seven members of the task force each carried one. Sir Haywood McCrank and Rough Rider also brought along their own suitcases.

A half-hour later, the group arrived at the embassy. They found Shakedown standing outside the front entrance of the building. From a distance, he seemed to be as stoic and indifferent as ever. But when Bronze Star got close enough, he saw a faint smile on the brownish-tan stallion's face. That was the second time he had seen Shakedown exhibit an indicative emotion.

"Excellent," Shakedown pronounced when the others were in earshot. He opened up the door to the embassy and held it open for the nine of them. His smile quickly receded and he requested firmly "Bring them to the meeting chamber. Then take a seat at the table."

One-by-one, the members of the task force stepped inside, signed in at the front, and carried his or her crate or crates to the meeting chamber. They pushed the crates against the walls, and then they each sat down in one of the chairs. Shakedown entered the room last. He closed the door and slowly trotted over to the short end of the table. There was a tense interval of silence that lasted until Shakedown took a seat in the chair opposite Bronze Star's; the mayor's chair.

"Alright, we got you what you asked for," Dread Naught proclaimed, "Now are you going to tell us what this is all about?"

"Yes, I shall, Agent Naught," Shakedown asserted. There was another short pause. Finally, the brownish-tan stallion spoke: "How do you think I got here?"

"You mean the embassy?" Almond Wheeler presumed.

"No, I mean 'here' as in Ponyville as a whole," Shakedown clarified.

"Well, by train, of course," Bronze Star professed, "Rough Rider said he met you there when you first arrived."

Shakedown nodded his head and asked rhetorically "Why do you think I took the train?"

"Because it's the fastest method of transportation in the country," Rollin Fields stated.

"Precisely," Shakedown affirmed, "Do you think everypony uses the train?"

"Well, some Pegasi may prefer flying," Dread Naught contended, "But since the only other alternatives are traveling on hoof or by wagon, I'd say train is by far the most popular method of travel in the country. So generally everypony uses the trains."

"Including the Vermane?" Shakedown inquired.

Dread Naught took a moment to think, and then he lightly shrugged and said "Yes, I suppose that would include the Vermane as well."

"Hence my reason for wanting the manifests," Shakedown declared. He stood up, trotted over to the nearest crate, picked it up, and placed it on top of the table. He announced to the others "We can use these to track the Vermane's movements."

"How?" Sir Haywood queried, "We don't know the names of any of the Vermane's members. We don't even have any potential suspects."

"We don't need any," Shakedown debated, "That information wouldn't be very useful, anyway. Unless you reserve a private cabin or request a specific seat, the stationmaster never asks for your name when you purchase a ticket."

"That'd certainly be an advantage for the Vermane," Copper Hollow perceived.

"Indeed," Shakedown conceded, "However, even though the railroad company does not take the names of everypony who gets on their trains, they have other means of keeping a record of the passengers."

"How so?" enquired Noble Edict.

"I'll show you," Shakedown proposed. He then removed the lid from the crate on the table and set it off to the side. Inside the crate was a large stack of folders, which contained the manifests. Shakedown removed the folder on the top of the pile. This one was dated thirty-seven years ago, and it belonged to a train that had travelled from Baltimare to Fillydelphia in the early afternoon.

Shakedown opened the folder and removed a short stack of papers. He held the pages up so the others could see the one on top. After ten seconds, he moved that page to the back of the stack so that he could show them the second one. Every ten seconds, he rotated the pages in this manner.

Each page contained a sketch of what looked like a train from an overhead perspective. The letters E, U, and P appeared on the left and right sides of the sketches frequently. Some of the letters were written in black ink; the rest in blue ink.

After he showed them the entire stack, Shakedown announced "Every time a train goes out, the staff makes a tally of how many ponies get on it. By that, I don't just mean the number of ponies. They keep tabs on how many of each race and each gender are on the train."

"They do?" Copper Hollow uttered in fascination.

"Uh-huh," Shakedown murmured frankly, "The easiest way to make notes of who's sitting where is by using a top-down sketch of the train. Before a train departs, the staff go through each car and mark the ponies in the corresponding seats with a very specific code. 'E' represents an Earth Pony, 'U' represents a Unicorn, and 'P' represents a Pegasus. The ones in black are male; the ones in blue are female."

"What's the point of all that?" Noble Edict mumbled in perplexity, "It seems somewhat discriminatory."

"I can understand why you might think that," Shakedown propounded, "However, this technique has been employed ever since the railroad company was created. They have good reasons for doing things like this."

"Such as?" Rollin Fields beckoned.

"Different types of ponies have different standards for the train's operations," Shakedown expounded, "For example, Pegasi may prefer speed, Unicorns may prefer comfort, and Earth Ponies may prefer durability. Also, males generally prefer a sociable staff and females typically prefer a courteous staff. If one train tends to be favored by a certain race or gender, the company adjusts that train's accommodations and crew accordingly."

"That actually makes sense," Bronze Star perceived, "But how does that help us?"

Shakedown looked to the indigo stallion and remarked "You said the Vermane conduct all their activities in groups of three. Right, Sir Haywood?"

"Yes," Sir Haywood confirmed, "One Earth Pony, one Unicorn, and one Pegasus; all male."

"Would it be reasonable to assume that whenever they go to a city to commit one of their murders, they go there together?" Shakedown conjectured, "And that they leave together after they've accomplished their work?"

"I never thought about that," Sir Haywood pronounced, "However, when you put it that way, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that was the case. After all, since they go after their victims together, it would follow that they travel to their destinations together, as well."

"I agree," Dread Naught muttered, "In fact, I would be surprised if they did it any other way."

"Then we're in luck," Shakedown announced, "Let's go over everything we've established so far. Trains are the most expedient way to move between cities, so we can assume that the Vermane frequently use them. We can also assume that they travel together. Regardless of where they sit on the trains, they must be catalogued just like the rest of the passengers. That's why I asked for these manifests."

"I think I see where you're going with this," Copper Hollow claimed, "Since the Vermane send three stallions – one from each major race – to carry out one of their operations, you believe that we can use that information to find out when they arrived in each city to conduct their crimes and when they subsequently left."

"Exactly," Shakedown coincided, "This is what I'm proposing. We need to look through all of these manifests for a black E, a black U, and a black P all in the same row. Every time we find that occurrence, we'll have an almost definite indication that the Vermane were on that train."

"And from there, we can establish a record of their movements," Bronze Star realized, a grin slowly appearing on his face.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Your Highness," Shakedown uttered approvingly, "After we've determined the comings and goings of the Vermane, we can search for patterns in their actions. Then we'll be able to track them to a specific city."

"I'm liking this plan," Dapple Rhomb declared giddily.

"So am I," Rough Rider stated, rubbing his front hooves together.

"It's certainly systematic," Dread Naught noted, "One thing, though. What would you advise we do once we've uncovered the Vermane's whereabouts?"

"That'll depend," Shakedown remarked.

"On what?" Noble Edict inquired.

"On what the prince decides," Shakedown explicated, looking to Bronze Star

The gold stallion raised an eyebrow and stated in bafflement "Why me?"

"I told you I'd help you find the Vermane," Shakedown recounted, "But you're still in charge of this investigation, sir. As such, their ultimate fate is up to you."

Bronze Star had to admit that was a fair point. Although he was now the youngest member of the task force, everypony looked to him for leadership. This was one instance where he was not entirely certain on how to proceed yet. Eventually, he gazed around at his companions and proclaimed "If and when we locate the Vermane, we should wait before we go after them. I mean, the Vermane's organization could be composed of hundreds of trained assassins. We're only ten ponies, and despite the fact that all of us have had advanced combat training, we only know how the Vermane behave on their missions. They may function quite differently at their base of operations. Until we know where they are and what they are doing, we shouldn't do anything reckless. So for now, let's just focus on finding them. Once we have, we'll decide what to do next."

"Works for me," Sir Haywood McCrank avowed. Everypony else gave mumbles of agreement, including Shakedown.

"First things first, though" Copper Hollow pointed out, "We have to actually locate the Vermane."

"Right," Noble Edict bluntly muttered. She looked around at the crates placed against the wall. Then she proposed "Well, we'd better get started."

"Yeah…" was all Bronze Star said in response.

There were twelve crates in that room; each one contained over a hundred manifests. Each manifest was around fifteen pages long, and as many as thirty symbols could be found on each page. Every one of the manifests needed to be thoroughly examined for one particular permutation.

All ten ponies were thinking the exact same thing. This was going to be a long week. Perhaps even a long month.

They did not waste any time with this endeavor, though. Shakedown removed nine more folders from the crate he had already opened and passed them around the table. They all proceeded to open and study their individual manifests carefully. They constantly kept their eyes open for a black E, a black U, and a black P in one row.

The first ten manifests did not yield this occurrence or any variation of it. So the task force put those manifests off to the side and went to work searching through the next ten manifests in the crate.

During this round, Dapple Rhomb turned to her husband and asked him how his trip to Canterlot was. At first, Rough Rider considered waiting until later to talk about that, but it turned out his wife was not the only pony who was curious to know about his experiences as Fluttershy's agent. Several more ponies there – including Bronze Star – were interested in the subject. So the olive stallion gave in and described the events from the past week.

He made sure to mention the conversation he had with Photo Finish immediately after Fluttershy's first fashion show. According to her, the photographs that had been sent by the Vermane to the task force had been taken by a very specific brand of camera known as the Kojak Plus. Photo Finish had described to it as a very rare and expense camera. The fact that the Kojak Plus was only available in Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and Chicacolt caught the interest of both Sir Haywood McCrank and Dread Naught. It implied that the Vermane might have had connections in one or more of those cities. The task force also knew now that they should keep an eye out for anypony in town who owned a Kojak Plus. Considering all the paparazzi that had recently arrived in Ponyville, they were bound to find somepony with one such camera sooner or later.

The second ten manifests did not contain any arrangement of the letters E, U, and P in black ink in a single row either.

However, when they studied the third batch of manifests, Rollin Fields notified the others that he had found something. He held up his manifest to show them that the letters P, U, and E had been written side-by-side in black in this train's fourth passenger car.

Sir Haywood asked for that train's date and intended destination. Rollin Fields looked it up, and he declared that this manifest belonged to a train that had travelled nonstop from Whinnyeapolis to San Horsé on a day in the fall of thirteen years ago.

Dread Naught checked his records of the Vermane's activities, and he announced that the day after that train arrived in San Horsé, a young mare had been found beaten to death in a warehouse. She was a promising young virtuoso who had made her debut on Bridleway not a month beforehand. Her death was a steep blow to the musical theater community, but the ponies who had invested in her training and career had been reimbursed three times over. That was how the Vermane made a profit in that scenario.

The arrival of that train coincided perfectly with the mare's murder. Now the task force had some proof to backup Shakedown's theory. They still needed to do a lot more research before they could draw any definite conclusions. At the very least, they had made a start.

The task force looked through thirty more manifests, and they found a black E, U, and P side-by-side in various orders two more times. The date of one of those manifests happened to be the day before the Vermane had committed a murder in that train's intended destination. The other manifest was from the day after the respective murder, and this time, the train had departed from the city of the murder. Obviously, that was the killers making their getaway.

Once they finished studying those sixty manifests, the first crate was half-empty. Sir Haywood proposed that they go ahead and call it a day. The meeting had already gone on for much longer than usual, and he did not wish to monopolize the others' time. After all, Noble Edict and her officers had their jobs in the security staff, Rough Rider needed to continue acting as Fluttershy's agent, Bronze Star had his responsibilities as Canterlot's ambassador, and Dapple Rhomb needed to function as his secretary. With that in mind, Haywood McCrank, Dread Naught, and Shakedown were the only ones who could devote their entire day to examining the manifests, and they would not make a lot of progress with just the three of them.

So the meeting ended there. Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict headed back to the barracks, and Rough Rider left to find Fluttershy and Photo Finish. Sir Haywood McCrank, Dread Naught, and Shakedown all went upstairs to their quarters. Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb got back to their usual work in the latter's office.

Later on, Shakedown proposed to Dread Naught and Haywood McCrank that they go ahead and continue looking over more of the manifests anyway. He argued that the more manifests they studied now, the sooner they would be able to track the Vermane and the less work they would leave for the rest of the task force. The two federal investigators did not have anything better to do, so they agreed to assist him.

By the late evening, they managed to finish looking through the remaining contents of the first crate. They found six more instances of E, U, and P in black ink in one row; all of them had been on the manifests of trains that had arrived in or departed from the town of one of the Vermane's murders within thirty-six hours of the crime. By this point, Shakedown was absolutely certain that his theory would work completely. This was definitely the biggest development the task force had made in the investigation into the Vermane.

Bronze Star was very pleased with how things were going. His mother would be visiting Ponyville in less than a month, he would get part in a very important conference, the final member in the assassination conspiracy would likely be revealed soon, and it would only be a matter of time before the Vermane were exposed.

There was, of course, one pressing matter that he had to attend to. He wanted and needed to mend his relationship with Applejack. Although he preferred to take this process slowly, it would be less than two weeks before she left for Appleoosa. So haste was of the essence.

Three times that week, Bronze Star attempted to go to Applejack to make things right.

The first time was the following morning. First he had a meeting with the mayor and City Council. There he apprised them of all the new information about Celestia's approaching visit and the business conference. They were happy to reserve accommodations for the Princess and the executives of Uptown Mystique, MonuMarent, Fabian, Radical Innovation, Landslide, and GrandiHorse.

After the meeting, Bronze Star left the embassy and intended to go straight to Sweet Apple Acres.

When he reached the town square, he came across Fluttershy and Rough Rider. Based on how busy the latter had implied they would be this week, this would be one of his few opportunities to talk to them. He decided to take advantage of it.

"Morning, Fluttershy, Rough," he greeted them.

"What's up, Bronze?" Rough Rider casually returned.

"Hi, Bronze," Fluttershy said softly, "Where you off to?"

"I'm going to see Applejack," Bronze Star tentatively replied, "Try to… you know… 'remedy' the situation with her."

Other than Noble Edict and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Fluttershy was the only pony in Ponyville who knew about the state of Bronze Star's relationship with Applejack.

"Oh, okay," Fluttershy avowed.

Rough Rider raised an eyebrow and queried "What situation?"

"Applejack and I used to be together," Bronze Star illuminated, "We were quite close. Unfortunately, she and I had a falling out shortly before you arrived in Ponyville. We've barely spoken to each other since then."

"Ah, yes," Rough Rider muttered frankly, "Having a fight with the mare you love is the worst. I'd know."

"That so?" Bronze Star stated in perplexity, "You and Dapple get along so well."

"We do most of the time," Rough Rider admitted, "But sometimes we strongly disagree on things. For example, I used to be very against the concept of settling down. Being a travelling salespony, I'm frequently on the road. Dapple put up with that for a long while, but then she gave me the idea to move into a house. I was concerned that living in one place would be bad for my business. Dapple was adamant though; she was getting sick of travelling to a new city every few weeks."

"How did you settle that conflict?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Let's just say there was a certain development that influenced me to change my mind," Rough Rider enlightened her.

Bronze Star could imagine that this development must have been the order from the vigilante group for Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb to move to Ponyville.

"At least everything worked out for you and Dapple," Bronze Star noted.

"Yep," Rough Rider commented, "Hopefully everything will work out for you and Applejack, too."

"I sure as Tartarus hope so," Bronze Star contended.

There was a short interval of silence, and then the gold stallion asked the yellow mare "How's the modelling going anyway, Fluttershy?"

"It's going fine," Fluttershy spoke quietly.

Bronze Star was not very convinced of that. He looked to Rough Rider for a more candid observation. The olive stallion disclosed "She still isn't very fond of all the attention."

"That doesn't surprise me," the young prince remarked, "Although you and she were in Canterlot all week, her face has been showing up on everything in town lately. Even though she's back, I don't think she'll be getting a lot of time to herself. In fact, I'm surprised she hasn't already been swarmed by adoring fans."

At that time, a few ponies were crowded around a nearby newsstand. Unsurprisingly, most of the magazines it carried had Fluttershy's picture on the cover. Shoeshine and Golden Harvest were among the stand's customers. When Bronze Star, Rough Rider, and Fluttershy passed by, Shoeshine happened to look up from her magazine and noticed the yellow mare.

She called out elatedly "It's Fluttershy!"

Rough Rider scoffed and thought aloud "Spoke much too soon."

Bronze Star nodded his head and he uttered softly "Run."

Fluttershy did not need to be told twice. She turned away from the newsstand and started trotting in the opposite direction. Rough Rider and Bronze Star trotted with her.

Straightaway, Golden Harvest, Shoeshine, and the stand's over customers began chasing after them. Fluttershy and the two stallions soon quickened their pace to a gallop.

When they reached the end of the block, they turned onto the next street. There they bumped into a whole mob of paparazzi. All of them began snapping pictures of Fluttershy and shouting excitedly at her.

It looked as though the three ponies were cornered on the ground. Luckily, Fluttershy was able to use her wings to ascend into the air. Shortly after, she encountered three Pegasi in the sky who were wearing camera extenders on their shoulders. This allowed them to take several pictures of the timid Pegasus while airborne.

When Fluttershy regained her bearings, she hastily flew away from the scene. Bronze Star and Rough Rider watched as she tried in vain to evade the crowds. They tried to keep up with her while on the ground.

"They don't know when to quit," Rough Rider commented edgily.

"That IS the defining aspect of paparazzi," Bronze Star contended

"True," Rough Rider concurred, "We gotta get her out of here."

"Yeah, and I know just the place," Bronze Star thought aloud.

He led Rough Rider all the way to Carousel Boutique. By the time Fluttershy reached that part of town, she had managed to temporarily shake off the paparazzi.

"Fluttershy, over here!" Bronze Star yelled.

The yellow mare hastily flew over to the gold stallion and the olive stallion. Then she pushed open the door to Carousel Boutique and stepped inside. Bronze Star and Rough Rider entered right after her.

Presently, Rarity was in the front room. She was in the process of using her sewing machine to construct a dress. Noble Edict was standing close to her.

When she heard the door bell ring, the white Unicorn stopped what she was doing and looked over her shoulder. She saw Fluttershy crouching at the entrance of the store. She was clearly trying to hide from the paparazzi.

She did not have much luck. Even though Bronze Star and Rough Rider were standing in front of the door to prevent it from being opened, a few ponies with cameras appeared at the windows and took several pictures of the yellow mare in her vulnerable state.

Rarity took a few steps closer to her best friend and pronounced tensely "Wow. Look how popular you are. I'm so excited for you. You must be having the best time ever."

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy apprehensively murmured as she approached her best friend, "Best time ever..."

"Welcome to my life," Bronze Star wryly remarked, "This is a lot like what I had to put up with every time I went outside the castle. Then again, at least I had the Royal Guard to keep some space between me and everypony else."

The ponies outside continued to take pictures of Fluttershy. After a bit, Rough Rider sighed in annoyance, gazed outside, and shouted "Don't you people have anything better to be doing? Buck off!"

The paparazzi could hear him quite clearly, even through the glass. They seemed shocked by that outburst, but they wisely chose to follow that suggestion. Within twenty seconds, they were nowhere to be seen.

"They're gone now," Rough Rider notified the others.

"Yeah, but they'll be back," Bronze Star claimed, "Never underestimate the stubbornness of the paparazzi."

"What am I going to do?" Fluttershy mumbled hopelessly.

"You could file a restraining order against the entire town," Noble Edict cheekily advised.

"That sounds a little extreme," Rough Rider refuted.

"I was joking," the red mare stated drily.

"Well, we'll think of something," Bronze Star contended, "Those ponies really need to understand the concept of personal space."

A few seconds later, the door bell rang again. The five ponies looked to the entrance, and they saw Photo Finish was standing there.

"Floottershy!" the light grayish cerulean mare declared, rushing into the building, "I have been looking for you everywhere. We have the thing at the place."

Clearly, Photo Finish was not asking or suggesting for Fluttershy to accompany her. The yellow mare turned to Rarity and proposed "I'll see you at the spa? Our usual time?"

"Of course!" Rarity responded happily, "I can't wait to hear all about the... 'thing at the place.'"

"Guess I better come along," Rough Rider thought aloud. He said to Bronze Star "I'll meet you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, for the 'other thing' at the 'other place,'" Bronze Star said jokily, referring to the next task force meeting at the embassy.

"Right," Rough Rider acknowledged, smirking.

Fluttershy stood in the doorway of the building while she waited for the olive stallion. A moment later, Photo Finish grabbed the yellow mare and pulled her outside. Rough Rider followed them, closing the door behind him.

Right then, Rarity, Noble Edict, and Bronze Star were the only ponies left in the building.

Rarity grumbled in frustration, saying "I'm the one who should be mobbed by strangers wherever I go."

"That's not a thing people usually yearn for," Noble Edict sardonically uttered.

"Maybe you and Fluttershy could switch places for a day," Bronze Star slyly suggested.

"No, I don't want to deprive her of something she worked so hard for," Rarity proclaimed.

"Glad to know you care so much," Noble Edict perceived.

"Of course, I do," Rarity asserted, "Fluttershy's my best friend. I want her to be happy."

Bronze Star and Noble Edict could respect a reason like that. After another short pause, the gold stallion spoke to the red mare "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here, Noble?"

"My aunt's got a birthday coming up," Noble Edict disclosed, "She has a fondness for fancy clothing. So I asked Rarity to design a dress for her."

"Oh, how thoughtful," Bronze Star told her approvingly.

"Thanks," Noble Edict rejoined, smiling, "My aunt deserves only the best."

"And the best she'll have," Rarity insisted.

The white Unicorn was about to resume working on the ensemble for Noble Edict's aunt. Just before she could, the door bell rang yet again.

Rarity promptly turned to the entrance and announced "Welcome to Carousel Boutique!"

This time Bon Bon and Berry Punch had entered the building. The former of them uttered eagerly "Is she still here? We heard Fluttershy was here."

Once again, she was speaking in a different voice. This one suited her a lot better than the one she used when Apple Bloom tried to sell her apples.

"Sorry; you just missed her," Rarity bluntly stated. She then approached a rack of her finest outfits in the room and declared "But you're still in luck. I'm having a huge sale of some of my best designs."

Bon Bon and Berry Punch looked at each other, as though they were baffled. They then turned back to Rarity, and Bon Bon queried "And you are...?"

"Rarity, of course," the fashionista proudly responded, standing tall and straight.

"Never heard of you," the beige mare claimed.

That statement greatly irritated Rarity. She frowned angrily and skulked back to her sewing machine.

Berry Punch left the boutique. Right before Bon Bon could follow her, a thought occurred to Bronze Star. He called out "Hey, Bon Bon. You got a moment?"

"A moment for what?" Bon Bon inquired, looking back at him.

"Oh, I've found myself in a sweet mess," Bronze Star revealed. "I need to drop a few things to fix it."

Those two sentences seemed to catch the beige mare's attention. She nodded and professed "Alright, I can help you out."

"Good," Bronze Star commented. He turned to the red mare and murmured "Noble, I'd like to talk with you, too."

"Umm, okay," the chief of security conceded in bewilderment.

Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Bon Bon exited Carousel Boutique together, leaving Rarity alone to do her work and sulk over her misfortune.

"Where we going?" Bon Bon asked.

"The barracks," Bronze Star replied, "I'll explain when we get there."

The three ponies trotted in silence for a while. At one point, Bronze Star turned to Bon Bon and stated "'Never heard of you?' Really?"

Bon Bon grinned cockily and presumed "Too much?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, smirking, "Keep it believable."

"Yes, sir," the beige mare asserted.

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow and queried "Am I missing something?"

"Yep, but it's not your fault," Bon Bon insisted.

"Like I said, I'll explain at the barracks," Bronze Star claimed.

About ten minutes later, they got to the barracks. Inside the building, Bronze Star guided the two mares to a holding cell. He beckoned Bon Bon "Look inside."

Noble Edict knew the relevance of this particular holding cell. Before the beige mare could move, the red mare hastily queried "What are you doing, sir?"

"Don't worry, Noble," Bronze Star asserted, "Everything's fine."

Noble Edict was intrigued, but she decided not to question the prince. So she let him proceed.

There was a slot on the door to the holding cell. Bon Bon slid it open and peered inside.

She saw a creature with the body of a snake and the head of a chicken. It was the cockatrice Bronze Star and Noble Edict had captured in the Everfree Forest a few weeks ago. They had been keeping it here ever since then. It was still blindfolded, and it seemed much less aggressive than it used to be.

"Ah, a cockatrice," Bon Bon remarked, grinning deviously. She turned to Bronze Star and told him "You came to the right mare, sir. This is one of my specialties."

"'Specialties?'" Noble Edict repeated, "In your line of work?"

"In one of them," Bon Bon replied, "I haven't always been a voice actress or a sweetshop worker."

"You see, I'm not the only pony in town with a secret identity, Noble," Bronze Star disclosed.

Noble Edict was lost by this point. "Okay, now I'm confused."

Bronze Star just smirked, placed his front hoof on the beige mare's shoulder, and pronounced "Noble, allow me to reintroduce you to my associate Special Agent Sweetie Drops."

Noble Edict did not know what to expect, but definitely not that. However, she had come to except a few surprises ever since she became affiliated with Bronze Star. She said in interest "She's a special agent?"

"Used to be," Bon Bon elucidated, "Years ago, I worked for a covert organization known as the Office of Paranormal and Supernatural Happenings in Canterlot. We were tasked with monitoring and controlling all monster activity in Equestria. Despite being a relatively young organization, we were very efficient with our work. I was one of the Office's best agents. It was a dangerous job, but I was proud to do it."

"Why'd you leave it?" Noble Edict enquired.

"Because I had no choice," Bon Bon uttered simply.

"One day, a creature known as the Bugbear escaped from Tartarus," Bronze Star continued for her, "It got away all because of a single error the Office's board of directors made. If word got out that the Office allowed the Bugbear to flee, it would have caused irreparable damage to the government's image. My mother decided that we had no choice but to permanently shut down the organization. Within days, it was completely dissolved. The records were burned, the headquarters was condemned, and the personnel was dismissed."

"All because of one mistake?" Noble Edict noted in astonishment.

"One is all it takes," Bon Bon professed, "Anyway, most of my colleagues from the Office were absorbed by the Intelligence Bureau. The organization's executives and top members – including me – were relocated for our protection. We were given new identities and new backgrounds. I was able to start anew in Ponyville, mainly thanks to my ability to blend in."

"No wonder your voice changes every time you talk," Noble Edict observed wryly.

"Yeah, my vocal range was one of the reasons why I did so well at undercover work," Bon Bon expounded, "It also helped me land that job as a voice actress."

"Cool," Noble Edict remarked. After a momentary pause, she gazed over at Bronze Star and stated "So, if you know who Bon Bon really is, does that mean she…?"

"Yeah, she knows I normally have wings and a horn," Bronze Star confirmed, "With all the strange creatures that visit this town, I found it ideal to have an expert on monsters close-by. One who I could go to at a moment's notice. Luckily I knew Sweetie Drops was living in Ponyville even before I moved here. So about five months ago, I told her the truth about 'Ambassador Gold Streak.'"

"I still can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner," Bon Bon interjected.

"To avoid compromising Sweetie Drops' cover, I've been pretending to know almost nothing about her," Bronze Star enlightened the red mare, "I even convinced Twilight Sparkle and Applejack that I was unaware of her friendship with Lyra Heartstrings and her career as a voice actress respectively."

"I'd say you did an excellent job of maintaining her secret," Noble Edict contended, "But if she doesn't work for the government anymore, why are you telling her about the cockatrice?"

"Even though the Office is no longer around, its former employees are still obligated to keep the country safe from all monsters," Bon Bon explained. She gestured to the creature in the holding cell and muttered "Take this one, for instance. I put down quite a few cockatrices during my time with the organization. Do you need me to get rid of this pest, Your Highness?"

"In one sense of the term," Bronze Star answered her, "I don't want you to dispose of him. Not yet, at least. For now, I just need you to take him somewhere where he'll be isolated from the townsfolk. Make sure it's someplace he can't escape from and someplace we could find him at any time."

"I know just the place to put him," Bon Bon disclosed, "Let me just get my equipment, and I'll get right on it."

"Great," Bronze Star remarked in approval.

Noble Edict was slightly astounded by how Bon Bon was so willing to do this task without hesitation. She murmured "You don't even want to know what he's doing here or how we managed to capture him?"

"What good would that information do me?" Bon Bon countered, "I can get the job done, no questions asked,"

"Nice," was all Noble Edict said in response, smiling.

The beige mare then turned around and galloped down the hallway. Noble Edict and Bronze Star watched her as she moved. Once she was gone, the red mare informed the gold stallion "Are you sure Sweetie Drops is her real name? I mean, I remember seeing Bon Bon at a party in Ponyville about ten years ago. She was a filly at the time, and I was a teenager. I could have sworn she went by the name Bon Bon then."

"Well, the Office of Paranormal and Supernatural Happenings recruited its members at a very young age," Bronze Star expounded, "Her visit to Ponyville may have been part of her initiation, where she was tested on her ability to blend in and interact with the locals."

"That would make sense," Noble Edict agreed, "So how many other ponies in town know her real name?"

"None," Bronze Star firmly replied, "Just you and me. Her former life is a secret from every single pony in this town."

"Even Lyra?" Noble Edict asked.

"Yes, even her best friend doesn't know she used to be on the government's payroll," Bronze Star affirmed, "She'd prefer to keep it that way. She doesn't want Lyra to think that her best friend is a totally different pony from the one she knows."

"I'm sure you can understand her worries, considering…" Noble Edict began sheepishly. She would have continued, but she did not. She soon looked as though she wished she did not say that last word.

"Considering my own relationship problems?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Well, yeah…" the red mare stated awkwardly.

"You got me there," Bronze Star mumbled drily.

Oddly enough, this whole affair had started out with Bronze Star trying to go to Sweet Apple Acres to fix the dilemma with Applejack. With everything he had been through that morning and all the work he had to do at the embassy later on, he did not feel like going through with his plan to speak with Applejack just yet. He decided to put that task off for a day or two.

A few minutes later, Bon Bon returned with a kennel and a suitcase. When she reached the gold stallion and the red mare, she instructed the latter "Noble, open the cell."

Noble Edict removed a key from her belt and used it to unlock the holding cell. When she opened the door, the cockatrice squawked loudly, but it made not menacing movements.

Bon Bon told Noble Edict and Bronze Star "You guys can leave this to me. I'll erase any trace that the cockatrice was here, and I'll move him to a safe, undisclosed location. If you either of you need it to be 'disclosed,' just come to me and I'll take you to him."

"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star avowed, "That work for you, Noble?"

"Definitely," the chief of security proclaimed, "I'm just glad to finally be rid of this nuisance. My staff was starting to get a little too curious about what was in this cell. I had to keep inventing excuses on why I had it sealed off. At least now I can reopen it, and they can stop asking questions."

"That's a relief," Bronze Star uttered candidly.

The gold stallion and the red mare left the beige mare to her work. They chose to carry on with their day. Noble Edict went back to Carousel Boutique to pick up that dress for her aunt, and Bronze Star headed back to the embassy.

So that was the first of Bronze Star's three attempts to reconcile with Applejack. It was a total fail. He never went even close to her.

He made the second attempt two days later. He had spent most of the previous day in the meeting chamber of the embassy, sorting through more manifests. The task force had gone through another whole crate of them, and they had located fourteen more instances of the letters E, U, and P in black ink in one spot. All fourteen pointed directly to the Vermane. There was still no pattern to the manifests, but then again, the task force had only just begun examining them.

Bronze Star was relieved to get outside the next day. While he was outdoors, he tried again to speak to Applejack. He recalled that on this time of the week, the orange mare usually spent most of the morning and early afternoon selling her apples in town. He headed off to the market, hoping to find her at her stall.

When he got to the market, the apple stall was open, but nopony was running it. Bronze Star was a little irritated, but he was not about to give up so easily. He decided to linger in the area until Applejack showed up.

After waiting there for about a half-hour, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rough Rider entered the vicinity. The yellow mare was wearing a large hat and a pair of shades. For some reason, nopony was taking pictures of her or stalking her.

Bronze Star spotted the three ponies when they approached the apple stall. They each gave him a friendly nod of recognition.

"Hey, guys," he hailed them cordially. He turned to the Pegasus and asked "What's with the getup? Is it part of your next photoshoot?"

"No, it's a disguise," Fluttershy revealed.

"She's trying to throw off the paparazzi," Rough Rider elaborated.

"With a hat and a pair of sunglasses?" Bronze Star uttered scathingly.

"Well, it IS working," Twilight Sparkle pointed out, "Nopony's following us or getting in our way."

"I can see that," Bronze Star commented, still speaking with a note of both sarcasm and amusement, "So, that's all it takes to evade the public's notice? Just a hat and a pair of sunglasses? Why didn't I think of that when I first came here?"

"Your situation was a little different, sir," Rough Rider perceived.

"Debatable," Bronze Star conceded, "Anyway, are things going well with Photo Finish?"

"They are for me," Rough Rider responded, "As for Fluttershy… not so much."

"I'm actually starting to dread it," Fluttershy revealed.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Bronze Star stated apologetically.

"It's not your fault," Fluttershy assured him, "Still, I hope there's some way for me to get out of this."

Bronze Star was a little surprised by that. While he knew Fluttershy was not too comfortable with the modelling, he would not have guessed that she flat-out despised it. Clearly, Twilight Sparkle and Rough Rider were aware of her displeasure, though.

"I was just thinking," Twilight thought aloud, "If you really don't like being a model, you could always quit."

"Oh, no," Fluttershy sternly countered, "I could never do such a thing. Rarity would be devastated."

"But Rarity told me..." Twilight began. Before she could continue, Pinkie Pie burst out of the pile of apples in the apple stall, causing Twilight to gasp in alarm.

The pink mare eyed the lavender mare closely. She slowly picked up one of the apples and took a large bite out of it. She chewed it very slowly in an almost frightening manner. Overtime, her façade became less intimidating, and she seemed more interested in the apple than Twilight. When she swallowed, she uttered happily "Mmm... Juicy!"

Twilight Sparkle moaned angrily. Bronze Star was not certain what was going on, but if he had to guess, the magic student was under some type of duress from Pinkie Pie. What baffled him was how Pinkie Pie had just appeared underneath the pile of apples like that. Bronze Star had been standing by the apple cart for the past thirty minutes, and he had not even seen Pinkie since well before then. So either she had been hiding under the pile of apples that whole time, or she had somehow materialized underneath them. Either way, he was amazed.

As the pink mare continued to eat her apple, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, Rough Rider, and Twilight Sparkle trotted further down the street. They were still looking for a solution to Fluttershy's dilemma.

"As your agent, I could negotiate with Photo Finish to get you out of your contract," Rough Rider offered.

"No, that'd have the same bad result as straight-up quitting," Fluttershy perceived.

"Maybe you could demand that Rarity be added to Photo Finish's entourage," Twilight Sparkle proposed, "You know, as a wardrobe designer or something."

"Bad idea," Bronze Star refuted, "Photo Finish doesn't take kindly to demands, and she doesn't let anypony join her entourage unless she wants them there. If Rarity really had anything that impressed Photo Finish that much, she would have invited her into her group by now."

"And she hasn't," Rough Rider noted, "Guess Rarity won't be working with us anytime soon."

"Then what should we do?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.

"I haven't a clue," Bronze Star replied, "I deal in politics, not fashion."

"Oh, if only all these ponies didn't like me so much," Fluttershy commented dismally, "Photo Finish wouldn't want me to model anymore. She'd find somepony else with... the magic!"

When she said those last two words, she dramatically raised her hoof in the air to imitate Photo Finish.

"I guess you're right," Twilight Sparkle muttered in agreement. There was a short pause, and then the lavender mare seemed to get an idea. She brightened up and jumped up and down as she ecstatically cheered "You're right. You're right, you're right, you're right!"

During her bout of joy, she accidentally knocked off Fluttershy's hat and sunglasses.

As if on cue, Gala Appleby yelled "It's Fluttershy!"

Almost immediately, every pony in the vicinity rushed towards the yellow Pegasus and tried to get her picture. Before they were surrounded, Bronze Star, Rough Rider, and Twilight Sparkle hastily escorted Fluttershy out of the area.

After about twenty minutes of running, the four ponies managed to ditch the crowd of crazy fans. Once they were certain they had safely gotten away, Rough Rider and Bronze Star asked Twilight Sparkle what exactly Fluttershy had been right about.

The lavender mare explained that she had come up with a solution for how they could get Fluttershy out of the modelling gig for good. In a nutshell, all she had to do was give a terrible performance at her next fashion show. Twilight's theory was that if Fluttershy acted crude and repulsive in front of a crowd, she would lose her appeal as a model, and Photo Finish would fire her soon after.

Rough Rider, Bronze Star, and Fluttershy actually thought this was a clever scheme.

However, there were a few factors that needed to be accounted for. Namely, Fluttershy was so nimble and poised that she literally could never intentionally behave vulgarly. However, Twilight Sparkle was well-known for being adept at magic. If she concentrated enough, she could use her magic to control the yellow mare's actions while she was on stage.

In order for this to work, Twilight Sparkle needed to be present at Fluttershy's next fashion show. She would also need to be close to the Pegasus at all times. Rough Rider declared that he would be able to convince Photo Finish to let the lavender mare come backstage at the event. He just had to claim it was a personal request from Fluttershy.

Twilight felt this ploy would work best if as many high-status ponies as possible attended the show. A negative opinion from enough of them would pretty much guarantee that Fluttershy's career would be over before she left the room. Bronze Star proposed that he could use his influence to convince a number of the Canterlot Elite to appear at the fashion show. Their word carried a lot of weight in the capital city and the rest of the nation. Anypony who was on bad terms with all of them could never hope to become prestigious in any city.

Fluttershy's next fashion show was scheduled to take place at the Ponyville Theater. That gave the four ponies plenty of time to ensure that it would be a disaster.

Twilight Sparkle, Rough Rider, Fluttershy, and Bronze Star spent over an hour working out the details of the affair. When they were finished plotting, they had devised a surefire technique that would virtually guarantee that Fluttershy would never be asked to model anything ever again.

Later on, Rough Rider and Fluttershy met up with Photo Finish and persuaded her to let Twilight Sparkle go backstage at her next fashion show. Twilight's position as Princess Celestia's apprentice helped sway the fashion photographer's decision.

Twilight Sparkle was so thrilled about how ingenious and daring her plan was that she felt the urge to tell somepony about it. But she wanted to tell somepony who could be discreet about it. Ultimately, she decided to tell Pinkie Pie, as she could not deny the pink mare was excellent at keeping secrets.

As soon as he got back to the embassy, Bronze Star contributed his part of the plan. First he had Dapple Rhomb compose a simple letter. In it, he extended an invitation for an unnamed individual to come to Ponyville to witness the performance of a rising star in the fashion industry.

Dapple Rhomb only needed to write one letter. Once she was finished, Bronze Star took the letter and brought it to Twilight Sparkle so she could use her magic to make about fifty copies of it. Then he addressed each copy to a different member of the Canterlot Elite. After that, he signed the letters and marked them with the royal seal. That way the Canterlot Elite would know they came from him.

Of course, Bronze Star knew he could not mail the letters directly from the embassy. If he did, he would easily give away that he was in Ponyville. Luckily, he had a solution.

The gold stallion stopped by the post office and bought their largest envelope, along with a few dozen regular-sized envelopes. Then he went back to the embassy, headed up to his bedroom, and wrote a letter to Lord Bellerophon. He explained the situation with Fluttershy in detail. Once he composed it, he inserted each of the invitations into one of the smaller envelopes and addressed it to the respective intended member of the Canterlot Elite. After that, he stuffed all the small envelopes into the large one, along with the letter to Lord Bellerophon.

His plan was that once the large envelope arrived in Lord Bellerophon's office, the palomino Pegasus would mail the other letters from there. That way, the Canterlot Elite would believe that the invitations had in fact originated from the castle. It was a foolproof plan.

Bronze Star knew full well that he was fundamentally asking the Canterlot Elite to waste a whole day in Ponyville just to see an ill-fated fashion show, but that did not bother him. In his opinion, most of them deserved to experience such an inconvenience.

On the downside, Bronze Star had been unable to find time to speak with Applejack that day. His second attempt to make things right had been just as unsuccessful as the first. He was too busy with Twilight's plan, the task force meetings, and his own obligations as ambassador to find any opportunity over the next two days, as well.

However, on the third day, he made his third attempt. But before he did that, Twilight Sparkle put her plan into motion.

More than four dozen of the Canterlot Elite had arrived in town over the past couple days. All of them were present at the Theater for the fashion show. Bronze Star himself did not appear there; he did not wish to risk the possibility that any of them would recognize him. However, Rough Rider managed to get him into the dressing room so he could hear about the show's aftermath.

Rough Rider also convinced Photo Finish to view the show from the ground with the other attendees. That way, she would not be backstage, and by extension, she would not see Twilight Sparkle using her magic.

Finally, the big moment arrived. Ponies could be heard chattering all over the room. Fluttershy was a little anxious, but if bungling the show meant she could stop being a model, she was willing to go through with it.

A couple minutes before the show was supposed to start, Fluttershy emerged from the dressing room in a beautiful gown. Her mane had been styled and her makeup had been fully applied. Ponies could be heard chattering on the other side of the curtain.

Fluttershy approached Twilight Sparkle and asked her "You really think it'll work?"

"They love you for being you," the lavender mare contended, "So all I have to do is make you not be you. Just leave it to me."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. A moment later, music started playing, and the yellow mare passed through the curtains. Everypony watched her in awe.

If she looked closely, she would have spotted Rarity at the very back of the crowd. The white Unicorn had decided brought herself to appear at this fashion show. She had chosen to wear her fanciest dress and headpiece, hoping it would get her noticed. She mumbled under her breath "Guess it's time to see what all the fuss is about."

As Fluttershy proceeded down the walkway, Twilight Sparkle peered around the curtain to monitor the scene. When the yellow mare was in just the right position, Rough Rider signaled Twilight Sparkle by waving his hoof.

When she saw the olive stallion's signal, the lavender mare worked her magic. Literally.

She started by making Fluttershy trip. That alone caused the DJ to stop the music. A number of ponies gasped in shock.

Next, Twilight caused Fluttershy to produce noises like a hen, raise her backside much higher than the front of her body several times, and collapse onto her stomach.

That was enough to make Photo Finish faint.

Twilight was just getting warned up. She then willed Fluttershy to drag her body across the ground with her wings extended. Then without any warning, she flipped her over and caused her to fly upside down with her legs flailing all over the place.

After that, Twilight put Fluttershy on her hooves, and she made her pick her muzzle. That just downright disgusted the audience.

Twilight was really getting creative by that point. She decided to make Fluttershy behave like a dog. She willed her to scratch her ear with her right hind hoof, shake her head violently, and bark loudly.

Even Rarity could not believe what she was seeing. She murmured "Oh no."

Twilight Sparkle wrapped up the show by making Fluttershy stand on her hind legs and bray like a sheep.

That was about all the audience could take.

"Get her off the stage!" Golden Harvest demanded.

"She's an embarrassment to all things fashion!" Lemon Hearts yelled.

Photo Finish had gotten back on her hooves by then. She uttered in disappointment "I, Photo Finish, have made a terrible mistake!"

If she turned to her right at that very moment, she would have seen a wide grin on Rough Rider's face. Twilight Sparkle was smiling in satisfaction as well.

They were the only ones who seemed pleased with what was going on. Everypony else was booing Fluttershy. Or rather, almost everypony else.

Even though she had been extremely envious of Fluttershy's success, Rarity could not bear to see her best friend be shamed like that. She felt a rush of sympathy which incited her to clap her hooves and shout "Bravo! I say bravo!"

At that, everypony ceased their catcalls and listened to the out-of-place cheering.

"Bravo?" Lyrica Lilac muttered incredulously, "Who could possibly say bravo to that horrid display?"

"Such attitude!" Rarity proclaimed merrily, "Such pizzazz! She's invented an entirely new kind of modeling! Bravo!"

"Who is saying these things?" Lyrica Lilac queried.

"It's her," Royal Ribbon declared, pointing out Rarity, "The Unicorn in the gorgeous cape and headdress."

Everypony looked over at the white Unicorn. They were very impressed by her current appearance. Lyrica Lilac pronounced "Now that is a pony who clearly knows a thing or two about fashion. Well, if that fabulous pony likes it, then I do too! Bravo!"

She began heartily cheering for Fluttershy. Soon Royal Ribbon and the rest of the audience joined in. Everypony there was giving her praise. Except for Rough Rider and Twilight Sparkle. The olive stallion rolled his eyes and lavender mare stared in utter disbelief. The roles from earlier were totally reversed. In less than one minute, Twilight Sparkle's plan had completely backfired.

Fluttershy could do nothing but moan in misery.

Less than an hour later, Fluttershy, Rough Rider, and Twilight Sparkle were gathered in the dressing room. The yellow mare had already gotten undressed, she had wiped off her makeup, and her mane was in its usual style. The three ponies had been telling Bronze Star about what had happened in the fashion show. He seemed just as astounded as they were.

"They changed their minds, just like that?" he commented in astonishment.

"Yeah," Rough Rider affirmed, "One moment, they were practically ready to kick Fluttershy out of the building. The literal next, they were showering her with admiration."

"I still don't get it," Twilight Sparkle muttered, "We did everything just wrong. I mean, everything."

"Where did we go right?" Fluttershy enquired.

"We neglected to account for the Canterlot Elite's weakness for conformity," Bronze Star observed, "That's how Rarity was able to get them to change their minds so easily."

"Then let's make sure she doesn't come next time," Rough Rider proposed.

"Next time?" Twilight Sparkle snapped, "There won't be a 'next time.' That was our only shot."

"She's right," Bronze Star coincided, "Now that Fluttershy's got the approval of the Canterlot Elite, it'll be nearly impossible to discredit her."

Fluttershy groaned at that revelation. "This is awful. Just awful! Somehow I've become more popular than ever. Oh, I'm so frustrated I could just kick something!"

She was standing directly in front of a vase at that time. She gave it a kick with her hind legs. All she did was make it wobble in place for a few seconds, and then it immediately returned to its original position. Bronze Star and Rough Rider both chuckled slightly.

"If only Rarity didn't want me to be a model so badly," Fluttershy thought aloud.

Twilight Sparkle seemed extremely aggravated by that remark. She muttered "Ugh! But Rarity...!"

Suddenly, she cut herself off by sticking her front hoof in her mouth. She drew looks of confusion from the other three ponies.

As Twilight extracted her hoof from her mouth, the door to the dressing room opened and Rarity appeared. She had gotten undressed, as well. She stated in concern "Fluttershy! Are you all right?"

"I'm great!" Fluttershy insisted in an unconvincing tone, "I'm a super famous fashion model. Why wouldn't I be great?"

"Because you ha...!" Twilight Sparkle spoke. Before she said another word, she covered her mouth with both front hooves and sank onto her stomach.

Fluttershy and Rarity were baffled by the magic student's behavior. Bronze Star raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked to Rough Rider. The olive stallion merely shrugged to show that he had no idea what was going on with the lavender mare.

Rarity turned her attention back to her best friend and proclaimed "Out there on the runway, everyone was turning on you and... Oh... Oh, Fluttershy. It's so awful. I wanted them to."

Rough Rider, Bronze Star, and Fluttershy seemed shocked to hear that. The yellow mare uttered in amazement "You did?!"

"Of course she did!" Twilight Sparkle contended, "Because...!"

This time, she stopped herself by shoving the contents of a bowl of fruit into her mouth. It looked painful to have so much food in her mouth, but thankfully, she did not try to swallow it all.

"I'm jealous!" Rarity declared, "I wanted all the attention. And instead it was going to you. I even started hoping that you would do something silly so your modeling career would be over. But then, when it started happening, all I could think was how could I want you to fail at something you love so much?"

Twilight Sparkle spat out the food and rushed between the two mares. She yelled impatiently "But... Fluttershy doesn't... Ugh!"

The lavender mare then sprinted over to a potted plant and stuck her head in the dirt. Before Bronze Star or Rough Rider could ask what the buck was up with her, Fluttershy spoke first. She finally came forward with her true thoughts on her new profession.

"Love?" Fluttershy murmured, "Oh, Rarity. I hate being a model."

"You do?" Rarity remarked, aghast.

"More than anything," the yellow mare confirmed.

"Then why did you keep doing it?" the white mare queried.

"I was afraid if I quit, you'd be mad at me for not wanting to... 'shine all over Equestria,'" Fluttershy explicated.

Rarity was amazed by that revelation. She disclosed "And I thought if I told you how jealous I was of your success, you'd think I was a terrible friend."

"Never!" Fluttershy assured her.

"All this time!" Rarity realized.

"If we just told each other the truth," Fluttershy conceded.

"I promise never to keep my feelings in secret again," Rarity alleged.

"Me too," Fluttershy asserted.

The two mares then used gesture with their hooves and announced in unison "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

After they made that vow, the two mares laughed in delight. Bronze Star and Rough Rider smirked in amusement, as well.

At that moment, Photo Finish appeared at the entrance of the dressing room. She proclaimed merrily "You were brilliant. Brilliant! I've already got six photo shoots lined up for tomorrow alone."

Fluttershy lightly grinned and candidly professed "I'm sorry, Photo Finish, but I don't think I'll be able to make any of them."

"Whaaat?" Photo Finish mumbled, flabbergasted.

Fluttershy and Rarity bumped their front hooves together and pronounced "We go!"

The two mares then departed from the dressing room, laughing joyously. They left Photo Finish in a state of profound bewilderment. She looked to Rough Rider, Bronze Star, and Twilight Sparkle and demanded "Vat has just happened?"

Without warning, Twilight Sparkle pulled her head out of the pot and shrieked "Spike has a crush on Rarity!"

Out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie abruptly appeared in the mirror on the wall behind the lavender mare. She sighed and observed dismally "And you were doing so well."

Photo Finish approached the olive stallion and enquired "Mr. Rider, what is the deal here?"

"The deal is that… the deal's off," Rough Rider cockily replied.

"Off?" the light grayish cerulean mare

"Fluttershy has chosen to resign from the modelling industry, Miss Finish," Rough Rider illuminated, "Her contract explicitly states that she is free to extend, modify, or cancel this gig at any time. So as her agent, I'm asking you to tear up her contract and throw away the pieces."

Initially, Photo Finish said nothing in response. Then she presumed "This is her final decision?"

"Yes," Rough Rider confirmed, "She has enjoyed her time under your employ, and so have I. Even so, she has concluded that being a model is not for her, and she wishes to return to her quiet life in Ponyville."

Photo Finish seemed very displeased with that declaration, but she had no right to deny this request. She sighed and stated reluctantly "Very well. I will release Fluttershy from her contract at once. Tell her I hope she doesn't come to regret this later."

"I shall," Rough Rider claimed.

The fashion photographer hastily exited the dressing room. Now Bronze Star, Rough Rider, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie were the only ponies in there. At some point, the pink mare had emerged from the mirror, and she was standing next to Twilight Sparkle. She was giving the lavender mare a look of disapproval.

"So, Rough, tell me something," Bronze Star commented, "Did you hate being Fluttershy's agent as much as she hated being a model?"

"No, I actually enjoyed it," Rough Rider proclaimed, "It was definitely an interesting experience. It was challenging yet rewarding, and it was full of excitement and opportunities. If Fluttershy decided to keep being a model, I would have gladly continued to represent her."

"Then how come you didn't protest when we tried to help Fluttershy get fired?" Twilight enquired.

"Because she wasn't satisfied with her job," Rough Rider expounded, "I could tell she was miserable, and I wanted to improve her situation. A happy client is more important than a hefty profit; that's what I always say. Besides, I'm perfectly content to go back to being a salespony. After all, that's been my occupation for the past four years. As much as I liked being an agent, I can't see myself making a living off of that profession."

"Well, just because you're used to being a salespony, it doesn't mean you can't get involved in another line of work," Twilight Sparkle debated.

"That is definitely true," Bronze Star conceded, gazing at the legband around Rough Rider's front leg.

"I appreciate the encouragement, Twilight," the olive stallion pronounced, "But I think I'll just stick to selling material goods."

"Okay, that's fine," Twilight asserted, "It's your decision, after all."

There came a brief period of quietness, and then Bronze Star turned to the lavender mare and told her "What was happening to you earlier? You looked like you were having a seizure."

"A few days ago, Rarity and Fluttershy told me their opinions on the situation with Photo Finish," Twilight Sparkle elucidated, "They both made me promise not to tell each other how they felt. Knowing what they knew but being unable to talk about it got to be a huge burden. Soon it got to the point that I was physically struggling to keep my mouth shut. Eventually, I got so sick of all these secrets that I felt an overwhelming urge to blurt one out."

"And it ended up being the one Spike shared with us?" Rough Rider presumed.

"Yeah," Twilight Sparkle affirmed.

"I wouldn't worry about that one having any major backlash," Bronze Star pronounced.

"I agree," Rough Rider contended, "The fact that Spike's infatuated with Rarity is about as big a secret as the fact that he's a dragon."

"Still, it was wrong to just exclaim it like that," Pinkie Pie argued.

"Well, she could have given away bigger secrets," Bronze Star proposed, "Such as my identity."

"Good thing I didn't," Twilight Sparkle thought aloud.

"No kidding," Rough Rider coincided, "That would have made the setting even more awkward that it already was."

"Still, I really wish Fluttershy and Rarity talked to each other sooner," Twilight Sparkle commented, "That would have saved me a lot of stress. It would have also made things easier for them. But since they chose to stay quiet, I had to, too. Nothing but trouble resulted from that."

"That's normally what happens when a pony is unwilling to share their thoughts with somepony close to them," Rough Rider observed, "If they're too worried about how their friend would react, they won't say a word. But the irony is that that scenario can work in reverse. The second pony may be just as reluctant to share their thoughts with the first one. Dapple and I used to have that problem when we first started dating. It caused quite a few difficulties in our relationship. Then we learned to properly communicate with each other. Not long after, we had our wedding. Ever since then, I've always been upfront with her, and she's always been just as straightforward with me, too."

"So your forthrightness is the reason why your marriage works so well?" Twilight Sparkle assumed.

"It's certainly one of them," Rough Rider proclaimed, "Because of that, I'm never afraid to speak my mind. If you ask me, nopony else should be afraid to speak their minds, either."

"I like the way you think, Rough," Pinkie Pie commented, grinning.

"So do I," Twilight Sparkle pronounced, "In fact, I bet it really would be for the best if nopony held back on their feelings."

"Yeah, it would…" Bronze Star uttered very quietly.

The gold stallion was gazing off to the side, as if he was lost in deep thought. After a minute, he came out of his reverie, turned back to his friends, and told them "Well, guys, I'm glad everything worked out for everypony involved in this scenario. Now if you'll excuse me; I need to be somewhere."

"Okay, see you Bronze," Twilight Sparkle acknowledged.

"Bye bye, Bronze," Pinkie Pie stated cordially.

"Take it easy, Bronze," Rough Rider proposed, "Say 'hi' to Dapple for me when you're at work."

"I will," was all the younger stallion said in response.

He then stepped out of the dressing room and left the Ponyville Theater. He was not going back to the embassy just yet. He had a certain task that needed his attention first.

Bronze Star had listened to Rough Rider's entire speech on the importance of being honest and open with others. It was surprisingly thought-provoking and sagacious. In fact, it caused the young prince to have an epiphany.

Ever since his disastrous breakup with Applejack, Bronze Star had been wondering incessantly how he would repair his relationship with the farmer. Every time he tried to approach her, he was unable to go through with it. Often, he found himself hoping that Applejack would be the one who made the first move.

However, never once had he considered the possibility that Applejack may have had the exact same mindset as him. What if she too wanted to salvage their relationship, but she was just as apprehensive as he was? Could that actually be the case?

Bronze Star could not believe that possibility had never occurred to him. He also could not believe that he expected Applejack to be the first one to act. He was supposed to be the embodiment of bravery, yet he could not even bring himself to face the mare who used to be his fillyfriend. He had allowed his anxiety to prevent him from reaching out to her.

He had concluded that far too much time had elapsed since his fight with Applejack. If he did not try to repair the situation with her soon, not only would be risk losing the orange mare forever, but he did not think he would be able to continue looking at himself in the mirror without feeling appalled.

He was not going to put off speaking to Applejack for any longer. He was determined to talk to her on that very day. At the end of their conversation, Bronze Star planned to ask Applejack if she wished he was out of her life, or if she was willing to give him a second chance.

If she turned him away, then at least he would have some closure, and he would be able to move on. If she accepted him, then there would be hope for their relationship.

A half-hour later, Bronze Star reached Sweet Apple Acres. He could not see any movement in the orchards, so Applejack was likely indoors.

Bronze Star made his way to the clearing in the plantation's courtyard. He spotted Big McIntosh working in the barn. The red stallion noticed the gold stallion, and he gave him a friendly smile. Bronze Star smiled back, despite the nervousness he felt for what he was about to.

Bronze Star made his way to the house, and he knocked on the front door three times. It was quickly answered by Granny Smith. She grinned and greeted him with "Hello, Bronze Star,"

"Good day, Granny Smith," the young prince rejoined genially. After a short pause, he asked "Is Applejack here?"

"Yeah, she's up in her room," Granny Smith revealed, "I can call her down for ya."

"No, that's alright," Bronze Star countered hastily, "I… I'd prefer to go to her myself."

"Oh, you want to surprise her?" the elderly mare assumed, smirking.

"Yes, that's it exactly," Bronze Star claimed.

"Okay, I get what yer sayin'," Granny Smith commented, "Have fun up there. But not too much fun. Ya get me?"

Bronze Star chuckled a little and stated "Yes, ma'am."

The gold stallion swiftly trotted over to the staircase and headed upstairs. After that, he gradually made his way to Applejack's bedroom. The door was closed, but it appeared to be unlocked. Even so, he was not going to just barge in. That would have been rude, and he was not entirely ready yet.

The gold stallion needed a moment to prepare himself. Once he composed himself, he took a deep breath and rapped his front hoof against the bedroom door.

"Who is it?" a familiar voice called out.

Bronze Star quietly replied with "It's me."

At first, he was not given any response. Then he heard the sound of a floorboard creaking. Applejack must have gotten out of her bed, a chair, or something similar. Bronze Star then heard hoofsteps approaching the door. When they reached him, he watched the doorknob get turned and the door get pulled open.

He was now face-to-face with Applejack.

For over a minute, the orange mare and the gold stallion just stood in place, staring at each other. Bronze Star could not tell what Applejack was feeling; her facial expression was neutral in pretty much every way.

Ultimately, Applejack simply gestured for the gold stallion to enter her bedroom. He nodded in acknowledgement and stepped inside. Once he was in, she shut the door behind him.

Bronze Star was not certain what to do next. He had not exactly rehearsed for this conversation. He was usually very good at discussing various subjects without any preparation whatsoever. He had hoped that the right words would just come to him in this setting like they usually did. Alas, he had no idea what to say.

After a bit, he opened his mouth and said "I…"

"Don't…" Applejack interrupted, "Don't say anything."

Bronze Star promptly closed his mouth again. Apparently, Applejack did not want him to talk yet. He wondered if she was waiting for something. Of course, he could not ask her; that would require talking.

Once again, Bronze Star and Applejack were just standing in front of each other, staring into each other's eyes. There was complete silence all around them. That was the longest, most uncomfortable silence of his life. He barely even found a chance to breath.

At the end of that elongated silence, Applejack took two steps forward. Then she slowly raised her right front hoof, as though she was going to slap Bronze Star.

The gold stallion noticed this, but he did nothing. If slapping him would make Appelajck feel better, he would just let her do it. After all the things he said, he felt he probably deserved it, anyway.

Bronze Star merely closed his eyes and braced himself for the blow.

It never came.

Applejack did not lay a hoof on him. Instead, she laid two.

She placed her front hooves on Bronze Star's cheeks, pulled his head closer to hers, and pressed her lips hard against his.

Bronze Star was caught completely off guard. His breath almost went away, he was so surprised. But Applejack held him close to her, as if she was never going to release him. Initially, Bronze Star did not know whether to break free or return the affection. Eventually, he went with the latter option, and he wrapped his front legs around Applejack's upper body. She did not resist. If anything, she seemed to welcome the action.

Eventually, Applejack removed her lips from Bronze Star's, and she was looking directly into his eyes. She had a few tears in her own eyes. After a brief pause, she stammered "Bronze, I'm… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

If Bronze Star was confused a moment ago, it was nothing compared to now. He asked "Sorry for what?"

"For everything," Applejack clarified, "The way I confronted you, the way I treated you, the way I behaved… I don't know what the buck came over me."

"Applejack, you have nothing to apologize for," Bronze Star calmly claimed, holding the orange mare close and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, I do!" the farmer insisted, "You only tried to get me to see the truth, and in return, I cast you out."

Initially, Bronze Star was perplexed. Then it dawned on him what Applejack was referring to. He queried "Are you talking about Esopus Spitzenburg?"

"Yes, I am," Applejack affirmed, "You were right about him. Completely right. You warned me that he was a vicious criminal, and I refused to listen. But now I wished that I heard you out."

"Why?" Bronze Star enquired, "What changed?"

"I… saw some things," Applejack revealed ambiguously, "Things that you might say 'implicated' him in that conspiracy or somethin' like it."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star asked curiously, "What did you see?"

Applejack did not reply straightaway. Instead, she took a few seconds to think. After that, she pointed to her bed and beckoned the gold stallion "Sit down. I'll tell you everything."

"Very well," he coincided.

Bronze Star sat down on the side of Applejack's bed. She sat down right next to him. Once both of them were comfortable, she began a lengthy explanation which started with:

"When you first told me about what my Uncle Esopus was up to, you can imagine I was shocked. In fact, I was outraged that you would dare to make such an accusation about him, even though you said you had proof. I just could not bring myself to believe that one of my favorite relatives was plotting to murder thousands of innocent ponies and your mother."

"I don't blame you for doubting me," Bronze Star asserted, "Had it been me in your place, I wouldn't have believed it, either."

"Still, my handling of our last conversation was… less than professional, I suppose," Applejack noted, "That morning, I went home angry, upset, and heartbroken. I felt as though everything you ever said to me was a lie. I was so distraught that I had half a mind to tell Esopus Spitzenburg everything you told me. But I couldn't do it."

"Maybe because you still felt a small amount of respect for me," Bronze Star conjectured.

"That must be it," Applejack concurred, "Anyway, when I got back to the farm after our argument, I still thought of you as a detestable liar who was out to persecute my Great Uncle for crimes he never committed. Then I made a few discoveries which suggested that there was some truth to your accusations."

"What kind of discoveries?" Bronze Star stated in interest.

Applejack enlightened him with "To begin, when Apple Bloom got back from her sleepover that day, she told me about how you, Fluttershy, and Noble Edict had saved her, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Twilight Sparkle from a cockatrice. I was almost certain that you made up that part of our conversation. But then I heard it from my little sister. While Apple Bloom has a very active imagination, she described the encounter with the cockatrice in almost the exact same manner that you did. So there was no way that you both fabricated that story.

"Since at least that part of your explanation checked out, I wondered if perhaps other parts did, too," she continued, "At the time, I was more concerned with convincing myself that Esopus Spitzenburg was innocent. So I went out to the barn and peeked inside that box he had brought with him. There was nothing in it, but it smelled like a reptile had been living there, and I thought I saw some feathers at the base of it. I quickly did the math, and I realized that only one thing could have been in that box recently."

"It was in there until the previous evening," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Noble Edict saw him take that box out into the field and put it back shortly after."

"I know; you told me that," Applejack recounted, "Anyway, this was around the time that I began to suspect my Uncle Esopus of the things you said about him, but I was still on his side. I tried talking to him to get some answers. I started by telling him about Apple Bloom's encounter with the cockatrice. I made sure to mention how Fluttershy and Noble Edict managed to capture the creature before it could do any harm. When he found out that nopony got hurt, Esopus seemed relieved, but I could tell he was actually frustrated in a way. I could not imagine why; he had been in very good spirits before I brought the topic up. Then it occurred to me that perhaps he actually wanted the cockatrice to inflict some damage on the town. But that only meant one thing."

"He let the cockatrice go in the first place?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Yeah, that was the only explanation," she pronounced, "When I realized that, I was inclined to wonder if he really was scheming something. I brought up that box of his a few times, asking who it was for. He never gave me a name; all he said was that it was a special surprise. But here's the irony. When Esopus and the others finally got on the train and left Ponyville, I checked the barn afterwards, and the box was still there! He deliberately left it behind!"

Bronze Star smirked and declared "Or maybe he already had delivered it."

"Well, then like he said, it was definitely a surprise," Applejack murmured, "However, the box wasn't the only thing that made me question my Uncle Esopus' innocence. There was a lot more to suggest that he was up to something bad. For instance, I asked him and my other relatives why they had chosen to come three weeks earlier than they originally planned. I found out that the whole reason they had come so early was because of Esopus Spitzenburg. Apparently, he had some business in Hoovston to do before he travelled here. He claimed his business would have taken those three weeks to accomplish. Then the Hoovston disaster happened, and Esopus' schedule was freed up quite a bit. He was the only one of my six relatives who would've had something going on, and all of them were eager to visit us. So they decided to push their visit ahead by three weeks. That did make sense, but it also raised some questions. I mean, the Hoovston disaster was purely electrical. My Uncle Esopus runs an agricultural empire. So regardless of how much damage the disaster caused, it wouldn't have affected whatever business he had in Hoovston."

"You're right, it wouldn't have," Bronze Star conced, "If anything, I would have thought his presence would have been welcomed by the residents of Hoovston. Since so many ponies were left without shelter or work, they would have seen the arrival of an entrepreneur of a food-based company as a blessing."

"That's what I thought, too," Applejack professed, "In fact, later on, when he and I were alone, I made that point. You know what he said in response?"

"What?" Bronze Star queried in fascination.

"He said that the Hoovston disaster wasn't his problem," Applejack reminisced, "He also claimed that the whole calamity could have been avoided if Princess Celestia had done a better job of looking out for her subjects."

Bronze Star grimaced and mumbled in disgust "He said that?"

"Yeah, I heard it with my own ears, and I still didn't believe it," Applejack disclosed, "In fact, he said quite a few harsh things about her when you weren't around. While my Uncle Esopus has never been your mother's biggest fan, I never saw him badmouth her like that before. It was as though he was trying to convince me and the others that Princess Celestia is unfit to rule this country."

"Considering that the conspirators wish to disrepute my mother before they kill her, that doesn't surprise me," Bronze Star contended.

"That was another thing that got me," she explicated, "I remembered how excited he had been when you offered to arrange a meeting between him and Celestia, and how equally nervous he had been when you mentioned that he had undergo a background check before that could happen. By then, I was certain that he was hiding something. I even began to wonder if he really was behind that conspiracy you told me about."

"When were you convinced that what I told you was the truth?" he questioned inquisitively.

"The night before he went back to Chicacolt," she expounded, "On that night, we were all gathered downstairs when Esopus announced that he was going out for a few hours. He didn't say where he was going, and I could not guess, as he had not left the farm since he first arrived in town. My curiosity got the better of me; I got the idea to follow him. A couple minutes after he left, I told the others that I was going to do a little late-night applebucking. I soon caught up to Esopus, and I tailed him all the way to the train station."

"He didn't notice you, did he?" Bronze Star asked in concern.

"No, I managed to stay out of sight," Applejack reassured him, "However, as I followed him, Esopus constantly looked over his shoulder, as if he was worried about being watched or something. When he got to the station, he became even more unsettled."

"What was he doing there?" Bronze Star queried.

"He was meeting a mare," Applejack recalled, "A Unicorn, to be precise. She was a few years older than you and probably a whole decade older than me. Her coat was somewhere between violet and lilac. Her mane was a deep red, like scarlet. According to her magic aura, her eyes were a shade of orange. Not orange like my coat; I'd say more of an ochre. And her cutie mark-"

"Was a flowerpot sitting on a podium?" Bronze Star interjected.

Applejack seemed surprised by that, but she slowly nodded her head in confirmation. "You know her?"

"Her name's Lavender Dazzle," Bronze Star elucidated, "You may recall I told you about her, too. She's an outspoken opponent of my mother's administration. She was also the very first pony we identified as one of the conspirators. It was because of her that we found out there was a conspiracy in the first place. We had her under tight scrutiny until a few months ago. Then she somehow managed to slip away from us."

"Well, she was definitely here a couple weeks ago," Applejack proclaimed.

"What did she talk to your Uncle about?" the prince inquired.

"Well, I had to keep my distance to avoid being noticed by them, but I was able to eavesdrop on some of their conversation," the farmer revealed, "They discussed a lot of strange things. Mainly… the Hoovston disaster."

"The Hoovston disaster?" Bronze Star repeated in bafflement.

She nodded her head again and went on with "They brought up a stallion named Livewire, another pony whose name I recognized from our last conversation. Both Esopus and Lavender Dazzle almost directly referred to him as the person responsible for the disaster. They also discussed all the destruction and casualties that had resulted from the disaster. Lavender Dazzle said something like 'Plenty of damage was done.' My Uncle Esopus said in turn 'Not enough. We need our next acts to be more successful. That's the only way we can ensure that our cause will succeed.'"

That statement left Bronze Star practically speechless. Applejack clearly had trouble saying that herself. She looked off to the side and disclosed "It was at that moment, when I stopped living in denial. That was when I realized that you were right all along. My Uncle Esopus really was and is an insurgent, a felon, and a terrorist."

The gold stallion patted the orange mare on the back and told her apologetically "I'm so sorry you had to witness that. It must have been a horrible experience."

"It was," Applejack confirmed, "Even though I was pretty much frozen in shock, I managed to regain my senses and get back home before Esopus or Lavender Dazzle saw me. I didn't get any sleep at all that night, though. I couldn't get that meeting between the two of them out of my head. I was also forced to reflect on certain other events."

"Such as our last conversation?" Bronze Star theorized.

"Yeah, I relived that experience in my head several times," Applejack explained, "But that time around, I was seeing the whole argument from your point of view. I felt terrible for how I treated you. That's why I continued to stay away from you even after Esopus left Ponyville. It wasn't because I resented you for anything you told me. It was because I couldn't even look at you without imagining how badly I must have hurt you when we last spoke. I also felt like a prime idiot. I was on the wrong side."

"That wasn't your fault," Bronze Star asserted, "At the time, you were just defending your Uncle."

"No, I was defending a dishonorable mass murderer!" Applejack snapped angrily, "Over nine hundred ponies died in the Hoovston disaster, and I saw Esopus Spitzenburg practically confess to being responsible for all of them. According to what he said and what you told me, he plans to kill many more. There is no justification for that."

"You're right," Bronze Star coincided firmly, "There isn't. Truthfully, I can't think of a punishment harsh enough for what he's done. Even death may be too good for him."

"No, I think death would be suitable enough," Applejack muttered through gritted teeth, "On that subject, do you still plan to have the remaining conspirators killed?"

Bronze Star thought for a minute, and then he proclaimed "Well, I'm definitely going to have Lavender Dazzle, Raging Tempest, Sparkler Blare, and the other thirteen lower members executed. As for Esopus Spitzenburg… I'll let you decide his fate. What are your feelings for him?"

"I don't feel anything for him anymore," Applejack tensely responded, "If you want him dead, go right ahead. After everything he's done, he deserves to die."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and noted "You seem very decisive about this."

"It's not a hard decision," Applejack insisted, "He's a disgrace to both the Apple Family and the whole of Equestria. This world would be a much better place without ponies like him. In fact, I care so little for that stallion that…"

She paused there. After twenty seconds, Bronze Star leaned closer and queried "That what?"

Applejack inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, and finished with "That I'd like to help you bring him down."

The gold stallion was amazed by that declaration. He remarked in intrigue "Do you mean that?"

"Absolutely," the orange mare substantiated, "If there's anything I can do to help you stop Esopus – anything at all – just ask and I'll do it."

Bronze Star could not believe his good fortune. He had been apprehensive enough about talking to Applejack. He had been absolutely dreading the concept of telling her about his plan to spy on Spitzenburg in Appleoosa. He could not have even ventured a guess as to how he would bring it up to her.

In a glorious twist of fate, Applejack turned out to be the one who was asking HIM for a way to contribute to the investigation into the assassination conspiracy. Now that he had her support, he figured it would be the perfect chance to address what he had discussed with SIG Sauer.

"Well… there is one thing," he tentatively told her.

"Tell me," she beseeched him.

Bronze Star then told Applejack all about the current status of the investigation. He told her how the Firebrand Regiment how managed to identify all but one of the conspirators by this point. He mentioned that they believed the last one was somehow in direct contact with Esopus Spitzenburg. When she asked how, he informed her that the conspirators used large monitors disguised as pieces of poster boards to communicate with each other.

Applejack did not find that hard to believe. During Esopus Spitzenburg's stay in Ponyville, she had passed by his room a few times, and she thought she heard him whispering in there. Not only that, but she could have sworn he heard another voice with him. But she knew for a fact that nopony else had gone into Spitzenburg's room.

Later on, she had looked around in his bedroom when he was not there, and she had found a large piece of poster board underneath his bed.

At any rate, Bronze Star told Applejack about how the Firebrand Regiment was one hundred percent certain that the last conspirator was receiving orders from Spitzenburg directly. As such, they had devised a pair of picture frames with built-in screens, sound systems, and cameras. He informed her that the Regiment needed to place one of the frames near Spitzenburg. That way, they would be able to spy on him with the other frame, and hopefully they would catch him conversing with the final conspirator.

He told Applejack that he needed her to plant the first frame in Spitzenburg's room whenever she visited him in Appleoosa. After that, he would be able to watch Spitzenburg's actions around the clock. All she had to do was provide a picture of her or another member of the actually family, and once they had the information they needed, she would have to replace the special frame with an ordinary frame.

Applejack was impressed by the ingenuity of this plan. It sounded more than a little risky, but she was willing to go through with it. After all, by doing it, she would help Bronze Star bring her Great Uncle to justice. The prince was thrilled to have the farmer on his side now.

After Applejack agreed to carry out this favor, Bronze Star told her "I'll bring you the picture frames tomorrow. I'll show you how to use them."

"Okay," Applejack avowed, "Electricity isn't really my thing, though. It might take me a while to get the hang of them."

"Not to worry," Bronze Star asserted, "The Regiment included an instruction manual. That should help."

"It might," Applejack conceded, uncertainly, "Still, is it really necessary for me to learn how to work them?"

"Of course it is," Bronze Star insisted, "Since I won't be going to Appleoosa, you're the only one who can do it."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and inquired "What makes you think you won't be going there?"

"Well, I wasn't invited," Bronze Star drily pointed out, "As much as I would like to keep an eye on Spitzenburg myself, I'm not about to travel to a private settlement like Appleoosa without permission."

A grin gradually appeared on Applejack's face. She proposed "Then there's only one thing to do."

"What?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"Why don't you come along to Appleoosa with me, Spike, and the girls?" Applejack suggested.

Bronze Star did not expect that proposition, but he was delighted to be given it. He smiled and answered merrily "I'd love to join you."

"Great," Applejack muttered approvingly, "I'll make sure there's room for you on the train."

"Thanks," Bronze Star told her gratefully. There came another brief pause. Then Bronze Star scoffed and commented "You know, it's funny. All these weeks, I've been fretting over this meeting. I kept thinking I would somehow make the situation between you and me even worse. Now it turns out my fears were unfounded. You don't know how happy I am, Applejack, now that I've reestablished our friendship."

Applejack seemed a little intrigued by that last word. She leaned forward and placed her hoof on Bronze Star's shoulder, saying "Just our friendship? Is that all you were hoping to save?"

Bronze Star did not know what to make of that statement. He shrugged and muttered "Well, I figured I should keep my goals realistic. I mean, after how our last conversation ended, I thought our romantic relationship was beyond hope of recovery."

Applejack smiled softly, leaned forward, and declared "You thought wrong."

Bronze Star looked at her, surprised. "Huh?"

"I don't want us to be apart anymore, Bronze," Applejack elaborated, placing her other front hoof on his other shoulder, "Turning against you was a huge mistake. Breaking up with you was an even bigger one. I've never met a more respectable stallion than you. Getting together with you was probably the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

Bronze Star almost could not believe what he was hearing. But he was overjoyed to hear it. He wrapped his front legs around Applejack's torso and pulled her close. He told her "I feel the same way about you. You're more honorable than any other mare I've ever known, and it's thanks to you that I even know what it's like to experience romantic love. You have no idea how happy you've made me, now that I know you want me back, too."

"'Want you back?'" Applejack uttered in amazement, "Bronze, I don't just want you back. I need you back. I didn't realize until this very moment just how much I missed ya. I don't want to feel like ever again."

"Neither do I," Bronze Star asserted.

The farmer then pulled the prince in for a hug. She embraced him tightly and affectionately. He held her with just as much passion and warmth.

"I'm never gonna let you go," Applejack whispered gently, "Never."

"I'll hold on, too," Bronze Star reassured her tenderly, "I'll stay for as long as I draw breath."

As he embraced Applejack, Bronze Star reflected on the scenario. Everything really had worked out just right. This was his third attempt to make amends with her. He had totally botched the first two. But the third one had ended with a better outcome than Bronze Star could have dared to hope for.
> Breaking Barriers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Applejack made arrangements for Bronze Star to join her and the others on the train to Appleoosa. She told him that she had some "special" accommodations planned for him. He was curious as to what she meant, but he did not ask; she wanted it to be a surprise.

The trip to Appleoosa would begin in exactly one week from that day. Bronze Star had a lot to do before then.

He started by going to Town Hall and notifying Mayor Mare and the City Council that he was going on vacation for about a week. They were alright with that, but the Mayor was a little concerned about the timing of his retreat. Princess Celestia's visit would be in three weeks, and the Mayor wanted to give her a royal welcome. She was hoping that the gold stallion would be able to help her and the Council with the preparations, but his departure complicated things.

Bronze Star told them not to worry about anything; he assured them that he could find somepony to temporarily fill in for him as the envoy to Ponyville.

The next day, the task force had another meeting at the embassy. Bronze Star told them he would soon be taking a leave of absence from the town. Unlike the City Council, he did not claim that this would be a vacation. Instead, he admitted to them that he was investigating another case that pertained to national security, but he emphasized that the details of the matter were restricted to a hoofful of ponies, so he could not afford to discuss it with them.

Noble Edict was the only pony there who belonged to that hoofful, so she knew what the prince was talking about. None of the others were very inquisitive, though. Shakedown, Dapple Rhomb, and Rough Rider had their minds focused solely on the situation with the Vermane, Dread Naught and Sir Haywood McCrank respected Bronze Star's wish for privacy, and Copper Hollow, Rollin Fields, and Almond Wheeler only cared about what went on in Ponyville.

Bronze Star requested that one or more of them assume his tasks as the ambassador to Ponyville while he was in Appleoosa. Of course, most of the other nine ponies had not been in Canterlot long enough to represent it, and some had never been there at all. Nevertheless, they managed to work something out.

Each one of them could handle part of Bronze Star's job as ambassador. Altogether, his everyday tasks as an emissary composed about seventy percent of his daily workload. The remaining thirty percent was comprised of everything related to the Nightmare Moon cult, the assassination conspiracy, and his royal duties. He would arrange for all that material to be delivered to Appleoosa while he was there.

The nine members of the task force assured Bronze Star that they could carry out his responsibilities and continue the investigation at the same time. He was grateful for their dedication, and he could trust them to do the work properly.

There was still one minor hindrance that Bronze Star needed to account for. He wanted to be kept up to date on the task force's progress, but the circumstances of his trip made that difficult.

Appleoosa was an isolated settlement. The only way one could communicate with the rest of the country was through the mail, and the mail was only transported to and from the town by train. The train typically arrived and departed at a specified time of day. Bronze Star did not know how busy he would be while he was in Appleoosa, and if he was unable to get to the station whenever the mail train got in, he would run the risk that somepony else might pick up something that was meant for him. It may have seemed like he was needlessly worried, but with all that had been happening lately, he could never be too sure.

Noble Edict came up with a solution. She proposed that another member of the task force accompany the young prince to Appleoosa. That way, if he was unavailable whenever the mail train arrived, that respective task force member could pick up his mail for him. Plus, by doing this, he would have some backup, in the event that any unexpected problems occurred.

Bronze Star agreed to this suggestion; he was certain he could convince Applejack to bring one more pony along. Now he just needed to decide who would go.

Noble Edict was the only one who was aware of Esopus Spitzenburg's activities. She would have gladly gone with him, but she had far too much work. In addition to her usual responsibilities as Ponyville's chief of security and a member of the task force, she also had to help the others fill in for Bronze Star while he was gone. There was also the matter of the conference that would take place during Princess Celestia's upcoming visit. She was charged with organizing security for both of those events, and it was supposed to be a laborious project. Now would have been one of the worst times for Noble Edict to be away from Ponyville. Somepony else would have to go in her stead.

After carefully considering all the others, Bronze Star ultimately selected Rollin Fields as his travelling companion. His decision surprised all of his colleagues, including Rollin Fields himself. However, nopony protested, and Bronze Star was convinced that all things considered, the lime green stallion was the perfect choice.

While Rollin Fields was almost two decades older than the second-eldest member of the task force, he had aged very gracefully. He had been involved in security work longer than any of the other nine ponies had been alive, and he was in excellent physical condition for a stallion half his age. In addition to that, he was an expert in hoof-to-hoof combat, martial arts, and wrestling.

In fact, ever since he moved to Ponyville, Bronze Star had been keeping up with his combat training. Before he revealed his identity to the entire task force, Noble Edict and Sir Haywood had been the only ones he could train with. But after he came forward to the task force, he was able to test his prowess with the other members, as well. Out of all of them, Rollin Fields made the best sparring partner. He had even taught Bronze Star a few complex moves of his own.

After the meeting, Bronze Star went back to Applejack and asked her if she could possibly make room for one more pony on the train to Appleoosa. As luck would have it, there was still room for one more pony to come. When she asked Bronze Star why he wished to bring Rollin Fields, he informed her that Noble Edict had assigned the elderly stallion to watch his back. That much was true, at least.

By the end of the week, the task force had examined approximately two-thirds of the train manifests, and they had begun to notice a definite pattern in the Vermane's movements. There was still not enough for them to draw any conclusions on the Vermane's headquarters, but they would continue looking until they had a surefire lead. Once they found something, they would inform Bronze Star straightaway.

The night before the trip, Bronze Star packed up. Since Appleoosa was in the middle of a desert, he figured he would not need to dress warmly, so he only brought a few items of clothing. He also brought his toiletries, his knapsack, his strongbox, and the Stetson Applejack had given him. He made sure to pack the three picture frames from the Firebrand Regiment, as well. All he needed now was a picture for the ordinary frame and one of the special ones.

Bronze Star was not taking Arthur with him this time. He asked Sir Haywood to open the window to his bedroom every morning so the hawk could go out to hunt and to close it whenever the hawk returned at night. That way, the Colonel would be able to provide for himself while his master was out of town. The indigo stallion agreed to do the gold stallion this favor.

The following day, Bronze Star arrived at the train station in mid-morning. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Rollin Fields were already there. Rollin Fields was saying good-bye to two young adult Earth Ponies who were both a few years older than Bronze Star. They were the youngest of his four children. His two older children and his ex-wife lived in other cities in the country.

At this time, four of the train's crew were helping Applejack move a live apple tree into the caboose. The tree was much too large to be squeezed through the narrow doorway, so they had to take down one of the car's walls in order to get it inside. After a lot of strenuous effort, they managed to set the tree in a canopy bed in the very back of the car. Once they were done, they lifted the wall of the car back up and nailed it back into place.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash arrived shortly after this. Rarity had brought about two dozen suitcases, which – in her case – was packing lightly. Fortunately, everypony else only had one, two, or three suitcases.

Once all their luggage was secured in the cargo car, the eight ponies and the dragon boarded the train's passenger car. When they were all aboard, the train departed from the depot and began making its long trek to the south.

This train was specifically designed for overnight travel, so it had bunks in place of seats. Most of the group had been assigned to a certain bunk, and they all seemed more or less content with the arrangements. It did not take long for them to get settled.

Bronze Star quickly noticed that none of the bunks had his name or Applejack's on them, and all the unoccupied bunks were marked as Reserved for Crew.

He hastily pointed this out to Applejack, and he asked her where the two of them would sleep. She just smirked and told him "You'll see."

The eight ponies and the baby dragon spent the rest of the morning mingling with each other. They discussed their plans for the week, swapped stories, and played some games. Interestingly, Rollin Fields had the most interesting stuff to talk about. Although he was old enough to be the grandfather of everypony else there, he was not behind on the times in any way. Bronze Star and the mares enjoyed listening to what he had to say.

A few hours after lunch, Applejack got a book out of her bag and announced to the others "I'm going to do a little readin' in the caboose."

Bronze Star noticed that the book she was carrying was meant for foals. While Applejack was not as much a bookworm as Twilight, he knew she had a fondness for adult literature. He was curious as to what she was doing with that foals' book.

"Mind if I join you?" Bronze Star requested.

"Course not, sugar cube," Applejack answered him happily.

The gold stallion and the orange mare retreated to the caboose, which turned out to be a private sleeper car. The tree Applejack had brought was tucked underneath the covers of a king-sized bed. Applejack called the tree "Bloomberg." She also referred to the tree as "he," not "it."

"Nice arrangements you've got here," Bronze Star commented.

"Thanks," Applejack stated gratefully, "Only the best for my trees."

"There are a few things that seem a little… odd, though," Bronze Star observed, "Shouldn't you have put Bloomberg on the train's exterior so he would have access to sunlight? And how would you give him water?"

"Bloomberg's one of my healthiest trees; he can go a day without sunlight," Applejack asserted, "Plus, we're going so fast that if we put him on the outside of the train, the wind resistance would blow off all his leaves and apples. As for the water, we've got his roots wrapped up in a sack of moist soil and fertilizer."

Bronze Star scoffed and muttered "I should have known better than to question your ability to safely transport a tree."

"It comes with the trade," Applejack declared.

The orange mare then proceeded to read the foals' book to Bloomberg. It was as though she was reading a bedtime story to her own foal. Of course, Applejack had no children of her own. However, Bronze Star thought of her as the most motherly of all his Ponyville friends. He thought she would make an excellent mother someday.

The book Applejack read from was about a robin who settled in a young tree, and how over the years, as she had grown alongside the tree. It was probably meant to be an analogy of how things constantly change alongside people. Bronze Star actually thought it was a somewhat touching story.

Applejack seemed just as engrossed in the story as he was. Ultimately, she ended it with: "And that's when the yellow birdie thought to himself, 'Hmm. My favorite little tree isn't such a little tree anymore.' So she sang her song, big and strong, and they all lived in that great, big tree happily ever after. The... end."

She then closed the book, set it aside, and smiled up at Bloomberg. Bronze Star trotted over to her and commented "That's a lovely story."

"I agree," Applejack coincided, "It's really good for the trees."

The two of them did not even hear the door to the sleeper car open a few seconds beforehand.

"Applejack!" Rarity called out, "Were you reading a bedtime story to... an apple tree?"

The orange mare and the gold stallion promptly turned around. Rarity and Rollin Fields had entered the sleeper car. Rarity seemed somewhat irritated and perplexed, but Rollin Fields was as sanguine as ever.

Applejack mumbled nervously "Heh... uh... Well, ya know, bein' replanted in a whole new place is very upsettin' for a tree... and Bloomberg here is one of my favorites."

"No fair, Applejack!" Rarity complained, "You've got a luxurious, private sleeper car for a tree, while I am crowded and cramped in the same car with all the other ponies. How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep?!"

"I can think of worse fates, Rarity," Rollin Fields sardonically uttered, "It's not like you're stuck with a herd of lowlife degenerates."

"He's right," Bronze Star murmured, "Besides, nopony forced you to come on this trip. You were invited like the rest of us."

"Yes, and I'm glad I came," Rarity insisted, "Still, I'm not exactly thrilled with these arrangements."

"But Bloomberg's the whole reason we're makin' this trip," Applejack pointed out, "He needs his rest so we can give him as a gift to my relatives in Appleloosa."

"Hmph!" Rarity spat heatedly, "You talk about it as if it's your baby or something."

"Who you callin' a baby?!" Applejack sharply refuted "Bloomberg's no baby!"

She then rushed over to the king-sized bed and wrapped her front hooves around Bloomberg. She cajoled him with "Don't wet widdle Rarity make you all saddy-waddy. Bloomberg's a big and strong apple tree. Yes, he is. A-coochie-coochie-coo-coo-coo!"

Bronze Star smirked in amusement, Rollin Fields scoffed, and Rarity sighed in annoyance. She said mockingly "It's widdle Rarity who's all 'saddy-waddy!' Urgh!"

She headed back into the passenger car, leaving the farmer, the prince, and the security officer by themselves.

Rollin Fields looked to Applejack and pronounced "You remind me of my ex-wife. She was always really protective of our children, almost to the point of mania. She probably would have content if they stayed as foals forever. It wasn't until they each moved out of the house that she treated them like adults."

"That must've been fun," Bronze Star drily contended, "What about you, Rollin?"

"I, on the other hoof, raised our children with more dignity," Rollin Fields disclosed, "I was always tough and strict on them, but I was also fair and affectionate. I never abused them or mistreated them. In fact, I think all four of them prefer me over their mother. Of course, they never told me that, nor would I ask them if it was the case."

"Well, I don't get this lovey-dovey very often," Applejack proclaimed, "I just get somewhat defensive of my trees. We Apples like to think of ourselves as patrons of the land, and since the trees are a product of the land, we're also patrons of them in a way."

"That makes sense," Bronze Star muttered in understanding, "Still, seeing you with Bloomberg like that… it makes me wonder how you'd do as an actual mother."

"I wonder that often, too," Applejack admitted.

Rollin Fields smirked and cheekily told Bronze Star "Maybe someday you could help her become one, Bronze."

The gold stallion and the orange mare flushed deeply at that proposal. It was so suggestive that they were unable to look at each other or at Rollin Fields for over a minute.

The lime green Earth Pony frowned and muttered apologetically "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay, Rollin," Bronze Star asserted, "We'll just pretend you didn't. Right, AJ?"

"Right, Bronze," Applejack concurred. After an awkward period of silence, the farmer asked the elderly stallion "How come you came back here, anyway?"

"Just wanted to report our progress," Rollin Fields explicated, "The conductor says we're a third of the way to Appleoosa. He also says we'll be stopping twice tonight to alternate our means of movement."

"What does he mean by that?" Bronze Star queried in perplexity.

"Right now, the train's not using any form of fuel to run," Rollin Fields revealed, "Instead, those four burly stallions we saw earlier are pulling it on the tracks. According to the conductor, when it gets late, he'll stop the train to bring the stallions inside. While they get their rest, he'll have the train run on fuel throughout the night. At the crack of dawn, he'll stop the train again and have the stallions take over again."

"Interesting," Bronze Star perceived, "Seems like a methodical system, but why we don't just use fuel the whole way?"

"Because the conductor wants to conserve it," Applejack expounded, "Coal is really hard to come by out here. There aren't any mines in the desert, and the only trees around are apple trees. So the only coal we have is what we took with us from Ponyville. We have just enough to make a one-way trip. That's why we're relying on those four stallions to get us there most of the way."

"They must be as strong as I am if they can pull the train over such a great distance for this long," Bronze Star conjectured.

"The train's lighter than you think," Applejack claimed.

"It must be," was all Bronze Star said in response.

Soon after, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rollin Fields rejoined Spike and the mares in the passenger car. They spent the next few hours mingling. In the early evening, the train came to a complete stop and the four stallions at the front came inside. Once they were on board, the train started moving again.

The passengers and the crew all ate a light dinner together in the dining car. When it was over, the conductor returned to the engine room, the four stallions made their way to the baggage car, and everypony else went to the passenger car. Soon after, the four stallions returned to the front of the train for another couple hours to save a little more fuel.

Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rollin Fields, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash quickly got settled down for the night. They each climbed onto their respective bunks, and they passed the time by eating snacks and chatting some more. Applejack and Bronze Star still had no designated bunks, so they remained standing.

At ten o'clock, Applejack proposed that she and Bronze Star turn in for the night. She asked him to follow her to the sleeper car. Although he was a little bewildered, he went with her all the same.

At the front of the sleeper car, there was a large arch six feet from the door. Bronze Star had not noticed this earlier, but there was a curtain that hanged from the arch to the front wall of the car. Applejack pushed it aside and revealed a queen-sized bed.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and inquired "Has that been there this whole time?"

"Yup," Applejack affirmed, "Don't tell Rarity. Or any of the others, for that matter. We wouldn't them to get any ideas."

"'Ideas?'" Bronze Star repeated.

Applejack lightly nodded her head. She then hopped onto the bed and stretched her legs. After that, she scooted to the left side of the bed, turned to Bronze Star, patted the bed's empty right side, and beckoned him "Well, come on."

Bronze Star immediately realized what was going on. He muttered awkwardly "You want me to…"

"That's the general plan," she avowed, nodding her head.

"You sure it'd be a good idea?" Bronze Star enquired, "I mean, you and I just got back together."

"As far as everypony else knows, we were never apart," Applejack argued.

"Still, would it really be appropriate for us to sleep together?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"The keyword there is 'sleep,'" Applejack declared, "Just sleep, nothing else. I assure you that I only have pure intentions here, Bronze."

Bronze Star had no reason to doubt Applejack's integrity. After all, she was not one to rush things, especially something as serious as their relationship. Still, this was the first time he ever shared a bed with her. He could not help but feel a little queasy at the prospect of that.

Even so, he felt he could trust himself and his fillyfriend to keep things tame between them. So in the end, he grinned and pronounced "Very well,"

He trotted to the right side of the bed and laid down next to the orange mare. She smiled at him happily.

A few minutes later, the two of them were both underneath the bed's covers. They had their front legs wrapped around each other's upper body. Applejack rested her head against her coltfriend's chest, and he cuddled her close to him, stroking her mane affectionately.

Although Bronze Star and Applejack had made amends a week earlier, they had been unable to have a lot of quality time. This was the first opportunity they had to be alone together.

They did not realize until that moment just how much they missed being this close to each other. The feeling of this current moment was absolutely wonderful.

Before they got too caught up in it, Bronze Star needed to address something. He gazed down at Applejack and enquired "So, are you ready?"

Applejack seemed mildly surprised by that question. She looked up at him and uttered in bafflement "I just said we were going to sleep in the same bed. That's all."

Evidently, she had misunderstood him. Since they were sharing a bed, he could not entirely blame her for that. Bronze Star lightly rolled his eyes and illuminated "I meant for our meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg,"

"Oh," Applejack commented, easing up a bit. She sat up a bit and pronounced "I'm more than ready for that."

"Want to go over the plan one more time?" Bronze Star offered.

"No, I think I've got it down," Applejack thought aloud, "After we meet up with him, I'll give him one of those special picture frames. I'll be sure to place it in his bedroom myself. I'll put it in a spot that gives it a full view of the entire room. Once I've done that, I'll activate the recording mechanism by adjusting the hinges on the back of the frame's casing. Then I'll leave it there, and you and I will monitor the room with the other special frame until Esopus speaks with the final conspirator on that poster board of his. Once we've done that, I'll sneak into his room and replace the first special frame with the ordinary one. Did I forget anything?"

"Nope, every factor is accounted for," Bronze Star affirmed, "Except, of course, for the pictures themselves. For obvious reasons, we can't give Spitzenburg empty frames. I assume you've got that covered?"

"Of course," Applejack remarked, "You remember that day a few months ago, when Granny Smith brought out that camera and took a lot of pictures for no apparent reason? Well, she took a rather good one of you and me in the ranch's orchards. I decided to use that one. I found it poetically fitting."

"How so?" Bronze Star inquired.

"You and I will be giving that picture in that special frame as a gift to my Great Uncle," Applejack clarified, "Unbeknownst to him, we'll be watching him through that frame. So we'll be there with him, yet we won't be there, yet we'll be snooping on him. Does that make sense?"

"Percent sense," Bronze Star proclaimed, smirking, "The Regiment believes that Spitzenburg is in Appleoosa so he can safely evade the government's notice. But he won't be able to evade the notice of you and me. Once we've seen the final conspirator, we just need to identify him or her. Then we'll be able to end this conspiracy once and for all."

Applejack smiled in approval at that. She rested her head against Bronze Star's chest again and told him "This is actually kinda exciting. All this underground work and spying stuff… plus I'm helping save the country."

"That's nothing you haven't already done before," Bronze Star noted, grinning as well, "Only this time, you're helping me, as well."

Applejack continued to smile, and she gazed up into her coltfriend's eyes. She proclaimed merrily "I'm always happy to help you."

Bronze Star pulled her close and nuzzled his head against hers. At the same time, she caressed the sides of his chest tenderly.

For a few seconds, Bronze Star enjoyed that show of affection. Then he winced and mumbled in pain "Ow."

Applejack promptly stopped caressing his lower body and looked up at him. She asked worriedly "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just…" Bronze Star began tentatively. He glimpsed down at the spot Applejack had touched him. She looked as well, and she saw a conspicuous scar on his lower chest. That was the place where he had gotten stabbed in the Diamond Dog mines.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Applejack hastily uttered, "Does it hurt?"

"Not as much as it did a couple weeks ago," Bronze Star apprised her, "It's more or less healed, but the spot is still tender to the touch."

Applejack lightly tapped her front hoof around that spot, and she commented "I feel really bad about this. It was my fault, after all."

"It was worth it to save your life," Bronze Star said in reassurance, "Aside from that, I'd have to share some of the blame. Not just because I threw myself in front of you before Brutus could attack you. If I had just kept my mouth shut when we escaped from the caverns, Brutus would never have singled you out as the one I loved."

"I guess that's true," Applejack candidly admitted, shrugging and staring at the wall of the train, "Still, to think that at the time, I was uncertain if you really did care about me that much."

"I thought you already knew the truth of Spitzenburg's role in the conspiracy by then," Bronze Star recalled.

"I did," Applejack confirmed, "However, even after I learned that you were telling the truth about Esopus, I was still uncertain if you really did love me or if you were just using me to spy on my Great Uncle. After what happened in the mines, I knew the truth straightaway. I felt like such a fool afterwards."

"How come?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"When you took that blow for me, it erased any doubts I had about your feelings for me," Applejack explained, "I mean, there was no way you would have deliberately put yourself in danger like that for somepony you did not genuinely care for."

"You're right," Bronze Star professed, "Sure, had anypony else been in your place, I would have attempted to save that pony's life by blocking the attack or pushing them out of harm's way. But neither of those options was available when Brutus came at you with his sword; I had no choice but to throw myself between you and him. Believe me, I would not have done that for just anypony. Only somepony I truly loved."

"That's what I thought," Applejack stated, "When I saw how badly wounded you were, I felt so guilty. Guilty for how I treated you when we last spoke, and guilty for how you selflessly got hurt to save me despite our breakup. But guilt was not all I felt. At the time, I was also overcome with panic."

"I can understand that," Bronze Star told her, "If somepony I knew got hurt that badly, I would be panicking, too."

"No, that wasn't the only reason I was panicking," Applejack revealed, "I was also panicking because I was concerned that your injury might have been fatal."

"It wasn't," Bronze Star bluntly uttered.

"Well, I was almost certain it would be," Applejack pronounced, turning back to Bronze Star, "You see, I once had another experience like the one in the Diamond Dogs cavern."

"You did?" Bronze Star stated in fascination.

"Yeah, it was just as dangerous and scary," Applejack responded, "The only difference was that in the encounter with the Diamond Dogs, everypony survived."

That statement really caught Bronze Star's attention. He leaned closer to Applejack and enquired "What about the other experience? What happened then? When was it? How exactly does it relate to what we went through?"

Applejack did not answer any of his questions right away. Instead she gazed off to the side of the wall again, and then she sat up straight so that her eyes were level with Bronze Star's. She told him "Do you really want to know? It's very unpleasant."

"I can deal with 'unpleasant,'" Bronze Star proclaimed, "If something's troubling you, AJ, please tell me about it. I'm willing to listen."

"Okay, if you say so," Applejack coincided, albeit somewhat reluctantly. There was a long interval of silence as Applejack stared over to the side. After that, she gave a deep sigh, turned to Bronze Star, and pronounced "Let me tell you how I lost my parents."

Ever since Bronze Star had been together with Applejack, she had told him everything about her parents, except how they died. He had been wanting to hear this tale for a long time. All he knew about it so far was that their deaths were accidents. He leaned closer and commented "I'm listening."

Applejack lightly nodded her head and elucidated with:

"As you know, most of our group is not from Ponyville originally. You and Twilight Sparkle were raised in Canterlot, Pinkie Pie was brought up on a rock farm, and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash grew up in Cloudsdale. Rarity and I are the only ones who have lived in Ponyville for our entire lives. You see, she and I were best friends as fillies, despite the fact we had radically different hobbies and ambitions. We always liked to share in each other's interests, too. I attended her fashion shows and helped her collect gems; she played my sports and helped me farm my trees."

"That's nice of you both," Bronze Star remarked.

"Yeah, we always had fun with each other, even if we thought beforehand that we wouldn't," Applejack disclosed, "Anyway, one day, Rarity wanted to give me a makeover. Naturally, I was very against that idea, but she was quite persistent. She claimed that all the time I spent outside was bad for my complexion, and she wanted to 'preserve my appearance.' When I refused to yield, she made me a deal. If I allowed her to give me a makeover, she would participate in any activity I wanted to do afterwards. So I went through with her proposal. The makeover actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I still thought I looked fine before."

"Yeah, you don't need makeup to look beautiful," Bronze Star sincerely stated.

Applejack flushed slightly, but she was grateful for that compliment. She went on with "At any rate, the day after Rarity gave me that makeover, I had her repay her debt. As you can imagine, I was the more adventurous of the two, so I had something a little more exciting in mind for us."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star queried.

"There was this cave on a small mountain to the north of town," Applejack reminisced, "I had always wanted to explore it, but I didn't want to go alone. I thought Rarity would be the perfect partner. She wasn't thrilled when I suggested it, but she had to uphold her part of the bargain. So in the early morning, she and I set out to the mountain and went into the cave. It was really dark in there. Our flashlight didn't have a long battery life, and after it died on us, Rarity had to use her horn to light the way. She was worried that something was living in there, but I encouraged her to keep moving onward. The cave was much bigger than I thought it would be; we were able to continue trotting through the same passageway for a half-hour. After that, we came to a large cavern with a waterfall that trickled down into a creek. We stopped there for a drink and for Rarity to wash her hooves. After that, we looked around for another passage, and we found that there were half a dozen additional openings in the cavern. The first three were dead ends, the fourth one looped back into a fifth, but the sixth one… when we entered that one, we heard a soft groan, like an animal's growl. I had Rarity shine her aura further down that passage, and we found ourselves face-to-face with a goblin."

Bronze Star was alarmed by that last statement. "A goblin?"

"Yeah, and definitely not a friendly one," Applejack affirmed, "He came at me and Rarity with a stone-axe. We galloped as fast as we could back to the passage we had come from. He was gaining on us quickly; there was no way we would clear the cave before he caught up to us. Both Rarity and I realized this at once, and we struggled to think of a way to delay the goblin or stop him altogether. At first, I proposed that she run and I stay behind to fight him off. She refused to leave me, and she came up with an idea of her own. She stood near the end of the passage and fired a concentrated burst of energy at the top of it. That caused a part of the roof to collapse along the mouth of the cave. Rarity's strategy worked; she managed to separate the goblin from us. On the downside, her magical burst was a little too powerful. Just when we thought we were safe, another part of the roof collapsed. It came down in front of me, but behind Rarity."

Bronze Star held his breath at that part, but he was still as captivated as ever. He urged her "Go on."

Applejack continued with "After that, Rarity was trapped on the other side of the rock pile. She was unable to lift them or push them out of the way with their magic, and I wasn't strong enough to shatter them or move them aside. My only option was to go back to Ponyville and get help. So I sprinted as fast as I could to Sweet Apple Acres and found my parents. I told them what happened, and they went back to the cave with me. Working together, we managed to clear away the rock piles and locate Rarity. Unfortunately, the goblin was an excellent digger, too. He got to Rarity at the same time as us. My mother and father quickly went to her aid. They had to physically fight the goblin off. The goblin managed to hit my Mom in the shoulder with his axe, but that left him vulnerable to my Dad. He grabbed the goblin by the throat, threw him onto the ground, and smashed his head in with a rock."

Bronze Star's eyes widened in surprise and he muttered "In front of you and Rarity?"

"Yeah, but we didn't care," Applejack pronounced, "That goblin attacked us first."

"But based on this account, it sounds as though he wasn't responsible for anypony's death," Bronze Star noted.

"Technically, he wasn't," Applejack revealed, "It turned out he wasn't living there by himself. After my Dad killed the goblin, we heard movement coming from the passage he had emerged from. Rarity used her horn, and we saw more goblins pouring out of that passage. Immediately, my parents ordered us to run as fast as we could. I didn't need to be told twice, but Rarity stayed behind again to fire another burst of energy at the roof. She was able to put a wall of gravel between us and the onslaught of goblins. However, this started a chain reaction that caused more and more of the passage to collapse. Rarity, my parents, and I ran as fast as our legs could carry us back to the entrance of the cave. All the while, huge chunks of stone were dropping onto the ground behind us. When we were more than halfway to the opening, the pain from the injury in my Mom's shoulder caught up to her, and she stumbled onto her knees. My Dad noticed this and went back to help her. I would have gone to, but he firmly ordered us to go on. So we did, and we never looked back until we reached the cave entrance."

Bronze Star felt his teeth clench and his hooves tighten as Applejack said all this. He was notably astonished by this point, but he was as attentive as ever.

Applejack needed a minute to prepare herself, and then she illuminated "That was when I realized that my parents weren't with us. I wanted to go back for them, but Rarity stopped me, saying it was too dangerous. So together, we went back to Ponyville and got more help. This time, we returned with members of the security staff, an excavation team, and some paramedics. The security officers kept an eye out for goblins while the excavation team cleared away the residue of the avalanche. Two hours later, they called in the paramedics. Initially, I was thrilled; I thought my parents had been recovered. But… but when the paramedics came out… they rolled out two stretchers, both of which were covered with white sheets. I was confused at first, but I slowly realized what was going on, and I... I damn near lost my mind."

Once again, Bronze Star found himself short of breath. He wrapped a front leg around his fillyfriend, which she welcomed thankfully. She then announced "I wanted to see the bodies; no, I demanded to see them. When the paramedics refused, I went hysterical. Three members of the security staff had to pull me away from the stretchers, and they took me home after that. Rarity went with us. By the time we got back to Sweet Apple Acres, I had stopped putting up a struggle, but I must have been in shock; I can barely remember being in control of my sense at the time. Rarity seemed just as miserable as me. She hugged me tightly and told me she was sorry about a hundred times. I heard her, but I didn't acknowledge her. I was just frozen in disbelief."

Bronze Star felt more than a few tears moistening his eyes.

"The funeral was a few days later," Applejack "I hardly remember that, either. In fact, for two whole weeks after my parents died, it was as though I was barely alive, myself. I didn't want to eat, sleep, go outside, or talk to anypony. In fact, at one point, I didn't even want to live."

Bronze Star could understand what Applejack was saying. SIG Sauer once went through a similar sensation when his wife Wysteria was killed. But even back then, SIG Sauer was an adult stallion who had already been acquainted with sacrifice and loss. When Applejack lost her parents, she was just a preteen filly living in a small peaceful town. Their deaths must have been much harder on her than Wysteria's had been on her husband.

Bronze Star muttered inquisitively "How did you come out of that trance?"

"Granny Smith and Big McIntosh did everything they could to comfort me and cheer me up," Applejack recalled, "But the one who really came through for me was Rarity. While I was in that fragile state, she rarely left my side. She made my well-being her personal goal or something. For that, I'm indebted to her. If it wasn't for her, I might never have recovered."

"Well, I'm very glad she was able to help you," Bronze Star proclaimed softly.

"Me, too," Applejack remarked straightforwardly, "Afterward, Rarity told me that she didn't do that just because I was her best friend. She also did it because she felt responsible for my parents, seeing as how she was the one who started that avalanche. I told her that the fault was mine, since I suggested going to that cave in the first place."

"I'd say the goblins were to blame," Bronze Star contended.

"For the longest time, I believed that, too," Applejack debated, "Now that I think about it, it isn't really that simple. Maybe we were intruding on them, and they were just defending their territory."

"Still, it was as much their fault as yours or Rarity's," Bronze Star insisted.

Applejack merely shrugged and uttered "Perhaps we were all were blameworthy in some way. But that wasn't the case with the Diamond Dogs."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and queried "What are you talking about?"

"During the incident with the Diamond Dogs, I thought the whole thing was happening all over again," Applejack elucidated, "The circumstances were strikingly similar. We were going into an unexplored subsurface dwelling, the inhabitants were reclusive, warrior-like creatures, and our ultimate goal was to save Rarity. All the while, I was concerned that at least one of us would not come out of that mine alive."

"Luckily, we all did," Bronze Star murmured reassuringly.

"Yeah, but just before we left the mines, you had that deadly encounter with Brutus," Applejack reminded him, "I was beyond terrified when he stabbed you right in front of me. Whatever happened to you would have been my fault, and don't try to deny it."

"Okay, I won't," Bronze Star claimed tranquilly, "Still, we survived that ordeal, and I recovered from that injury. Does what happened to me really matter?"

"Of course, it matters!" Applejack debated, "Bronze, if you died in that cave, your death would have been on my head. I was able to live with that guilt once. But a second time? No buckin' way. If you got killed in there because of me, I… I would've…"

"What?" he asked pressingly, "What would you have done?"

By now, Applejack had tears flooding her eyes. She gazed up at her coltfriend and declared "I would have killed myself."

Bronze Star was not just stunned when he heard that. He was taken aback, he was horrified, and he was even somewhat angered. He grasped Applejack by her shoulders and muttered crossly "Don't ever say that."

"It's true," Applejack firmly professed, "You would have died saving me. Worse yet, you would have died thinking that I hated you. How could you expect me to live with something like that?"

"Applejack, the only reason I did that was so that you could live," Bronze Star stated brusquely, "If I died from my wound and you killed yourself afterwards, both our deaths would have been meaningless. Is that what you would have wanted?"

Applejack's misery was quickly replaced by astonishment. She had never thought of that affair from that angle before. When she saw it from that perspective, she felt extremely foolish and ignorant.

She dried her eyes and gazed up at the gold stallion. She told him solemnly "You're right, Bronze. Suicide would have been the coward's way out, and it would have caused more grief for the ponies I loved. I can't believe how selfish I was."

"You weren't being selfish," Bronze Star insisted, "There are some ponies who can't live with that sort of thing at all. The fact that you were able to and that you realized the folly of it means that you are an even stronger pony than I thought. You should be proud of your ability to face and overcome that crisis."

"I guess I am," Applejack admitted. After a brief pause, she embraced the prince tightly and whispered "Bronze, I want you to promise me something."

"What?" he questioned.

"Promise me that'll never happen again," Applejack pleaded, "Promise me you'll never get hurt like that, even for my benefit. Promise me that you'll stay safe."

Bronze Star gently moved the orange mare's head to his and kissed her warmly on the lips. After that, he gazed into her eyes and told her sincerely "On my honor, I promise you I'll do all that. I won't do anything to compromise my well-being or yours. I'll do everything in my power to keep us both safe."

Applejack heard him, and she believed him. She smiled happily, placed her front hooves on his cheeks and kissed him again. He returned the kiss with just as much passion.

They did not stop there. Bronze Star wrapped his front legs around Applejack's upper body and lowered her and himself down onto the bed. When they were lying down, she removed her hooves from his face and gripped onto his shoulders. They pulled each other close, and then they were not just cuddling anymore.

Applejack brushed the tip of her tongue smoothly against Bronze Star's brow. While she did that, Bronze Star playfully nibbled the side of her neck. Then he lightly kissed her under her chin, eliciting a groan of pleasure from her.

She slid her front legs further down his body and rubbed the small of his back. She pushed down and over, as though she was folding his coat and skin onto itself. That was both stimulating and relaxing at the same time.

While Applejack was massaging him, Bronze Star got a devious idea on how to return the favor. He became a little bolder and slid one of his front legs down to the area between the orange mare's hind legs. He pressed his hoof against that spot, and she moaned in arousal.

He grinned sneakily and pushed down a little harder. He could feel that she was already a little moist, and he rubbed his hoof against her slit. She welcomed his touch openly. She was very turned on by this point, and so was he. He found himself hardening, and he wanted to go even further than this.

Bronze Star slowly turned Applejack so that she was lying flat on her back. She realized where this was going, but she put up no resistance. If anything, she encouraged his advances. Once she was in place, he moved to climb on top of her.

Bronze Star mounted Applejack, but before they could get into the proper positions for what they had in mind, they heard a voice blurt out "Guys, are you alright?"

They had been so focused on each other that they did not even hear the door to the sleeper car open a minute ago. They had been interrupted by Spike, who was dragging in a pillow behind him.

Luckily, Bronze Star and Applejack were still under the bed's covers, otherwise Spike would have seen them in a very compromising position. Still, they felt as though they had actually been caught in the act.

Without uttering a word, Bronze Star and Applejack hastily regained their composure, untangled themselves, and sat up in the bed. They forced a smile in the baby dragon's direction, and the orange mare stated in a friendly tone "Oh, hi, Spike. Everything alright?"

"I could ask you the same," Spike retorted candidly.

"We're doing just fine," Bronze Star claimed casually, "We were just trying to get comfortable."

"You sounded as though you were in pain," Spike noted.

"We weren't," Applejack asserted, "We were just looking for the best sleeping position."

"If you say so," Spike uttered in response.

After a brief pause, Bronze Star queried "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"I'm trying to get some sleep, but the others won't shut up," Spike enlightened them, "And apparently, Fluttershy's a tree."

"Huh?" said Applejack, baffled.

"Don't ask," Spike proposed, "Anyway, could I stay in here with you guys?"

Bronze Star and Applejack looked to each other, and then they turned back to the dragon. The farmer shrugged and pronounced "Uh, sure. But we're a little tight on space her. Would you mind sharing with Bloomberg?"

"No, I don't mind," Spike assured them, "Beats the floor."

The gold stallion and the orange mare watched as the dragon approached the apple tree at the end of the sleeper car. As he crawled into bed with the tree, he whispered "Bloomberg..? Bloomberg? Sorry, but I tend to snore a bit. Good night."

He then gave a contented sigh, rested his head on his pillow, and quickly fell asleep.

Once he was out, Bronze Star turned to Applejack and muttered "That was too close."

"No kiddin'," she conceded, "Good thing he didn't come in thirty seconds later. That would have been even more awkward."

"Indeed," he murmured drily, "Still, I think it's a good thing that he stopped us. I don't think I would have been able to restrain myself if not for that interruption."

"I probably wouldn't have held back, either," Applejack muttered, "I have no idea what came over me just now. I just… wanted you. So badly."

"Even those with the strongest will can give in to temptation every now and then," Bronze Star debated, "That includes you and me. Guess we both got a little too lovesick."

"So you're saying that the two of us wantin' each other like that is a bad thing?" Applejack presumed, frowning.

"No, it isn't," he asserted, "Not entirely, at any rate. I'll be the first to say there's nothing wrong with desire. Even so, I don't want to give in to this kind of desire before you and I know we're ready."

"We seemed ready a minute ago," she pointed out.

"Yes, but that's not to say we were ready," he argued, "I read somewhere that couples are seventy percent more likely to stay together if they wait until after marriage to have sex. I wouldn't want to risk finding out the hard way that that statistic is accurate. Aside from that, it would be nearly impossible to hide that sort of relationship from our friends and family. Most of all…"

He paused for a second there, as if he was uncertain it would be wise to continue. Applejack asked him in interest "What?"

Bronze Star took a deep breath and apprised her "Well, I was the product of a free union. I would hate for my first child to born a bastard, as well."

Applejack scoffed and proclaimed "Who's to say you really were conceived out of wedlock? Aside from that, do you really think you'd get me pregnant the first time we go all the way?"

"It's certainly possible," Bronze Star professed, "The Alicorns did not decline because of sterility, after all. And I'm inclined to think that you are just as fertile and productive as your apple trees."

Applejack had to admit that that was a reasonable assumption. She even saw that last statement as a bit of a compliment. She thought aloud "Okay, Bronze. I don't want to rush things any more than you do. Besides, I gave you my word that we were just going to sleep together."

"Great," Bronze Star said in approval, smiling.

There was another period of silence, and then Applejack suggested "Shall we get some rest?"

"Yes, let's," Bronze Star responded.

The two of them laid back down side-by-side, and they kissed each other softly on the lips.

"Night, Bronze," the farmer uttered quietly

"Night, AJ," the prince returned.

Soon after, they swiftly fell asleep in each other's front legs.

…

The next morning in Ponyville, the task force gathered at the embassy. Despite being short two members, the remaining eight worked as diligently as ever.

By now, they had gone through nine of the twelve crates of manifests, and they were halfway through the tenth one. They always kept their eyes open for the exact same thing: a black E, a black U, and a black P side-by-side-by-side in any order in the same row. Every time they found that permutation, they made a note of the manifest's date, as well as the respective train's arrival time, departure time, previous destination, and final destination.

That had found a number of interesting consistencies in their findings. Namely, the Vermane appeared to travel to each city no more than thirty-six hours before they moved in on their target, and they always left less than twenty-four hours after committing the crime. This was the case in nearly every city where they killed their victims.

There was only one discrepancy. Copper Hollow had been the first to notice it. He decided to address it at this meeting.

While his colleagues examined the manifests from the tenth crate, Copper Hollow studied the records they had made of all the other manifests so far. He compared those notes to the record Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught had made of the Vermane's murders. He had already found the discrepancy; now he was double-checking to ensure that he had not misinterpreted it. After he confirmed that it was valid, he informed the others "I think I've got something."

The other seven ponies gave the copper stallion their attention. He stood up and placed the task force's notes and the investigators' records side-by-side. He announced "Based on the information Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught have accumulated over the years, the Vermane have killed at least one pony in each of the major cities. According to the manifests, there is surefire proof that the Vermane have used the trains to travel to the city of each murder beforehand and leave it afterwards. That's how they've done it in every city. Except Las Pegasus."

That point captured everypony else's interests. Dread Naught learned forward and enquired "What makes you say that, Deputy Chief?"

Copper Hollow pressed his hooves down on the task force's notes and professed "For all the murders in Las Pegasus, not once did we locate a black E, a black U, and a black P in the same row on any of the trains that arrived before the crime or departed after it. That implies that the Vermane were never on those trains. Why do you suppose that is?"

The seven ponies thought on this development, and several of them came up with their own interpretations of it.

"Maybe the Vermane's headquarters in located in Las Pegasus," Almond Wheeler theorized.

"Could be," Shakedown contended, "Then again, it could be possible that they simply have some members who already live there."

"Perhaps it's where they get new recruits," Dapple Rhomb hypothesized.

"Or maybe it's not an error at all," Noble Edict proposed, "Sir Haywood, Agent Dread Naught, are you certain the Las Pegasus murders were done by the Vermane?"

"Completely," Sir Haywood confirmed, "They match the criteria of the other murders in every other aspect. I believe Deputy Chief Hollow is on to something."

"I concur," Dread Naught pronounced, "Whatever the reason for this incongruity, we can safely conclude that the Vermane must have a special interest in Las Pegasus. Right now, there's no way of telling what it is, but it definitely exists."

"I quite agree," Rough Rider stated. After another period of silence, the olive stallion stood up and disclosed "While we're on the subject of hidden leads, I believe I might have found something, too. Some of you may have already noticed this one, but for those who haven't, I'll go ahead and discuss it."

"We're listening," Dapple Rhomb informed her husband.

Rough Rider turned to Copper Hollow, held out his front hoof, and requested "Copper, the notes?"

The copper stallion picked up the task force's notes and passed them along to the olive stallion, saying "Here you go, Rough."

Rough Rider shuffled through the papers until he found a page that covered the manifests that belonged to the trains that transported the Vermane to their targets. He placed his hoof on the column of the trains' original destinations, and he revealed "Whenever the Vermane go after their targets, the city that their train departs from typically varies."

He then flipped through the papers until he got to a page that covered the manifests that belonged to the trains that the Vermane fled on. He placed his front hoof on the column of the trains' intended destinations, and he went on with "However, more often than not, whenever the Vermane take flight, they usually escape to one particular city: Detrot."

The other seven ponies found that fairly interesting. Almond Wheeler asked rhetorically "Is that right?"

Rough Rider nodded his head and expounded "About seventy percent of the Vermane's getaway trains go straight to Detrot. If it was fifty percent or less, I wouldn't think anything of it. But Detrot accounts for almost three-quarters of their retreats."

"What about the murders that take place IN Detrot?" Shakedown inquired.

"Hang on a moment," Rough Rider commented as he started searching through the papers again. When he found what he was looking for, he muttered "Detrot seems to be the city where they commit the most murders. Like everywhere else, the Vermane get there from various cities. But after they're killed their target, the Vermane do not seem to travel to any specific location. However, about half the time, they travel to… Las Pegasus."

His companions found that to be quite intriguing.

"Truth be told, I did notice that Detrot was used rather frequently by the Vermane as a retreat," Sir Haywood proclaimed, "At first, I merely assumed they used it as a type of insurance policy. After all, if you're trying to evade the law, Detrot is the most ideal place to hide. But now that we've made this connection with Las Pegasus… we're getting closer to them. Much closer. I'm certain of that."

"So the Vermane are garrisoned in either Detrot or Las Pegasus?" Dapple Rhomb presumed.

"While it's still too early to say, I'm inclined to believe that that might be the case," Sir Haywood contended, "It would make a great deal of sense. After all, Detrot has more violent crime than any other city in Equestria, and while Manehatten is the country's largest city in terms of population, Las Pegasus is the largest city in terms of size. There are countless places one could set up a base there without drawing unwanted attention."

"Either city would make an ideal hiding place," Shakedown thought aloud, rubbing his chin, "Maybe that's precisely what the Vermane want us to think."

"What do you mean?" Copper Hollow inquired.

"There could be another reason as to why they never use the trains whenever they strike Las Pegasus, and why they so frequently retreat to Detrot after most of their other crimes," Shakedown conjectured.

"What reason would that be?" Noble Edict enquired.

"They could be masking their trails," Shakedown speculated, "Case in point, they may want to make their movements a little erratic so that they can throw off anypony who could be attempting to track them. For all we know, the Vermane are deliberately trying to seem unpredictable so that they can avoid being pursued."

"That's a bit of a stretch, Shakedown," Dread Naught refuted, "The Vermane are extremely cautious, but they can't always be one step ahead of us everywhere. There is no way they could have known we were going to use the train manifests to track them. If they did, they would have travelled separately rather than in trios."

"Aside from that, we never would have been considered consulting the manifests if you had not suggested doing so," Sir Haywood pointed out.

"Yes, that is true," Shakedown admitted, "But why would they only go back to Detrot for every two out of three murders, rather than for three out of three? Furthermore, what interests could they have invested in Las Pegasus. There are just so many factors that conflict with each other. I was certain that my strategy would work, and I still am, but how do we know that we'll be able to use the manifests to point us in the right direction in time? The Vermane are so sporadic, that I'm inclined to wonder if we'll be able to find them before they hit Ponyville."

"Now that, we do not have an answer for," Almond Wheeler remarked, "There are a lot of things about the Vermane that do not add up. And there are probably some things that never will. I mean, can you ever really understand a group of ponies who would willingly and knowingly murder so many innocents just to make themselves rich? Even if they tried to explain or justify their actions, would you ever be convinced that what they do is not evil?"

"No, I could never bring myself to comprehend that," Shakedown confessed.

"None of us could," Almond Wheeler contended, placing her front hoof on his shoulder, "Do you know why? Because we're better than them, Shakedown. Because each of us feels an obligation to protect our neighbors and our loved ones. While we may have different ideas on how to do our jobs, our goal is fundamentally the same: to bring the guilty to justice. That's why all of us have been able to work together to stop Vermane. Not because anypony told us to, because we need to, or even because we want to, but because we all know that it must be done. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we're above committing this sort of atrocity. And that is precisely why we can and will bring them down."

There was an elongated interval of silence after that. Everypony seemed impressed by Almond Wheeler's sudden short speech. Even Shakedown was a little amazed by it. He gradually turned to the grey Earth Pony, and he grinned at her. That was the third time he had smiled ever since he had arrived in Ponyville. But whenever he did smile, at least it was a pleasant one.

He commented cordially "That was quite motivating, Official Wheeler."

Almond Wheeler smiled back at the greenish-blue Pegasus and declared "I just didn't want you to get discouraged."

"I wasn't getting discouraged," Shakedown assured her, "I was simply voicing my concerns."

"Nothing wrong with that," Copper Hollow pronounced, "We've all got concerns about this investigation."

"Indeed, we do," Dread Naught conceded, "But believe me; we will get the Vermane this time. Every time in the past, they've eluded managed to elude me and Sir Haywood. This time… they won't succeed. They won't get away this time. I don't just think that; I know we'll triumph over them. I don't know why I'm so certain of that; it's… it's just a strong feeling I have."

"Like a hunch?" Noble Edict assumed.

"Yes, you could call it a hunch, Lady Noble," Dread Naught affirmed.

Noble Edict smirked and revealed "Well, Pinkie Pie has hunches all the time. Most of the time, they turn out to be correct down to the last detail. Because of her, I've learned to take hunches seriously. So if you have a hunch that tells you the Vermane will fail, then I'm that much more confident that we'll stop them."

"I'm glad you share my faith," was all Dread Naught said in response.

The eight ponies soon got back to work. They sorted through the remaining contents of the tenth crate of manifests. From there, they were able to find additional proof to back up Copper Hollow's discovery about Las Pegasus and Rough Rider's discovery about Detrot.

When they were done examining the manifests from this crate, they decided to end the meeting. Recently, the task force's meetings had all been between two or three hours long. This meeting had been just slightly over an hour long. The reason for that was because with everything else that was going on at the time or would be going on in the near future, all their schedules were busier than ever. So until Bronze Star and Rollin Fields got back, the other eight members of the task force could only afford to spend a limited amount of time on the investigation.

Noble Edict got out of her chair and stretched her back and legs. After that, she pronounced "Well, I'd better get back to the embassy. Oh, boy; these next few weeks are going to be Tartarus."

"Why's that, Noble?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

"If we had a visit by royalty, I'd need my whole staff to handle security," Noble Edict explicated, "If we hosted a seminar, they'd be just as busy. Now we're expected to have both at the same time in less than two weeks."

"Sounds like you've got a full plate but have been offered seconds," Rough Rider observed.

"That's as fitting an analogy as any," Noble Edict professed, rubbing her eyes, "Between Princess Celestia's impending stopover and the conference for those two conglomerates, we're in for a rough time. Most of my staff is probably going to have to pull double or even triple shifts that week. As for me… I don't think I'll be getting a lot of sleep this month."

"Sleep whenever you want, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank cheekily proposed. "As long as it's not during the task force meetings."

"Fine, Sir Haywood; but I'm not making any promises," Noble Edict sardonically muttered, yawning.

"You alright, Noble?" Copper Hollow queried in concern.

"Yeah, Copper," the red Earth Pony asserted, "But it's at times like this that I despise being the boss."

"That's a paradox I've encountered many a time," Sir Haywood disclosed, "Everypony wants to be the boss… except the boss."

"What about you, Sir Haywood?" Almond Wheeler countered.

"Excuse me?" Haywood McCrank stated in perplexity.

"Since Bronze is out of town, you're officially in charge of the investigation until he gets back," Almond Wheeler clarified, "Technically, you're the boss of the task force."

"Yes, and it's a position I cherish, but I would gladly relinquish it if somepony more qualified came along," the indigo stallion claimed, "Oftentimes I prefer to leave the role of leader to another pony. Even somepony younger and less experienced than me, such as the prince."

"Well, Prince Bronze Star IS a natural-born leader," Dread Naught perceived, "He typically does more work in a year than most other ponies do in a decade."

"How true," Sir Haywood concurred, looking over at Noble Edict, "Look on the bright side, Lady Noble. You only have a town to look after. Prince Bronze Star has a country. Spend a day in his horseshoes, and you'll never complain about the difficulties of your job again."

"I'll take your word for it, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict commented drily, "No need to put your theory to the test. I don't think I'd ever want to exchange my badge for a tiara. I'm content with maintaining security in Ponyville. Just because I may complain about my job once in a while, that doesn't mean I don't love it."

"Nopony claimed you didn't, Noble," Copper Hollow pronounced, "Besides, after all you've been through, I think you've earned the right to complain."

"Thanks, Copper," the red mare stated gratefully.

After this, the eight ponies gathered up their belongings and went their own separate ways. Dapple Rhomb headed over to her office. Although Bronze Star was away at this time, she still had to continue functioning as his secretary. Of course, that entailed that she had to assume a larger portion of his workload. Although he intended to do all the work that pertained to his royal duties while he was in Appleoosa, that only comprised about a third of his general workday.

Fortunately for Dapple, Rough Rider still had nothing going on, and Bronze Star had often discussed his royal duties with Sir Haywood McCrank. Neither stallion was a politician by any means, but they had the availability, perseverance, and skills to assist Dapple Rhomb with her job. So the olive stallion and the indigo stallion joined the purple mare in her office.

Shakedown decided to continue cross-examining the data they had already amassed from the train manifests. Since Copper Hollow and Rough Rider had both noticed a useful lead in the information, the greenish-blue Pegasus was compelled to think that they might be overlooking something else. So he planned to spend the next several hours going over the material from the manifests a second time. There was a lot of material, so Dread Naught offered to aid Shakedown.

Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Almond Wheeler were the only ones who left the embassy right after the meeting ended. Once they signed out at the front, the three security officers headed to the barracks.

On their way there, Noble Edict trotted alongside Almond Wheeler and told her "Almond, are you doing anything today?"

"Other than my usual shift, nope," the grey Earth Pony replied, "Why do you ask, Noble?"

"If you're not too busy, I have an assignment for you," the red Earth Pony remarked.

"What sort of assignment?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"It relates to the investigation," Noble Edict informed her, "In a way, at least."

"Go on," Almond Wheeler bade her.

"Sometime after your shift, I want you to go back to the embassy," Noble Edict instructed, "I'd like you to spend some time with Agent Dread Naught and Shakedown."

Almond Wheeler found that to be an odd command. "How come?"

"Both stallions have been here for more than two weeks," Noble Edict disclosed, "While they're both undeniably committed to the task force, we barely know anything about them."

"Are you saying you don't trust them?" Almond Wheeler enquired.

"I want to trust them, but they hardly seem to trust us," Noble Edict perceived.

"Well, a lack of trust is a common characteristic for a vigilante or a federal investigator," Copper Hollow debated, "But Sir Haywood McCrank and Bronze Star vouch for Dread Naught, and Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb vouch for Shakedown. That's good enough for me."

"Normally, that'd be enough for me, too," Noble Edict claimed, "But these circumstances are hardly normal. In order for the task force to function at optimal efficiency, we all need to open up to each other on both a professional level and a personal level. We've got the professional part covered with everypony, but we have yet to establish a personal connection with Shakedown or Dread Naught."

"And you think I'm the one best suited for that?" Almond Wheeler presumed. "Why not you or Copper? You're both my superior officers."

"I know, but he and I are already overloaded with enough work as it is," Noble Edict pointed out, "We'll need to spend as much time as possible preparing for Princess Celestia's visit and that business conference."

"Aside from that, neither of us have gotten Shakedown to smile," Copper Hollow contended, "You, on the other hoof, have."

Almond Wheeler smirked at that. She stated "Alright, you've convinced me. I'll do it."

Noble Edict smiled back and patted the grey Earth Pony on the shoulder, saying "I knew you would."

Almond Wheeler remained smiling as they trotted on. After a short pause, she queried "What would you like me to do?"

"Do what you do best," Noble Edict proposed, "Talk to them."

Almond Wheeler thought for a moment, and then she announced "Okay, I got just the thing."

…

Hundreds of miles south of Ponyville, a train that departed from the town yesterday morning was still making its way to Appleoosa. So far, the train had stopped twice more; once to bring the four stallions pulling it on, and once to let them off so they could continue pulling it. There had been a six-hour time gap between those two instances so that the four stallions could get some rest.

At this time, the passengers were still sound asleep. Most of them, at any rate.

Rollin Fields was already awake. For the past thirty years, he had always gotten up at five o'clock in the morning on the dot. Even the Equestrian military did not rise that early.

Currently, Rollin Fields was eating breakfast by himself in the dining car. He enjoyed the relative peace and quiet of the morning. He also enjoyed the pleasantness of the train ride. He could not remember the last time he had gotten on a train, much less one so smooth and steady.

He had not left Ponyville ever since he divorced his wife eighteen years ago. Since then, she, their older son, and their older daughter had moved to other parts of Equestria, but he, his younger son, and his younger daughter were content to remain in Ponyville.

Even so, he found he was enjoying this trip so far. He knew that the purpose of it was to assist Bronze Star, not to go on vacation, but that did not mean he could not savor it. He was a stallion who cherished all the fine things in life, no matter how small they seemed.

The previous day had been fairly interesting. He had spent the night with five mares who were young enough to be his granddaughters. Despite that, they were a delight to be around, and they did not distance him from their group.

Late last night, Rollin Fields had stopped by the bathroom, which was located in the train in front of the caboose. While he was back there, he thought he heard noises coming from the sleeper car. Even though there were two walls and several space of air between the two cars, Rollin Fields could definitely make out what sounded like moans of pleasure. As a father of four, he was well-acquainted with those sounds. He decided to linger for a minute, in case things got "interesting."

The noises stopped shortly after Spike went into the sleeper car, and that was when Rollin Fields was certain that he had not misjudged them. Of course, he respected the privacy of others, so he was not going to say a word about that matter to anypony else.

As he ate, he wondered what Appleoosa would be like. It was a relatively young settlement, especially when compared to Ponyville. It was located out in the middle of a desert, where water and vegetation was scarce. So everyday life might difficult at first to new arrivals, but Rollin Fields was never one to turn down a challenge. He was also curious about what plans Bronze Star had in that town, but he did not make that his business to find out.

Rollin Fields finished his breakfast and deposited his plates and drinking class into the kitchen. After that, he stretched his legs and gazed outside the window. He took a moment to admire the scenery and the vastness of the landscape. He could see the Sun slowly rising over the horizon. It was quite a sight to behold, especially when moving on a train.

The lime green stallion could not help but smile. Whoever said "getting there is half the fun" had a point.

While he was watching the sunrise, Rollin Fields suddenly felt as though his hooves were twitching. A moment later, he quickly realized that it was not his hooves that were shaking, but the floor. In fact, the entire train seemed to be vibrating.

It was not a tremor; the vibrations were too tame to be naturally occurring. Something else was causing them.

Initially, Rollin Fields decided to ignore the shaking feeling and head back to the passenger car. But as he moved in that direction, the vibrations seemed to be getting stronger. That was when he realized that whatever was producing them, it was coming from the front of the train.

Rollin Fields soon quickened his pace from a trot to a gallop, and he rushed into the passenger car. When he got there, the vibrations were stronger than ever, and Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were still asleep.

Out of nowhere, the train lurched, and Rainbow Dash was flung from her bunk. That quickly woke her and the other mares up. Rainbow Dash mumbled in surprise "Who gets what now, huh?"

The train had not staggered on his own; the disturbance came from something outside of it. Rollin Fields went to a window on the right side of the car to investigate. When he saw what was out there, he announced "You've got to see this."

The five mares crowded around the window with the elderly stallion, and they saw what had gotten his interest. A herd of buffalo was galloping alongside the train.

"A buffalo stampede!" Twilight Sparkle declared in fascination.

She and the other mares gaped in amazement at the sight, but Rollin Fields was a little more suspicious.

"I just love their accessories!" Rarity pronounced, referring to the eagle feathers on the buffalos' heads.

"They're getting awfully close to the train," Twilight Sparkle noted uneasily.

"Far too close, actually," Rollin Fields concurred. He backed away from the window and headed over to his bunk. He pulled out his belt, fastened it around his waist, and moved to the end of the car, saying over his shoulder "I'll get the others."

It turned out that the buffalo were not just passing through the area. They were there because of the train.

Some of the buffalo galloped so fast that they caught up to the stallions who were pulling the train. The buffalo at the head of the herd rammed against the leading stallion. At the same time, more of the buffalo thrust their weight against the train itself. It was as though they were trying to push the vehicle off its tracks.

Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were unceremoniously tossed around the area. Rollin Fields managed to stay ahoof, but only because he had time to brace for impact. The mares screamed in fright and alarm. Most of what they shouted was indistinct, but he could hear Rarity yell angrily "I want to speak to the manager!"

"Hang in there!" Rollin Fields called out.

The lime green stallion warily but hurriedly made his way through the train. He had did not realize until right then just how many cars it had. Every now and then, he had to grab ahold of something to avoid being knocked onto his flank by the buffalo's assault.

The buffalo were still trying to throw the train off course. Luckily, the ponies pulling the train were very resilient, especially the lead stallion. He was able to maintain his balance, and he butted his body against the buffalo who struck him.

That buffalo stumbled away from the train, disoriented. Once he regained his bearings, he signaled for the others to break off their attack. They tried a different approach then.

In the passenger car, the five mares composed themselves and peered outside as one buffalo jumped onto the back of another. The second buffalo continued to run without slackening his pace at all. After that, a smaller, younger buffalo hopped onto the back of the two buffalo. She turned towards the train and gracefully leapt onto the roof of the passenger car.

By now, Rollin Fields had managed to reach the back of the passenger car. He forced the door open and stepped inside. Spike was still asleep in bed with Bloomberg. Somehow he had not been woken up by any of the disturbances.

Bronze Star and Applejack were both awake and out of bed. However, the split-second before Rollin Fields entered the sleeper car, the train violently shook again. As a result, Applejack had accidentally slipped, and she collided into Bronze Star.

Now the gold stallion was lying flat on his back with the orange mare lying on top of him. Before even they knew what was going on, Rollin Fields opened the door and began "Sir, we-"

Then he saw Bronze Star and Applejack lying down on the floor. The two of them were staring at each other, as if they had not heard or noticed the elderly stallion enter. Then they slowly turned towards him, and they blushed deeply.

He just smirked in amusement. Then he stepped forward to help the two younger ponies back onto their hooves.

"It's not what you think Rollin," Applejack claimed as she got up.

"You don't have to explain yourself, AJ," Rollin Fields asserted, "I know it wasn't your fault. Anyway, that's not important right now."

"What the buck is going on?" Bronze Star queried worriedly.

"I'm not sure," Rollin Fields answered, "But we've got company."

"What kind of company?" Applejack asked.

"Buffalo," Rollin Fields explicated, "Come with me, quickly!"

"What about Spike?" Bronze Star remarked, gesturing to the sleeping dragon.

"He should be safe back here," Applejack contended, "But all this turbulence is bad for Bloomberg."

"Well, we can't move either of them," Rollin Fields observed, "We won't need to as long as we can hold off the buffalo."

"Okay, let's go!" Bronze Star muttered.

The three ponies left the sleeper car, and they made their way through the car in front of it. As they trotted, Bronze Star inquired "So what's the situation?"

"The buffalo just showed up out of nowhere about ten minutes ago," Rollin Fields apprise him, "Without warning, they started knocking against the train and the stallions who are pulling it."

"What the Tartarus are they trying to do; kill us?" Applejack snapped.

"No, they aren't attacking the train anymore," Rollin Fields disclosed, "I don't think they want to demolish it. Instead, they're trying to stop it."

"Could it be possible they mean to get on?" Bronze Star suggested.

"I don't think so," Rollin Fields refuted, "They're too big to board the train, and they can run fast enough to pass it by."

"Perhaps it's not the train itself they're interested in," Applejack conjectured.

"I agree," Rollin Fields uttered, "Maybe they're after someone or something that's on the train."

"Like what?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I don't know…" Rollin Fields stated softly.

A moment later, they heard a strange thumping sound. It was faint at first, but it gradually became louder and nearer. It appeared to originate from somewhere over their heads.

"Is somepony on the roof?" Bronze Star thought aloud.

"That or somebuffalo," Applejack debated.

Right then, the door at the front of the car opened up, and Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie entered.

Bronze Star was relieved to see they were alright, but his relief was short-lived when he noticed their numbers were one short. He asked "Where's Rainbow Dash?"

"She went outside," Twilight Sparkle disclosed, "One of the buffalo jumped onto the roof a couple minutes ago. She seems to be heading for the caboose."

"Told ya," Applejack mentioned to her coltfriend.

At that moment, the thumping sound had reached them, and it passed directly over their heads. Whoever was on top of the train must have been gotten all the way to the caboose. The ponies heard a sound like a huge iron clasp being unfastened, and the train suddenly felt a little lighter.

There came a sharp whistle, and right away, the vibrations gradually subsided.

"What's going on?" Fluttershy queried

"I think the buffalo are falling back," Bronze Star perceived.

"Just like that?" Pinkie Pie said dubiously.

"Wait a minute…" Applejack murmured. She made her way to the back of the car and pushed open the door. Immediately, she discovered that the buffalo had detached the caboose from the rest of the train. She gasped and proclaimed "They've got Bloomberg!"

The other ponies gathered behind her and could only stare in shock.

Right then, Spike appeared at one of the windows on the top of the caboose. He screamed "Heeeelp!"

"And Spike!" Twilight Sparkle shrieked.

"What do we do?" Rarity asked frantically.

Nopony there could give her an answer. Bronze Star struggled to think of something. A few seconds later, he turned to the lavender mare and remarked "Twilight, do you think you can teleport to the sleeper car from here?"

"No, I'm afraid not," she responded dismally, "I can only teleport if the place I'm standing on and the place I want to go to are both stationary. I haven't learned how to teleport off of and onto moving platforms yet."

Bronze Star groaned in frustration and annoyance. He turned back to the tracks, gave a heavy sigh, and pronounced "Then we've got no choice. I'll have to change into my Alicorn form."

"No, Bronze," Rollin Fields protested, placing his hoof on the prince's shoulder, "It's too risky,"

"Risky?" Bronze Star stated crossly, "The train's crew are all near the front of it, and there's nopony else to be seen for miles. I doubt the buffalo would know who I was, anyway. So I wouldn't be exposing myself."

"I'm not worried that you'd compromise your identity," Rollin Fields claimed, "I'm worried that you'll compromise your safety. If you go out there, you'd be outnumbered by a factor of at least thirty-to-one."

"He's right," Applejack coincided, standing on the other side of the gold stallion, "You wouldn't do us any good by gettin' yourself captured. If the buffalo overwhelm you, you could get seriously hurt. Or worse…"

It was then that Bronze Star recalled what he had told Applejack last night. He had assured her that he would not do anything to needlessly or recklessly put himself in harm's way. He was not about to break that promise less than twelve hours after he made it.

Reluctantly, he stood down and remarked "Alright, I'll stay here. But what about Spike? We can't just abandon him."

"I may have an idea," Rollin Fields declared.

"What?" Rarity queried.

The lime green stallion did not answer her. Instead, he stepped out the car's back down, climbed onto the rail, and jumped to grab onto the awning. Once he had a tight grip, he hoisted himself onto the roof. Then he studied his immediate surroundings.

Although most of the buffalo herd was gathered around the caboose, there were a few stragglers who surrounded the train to ensure that it did not stop or reverse its course. One of them was directly next to the last car. Rollin Fields crouched near the side of the roof and focused on that particular buffalo. Then he lunged toward him and landed right on his back.

The buffalo did not even notice Rollin Fields until that very moment. When he realized the lime green Earth Pony was on his back, he roared angrily and attempted to throw him off. The elderly stallion had a very firm clutch; he refused to release the buffalo.

Bronze Star and the mares stared at him in profound astonishment and disbelief.

"And you thought MY idea was risky?!" Bronze Star yelled.

Either Rollin Fields did not hear that or he did not acknowledge it. He gripped the buffalo by the back of his throat and his horns, and he forced him to gallop toward the caboose.

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity just watched as Rollin Fields rode the buffalo alongside the tracks. From their point of view, he almost looked like a rustler. Or a rustler who should have retired years ago.

"He's crazy," Rarity commented bluntly.

"Either that or he's senile," Twilight Sparkle remarked.

"Nah, he seems to know what he's doing," Applejack observed, "He was doing things like this before we were born. He'll be fine."

"Let's hope so," Bronze Star muttered.

After some quietness, Fluttershy gazed around the area. Then she stated nervously "Guys… have you seen Pinkie?"

The other four ponies snapped to attention. Just as the yellow mare implied, the pink mare was nowhere to be seen. It was as though she had simply disappeared.

"Where is she?" Rarity enquired anxiously.

"She was right next to me a second ago," Applejack pronounced.

"She didn't go into the next car," Bronze Star debated, "We would have heard the other door slam shut."

"Look!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, pointing out the back door.

Everypony turned in that direction, and they saw a flash of cyan sailing through the sky towards the sleeper car.

"It's Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy perceived.

"She must be going after the buffalo," Rarity theorized.

"Maybe we should, too," Bronze Star suggested.

"No, we can't follow them without a plan of our own," Applejack sternly proclaimed, "As much as I'd hate to leave one of my own behind, Spike and the other will have to wait. We should get to Appleoosa first. There we can get help and plan a rescue."

Although Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy were very unwilling to abandon the others, they knew it would be foolish to just rush into this conflict without a plan. So they agreed to the orange mare's recommendation. They just stood by and watched as the sleeper car, the entire herd of buffalo, Rollin Fields, and Rainbow Dash all faded into the distance.

Within minutes, all those people were too far away to be seen from the train. The five ponies swiftly made their way to the engine room and notified the conductor about what happened. They were all a little shaken by what they had just witnessed, but they were far from traumatized. They had been through far worse than that, after all.

A couple restless hours later, the train finally reached its destination. Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy impatiently waited as the four stallions pulled it into the depot. Once it came to a complete stop, the five ponies rushed out through a door on the right side of the train.

The instant they stepped out onto the platform, they encountered an Earth Pony stallion. He had a light gold coat, a brilliant gamboge mane with brilliant amber highlights, and brilliant pistachio eyes. His cutie mark was a single red apple. He was wearing a brown ten-gallon hat and a brown vest, as well.

He smiled very widely and sauntered up to the prince and his companions. He told them cordially "Hey there! Welcome ta A-a-pplelooosa!"

Applejack knew who he was. She hastily uttered "Braeburn, listen–"

"Cousin Applejack, mind yer manners," the light gold Earth Pony interrupted her brightly, "You have yet ta introduce me to your compadres! Shame on you!"

He took a step back to give her some space, and the orange mare urgently stated "Braeburn, listen, somethin' terrible's happened–"

"Terrible is right, your train is full seven minutes late!" Braeburn cut in, stepping forward "That's seven minutes less for you to delight in the pleasures and wonders of... A-a-a-pplelooosa!"

Like the first time he said that, he reared back on his hind legs and waved his front ones when he made that declaration a second time. Just then, the train was moved from the depot to the rail yard. Once it was gone, Bronze Star and the four mares got a fantastic view of most of Appleoosa. It was composed entirely of simple wooden buildings, most of which were two stories tall. A single-story building had a three-story-tall clock tower attached to it. Many of the settlers were out and about, talking to each other or seeing to their everyday tasks. It was a rather serene sight.

Conveniently, Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity were standing in a straight line. Braeburn took advantage of their positions and used his head to push the five ponies off the platform and through the adjoining streets.

When they were in the town square, he stopped and allowed them to see this part of the settlement, as well. He proudly announced "Boggles the mind, we settler ponies built all this in just the past year, don't it?!"

The town square produced an even more impressive view than the depot. As Bronze Star and the four mares looked up at the giant clock tower, Braeburn continued with "And as you can see, we have all of the finest comforts. Like horse-drawn carriages!"

Further down the road, Black Stone was harnessed to a carriage that was three times his size, but he was able to pull it as easily as if it was a wagon. He then halted, looked over his shoulder and muttered "Okay, you pull now."

Noteworthy appeared at the window of the carriage and grumbled "Aww, we just switched."

Braeburn then led the group of new arrivals to a different part of the square, where a bunch of ponies were sketching Black Stone's carriage on large paper attached to easels. He declared "And those there are horse-drawn, horse-drawn carriages."

While that was an interesting spectacle, Applejack had not forgotten what she had been trying to say earlier. She turned to her cousin and told him "...Listen, Braeburn, I– Oof!"

She was cut off once more as the light gold stallion pushed her, Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity to another part of town. This time, he stopped in front of a saloon with a huge depiction of a salt shaker above its front entrance.

Braeburn informed them "And here's our local waterin' hole, the Salt Block."

Just then, the saloon's proprietor – Morton Saltworthy – kicked a stallion who appeared to have had too much salt out of the building and shouted "That's enough salt for you!"

When the stallion – named Ol' Salt – landed on the ground, he lifted himself up and dizzily asked "Can't I at least... get a glass of water?"

Morton Saltworthy just glared at Ol' Salt and went back inside his saloon.

After that, Braeburn brought the five guests to the next building, where a stallion with a grayish amber coat, a dark amber mane, a large black mustache, and very light azure eyes was lounging. He was wearing a black ten-gallon hat with a red sash, a blue vest, a red bandana and a silver star badge that matched his cutie mark.

"Over there's the office of Sheriff Silverstar," Braeburn revealed to the others.

Bronze Star grinned and commented "Finally, we get to law enforcement. Just what we needed to-"

Before he could say or do anything else, Braeburn forced him and the four mares to a clearing further down the street. There Caramel, Shoeshine, Noteworthy, Golden Harvest, Daisy, and Lucky Clover were dancing energetically together.

Braeburn disclosed "And here's where we have our wild west dances!"

Next he pushed them over to an area where five ponies were dancing calmly. Braeburn expounded "And here's where we have our mild west dances!"

Applejack turned to the light gold stallion and mumbled "But, Braeburn, we–"

Again, Braeburn would not let her finish. He effortlessly pushed Applejack, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle out of the vicinity once more. This time he took them to the edge of a cliff. It overlooked a flat valley where hundreds of apple trees had been planted.

Braeburn apprised the five ponies "And here's the most wonderful sight in all of... A-a-a-pplelooosa! Our apple orchard."

By now, Applejack was becoming very impatient. She faced her cousin and uttered "Braeburn!"

"First harvest should be any day now," Braeburn observed.

Applejack stammered "Braebu–"

"Good thing too!" the light gold stallion added in.

"Brae–" Applejack hastily began.

"'Cause we need that grub to live on," Braeburn finished.

Now Applejack had had enough. She closed her eyes and shouted "BRAEBURN!"

Finally, Braeburn acknowledged his cousin's distress. He looked to her and asked "Uh, yes, cuz?"

Bronze Star smirked and considered that Applejack might do well with the Royal Canterlot Voice.

The orange mare promptly told her cousin "You have a very nice town an' all, but we have a HU-UGE problem! Some of our friends are missin'!"

The five ponies then swamped Braeburn with a string of interjections.

"A stampede of buffalo," Fluttershy elaborated.

"They took Spike!" Rarity pronounced.

"Rollin Fields tried to rescue him!" Bronze Star recounted.

"Rainbow Dash went after them!" Twilight Sparkle remarked.

"And we can't find Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy illuminated.

"And we had an apple tree with us for your orchard," Applejack disclosed, "But they took that too!"

"Did you say... buffalo?" Braeburn stated in surprise. He then sighed and commented angrily "Them buffalo, they want us settler ponies to take every single tree you see here off this land. They sure as hay don't want any new ones added in."

"But why?" Fluttershy queried.

"Beats me," Braeburn uttered frankly, "We put a lot of hard work into this land, so we can feed our town, our families, our foals! And now they're sayin' all these trees have to go? T'ain't fair..."

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle looked at each other apprehensively.

Bronze Star stepped next to Braeburn and contended "They must have a reason."

"Yeah, but I can't imagine what," Braeburn said in response.

"Have you tried reasoning with the buffalo?" Bronze Star advised.

"The thought occurred to us," Braeburn professed, "But how do you reason with a people who solve all their problems with a stampede?"

"Good point," Bronze Star admitted. There was a brief interval of quietness as the gold stallion rubbed his chin and gazed around at the apple trees on the ground below. Then he thought aloud "Something just doesn't seem right."

"What do you mean?" Rarity queried.

"The buffalo showed up just when the sun rose, they were able to surround the train easily, and they only took the car that the tree was in," Bronze Star reminisced, "This raid wasn't something they just decided to do on the spot. Everything about it speaks of strategy."

"Hey, you're right," Twilight Sparkle conceded, "It was like they were ready for us."

"Exactly," Bronze Star stated, "I think they knew we'd be there."

"That's not possible," Braeburn countered, "The only way they could have known the train schedule is if they looked it up at a station, and Appleoosa has the only depot for a hundred miles in any direction. If the buffalo came into town, we would have known."

"Then how do you explain their systematic method of attack?" Bronze Star muttered.

"I don't," Braeburn commented bluntly, "No more than I can explain why they attacked you."

"Well, they must have known about the train in advance somehow," Applejack insisted.

"Could somepony have told them?" Fluttershy suggested.

"No, absolutely not," Braeburn claimed, "The only ones who knew you guys were comin' were me, Sheriff Silverstar, and Great Uncle Esopus."

That revelation seemed to put Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle at ease, but Bronze Star and Applejack secretly looked at each other anxiously. They did not say anything, though.

"Oh, well," Bronze Star thought aloud, "We'll worry about how the buffalo found out about the train later. For now, we need to devise a plan on how to save the others."

"Alright, I'll be happy to help any way I can," Braeburn assured him, "Come on; let's go see the Sheriff."

Braeburn then led the other five ponies back to Sheriff Silverstar's office. The mustached stallion was still lounging at the front of the building. When he saw the light gold stallion approaching, he smiled cordially and murmured "Mornin', Braeburn. How you doin'?"

"Wish I could say I'm doin' good, Sheriff," Braeburn answered him, "But we've got a bit of a crisis on our hooves."

"A crisis?" The grayish amber stallion muttered in alarm, getting up onto his hooves.

"Yes, sir," Braeburn avowed. He placed his hoof on Applejack's shoulder and revealed "This here's my cousin Applejack."

"Hello there, ma'am," Silverstar greeted her warmly.

"Good day, sir," she returned kindly. She then introduced her companions with "These mares are my good friends Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy. And the stallion is Gold Streak."

"Her coltfriend," Bronze Star claimed, moving to the orange mare's other side.

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle giggled at that, Braeburn raised an eyebrow in interest, and Applejack grinned in amusement.

"That's nice," Silverstar drily uttered, "So, what's the situation?"

Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy proceeded to recount the entire ordeal they went through that morning. They covered everything from how the buffalo had appeared out of nowhere and attacked the train without any warning to how they had unfastened Bloomberg's sleeper car from the rest of the vehicle. They also mentioned that Spike had been with Bloomberg at the time, how Rough Rider had hitched a ride on the back of a buffalo to follow the herd, how Rainbow Dash had flown right after then, and how Pinkie Pie had just vanished.

When they were done with their recollection, Sheriff Silverstar announced "Have no worries; I won't let this go unanswered. It's bad enough that the buffalo have been harassin' our own people. I won't allow them to bother our town's guests like that, too."

"So what are we going to do?" Applejack inquired.

"Well, we know where the buffalo are, but we don't know how many of 'em there are," Silverstar proclaimed, "I'll need some time to put together a search party. They can get to the buffalo camp and scout it out. Once they get back, we'll know just what we're dealin' with."

"And if our friends are there, we'll go rescue them?" Rarity assumed.

"Sure, but not straight after," Silverstar declared, "By the time the search party gets back, it'll be gettin' dark. You don't want to be wanderin' the desert at night, trust me. We'll have to wait until morning to head out."

"Are you sure our friends will be alright until dawn?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Yeah, very sure," Braeburn uttered, "The buffalo are aggressive, but they're not killers. Also, it's a fact that they greatly respect dragons."

"So at least Spike will be alright," Twilight Sparkle noted in relief.

"But what about the others?" Fluttershy asked.

"Maybe if Spike speaks for them, the buffalo will treat them kindly," Silverstar hypothesized.

"Even if they don't, they should get by just fine," Applejack professed, "Rollin Fields and Rainbow Dash are fighters, and nothing can stop Pinkie Pie."

"No denying any of that," Bronze Star coincided.

There was another short interval of silence, and then Braeburn announced "Well, now that we've got that covered, we may as well help you guys get settled in."

"We'd greatly appreciate that," Twilight Sparkle commented.

Braeburn then took the five ponies over to the rail yard. By then, the staff had unloaded the group's luggage off of the train they had arrived on. As they gathered up their suitcases, Rarity asked "Where are we staying, anyway?"

"I booked rooms for us at the inn," Applejack explicated, "They're a little short on vacancies, so each of us will have a roommate. Except Rollin Fields; he has his own suite. I'll discuss the arrangements when we get there."

Braeburn swiftly escorted his cousin, her coltfriend, and the other three mares to the inn. When they got there, they checked in at the front desk. Then they were all given the keys to their reserved rooms. Twilight Sparkle would be splitting a room with Spike, Fluttershy and Rarity would be sharing another room, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash would be roommates in a third room, and Applejack and Bronze Star would be staying together in a fourth one. To everypony's fortune, there were two beds in each room, as well. Of course, Bronze Star and Applejack would have been content with one.

Braeburn informed Applejack that Esopus Spitzenburg had taken put residence in the inn, as well. He was in a large, private suite on the third floor. The orange mare thanked her cousin for that information, and she claimed she would go up to say hello to her Great Uncle soon.

When they were alone, Applejack closed and locked the door to the room she and Bronze Star shared so they could speak in private.

"This trip isn't anything like I thought it would be," Applejack muttered wryly.

"No kidding," Bronze Star agreed, "We've only been here a couple hours, and we've already got at least two dilemmas on our hooves. One of which only came to light this morning."

"Yeah, and I still don't know what to make of that one," Applejack admitted.

"You don't suppose Spitzenburg actually told the buffalo about Bloomberg, do you?" Bronze Star pronounced.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Applejack thought aloud, "He's proven that he's not above anything. But what could he possibly gain from that?"

"I don't know," Bronze Star professed, "This is nothing like the affair with the cockatrice. Still, somepony must have tipped off the buffalo, and if not Spitzenburg, then who?"

"I have no idea," Applejack revealed, "We can find out tomorrow when we save Spike and the others. Right now, we should focus on that other problem."

"Right," Bronze Star avowed. He picked up his suitcase, opened it up, and pulled out the package containing the three picture frames. He removed one of the special ones, and then he asked "Got the picture?"

She reached into her own suitcase and pulled out a large photograph of her and Bronze Star. She held it up and declared "I'm ready when you are."

Bronze Star took the photograph and inserted it into the special frame. After making sure it was secure, he activated the frame's hidden surveillance system. Then he looked up at his fillyfriend and told her "Let's go."

The orange mare and the gold stallion went upstairs and made their way to Esopus Spitzenburg's private suite. After knocking on the door twice, the elderly stallion answered the door. He looked thrilled to see them. Bronze Star and Applejack did their best to appear glad, as well.

He invited them into his suite and asked them if they could stay a while to talk. They claimed they did not have time to chat for very long; they just wanted to swing by and say hello. He was fine with that.

When the moment was right, Applejack told her great uncle that she had brought him something to decorate his room, and she showed him the framed picture. He seemed to like it well enough; he said it captured their essence well enough.

Applejack offered to find a place to set the picture; Spitzenburg did not protest. She spent a couple minutes going around the room, searching for the most ideal spot. In the end, she decided to place it on the dresser. It was the tallest piece of furniture there, and one could see the entire suite from its position.

Applejack carefully stood the picture frame up on its support. While she moved it into place, she secretly twisted the hinges on the back of the frame so she could put it in "Recording Mode." Once she did that, she backed away from the dresser to get a good look at the picture. She grinned and said that it was perfect. Esopus Spitzenburg and Bronze Star had to agree.

Bronze Star and Applejack bade Esopus Spitzenburg a good day and left his suite. They hastily returned to their own room and locked the door again. Bronze Star got out of the other special frame and turned it on. He put it in "Observation Mode," and a moving image appeared on the glass.

He and Applejack received a fantastic view of Esopus Spitzenburg's suite. They were seeing everything that was going on up there. They would be able to monitor anything and everything he did in there from that point onward.

Now they all they had to do was wait for him to pull out a certain poster board and use it to contact the final conspirator.

…

"So, what exactly are we doing?" Shakedown asked.

"I've something to show you two," Almond Wheeler responded.

"Yes, you told us that already," Dread Naught noted, "Are you going to tell us what?"

"Of course I will," Almond Wheeler reassured them, "Just be patient for a little longer, please."

At this time, Almond Wheeler was escorting Dread Naught and Shakedown through the streets of Ponyville. The two stallions had no idea where the mare was taking them, but she insisted that it would be worth their time.

Right then, it was seven o'clock in the evening, so many of the townsfolk were indoors. There were still scores of ponies on the streets. Several of them smiled or waved at Almond Wheeler when they saw her. Whatever gesture they gave, she happily returned it.

Before long, the three ponies got as far as the park. There was an empty bench in the center of the vicinity. Almond Wheeler led Dread Naught and Shakedown over to the bench, and she bade them "Sit down."

Although Shakedown and Dread Naught had no idea where she was going with this, they quickly sat themselves down on the left and right sides of the bench respectively. Once they were settled, the grey Earth Pony sat down between the greenish-blue Pegasus and the brownish-tan Unicorn. She stretched her front and back legs, and let out a contented sigh.

"Comfortable?" Dread Naught uttered slyly.

"Ho, yeah," Almond Wheeler affirmed, resting her head on her front hooves, "This is my favorite place to be after work."

"Lovely," Shakedown mumbled bluntly, "What's this all about, Official Wheeler?"

"I'd like to ask that you call me 'Almond,' Shakedown," Almond Wheeler requested.

"Very well," Shakedown conceded, lightly rolling his eyes, "Now, if you would not mind, would you tell me why you insisted that Agent Dread Naught and I come here?"

"If I did anything less than insist, I wouldn't have convinced you two to leave the embassy," Almond Wheeler sardonically retorted.

"That wasn't what he meant," Dread Naught murmured, "I'd like to think you are not simply wasting our time."

"I'm not," Almond Wheeler asserted, "What I have to show you is very much worth your time. It's directly related to our inestigation."

"Then would you please tell us what it is?" Shakedown proposed, "More to the point, where is it?"

"It's right here," Almond Wheeler replied, holding her front legs out to the area in front of them, "Look around. What do you see?"

Dread Naught and Shakedown spent a few minutes studying their surroundings. They were not the only ponies in the park at that time.

Fillies and colts were playing together under the supervision of their parents. There were some foals who played with their parents instead. A couple families were having a picnic dinner. Some ponies were swimming in the creek or skipping stones on the surface of the water.

There were a number of young adults who were mingling with their friends. Some were talking, some were partaking in games and some were just lounging. A few other ponies were climbing trees or tossing coins into the fountain. Here and there, a couple could be seen making out.

There were even a few business ponies who had just come from work. They had loosened their shirt collars and unfastened their jackets so that they could let their upper bodies breathe. Despite the seriousness and sternness of their appearance, they carried the same pleasant demeanor that everypony else there exhibited, as well.

"All I see are other ponies," Dread Naught stated.

"Same here," Shakedown muttered. "Do you believe the victim is amongst those present?"

"No, not at all," Almond Wheeler proclaimed, "Tell me; what do all these ponies have in common?"

The two stallions looked around the vicinity again, and then Dread Naught tentatively declared "Well, they all seem… happy."

"Exactly," Almond Wheeler commented, "And do you know why they're happy?"

Dread Naught and Shakedown thought about that for a while, and ultimately, the latter conjectured "Because they have no reason not to be?"

"Correct," Almond Wheeler confirmed, "All these ponies have no fears, no worries, and no sorrows. Why do you suppose that is?"

The two stallions thought long and hard, but neither of them could come up with an answer this time. Dread Naught looked to Almond Wheeler and asked her "Why is it?"

"Because this village is virtually crime-free," Almond Wheeler spoke merrily, "How many cities in Equestria can make that claim? Tartarus, how many towns can make that claim?"

"Off the top of my head… none." Dread Naught stated straightforwardly.

"I got nothing, either," Shakedown uttered frankly. He turned to Almond Wheeler and told her "That is very impressive, Almond. It truly is. But how does it relate to the investigation?"

"I'll explain its relevance in a moment," Almond Wheeler asserted, "Before I do, I'm going to ask you both a question, and I'd appreciate it if you answered me truthfully."

The two stallions considered her request, and after that, Shakedown tentatively nodded his head while Dread Naught shrugged his head and commented "I suppose. Why not?"

Almond Wheeler briefly looked back and forth between the two stallions, and then she pronounced inquisitively "What inspired you to do what you do? And why do you continue to do it?"

"That's two questions, not one," Shakedown pointed out.

"I can count," Almond Wheeler snapped sarcastically, "If you don't want to answer either of them, then don't. Nopony's forcing you to."

"Well, I'll answer both of them," Dread Naught declared. He sat up straight, cleared his throat, and illuminated "I'll start with my inspiration. I was born and raised in Baltimare. Even at a young age, I was driven by a desire to do some good in the world. Although my hometown is known for being only marginally less dangerous than Detrot, I never let it corrupt me or my morals. In fact, it encouraged me to strive to right the wrongs of others. I found that the best way to fulfill that ambition was to do things that brought stability to the world. Once I graduated from college, I started looking for a job that would allow me to do just that. I considered getting employment as a detective, a rehabilitation aide, a parole officer, and several similar lines of work, but all those occupations would have only worked locally. That was grossly inadequate; I wanted to help bring order to the entire country, not just Baltimare. Then I thought about getting a job for the federal government. That was what ultimately led me to joining the Intelligence Bureau."

Almond Wheeler lightly nodded her head in acknowledgement. She found all that information quite fascinating. She remarked "That is all very understandable, Dread. I have to respect the path you've taken. I also admire how you were fueled by an innate wish to do good. That's an excellent source of inspiration."

"Quite so," Dread Naught uttered in agreement, "Now I suppose you'll want to know why I'm still with the Bureau. The reason is simple. I believe everypony has the ability to make a difference. By working at the Bureau with so many other great ponies, we could make this country a better place. But we all need to play a part in that endeavor. Imagine a world where we would not even need law enforcement. Of course, such a thing would be impractical, impossible, and unattainable during our lifetimes, but that does not mean we cannot try to create a better world for the generation that follows ours."

"You're right; that goal is a little far-reaching," Almond Wheeler pronounced, "But I don't think there's a pony alive who wouldn't want it."

"I'm inclined to agree," Shakedown thought aloud, "Your vision is certainly appealing, Dread Naught. How would you describe this ideal utopia of yours?"

"Try to visualize a world where everypony would be able to go outside without fear of falling victim to any form of wrongdoing," Dread Naught pronounced, "They would not have to retreat to their homes to feel out of danger. They would not have to be wary of strangers. They would not even have to lock their doors at night. Ideally, a mare would see her husband off when he goes to work in the morning, and she would know without a doubt that he would return to her in the evening of that same day."

Dread Naught paused for a moment, and then he sighed and added in "I know my own wife would appreciate that, at least."

Almond Wheeler raised an eyebrow and presumed "You're married?"

"I was," Dread Naught apprised her, "I'd rather not discuss that in detail; I'll just tell you the important bits. She was another Unicorn like me. I met her when I was about your age, and a few weeks later, I popped the question. A year after the wedding, we had twins; a colt and a filly. Not much else to say other than that."

"Don't like to talk about it?" Shakedown supposed.

"Not especially," Dread Naught affirmed, "It was a good marriage while it lasted, though. Most of the time, at least."

"What happened?" the grey Earth Pony queried "Did she… die?"

"No, she left me," the brownish-tan Unicorn revealed, "When she married me, she knew what she was getting into. She could accept the fact that her husband would work long hours, come home late often, and be unable to discuss his job with her. Overtime, she seemed to grow less accepting of those conditions. One day, she told me straight-out that she felt as though she had married a total stranger. That was when our relationship rapidly deteriorated."

"How long have you been apart from her?" Almond Wheeler enquired.

"Well, we separated two years ago," Dread Naught recounted, "However, the divorce was not finalized until after the twins celebrated their tenth birthday."

"How long ago was that?" said Almond Wheeler.

"Four months," Dread Naught informed her, "Not that long before Sir Haywood asked me to join this investigation. I haven't seen her or the twins since then. In spite of the fact that I have a more esteemed job and a higher standing in the community, she won full custody of our children."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the security officer told him sincerely, "That must be difficult for you."

"Yes, it is," the federal investigator confirmed, "Still, I haven't lost sight of my lifelong objective. I worked for the Bureau long before I met my wife, and I plan to keep working for it long after she left me. If not for my family, then for the hundreds of thousands of other families in this country."

Almond Wheeler nodded in approval and smiled. She remarked "Well, I hope you're able to leave a positive impact on all of us. We could use more ponies like you, Dread."

"I'm grateful for that, Almond," was all Dread Naught stated in response.

There was a period of relative silence. The only noise that could be heard were the sounds made by the other ponies in the park. A few of them had gone home; a few more had arrived within the past several minutes.

Almond Wheeler then turned to the older stallion on the bench and said probingly "So, Shakedown; what about you?"

Shakedown scoffed a bit and noted "You seem to have developed a big interest in us, Almond. A very sudden one, I might add."

"I'd just like to know who I'm working with," Almond Wheeler claimed, "Is that too much to ask?"

"No, not at all," Shakedown contended, "But tell me something. Are you asking about our personal lives because you really want to know, or because you were instructed to?"

The grey Earth Pony seemed somewhat surprised by that allegation. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I doubt this gathering was your idea," the greenish-blue Pegasus murmured, "I may have only been on the task force for a couple weeks, but I've already learned plenty about all its members, including you. For instance, I can safely say that you're somepony who works by the book, and you wouldn't pry into anypony else's business unless you were acting under orders. Is that about right?"

"Yeah, you could describe me that way," Almond Wheeler conceded, "I'll admit it; Noble Edict instructed me to find out more about you and Dread. But she specifically avoided using the term 'spying.' She was hoping I could establish a type of bond between you two and the rest of us."

"What sort of bond?" Dread Naught queried.

"One that goes beyond the task force," Almond Wheeler disclosed, "She doesn't want you to just think of us as your coworkers. She'd like for you to think of us as… well, as your friends, too."

"In my line of work, I tend to avoid making friends," Shakedown drily commented, "Because in most cases, friends equal liabilities. But you seem so determined that I'm willing to give you a chance. I could probably see us as friends. Could you?"

"Of course I can," Almond Wheeler insisted, "Sure, the idea was Noble's, but this rendezvous in the park was my idea. And I assure you, I am genuinely interested in learning more about you two. Like I said a moment ago, I want to know about the ponies I work with. The best way to do that is to open up to them and vice versa."

"That is a logical approach," Shakedown pronounced. There was a short pause, and then he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and stated "I don't share the story of my life very often, but if you'd really like to hear it, I'll tell you. So here goes. I was brought up in the city of Manehattan. Similarly to Dread, I always dreamed of a better world. However, there's a huge difference between his idea of attaining such an objective and mine. While he believes in being part of the solution instead of the problem, I believe in preventing the problem altogether so that the solution is not even needed."

"Interesting policy," Almond Wheeler commented, "I'm not entirely sure what it means, though."

"It means that the best way to stop criminals is to get to them before they're able to become criminals," Shakedown expounded, "As you can imagine, that's much easier said than done. You'd need a lot of resources and tactics just to get started. You' also need irrefutable commitment and an uncompromising code of ethics. Luckily, I have all those things in my group."

"So you've always been with the vigilantes?" the grey Earth Pony assumed.

"Oh, no," the greenish-tan Pegasus disclosed, "I didn't join them until I was in my mid-twenties. Before then, I had to resort to other means to catch criminals. In a way, you could say those means were more… legitimate, I guess."

"Legitimate, huh?" Almond Wheeler muttered in interest, "What did you do before you became a vigilante?"

Shakedown did not reply immediately. He hesitated for a few seconds before he came forward and revealed "I was a cop."

"Really?" Almond Wheeler remarked, surprised, "You were a cop in Manehattan?"

"That's right," Shakedown confirmed, "I'll be the first to say it; Manehattan has the largest and greatest police force in the whole of Equestria. I was proud to serve in it alongside the thousands of other hardworking mares and stallions."

"Then why'd you stop?" Dread Naught questioned.

"It's… complicated," Shakedown tentatively told them, "I was in the force for about six years. For the first four years, I did my duty like everypony else. I conducted sting operations, averted robberies, arrested suspects, and even went undercover a couple times. But no matter how much I did, I felt I wasn't doing enough. After that, I started cracking down hard on crime. Say, whenever we conducted interrogations and employed the 'good cop, bad cop' approach, I often volunteered to be bad cop. Sometimes I got into the role a little too well. I usually succeeded in getting the suspect to break, but often I caused them to break down, too. From there, I became harsher and less lenient on all types of criminals. Some of my fellow officers even regarded me as the embodiment of the zero tolerance policy."

"When did you finally back down?" Almond Wheeler asked.

"The final straw was drawn a week before I quit," Shakedown explicated, "The mayor and his staff were taken hostage in City Hall by four smalltime mobsters. The police were ordered to stay away and let Special Forces solve the problem. I was unwilling to wait that long, so I went to save the hostage. I went against orders and without backup. Despite how foolish and thoughtless that may have been, I was able to catch the mobsters off their guard, and I killed three of them before they could try to stop me0. The fourth one surrendered… but I killed him anyway. Right in front of the mayor and his staff."

Dread Naught and Almond Wheeler winced a bit at that. Shakedown could not blame them for that.

He went on with: "On the plus side, none of the hostages were harmed. The mayor, his staff, and a lot of other ponies wanted to commend me for my 'heroics.' Whereas the chief of the Manehattan P.D. wanted to give me a disciplinary hearing for recklessness, insubordination, and excessive force. 'Excessive force' is what they called it, but even I knew it was murder."

"How'd you get out of that mess?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"The chief gave me a choice: my badge or my reputation," Shakedown expounded, "I had no desire to have a criminal record of my own, so I sacrificed my career to save my face. So I was out of the police force forever. Even so, I had every intention of reducing criminal activity in Equestria. Not long after that, I was approached by the vigilantes, and they recruited me into their collective."

"I guess the Manehattan P.D.'s loss was their gain," Dread Naught conjectured.

"You could say that," Shakedown murmured cheekily, "It was a gain for me, as well."

"So you greatly prefer the vigilantes over the police?" Almond Wheeler asked rhetorically.

"Indeed, I do," Shakedown conceded, gazing at the grey mare, "What distinguishes me from you and Dread Naught is that the two of you carry a badge, Almond. I once carried a badge of my own. I was proud of that badge; I wore it with honor. The badge is what labels you as a praiseworthy individual in the eyes of the public. That badge is also what gives you the authority to uphold the law. However, your badge also limits you. In the long run, due process can only get you so far. You must have standards, restrictions, the need to pace yourself. When you're a vigilante, you don't have anything of the sort to hinder you."

"That could certainly be a useful advantage," Almond Wheeler thought aloud, "I will admit that the limits of what we can do with criminals can be inconvenient at times. But keep in mind, Shakedown; those 'limits' are there for a reason. They're what make us better than the ponies we fight."

"I realize that," Shakedown assured her "Even so, sometimes the ethical course of action is not the moral course of action, and sometimes the moral course of action is not the ethical course of action."

"I get what you're saying," Almond Wheeler pronounced.

Again, the three ponies said in silence for about a minute. Then Shakedown mentioned to the grey mare "Well, Almond, Dread Naught and I have told you about what makes us tick. I'm hoping you'll return the favor."

"How so?" she asked him.

"I'm curious as to what motivates you to be a security officer," Dread Naught elaborated.

"I'd like to know that, too," Dread Naught commented in agreement, "Where do you get your inspiration, and why do you do your job?"

"The same thing," Almond Wheeler proclaimed. She gestured around the vicinity again and firmly stated "This."

"The park?" Shakedown assumed.

"The populace?" Dread Naught presumed.

"No, from the town itself," Almond Wheeler enlightened them, "Ponyville is a small, relatively underdeveloped town. Tt is not extremely prosperous or prominent, but it has a better reputation than any city in the country. There hasn't been a murder here in fifty years. Around here, the worst we typically have to deal with is petty theft. In fact, when I was a filly, I thought the whole country was just like Ponyville. I was honestly under the impression that everypony everywhere got along as friends and that nopony would ever try to do harm to another pony. Then I started learning about the history of Equestria and current events in other towns. That's when I stopped being so naïve and realized just how hostile and cruel the world can truly be. It occurred to me that the only reason Ponyville was not like everywhere else was because it was lucky; it had managed to avoid going down the path of darkness, but that did not mean it could avoid that path forever. I was compelled to ensure that it never declined. That's why I got a career in security. I love my job, and I plan on keeping it and this town secure for as long as I live."

Her explanation was short, but more than satisfactory for both the stallions. Unlike them, Almond Wheeler valued the well-being of her neighbors more than catching criminals. That was not too surprising, as there had been so few criminals in Ponyville lately. Based on what Dread Naught and Shakedown had seen in Ponyville so far, they were confident that Almond Wheeler and the rest of the security staff were excellent at their jobs.

"This is why I had the two of you come here," Almond Wheeler perceived, "There's a lesson to be learned from this conversation. The three of us have made it our lives' goal to snuff out crime. We each do it for a different reason. Dread Naught does it to enforce the law, Shakedown does it to bring the guilty to justice, and I do it to protect the innocent. But at the end of the day, by doing what we do, we all achieve another good deed: we maintain the peace, and we make Equestria a safer place to live in. For that alone, I believe we should stay close to each other. By working together – and only together – we can stop the Vermane from succeeding this time. I share Dread Naught's confidence and Shakedown's drive. I'm hoping you'll both share my willingness to trust, as well."

There was quietness for another minute as both stallions embraced the mare's speech and reflected on it. In the end, they both held out one of their front legs in front of her. In other words, they extended their front hooves to her in friendship. Almond Wheeler just grinned and shook their front legs vigorously.

After the hoofshakes, Shakedown declared "I'm glad to be working with you, Almond Wheeler."

"So am I," Dread Naught propounded, "And I hope this instant may mark the beginning of a wonderful friendship between us all."

Almond Wheeler continued to grin, and she remarked giddily "Thank you both. I'm very happy that you see this from my point of view, too."

By now, the Sun had almost completely set in the distance. The park was almost deserted by this point. The vast majority of the townspeople were indoors, and Almond Wheeler was about to propose that they head home, as well.

Before she could make that offer, a shrill scream resounded around the area. It was so loud, so long, and so sudden that it completely shattered the calm and soothing atmosphere of the park. Everypony who heard was absolutely alarmed and stunned.

The sound had come from behind Shakedown, Dread Naught, and Almond Wheeler. The three of them simultaneously looked over their shoulders towards the source of the noise.

"What the buck was that?" Shakedown spat heatedly.

"I have no idea," Dread Naught declared, "But it came from the town square!"

Almond Wheeler drew her knife from her belt, jumped to her hooves, and shouted "Come on!"

The greenish-blue Pegasus and the brownish-tan Unicorn hastily followed the grey Earth Pony back into Ponyville. The scream appeared to originate from the center of the town, so they headed there. When they got to the town square, they saw a number of ponies crowded around somepony else who was on the ground.

Almond Wheeler rushed toward the crowd and pushed her way through, saying "Make way, people Come on; make way!"

The ponies slowly dispersed to give Almond Wheeler and her two companions some room. When they reached the center of the crowd, they saw a young adult Earth Pony mare trying to help a young adult Earth Pony stallion. One might think them husband and wife at first glance, but anypony who lived in Ponyville would know better. They were actually brother and sister. In fact, they were Buddin Fields and Sweepin Fields, Rollin Fields' younger son and younger daughter.

Almond Wheeler knelt down by the two ponies and asked urgently "Buddin, Sweepin, what happened?"

"We were jumped," the mare – Sweepin – informed her, "They came out of nowhere and attacked us."

"I think my leg is broken," the stallion – Buddin – moaned, cradling his right front leg, which was bent in an unnatural angle.

"Okay, just stay calm; it'll be alright," Almond Wheeler assured them, "Now, tell me; who are 'they?'"

"We… we don't know," Sweepin confessed, "They were wearing masks."

"Okay; then how many were there?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"Three," Buddin and Sweepin answered in unison.

"Mares or stallions?" Almond Wheeler inquired.

"I'm pretty sure they were all stallions," Buddin claimed.

"One might have been a mare," Sweepin contended, "But I only say that because I didn't get a close enough look. The other two were definitely stallions, though."

"What exactly happened?" Almond Wheeler asked

"Sweepin and I were just at the cinema," Buddin recalled, "We were trottin' home mindin' our own business when those three characters appeared out of nowhere and surrounded us. One of them gripped Sweeping by her throat; another grabbed me by my front legs. The third one just looked back and forth between us; as if he was studying us."

"I was so afraid I wanted to scream," Sweepin continued for him, "But they threatened to kill Buddin first and then me if I so much as opened my mouth."

"I told them we had money, but they made it clear that they weren't going to rob us," Buddin explained, "The third one told us that all they wanted us to do was 'relay a message.'"

"What sort of my message?" Shakedown enquired, stepping next to Almond Wheeler.

"I'm guessing he meant this," Buddin murmured crossly, holding up his broken front leg, "He didn't say anything; he just snapped it out of place."

"Despite their warning, I screamed when I saw what they did to Buddin," Sweepin admitted, "But they let us go and disappeared right after that."

Almond Wheeler then turned to face the other ponies there and hastily questioned "Did anypony see where the assailants went? Anypony at all?"

Unfortunately, nopony stepped forward to give any useful information.

A thought occurred to Dread Naught. He stepped up to Buddin and Sweepin, leaned down to their level, and stated curiously "Could you tell which race or races they belonged to?"

Buddin and Sweepin were surprised that he would ask such a question like that, but they were able to. The one that grabbed Buddin had been conspicuously strong, the one that had seized Sweepin appeared to have a pair of wings on his back, and the one who talked and broke Buddin's leg definitely had a horn.

Once he had that answer, he told them gratefully "Thank you for your time. We'll get you help right away."

Before they sent anypony off to the hospital, Dread Naught pulled Almond Wheeler and Shakedown off to the side to have a word with them.

He muttered in an unsettled tone "This is it."

"What is it, Agent Dread Naught?" Shakedown queried.

"They're here," the brownish-tan Unicorn uttered apprehensively.

"Who's here?" Almond Wheeler asked in bewilderment.

"The Vermane," Dread Naught disclosed, "There's no doubt about it. They're in Ponyville right now."
> A Difficult Position
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following morning in Appleoosa, Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy woke up early and ate a light breakfast. After that, they went back to Silverstar's office to speak with the Sheriff about the fiasco from yesterday.

Last night, Silverstar had sent out two teams to spy on the buffalo camp, and they had returned a few hours beforehand. Both teams reported seeing three ponies and a small dragon in the company of the buffalo. The teams' descriptions of the four individuals matched the appearances of Rollin Fields, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike. From a distance, they all appeared to be uninjured, but they were surrounded by buffalo, which entailed that they were being held against their will.

The team also spotted the sleeper car. It had been removed from the railway somehow. Bloomberg was nowhere to be seen, so he must have been inside the car.

At least now Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy knew where their friends were. Of course, although locating the others had been simple enough, they were now tasked with a more challenging part of the matter. Now they had to go after them.

Silverstar recommended that they put together another team; one larger and armed. Bronze Star strongly advised against that proposal. He argued that if they showed up at the buffalo camp as a large host equipped with weapons, the buffalo would view their arrival as a sign of hostility, and they may take swift action to defend themselves. If so, the lives of everyone involved would be at risk, buffalo and ponies alike.

Since the buffalo had not harmed Spike or the others, Bronze Star theorized that perhaps the buffalo were capable of listening to reason. As such, he proposed that they send about a half-dozen ponies to their camp under the claim of peace. He believed the buffalo would be much more willing to cooperate if they were visited by a small group of unarmed ponies.

Sheriff Silverstar had some reservations about the gold stallion's idea. For one, the buffalo had a tendency to be unpredictable at times. He also felt that if too few ponies went to the camp, there was a chance the buffalo might take them hostage as well.

Bronze Star was able to put the Sheriff's qualms to rest. He informed the dark amber stallion that he was an experienced diplomat, and he had resolved conflicts far more grave and delicate than this one. That was entirely true; as a member of the Canterlot Royalty, people had often looked to him to approve their contracts and mediate on their disputes. He was fairly certain that he could negotiate with the buffalo for the release of their friends and Bloomberg.

And even if the buffalo did try to seize him and the others anyway, Bronze Star was prepared to counter their force. He notified Silverstar that he had ten years of military training by a former Captain of the Royal Guard. That was also true; SIG Sauer had taught him extensively in every field of combat. He debated that if the buffalo used force, he would be able to fight them off. He still carried a knife in his knapsack, so as an extra precaution, he would bring that along, as well.

Ultimately, Bronze Star managed to convince Silverstar that his plan was the better one. It may have been riskier, but at the same time, it was safer, as well.

Since their friends were the ones who had been taken, Applejack, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle volunteered to be in this group. Braeburn knew the most direct way to the buffalo camp, so he offered to go with them. Bronze Star decided that the six of them would be adequate.

Soon after, they gathered at the northern border of the town. They were about to set off; all they had to do before they did was finish packing up their supplies for the road ahead.

At this time, Applejack was helping Rarity with her saddlebags. Although she just wanted to ensure that the saddlebags were on properly, she seemed to be a little too rough on the white mare.

"Ow!" Rarity muttered in frustration. She groaned as Applejack tightened the saddlebags, and when the orange mare finally relented, she beseeched her "Gently, please!"

"Sorry, Rarity," Applejack told her sincerely, "But our friends are out there and we have ta' be ready for a long hike into buffalo territory if we're gonna save 'em!"

"Well, I'm ready when you are," Bronze Star pronounced. The others mumbled in agreement.

Applejack smiled, reared back on her hind legs, and declared "Let's go!"

After that, she and the other five ponies started galloping to the north. Bronze Star hoped that whenever they got to the buffalo camp, the others would be alright.

It turned out they did not have to go that far for him to get that reassurance.

The group of six had not gone a dozen steps before they stopped. Their path was blocked by a group of four. This group was composed of Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rollin Fields. All four of them were standing right in front of them, and they seemed to be doing well. Rainbow Dash had a bump on the top of her head, and Rollin Fields had a small bandage on his temple. Other than that, the three ponies and the dragon had no sign of injury whatsoever.

"Hi, guys!" Pinkie Pie greeted them happily, as if she seen them at breakfast that morning.

"Pinkie!" Fluttershy exclaimed cheerfully, lunging towards the pink mare. The yellow mare's sudden display of ecstasy alarmed everypony else, especially Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy managed to knock Pinkie Pie backwards, and both mares were on the ground a moment later. Fluttershy hugged Pinkie Pie warmly, and she proclaimed merrily "We're so glad you're safe."

Applejack, Bronze Star, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle shared the quiet Pegasus' joy. They approached Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Rollin Fields and expressed their happiness and relief, as well. However, they were also a little perplexed by this sudden turn of events.

Twilight Sparkle was the first one to address this issue. After everypony had a chance to exchange pleasantries, she said inquisitively "How did you escape from the buffalo?"

"We didn't!" Pinkie Pie revealed.

She and Rollin Fields gestured to a large rock a couple meters away. A young buffalo jumped out from behind it and stood where everypony could see her. She was the same buffalo that had detached the caboose from the rest of the train yesterday.

Applejack, Braeburn, and a couple of the others gasped in surprise. Bronze Star only raised an eyebrow in interest.

The buffalo gazed downwards and rubbed the ground with her front hoof, as if she was a little nervous.

"We promised the buffalo a chance to talk," Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Oh, yeah?" Applejack murmured suspiciously, "'Bout what?"

Rainbow Dash enlightened her with "We brought our new pal Little Strongheart here to explain to the Appleloosans why they should move the apple trees off buffalo land."

Braeburn stepped forward and stated openly "That information would be quite help–"

"That's weird," Applejack cut in, angrily, "'Cause my cousin Braeburn here wants to explain to the buffalo why they should let the apple trees stay."

Little Strongheart grinned and uttered "That would be a useful thing to–"

"The land is theirs!" Rainbow Dash interrupted her, more than a little cross, "You planted the trees not knowing that. Honest mistake. Now, you just gotta move 'em, that's all."

Everypony looked to Braeburn and Applejack for a response. The light gold stallion mumbled in apprehension "Well... heh..."

"They busted their rumps here!" Applejack furiously contended, "An' now they're supposed ta bust their rumps again, just 'cause some buffalo won't stampede someplace else?"

"Plant the trees somewhere else!" Rainbow Dash heatedly suggested.

"Where?!" Applejack snapped, gesturing to all the rough and uneven terrain in the vicinity, "It's the only flatland around these parts!"

"The BUFFALO had it FIRST!" Rainbow Dash yelled, getting up in the orange mare's face.

"The settler ponies need it to LIVE!" Applejack shouted, forcing the cyan mare to back off.

"Come ON, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash firmly demanded.

Right after this, the two mares each spoke one sentence at the same time:

Applejack: "You're bein' unreasonable!"

Rainbow Dash: "I put my hoof down!"

It was then that Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star intervened. The lavender mare and the gold stallion stepped between the farmer and the weather maker.

"Look!" Twilight Sparkle pointed out, "Both the settlers and the buffalo have good reasons to use this land. There must be something we can do."

"If you want to negotiate, at least be more open-minded," Bronze Star proposed, "That goes for both of you."

"What would you recommend, sir?" Rollin Fields inquired

"I can't say just yet," Bronze Star muttered, "I'll need to hear the full story from both sides first."

Pinkie Pie thought for a few seconds, and then she announced "Hey! I've got an idea!"

Everypony turned to her expectantly, and Rarity queried "What might that be, Pinkie?"

The pink mare grinned and stated "Firstly, can anypony here play the piano?"

"I can," Spike disclosed, "A little bit, at least."

"Great," Pinkie Pie muttered in approval, "Spike, I'm going to need your help. Braeburn, can you ask around and see if anypony in town can dance?"

"Uh… sure," the light gold stallion remarked in confusion,

"Good," the energetic mare commented, "If you find anypony who can, please tell them to meet in the town square. The rest of you, have the rest of the townsfolk and the buffalo gather in town. We'll need as many of them as possible to come."

Nopony knew where Pinkie Pie was going with this, but they decided to give her idea a chance.

A few hours later, the Appleoosans and the buffalo were crowded around the town's outdoor theater. Spike was standing by a piano at the side of the stage, and four ponies – two mares and two stallions – were gathered there as dancers. Apparently, Pinkie Pie had everypony crowd there for a show or something similar.

Most of the buffalo and the ponies seemed peeved to be standing so close together, but a few individuals on both sides were more tolerant of the other side's presence.

While they waited for Pinkie Pie to implement her "idea," the audience chatted amongst themselves.

Bronze Star had just begun to have a conversation with Rollin Fields and Little Strongheart. He pointed out the bandage on the elderly stallion's forehead and asked "What happened there?"

"That's an interesting tale," the lime green Earth Pony recounted, smirking, "Yesterday, after I jumped onto one of the buffalo from the top of the train, I rode on his back for about three miles before he got me close enough to the sleeper car. Once I was within reaching distance, I lunged onto the roof of the car. I was unable to lower myself to the door, and the windows on the top were bolted. So I was as incapable of getting in as Spike was of getting out. Luckily, the glass was not soundproof. I had a plan for how we could escape the buffalo, and I was able to fill Spike in on it. I instructed him to look for the car's emergency brake. After a few minutes, he found it. I told him to wait for my signal, and then to pull it as hard as he could. About ten miles further down the railway, I spotted a sharp turn in the tracks. Just before we reached the turn, I had Spike pull the emergency brake. The sudden decrease in speed combined with the buffalo's constant acceleration caused the car to derail. Spike and I were a hundred meters off course before the buffalo realized what was going on."

"He took us quite by surprise," Little Strongheart conceded, scoffing, "We wouldn't have imagined that a stallion of his years would do something so daring."

"I quite agree," Bronze Star uttered, still looking at Rollin Fields, "That stunt you pulled… that's something I'd expect of a pony half your age."

"I may be old, but I sure as Tartarus am not weak or frail," Rollin Fields debated.

"Good thing for all of us," Bronze Star proclaimed,, "You still haven't explained the bandage, though."

"I'm getting to that," Rollin Fields disclosed. After a pause, he continued with "It turned out that sharp turn on the railway was positioned directly in front of a steep hill. So even though Spike hit the emergency brake hard, the sleeper car was quickly gaining velocity again. The car managed to travel an entire mile off the tracks before the buffalo reached us. We must have been going at least forty miles an hour downhill when two of the buffalo stepped right in front of the train and forced it to a complete stop. It was so abrupt that I was jettisoned from the roof of the sleeper car. I landed on the ground, rolled all the way to the bottom of the hill, and hit my head against a large rock at the bottom. It was then that I blacked out."

"Ouch," Bronze Star mumbled in displeasure, "So what happened next?"

"A few of my people wanted to leave him, but it was then that Spike came out of the car and ran to Mr. Fields' aid," Little Strongheart recalled, "We had no idea until that moment that he was even on the car. You see, long ago, dragons and buffalo were allies. Nowadays, we still hold each other in high esteem. We also respect our elders, so we were genuinely amazed by Mr. Fields' feat. When Spike told us that Rollin was his friend, we agreed to take him back to our camp so we could treat his injuries."

"I was more than a little astounded when I woke up several hours later," Rollin Fields revealed, "Luckily, Spike was able enlighten me on what was going on, along with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash."

"How'd the two of them come to be at the camp?" Bronze Star queried.

Rainbow Dash had been standing nearby all this time. She had overheard the conversation between the prince, the security officer, and the buffalo. She stepped up to them and elucidated "I can answer that. Thanks to Rollin Fields's trick with the emergency brake, he was able to delay the buffalo long enough for me to catch up to them. I was about to move in to save Spike and Rollin when Pinkie Pie appeared by my side. She must have given us away; not ten seconds later, we were surrounded by the buffalo."

"Fortunately, Spike spoke for them, too," Little Strongheart explicated, "We brought them all to our camp and had them stay there as guests instead of captives. Then we told them all about our feud with the Appleoosans and why we had taken that tree."

"So I see," Bronze Star murmured, rubbing his chin, "There's something about that whole affair that I still don't understand. How did your people know that the train would be carrying an apple tree in the first place?"

"The Chief was the one who arranged that raid," Little Strongheart apprised him, "He told the rest of the tribe all about the train and its cargo."

"How did the Chief himself know?" the gold stallion queried.

"I cannot say," the young buffalo professed, "The Chief never said where he got the information from, but he insisted that it was reliable."

"Indeed it was," Bronze Star muttered, looking off to the side. After that, he turned back to Little Strongheart and requested "Do you suppose I could speak with Chief Thunderhooves later?"

"I could try to make that happen," Little Strongheart declared, "But I can't guarantee he'll agree to it. Chief Thunderhooves is normally unwilling to discuss anything with ponies. Even politicians such as you, Mr. Streak."

"All I ask is that you make an attempt," Bronze Star pronounced.

"I will," Little Strongheart asserted.

A couple minutes later, Spike donned a top hat, climbed onto the bench in front of the piano, and began playing it. The ponies and the buffalo quickly quieted down and turned their attention to the stage. Once the piano intro was done, the curtains pulled apart to reveal a fake giant clam.

The clam opened up to reveal Pinkie Pie lying inside. She was clad in an elaborate dress, and her mane had been done up in a beehive-type style. She almost looked like an authentic southern belle.

She sat up straight and began to sing:

"We may be divided

But of you all, I beg

To remember we're all hoofed

At the end of each leg"

After that lyric, one of her dancers appeared on either side of the pink mare, hoisted her out of the clam, and set her down on her hooves.

On the ground below, everyone was staring at Pinkie Pie as though she was berserk. Many of them had no idea what was going on. There were a couple who did, and they were highly unamused.

"We should have seen this coming," Rollin Fields muttered drily.

Pinkie Pie started bouncing around the stage as she continued singing:

"No matter what the issue

Come from wherever you please"

She then jumped off the stage and brushed up against the nearest buffalo while she sang:

"All this fighting gets you nothing

But hoof and mouth disease"

She then returned to the stage and lingered near the piano as she sang:

"Arguing's not the way

Hey, come out and play!

It's a shiny, new day

So, what do you say?"

As she sang these next few lyrics, she started doing high kicks with both of her hind legs:

"You gotta share

You gotta care

It's the right thing to do

You gotta share

You gotta care

And there'll always be a way through"

She then went back to the ground and stood between Little Strongheart and Sheriff Silverstar. She pulled out two apples and stuck on in each of their mouths as she continued with:

"Both our diets, I should mention

Are completely vegetarian

We all eat hay and oats

Why be at each other's throat?"

Then she got back onto the stage and got in a chorus line with all four of her dancers. As they did high kicks in unison, she caroled:

"You gotta share

You gotta care

It's the right thing to do"

The two male dancers then lifted her into the air as she finished the song with:

"And there'll always be a way

Throoooough!"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as soon as Spike stopped playing the piano. The baby dragon turned around and applauded, cheering "All right, Pinkie Pie! That was FANTASTIC! What a great song! Yeah, right on!"

He was the only one there who gave any form of reaction. Everypony else just stared in disbelief.

Normally, Bronze Star would always stomp his hooves for a performance, even if nopony else did. However, in this scenario, he was too bewildered to even give a courtesy clap.

A minute later, a pair of front hooves could be heard stamping against the ground. Everypony turned and saw that Esopus Spitzenburg was the one doing it. He merely smirked and muttered emotionlessly "How quaint."

"What the buck did we just watch?" he mumbled in astonishment.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer, sir," Rollin Fields whispered candidly.

A few meters away, Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silverstar were gazing at each other, as though they were trying to determine what the other was thinking. After a few seconds, the large buffalo chief looked back at the stage and announced "It appears that Sheriff Silverstar and I have come to... an agreement."

"We have," Sheriff Silverstar concurred.

All the other ponies and buffalo leaned closer hopefully. Maybe some good had some out of Pinkie Pie's bizarre show after all.

Their hope was quickly shot down a moment later, when Thunderhooves straightforwardly remarked "That was the worst performance we've ever seen."

"Teh... Abso-tively!" Silverstar commented wryly.

So Pinkie Pie's song had accomplished nothing, much to the dismay of everyone there. Especially Pinkie Pie herself.

To make matters worse, the situation was continuing to deteriorate.

Chief Thunderhooves stepped forward and declared furiously "The time for action... Hmh... is upon us! Our stampede will start at high noon tomorrow. And if the orchard is still there, we'll flatten IT! AND the whole town!"

All the ponies gasped in shock. Several of the buffalo seemed stunned, as well.

"But, Chief!" Little Strongheart tried to protest, but the larger buffalo ignored he.

Sheriff Silverstar trotted up to Thunderhooves and firmly proclaimed "An' we Appleloosans say you'd better bring yer best, 'cause we'll be ready and waitin'."

"But, Sheriff..." Braeburn attempted to get the light amber stallion's attention, but he had about as much success as Little Strongheart did with the Chief.

The ponies and the buffalo quickly started to disperse. As they all exited the area, Pinkie Pie looked to Spike and mumbled sadly "Oh... That wasn't the message of my song at all..."

As soon as the buffalo vacated the town, the Appleoosans went to work with making preparations for the following day. They started by fortifying the buildings. They did this by clearing out most of the buildings and sealing the doors and windows of the few that would remain occupied. After all the defensive measure were accounted for, they proceeded to devise some armaments.

The Appleoosans had some very unconventional weapons. They harvested a large number of apples from their orchard and used them to bake scores of apple pies. Apparently, they planned to fling the pies at the buffalo when they charged towards the town.

While Bronze Star had to admit that was an original weapon, it was not very practical or impressive. It did not seem particularly useful, either. In this case, he would have advised that they use their ovens to forge steel rather than baked goods. However, he did not want to do anything that would increase the likelihood of bloodshed here. Tensions were already frayed enough as they were.

Applejack, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle tried to persuade the Appleoosans to try using diplomacy once more, but the town's residents were beyond negotiation by this point. They did not give the advice from the prince or his companions any acknowledgement whatsoever. In fact, they almost completely disregarded them for the rest of the day.

The only one they were willing to talk to was Bronze Star. Sheriff Silverstar and a few of his deputies came to the gold stallion and asked for his assistance in the upcoming battle. He assumed that the light amber stallion wished to consult him for some tips on how to better defend the town. In actuality, he wanted him to take up arms against the buffalo with the townspeople.

Bronze Star gave the Sheriff and his deputies a very blunt reply: "I refuse to help you. This is not my fight."

"'Not your fight?'" the Sheriff spat angrily, "You sound as though you do not care what happens to your own kind."

"That's rich, coming from a stallion who wants this battle to happen," Bronze Star mockingly retorted.

"You have something none of us have," Silverstar debated, "You've been trained by the military. Your expertise could make all the difference tomorrow."

"I'm a politician first and a soldier second," Bronze Star illuminated, "I only use force when diplomacy has failed."

"It has failed," Silverstar claimed.

"It never fails until blood has been spilled," Bronze Star countered, "And this I can assure you: I will NEVER be the first one to spill it. You're on your own."

"Fine," Silverstar muttered crossly. As he and his deputies left the young prince, he gazed over his shoulder and stated angrily "Just think of this: whatever happens to my people tomorrow, it will be because of you."

"With all due respect, I was not the one who started this rivalry," Bronze Star scathingly rejoined.

That night at the buffalo camp, the buffalo were getting themselves ready, as well. They were marking their faces with faint, sharpening their horns, and practicing their charging.

Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Rollin Fields had gone to the camp to attempt to reason with the buffalo, but they had as little success there as their friends had in Ponyville.

Chief Thunderhooves tried to recruit Rollin Fields into their numbers. He and many of his tribemates were impressed by the elderly Earth Pony's prowess and agility. They felt he would make an excellent addition to their numbers.

While the lime green stallion sympathized with the buffalo's cause, he did not want any part of it. Like Bronze Star, he had a strict non-interference policy with. So he declined the Chief's offer as respectfully as possible. Chief Thunderhooves was displeased, but he reluctantly accepted Rollin Fields's refusal.

Bronze Star and Rollin Fields were so anxious that neither of them thought to stop by the post office to see if anything had arrived from Ponyville. That was an imprudent mistake, but not one that would produce irreparable consequences.

Interestingly, the one pony who did not seem distraught or preoccupied in any way was Esopus Spitzenburg. He simply strolled through the town and gazed at his surroundings. Every now and then, he gave a faint grin.

Applejack found her Great Uncle's indifference to the situation rather odd. When he was by himself, she went over to him and noted "You seem strangely calm, Uncle Esopus."

"Everything will work out, Jackie," he serenely proclaimed, "I'm certain of that."

"Why?" Applejack asked him.

"Just trust me," was all he said in response. After that, he went back to the inn and did not come back out for the rest of the day.

That night, Applejack told Bronze Star about that brief exchange of dialogue. He also found it perplexing that Esopus Spitzenburg did not seem to care that Appleoosa was faced with an imminent crisis. It was almost as though he was glad that it was happening.

Bronze Star and Applejack took a look at the picture frame in their room to check in on the one upstairs in Spitzenburg's suite. He still had not taken out large poster board yet, and he did not take it out anytime that night.

Although Bronze Star was annoyed that Spitzenburg had not contacted or been contacted by the final conspirator yet, he hoped one of those events would occur soon. He prayed it would at least happen before he and Applejack went back to Ponyville. If worse came to worst, Appleoosa would be reduced to a bunch of files of rubble by this time tomorrow. So tonight might have been their only chance.

The next morning, the townsfolk finished preparing Appleoosa for the forthcoming fight. By 11:45, they were all gathered near the town's northern border or in the center of the town. There they had set up barricades of wooden beams, barbed wire, and haystacks. They had piles and piles of apple pies stacked by them. Some ponies had taken shelter indoors, but they were ready to reinforce their neighbors at a moment's notice.

Ten minutes later, Chief Thunerhooves and his entire tribe appeared at the edge of the cliff that overlooked the town's northern border.

Bronze Star and Applejack were near the front line of the town's defenses. They looked around at their fellow ponies. They could see that they were nervous and fearful. That was understandable; the buffalo were stronger, larger, and they outnumbered the ponies by at least four-to-one.

They also discovered that Esopus Spitzenburg was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had run off to avoid the stampede. That was unlikely, but not impossible.

Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Rollin Fields had returned to the town several hours earlier. They were near the center of town with Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle at this time. They watched as two stallions rolled a cart of fresh-baked apple pies over to the Sheriff's office.

By now, Rainbow Dash was desperate for a solution to their problem. She tapped her front hoof against her forehead and uttered softly "Come on, THINK. Think, think, think, think, think, think, think!"

Right then, the clock struck twelve. That was the moment of true. Every time the bell rang, everyone seemed to get more and more restless. Every passing second felt like an eternity, and nopony could catch their breath. The buffalo remained totally motionless on the cliff, but that could change at any moment.

On the twelfth chime, Little Strongheart approached Chief Thunderhooes and gently placed her hoof on his face. He looked to the younger buffalo slowly. She did not say a word, but she seemed to be pleading with him to reconsider. That appeared to work, as the Chief turned back to the town, lowered his head, and sighed.

Rainbow Dash noticed this. She gasped and proclaimed giddily "He's not gonna do it!"

Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rollin Fields breathed out a sigh of relief. Applejack smiled gladly, and Bronze Star stated gratefully "Praise Celestia."

So the attack had been averted. Or it would have been. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, Pinkie Pie showed up between the Appleoosans and the buffalo in her southern belle attire. She danced and sang loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear her:

"–whaddaya say?

You got to share

You got to care

It's the right thing to do

You got to share

You got to care…"

Chief Thunderhooves was so irritated by her reprise that he lost his temper and his composure, and he yelled at the top of his voice "CHAAARGE!"

Then all at once, he and his tribemates galloped down the cliff and towards the town.

Applejack slapped her forehead in frustration, and Bronze Star shouted intensely "DAMNIT, PINKIE PIE!"

Pinkie Pie quickly stopped singing when the buffalo reached the bottom of the cliff. She stared in terror as the buffalo got closer and closer. Once they were upon her, she was thrown off her hooves and through the air. She screamed "Wah-ahh! Woah-oo-oo-oo-ooah!"

The buffalo were coming in too fast for the ponies along the barricades to keep track of them. Those ponies got out of the way just in time. A few seconds later, the buffalo broke through the wooden beams and the barbed wire.

"Fall back!" Bronze Star ordered them, "Fall back quickly!"

Nopony needed to be told twice. The Appleoosans regrouped in the town square. Sheriff Silverstar and many of the others had picked up an apple pie. They waited patiently for the buffalo to get close enough, and then Silverstar announced "Ready... aim... fire!"

Dozens of pies were flung through the air. Most of them managed to splatter against a buffalo's face. Every time a buffalo was hit, he or she collapsed onto the ground. The volley of pies had not discouraged the buffalo from advancing, but they did succeed in throwing the herd into disarray. They went from galloping in ranks to galloping individually.

Before long, the ponies and the buffalo were fighting more directly. Some of the ponies managed to jump onto the buffalo and take control of them. Others fought hoof-to-hoof.

Several buffalo tried to dismantle the town's remaining defenses by knocking over the haystacks. However, some of the haystacks had an anvil hidden inside of them. Any buffalo that was unfortunate enough to ram one of those was rewarded with an unpleasant headache.

A large group of ponies were using the post office for cover. A number of the buffalo noticed this and charged the building. They managed to knock out two of its walls. Miraculously, the building did not crumble, but the ponies inside quickly vacated it.

At one point, another buffalo got hit by an apple pie, but he did not go down right away. Instead, he stumbled blindly through the streets until he ran straight into the clock tower. He hit it so hard that he caused the stone to crack and the tower to collapse. That sent the townspeople scattering in all directions.

Chief Thunderhooves jumped over the rubble and gazed around for a target. He spotted Sheriff Silverstar throwing apple pies from behind a haystack. The large buffalo focused on the lawstallion and charged towards him head-on.

Silverstar soon noticed Thunderhooves and he tossed his apple pies at him in rapid succession. Somehow, every shot missed the Chief. Soon, the Sheriff had exhausted his supply of pies. When he realized this, he gasped in alarm.

Thunderhooves was coming at him faster every second. The Sheriff did not have time to dodge him, nor would he. Rather than retreat, Silverstar closed his eyes, removed his hat, and placed it over his heart. It was as though he had accepted his fate.

When Chief Thunderhooves was within five meters of Sheriff Silverstar, the former lunged towards the latter with his front legs outspread. However, at that very instant, a rogue pie was flying perpendicular to the buffalo's path. The Chief noticed it and screeched "Nooo!"

The pie intercepted him just before he reached the Sheriff. It appeared to strike him fatally, because the next thing everyone knew, Chief Thunderhooves was lying sprawling out on the ground with apple pie smeared on his face, and he did not move or breathe.

Everyone abruptly stopped fighting. It was as though all the hostility had vanished in a split-second.

The nearest buffalo broke down sobbing at the sight of their fallen leader. Some of the ponies even tried to comfort them. Spike started crying into Little Strongheart's side, as well.

Bronze Star cautiously approached the downed buffalo with the helm of feathers, and he knelt by his side. He was able to find a pulse, and he gently shook the buffalo, saying urgently "Chief, are you alright?"

Chief Thunderhooves did not answer him. It was as though he was totally unresponsive. Then a delightful turn of events occurred.

A bit of the apple pie on his face slithered down his muzzle, and it landed on his outstretched tongue. The Chief brought his tongue back into his mouth, and it sounded as though he was swallowing. A second later, his eyes shot open, he rose back to his hooves, and he used his tongue to clean his face of the remainder of the apple pie. He thought aloud "Yum! Hey, I've got a much better idea!"

The buffalo were thrilled to see their leader unharmed, and the ponies seemed delighted that the fighting had stopped so suddenly.

"What you got in mind, Chief?" Sheriff Silverstar asked as he climbed off the haystack.

"I would speak with you, Sheriff," Chief Thunderhooves proposed.

"Just the two of us?" the light amber stallion assumed.

"Bring whoever's in charge of your apple orchard, and I'll bring a few of my people," the buffalo with the feathered helm suggested, "Oh, and please bring a couple pies, too."

"Okay," Silverstar coincided. He did not know where this was going, but if it meant avoiding further conflict, he was willing to play along.

Sheriff Silverstar, Chief Thunderhooves, Braeburn, Little Strongheart, and a few more ponies and buffalo went out of the town to converse in private. They took half a dozen apple pies with them.

The other ponies and buffalo waited anxiously while this discussion went on. Ten minutes later, the Sheriff and the Chief returned with their peoples. The pies were gone, but each of the buffalo appeared to have bits of apple juice and pie crust along their lips.

Chief Thunderhooves pronounced "We've arrived at a settlement. One that both our peoples will find acceptable."

Sheriff Silverstar nodded and professed "Alright, all; now let's start cooperatin' with each other. We've got work to do."

Over the next few days, the buffalo and the ponies concentrated on two separate objectives.

Firstly, they rebuilt the parts of Appleoosa that had been damaged during the battle. Luckily, only two buildings had been notably damaged. The clock tower could easily be reconstructed, as most of the bricks that had fallen from it could be reused. The real challenge was the post office. Since two of its walls were demolished, it had to be knocked down and rebuilt from scratch. As such, the townsfolk had to wait a while before they could receive their mail.

Once the town was repaired, the buffalo and the ponies got to work on their other goal. This one involved taking things down rather than putting things up.

Silverstar sent a number of lumberjacks out to the apple orchard. Initially, it looked as though they were actually going to take down all the trees after all, but it turned out they only chopped down about ten percent of the orchard. They only cut down the trees in the center of the longest part of the orchard. They cut them down in a straight line so that they left a straight path that ran all the way from one end of the orchard to the other. Then they uprooted all the stumps.

Once all that was done, Applejack gave a whistle. In response, Chief Thunderhooves and his people galloped down the new path towards the other side of the orchard. There Applejack and a few other ponies presented them with a batch of fresh-baked pies. Each buffalo stopped long enough for the ponies to toss one of the pies onto his or her back, and then they moved on gleefully.

Bronze Star, Chief Thunderhooves, Spike, Little Strongheart, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle were standing off to the side, watching the methodical procession.

Bronze Star leaned over to Thunderhooves and commented "So, this was your agreement, Chief?"

The large buffalo nodded his head and declared giddily "We... will allow the apple orchard to stay in exchange for a share of its fruit, heh... Those... delicious apple pies!"

"And you still get room for your stampeding ground," Bronze Star noted, "At the same time, the Appleoosans can keep the majority of their orchard. So things work out for everyone."

"That they do," Twilight Sparkle uttered.

"I'd rather eat turquoise any day of the week," Spike interjected. Just then, Little Strongheart presented him with a bowl of gemstones of said color. He took them and started to chomp them down happily.

The buffalo had also rolled back the sleeper car they had taken from the train. While they helped a few of the Appleoosans bring it to the rail yard, Applejack supervised Bloomberg's replanting process. Once the tree had taken up roots in the ground, Applejack embraced "him" and pronounced "Bloomberg, this is yer special day. Mama's so proud of you!"

Bronze Star just snickered as his fillyfriend's actions.

Once Applejack was finished mollycoddling the tree, Rainbow Dash and Little Strongheart asked her if she was interested in a little race. She gladly accepted the offer.

While the young buffalo, the orange mare, and the cyan mare headed off into the distance, Twilight Sparkle had Spike compose another lesson to Princess Celestia. This one went as follows:

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing. Even the worst of enemies can become friends. You need understanding and compromise. You've got to share. You've got to care."

Just then, Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere and snapped "HEY! That's what I said!"

Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Chief Thunderhooves just stared at her in bafflement. Once the pink mare was gone, the large buffalo leaned over to the gold stallion and asked him "How do you understand her?"

"Honestly, I really don't," Bronze Star disclosed, "I gave up trying to a long time ago."

"I do not blame you," Chief Thunderhooves stated slyly, "But she may have had a point. If we had considered negotiation in the first place, our feud come have been avoided altogether."

"That's what I've been saying since I got here," Bronze Star contended, "Diplomacy should always come first, and aggression should only come when all else fails."

"Wise words, Mr. Streak," Thunderhooves uttered in approval, "Your people and mine would do well to live by them."

"Thank you, sir," Bronze Star commented appreciatively. There was a short period of pleasant silence, and then the prince turned to the buffalo in the feathered helm and said "Chief, before you and your people leave, may I have a word with you?"

"Certainly," Thunderhooves replied.

The two of them swiftly went to a deserted part of the orchard, and once they were alone, Bronze Star looked up at the buffalo and told him "First off, I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say that I am relieved that this conflict is behind us now,"

"You do, sir," Chief Thunderhooves affirmed, "I am very glad we were able to compromise."

"That said, there is one thing that baffles me," Bronze Star illuminated, "When your people raided the train that brought me and my friends to Appleoosa, how did you know we were bringing a tree?"

Chief Thunderhooves raised an eyebrow and inquired "What are you asking me?"

"Little Strongheart claims you're the first one who knew about Bloomberg in advance," Bronze Star explicated.

"She told you true," Chief Thunderhooves avowed. There was a brief pause, and then he looked down at the prince and pronounced "I will answer your question. Three days before you came here, a mare visited my camp at night. She came to my tent and informed me that on a certain date in the near future, another apple tree would be delivered to Appleoosa. We gave me all the details: the manner of transportation, the time of arrival, the number of ponies travelling with the tree, and even the tree's location. She made so suggestions as to what we should do with all that information; she just said that she thought we would find it useful. After that, she left without another word."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow in fascination and presumed "So, somepony in town told you?"

"I do not believe it was somepony from Appleoosa," Chief Thunderhooves refuted, "I have been all over the town these past few days, and that mare is nowhere amongst the townsfolk."

"Have any of the other buffalo seen her?" Bronze Star conjectured.

"No, I was alone when she visited me," Chief Thunderhooves disclosed, "I believe she slipped right past my people, otherwise I would have informed the minute she came within sight of our lookouts. I do not know how she managed to enter and exit our territory undetected, but she must have been very good at avoiding attention."

"Did you ask her why she was helping you?" Bronze Star murmured.

"I did," Chief Thunderhooves elucidated, "All she said was that what she was doing was 'for the good of every sentient being in Equestria.'"

Bronze Star thought those words sounded strangely familiar. He rubbed his chin for a minute, and then he queried "What did she look like?"

"Since it was nighttime, I only got a glimpse of her," Chief Thunderhooves pronounced, "I'm not an expert on colors, but I'll try to describe her as best I can. I believe her body was purple, her hair and tail were red, and her eyes were orange. I'm afraid I was unable to make out her cutie mark; I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright," Bronze Star asserted. Even without knowing that mare's cutie mark, he had already figured out who she was. He grinned at the Chief and told him "That's all I wanted to know. Thank you again."

"Of course," Chief Thunderhooves reassured him, smiling back.

An hour later, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Little Strongheart got back from their race. Everyone said their good-byes, and Little Strongheart, Chief Thunderhooves, and the rest of the buffalo went back to their camp.

Shortly after, it was dinnertime at the inn. Everypony who was staying there was eating in the dining hall. Applejack, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Rollin Fields, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle were all seated at the same table. Since it was their last full day in Appleoosa, they had been joined by Braeburn, Esopus Spitzenburg, and Sheriff Silverstar.

"It was really nice havin' y'all visit us," Braeburn mentioned during the meal, "You should come back sometime soon."

"Great idea, cousin," Applejack concurred, "Hopefully next time, there won't be so much… disorder."

"As long as we don't ruin our new friendship with the buffalo, we should be just fine," Sheriff Silverstar observed.

"Then make sure you don't ruin it," Pinkie Pie suggested cockily.

"I'll try not to, Miss Pie," Sheriff Silverstar cheerkily commented, "And I'm sure I won't, long as you don't perform here again."

At that, every single pony in the room burst out laughing, with one sole exception. The exception was not Pinkie Pie; she laughed harder than anypony. Instead, the exception was Esopus Spitzenburg. He did not so much as snicker.

In fact, Esopus Spitzenburg had seemed to be in a very somber mood ever since the buffalo and the ponies of Appleoosa had ended their rivalry. Esopus was the one person on either side who seemed less joyful after the truce had been declared than before.

Bronze Star and Applejack had noticed that. They had already developed a theory as to why the elderly stallion's demeanor was so grim, but they had not acquired any proof to validate this theory until Bronze Star had that conversation with Chief Thunderhooves earlier that day. He had told Applejack about that conversation, and she found it intriguing, as well.

After everypony finished laughing at Silverstar's jape, Applejack looked to Esopus Spitzenburg and asked rhetorically "Somethin' botherin' you, Great Uncle Esopus?"

The elderly stallion hastily turned to his great niece and remarked "Oh, no; Jackie. Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all."

He did not sound very convincing. Braeburn leaned forward and queried "You sure, Great Uncle Esopus? You've seemed a little on edge lately."

"Well, with everything that's been going on, who could blame me?" Spitzenburg debated, "Aside from that, I've been away from Chicacolt for weeks. I should be getting back there soon; I've got a company that needs to be run. My board of directors can only do so much in my absence."

"Then if you don't mind me asking, why did you come out here in the first place, sir?" Bronze Star inquired.

"To get away from it all," Esopus Spitzenburg proclaimed, "As you can imagine, a CEO has a lot of responsibilities, stress, and pressure put on him. I came out here hoping to have a break. But the dispute between our people and the buffalo got in the way of that. Some good came out of it, though. It reminded me that you cannot flee from your problems, and if you try to, all you'll do is find more."

"I agree with that sentiment, Mr. Spitzenburg," Twilight Sparkle conceded.

"So do I," Bronze Star added in.

Everypony at that table raised a glass to Esopus Spitzenburg's last statement. After that round of drinks, Spitzenburg placed his napkin on the table, got out of his chair, and declared "Well, I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Now?" Rainbow Dash murmured in mild surprise, "It's not even seven o'clock."

"Well, I have a certain… task to attend to before I go to bed," Esopus Spitzenburg revealed.

"You mean like packing?" Rarity hypothesized.

"No, I'm already mostly packed," Spitzenburg explicated, "There's something business-related I must see to."

"What might that be?" Fluttershy queried curiously.

"I'd tell you, but it's confidential," Esopus candidly muttered, "It's also very pressing, so I cannot stay here any longer. So good night, and I'll see you all in the morning."

Everypony wished the old stallion a pleasant evening, although Bronze Star and Applejack only meant it halfheartedly. As soon as Spitzenburg was out of the room, Applejack nudged her coltfriend and whispered into his ear "I think this is it."

He did not ask for clarification; he already knew what he meant. He lightly nodded his head in agreement. After that, he and Applejack simultaneously set down their napkins and rose from their seats. The gold stallion announced "AJ and I will be in our room if you need us."

Everypony acknowledged that declaration and bade the gold stallion and the orange mare a good night, as well.

Applejack and Bronze Star quickly yet casually went to their room. When they got there, Applejack locked the door and covered the windows while Bronze Star got out the picture frame with the built-in surveillance system. He sat down on his bed and placed the picture frame on his lap. As soon as Applejack was sitting next to him, he brought the frame online.

This enabled them to see everything going on in Spitzenburg's suite through the picture frame's twin. By now, Spitzenburg was already in his bedroom. Similarly to them, he had locked his door and covered the curtains. At that moment, he was reaching underneath his bed. When he rose to his full height, he extracted a large piece of poster board.

"That's it," Applejack notified Bronze Star, "That's the same poster board he brought to Ponyville."

"Excellent," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Now let's see how he uses it."

After Spitzenburg had the poster board, he went over to the nightstand beside the bed, opened it up, and pulled out a small object. At first glance, it seemed to be an apple, but when Spitzenburg passed by the closed window, a wave of light went through the object, meaning it was translucent. So it could not be a legitimate apple; it must have been an ornament.

At any rate, once Esopus Spitzenburg had both the poster board and the fake apple, he got settled down. Bronze Star was hoping he would sit on his bed, at his desk, or in the recliner near the bathroom. Unfortunately, he ended up going to a stool in the corner. It was on the opposite side of the suite from the dresser, and from the way he sat, the side of his poster board was not visible to the picture frame.

"Oh, come on," Bronze Star mumbled angrily.

"Don't worry," Applejack said in reassurance, "Maybe he'll move sometime while he's using that thing."

"We can only hope," Bronze Star conceded.

Once Spitzenburg was seated in his chair, he held the poster board up at an angle on his lap. Then he took the fake apple and pressed down on its stem. The apple started glowing many different colors all at once, and it emanated a faint humming sound. Spitzenburg placed the apple on top of the poster board and kept it there for a few seconds. After that, the front of the poster board seemed to produce a bright light, as well. Applejack and Bronze Star could see the glare from it shining off the elderly stallion's face.

A moment later, they heard a voice say "Yes?"

It originated from the poster board. It was a feminine voice. The final conspirator was a mare!

Spitzenburg set the apple-shaped ornament aside, looked down at the poster board, and queried "Are you in a secure location?"

There was a heavy sigh, and then the mare on the poster board stated "Of course I am, sir. Do you really need to ask every time?"

"You can never be too cautious," Esopus proclaimed, "I ask only because you can never be too sure that nopony is watching or listening."

"How true," Bronze Star muttered under his breath.

"Well, that I can understand," the mare remarked, "But I can assure you that I'm in a private spot. If the authorities knew where I was, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Unlike me, you and the rest of our colleagues don't have a warrant out for your arrest."

"I'm aware of that," Esopus Spitzenburg commented bluntly, "Your ability to remain undetected is one of the primary reasons I brought you into this scheme."

"You don't have to remind me of those reasons, sir," the mare asserted, "You told me them when you first brought me on. I suppose you have the right to ask if I'm being monitored by the government. Let me put your qualms to rest by assuring you that I'm not."

"Good," Spitzenburg murmured in approval, "That's all I wanted to hear."

"But not all you wanted to say?" the mare assumed.

"Indeed not," Spitzenburg affirmed. He then sighed angrily, leaned back against the wall, and disclosed "Firstly, there's the situation in Appleoosa. It has been resolved, but not in the manner we hoped for."

"What happened?" the mare inquired.

"The settlers and the buffalo arrived at an understanding," the elderly stallion explicated, "Instead of wiping each other out, they have agreed to share the stampeding ground and the orchard's produce."

"I thought you said a destructive outcome was inevitable," the mare pronounced.

"At the time, it was," Esopus Spitzenburg professed, "There was even a fight in the town. However, during it, the Chief somehow developed a sudden fondness for apple pies. It was not long before that fondness was shared by the rest of his tribe. So unless we burn the stampeding ground, any hope we had of generating mayhem here is gone."

"Damn," the mare muttered in annoyance, "Oh, well. Guess we'll have to move on."

"You don't seem very displeased by this failure," Spitzenburg noted.

"To be honest, sir, I didn't have a great deal of faith in this plan to begin with," the mare revealed, "Some of the others don't quite understand what you were trying to accomplish in Appleoosa, either. What was the whole point of stirring up trouble between the buffalo and the settlers in the first place?"

"I told you before," Spitzenburg spoke a little impatiently, "Although the buffalo are natives of this region of Equestria, that did not stop ponies from inhabiting it, as well. Princess Celestia was the one who authorized our people's move out here. The idea was to take advantage of that."

"How so, sir?" the mare murmured in interest, "I mean, Appleoosa has been around for decades, and until recently, there were never any problems between the townsfolk and the natives."

"That's because the apple orchard was planted only this year," Spitzenburg disclosed, "Before then, the only apple-related thing the town had was its name. And since the apple orchard just happened to be planted on the buffalo's stampeding ground, relations between them and the Appleoosans went south. Or even further south, I should say."

"Oh, so they lit the fire; you just added fuel to it," the mare perceived.

"Correct," Esopus Spitzenburg confirmed, "That's why I had Lavender Dazzle tell Chief Thunderhooves about that train. I knew his people would want to launch a raid and take the tree before it reached Appleoosa. That one act was enough to produce a direct confrontation between the settlers and the buffalo. I was hoping for their rivalry to end with the town being razed to the ground. If that transpired, word would have spread over the country about how a group of settlers were brutally mascaraed by the savage natives. And do you know who would have been to blame for that? The one who allowed the settlers to come out here in the first place, of course. Princess Celestia herself."

"So this was yet another attempt to discredit her?" the mare assumed.

"Yes, and this one would have been more direct than most of the others," Esopus Spitzenburg, "But it didn't work, and now it never will. So we're out of luck."

Applejack was disgusted and astonished by everything she heard. She uttered through gritted teeth "So he was willing to let all the ponies in this town DIE for this insane 'cause' of his. Just when I thought my opinion of him couldn't get any lower…"

She then turned to Bronze Star. She noticed he was rubbing his chin and gazing intently at the picture frame. It was as though he was in deep meditation about something. She murmured inquisitively "Bronze? What is it?"

"That mare's voice…" Bronze Star thought aloud, "I think I recognize it from somewhere…"

Applejack raised an eyebrow and queried "Where?"

"I can't say for certain," Bronze Star expounded, "But I know I've heard it before. I never forget a voice."

"I thought you never forget anything," Applejack slyly uttered.

"I don't," Bronze Star claimed, "But that doesn't mean I can remember everything all at once. If only he'd turn the poster board towards us. I just need one glimpse of her face to refresh my memory."

"Let's just wait and see," Applejack advised.

The gold stallion and the orange mare watched on in silence.

After a bit of silence, the mare in the poster board stated "What now, sir?"

"We need to revise our timetable," Esopus Spitzenburg responded, "Too many of our prearranged schemes have failed. In fact, the only one that even partially succeeded was Livewire's. But his was supposed to kill thousands instead of hundreds."

"Maybe it's a sign," the mare theorized, "Perhaps our plot was doomed to fail from the start."

"Are you saying you no longer believe in our cause?" Spitzenburg inquired suspiciously.

"Not at all, sir," the mare reassured him, "I was merely speculating. I have as much faith in what we're doing as you do."

"Good," Spitzenburg uttered gladly, "All the same, I would ask that you don't share those speculations with the others. Is that understood, Commander?"

"Of course, sir" the mare conceded. She then added in a more sullen tone "And I asked you not to call me that, sir."

"Because you want nothing to do with your former occupation, or because 'Captain' is what you deserve?" Esopus Spitzenburg enquired.

"Neither," the mare informed him, "It's simply because I was stripped of that rank."

"Well, maybe when this is all over, you'll get it back," the elderly stallion suggested.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, sir," the mare advised him, "We've got a long way to go before we get there. A moment ago, you said something about revising our timetable. What sort of revisions do you have in mind?"

"For starters, we have to accelerate our ultimate goal," Spitzenburg declared, "Before I make any other alterations, there's something else I must address."

"What might that be?" the mare queried.

Spitzenburg did not reply straightaway. After a short period of silence, he looked back down at the poster board and stated "I told you about my great niece's paramour, did I not?"

That statement really caught Applejack and Bronze Star's attention. They did not know what was meant by it, but they had a very grim and unsettling idea.

"Yes, you did," the mare confirmed, "I've had some time to reflect on everything you told me, and I'm almost certain that your hypothesis about him is correct."

"What would you need to be completely certain?" Esopus Spitzenburg queried.

"Well, a physical description can only do so much," the mare pronounced, "Before I draw any conclusions, I'd need to actually see him first."

"You're that sure you'd be able to identify him on sight?" Spitzenburg asked rhetorically.

"Must I remind you that I worked at the Castle for years?" the mare debated, "Believe me, I'd know him when I saw him."

At that, Spitzenburg grinned and remarked "Well, my great niece happened to give me a picture of herself and her paramour when she arrived. Would you care to see it?"

"Yes, I would, sir," the mare responded.

Spitzenburg then got out of his stool and began trotting towards the dresser. As he got closer to it, Bronze Star thought about all the details of their discussion so far. He had been taking notes on everything that had been said about the mare. He mumbled softly "Warrant for her arrest… held the rank of Commander somewhere… used to work at Canterlot Castle…"

"Might know you, apparently," Applejack pointed out.

It was then that Bronze Star's eyes widened and he whispered "No… it can't be…"

A few seconds later, Esopus Spitzenburg reached the dresser, rotated the poster board, and held the illuminated side in front of the photograph. Bronze Star and Applejack found themselves face-to-face with a Pegasus mare. She was in her late thirties. She had an onyx coat, a midnight blue mane, and framboise irises. If one looked close enough, they could see her cutie mark was two spears crossing over a shield.

When Bronze Star saw the mare's face, his jaw dropped and he uttered in shock "Oh, my Mother…"

"What's wrong, Bronze?" Applejack said in concern "Do you know that mare?"

The prince did not give a verbal reply; he merely nodded his head in confirmation.

Applejack turned back to the picture frame and studied the onyx mare. She appeared to be studying them as well. Applejack mumbled anxiously "Can… can she see us?"

"No, the other frame is in Recording Mode," Bronze Star assured her, "The video feed is one-way. I think she's just studying the photograph in the frame."

"Well, since you and I are in that picture, she's still looking at you and me in a way," Applejack professed.

"Technically," Bronze Star contended, "But never mind that; let's just watch and listen."

Applejack nodded her head in agreement.

The onyx mare continued to study the photograph in the other frame for a few seconds, and then she announced "Okay, I've seen enough."

Spitzenburg then turned the poster board around so he could face the mare again. He asked her curiously "Well, is that him?"

"That is definitely the prince," the onyx mare declared, "Or most of him, at any rate."

Both Bronze Star and Applejack's hearts skipped a beat at that, but they did not panic.

"What do you suppose happened to his wings and horn?" Spitzenburg inquired.

"I'm pretty sure they weren't amputated," the onyx mare proclaimed, "It looks as though they were never there. But I know they were. I saw him fly and use magic many times when I was at the castle. The only explanation I can think of is that he must be using an illusion spell."

"Wouldn't an illusion spell only render them invisible to the eye?" Spitzenburg presumed.

"Normally, that would be the case," the onyx mare explicated, "But Alicorns have the ability to use illusion spells that prevent objects from being touched, as well. That was how Princess Celestia was able to keep her pregnancy a secret."

"So I see," Esopus Spitzenburg avowed. He thought for a minute, and then he proposed "Maybe we could make this work to our advantage."

"In what way, sir?" the onyx mare enquired.

"Prince Bronze Star is courting my great niece," the elderly stallion illuminated, "We could use his relationship with Applejack to bring him into our cause."

"That's an extremely unwise idea, sir," the onyx mare advised him, "You don't know Prince Bronze Star like I do. He takes his role as a leader of Equestria very seriously, and every pony in this country is precious to him. He would never allow us to murder so many of his people."

"If he joins us, we might not need to kill anypony else," Esopus debated, "All we'd need is for him to convince his mother to remove herself from the throne. Once he's named the supreme ruler of Equestria in her stead, we could manipulate him to implement the changes we want for this country."

"Prince Bronze Star can be very persuasive and reasonable, but he has never allowed anypony to use him as a puppet," the onyx mare proclaimed, "Aside from that, you overestimate his influence over his mother. Once Princess Celestia's mind is made up, even her son's chances of swaying her are rare."

"Then he could take the throne by force," Spitzenburg suggested, "He's widely respected by all the branches of the military, and most active soldiers are as loyal to him as they are to his mother, if not more so. He is also on good terms with the bigget politicians in Canterlot and every other major city. They could give him the support he'd need. Altogether, he would have ample means to usurp his mother's rule."

"He might have the capacity to overthrow Celestia," the onyx mare admitted, "But there is still one crucial thing he lacks."

"What?" Spitzenburg queried.

"The willingness to do so," she apprised him, "Bronze Star loves and cares for his mother very deeply. He would never do anything to openly defy her. She's as much his leader as she is everypony else's."

"Then he must realize that if things don't change, she always will be," Esopus Spitzenburg contended, "Bronze Star has to know that as long as his mother sits the throne at Canterlot Castle, he will never be the ruler of Equestria. All his deeds and actions will always be overshadowed by hers, and nopony will ever shout his name the way they've shouted hers. He'd be nothing more than one of the many mistakes his mother made."

"With all due respect, sir; Prince Bronze Star is not a mistake," the onyx mare sharply uttered.

"Well, most bastards are," Spitzenburg countered, "Think about that. His mother did not even have the decency to be wed at the time of his conception."

"Be that as it may, Prince Bronze Star has done many good things for this country," the onyx mare asserted.

"And he could do better things if he was on the throne in place of his mother," Esopus Spitzenburg contended.

"I don't think you get the message, sir," the onyx mare muttered, "Let me give it to you straight. Prince Bronze Star is not so ambitious that he would seize power by force. He has too much honor and civility to accomplish such a thing. Truth be told, even if his mother offered him the throne, I don't think he would take it. He seems perfectly content with everything he already has."

Esopus Spitzenburg thought on all of that, and eventually, he sighed and stated grimly "Very well. If you're that certain Bronze Star wouldn't cooperate with us, then I won't involve him in our plot. Even so, somepony will have to sit the throne after we have dealt with his mother."

"I agree," the onyx mare informed him, "But we can worry about that later. For now, just leave Bronze Star alone. Let him continue to live his private life in Ponyville."

"Okay, I shall," Spitzenburg remarked. There was another brief interval of quietness, and then the elderly stallion professed "With all that aside, we should not completely ignore this new development. Let's talk about those alterations I'd like to make to our agenda. We need to invoke a contingency plan."

"Which one?" the onyx mare inquired.

"The vanishing act," Esopus explicated, "As soon as we're finished here, I want you to contact Raging and Sparker. Tell them to gather what they need and go into hiding. Same goes for everypony else. All of them need to go dark immediately."

"May I ask why, sir?" the onyx mare enquired.

"So many of our plans have gone wrong recently that I'm beginning to wonder if the government's starting to catch on to what we're doing," Esopus Spitzenburg revealed, "Then there's the fact that our target's son has gotten intimate with my great niece. For all we know, she might be aware of his true identity, as well. Furthermore, if he ever catches on to what we're doing, he may try to turn Applejack against us. She might know enough about me to tell him if I have any personal weaknesses. At this point, we cannot afford to take any chances. So until further notice, all of you have to disappear."

"What about you?" the onyx mare said in interest.

"I'll stay out in the open," Spitzenburg declared, "I'm not concerned that the government will learn of my involvement; I'm too-high profile to warrant suspicion. But if anything happens to me – say, I wind up in a police station, a hospital, or a morgue – you still have orders to launch your attacks against the cities."

"I'll be sure to tell them that, sir," the onyx mare avowed, "Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes," Esopus Spitzenburg answered, "I need you to start drafting our final assault."

"The assassination itself?" the onyx mare assumed.

"Correct," the elderly stallion affirmed, "You know the Castle better than any of us. Who better than you to plan our attack?"

"Sir Raoul might know it a bit better, sir," the onyx mare debated, "But since he's already gone dark, I can't rely on him too much."

"Well, if you need any assistance, feel free to try to locate him," Spitzenburg offered, "I'm afraid the rest of us cannot help you find him, though. Even I don't know where he is."

"Not to worry, sir," the onyx mare asserted, "I'm confident I can get by without him."

"Great," Spitzenburg acknowledged. After another short pause, he stated "Once you've finished composing the plan for the assassination, contact me again. If I don't approve of it, I'm sure I can trust you to make the proper adjustments. If I do approve of it, we'll show it to the others. Then all we have to do is wait for the right opportunity to employ it."

"Understood, sir," the onyx mare declared, "You can expect to hear from me in a few weeks."

"I'll count the days," Spitzenburg slyly murmured, "Oh, and one more thing. This discovery we've made about Prince Bronze Star… for the present at least, I would prefer it if we kept it between you and me. It's not something the others need to know just yet."

"Very well, sir," the onyx mare coincided.

Esopus Spitzenburg then went over to the corner with the stool, picked up the glowing apple-shaped ornament, and pressed down on its stem again. Straightaway, the fake apple stopped glowing, and the mare's face and the bright light vanished from the poster board, as well. Now it just looked like an ordinary poster board once more.

Spitzenburg swiftly went over to his bed and slid the poster board underneath it. After he returned the apple-shaped ornament to the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out a novel from that same drawer. Then he trotted over to his desk, sat down at it, and began to read.

Bronze Star and Applejack were still staring at him in profound disbelief. After a minute of silence, Bronze Star deactivated the picture frame in his hooves and set it off to the side. Then he commented "It's amazing how he can talk about committing genocide and treason and then just go about his day as if it was nothing to sweat about."

"Yeah, I never woulda thought he could be so nonchalant," Applejack thought aloud, "But that's nothin' to sweat about at all compared to what he just found out. What are we gonna do, Bronze? He knows who you are now."

"I won't deny that that's a really bad thing," Bronze Star professed, "All the same, don't let it trouble you, Applejack. It's hardly something to fret about. I mean, what would he possibly do with that information? He would gain nothing by going public with it, and even if he did try to expose me, he's got no hard proof. He wouldn't be able to explain himself. Plus, based on that conversation, I doubt he would wish to share my secret with the public anytime soon, anyway. He doesn't even want the other conspirators to know it."

"I s'pose that is a good thing," Applejack muttered, "Still, when you consider everything else he's done, it's kinda strange that he would do decided to do that"

"No stranger than the fact that he actually believed I might help him launch a rebellion against my mother," Bronze Star contended.

"Ya got me there," Applejack conceded, staring at the wall in front of her, "It's amazin' that he could even think that you'd ever stoop that low. I can say with absolute certainty that you would never do anything to harm Princess Celestia."

"You're quite right," Bronze Star conceded, placing his left front leg around her shoulders, "No more than you'd turn against your own kin. Excluding Esopus Spitzenburg, of course."

"Thanks," the orange mare stated appreciatively. After another brief pause, she looked to her coltfriend and asked "So, what now?"

"Now, I report this to the Firebrand Regiment," Bronze Star announced, "I imagine they'll be both pleased and displeased at the same time. I certainly am."

"Why's that?" Applejack inquired.

"I'm pleased because I've finally uncovered the identity of the last conspirator," the gold stallion elaborated, "I'm displeased because now that I know who she is, I know that this investigation is still far from over."

"How come?" Applejack uttered enquiringly "Who was that mare?"

Bronze Star did not answer her right away. Instead, he gazed off to the side and reflected on this most recent development in the investigation of the assassination conspiracy. After a minute of tense silence, he turned back to his fillyfriend and informed her "She goes by the name Clear Crest. As to how I know her… she used to be an officer of the Canterlot Royal Guard."

Applejack found that intriguing. She commented "I thought only stallions could serve in the Royal Guard."

"That's a common misconception," Bronze Star disclosed, "There actually are quite a few female officers in their ranks, but there's such a small ratio of mares to stallions that everypony thinks you have to… well, have a 'member' to be a member. If you know what I mean."

Applejack chuckled and remarked "That's a very unique observation."

"Yeah, me and my depraved mind," Bronze Star muttered sarcastically, smirking.

"So, how well do you know Clear Crest?" Applejack asked him.

"When she worked at the Castle, I knew her very well," Bronze Star elucidated, "Or I thought I did. She belongs to a family with a huge background in the Equestrian military. In fact, she grew up on the naval base in Nanbucket. She came to Canterlot and started serving in the Royal Guard when I was nine. At the time, she was one of the best in the force. For a few years, she was even my personal bodyguard."

"She was?" Applejack stated in astonishment.

"Yep," Bronze Star confirmed, "My mother assigned her to me. I guess she wanted me to have more female characters as I grew up."

"That was wise of her, seein' as how most of your friends in Ponyville are mares," Applejack perceived.

"Right," Bronze Star muttered in agreement, "Anyway, during her time in the Royal Guard, Clear Crest was a model officer. She was devout, upright, fearless, and a source of inspiration to her fellow officers, especially the mares. She never got a single blemish on her service record, and she became a Commander before I became a teenager. With that in mind, you'd think she'd hit the rank of Captain before I hit twenty."

"Did she?" Applejack said inquiringly.

"No, but she certainly tried to," Bronze Star responded, "That was what ultimately brought about her downfall."

Applejack was really drawn in by this point. She scooted closer and beckoned her coltfriend "Tell me more."

Bronze Star nodded and illuminated: "As you know, I formed the Firebrand Regiment when I was eighteen. One of its members – Glock – was the Captain of the Royal Guard when I recruited him. In my opinion, he was one of the greatest captains in the history of the Royal Guard. However, as long as he worked for me, he could not continue working for them. So a month in advance, Glock announced that he would be standing down as Captain of the Royal Guard."

"Why a whole month?" Applejack queried.

"So the other officers would have time to choose his successor," Bronze Star expounded, "While my mother is the only one with the authority to appoint the Captain of the Royal Guard, the factor that primarily influences her decision is the opinions of the officers. When the position for Captain opens, several officers put their names forth for the ballot. They usually start with over a dozen possibilities. Every day after that, each officer casts a vote, and the votes are counted at the end of the day. Whoever has the least amount of votes is removed from the ballot the next day. When they were trying to determine Glock's successor, they got down to two candidates: Clear Crest and the current Captain, Shining Armor."

"I take it Shining Armor won the ballot that day?" Applejack supposed.

"No, when there are only two candidates left, there's no voting," Bronze Star revealed, "Instead, my mother chooses between the two of them. From what I recall, that was a very difficult decision to make. Clear Crest had been in the force longer, and she was more experienced. However, Shining Armor was more sociable and committed. He had the support of many of the Royal Guard, as well as most of my mother's cabinet. All things considered, it seemed like the position of Captain's was as good as his. But Clear Crest wasn't about to give up; she was too ambitious."

Applejack did not like the sound of that. She questioned anxiously "What happened next?"

"A week before Captain Glock was scheduled to retire from the Royal Guard, Shining Armor went out into the city to take some personal time," Bronze Star recounted, "While he was out there, he was ambushed by a couple of thugs. He managed to neutralize both of them singlehoofedly, but not before he suffered an injury in his shoulder. Normally, those thugs would have been taken to the police. But since the victim was an officer of the Royal Guard, the Military Enforcement Corps was charged with holding them. After hours of intense interrogation, Commander Hard Hull managed to get the thugs to admit that they had been hired to attack Shining Armor. When I learned that, I had Sir Haywood McCrank do some investigating. He discovered that those ponies were not just ordinary thugs after all; they were hitstallions. They did not know who their employer was; they had acquired their 'assignment' anonymously. Even so, Sir Haywood managed to find a private bank account that belonged to the hitstallions. According to the bank's records, the day before the hitstallions attacked Shining Armor, a large sum of money had been deposited into their account. Sir Haywood did some further research, and he was able to trace the money trail all the way back to the Castle. Before long, he narrowed its origin all the way back to one particular pony."

Applejack's eyes widened in alarm, and she alleged "Clear Crest hired them?"

"That was certainly how it looked," Bronze Star pronounced, "My mother ordered Clear Crest to be detained and questioned. She denied the accusation, of course, but she offered nothing to prove her innocence. She could provide no alibi or witnesses, and Sir Haywood soon uncovered more evidence that pointed to Clear Crest as the culprit. The biggest indicator of her guilt was her motive: she was the only pony in the Castle who had any reason to want to harm Shining Armor."

"So she was out of the running?" Applejack pronounced drily.

"Not only that, but she was also facing some serious charges," Bronze Star recalled, "Princess Celestia ordered for a tribunal to be held to decide Clear Crest's fate. If she was found guilty, she would have been dishonorably discharged and sent to prison. Even if she was found innocent, she would not have been able to keep her job."

"So what was the verdict?" Applejack queried in intrigue.

"There was no verdict, because there was no tribunal," Bronze Star revealed, "Shortly before it was set to take place, Clear Crest escaped from the custody of the Military Enforcement Corps. The officers who were guarding her were found beaten and unconscious outside her holding cell. By the time we locked down the castle, she had already gotten out. The Intelligence Bureau and the Corps searched everywhere for her, but they never found a trace of her. Not one hoofprint or hair from her tail. It was like she had physically disappeared from existence."

"And she never reappeared after that?" the orange mare guessed.

"Correct," the gold stallion confirmed, "She's been missing ever since she escaped. The authorities have issued a warrant for her arrest. They've even offered a reward for her capture. But nopony has ever reported seeing her. Needless to say, she's very determined to remain hidden."

"Well, my Uncle and the other conspirators managed to find her," Applejack pointed out.

"Yes, they did…" Bronze Star murmured, "Isn't that odd? A group of political insurgents managed to pull off what the federal government could not. I'd like to know how they pulled THAT off."

"Well, if they can do it, so can you," Applejack stated in encouragement.

"I'd like to think so," Bronze Star remarked, "But that's no easy task. Clear Crest has been in hiding for almost seven years. She won't be revealing herself to the public any time soon. To make matters worse, Spitzenburg just ordered the other conspirators to go into hiding, as well. If they managed to disappear as well as Clear Crest, it will be nearly impossible to stop the conspirators before they try to assassinate my mother."

"Don't talk like that, Bronze," Applejack told her coltfriend, leaning closer to him, "Just because you've been unable to find Clear Crest before, that doesn't mean you never will. You haven't come this far just to accept defeat. You NEED to see this thing through. So many ponies depend on you, especially Princess Celestia. I KNOW you'll stop those conspirators before they harm anypony else. Do you know how I know that? Because I know you, and I believe in you and your ability. If there's one pony capable of stopping my Uncle and his colleagues, it's you."

The two ponies sat in silence for a long time after that. Ultimately, Bronze Star slowly turned to his fillyfriend and looked into her eyes. A small grin gradually appeared on his face. When she saw that, Applejack smiled back.

The prince kissed the farmer and told her "I'm really glad to have you by my side, Applejack."

"I'm glad to be by your side," she proclaimed, "And let me tell you; you can count on me to be there as often as you need me to be."

"I'll hold you to that," Bronze Star asserted.

After this conversation, Bronze Star got out his strongbox and used his blackboard to contact the Firebrand Regiment. He brought them up to date on this latest development in their investigation. They seemed just as surprised as he was that Clear Crest turned out to be the final conspirator. Bronze Star ordered them to have the field operatives keep a very careful eye on all the other conspirators. Although Spitzenburg had told them to go into hiding, Bronze Star was not about to let them slip away that easily.

The Regiment was alarmed when he told them that Clear Crest and Esopus Spitzenburg knew the real identity of "Ambassador Gold Streak," but he assured them that the information was not in danger of falling into other hooves.

Bronze Star was not certain on how to proceed just yet, so he simply told the Firebrand Regiment to await further instructions from him, and he assured them that he would get back to them soon.

After that, the gold stallion and the orange mare spent the rest of the evening together. They passed the time by chatting and playing cards. They also took some time to pack their suitcases. Applejack had brought along a copy of the photograph she had placed in the special picture frame she had given Esopus Spitzenburg. She made sure to take the copy of the photograph and place it in the ordinary picture frame in the exact same position. The ordinary picture frame looked totally like the two special ones, but it did not have a built-in surveillance system.

The next morning, while Esopus Spitzenburg was downstairs eating breakfast, Applejack snuck up to his suite and replaced the special picture frame with the ordinary one. She quickly went back to her room and gave it to Bronze Star. Once he hid both of the special frames in his suitcase, their little sting operation was officially over.

After breakfast, Applejack, Bronze Star, and their friends headed out to the train station. Braeburn, Sheriff Silverstar, and many of the townsfolk saw them off. Unsurprisingly, Esopus Spitzenburg was nowhere to be seen. Bronze Star and Applejack had no problem with that. For all they cared, this could be the last time they ever saw him.

Just as Bronze Star boarded the train, a pony who worked at the post office hastily approached him and presented him with an envelope. According to the return address, it was from Ponyville, and it had been sent out a few days ago. The postal pony apologized for taking so long to get the letter to him. He claimed that since the post office had been demolished and reconstructed that week, it was taking a while to sort all the mail.

All that week, Bronze Star had still been able to do everything that pertained to his royal duties. Every day, he had received some material from Canterlot Castle. Anything sent to or from the Castle had been marked with the royal seal, which was fairly easy to distinguish. The letter from Ponyville, on the other hoof, had no discernable marker whatsoever, so it had been buried with all the regular mail.

Although the postal pony was genuinely apologetic for that inconvenience, Bronze Star assured him that everything was alright. What really mattered was that he had gotten the letter before he left Appleoosa.

The train was soon underway. Applejack, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Rollin Fields, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle all leaned out of opened windows so that they could wave at the townsfolk, who eagerly waved back at them. Once the train cleared the town, everypony except Pinkie stopped waving. She did not stop until Appleoosa was completely out of sight.

An hour or two after the train departed from Appleoosa, Bronze Star had Rollin Fields go with him to an empty car. There he showed the lime green stallion the letter from Ponyville. Although the letter's envelope contained no mention of who sent it, Bronze Star could tell without opening it that it must have been from somepony on the task force. They were the only ones who knew that he had gone to Appleoosa that week. He did tell the mayor and City Council that he was going on vacation, but he never told them where.

Since this was the only letter the task force had sent, Bronze Star and Rollin Fields assumed that it was merely a progress report on the investigation. Then they actually opened the envelope and read the letter. That was when they realized it was much more than a progress report.

By the time they were finished reading, they were overcome with worry and uneasiness. So much so that Bronze Star went all the way up to the engine room and asked the conductor if the train could go any faster.

As luck would have it, they could. All the trees that had been taken down to make the path in the Appleoosa orchard had been chopped down instead of uprooted. For that reason, they could not be replanted, and they had to be used for other means. Some of the trees had been set aside for supplemental train fuel. The conductor informed Bronze Star that they now had enough fuel to get them all the way back to Ponyville in one uninterrupted trip. They would not have to stop to have the crew pull the train at all. The vehicle could run at full speed for the entire ride. At that rate, it would reach its destination within twelve hours.

Sure enough, at nine o'clock at night, the train pulled into the depot at Ponyville. Once the nine passengers had their luggage and disembarked, they bade each other a pleasant evening and all went their separate ways.

Twilight Sparkle and Spike went to Golden Oaks Library, Fluttershy went to her cottage, Rarity went to Carousel Boutique, Rainbow Dash went to her cloudiminium, Pinkie Pie went to Sugarcube Corner, and Applejack went to Sweet Apple Acres.

Bronze Star and Rollin Fields were the only two who went to more than one building. The two stallions were not ready to call it a day just yet.

As soon as they took their leave of the others, Rollin Fields told Bronze Star that he would be stopping by his house to check up on his daughter, Sweepin. After that, they would visit his son, Buddin, at the hospital. Bronze Star asked the elderly stallion to say "hello" to his children for him.

Bronze Star mentioned to Rollin Fields that he was going to swing by the barracks. As far as he knew, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict were still on-duty there. After that, he would stop by Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb's house. In one hour, he was going to hold a last-minute task force meeting. Rollin Fields assured him that he would get to the meeting on-time.

One full hour later, all ten members of the task force were gathered in the meeting chambers at the embassy. Bronze Star and Rollin Fields were quickly brought up to date on everything that had happened since they left the town. The other eight members had finished going over the contents of all twelve crates of manifests. They had noted that for all the Vermane's Las Pegasus murders, the killers had not taken the train to get to the city or leave it. In addition to that, in roughly eighty percent of the other murders, the Vermane's getaway train had gone straight to Detrot.

Their most significant development had actually occurred earlier that week in Ponyville. Buddin Fields and Sweepin Fields had been attacked by three masked stallions, and one of them had broken Buddin's front leg. Almond Wheeler, Dread Naught, and Shakedown had been close-by at the time, and they had been able to investigate it straightaway. Dread Naught had quickly concluded that the perpetrators were the Vermane.

He did not judge the situation hastily or prematurely. Sir Haywood McCrank went over the details of the crime, and he confirmed that the assailants' actions matched the Vermane's style. They did not try to rob or beat Buddin and Sweepin; all they did was terrorize them and ask them to relay a "message." What further indicated this instance as an act of the Vermane was the fact that the victims were Rollin Fields' children. Ever since the Vermane sent them those photographs of their loved ones, the task force had been worried that something like this might happen. Now that it had, Sir Haywood McCrank cautioned the others that this was just a warning. The next time the Vermane tried to harm one of their loved ones, they would do something far worse than break one of their limbs.

Despite this, none of the members of the task force were discouraged from continuing the investigation. Especially not Rollin Fields. For him, this case was personal now.

At any rate, when the task force had been unable to locate the stallions who attacked Buddin Fields and Sweepin Fields, Sir Haywood McCrank advised that they call off the search. Since the Vermane had already made their move and fled the scene, he knew the task force would be unable to find them directly. That was not to say they had lost all signs of the Vermane altogether. Shakedown advised that they stop by the train depot and acquire its most recent manifests. While Dread Naught saw to that task, Shakedown, Almond Wheeler, and Rough Rider took turns lingering around the station to keep an eye out for three stallions travelling together; one from each race. For the first couple days, none of the manifests had come up with a black E, a black U, and black P all in one row, and Rough Rider, Almond Wheeler, and Shakedown had not seen three stallions moving together.

However, not three days ago, Dread Naught had come across one manifest with the letters P, E, and U written in black ink in one row. It belong to a train that had departed in the late afternoon. Almond Wheeler and the two vigilantes claimed they did not see any trio of stallions that day. Sir Haywood McCrank quickly came up with an explanation. The three stallions must have noticed Almond Wheeler, Shakedown, or Rough Rider, and as a precaution, they boarded the train separately. Of course, once they were on the train and out of the view of the station's platform, they were no longer worried about being seen together.

When Dread Naught showed the manifest to that particular train to the rest of the task force, he shared with them an interesting bit of information: that train's final destination was Detrot. Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Rough Rider, and Shakedown were astonished to discover this. They had time to discuss their options on what to do next.

Now that Rollin Fields and Bronze Star had been brought up to speed, they could participate in the current discussions on how to proceed.

"We can't verify that Detrot is where the Vermane are," Copper Hollow pointed out, "All we can say is that we know where they could be."

"At this point, we can't be certain of anything," Sir Haywood contended, "The Vermane might or might not be in Detrot. Personally, I think they are. For now, at least."

"Regardless, this is the best lead we've gotten to date," Shakedown disclosed, "We should follow up on it while we still can."

"Follow up how?" Bronze Star queried.

"Isn't it obvious?" Shakedown bluntly muttered, "The only way to stop the Vermane is to chase them down. We have to go to Detrot."

Several of the others seemed surprised by that suggestion.

"While I admire your determination to catch the Vermane, that idea sounds a little too impulsive, Mr. Shakedown," Rollin Fields professed.

"I'm not being hasty," Shakedown insisted, "I'm being quick to respond. There's a difference. We have a window of opportunity to catch the Vermane. We need to reach that window before it closes."

"I must agree with Shakedown," Noble Edict announced, "If we don't confront the Vermane, they'll just keep coming back. We need to show them that we will not tolerate these acts of senseless violence. Believe me; the best way to deal with an assailant is to take the fight to them instead of waiting for them to arrive with it."

"What makes you so certain of that, Lady Noble?" Sir Haywood queried.

"Because I know from experience that that approach works," Noble Edict proclaimed.

The other nine members of the task force all appeared to be at least mildly stunned by that statement.

"What are you talking about, Noble?" Dapple Rhomb enquired.

The red mare gave no answer right away. She looked around at everypony else one at a time, and then she solemnly proposed "Let me tell you all how I became this town's chief of security."

That was a tale that nopony really knew, not even the other security officers. All they did know was that Noble Edict had been made Ponyville's chief of security after the previous chief died. This scenario must have been serious business since she was finally coming forward with this story.

Needless to say, Noble Edict had everypony's undivided attention. She began her explanation with:

"Five years ago, a young mare in Fillydelphia witnessed a double homicide. She managed to get away before the killers even realized she was there. This mare was a typical fine, law-abiding citizen; she made an honest living as a clerk at a department store. Naturally, she went straight to the police to report the crime. She was even able to give them a description of the killers, and the police managed to identify one of them as an infamous mob kingpin that they had been trying to nail for years. With the mare's testimony, they would finally be able to put him away. So a date was set for the mare to testify against the kingpin. Until her day in court, she needed to be placed in witness protection. Five other ponies had been scheduled to testify against the kingpin in the past, but all of them had been killed before they could take the stand. The authorities did not want to risk that happening again, so they had the mare moved out of the city and to someplace more remote."

"Where?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Here," Noble Edict illuminated, "The mare was protected around the clock by a team of federal agents, but Ponyville's chief of security and I were tasked with making the arrangements and maintaining the mare's cover. Due to the delicate nature of her situation, we swore never to tell anypony else what was going on. For a few weeks, everything seemed to be going just fine. Somehow, the mob kingpin found out the mare was here, anyway. Less than a month before she was supposed to testify, he sent four of his subordinates to kill her."

"What happened?" Dread Naught asked anxiously.

"One day, the mobsters just showed up in town and went straight to the mare's house," Noble Edict recounted, "Then and there, they made their move. Before they got to the mare, they had to get through us, first. The mobsters were very adept fighters. Luckily, so were the federal agents, along with me and the chief. After a long and difficult skirmish, we managed to push the mobsters back. Amazingly, nopony got killed in that conflict. But we soon found out that the danger was far from over."

"How do you mean?" Rough Rider queried.

"Those four mobsters were believed to be the same ones who had killed the other five witnesses," Noble Edict elucidated, "Twice before, they had failed to kill the witness the first time, but they succeeded in their second attempt. There was no doubt; they would try to take out the mare sometime in the near future, and they would not stop until she was dead. The chief decided the only way to prevent the mobsters from coming back was to ensure that they would never come back."

"How'd you accomplish that?" Rollin Fields enquired curiously.

"After we reported the attack, more federal agents were dispatched to tighten security around the mare's house," the red mare explicated, "We soon found out that the four mobsters had gone back to Fillydelphia. The chief proposed that he and I go after them. Other than the federal agents, he and I were the only ones who could recognize the mobsters on sight, but the agents' priority was still the mare's safety. Our priority, on the other hoof, was the safety of Ponyville. I still believed that the best way to do that was to stay in town, but the chief felt it would be better if we went after the mobsters ourselves. Ultimately, he convinced me. So after we confirmed that the agents had the situation with the mare under control, the chief and I got on a train to Fillydelphia. Once we got there, we requested to look through the police's 'wanted' list. Since we had security credentials, they allowed us to see that list. Once we learned the identities of the four mobsters, we went after them."

"Wait a minute," Almond Wheeler interjected, "You didn't seek the police's aid?"

"Trust me, I wantedto," Noble Edict proclaimed, "But the chief persuaded me that we had to handle it ourselves. Since the Filly P.D. had brought the problem to Ponyville, he contended that it was our obligation to fix it. Plus, if we had the police force with us, the mobsters would have been able to see us coming. Since it was just him and me, we would have the elements of stealth and surprise on our side."

"That does make some sense," Shakedown debated, "So, what did you do next?"

Noble Edict hesitated for a minute. Finally, she took a deep breath and revealed "I would prefer not to go into too much detail about what happened next. It was a very… harrowing experience, believe me. I'll just tell you the important parts. The chief and I took on all four mobsters by ourselves. Between the two of us, we managed to bring down three of them… but one of those three took the chief with them."

She had to pause there to collect herself. The other ponies could not blame her for that. Based off what she just said alone, it MUST have been a very traumatic experience.

Noble Edict soon continued with: "At any rate, I managed to take the fourth mobster alive. Once I had him restrained, I went back to the police and told them what had happened. They were astounded that the chief and I had gone after the mobsters without them, but they were grateful that we had managed to stop them. They went back to the scene to arrest the surviving mobster and collect the bodies. After making a statement, I was allowed to bring the chief's body back to Ponyville."

"How did that whole affair end?" Sir Haywood enquired.

"It had a mostly positive ending," Noble Edict apprised the others, "The mobsters never made another move against the mare. She was able to testify less than a month later, and the mob kingpin is now sitting in a cell at a maximum security prison in Chicacolt. He won't be leaving it anytime soon. So some good came out of that ordeal. I still felt the price was too steep, though. The chief was a great stallion; he deserved better than to die at the hooves of some lowlife thugs. Still, I never told anypony else what happened in Fillydelphia; all I said was that he had died doing his job. After his funeral, I was promoted from the town's deputy chief of security to its full chief. They even gave me the Pony of Ponyville award for my 'heroics.' The rest… is history."

There came a long interval of tense silence after this. Most of the ponies seemed flabbergasted by what they had just heard. Several could hardly even believe it.

After a while, Bronze Star leaned back in his chair and commented "That's… quite a story, Noble."

"You have no idea, Bronze," the red mare uttered frankly, "Not a day goes by that I don't think about that day in Fillydelphia. But the chief and I knew the risks when we went there, and we were both willing to die for what was right. That said, there's a lesson to be learned from that experience. If you're faced with a threat, don't wait for it to come to you. Instead, you should confront it head-on. No matter the risks, it's always better if you are in control of the situation."

Everypony took a minute to absorb those words. After that, Rough Rider nodded his head and pronounced "She's right. If there's a chance that the Vermane are in Detrot – even a small chance – we should go after them."

"I concur," Dread Naught pronounced, "We cannot ignore this opportunity. The Vermane will not stop unless we move against them."

There were mumbles of agreement all around the room. The only pony who remained silent was Bronze Star. Sir Haywood McCrank looked to the gold stallion and asked him "What say you, Your Highness?"

Bronze Star just sat rubbing his chin for about a minute. Then he gazed around the room and declared "Let's put it to a vote. All in favor of pursuing this lead in Detrot, raise your right front hoof."

Immediately, Dread Naught, Rough Rider, and Noble Edict raised their right front hooves. A few seconds later, Sir Haywood McCrank, Almond Wheeler, and Shakedown raised their right front hooves, as well. Within the next thirty seconds, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, and Rollin Fields gradually raised their right front hooves, too.

Finally, Bronze Star raised his own right front hoof. The vote was unanimous.

"Very well," the prince pronounced as they lowered their front hooves, "So, how shall we do this?"

"The best approach would be if we distributed our numbers evenly," Sir Haywood McCrank advised, "Half of us should stay here. The other half should go to Detrot."

"Sounds good to me," Copper Hollow uttered in approval. Everypony else nodded in agreement.

"So which of us should stay, and which of us should remain?" Almond Wheeler enquired.

"Well, with my mother coming to Ponyville next week, I can't afford to leave the town again," Bronze Star thought aloud, "For a similar reason, Noble Edict must stay here, too. Ponyville can't be without its chief of security with that conference coming up."

"I understand," the red mare asserted.

"What about me, Bronze?" Copper Hollow contended, "Noble and I have already made all the security arrangements for next week's events. She should be able to handle security for Princess Celestia's visit and the conference without me."

Bronze Star thought about that for a minute, and then he declared "You've got a point there, Copper. Since Noble and I are staying behind, you're the best available prospect for a leader. Would you be willing to head the group that goes to Detrot?"

"I'm more than willing," the copper stallion decreed sincerely.

"Then you've got the role," Bronze Star professed.

"I'll carry it out to the best of my ability," Copper Hollow asserted.

"Excellent," Bronze Star muttered in approval, "I think another member of the security staff should go along, too. Since Rollin Fields just got back from Appleoosa and since his children were attacked by the Vermane, it would not be right to have him leave them so soon."

"Plus, I might stand out in the group, considering my age," the lime green stallion cheekily remarked.

"That, too," Bronze Star admitted, smirking. He then turned to Almond Wheeler and told her "Almond, I'd like you to go to Detrot, as well. Not just because you're the only other security officer who's left. With you on the team, I'd expect the group would be able to get more cooperation from the locals. Ideally, you'll be able to help them search faster and more efficiently."

"You can count on me, Bronze," the grey mare pronounced.

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement. He then sat pondering a little while on who else should be on the team that went to Detrot. Before long, he looked to the greenish-blue Pegasus and declared "Shakedown, it was your idea to track the Vermane through the train manifests in the first place. Tell me; are you equally good at tracking ponies on hoof?"

"I'd like to think so, sir," the ex-cop proudly professed, "I was hunting down criminals long before I joined the vigilante group. If I look hard enough, I can always get them."

"Then you'll be on the Detrot team, too," Bronze Star decided, "You'll be tasked with picking up any and all traces of the Vermane and tracking them down."

"It will be done, Your Highness," Shakedown assured him.

Bronze Star next focused on the two federal investigators. He knew at least one of them would have to go on his mission, but he preferred to keep one of them in town, in case something new cropped up in the investigation. He considered the two of them carefully. Sir Haywood McCrank had been with him since the start of this affair, and his powers of deduction were the greatest the prince had ever seen. However, Agent Dread Naught was the more resourceful of the two, and the one less likely to draw attention, as he was nowhere near as eccentric.

After due consideration, Bronze Star announced "Agent Dread Naught, you'll accompany the others to Detrot. Now's the time when I need you to devote all your expertise and connections to determine the whereabouts of the Vermane, as well as what their next intentions. Sir Haywood McCrank, you'll stay in Ponyville. If we make any more discoveries here while the others are away, I trust you will help the rest of us make sense of them."

"I will overlook nothing, Your Highness," Dread Naught guaranteed him.

"I'm all yours, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank proclaimed.

By now Bronze Star had assigned four members of the task force to the team that would be going to Detrot and four members to the team that would be staying in Ponyville. Only two members still needed to be assigned.

When he turned to them, it was at that very moment that he realized he probably should have assigned them a little earlier on.

Bronze Star looked back and forth between Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. Both of them had ample qualifications to go to Detrot. They both had an excellent ability to blend in and mingle with people, they were both very crafty, and they both had agility and reflexes that could rival the prince's. However, regardless of who remained and who left, Bronze Star's choice would involve separating two spouses from each other.

Finally, he looked to Rough Rider and muttered "Rough Rider, in your career as a travelling salespony, have you ever visited Detrot?"

"Yes, Bronze," the olive stallion replied, "Quite a few times, actually. Each time, I was there for over a week. You'd be amazed by how popular ponies of my profession are in that city."

"How well do you know the city?" the gold stallion inquired.

"Almost as well as I know Ponyville," Rough Rider claimed, "I could tell you the most direct routes to any of the hotels, restaurants, and recreational centers. I could even tell you the exact location of this one interesting patch of graffiti on the side of City Hall."

"You've made your point," Bronze Star murmured, chuckling a bit, "I'm glad for it, too. The away team will need to have somepony who's familiar with the city. Based on what you told me, that somepony should be you."

"I'd be happy to assist any way I can," Rough Rider remarked straightforwardly.

"Good," Bronze Star avowed, "Then you will be the Detrot group's guide."

"Consider it done," Rough Rider affirmed.

Dapple Rhomb then placed her front hoof on her husband's shoulder and announced to Bronze Star "Just a moment, Bronze. Some of the times Rough went to Detrot, I was with him. I know the city pretty well, too."

"I'm sure you do, Dapple Rhomb," Bronze Star pronounced, "But I've already made up my mind. At least one of the vigilantes should stay behind, and Rough Rider and Shakedown have already consented. Besides, with everything else that's going on, I need you here. Now would be the worst possible time for me to lose my secretary."

Dapple Rhomb seemed a little frustrated and irritated, but she could tell that Bronze Star was not going to bend on this issue. She was worried for her husband because he and the other four would essentially be searching all alone for a group of unscrupulous bounty hunters in the most dangerous city in Equestria. It quickly occurred to her that her presence might actually do little to increase their odds of success or survival. If anything, her personal feelings for Rough Rider might compromise the mission. So in the end, she just solemnly nodded his head in understanding.

Rough Rider placed his front hoof on his wife's shoulder, and he stated serenely "Don't worry about me, Dapple. The others and I will all be watching my back, just as I'll be watching theirs. Everything will work out; I promise you."

Those words seemed to improve Dapple Rhomb's demeanor a bit. The purple mare turned to the olive stallion and hugged him tightly, saying "Thanks for saying that."

"Of course," was all Rough Rider said in response as he gently ran his front hoof through his wife's mane.

After this tender exchange, Bronze Star cleared his throat and announced "Okay. Here's the plan. Rough Rider, Dread Naught, Shakedown, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, as soon as you wake up tomorrow morning, I want you to make arrangements to go to Detrot as soon as possible. Pack lightly; only bring the essentials. You'll be leaving on the first train that departs for Detrot in the afternoon. When you're in the city, start investigating right away. You must be casual and discreet, but observant and methodical at the same time. Never split up. Never go anywhere alone. Do whatever you can to look like a group of friends who are travelling together as tourists. Overlook nothing; eliminate possibilities only when you are certain of their irrelevance. Above all, do nothing to attract suspicion. You got all that?"

The olive stallion, the brownish-tan stallion, the greenish-blue stallion, the grey mare, and the copper stallion all nodded in confirmation.

"Great," Bronze Star stated in acceptance, "I'd like to bid all of you the best of luck. Dapple Rhomb, Sir Haywood McCrank, Rollin Fields, Noble Edict, and I will see you off at the station. Am I right?"

The purple mare, the indigo stallion, the lime green stallion, and the red mare firmly nodded their heads, as well. Bronze Star was pleased to see that.

"Okay, meeting adjourned," the gold stallion disclosed.

At that, the other nine ponies started gathering up whatever materials they had brought – if any – and began filing out of the room. Bronze Star remained seating in his chair at the very front of the table. He was leaning back with his front hooves pressed against each other.

At one point, Noble Edict passed him by. Without even turning to her, he requested "Noble, can I have a word?"

The red mare looked back in surprise, but she quickly answered the prince with "Sure, of course."

She waited until everypony else had left, and then she closed the door again. After that, she trotted over to the table and sat down next to Bronze Star. She gazed at him, as if she expected him to be the first one to talk.

When he said nothing, she broke the silence with a question: "So, how was Appleoosa?"

"It was quite… adventurous," Bronze Star candidly apprised her, "There isn't anything Rollin Fields couldn't tell you about it that I could. Except, of course, for one thing pertaining to Esopus Spitzenburg. We were able to determine the identity of the final conspirator."

"That's good," Noble Edict uttered in satisfaction, grinning, "Who is it?"

"Somepony I once knew," Bronze Star revealed, "Used to be an officer of the Royal Guard, in fact."

Noble Edict was a little sunned. "He did?"

"She did," Bronze Star corrected her.

"So the final conspirator is a mare?" Noble Edict uttered in astonishment.

"Yes," Bronze Star mumbled frankly, "Unfortunately, she's been in hiding for quite a while. So until she's located, this conspiracy will never end."

"Damn," Noble Edict muttered, a little crossly, "Well, I'm sorry for that."

"It's alright; we'll get her and the other conspirators somehow," Bronze Star asserted, "Anyway, that's not why I asked you to linger."

"Then why did you?" Noble Edict asked curiously.

"I was drawn to that tale of yours," the gold stallion enlightened her, "It was very compelling, very captivating, and definitely very inspiring. However, I was not pleased by the lack of description you gave to your final confrontation with the mobsters."

"Sir, I did not tell the task force that story to excite or entertain you all," Noble Edict commented, a little snappily, "I told it to motivate you all into going to Detrot."

"I realize that," Bronze Star disclosed, "But I'd still like to know the full account of how you and your predecessor dealt with those mobsters. Tell me exactly how it happened. And spare me no detail."

"Is that a request or an order?" Noble Edict inquired.

"If you'd like, you can consider it a request," Bronze Star coolly proposed, "If not, I could make it an order."

Noble Edict was surprise by how impassive the gold stallion was being at this time. Evidently, he was being very grave on this matter, and he was determined to learn the full story of what occurred that fateful day.

Ultimately, the red mare nodded her head and proclaimed "Alright, I'll tell you. Where would you like me to start?"

"The part right after you and the chief consulted the Fillydelphia police department," Bronze Star specified, "What did you do next?"

"That was when we started hunting for the mobsters," Noble Edict expounded, "We followed a trail of tips we got from the police. Eventually, they led us right to where the four mobsters were. We caught them off guard and attempted to arrest them on the spot. At first, they looked as though they were going to come along quietly. Then… well, everything happened so fast. One of them pulled out a large pipe and tried to attack the chief. The chief managed to dodge the blow, and he broke the mobster's neck. He was distracted just long enough for two of the other mobsters to jump him. I promised the chief I had his back, but before I could move in to aid him, one of the mobsters… he… he… he stuck a dagger in the chief's chest. Right in front of me."

Bronze Star's eyes expanded in alarm and shock. Even so, if he was not engrossed in this story the first time Noble Edict told it, he most certainly was now.

Noble Edict tentatively went on with:

"I was so shocked, I could not breathe or move. I didn't come back to my senses until another of the mobsters grabbed me. Once the other two confirmed the chief was dead, they focused on me. They seemed pleased that I was a mare, and they started saying things about what they would do to me. Both before and after they… put me down. One of them mentioned that he hoped I would put up as little a struggle as the chief did. Then he spat on the chief's corpse. That's when I… reacted."

"Go on, please," Bronze Star beseeched her.

"As soon as the spit hit the chief's chest, I kicked the stallion who spat on him between his hind legs," Noble Edict explicated, "Then I rammed my front leg against the stallion who was holding me. As he stumbled backwards, I drew my own knife and stabbed him in the throat. The last mobster – the one who killed the chief – rushed to attack me, but I quickly rebounded and slash him along his front legs. He collapsed onto the ground, but I wasn't done with him. I picked up the large pipe the first mobster had dropped, and I… I…"

"You don't need to continue," Bronze Star assured her, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

She seemed to appreciate that. She disclosed "By the time I was done with that stallion, his face was completely unrecognizable. All but one of the mobsters were dead by then. The stallion who spat on the chief was still alive. I stood over him, gripped him by the throat, and told him that if he or any of his colleagues showed up in Ponyville again, I would 'finish what the chief and I started.' Then I knocked him out and tied him up. After that, I went back to the police station and told them everything that happened. The rest you already know."

Bronze Star found himself undergoing quite a few different feelings at that moment, some of which were conflicting. On one hoof, he was somewhat appalled and shocked. On the other hoof, he was enthralled and amazed.

After a long pause, he sat up straight in his chair and asked the red mare "Do you ever regret that day?"

"If I do, it's only because the chief died," Noble Edict claimed, "I don't regret putting down those mobsters, though."

"What about the manner in which you put them down?" Bronze Star contended

She was a little confused by that statement. "What do you mean?"

"You don't strike me as a violent pony at all, Noble," he revealed, "Yet when you eliminated those two mobsters, you were anything but gentle with them."

"Mobsters themselves aren't gentle, so why should they get a gentle fate?" Noble Edict steadfastly argued.

"That's not my point," Bronze Star pronounced, "My point is that under the right circumstances, anypony can be driven to bloodlust. True or false?"

She thought for a moment, and then she shrugged and confessed "I suppose you're right, Bronze."

"I'm not trying to get you to feel guilty or anything, Noble," Bronze Star said in reassurance, "If the reason you were unwilling to tell that part of your story to the other members of the task force is because you were ashamed of your violent actions, don't be. Like I said, everypony can be led to experience a desire to draw blood. You're not alone."

"I appreciate you trying to cheer me up," Noble Edict disclosed, "You are right about one thing. While I'm glad I stopped those mobsters, I'm not proud of what I did to stop them. What you said is true; it's not in my nature to be violent."

"I didn't think so," Bronze Star avowed, "Yet at times, you must make an exception."

She nodded in concurrence at that point. She informed the prince "I have been a security officer for almost twelve years. In all that time, I've only had to kill three ponies. Two of which were those mobsters."

"And the third was Dense Miasma?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yes," she confirmed, "But it was different with him. When I arrived at that spot in the Everfree Forest, Dense Miasma had his back to me. He was too preoccupied with attacking SIG Sauer to notice me. I could have easily grabbed him from behind and pulled him off of SIG. But when I got close, I was reminded of what happened to the chief. So instead, I drew my knife, snuck up behind Dense Miasma, and sank the blade into the back of his skull."

He leaned closer to her, placed his front hoof on her front leg, and professed "You made the right move."

"Are you certain?" she refuted, "At least with the mobsters, when I killed them, I didn't have any other choice. That wasn't the case with Dense Miasma. I could have captured him alive. Instead, I did to him what SIG Sauer did to those other three cultists. I can still recall the sound of metal splitting bone when my knife pierced through his brain. It was sickening; even more sickening than when I stabbed that one mobster in the throat or beat the other to death with that pipe. But I didn't even care; all I cared about was stopping Dense Miasma."

"What matters is that you did," Bronze Star insisted, "You accomplished so much with that one thrust of your knife. You saved SIG Sauer's life, and you guaranteed my mother's release from that energy sphere. Look at everything it got you. A ladyship, the respect of many of the Canterlot Elite, a place in my mother's court, and – most of all – my trust. A single act of violence brought you that far."

Noble Edict raised an eyebrow as if she was perplexed. Then she smirked and told the gold stallion "That's an interesting observation, Bronze. But strangely enough, it seems fitting,"

"Because it is," Bronze Star contended, "Now tell me honestly. Do you believe I made the right choices for the group that's going to Detrot?"

"Why are you asking me?" Noble Edict stated in bewilderment.

"Because you've done this sort of thing before," Bronze Star illuminated, "In your 'professional' opinion, do we have a good team?"

"Yes, we do," Noble Edict averred, "You were right to put Copper in charge; I know he'll do just a good a job as you or I would. Dread Naught easily has the means to keep everypony informed and supplied, and Shakedown should be able to dig up even the slightest trace of the Vermane. Almond Wheeler's diplomatic skills could practically rival yours, and Rough Rider seems to know that city better than any of us."

"Is there anything you would have done differently?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Nope, not a thing," the red mare replied straightforwardly, "I will admit; I was a little concerned about separating Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb at first. But I quickly realized it was better than keeping them together. If you send two spouses together on a thing like this, they are liable to allow their emotions cloud their judgement."

"That's precisely what I thought, too," the gold stallion apprised her, "At least they're willing to accept that arrangement. I don't know if I would have been able to do the same."

"Just hope you never have to," Noble Edict suggested.

"I shall," Bronze Star said frankly.

There came a long interval of quietness next. Bronze Star stared blankly at the wall to his right. Noble Edict glanced at his facial expression, and she noted he seemed to be a little uneasy.

"Something up, Bronze?" Noble Edict queried in concern.

"I don't know; it's just…" Bronze Star began tentatively. He took a deep breath and continued with "I know that everypony in the group is qualified and capable. But let's face it; they'll essentially be hunting for signs of a relentless, bloodthirsty guild of assassins in the most infamous and most treacherous city in the country. Think of how much of a risk they're taking just by going there. I mean… there's a huge possibility that not all of the group will be coming back from Detrot."

"That thought occurred to me, too," Noble Edict admitted, "After all, Detrot does have a greater violent crime rate than any other city in Equestria, and many of those crimes have gone unsolved. Still, there are limitations to even what the Vermane can do. As long as our people are cautious and orderly, I have confidence that they'll be able to pull through."

That seemed to set Bronze Star's mind at ease. He smiled at the chief of security and pronounced "You're right, Noble. They can survive out there as a group. I shouldn't just assume the worst because the situation seemed miserably against us."

"It's never wrong to assume the worst," Noble Edict assured him, "But it never hurts to keep your hopes high, either."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Bronze Star conceded.

The young prince had a very reasonable amount of faith in Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Dread Naught, Rough Rider, and Shakedown. By working together, he had no doubt that the five of them would get by just fine in Detrot.

Alas, unbeknownst to him or anypony else, his hunch from earlier would ultimately turn out to be true: At least one of those five ponies would not be coming back to Ponyville.

> An Unlikely Source
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At twelve-thirty in the afternoon the next day, the entire task force was gathered at the train depot. The train currently stationed there was scheduled to depart for Detrot within the hour.

Half of the task force was leaving on that train, and the other half was there to see them off. A few other ponies had shown up to say good-bye to certain ponies in the former group, as well.

Almond Wheeler had shown up with her cousin, Cashew Lane. Recently, he had also become her lover, much to his delight, and hers, incidentally. He had been trying to win her over for months, and a couple weeks ago, she had finally given in to his advances. The only thing that had been holding her back was the fact that they were cousins, albeit first cousins once-removed. After a while, she had ultimately decided that it did not matter how they were related; she just wanted to be with him.

Copper Hollow's parents, Iron Hollow and Tin Hollow, had also shown up. The copper stallion had long ago moved out of his parents' house and gotten his own place in Ponyville. He did not do that because he was eager to get away from them or anything of the sort. Instead, he had done it because he wanted to be capable of supporting himself. His parents missed having him under their roof, but their son was a grown stallion, and they had to respect his decisions. Aside from that, Copper Hollow remained on excellent terms with his father and mother. He was their only child, after all.

Cashew Lane and the Hollows had been told by his cousin and their son respectively that the two of them were leaving town to go on a vacation. Despite the fact that Detrot seemed like the least likely place to go on holiday, they did not question their motivations for going.

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb gave each other a fairly modest farewell. They were clearly reluctant to part ways, but one might have thought it strange that they were not more broken up about being separated from each other like this. Haywood McCrank conjectured that perhaps the olive stallion and purple mare had already said good-bye the previous night, and that they had used more "sensuous" means to express their feelings.

Initially, Bronze Star assumed that Sir Haywood was simply jumping to conclusions again. However, he soon noticed certain things that suggested that perhaps the indigo stallion had not assessed the situation prematurely. For instance, Dapple Rhomb seemed to have a little difficulty with trotting straight, and her hind legs were a little strained. She also mentioned to her husband that when he got back, she would welcome him in the same way she had said good-bye. In response, Rough Rider jokily told his wife that he hoped he would have the energy to keep up with her.

It appeared as though the two of them had had quite a bit of fun the previous night. Bronze Star guessed that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider must have gone at least two rounds. They actually had gone three: two in bed… and one on the kitchen table. Evidently, they were really going to miss each other.

None of Dread Naught or Shakedown's loved ones were in Ponyville, so nopony was there to personally see them off. Neither the brownish-tan stallion nor the greenish-blue stallion had any complaints, though. They were not very big on sorrowful good-byes. Aside from that, they preferred to keep things professional. So all they did was shake hooves with the five members of the task force who were staying in Ponyville.

At a quarter to one o'clock, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Dread Naught, Rough Rider, and Shakedown boarded the train. Ten minutes later, the conductor shouted "All aboard for Detrot!" and stepped onto the train, as well.

Five minutes later, the train was finally underway. The train's whistle blew and the wheels began to turn. Several of the passengers leaned out of windows and waved at the ponies on the platform. Many of those ponies waved back, as well. Rough Rider called out to his wife and waved his front leg vigorously in her direction. Dapple Rhomb grinned and returned the gesture happily.

The whistle blew again and the train gradually started picking up speed. Before long, its whistle was faintly louder than a wisp of wind, and even the caboose could barely be made out in the distance.

Once the train was out of sight and out of earshot, the ponies at the station dispersed. Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rollin Fields departed the vicinity together. They did not know what was going to happen next. At this point, all they could do was wonder. The course of the task force's investigation was in the hooves of the five members who just left for Detrot. Until they returned, the five members in Ponyville could do nothing but wait.

Luckily for them, with the investigation on hold, they were able to focus on other matters. Namely, Princess Celestia's impending stopover and the business conference.

Bronze Star spent a lot of that week with Mayor Mare and City Council. He instructed them on a number of ways to make Celestia feel welcome. Her visit was meant to be an amiable, casual get-together. The Mayor proposed that they hold the event at Sugarcube Corner. Considering his mother's fondness for cake, Bronze Star strongly advocated that suggestion.

Once Sugarcube Corner was confirmed as the location for the gathering, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle busied themselves with the preparations. They sought out the help of Pinkie Pie and the Cakes. The pink mare quickly adorned the sweetshop with many partly formal and partly informal decorations. As for Carrot Cake and Cup Cake, they drew up a list of confectionaries and set to work baking them throughout the week. Their store saw more activity that week than it had in the past couple months combined.

Bronze Star frequently stopped by Sugarcube Corner to check up on the Cakes' progress. Everything they made looked quite appetizing. At one point, the gold stallion noted that Cup Cake seemed a little disoriented. Initially, he assumed that she was overworked or exhausted. In actuality, there was a much more pleasant reason for her apparent discomfort. In addition to all the goods she and Carrot Cake had in the sweetshop's ovens, it turned out Cup Cake had one in the oven herself. Just a couple weeks earlier, she had found out she was pregnant.

Although Bronze Star was elated for her and Carrot Cake, he was a little worried that all this work might compromise her well-being. Cup Cake was grateful for his concern, but she assured him that she would be alright.

Four days before Celestia was due to arrive, three officers of the Royal Guard showed up in town. Bronze Star knew all three of them very well.

They were a Pegasus named Swiftdrive, a Unicorn named Blade Bearer, and a Unicorn named Comet Frost.

Swiftdrive was the oldest and highest-ranking of the three. She had a dark grey coat, a light blue mane, olive green eyes, and a pair of crossed swords for a cutie mark. She was one of the longest-serving active officers of the Royal Guard, and whenever Shining Armor stepped down, she would probably be their next captain, as well.

Blade Bearer was the next-eldest. He had a light brown coat, a magenta mane, scarlet eyes, and a spear piercing through a shield for a cutie mark. On a personal level, Bronze Star knew him the best of the three. He and Blade Bearer used to interact with each other often when the latter was off-duty. If they had time to spare, he was hoping to do that again sometime this week.

Comet Frost had an aqua coat, a white mane with a grey streak down the center, and a snowflake for a cutie mark. His eyes were his most unique aspect; his right iris was red, and his left iris was blue. Only he knew why that was. He was the most similar to Bronze Star with regards to personality; he treated everypony with respect, including those whose social position was far below his. However, he was far from the most sociable officer of the Royal Guard. In fact, he was very secretive about his background. Nopony could ever get him to talk about it, not even the prince.

The three of them had come to Ponyville to supervise security arrangements for Celestia's visit and the business meeting. They required the full cooperation of Noble Edict and her staff, and they got it.

For the next couple days, the three Royal Guard officers and the security staff could frequently be found at either Sugarcube Corner or Town Hall. They discussed which of their colleagues would be assigned to certain posts, who would take which shifts, and how the positions would be rotated and how often. About twenty of their fellow officers would be coming with Celestia herself. They could have brought along plenty more, but Celestia did not wish to give the townspeople the impression that Ponyville was going to be under martial law.

That aside, the Royal Guard would be somewhat shorthoofed with only twenty-three units. Luckily, Noble Edict was able to supplement their numbers by offering a couple dozen of her own officers to join the Royal Guard. That was an ideal solution; the residents of Ponyville were much more familiar with the security staff, and they felt more comfortable around them.

Although Bronze Star was mostly focused on his mother's visit and the conference, he was still able to devote some of his time to the assassination conspiracy. He did take a bit of solace in the fact that none of the conspirators knew that Celestia was coming to Ponyville. So whenever they planned to eliminate her, it would not be this week.

At first, Bronze Star thought maybe the Firebrand Regiment would get lucky and they would manage to track down Clear Crest before anything else happened. It was not a very realistic goal, as Clear Crest had been in hiding for seven years and she had never been caught. Even so, Bronze Star was holding out hope that they would find her. Then they would be able to take out her and the other conspirators all at once.

Unfortunately, a complication had occurred. The day Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, and Comet Frost arrived in Ponyville, Bronze Star received a letter from Lord Bellerophon. In the letter, the palomino Pegasus delivered a piece of very unsettling news: the majority of the remaining conspirators were now gone, too. They had disappeared almost overnight.

It was absolutely incredible. The Firebrand Regiment's field operatives had been keeping a very watchful eye on them. These were the greatest observers in the country, and yet even so, the conspirators had managed to slip away right under their muzzles. It was as though they had suddenly pulled off a collective vanishing act.

Esopus Spitzenburg was the only one who had not disappeared; he could still be found at either his estate or his company building. There was not so much as a trace of his co-conspirators to be found anywhere, though. So even if by some miracle the Regiment did manage to locate Clear Crest, fifteen of her colleagues would still be unaccounted for.

When Bronze Star received this news, he was overcome with dismay and apprehension. He honestly had no idea where they would go from here. Right then, the situation looked more hopeless than ever.

Even so, he was not about to give up. The lives of thousands of Equestrians – including his mother – were depending on Bronze Star and the Firebrand Regiment. Aside from persistence and obligation, that was what motivated them to keep going.

Bronze Star could not come up with any conventional means to handle the dilemma with conspirators, so he decided that they needed to improvise. Fortunately for him, he was great at coming up with new and brilliant plans on the spot.

He managed to come up with one just a couple hours after he read Lord Bellerophon's letter.

The arrival of the three officers of the Royal Guard was quite a convenience. Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, and Comet Frost had all been active in the force at the same time as Clear Crest. In fact, Swiftdrive and Clear Crest had been very close, almost like sisters.

Bronze Star considered speaking to the three officers about Clear Crest. Maybe they knew something about their former colleague that could help the prince and the Regiment track her down. He was well-aware that that idea was a huge longshot, but at this point, he was willing to try anything to dig up a new lead.

However, between his role as ambassador, his involvement in the preparations, and his royal duties, Bronze Star was busier this week than he had ever been since he came to Ponyville. He barely even had enough time to get proper nutrition, exercise, and rest. Needless to say, he was unable to find ample time to sit down with the Royal Guard and talk about Clear Crest.

In spite of that, he was determined to find out whether or not they knew anything about the onyx mare. There was no reason why he had to be the pony who spoke to them about that issue. After all, there were two other ponies in town who knew about the assassination conspiracy, as well.

Noble Edict was just as preoccupied with other tasks as he was. As chief of security, she was always busy, and this week was no exception. Even though she spent a lot of time around the three officers of the Royal Guard, the majority of the conversations she had with them were about the security arrangements for the upcoming special events. So she was in no position to discuss personal matters.

On the plus side, Applejack was free. Moreover, she still wanted to assist Bronze Star in stopping the conspiracy any way she could. When the Royal Guard showed up in town, Bronze Star introduced her and the rest of his friends to them and vice versa.

Later that same day, Bronze Star met up with Applejack and asked her to meet up with the Royal Guard and ask them some questions about Clear Crest. When she asked for examples about what types of questions, he told her any types would do. What he really needed was something they could use to possibly determine Clear Crest's current location. Ideally, she should ask about Clear Crest's personal life. He was confident that they would get them somewhere. The Royal Guard were very tightly-knit, so Bronze Star believed they knew Clear Crest much better than he did.

Applejack assured her coltfriend that she would do everything she could to learn something useful about Clear Crest from the other Royal Guard.

The following day, Bronze Star was informed on the number of ponies who would be attending the conference. He stopped by Town Hall to update the Mayor. While he was there, Noble Edict showed up with Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, and Comet Frost. Bronze Star had just enough time to exchange pleasantries with them. He asked if they would be able to join him for lunch, but they politely declined his offer. Comet Frost claimed that they had already made reservations at Savoir Fare's restaurant at noon.

That was all Bronze Star needed to know. He made a slight detour through the market, stopped at Applejack's apple stall, and passed that information on to her. After that, he went right back to the embassy. As for Applejack, she had a lunch date. With three ponies.

At a quarter to twelve, the orange mare closed her stall and trotted all the way to Savoir Fare's restaurant. She brought a bottle of her own fizzy apple cider with her.

Once she got to the restaurant, she requested a table near the one that had been reserved by the Royal Guard. She also gave the waiter the bottle of cider and asked that he serve it to them. He was a little perplexed by this request, but he agreed to carry it out.

A few minutes after Applejack was seated, Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, and Comet Frost arrived at the restaurant. At the present, they were out of uniform. Immediately, they were led to a private booth off to the side. That was the perfect place for ponies to talk without worry of being interrupted.

Before they were even given menus, Savoir Fare placed three glasses in front of them and filled them halfway with the fizzy apple cider.

Swiftdrive raised an eyebrow and muttered "Excuse me, sir. We didn't order any drinks."

The pale cream waiter smiled and gestured over his shoulder, saying "Courtesy of the lady."

The three officers looked in that direction, and they saw Applejack at an adjoining table. She seemed to be engrossed in her menu, but she occasionally peered over at the Royal Guard out of the corner of her eye.

Comet Frost, Blade Bearer, and Swiftdrive looked around at each other, and then they picked up their glasses and took a modest swig of the cider. Ten seconds later, all three of them had satisfied grins on their countenances. Blade Bearer leaned over to Savoir Fare and whispered something into his ear. The pale cream stallion nodded his head and trotted over to Applejack's table.

The orange mare gazed up at the waiter, and he apprised her "They would like to convey their appreciation, and they have extended an offer for you to join them."

Applejack smirked, got out of her chair, and pronounced "I'll gladly accept it."

The farmer then made her way to the guards' booth. It was the type of booth where three-quarters of the table were surrounded by a long, curved, cushioned seat. At the present, Blade Bearer was at the right end, Swiftdrive was at the left end, and Comet Frost was in-between them. Swiftdrive scooted over to make room for Applejack.

Once the orange mare was seated, she smiled again and queried "Like it?"

"Very much," Swiftdrive proclaimed, raising her glass.

"It's kind of lukewarm, though," Blade Bearer remarked.

"Yeah, it's been sitting outside all morning," Applejack uttered, "Sorry I didn't have time to refrigerate it."

"I'll fix that," Comet Frost declared. He took everypony's glasses and the bottle, and he placed them in front of him. Then he lowered his horn and produced a bluish aura. He cast the aura onto the glasses and the bottle, and it suddenly felt as though a gust of cold wind had passed through the building. He sat up straight, grinned, and proposed "Try them now."

Blade Bearer and Swiftdrive took up their glasses and drank again. Their second drink was twice as big as their first one.

Savoir Fare placed down a fourth glass and poured some cider for Applejack, too. She took a sip of it, and she was overcome with a pleasant surprise. The room temperature cider had suddenly become about thirty or forty degrees colder.

"Hoo-wee, it's chilly!" she stated in fascination, turning to Comet Frost, "That's amazin'."

"Well, my specialty is ice magic," the aqua stallion revealed, "In fact, before I enlisted in the Royal Guard, I worked at a company that manufactured air-conditioning units."

"Cool," Applejack mumbled.

"Exactly," Comet Frost muttered slyly.

The dark grey mare, the light brown stallion, and the orange mare chuckled at that. Savoir Fare then distributed the menus to the four ponies and trotted off.

Applejack was very pleased at the moment. She had offered the cider as a way to get on the officers' good side. Apparently, she had managed to do just that.

"I'd like to thank you for the cider," Comet Frost said gratefully.

"So would I," Blade Bearer commented, "This is much better than that processed swill they serve in the capital city."

"I'm not surprised," Applejack thought aloud, "Things are always better in their natural form, and everything is found in its natural form out here."

"So we noticed," Swiftdrive contended, "I've always wondered what it would be like to visit the countryside. This town makes me wish I had done it sooner."

"Ponyville certainly has that effect," Applejack coincided, "As I recall, Bronze took a liking it to almost straightaway."

"I can see why," Blade Bearer observed, "Don't know if I could ever try my hoof at a rural lifestyle. But the prince seems to have adapted fairly well to it."

"He must have," Swiftdrive murmured, "Otherwise he would've come home by now."

"If Bronze doesn't like it here, he does an excellent job of masking his disdain," Applejack wryly muttered.

"Ma'am, I can assure you that he really does enjoy living here," Comet Frost proclaimed, "I've never known the prince to hide his feelings and opinions on anything. He's always very eloquent and very straightforward."

"Something Bronze and I have in common," Applejack stated.

"I would imagine you two have a lot more in common than just that," Blade Bearer drily perceived, "I've noticed that you call him 'Bronze.' Only his closest friends call him that."

"She's his fillyfriend, in case you've forgotten," Swiftdrive sardonically professed.

"I haven't," Blade Bearer bluntly uttered. He then picked up his glass and pronounced "On that note, I think we should raise a glass to you, Applejack."

The orange mare was taken aback. "For what?"

"For doing what so many others could not," Blade Bearer ambiguously responded.

"Uh… okay," Applejack was baffled, but out of courtesy, she picked up her glass and raised it up. Comet Frost, Swiftdrive, and Blade Bearer clinked their glasses against hers, and they all emptied their glasses together. Luckily, Applejack had brought a very large bottle of cider. As she refilled the glasses, she looked over at the light brown stallion and asked him "Out of curiosity, what did I 'do,' Lieutenant Commander Bearer?"

"You reached Prince Bronze Star," Blade Bearer clarified, "Dozens of mares have tried to win over his affections, and none of them have gotten close to succeeding. He's turned down heiresses, countesses, duchesses, and even this one princess from a faraway country. You must be very special to him."

"I'd like to think so," Applejack stated, "He certainly means a lot to me. Of course, I'm no heiress or anything; I'm just a simple farmer."

"I disagree," Comet Frost countered, "You have something only six mares in this country have. You're one of the Element Bearers, right?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander Frost," Applejack affirmed, "Mine's honesty."

"Seems to suit you," Swiftdrive noted.

"Thank ya kindly," Applejack told her appreciatively, "I've always valued honesty very highly. I was raised to be an honest mare and earn an honest living."

"If only we had more ponies like you in the capital city," Blade Bearer conjectured.

"Then the politicians would be far less sleazy, and the Canterlot Elite would be more agreeable," Comet Frost supposed.

"And our jobs would be a lot less interesting," Swiftdrive cockily muttered.

Comet Frost snickered and uttered "Debatable."

There came a short interval of silence. Applejack remembered the reason she had come to speak with the officers in the first place. She needed to address the issue before they left the restaurant.

Savoir Fare came back a minute later and took their orders. Once he had them, he collected their menus and left them alone again. By then, Applejack knew where to take the conversation next.

She resumed it with "Bronze Star claims I'm the first mare he's ever been involved with on a romantic level. I know he wouldn't lie to me about that, but for the longest time, I found it hard to believe."

"Can't blame you, ma'am," Comet Frost pronounced, "I bet a lot of mares would kill to be you. Maybe a few stallions, too."

"So I see," Applejack remarked, chuckling, "If you don't mind me asking, is there anypony else of my gender he's had strong feelings for?"

"Well, there have been other mares who have played a big role in his life," Blade Bearer disclosed.

"I would have been surprised if there weren't," Applejack frankly remarked, "Any that got almost as close to him as me?"

"Depends on your definition of 'close,'" Comet Frost contended.

"Was there anypony he trusted with his life or loved as a sister?" Applejack elaborated.

"Yeah, there have been three mares like that," Swiftdrive revealed, "One of them isn't even around anymore."

"How do you mean, Commander Swiftdrive?" Applejack queried eagerly.

She presumed that the dark grey mare was referring to Clear Crest. The orange mare quickly found out that she was not. Instead, she was referring to somepony else. Despite that, Applejack found what Swiftdrive told her next very interesting.

"Ten years ago, there was this mare named Sunset Shimmer who lived at the castle," Swiftdrive recalled, "At the time, she was Princess Celestia's apprentice. I never saw a greater pair of friends than Sunset Shimmer and Prince Bronze Star. They did everything together. She taught him magic spells; he taught her self-defense."

"Best friends?" Applejack assumed.

"The very best," Blade Bearer confirmed, "Even his mother thought they might end up together."

"Alas, they did not," Swiftdrive added in.

"What happened to her?" Applejack enquired.

"It's a very long story, my dear," Swiftdrive revealed, "To make it short, she went away."

"To where?" the farmer asked.

"Somewhere other than Equestria," Blade Bearer elucidated, "That's an even longer story, and there's no way to make it short and keep it coherent at the same time."

"If you say so," Applejack coincided. After another pause, she went on with "So, what about those other two mares you mentioned? The other ones that meant a lot to Bronze Star."

"Well, one of them, you know well," Comet Frost professed, "She took up Sunset Shimmer's place as Princess Celestia's apprentice."

"You mean Twilight Sparkle?" Applejack muttered in surprise.

"Yes, indeed," Swiftdrive remarked, "She never got as close to him as Sunset Shimmer did, but as they grew up, they were always looking out for each other. She was like the sister he never had."

"Well, that's sweet," Applejack uttered in adoration, "It would also explain why he gets protective of her so often."

"Twilight used to be as unsociable as me," Comet Frost illuminated, "Luckily, like me, she eventually gave friendship a chance and came to appreciate the benefits that come with it. To some degree, both of us have Bronze Star to thank for that. Though I owe him a lot more than she does."

"He'd be thrilled to know that," Applejack claimed.

Savoir Fare returned with their food a minute later. He delicately set the plates down in front of the farmer and the three officers and bade that they enjoy their meal.

For the next five minutes, the four ponies ate in relative silence. Then Applejack wiped her mouth and murmured inquisitively "And the third mare? What of her?"

This time, the three officers seemed somewhat hesitant to continue this discussion. However, after about a minute of unpleasant silence, Swiftdrive disclosed "Well… she used to be one of us."

That was what Applejack had been waiting for. She leaned forward and beckoned them "Go on."

"Her name was Clear Crest," Comet Frost expounded, "Don't suppose you've heard of her?"

"Bronze has mentioned her once or twice," Applejack claimed, "But he seems… reluctant to talk about her."

"For good reason," Blade Bearer mumbled, a look of disgust on his face, "She's an embarrassment to the Royal Guard."

"She only became an embarrassment when her ambition got the better of her," Swiftdrive argued, "Before that, she was an excellent officer."

"Nopony's denying that," Comet Frost pronounced, "But all her years of loyal service do not cross out what she tried to do to Captain Armor."

"So you've got some conflicting opinions on her," Applejack noted.

"I don't, my lady," Blade Bearer notified her, "Clear Crest is a disgrace, plain and simple."

"It's not as though you liked her all that much before that incident," Swiftdrive snappily retorted.

"That's my fault?" Blade Bearer spat back, "If I didn't get along with Clear Crest, it was because she was often extremely arrogant."

"Yeah, well, everypony's entitled to be a little arrogant sometimes," Swiftdrive debated, "Especially Clear Crest. I don't have to remind you that she once saved the lives of over a score of her fellow officers. One of which was mine."

"And mine, I know," Blade Bearer admitted, "Still, that was no reason for her to continuously remind us of the event afterwards. It was as though she took a personal pleasure in rubbing our faces in it."

"I doubt that was her intention," Comet Frost uttered, "Maybe she did it so all of you would learn something from that occasion. After all, if you had been a little more attentive and careful, that whole fiasco could have been avoided, and she wouldn't have had to rescue the lot of you."

"He's got a point," Swiftdrive contended.

"I guess he does," Blade Bearer said in agreement.

Applejack was intrigued to learn that Clear Crest had once saved a number of the Royal Guard. That implied that she used to care for them on a personal level. That in turn entailed that maybe she had gotten exceptionally close to somepony in particular during her time at Canterlot Castle.

"I'd like to know more about Clear Crest," Applejack requested politely, "How well did you know her?"

"Well, I had only been wearing the uniform for a little more than a year when she left," Comet Frost reminisced, "It wasn't until my third year that I really started to open up to my fellow officers. So I can't say I knew her very well, ma'am."

"I, on the other hoof, did know her well, my lady," Blade Bearer disclosed, "At least I did until she conspired to harm Captain Armor. That aside, I may not have spoken too kindly of her a minute ago, but I will not say she was not a fine officer. Believe me, she was. Probably better than most. There were times when I was honored to serve alongside her."

"Whereas in my case, I was always honored," Swiftdrive revealed, "Clear Crest was more than just a fellow officer to me. She was also my best friend."

"That so?" Applejack asked rhetorically, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed, my dear," Swiftdrive enlightened her, "She and I were born and raised on the naval base in Nanbucket together, we moved to Canterlot together, we enlisted in the Royal Guard together, and we were assigned to most of our posts together, as well. There was rarely an instance when she and I could not be found in the same place. Naturally, when she disappeared, I was questioned more thoroughly and extensively than anypony else. It was as though the Military Enforcement Corps was convinced I knew where she went."

"But you didn't?" Applejack supposed.

"Nope," Swiftdrive affirmed, "I can assure you that if I did know, I would have come forward. Clear Crest meant a lot to me, but I'm an officer first and a friend second. My job requires that I always keep those priorities in that order. No exceptions."

"Sounds tough," Applejack observed, "Don't think I could ever do that."

"Not everypony can," Comet Frost avowed, "I've never had any problems with it, though."

"Neither have I," Blade Bearer claimed.

Applejack nodded in acknowledgement. Then she looked back to Swiftdrive and told her "So you and Clear Crest did everything together?'

"Yeah, but sometimes we did things differently," Swiftdrive recounted, "Both of us were often tasked with guarding Prince Bronze Star during his pre-teen years. Although I kept my relationship with him professional, Clear Crest went out of her way to befriend him. He became somewhat attached to her after a while."

"Was there anything going on between them?" Applejack curiously queried.

"They cared for each other, and that's about it," Swiftdrive apprised her, "Keep in mind, both Clear Crest and I are more than ten years older than the prince. I'm quite certain he's not very attracted to older mares. Especially when those mares make a living by protecting him and his family."

"Besides, both of them knew better than to get involved with each other," Blade Bearer commented, "Every job has one rule in common. Technically, it's an unwritten rule, but it's also the most important rule of all. You know what that rule is, my lady? It's 'Don't sleep with the Boss.'"

Applejack did not know whether to laugh or wince at that observation. In the end, she just scoffed, leaned back, and cheekily stated "Sounds like profound words of wisdom. But I don't know if every job has that rule. I mean, I'm self-employed. So how would the rule apply to me?"

"Simple; don't do that thing ponies do when they're alone," Blade Bearer deviously replied.

Comet Frost burst out laughing at that, and Applejack giggled a bit, too. Swiftdrive, however, rolled her eyes and murmured impatiently "You're disgusting, Blade."

"And you have no sense of humor, Swift," Blade Bearer slyly remarked, "Anyway, I didn't say anything that wasn't true. Everypony does that 'thing.'"

"I don't," the dark grey mare proclaimed.

"Then try it sometime," Comet Frost cockily advised, "Maybe it'll improve your mood."

Blade Bearer laughed again and patted Comet Frost on the back. Swiftdrive sighed and told the aqua stallion "Comet, I think you've been spending too much time around Blade lately. His 'charm' is starting to rub off on you."

"Well, we could all use a little of his 'charm,' Swift," Comet Frost debated, "It makes things more amusing."

"I'll bet it does," Applejack interjected, "But do we have to talk about that while we're eating?"

"Oh, right, right, sorry," Blade Bearer uttered apologetically, "Now, where were we?"

"We were talking about Clear Crest's… hobbies," Applejack reminded him, "From what I understand, she was a good friend to Bronze Star, but never anything more than a friend. That about right?"

"That's exactly right," Blade Bearer conceded, "That's not to say she was never anything more than a friend to all of us, though."

"What are you saying?" Applejack inquired, "She was involved with somepony else at the castle?"

"That's correct, my dear," Swiftdrive explained, "Not many ponies know this, but during her later years at Canterlot Castle, Clear Crest had an affair with somepony else who worked there."

"Another of the Royal Guard?" Applejack guessed.

"Tartarus, no," Comet Frost refuted, "The Royal Guard are prohibited from fraternizing with each other like that. That's the easiest way to get dishonorably discharged from the force."

"That actually makes sense," Applejack perceived, "So who was she seeing?"

"One of the policymakers in Princess Celestia's administration," Blade Bearer explicated, "You may have heard of him: Sir Raoul Jowl."

Applejack had not expected to hear that. But she managed to avoid looking alarmed or stunned. She thought perhaps she could use this information to her advantage. She lightly shrugged and frankly declared "Sure, I've heard of him. He was one of the most influential ponies in Celestia's cabinet, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was," Comet Frost confirmed, "I'd like to think he still has quite a bit of sway on the public, as well. Of course, it'd be hard to find out. After he resigned his position and left the castle, nopony ever heard from him again. So we never knew what became of him."

"How quaint," Applejack commented, smirking. She was smirking because she was one of the few who knew of Sir Raoul Jowl's current whereabouts. She leaned forward again and disclosed "From what I heard, Sir Raoul Jowl was a fairly popular guy. That said, it must have been very difficult for him to have an affair with one of the Royal Guard and keep it a secret."

"It wasn't a secret, per se," Blade Bearer expounded, "About a quarter of the force knew Clear Crest was sleeping with Raoul Jowl. But nopony ever ratted on her. Not even me."

"Why not?" Applejack inquired.

"Because she was one of us, and we don't hang our own out to dry," Swiftdrive remarked, "If Captain Glock ever found out, he would have had her demoted, reprimanded, or worse."

"So even Glock didn't know?" Applejack assumed.

"No, and it was probably the one thing going on in the castle that he wasn't aware of," Blade Bearer contended.

"Then how did you find out?" Applejack enquired.

"We first suspected something was up when Clear Crest started showing up late for her duty shifts," Comet Frost recalled, "At first, we never paid her tardiness any mind."

"Then after she was late five days in a row, a group of the Royal Guard confronted her," Swiftdrive went on, "The three of us were in that group. We just had to apply a little pressure, and she admitted that she had been sharing a bed with Sir Raoul."

"How did you take that news?" Applejack inquired.

"Well, needless to say, we were all surprised," Swiftdrive recalled, "Some of the others tried to encourage her to end the affair. Nopony could have ordered her, though. At the time, Clear Crest outranked all of us, even me. She claimed she had no intention of ending the affair any time soon. A lot of us still owed her our lives, so we agreed to do her a favor and stay silent about the matter. I just urged her to be cautious."

"She must have taken Swiftdrive's advice," Blade Bearer supposed, "Clear Crest was never caught. She had a few close calls, but she managed to keep the affair quiet."

"That was probably thanks to Sir Raoul," Comet Frost theorized, "He was a very cautious stallion. He never took unnecessary risks, and he believed there was no such thing as being too prepared. In fact, I think the two of them only met when he deemed it safe to do so."

"Actually, that's exactly how their affair went," Swiftdrive recounted, "He never went to her; she always went to him. I would know; I had to cover for her a couple times. But at least I always knew when she would be gone in advance."

"What do you mean?" Applejack said probingly.

"There's a reason Clear Crest and Sir Raoul Jowl were able to keep their affair a secret," Swiftdrive expounded, "They always scheduled their rendezvouses beforehoof, and they did that without physically meeting with each other."

Applejack was a little perplexed by that. "How could they have arranged their meetings without even being in the same room?"

"They used a pair of gadgets known as flashers to communicate with each other," Blade Bearer apprised her.

"Flashers?" the farmer said in interest.

"Hoof-held devices shaped like batons," Swiftdrive disclosed, "The body of the device is translucent. It has a button on the side that causes the body to emanate a bright light. A short tap produces a momentary glow, and a long tap produces a sustained glow. It is possible to connect two of those devices together. That way, you can converse with another pony in Horse Code."

Applejack was astonished by that. These flashers certainly sounded like interesting contraptions. Maybe they would turn out to be the things she and Bronze Star needed to further the investigation. She pronounced "So the flashers were what enabled Clear Crest and Sir Raoul to keep their fling up?"

"Correct," Swiftdrive asserted, "From what I recall, Clear Crest and Raoul Jowl were rather smitten with each other. Clear and I shared a bunk, and her flasher went off at least every other day for the duration of their affair. Most of the time, she sent Sir Raoul a confirmation. The only times she had to decline were when she was giving a task that could not be delayed, postponed, or cancelled. I'd like to say she avoided clouding her better judgement. But if that was true, she would have ended the affair by her own accord."

"So what did end it?" Applejack queried.

"Her arrest," Blade Bearer candidly answered her, "Once Sir Haywood McCrank discovered Clear Crest had sent those thugs after Captain Armor, she was taken into custody by the Military Enforcement Corps immediately. All her possessions were confiscated, including her flasher. Only then did Sir Raoul Jowl keep his distance from her. He didn't even visit her during her confinement."

"Meaning once she was apprehended, it was officially over for them?" Applejack presumed.

"Over for him, perhaps," Comet Frost hypothesized, "As for Clear Crest, I'm not so sure. When she escaped custody, she raided the main storage unit before she made her getaway. We took inventory afterwards, and the only things that were missing were some provisions, some weapons, and her flasher."

"So she still cared for Sir Raoul?" Applejack guessed.

"She must have, otherwise she would have left it," Blade Bearer debated.

"There was an inquiry after Clear Crest fled," Swiftdrive recounted, "The Corps was determined to find her, and they thought her former colleagues might be able to provide them with a lead. They questioned most of us. We cooperated to the best of our ability, but we never said anything about her involvement with Sir Raoul."

"Why not?" Applejack queried in bewilderment.

"It was Swiftdrive's idea; she didn't want to give Clear Crest a worse reputation than she already had," Blade Bearer proclaimed, "We told the Corps everything else about Clear Crest, but we never breathed a word about her fling with Sir Raoul."

"Be that as it may, the three of us and a few others decided to confront Sir Raoul Jowl after we were all questioned," Comet Frost reminisced, "He adamantly insisted that he had no idea where she went. We would have pushed him harder, but that would have given him grounds to press charges against the Royal Guard. Aside from that, he had no reason to lie to us. But oddly enough, Sir Raoul held on to his flasher and refused to part with it. He even took it with him when he stopped working at the castle."

Applejack gazed off to the side and thought for a minute. Then she looked back to the officers and mentioned "Tell me; even after seven years of inactivity… do you suppose those flashers would still work?"

"There's nothing to suggest they couldn't, my lady," Blade Bearer contended, "Truth be told, the flashers are probably the only means a pony could use to communicate with Clear Crest."

"However, most of us have lost hope that she'll ever be found, ma'am," Comet Frost revealed, "She's been missing for seven years, and if she wanted to, she could remain missing for seventy more. If there's one thing I learned about her, it's that she's a survivalist."

"I can see that," Applejack muttered, "But let's pretend for a moment that Clear Crest still had her flasher and Sir Raoul Jowl had his. If he was willing to try to contact her on his, do you believe she would be inclined to respond?"

"Hard to say; she may have changed since she we last saw her," Blade Bearer mumbled.

"Personally… I think she would," Swiftdrive announced, "After seven years of isolation, who wouldn't like to reconnect with an old friend? Or an old flame?"

"Good argument, Commander Swiftdrive," Applejack coincided, grinning. She was smiling for two reasons: she agreed with the older mare's sentiment, and she know had something useful to share with Bronze Star. She proclaimed "I'm grateful for you tellin' me all this; it's really quite fascinating."

"It's no problem, my lady," Blade Bearer contended, "But I'd like you to tell us something in return. Why are you so interested in Clear Crest?"

Applejack had been prepared for a question like that. She straightforwardly professed "Because when Bronze Star mentions Clear Crest, he always seems dismayed or disturbed. He went so far as to call Clear Crest a traitor. I wanted to know what kind of mare would betray her leader and her country."

"I'm sure the prince would be grateful for your concern," Comet Frost alleged, "However, I wouldn't go so far as to say that about Clear Crest."

"Neither would I," Blade Bearer added in, "She IS a traitor, but she only betrayed her uniform and her fellow officers of the Royal Guard."

"As far as we know, she never did anything to betray Equestria or its rulers, my dear," Swiftdrive remarked.

If only you knew what I knew Applejack thought.

A few minutes later, the four ponies finished eating lunch. Savoir Fare came back to collect their plates and leave the check. Applejack would have requested to be billed separately, but the officers insisted that they pay for her meal.

"I appreciate that, but you don't have to do it," Applejack told them.

"No, we got this, ma'am," Comet Frost declared, "We'd be happy to pay."

"It's our pleasure, my lady," Blade Bearer assured her.

Applejack ultimately gave in and agreed to let them handle it. She smirked and uttered "Alright, but I owe you one."

"You don't owe us anything, my dear," Swiftdrive claimed, "Think of it as our first service to you."

"'First?'" Applejack repeated in perplexity.

"It could be the first of many," Comet Frost elaborated, "If things work out between you and the prince, the Royal Guard will inevitably earn their living by protecting you, as well."

Applejack had not considered that possibility, but it certainly interested her. She merely shrugged and thought aloud "I guess that's true. I'm fine with how things are right now, but I have no opposition to change. I've always been capable of defending myself, so I doubt I would ever need protection. Even so, if you ever did become my own bodyguards, I'm confident you would do your jobs very well. For the present, though, I'd hoping I can call you my friends, instead."

"Of course you can," Swiftdrive asserted. Blade Bearer and Comet Frost nodded their heads in agreement.

After the meal was paid for, Applejack and the three officers of the Royal Guard parted ways. Comet Frost, Swiftdrive, and Blade Bearer headed over to the barracks to continue discussing security arrangements with Noble Edict and her staff.

Applejack went directly to the embassy. There she found Bronze Star working with Dapple Rhomb in her office. She asked to speak with him in private for a minute, and he agreed to do so straightaway. Once they were alone, she filled him in on what she had learned over lunch.

Bronze Star was notably astounded when Applejack informed him that Sir Raoul Jowl and Clear Crest had been having an affair. Even the Firebrand Regiment had been unaware of that.

His astonishment was quickly replaced by satisfaction when Applejack told him about how Raoul Jowl and Clear Crest kept their affair going. If they were lucky, the flashers could be the very thing that would enable them to turn the investigation back in their favor.

Ever since Bronze Star had interrogated him, Sir Raoul Jowl had been in the witness protection program. He had been staying in an isolated cabin just outside of Manephis. Three federal marshals were living there with them; they were watching and guarding him around the clock.

All of Raoul Jowl's belongings had been seized by the Regiment shortly after he was arrested. The majority of them, he had not been allowed to keep when he was moved to the countryside. Bronze Star was fairly certain that his flasher was amongst those items.

Later that day, he contacted the Firebrand Regiment through his blackboard. He told them everything Applejack had told him, and he gave them orders on how to proceed next. He instructed them to sort through Raoul Jowl's possessions and find the flasher. After that, he wanted them to travel out to Manephis and pay Sir Raoul an unannounced visit.

He told the Regiment that they were to question Sir Raoul on his involvement with Clear Crest. If their lover affair turned out to be real – and Bronze Star had no doubt it was – they were to persuade him to use his flasher to try to contact Clear Crest.

Bronze Star realized that this approach was hinging on a lot of maybes. Maybe Sir Raoul Jowl had not held on to his flasher after all. Maybe he had lost it or misplaced it. Maybe it had gotten broken. Maybe Clear Crest no longer possessed her flasher, either. Maybe one or both of the flashers had eroded after seven years of inactivity. Above all, maybe if both flashers were working and both of their owners had retained them, maybe Clear Crest would be unwilling to respond to Raoul Jowl.

Altogether, the chances that the Regiment would actually be able to reach Clear Crest through this method were not very promising. Alas, at that time, this method was their best bet, as well as their only hope. If it failed, their search for Clear Crest would hit another dead end, and they would be unable to further the investigation.

The Firebrand Regiment did not seem any more optimistic about this ploy than the prince was, but they assured him that they would do everything they could to get some results.

After that discussion ended, Bronze Star was relieved to put away his blackboard. He also decided to put everything else that pertained to the assassination conspiracy out of his mind for the remainder of the week. The Firebrand Regiment had the situation under control, and the gold stallion had other things to worry about. His mother would be coming in only four days, and there was still a lot that needed to be done before she arrived.

By the next day, nearly all of the physical preparations had been finished. However, the townsfolk knew next to nothing about the nature of the upcoming conference.

Bronze Star spent most of that day telling City Council and the security staff what he already knew of the subject. He informed them that the conference would be attended by two business conglomerates. The conglomerates had been longtime rivals with each other, and each was composed of three different companies. On one side there would be the banking firm GrandiHorse, the insurance corporation Landslide, and the ad agency Radical Innovation. On the other side would be the banking firm Fabian, the insurance corporation MonuMarent, and the ad agency Uptown Mystique. The former trio was based in Manehattan; the latter trio was based in Canterlot. Both conglomerates had a large holding in most of the country's major cities. Ponyville had been selected as the site of the conference for two reasons: Celestia herself had recommended it, and neither trio had done any business there, so it made for ideal neutral ground.

Bronze Star would have told them what would have been discussed at the conference, but even he did not entirely know that. The companies' executives had been unwilling to share any of those details until they were all gathered in one room with Princess Celestia. Until then, everypony else would be left in the dark.

Bronze Star had been informed that the CEOs of all six companies would be arriving in town the following day. Since they were all prestigious and high-status businessponies, they would be lodging at the embassy for the duration of their stay in Ponyville.

Since Shakedown and Dread Naught were out of town, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank were the only ponies who were living at the embassy at that time. They easily had the means to accommodate the CEOs. Just to be safe, Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb decided to assign the CEOs to rooms in advance. They made certain to put the Canterlot-based CEOs on one side of the corridor and the Manehattan-based CEOs on the other side. Given the longevity and magnitude of their rivalry, Bronze Star deemed it wise to keep some distance between them.

The next day, the CEOs of the six companies arrived in town. Each of them showed up at a different time of day, and all of them went straight to the embassy.

The first to arrive was the CEO of Uptown Mystique, a Unicorn named Till Dates. Ever since he was a colt, he had been recognized by his friends and family as an exceptionally creative pony. He was a graduate of two engineering universities, and he was an accomplished inventor. Till Dates had been one of the major leaders of Equestria's technological revolution from the last century. At first, he only sold his inventions to the ponies in his hometown of Stalliongton. Overtime, he expanded his sales all throughout the country. After a while, he formed his own advertisement agency so he could broadcast his own creations and the creations of others nationwide.

The second to arrive was the CEO of GrandiHorse, an Earth Pony named Red Burner. He was also a college graduate; his major had been in data analysis. He had not been a very ambitious stallion when he was younger. He would have been content to spend his entire life in his hometown of Oatlahoma City, working in a cubicle. However, after he received his diploma, he had been drafted into the army. At the time, he doubted he would even survive boot camp. But after he served a tour in Yakyakistan, he came back to Equestria as a war hero and a changed stallion. His experiences motivated him to seek out a means to avoid further conflict in the future, and in the end, he decided that the key to this was economics. In his mind, money could prevent most problems when placed in the right hooves. He believed his hooves were the right ones. Now in the present day, he ran his own banking enterprise.

The third to arrive was the CEO of MonuMarent, a Pegasus named Lore N. Budget. Rather than a normal university, he was a graduate of law school. He was a native of Chayenne, and like Red Burner, he was also once in the military. However, the circumstances of his career in the armed forces were quite different. He had not been drafted; he had voluntarily enlisted. He had been in Special Forces rather than the regular army. He had never been deployed on foreign soil; all his assignments had been in Equestria. Most of all, Red Burner had never gotten hurt. Lore N. Budget was not so lucky. He had suffered two projectiles in the chest during an emergency situation in Chicacolt. He received proper medical treatment in time, but his hospital bills were outrageous. Although he managed to pay them, he was very displeased. So after he was honorably discharged from the military, he made it his life's goal to lower the cost of healthcare and see to it that other ponies had the ability to provide for themselves and their loved ones. Before long, he managed to create an insurance enterprise of his own.

The fourth to arrive was the CEO of Radical Innovation, a Pegasus named Cleave Cobs. He was the only one of the six who had not made his entire fortune from scratch. He had been born into a high-class wealthy family in Mareami. Be that as it may, he had definitely earned his current position and status. After he graduated from college, he returned home to get a job in his father's furniture consortium. He enjoyed working there at first, but it was not very fulfilling, and he felt as though his talents could be better served elsewhere. In addition to that, he did not agree with some of his father's policies. One day, he decided to leave his father's company and form his own. Initially, his father was furious, but when he saw what his son was capable of, his anger turned to pride. Cleave Cobs had managed to establish an advertisement agency that promoted products from many other companies, including his father's.

The fifth to arrive was the CEO of Landslide, a Unicorn named Cycle Geyser. He was the only one of the three Manehattan-based CEOs who was actually from Manehattan originally, and he was the leader of their conglomerate. Of the six stallions, he had changed the most in the time since his college years. Back then, one would think he would spend his entire life in educational establishments, as his goal was to be a professor or teacher. He had been driven by an idealistic notion that it was his duty to help his fellow pony, and he believed the best way to do that would be to reach out to children and help them get the most out of their education. However, before he began studying for his P.H.D., he had a few experiences that caused him to reevaluate his views. Soon after, he realized that it would not be enough to aid foals. Instead, he had to do something that would account for well-being of the entire family. Thus began a very ambitious project that ended in Cycle Geyser forming a wide-scale insurance enterprise.

The sixth and last to arrive was the CEO of Fabian, an Earth Pony named Ronald Grump. Similarly to Cycle Gesyer, he was the only CEO of the Canterlot-based companies that had been born and raised in Canterlot, and he was the leader of that trio. He was also the only one of the six that Bronze Star had met before this day. Luckily, they had only met twice, and Ronald Grump did not know the prince well enough to recognize him on sight. There were two other characteristics that greatly distinguished him from the other five stallions: he was very politically active, and he used to occupy a prominent position in Princess Celestia's administration. He was also one of the Canterlot Elite. In Bronze Star's opinion, Ronald Grump was not as insufferable as most of the other Canterlot Elite, but he could still be as narrow-minded and haughty as any of them. That aside, he had one admirable feature that separated him from most of his fellow Elite: he had actually contributed something useful to society. He had used his influence and power to develop a banking enterprise whose doors were open to everypony in Equestria.

Till Dates, Red Burner, Lore N. Budget, and Cleave Cobs had all been knighted by Princess Celestia, and Cycle Geyser and Ronald Grump had both been lorded by her. To some degree, all six stallions were likeable and well-liked, just as they were respectable and highly-respected. All six of them had entered the world of business with noble intentions, and they still lived by those intentions. But more than anything, they were known to be fiercely competitive. Their competitive nature was what had chiefly started their rivalry in the first place.

Each company's board of directors had accompanied its CEO to Ponyville. However, the other executives had taken up residence in the apartment complex. Only the CEOs would be staying at the embassy. Bronze Star made it his personal objective to ensure that the six stallions were comfortable with the accommodations.

Luckily, the CEOs were not hard to please. They neither required nor requested special treatment; they preferred to be self-sufficient. They made all their own meals and woke up at their own times. They respected the privacy of Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank, and they did not interfere with their daily tasks.

Every now and then, one or more of the CEOs stopped by Bronze Star's room to have a word with him about the conference. Normally it was just to apprise him on something new he needed to know about the affair. After all, as a representative of both Canterlot and Ponyville, he was expected to appear at the conference, even if he had no plans to contribute to its proceedings.

At one point, Cycle Geyser and Ronald Grump came by Sir Haywood McCrank's room at the same time. They visited him for the same reason: they wished to invite him to the conference, as well. When he asked why, all they said was that they might have need of his services. Sir Haywood could not venture a guess as to why a group of businessponies would require the aid of a federal investigator, but as a gesture of goodwill, he agreed to attend the conference.

Initially, he was somewhat reluctant to agree. However, he would soon discover that it had been a wise choice to attend the conference. As a result of that choice, the indigo stallion would end up saving a lot of lives.
> Giant Leap Forward
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The hawk gave a light nod and screeched in agreement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Is it?" Bronze Star asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Are you genuinely sorry?" Bronze Star enquired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"True," Haywood McCrank remarked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Wager how?" Comet Frost queried.

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

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

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

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

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

"Halt!" yelled the guard on the right.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Why not in public?" Haywood enquired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Why's that?" Applejack inquired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Who?" the purple mare inquired, confused.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Got it," the aqua stallion proclaimed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What sort of discoveries?" Princess Celestia queried.

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

"I have none," Princess Celestia asserted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Very well," Princess Celestia permitted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star said in concern.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Where?" Noble Edict queried.

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

"What list?" Rollin Fields requested.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"So do I," Noble Edict coincided.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Some help I was."

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

"But it's my fault!"

"No, it's my fault!"

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

When nopony answered, she bolted away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philomena gave a squawk to express her agreement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"True," Noble Edict conceded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Indeed," Bellerophon affirmed.

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

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

"Of course he did," Applejack mumbled bluntly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star inquired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes, always," Bronze Star miserably confirmed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Are you sure of that?" Applejack refuted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bronze Star had every confidence that his plan to end the assassination conspiracy could and would work. Be that as it may, he was not ready to share all the details of his plan with anypony just yet. He needed to ensure that it would go exactly as he envisioned it, and he believed the best way to do that would be if he explained it aloud as few times as possible. So for the present, he decided to just distribute orders to the ponies he was going to involve in the plan.

After he spoke privately with Applejack, Noble Edict, and Lord Bellerophon, Bronze Star called Arthur down from the sky. Once his pet hawk returned, the young prince had the other three ponies follow him to the embassy. There he went up to his room, sat down at his desk, and spent about twenty minutes writing three different letters. After that, he put each letter in a standard white envelope. One of them he addressed to SIG Sauer, another he addressed to Brigadier Carabine, and the last he addressed to Sir Raoul Jowl. He took all three of those envelopes and inserted them into a larger yellow envelope.

He did not seal the envelope up just yet. There was something else he needed to send alongside the letters.

Bronze Star still had those two picture frames with the built-in surveillance systems. He took one of those picture frames and slid it into the large yellow envelope, as well. After that, he sealed the envelope and gave it to Lord Bellerophon. He instructed the palomino Pegasus not to open the envelope until it reached the Compartment in Canterlot Castle. He also requested to be apprised regularly on the Firebrand Regiment's progress throughout the week. Bellerophon agreed to those commands without question, despite his curiosity as to what the prince had planned. As for Applejack and Noble Edict, Bronze Star merely told them that he would need them to come to the embassy sometime in the near future, and both mares agreed to make herself available accordingly.

After all this was done, the four ponies headed back outside and rejoined Princess Celestia's group. They spent the rest of the day with the white Alicorn as she moved throughout the town. Everywhere she went, ponies made way and bowed for their supreme ruler out of humility and respect. Celestia was pleased by all the acknowledgement and reverence, but having a tour of the town pleased her even more. Although Celestia had travelled to Ponyville several times before, this was the first time she was able to see the entire town firsthoof. It was so tranquil, serene, self-sufficient, and it provided her with an ideal break from the tiring political turmoil she experienced every day in the capital city.

Near the end of the afternoon, Celestia and the others stopped by Town Hall again. While they were there, Sir Haywood McCrank met up with them and told them of the situation with the conference.

He had spent the last few hours with the CEOs of Fabian, GrandiHorse, Landslide, MonuMarent, Radical Innovation, and Uptown Mystique. For most of that time, he had drawn up a timetable for how the investigation into their companies would go over the next several weeks. He had drafted it so that it would coincide with the task force's investigation into the Vermane. His goal was to discover the source of the foul play in their conglomerates by the Grand Galloping Gala.

He would not need any additional help or resources from the Intelligence Bureau to accomplish this goal. However, he would need something from the Canterlot Royalty.

Sir Haywood had cautioned the CEOs to be careful about who they trusted. He mentioned that anypony in their companies could have had a direct role in the foul play, even somepony on their boards of directors. When he brought that up, the CEOs were grateful for his advice, but they had become a little unsettled. None of the six stallions had been especially trustful throughout their lives, and the concept that any of their own staffers might have been involved in this calamity only gave them further unease.

Lord Ronald Grump was the first to offer a solution to quell their worries. As a member of the Canterlot Elite, he had frequently seen the Royal Guard in action, and he could confirm that they lived up to their reputation as the greatest bodyguards in Equestria. So he submitted an official request to Princess Celestia; he wished to borrow one or two officers of the Royal Guard so they could monitor and defend Lord Ronald and his fellow entrepreneurs until their investigation ended.

None of the CEOs had been very hopeful that Celestia would grant this request. The Royal Guard made their living by protecting the country's royalty, not its business moguls. Nevertheless, Celestia had decided to grant Ronald Grump's request. She claimed that she was more than happy to lend him and his associates a few of the Royal Guard for their own needs.

While that claim was true, Celestia had another reason for stationing the Royal Guard in Ponyville. This reason was bigger, and it was not for the CEOs.

Ever since Bronze Star had moved to Ponyville, Princess Celestia had incessantly been trying to convince the young prince to allow some of the officers of the Royal Guard to remain there with him. One could hardly blame her; she had merely done that as a mother looking out for her son. She had been pressing this issue on him ceaselessly for the past nine months, but despite her insistence, Bronze Star had constantly refused it. He never failed to provide her with plenty of reasons for his refusal: the Royal Guard's presence would raise suspicions, having them around him would be viewed as special treatment, he was capable of keeping himself safe, and many more.

While she was reluctant, Celestia brought herself to respect her son's bidding and kept the Royal Guard out of Ponyville. Now, however, she had the perfect opportunity to put them near him without directly disregarding his wish.

Although Lord Ronald Grump had specifically asked for only one or two officers of the Royal Guard, Priness Celestia decided to give the CEOs three. Since more than twenty officers were currently in Ponyville at that time, she figured it would be ideal to pick those three from that lot. So she gathered the twenty-plus officers in Town Hall and asked if any of them would voluntarily offer themselves for this special assignment. Almost straightaway, Blade Bearer, Comet Frost, and Swiftdrive stepped up and volunteered to take that job.

Princess Celestia was a little surprised that the three of them had been the first to come forward. They were three of the top ten highest-ranking officers at Canterlot Castle. To them, guarding half a dozen businessponies should have seemed as mundane, effortless, and tedious a task as foalsitting. Then again, they were also closer to Bronze Star than most of their colleagues, and they had already been in Ponyville for the past few days. In the end, she decided that they were the perfect choices for watching over the CEOs. A little later, she had a word with the three of them in private, and she instructed them to try to watch over Bronze Star as well, but without violating his space. Naturally, they obeyed her command.

An hour before sunset, Princess Celestia went back to Canterlot with Lord Bellerophon and the other twenty Royal Guard. The white Alicorn gave a fond farewell to everypony who saw her off, Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle in particular. Philomena and Arthur shrieked their good-byes to each other before the former flew off beside Celestia's chariot. The phoenix and the hawk had always gotten along very well. Maybe it was due to the relationship of her mistress and his master. Regardless, Bronze Star was just glad that his hawk had at least one non-equine friend.

The ensuing three days were rather busy for Sir Haywood McCrank. He passed much of that time in the conference room at the embassy with the six CEOs. He had asked each of them to bring along a different pony from their boards of directors to each meeting. He did that for two reasons: so he could control how all the information was distributed, and so he could personally observe the staffers to determine if any of them might have been working for the Vermane.

Since the CEOs had accepted Sir Haywood's condition of allowing him to include anypony he chose in the investigation, he was able to bring Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, and Rollin Fields to the meetings, as well.

The CEOs were somewhat perplexed by the indigo stallion's selections. That was to be expected, as from their perspective, Sir Haywood seemed to be consulting two local security officers, Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville, and the ambassador's secretary. Those were hardly orthodox prospects for conducting a federal investigation.

Luckily, the gold stallion, the purple mare, the lime green stallion, and the red mare were able to convince the CEOs that they were qualified to assist the investigation. Rollin Fields had been preventing crimes for as long as their companies had been in business, Noble Edict had been made a Lady of Celestia's court, Dapple Rhomb had loads of experience in following money trails, and even in his disguised form, Bronze Star represented the Canterlot Royalty.

It did not take long for Sir Till Dates, Sir Cleave Cobs, Sir Lore N. Budget, Sir Red Burner, Lord Cycle Geyser, and Lord Ronald Grump to concede that Bronze Star and the others were more than capable of helping them with the investigation. Once they had that realization, they finally began it.

Each meeting over those three days was attended by Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Rollin Fields, the six CEOs, and six of their staffers, one from each company. Swiftdrive, Comet Frost, and Blade Bearer were in the room at the time, as well, but they were always positioned against the wall. They just stood guard, never actively contributing to the meeting.

Sir Haywood McCrank started the investigation by asking the CEOs for a personnel list from all six companies. He emphasized that he would need the whole anthology of their workers, including former employees who were deceased or retired.

His goal was to take the lists and narrow them down to a distinct few ponies. He would remove most of those ponies by using a variety of factors, such as who had been away when one of victims had died, who had stopped working before a victim's death, who had started working after a victim's death, and who had never risen very high in the companies' ranks. Anypony who met one of those criteria would be eliminated from the list.

A number of ponies would still be on those lists at the end of that process. Those ponies would be marked as suspects. Sir Haywood was certain that somewhere amongst those remaining ponies, they would find the masterminds behind all this foul play, and by extension, they would find the Vermane.

The CEOs were willing to bring the federal investigator a compendium of their companies' employees. However, they informed him that it would take about two days to assemble six lists of such large size. After all, hundreds of thousands of ponies had been employed by their companies throughout the past few decades.

Fortunately, Sir Haywood was a patient stallion, and he was willing to wait a couple days. He proposed that while they waited for those lists to arrive, they could discuss what they already knew.

Sir Haywood was willing to share certain details about his investigation into the Vermane with the CEOs. Firstly, he revealed that he was not entirely new to these cases of "foul play." He admitted that the Intelligence Bureau had been keeping track of most of those cases, but the Bureau had never connected those deaths together, and that they had written those cases off as unsolved or closed.

That much was true. Officially, the Intelligence Bureau had filed all those cases away, but Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught had continued investigating them in secret for the past nineteen years.

Sir Haywood also apprised the CEOs that he believed that the foul play in their companies was not the work of a few ponies hoping to make some quick profit. He explained to them that an organization had to be behind the deaths. That was how they had managed to keep the killings going without getting caught or exposed until now.

Sir Haywood never implied that the "organization" was a bloodthirsty organization, a greedy organization, a vast organization, a covert organization, or even a longtime organization. All he said was that it was an organization.

From the way he presented this theory, one would have thought that he had just formed it on the spot. That was actually the point; he did not want the CEOs to know that he had already known about this organization's existence for a while. So he fooled the CEOs into believing that he had arrived at that conclusion exactly when he shared it with them. Of course, Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, and Rollin Fields knew better, and they simply played along with Haywood McCrank's approach.

One may wonder why Sir Haywood did not merely chose to come forward and tell the CEOs everything about the Vermane. He actually had a number of sound reasons for choosing not to. For one thing, the CEOs did not need to know that their companies had been plagued by a guild of unscrupulous killers for the last four decades. Apart from that, while he personally would have wanted to know if one or more of his colleagues actually was one of those killers, he currently had no means to identify which ponies in the conglomerates really was working for the Vermane. So by giving such a grim revelation without any form of reassurance, Sir Haywood would risk generating further mistrust and apprehension amongst the CEOs. Additionally, if he confessed that he had already been aware of these murders for so long, the CEOs were not likely to look kindly upon that disclosure. Worst case scenario, they might accuse the indigo stallion of trying to cover up those murders, or even playing a part in them. Most of all, he had to be careful about who he trusted with his knowledge of the Vermane's existence, as any pony on the companies' boards of directors could have been one of them.

So for the present at least, he was not going to say anything about the Vermane. Overtime, he would gradually share more of that information with the CEOs, but he would only tell them the bits they really needed to know. The main reason he had agreed to participate in this investigation in the first place was so he could dig up some useful information that could accelerate the progress of his investigation into the Vermane. In other words, he was looking out for his own interests more so than the CEOs'.

On that note, Bronze Star and the other members of the task force were inclined to wonder what the CEOs' interests actually were. The gold stallion addressed that issue at the first meeting.

At that meeting, the task force and the conglomerates spent several hours exchanging information and connecting the main points. During that time, Sir Haywood McCrank and the CEOs did most of the talking. After all that was over, Bronze Star sat up in his chair and cleared his throat to get everypony's attention. Once he had it, he gazed around at the six businessponies and announced "I must mention that I admire how committed all of you gentlestallions are to locating the source of this foul play and stomping it out. I would be just as determined if this type of dilemma was to arise in Celestia's administration."

"That's good to know, Mr. Ambassador," stated Sir Till Dates.

Somepony else muttered in agreement. After a brief pause, Bronze Star leaned forward and pronounced "Regardless, there is one aspect about this matter that needs some clarification."

"What might that be?" inquired Sir Red Burner.

"I'd like to know what compelled you to start this investigation," Bronze Star replied frankly.

"I'd have thought that'd be obvious," Sir Lore N. Budget muttered drily, "Dozens of our clients have been killed for profit, and more could die soon. Sir Haywood confirmed our suspicions that the culprits are our own employees. They are using our companies to get rich. As the companies' founders, we are obligated to seek out the guilty parties and stop them."

"That's your only motivation?" Bronze Star presumed, unconvinced "You just wish to bring the guilty to justice?"

"What other possible motivation would we have?" Sir Cleave Cobs refuted.

"How about regaining your losses?" Bronze Star conjectured.

The CEOs were a little baffled by that statement. Lord Cycle Geyser queried "What are you talking about, Mr. Ambassador?"

"Although this foul play has been going on for decades, you only became aware of it fairly recently," Bronze Star noted, "In fact, based on what you said at Town Hall yesterday, the only reason you discovered the foul play's existence was because of the Hoovston disaster."

"That is true, Mr. Ambassador," Sir Red Burner affirmed, "Had the disaster not taken place, we might never have decided to examine our companies' archives."

"Refresh my memory; what exactly did you hope to accomplish by studying your past cases?" Bronze Star murmured inquisitively. His voice had a slightly sardonic tone to it, but the CEOs did not seem to mind.

"When the disaster occurred, all our companies witnessed a drop in shares, stocks, and overall productivity," Lord Ronald Grump explicated, "Since we never experienced a loss on that scale before, we had no precedent on how to repair it. So our only option was to review all our previous case files and use them to devise a proper course of action."

"I will admit that your logic is sound," Bronze Star professed, a little skeptical, "But tell me; how much would you have lost if you were unable to fix the damage left by the Hoovston disaster?"

"Approximately one hundred million bits," Sir Till Dates expounded, "Apiece."

"One hundred million bits…" Bronze Star commented, giving a slight nod, "So the whole reason you looked over your records was so you could save one hundred million bits each?"

"Intrinsically, yes, Mr. Ambassador," Sir Cleave Cobs confirmed.

"So I see," Bronze Star remarked softly. He slowly eased back in his chair and thought aloud "Now, the perpetrators of this 'foul play' have amassed an estimated total of… how much, Sir Haywood?"

"Nearly ten billion bits between all six companies," Sir Haywood McCrank revealed, looking over his notes.

"Ten billion bits," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Even when you divide that number by six, it's quite a lot more than one hundred million. Eleven digits instead of nine."

"We know how to use mathematics, Mr. Ambassador," Sir Lore N. Budget uttered edgily, "We're all grown ponies; you can be forward with us. What point are you trying to make?"

"If you were so determined to hold on to one hundred million bits, I imagine you would be hard-pressed to recover a hundred times that amount," Bronze Star perceived.

All six of the CEOs could sense the accusation in the gold stallion's words. They seemed either offended or disgusted by the implication.

Lord Ronald Grump gradually rose to his hooves and mumbled through gritted teeth "Mr. Ambassador, are you suggesting that we asked for this investigation simply because we want that money back?"

"That could be one of your motives," Bronze Star theorized, "After all, ten billion bits is enough to create a whole new conglomerate."

"It's also a fraction of our companies' individual annual income," Sir Red Burner disclosed, "The money is not the issue here, Mr. Ambassador. I can understand why you would think it is, but we are not so ambitious that we would let our profits cloud our sense of morality."

"He speaks the truth," Sir Till Dates coincided, "Ten billion bits is a significant loss for us, but the fact remains that that money was earned through murder and deception. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we want no part of this… this… blood money."

"I agree," Lord Cycle Geyser crossly declared, "I, for one, find it insulting that you would even imply that we would be so greedy."

"I apologize if I gave you that impression," Bronze Star sincerely stated, "I just needed to ensure that your intentions for this investigation are good."

"You have a right to be suspicious, but it was unnecessary for you to question our honor, Mr. Ambassador," Sir Cleave Cobs contended.

"Indeed it was," Bronze Star solemnly agreed.

"He does raise a good point, though," Rollin Fields declared, "Let's say for a moment that once the killers are apprehended, you managed to recover all the money they acquired from your companies. What would you do with it then?"

"What should have been done with it in the first place," Lord Ronald Grump professed, "We would send it to the surviving family members of the victims. That's the least they deserve after what they've been through."

"That's certainly a respectable resolution," Noble Edict muttered, "However, it might not be an effective one. Regardless of the circumstances, money is a poor substitute for a life. No amount of it could ever buy back a soul."

"She's right," Dapple Rhomb remarked, looking around at the CEOs, "Apart from that, I don't think the survivors would want the money any more than you would. In the long run, that money is the very thing their loved ones died for."

"That is true," Sir Red Burner admitted.

"So what would you suggest we do with that money?" Sir Till Dates enquired.

"We can worry about that later," Sir Haywood McCrank recommended, "For now, we should stay focused on finding the ponies who took the money in the first place. They are the real threat here."

Nopony had any objections to that.

Within twenty minutes, the meeting finally ended and everypony went their own ways. Interestingly, more than half of the meeting's attendees were currently residing in the embassy. Last week, the only ones living there were Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank. Now the six CEOs were staying there as well, along with Blade Bearer, Swiftdrive, and Comet Frost.

All in all, not very much had been accomplished that day with regards to furthering the investigation into the Vermane. Sir Haywood McCrank was confident that the progress would speed up once the lists of the six companies' employees arrived. Until then, he just had to pass along enough information to the CEOs and their staffers to keep them content.

Bronze Star received a letter from Canterlot that night. When he saw that it was sent from Lord Bellerophon, the young prince locked himself in his room and read it straightaway.

In the letter, Bellerophon informed Bronze Star that he had given the large yellow envelope to SIG Sauer (the one with the three letters and the price frame with the surveillance system), and that SIG had read the letter that had been addressed to him. That letter had contained two things: a very brief, very vague summary of the gold stallion's plan to end the assassination conspiracy, and a set of instructions.

According to the letter from Lord Bellerophon, SIG Sauer was already in the process of carrying out those instructions: he had given the large envelope (which still contained the other two letters and the picture frame) to General Walther, and he had ordered the General to fly directly to Manephis, stop by Sir Raoul Jowl's safe house, and give the large envelope to Brigadier Carabine. SIG Sauer had also told Walther to inform the Brigadier that he was to notify Bronze Star as soon as he read the letter that was meant for him. Bellerophon told Bronze Star that he would ideally receive another letter at the same time the following day.

Overall, Bronze Star was pleased by the letter. His plan had only just begun, but it was being done right on schedule. He hoped it would stay that way, but it would do him no good to worry about it at this time. All he could do was wait until he heard back from the Firebrand Regiment.

The next day went by much the same as the one before it. Sir Haywood McCrank and the CEOs discussed more of their own findings with each other for a few hours. As they worked, Bronze Star observed how the CEOs interacted with each other. Sir Red Burner, Sir Cleave Cobs, and Lord Cycle Geyser managed to get along with Sir Till Dates, Sir Lore N. Budget, and Lord Ronald Grump and vice versa. That fascinated the young prince. Ever since their conglomerates had been established, the CEOs had always been at each other's throats. They had constantly been fighting for control over the best clients, customers, and interests in the land. At a glance, one might think they were incapable of cooperating.

Now, it appeared to Bronze Star that that was hardly the case. Although the CEOs had not seemed very receptive of each other when they first arrived in Ponyville, that had been the limit of their hostility. When they were in the meeting chamber, they proved that they could reason with each other, that they could recognize each other's worth, and that they could treat each other with respect.

Bronze Star was so intrigued by the extent of their collaboration that he was inclined to think that they might be willing to remain that compliant. Rather than just wonder, he decided to address this topic directly.

Near the end of this meeting, Bronze Star mentioned to the CEOs "Yesterday, you convinced me that you have the right reasons for wanting to end this foul play. Now I would like to know if you will continue to do the right thing once all this is over."

That statement was rather ambigious; none of the CEOs knew how to respond to it at first. Sir Cleave Cobs was the first to speak: "I'm afraid we don't quite understand what you're saying, Mr. Ambassador,"

"I shall elaborate," Bronze Star proclaimed, "You did not come here to attack each other or claim that you are superior to each other. Your aim is not to discredit each other or condemn each other's company. Instead, you wish to help each other purge the corruption that is plaguing your conglomerates. That is commendable, but what will happen once you have accomplished that objective?"

"We haven't thought that far in advance," Sir Lore N. Budget pronounced, "To begin, we would logically go back to running our companies without the burden of this foul play on our minds."

"I assumed as much," Bronze Star disclosed, "But apart from the foul play, would you do everything the same way as before?"

"That's our hope," Sir Red Burner muttered, "We would have no objections if things went back to normal."

"Would 'normal' include your antagonistic relationship?" Bronze Star speculated.

Lord Cycle Geyser narrowed his eyes and murmured heatedly "What are you insinuating, Mr. Ambassador?"

"I recall you gentlestallions saying that you ultimately plan to pass along your companies to your children so they could continue your legacy," Bronze Star recounted, "Would you expect them to continue your rivalry, as well?"

"That is something we have not yet considered," Lord Ronald Grump professed, "But it is worth debating. Once our children sit in our chairs, they will be permitted to do things their own way. As such, they could choose whether or not to improve relations between our conglomerates."

"If they are half as decent as you, that would be an easy choice," Bronze Star conjectured, "Even so, why must they make that choice? You said yourselves that you would not drop the burden of this foul play on your children. So why force them to end the enmity that you began?"

The six CEOs took a minute to ponder on the gold stallion's words. He made a very excellent argument. The status of the relationship between their conglomerates was their responsibility, and it was their duty to decide if it would improve or deteriorate. Their rivalry was not personal in any matter; it was strictly business-related. Adding that to the fact that the six stallions had managed to hold this conference without allowing their rivalry to obstruct their judgement or cooperation, and it appeared as though there was indeed hope that they could develop a better type of association. Plus, if they continued collaborating with each other, they might be able to ensure that this sort of foul play never arose in their companies ever again.

After a little more silence, Sir Till Dates leaned forward and stated "It would be difficult to end a rivalry that has lasted for decades, but we have never been one to back out of a challenge. Especially one that benefits all parties involved."

"I concur," uttered Sir Cleave Cobs, "However, even after our rivalry ended, we would still be competitors. So we could not continue collaborating like this."

"Oh, believe me; there are ways around that," Bronze Star slyly retorted, "I can think of plenty of good alternatives."

"What would you propose?" queried Sir Red Burner.

"Why not a merger?" Bronze Star suggested, "Officially bring your conglomerates together. You would have six companies instead of three. You could expand your domain even farther than you already have. Just imagine the benefits that would come with that sort of bond."

Again the six stallions reflected on the prince's words. From their facial expressions, they honestly seemed to be developing an interest in his proposal. He may have succeeded in persuading them to cast aside animosity in favor of friendship.

The CEOs constantly looked around at each other, as though they were silently communicating through their movements or thoughts. Ultimately, Lord Ronald Grump turned to the gold stallion and commented "Your recommendation is definitely worth taking under advisement, Mr. Ambassador. We will take the rest of the day to reflect on it. By tomorrow's meeting, we should have made our decision."

"Take as long as you need," Bronze Star bade them, "I know you gentlestallions will make the right choice, whatever it is."

That marked the end of the second day's meeting. While neither investigation had made much progress, Bronze Star had once more demonstrated his aptitude for diplomacy and negotiation. He had done more to strengthen the relationship between the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates in one hour than the CEOs had done since their rivalry began.

As Lord Bellerophon had predicted, Bronze Star received another letter that evening; this one was sent by Brigadier Carabine. In this letter, Carabine apprised the prince of everything that had gone on in the past twenty-four hours. Late last night, General Walther had shown up at the safe house in Manephis. He had flown all the way there from the capital city. Once he arrived, he had given the large yellow envelope to Carabine, and the Brigadier read the letter that was meant for him. Like the one for SIG Sauer, this one contained another set of instructions. For starters, Bronze Star had instructed him to arrange a face-to-face meeting between Sir Raoul Jowl and Clear Crest.

Based on his letter, Carabine was somewhat relieved to carry out that command. He claimed that over the past few days, Sir Raoul Jowl had often been contacted by Clear Crest through his flasher, and her messages were becoming more frequent. The subject of the messages was fundamentally the same: Clear Crest had been insisting to meet with Sir Raoul as soon as possible. Since Sir Raoul Jowl had been unable to grant her request, Clear Crest was starting to become impatient or suspicious.

Luckily, now that Bronze Star had authorized a meeting between the two ponies, Clear Crest had eased up. She still sent Sir Raoul messages. Since she wished for him to come to her instead of vice versa, Bronze Star told the Regiment that they were to let Clear Crest decide on the circumstances of their meeting.

It had only taken Clear Crest a few hours to work out all the details and get back to Sir Raoul. She had arranged to rendezvous with him the day after tomorrow in Ohmareha. She told him to be outside the police station at six o'clock in the evening.

Bronze Star had ordered Brigadier Carabine to have Sir Raoul agree to everything Clear Crest proposed. As such, Carabine informed him that Sir Raoul's meeting with Clear Crest would take place just as she wanted it to.

Bronze Star had also instructed Carabine to accompany Sir Raoul to whatever town the meeting would occur in. However, he had explicitly told him that the Firebrand Regiment was not to be anywhere near Sir Raoul when the meeting actually took place. He explained that Clear Crest was extremely observant. He claimed that she would be able to tell if Sir Raoul was being watched, and if she realized the Regiment was with him, Clear Crest would disappear again, and the Regiment would have lost their best lead.

Carabine did mention a few concerns about this part of the plan, but he assured the prince that the Regiment would keep their distance from Clear Crest and Raoul Jowl when they met in Ohmareha.

Carabine ended the letter by mentioning that he had already made arrangements for himself, Heckler, Glock, Caracal, and Sir Raoul Jowl to travel to Ohmareha that day. He claimed to have sent this letter from the train station in Manephis, and ideally, they would be in Ohmareha by the time Bronze Star received it.

Once again, Bronze Star was satisfied with the contents of this letter. His plan was still going exactly the way he envisioned it would. Now he just needed to wait for Sir Raoul Jowl to read the final letter and send him a response to it. After that, Sir Raoul and Clear Crest would have their meeting.

The following day, the meeting with the CEOs started a little later than the last two. The six stallions had taken some time to assemble their boards of directors and discuss what Bronze Star had proposed at yesterday's meeting. Those talks had lasted the better part of the morning, and it was almost noon by the time they were finished.

On the bright side, each company's employee directory finally arrived in town. In the early morning, Derpy brought all six of them to the embassy. That proved to be a little difficult, as the lists contained a record of every single pony who ever worked at one of the six companies. Derpy nearly collapsed under the weight of the lists, but as clumsy as she was, she managed to maintain her balance and deliver the lists without bungling the job.

Sir Haywood McCrank brought the lists to that day's meeting. Before he could resume the investigation, the CEOs wished to make an announcement first. Lord Ronald Grump spoke for them. He looked to Bronze Star and told him "Mr. Ambassador, we have reflected on what you suggested yesterday. After long and careful consideration, we have decided that your idea of a merger is extremely appealing. So appealing, in fact, that we are inclined to give it a try."

"So you'll agree to a merger?" Bronze Star presumed hopefully.

"Yes, we've given it some serious thought," Lord Cycle Geyser disclosed, "First things first, though. We wish to wait until after we have snuffed out the foul play. After that, we could hold another conference to discuss the details of merger."

"Excellent," Bronze Star commented, nodding in approval.

Dapple Rhomb was sitting next to the prince at the time. She raised an eyebrow and remarked to the CEOs in a somewhat sardonic tone "I'm impressed. I would have thought you'd do nothing more than acknowledge the idea of a merger."

"Why do you say that, ma'am?" enquired Sir Red Burner.

"Business rivalries are generally harder to end than this," Dapple Rhomb drily explicated, "After all, some would argue that it's in your nature to be hostile and mistrustful."

"I beg your pardon?" stated Sir Cleave Cobs.

"From what I've seen, all businessponies are motivated by a desire to triumph over their competition," Dapple Rhomb grimly illuminated, "That's especially true in the case of tycoons such as you gentlestallions. Everypony could benefit from teamwork and collaborative efforts, but cooperation and ambition often don't go hoof-in-hoof with each other. That mentality drives them to opposition so much that it almost blinds them to reason and compromise."

"Explain your meaning," requested Sir Till Dates.

"It used to be that when a company wanted to advertise, its main approach would be to convince you why you should buy its products," Dapple Rhomb sharply revealed, "Nowadays, they instead choose to debate why you shouldn't buy their competitors' products. Or to be precise, why you should buy their product over their competitors' products. That's typical cutthroat marketing in a nutshell. It's also one of the most common features of most longtime businesses. Including yours. You've been trying to discredit each other ever since your enterprises became nationwide. I'm amazed that you could be willing to make amends after all that."

With every sentence she said, Dapple Rhomb had sounded progressively more impatient and irritable. Bronze Star noted the purple mare's sudden change in mood. Out of concern, he leaned over to her and whispered into her ear "Dapple, is something bothering you?"

Dapple Rhomb quickly dropped her antagonistic tone, turned to the gold stallion, and muttered "No, sir. I'm alright. I just… I don't know, I can't explain it. It's like I just wanted to rant about something."

"Well, at least it was an insightful rant," Sir Lore N. Budget pronounced, "You make some rather astute observations, Dapple Rhomb."

"I'm sorry if I seemed to overstep my bounds," Dapple Rhomb uttered apologetically

"Not at all," Lord Cycle Geyser declared, "Your secretary gives wise input, Mr. Ambassador,"

"Well, her husband is a salespony," Bronze Star notified them, "A very efficient one, too."

"Everything I know about business I learned from him," Dapple Rhomb revealed.

"Well, perhaps you should invite him to tomorrow's meeting," Sir Cleave Cobs wryly suggested.

Dapple Rhomb snickered and murmured "I'm sure he'd be happy to contribute. I might bring him if he was available, but he's in Detrot right now."

Lord Ronald Grump and Lord Cycle Geyser appeared to be intrigued by that revelation. The latter of them muttered in interest "He is?"

"Yeah, he's making a few sales," Dapple Rhomb claimed.

"When will he be back?" asked Lord Ronald Grump.

"Don't know," Dapple Rhomb replied, "It might be a while."

"Well, I hope he does well with his sales," Lord Cycle Geyser uttered cordially.

"Thank you, my Lord," Dapple Rhomb said in appreciation.

Now that that topic had been covered, the investigation quickly resumed. Most of that meeting involved looking over the employee lists of the six companies. As long as those lists were, Sir Haywood McCrank was able to shorten them significantly by applying the aforementioned criteria to the employees' backgrounds.

Other than the CEOs, there was no pony that had stayed in any of those companies ever since they were founded. All the original founders had either left the company or retired long ago. Of course, Sir Haywood had recognized the possibility that the Vermane could have had multiple members in the companies' ranks. Ideally, a high-ranking employed member of the Vermane might have had the authority to get another member of the Vermane hired into the same company, and once the latter had secured his place in that company, the former could retire.

By the end of that meeting, Sir Haywood had reduced six lists of hundreds of thousands of names down to a few hundred names each. Altogether, there were about fifteen hundred names left over. All of those ponies went onto a new list: the official list of suspects for who may have been working for the Vermane.

Once he had that list, Sir Haywood suggested that they call it a day. Nopony protested; after hours of cross-examining six massive lists, everypony was relieved to end that meeting. Even the Royal Guard were glad to get out of the meeting chambers, and they had just been standing against the wall for the duration of the meeting.

That night, while Bronze Star waited for the next letter from the Firebrand Regiment, Sir Haywood McCrank came to him and requested that they speak in private. So they went up to the gold stallion's bedroom and locked the door.

Once Sir Haywood confirmed that nopony was eavesdropping on them, he nervously told the prince "I may have a theory as to who the Vermane are after."

"How so, Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star queried, becoming fully attentive at that.

"You remember that lead we picked up a few months ago?" Sir Haywood asked rhetorically, "The one involving the number three?"

"I remember that, and every occurrence of the number three I encountered after that," Bronze Star bluntly professed.

"Well, I've seen many instances of the number three in the past week, as well," Sir Haywood McCrank apprised him, "These instances are not trivial or insignificant; they are very noteworthy."

"Like what?" Bronze Star inquired.

"There are two conglomerates in town; each composed of three companies," Haywood pointed out, "Those three companies are involved in three different industries. The three CEOs are each a different race of pony, and each of them has nine additional ponies – or three times three – on his board of directors. Three officers of the Royal Guard stayed behind to protect them, and on the third meeting with the CEOs, we made our biggest development concerning the foul play in their companies. Those are only a few of the threes I have seen recently. I could go on."

Bronze Star held up his hoof and contended "You've made your point. That's quite a lot of threes. What do you suppose they mean?"

"Well, the last time we experienced an abundance of the number three, it culminated in the discovery that the Vermane were behind the murder plot," Sir Haywood recounted, "Keep in mind; the Vermane operate in groups of three, as well. Since the number three has been appearing so often lately, I'm compelled to think that we will soon witness another prominent event centered around that number."

"Such as?" Bronze Star beckoned.

"There are three assassins in this plot," Haywood McCrank declared, "For all we know, there could also be three victims."

"I thought the Vermane only killed one pony at a time," Bronze Star recalled.

"Yes, but that does not mean they can't make an exception," Sir Haywood debated, "With the Vermane, you can take nothing for granted."

"Alright, let's say for a moment that you're right and there are three victims," Bronze Star conceded, "Who do you suppose they would be?"

"Ideally, three ponies who are often together, good-natured, ambitious, and well-known by the townsfolk," the Superintendent conjectured, "And probably the last ponies you would ever expect to come to harm. There's one particular trio that comes to mind."

It only took Bronze Star a few seconds to realize what the indigo stallion was implying. His eyes widened and he uttered apprehensively "The Cutie Mark Crusaders?"

"Correct," Sir Haywood confirmed.

"But… but they don't even have any connection to the six companies," Bronze Star pointed out, "For that matter, nopony in town does."

"A few of the Vermane's victims were not clients of those companies," Sir Haywood enlightened him, "However, the money from their deaths still came from the companies. In each of those cases, the Vermane framed a prestigious executive from one of those companies for the murder, and they made a profit off of the resulting lawsuits and fines."

"Okay, I can understand that," Bronze Star admitted "But why the Cutie Mark Crusaders? What makes you so certain that they might be the targets?"

"Firstly, the number three is all around them, too," Haywood McCrank explicated, "There three of them and each one of them is a different type of pony. They can generally be found at one of three places: Sweet Apple Acres, Carousel Boutique, or that treehouse of theirs. The three of them have a special relationship with three of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. In addition to that, each of those Bearers has at one point been involved in the events of this investigation. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were there when the Vermane ambushed you in Whitetail Woods, and it was through Rarity that Shakedown was able to have Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb move to Ponyville. Furthermore, the Crusaders have so far made exactly three hundred attempts to get their cutie marks."

Bronze Star scoffed at that and mumbled in amusement "Really? That many?"

"Unless I miscounted, yes," Sir Haywood candidly affirmed, "As you've probably noticed, a lot of those attempts involve dangerous activities like mountain-climbing or scuba-diving. Some ponies have been expecting them to get badly injured sooner or later. If one of their attempts went horribly wrong, it would not be difficult for the Vermane to make it look like an accident. Most of all, tomorrow marks three entire months since they first met at Sugarcube Corner. By taking all that into account, I believe something big will happen on the three-month anniversary of their friendship."

Bronze Star thought about all that. The federal investigator presented a very convincing argument. Still, that did not make his hypothesis any easier to accept. Bronze Star had already concluded that the Vermane were completely unprincipled and indifferent to the suffering of others, but he could not imagine how anypony could be so vicious and heartless as to knowingly harm three innocent fillies like the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Eventually, the gold stallion turned back to the indigo stallion and uttered "So, you really think the Crusaders are the targets?"

"It's only a theory, sir," Sir Haywood proclaimed, "I'm hoping I'm wrong, but until we know for certain, we should assume that I'm right."

"What would you recommend we do?" Bronze Star asked.

"Tomorrow, one of us should spend the day with the Crusaders," Sir Haywood proposed, "Between the two of us, you'd be the better choice."

"I can do that," Bronze Star coincided, "I already have a good relationship with the Crusaders. They trust me, they respect me, and they look up to me. I doubt they would object if I decided to hang out with them for one whole day."

"That's fortunate," Haywood commented, "While you're around them, keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Even the slightest irregularity could validate my theory."

"Alright, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star said in agreement, "Personally, I think the Crusaders aren't in danger, but just to be safe, I'll stay by their sides."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Sir Haywood uttered in satisfaction, "I'll explain to the CEOs and the others that you won't be at tomorrow's meeting."

"What will you tell them?" the gold stallion queried.

"That you're out doing an important errand," Sir Haywood contended.

"That works for me," Bronze Star said approvingly.

Not long after Sir Haywood left, Bronze Star finally received the third letter from the Firebrand Regiment. This one had been sent from Ohmareha. Based on the writing, it had been drafted by Carabine, but the words were clearly Sir Raoul Jowl's. Sir Raoul must have been dictating to the Brigadier.

At any rate, in this letter, Sir Raoul discussed how he had read the final letter in the large envelope Bronze Star had sent the Regiment. Ever since last night, the Regiment had been preparing Sir Raoul for his impending rendezvous with Clear Crest. Sir Raoul asserted that he was ready for that meeting, and he would do what was asked of him.

This was where the special picture frame came into play. Bronze Star had given Raoul Jowl thorough directions on how to operate the picture frame's surveillance system. According to this letter, Carabine and the other members of the Regiment had made Sir Raoul practice using the picture frame over and over again until they were certain he could work its system by himself. That was critical, as Bronze Star expected Sir Raoul to take that picture frame to his meeting with Clear Crest.

There was not much else in the letter; just a few personal remarks by Sir Raoul. He admitted that he was a little nervous. After all, the Regiment would not even be close-by when Clear Crest revealed herself. Even so, Sir Raoul insisted that he would not back down. He was determined to pull through.

Sir Raoul also expressed how amazed he was by the amount of trust Bronze Star was putting in him. Still, he wished to guarantee the prince that his trust was well-founded, and that he would not fail him.

That, of course, remained to be seen. In less than a day, Clear Crest would resurface and meet Sir Raoul. Arranging their meeting had been tough, but that part of Bronze Star's plan was effortless compared to what would follow. Soon the first real challenge would present itself. The entire investigation – and by extension, the fate of everypony in Equestria – would hang on the resolution of that challenge.
> Destinies Entwined
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After waking up, eating breakfast, and getting clean the next morning, Bronze Star prepared to head outside. Since Sir Haywood had emphasized the severity of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' well-being, the gold stallion decided to bring along one of the Royal Guard with him. In the end, he chose Comet Frost, as he was the youngest, liveliest, and friendliest of the three.

Bronze Star decided not to head out until Dapple Rhomb arrived. She showed up at the embassy at nine o'clock like she always did, but there was something different about her. She looked tired and a little ill. When Bronze Star pointed this out, the purple mare assured her employer that she was fine.

Immediately after that, Dapple Rhomb rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door. Bronze Star heard what sounded like retching coming from the other side.

Bronze Star trotted over to the door, knocked on it, and asked if she was sure about being "fine." She insisted that she was alright.

Bronze Star was starting to become worried for Dapple Rhomb. Recently, she had been exhibiting a lot of strange behavior. It had not impacted her work performance or her competency, but it seemed to be affecting her health and mannerisms.

The gold stallion agreed to let the purple mare be, but he asked if she would stay at the embassy until the late evening so they could talk. He also asked her to tell Noble Edict to come back to the embassy at around five o'clock if she planned to leave it before that time. Amidst the retching sounds, Dapple Rhomb accepted his requests.

Bronze Star and Comet Frost signed out at the front of the embassy, and they swiftly left the building.

Before they did anything else, Bronze Star had them swing by Bon Bon's house. Comet Frost waited outside while Bronze Star went inside to speak with the beige mare. A minute later, he came back outside. She called out after him "I'll bring it by later."

Comet Frost did not ask what that was about. If he really needed to know, Bronze Star would have asked him to go into the house with him.

At any rate, after they made that detour, the two stallions started their search for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Initially, that task was a little difficult. They were not at Carousel Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, or their treehouse.

Luckily, as an officer of the Royal Guard, Comet Frost had been trained to be aware of everything around him. His exceptionally perceptive mind proved to be an asset here. When he and Bronze Star were on the outskirts of town, he spotted three small figures climbing a very tall tree in the distance. They appeared to be carrying a long rope up with them.

By the time Comet Frost teleported himself and the prince to the base of the tree, the three figures had reached a platform near the top of it. They had tied one end of the rope to the highest branch. The other end of the cable had been tied to a smaller tree on the ground a mile away. The cable was slanted downwards at roughly a forty-five-degree angle. Also, the three figures were wearing helmets and harnesses which had been fastened to the cable. By focusing on them closely, Bronze Star was able to identify the three small ponies.

"There they are," Bronze Star commented, "But what the hay are they doing?"

"Zip-lining is my guess," Comet Frost perceived, "Either those fillies are fearless, or they've taken leave of their senses."

"Probably both," Bronze Star supposed, "Must be their latest attempt to get their cutie mark. In that pursuit, they know no bounds."

"Well, that rope does not look very durable," Comet Frost proposed, "Maybe we should stop them before they hurt themselves."

Before the younger stallion could reply, Scootaoo jumped forward off the platform. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were promptly pulled down after her, and the three of them started rapidly descending across the zip-line.

"Too late," Bronze Star drily remarked.

"To stop them," Comet Frost countered, "If we hurry, we could still prevent them from getting hurt."

"Right," Bronze Star concurred.

The aqua stallion teleported himself and the gold stallion again; this time they materialized below the lowest-hanging section of the rope. Apparently, the Crusaders had underestimated the length of the rope, as it sagged near the center. When they reached that part of the rope, they greatly decelerated. However, during their descent, the metal clasps from the Crusaders' harnesses had generated quite a bit of heat due to friction. That heat was so intense that it caused the clasps to burn right through the rope.

Within a few seconds, the rope snapped and all three fillies screamed as they went plummeting to the ground. Bronze Star and Comet Frost hastily moved to intercept them.

Luckily, a large pine tree had been beneath the fillies when they fell. Each of them passed through its branches, and then they promptly continued to fall.

Right before they reached the ground, the two stallions appeared directly below the fillies. Bronze Star caught Apple Bloom, and Comet Frost caught Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

The three fillies were a little shaken after that, and they were surprised that Bronze Star and Comet Frost had shown up so suddenly. Once they regained their bearings, they smiled at their rescuers.

"Thanks," Apple Bloom said gratefully as Bronze Star set her down. He nodded in acknowledgement

As Comet Frost placed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo on the ground, he advised them "Girls, when you go zip-lining, you should use a metal cable, not a rope."

"The rope was all we could find," Sweetie Belle claimed.

"Never mind that," Apple Bloom declared, "See anything?"

Since the fillies had fallen through a pine tree, some of its needles and sap had stuck to them. Luckily, Comet Frost and Bronze Star had managed to avoid touching any of the sap when they grabbed the fillies.

Scootaloo gazed at her flank, and she was not pleased with what she saw. She dismally announced "Tree sap and pine needles, but no cutie mark."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle seemed equally disappointed. Then Sweetie brightened up and proposed "Plan B?"

"Yeah," Scootaloo responded, grinning, "You know where we can find a cannon at this hour?"

That prospect seemed to frighten Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.

"There might be one available in Canterlot," Comet Frost slyly muttered, "The naval base in Nanbucket will certainly have some. But I'm pretty sure you'd need some type of license to loan one."

"And even if you had that license, there's no way they could ship a cannon here within a day," Bronze Star bluntly revealed.

By now, Scootaloo had already given up on her idea with the cannon. She removed her helmet and her harness and solemnly declared "It's no use! No matter what we try, we always end up without our cutie marks. And, surprisingly often, covered in tree sap."

"Girls, if you keep going about it like this, you might not even live long enough to get your cutie marks," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Maybe we should do something less dangerous," Sweetie Belle suggested as she got out of her helmet and harness, "Like pillow testing or flower sniffing."

Apple Bloom had already gotten undressed. She had thought ahead and brought three buckets of clean water. She bucked two of them over to her friends, and she started washing up with the third one. As the fillies cleaned themselves, Apple Bloom remarked "This town is full of ponies who have their cutie marks. Why don't we ask them how they did it?"

"That's a great safe idea," Sweetie Belle uttered approvingly.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo agreed, "And we can start with the coolest pony in Ponyville."

"Applejack!" Apple Bloom exclaimed

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle shrieked.

"Me!" Bronze Star interjected. The three fillies and the Royal Guard looked at him in astonishment. He chuckled and stated "Just kidding."

"Come on, guys, I said 'cool!'" Scootaloo recounted.

"Well, if you mean that literally, Comet Frost is right here," Bronze Star disclosed, placing his front hoof on the aqua stallion's shoulder.

"Hilarious, Your Highness," Comet Frost commented sarcastically.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and started maneuvering around the area as she told her friends "You know who I'm talking about. She's fast. She's tough. She's not afraid of anything!"

When she stood on her hind legs, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle momentarily looked at each other, and then they guessed "Pinkie Pie?"

"Noble Edict?" Bronze Star conjectured.

"Those criteria all apply to Commander Swiftdrive, too," Comet Frost contended.

"No!" Scootaloo snapped impatiently, "The greatest flyer ever to come out of Cloudsdale."

"Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle presumed.

"No!" Scootaloo refuted, "Rainbow Dash!"

Bronze Star had actually figured that out straightaway; he had just been having a little fun with Scootaloo.

"Oh!" Apple Bloom murmured, "Yeah, that makes much more sense."

"Of course!" Sweetie Belle conceded.

"Let's do it," Scootaloo pronounced, raising her front hooves, "Let's find out how Rainbow Dash earned her cutie mark!"

"YEAH!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle yelled as they bumped their front hooves with Scootaloo's.

Unfortunately, Scootaloo had not washed all the tree sap off her front hooves. So when her friends bumped their hooves against hers, they got stuck together. Soon it looked as though Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were playing a game of tug-of-war with Scootaloo.

After about five minutes of fumbling around, the fillies finally managed to pull apart from each other and cleanse themselves of the remaining sap. After that, they decided to head back into town. Bronze Star and Comet Frost mentioned that they would like to accompany them, and the fillies did not protest.

Scootaloo had brought her scooter with her. A wagon had been attached to the back of it so that she could pull Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle as she rode it. After the three fillies donned their helmets, they were rolling back into town. Bronze Star and Comet Frost could easily gallop fast enough to keep up with the fillies.

Since they were reentering the town from the west, the five ponies had to go near Sweet Apple Acres on their way back to Ponyville. They followed the long path that ran all the way to town through the forest.

At one point, three bunnies hopped onto the path about fifty feet in front of them. Scootaloo spotted them in time and gasped. She was able to screech her scooter to a halt just before she reached the bunnies.

Bronze Star noticed that each of the bunnies was carrying an apple. As they began to hop away, he heard a familiar voice shout "Get back here, you thievin' varmints!"

The five ponies turned to their left, and Apple Bloom uttered in perplexity "Thievin' what now?"

A moment later, Applejack lunged through the shrubs. She realized too late that her sister and her friends were directly in front of her. Before anypony could stop her, Applejack collided with the Crusaders' wagon, causing it to overturn.

When the dust settled, the Crusaders and Applejack were sprawled out on the ground, but Bronze Star and Comet Frost were still on their hooves.

Applejack was lying flat on her back, and Apple Bloom was lying on top of her. The orange mare gazed over her shoulder and mumbled "Apple Bloom?"

The yellow filly looked at her sister in surprise. Then she looked in the other direction and saw the three apples on Applejack's flank. That gave her an idea. She turned back to the orange mare and stated eagerly "Hey sis! How'd you get your cutie mark?"

Applejack seemed a little surprised by the question. She uttered in bewilderment "I never told you that story?"

"Hey!" Scootaloo interjected, "I thought we were gonna ask Rainbow Dash."

"We need all the help we can get," Apple Bloom debated.

"Besides, I'd like to hear this myself," Bronze Star proclaimed. In all the time he had known Applejack, she had never told Bronze Star how she got her cutie mark. Neither had any of the other Element Bearers, for that matter. "Now would be as good a time as any to find out."

"Ugh." Scootaloo groaned, "Fine."

Despite Scootaloo's apparent reluctance, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stood at full attention. As Bronze Star helped Applejack to her hooves, she happily began her tale with "Why, shoot. I was just a little filly. Even littler than y'all."

She thought back to her fillyhood and continued with "I didn't want to spend my life on a muddy old apple farm. I wanted to live the sophisticated life, like my Aunt n' Uncle Orange. So I set out to try my luck in the big city, Manehattan! The most cosmopolitan city in all of Equestria."

Bronze Star found it hard to believe that a country mare like Applejack would have had ambitions such as those, but he was eager to hear more.

"I knew I'd find out who I was meant to be in Manehattan," Applejack professed, "My Aunt n' Uncle were more than happy to take me in. They also helped me 'adapt' to city life. They had me do up my mane in elaborate styles, wear expensive clothes everywhere I went, and even got me to speak in this posh accent. If you painted my coat white, dyed my mane purple, and gave me a horn, it would have been impossible to tell me apart from Rarity."

Bronze Star tried to imagine his fillyfriend behaving like Rarity. Just the thought made him smirk.

Applejack then spoke a little more somberly with "However, despite my new behavior, there were a few things I was unable to change. Such as my dialect, my sleepin' schedule, and my appetite. Overtime, I came to realize that the city life was not as glamorous as I had thought. One morning, I looked outside the window to my bedroom. I could see Ponyville in the distance, and I thought about what Mom, Dad, Big Mac, and Granny Smith were doing. It made me remember how much I missed them, and how much I missed the taste of farm grown apples."

She paused for a moment, and then she recalled "I never felt so homesick in all my days as I did right then. But then… there was this huge explosion… and a rainbow appeared out of nowhere. It was amazin'! A rainbow pointin' right back to... home. In that moment, it all became clear. I knew right then just who I was supposed to be."

"What happened after that?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"I galloped all the way back home," Applejack gladly reminisced, "Granny Smith and Big Mac were welcomed me back with open front hooves. The three of us embraced at the front gate. That's when this here appeared."

When she said that last remark, she gestured to her cutie mark. She finished with "I've been happily workin' in the farm ever since."

Bronze Star smiled widely and stated in fascination "That's remarkable."

Applejack grinned back at her coltfriend. All of a sudden, the three bunnies from earlier reappeared and blew raspberries at her. The orange mare grimaced furiously and yelled "There they are! Get back here, ya thievin' varmints!"

Comet Frost placed his front hoof in front of her and told her "Allow me."

As the aqua stallion trotted after the bunnies, Sweetie Belle commented giddily "Aw. That was such a sweet story!"

"Sweet?" Scootaloo mumbled, making a gagging sound, "Try sappy."

"Speak for yourself, Scoots," Bronze Star drily mumbled.

Just then, a gust of wind passed through the area. It was so abrupt and so cold that it had to be artificially-produced.

A few seconds later, Comet Frost rejoined the other ponies. He was carrying the three bunnies on his back. All three of them were encased in a block of ice. They still had the apples in their paws.

The aqua stallion calmly dropped the block of ice in front of Applejack and proudly announced "Here you go."

"Thanks, Commander Frost," Applejack remarked, snickering in amusement. She then became a little uneasy and asked "They aren't dead, are they?"

"No, they'll thaw out in a few hours," Comet Frost informed her, "Once they do, you can do whatever you want with them."

"Too bad I didn't bring Arthur; he could've had lunch," Bronze Star cheekily muttered.

"At any rate, I'll make sure they don't try to swipe my crop again," Applejack pronounced.

"Good," Bronze Star professed. After a short pause, he hastily added in "By the way, Applejack, could you come by the embassy at five o'clock tonight? I need to discuss something with you."

"Sure, I'll be there," Applejack coincided. She did not even ask the gold stallion what he wanted to talk about; she just knew that it must have been important, and that he would not waste her time.

"Well, I'm gonna head back to the ranch," Applejack declared as she picked up the frozen bunnies, "Take care, girls. See you later, Bronze. Good to see you again, Comet Frost. Say hello to Blade Bearer and Swiftdrive for me."

"I shall," Comet Frost conceded.

By the time the orange mare left, Scootaloo had set their vehicle upright again, and she had mounted her scooter. She urged her friends "Come on! We've got to find Rainbow Dash and hear the cool way to get a cutie mark."

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom hopped back into the wagon. Once they were secure, Scootaloo rapidly flapped her wings and zoomed down the path. Bronze Star and Comet Frost were able to keep up with the fillies, but they had to gallop a little faster than before.

Before long, they passed Sweet Apple Acres and came within sight of a familiar cottage. As they approached it, Bronze Star and Comet Frost noticed Fluttershy was hovering in the air a few meters ahead. However, the Crusaders did not spot the yellow Pegasus until she abruptly landed on the ground ten feet in front of them.

In response, all three fillies screamed. Fluttershy held up her front legs to get them to slow down, and Scootaloo struggled to apply the brakes on her scooter. She applied them so quickly that the scooter detached itself from the wagon, and the Crusaders went flying through the air. They landed painfully on a small pile in front of Fluttershy.

Bronze Star and Comet Frost rushed to the fillies' aid. As they helped them back onto their hooves, they saw that Fluttershy was leading a family of ducks across the dirt road. She beckoned them softly "All right, little ones. This way. This way."

As the ducks waddled to the other side of the path, Fluttershy turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and cautioned them "You really should be more careful. Somepony could get hurt."

"Maybe if they were as perceptive as the prince and I," Comet Frost suggested drily.

Fluttershy giggled at the aqua stallion's blunt observation. Then she looked around at the group and queried "Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"

"We're trying to find Rainbow Dash, so we can hear how she earned her cutie mark," Scootaloo enlightened her.

"Oh, that would be interesting," Fluttershy declared happily, "You know, I wouldn't have gotten my cutie mark if it weren't for her."

"That so?" Bronze Star murmured in interest, raising an eyebrow.

"Rainbow Dash?!" Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly, "Really?!"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy affirmed, "It all started at Summer Flight Camp."

The quiet mare thought back to her own fillyhood, and she began her account with "You'd never guess, but when I was little I was very shy."

"Really?" Comet Frost uttered sardonically, "I never would have guessed."

"Comet, we don't need any commentary," Bronze Star mumbled, a little annoyed.

"Yes, sir," was all the aqua stallion said in response.

Fluttershy paid that interruption no mind. She continued with "And a very weak flyer. One time, I needed all my strength just to fly through a single ring. Right after I cleared it, I tripped, slid down a large incline, and collided with a flag. As I tried to recover from the fall, two colts came by and teased me. You may remember them from the Best Young Flyers Competition; 'Dumb-Bell' and Hoops."

Bronze Star gravely nodded his head. He did not have many memories of those two stallions and their silent friend Score, and most of the ones he did have were not pleasant. In fact, the only good one he had was when they apologized to Rainbow Dash for being so rude to her. Of course, that was probably attributed to the cyan mare's victory in the Competition.

"Anyway, they said some really hurtful things," Fluttershy recounted sadly, "They called me 'Klutzershy,' suggested that I be grounded permanently, claimed that a foal could fly better than me… It was the most humiliating moment of my life. And then, out of nowhere..."

She paused for dramatic effect, and the Crusaders eagerly leaned in closer. Fluttershy went on with "Rainbow Dash zipped through the air and set down between 'Dumb-Bell,' Hoops, and me. She told them to stop bothering me. When they refused, she threatened them. They got the idea to get her to prove her capabilities, so they challenged her to a race. Somehow, I agreed to be the flag waver. After we found an ideal place to hold the race, the three of them stood at the finish line. I was standing on a very small cloud in front of them. I waved the flag once… and they flew past me so fast that I lost my balance and fell off the cloud. The next thing I knew, I was falling… and falling… and falling…"

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo held their breath there. Comet Frost seemed somewhat unsettled as well. Bronze Star was a little perturbed, too, but since this story was about Fluttershy, and the yellow mare was telling it, he could imagine that it would not have a grim ending.

Fluttershy soon resumed with "I must have fallen for miles and miles. I struggled to move my wings, but the only appendages I could control were my legs. I thought I was going to go down in history as the first Pegasus to die of a descent. But just before I hit the ground… a swarm of butterflies broke my fall. It was as though they had seen me in trouble and wanted to help me."

The fillies all breathed a sigh of relief, as did Comet Frost. Bronze Star just grinned in fascination.

Fluttershy apprised them "I had never seen such beautiful creatures. Butterflies don't fly as high as my cloud home. And I'd never been near the ground before. It only got better after that. They carried me through the woods, and I encountered so many animals that I had only read about in books. I was so overcome with such amazement that I… I started singing."

The yellow mare then closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and sang melodiously:

"What is this place

filled with so many wonders?

Casting its spell

That I am now under

Squirrels in the trees

and the cute little bunnies

Birds flying free

and bees with their honey

Hooooonneeeeeeey!

Oooh, what a magical place

and I owe it all to the Pegasus race

If I knew the ground had so much up its sleeve

I'd have come here sooner, and never leave

Yes, I love ev-er-ythiiiiing!"

Bronze Star, Comet Frost, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle thought that to be a beautiful song. However, Scootaloo seemed less than enthralled by it.

Fluttershy opened her eyes again and stated "At any rate, after my song, there was this loud explosion. It appeared to originate somewhere in Cloudsdale, and there was this large rainbow that shot through the sky. All the animals promptly ran for cover. I was so concerned for them that I went to comfort each and every one of them. My words were enough to convince them that everything was alright. Somehow I had the ability to communicate with the animals on a different level. Once they all came out… I was rewarded with this."

She gestured to the pink butterflies on her flank, smiling proudly. Bronze Star and Comet Frost nodded in acknowledgement and amazement.

By now, Scootaloo had climbed back onto her scooter. She murmured inquisitively "Wait, wait, wait. What happened to Rainbow Dash? What about the race?"

"Oh," Fluttershy straightforwardly avowed, "Well, I wasn't there, so I don't really know what happened."

Evidently, that did not please Scootaloo. She beckoned her friends "Come on, Crusaders. We've gotta find her.

As Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle climbed back into the wagon, the orange filly added in "Besides, I can't take any more singing."

"Maybe my sister knows where she is," Sweetie Belle conjectured.

Scootaloo smiled at that proposal. As she proceeded down the path again, Bronze Star and Comet Frost continued galloping on either side of the vehicle. Sweetie Belle looked back and called out "Bye, Fluttershy!"

"Bye, girls!" the yellow mare rejoined. She hastily added in "And Bronze and Commander Frost."

As they neared the border of Ponyville, the prince looked to the Royal Guard and proclaimed "I thought that song was pretty good. What about you?"

"Absolutely, and I'm always up for a musical interlude," Comet Frost disclosed, "Too bad the Royal Guard only burst into song every once in a while, and Swiftdrive and Blade Bearer aren't especially most tuneful."

"Yeah," Bronze Star conceded, "Imagine Blade Bearer trying to sing Fluttershy's song. I suppose he would just shout the lyrics without any emotion or indication of sanity whatsoever."

"Now that's an amusing thought, Your Highness," Comet Frost remarked, scoffing.

Ten minutes later, the five ponies were in the back room of Carousel Boutique. Somewhere down the line, Rarity had talked the Crusaders into volunteering as models for her next clothing line for fillies. She also tried to convince the prince and the officer to model her next clothing line for stallions, but Bronze Star did not have the time, and Comet Frost would not remove his armor while he was on duty. So the gold stallion and the aqua stallion just stood off to the side and watched as the white Unicorn designed some costumes for her sister and her friends.

Scootallo appeared to be even more irritated than before. As Rarity adjusted her fabric, she grumbled "How did we get roped into this? Oh, we'll never hear Rainbow Dash's story."

Rarity smirked and stated knowingly "Are you girls still obsessing over your cutie marks?"

"Of course!" Sweetie Belle confirmed, "Most of the fillies at school already have theirs."

"Mmm, I know how you feel," the fashion designer asserted "For the longest time I couldn't figure out why I didn't have mine."

"How so?" Bronze Star enquired.

So Rarity thought back to her fillyhood, and she recounted "When I was about your age, my school was putting on a production of a certain play. I don't quite remember its name, I'm afraid. Anyway, I signed up to be the costume designer. I made them complex, elaborate, radiant… but overall unimpressive. My teacher claimed they were 'nice,' but I was not content with 'nice.' I was determined to make them extravagant and memorable. I tried every trick I could think of, but nothing seemed to work. The costumes just weren't right. And the play opened that night."

The white mare released a faint sigh, and then she resumed with "I even doubted if I really had the aptitude to be a fashionista. Then right in the midst of my crisis of conscience, my horn started to glow, and I was involuntarily dragged outside my house and out of Ponyville. That went on for quite a while. It took so long, in fact, that by the end, I was more bored than curious."

She briefly paused to think, and then she carried on with "I had no idea where my horn was taking me. But Unicorn magic doesn't happen without a reason. I knew this had to do with my love of fashion and maybe even my cutie mark! I knew that this was... MY DESTINY!"

By now, everypony except Scootaloo appeared to be captivated by Rarity's story. Comet Frost raised an eyebrow and inquired "So, what was your destiny?"

"At first, it seemed to be a giant rock," Rarity candidly professed.

Bronze Star had to suck in his breath to prevent himself from guffawing. He stammered "W-what?"

"Yeah, strange, I know," Rarity acknowledged, "At the time, I myself was very aggravated and annoyed. I thought that my horn had purposely misled me there. I spent a few moments venting my anger and frustration at the rock, and then… out of nowhere there was this frightful explosion. It was so powerful that I thought I would go deaf. Right after the explosion, this huge rainbow glided over my head. After it passed me, the rock began to crack, and it split open. Inside were dozens of beautiful, valuable, sparkling gemstones. That was precisely what I needed. So I took the gems back to Ponyville and sewed them into my costumes."

After another short hiatus, she wrapped up her story with "That night, the play had its first performance. It was a hit with the townspeople. Every aspect of the play was worth their attention, but the things the ponies seemed to admire the most were the costumes. I could tell that everypony in the audience was in awe of the wardrobe. My teacher and I saw their reactions from backstage. Just before the final curtain was drawn, I received this."

At that, Rarity placed her front hoof on the three diamond-shaped diamonds on her flank. Comet Frost whistled in astonishment, and Bronze Star, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were clearly intrigued.

Scootaloo, predictably, was not. As she and the other two fillies undressed themselves, she muttered agitatedly "Ugh! These namby-pamby stories aren't getting us any closer to our cutie marks! They're all about finding who you really are and boring stuff like that."

"Boring for her, maybe," Comet Frost whispered to Bronze Star. The gold stallion nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.

Rarity merely smiled and professed "Yes, Scootaloo, that's exactly..."

"Come on, girls!" the orange filly interrupted, pushing the yellow filly and the white filly out of the store, "We need action! We need Rainbow Dash!"

Bronze Star and Comet Frost bade Rarity a good day and promptly headed out after the Crusaders. As the group continued going around the town, Comet Frost looked to Bronze Star and uttered "Isn't it strange, sir?"

"Isn't what strange, Comet?" the gold prince queried.

"So far, all the mares' stories have involved an explosion and a rainbow," Comet Frost pointed out "It's as if all of them are somehow connected between those two objects."

"That's a fascinating observation," Bronze Star contended, "Now that I think about the timing of their stories, I might actually know what rainbow they are talking about."

"Truthfully, I might know, too," Comet Frost disclosed, "I was still living in Fillydelphia at the time, but as I recall, the explosion could be heard and the rainbow could be seen all over Equestria. It was a rather mesmerizing event. But of course, I already had my cutie mark at the time."

"Yeah, I figured this was well after your blizzard," Bronze Star cheekily stated.

It was close to noon at this time, so Bronze Star proposed that they break for lunch. He, Comet Frost, and the Crusaders went to the café and sat outside. Within an hour, Savoir Fare had brought them drinks, taken their orders, and served their food.

Shortly after their plates were collected and Bronze Star paid the bill, Twilight Sparkle entered the premises. Comet Frost spotted her and called her over. The magic student was more than happy to join the group.

When the Crusaders mentioned that they were trying to find out how Rainbow Dash earned her cutie mark, the lavender mare was compelled to recount her own tale. This cutie mark story was one that Bronze Star already knew, as he was there when it happened. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed hearing it.

Bronze Star, Comet Frost, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom all gave Twilight their undivided attention. So did Scootaloo, albeit reluctantly.

Now Twilight thought back to her fillyhood and revealed "As a young filly in Canterlot, I always wanted to go to the Summer Sun Celebration, where Princess Celestia raises the sun. And I saw the most amazing, most wonderful thing I've ever seen. It was all so incredible: the trumpet fanfare, the princess rising slowly into the air, the Sun's rays peering over the horizon… it was breathtaking."

Although Twilight really wanted to emphasize how awe-inspiring the Summer Sun Celebration truly was, Bronze Star felt as though her words did not do it justice. Then again, he could hardly blame her; you would have to be there to see the Celebration yourself in order to truly understand its magnificence.

The lavender mare continued with "I poured myself into learning everything I could about magic. In the beginning, the most I could do was turn a page with my aura. Overtime, I read dozens and dozens of books, and my efficiency at magic only became stronger and better focused. Of course, research only got me so far. My parents decided to enroll me in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. It was a dream come true! Except for one thing... I had to pass an entrance exam!"

"What kind of exam?" Comet Frost inquired curiously.

"She had to hatch a dragon egg," Bronze Star recounted, "A rather unusual test, I might add. Most other applicants just had to do something practical, like demonstrate a levitation or transformation spell."

"Well, I didn't think it was my place to question them," Twilight Sparkle declared, "Regardless, the test was anything but easy. Under the watchful eye of my parents and four judges, I carried out my assignment. I was straining to crack the egg open with my magic, but it was as though my stomach and my horn had both been tied in a knot. Nothing I did seemed to work. I knew it was the most important day of my life, that my entire future would be affected by the outcome of this day, and I was about to blow it!"

Bronze Star looked around at the others. Judging by their facial expressions, they were a little nervous about what direction this tale would go. Luckily, Bronze Star knew that it would have a pleasant ending.

Twilight Sparkle went on with "I was just about to throw in the towel, when all of a sudden there was this powerful explosion. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a rainbow gliding through the sky. Both of them took me completely unawares, and I released a burst of magic that cracked the egg open. That was how Spike was born."

"However…" she pronounced tentatively, "That was not all that happened. I was suddenly immersed in a potent field of magic, and I was expelling it uncontrollably. I levitated the judges in a cloud of energy, I transformed my parents into a potted plant and a cactus, and I caused Spike to grow into a fifty-foot beast. I probably would have done worse. Luckily… somepony intervened."

Bronze Star knew what she meant. At that time, he and his mother had been in the courtyard of Canterlot Castle. They had heard the explosion and seen the rainbow, as well. Shortly after, they had seen the head of a giant dragon break through the roof of a nearby tower. The two Alicorns hurried to investigate the scene. When they got there, they had found a young lavender Unicorn filly caught in a field of magic.

Princess Celestia had calmly trotted over to Twilight and placed her front hoof on her shoulder. That was all it required to bring the filly out of her trance. The magic field quickly dissipated, the judges dropped to the ground, her parents were transformed back into their usual pony selves, and Spike returned to his newly-hatched form. Bronze Star had then approached Twilight Sparkle and helped her to her hooves.

"Had Princess Celestia and Prince Bronze Star not come along when they did, I don't know what else might have gone wrong," Twilight Sparkle disclosed, "Needless to say, I was extremely apologetic. However, neither of them were angry or displeased. In fact, Celestia voiced her amazement over how strong my magic was, even in its untrained state. She proposed that I study hard to improve my abilities, and she offered me a full scholarship to the school as her apprentice. It did not take me long to realize just what she was offering, and I quickly accepted it. Best part of all… Celestia pointed to my flank, and I found this."

The lavender mare widely grinned and placed her front hoof on the six-pointed star on her flank. She giddily muttered "I was so overcome with happiness that I could not contain it. It was probably the most triumphant moment of my young life. I started jumping around the area and chanting 'Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes...'"

Before long, she seemed to be very caught up in her recollection. It was as though she was perfectly imitating her younger self. Twilight seemed to have forgotten that Bronze Star, Comet Frost, and the Crusaders were there, and she haplessly jumped around the table, yelling "...yesyesyesyes..."

"Okay, okay," Apple Bloom snappily remarked.

"We're happy for you, Twilight," Sweetie Belle bluntly claimed.

"Yeah, thrilled," Scootaloo mumbled in annoyance. She hastily proposed to the other fillies and the stallions "Let's get out of here while we still can."

None of them protested that suggestion. They slipped away whilst Twilight was in the middle of her bout of ecstasy. Eventually she came out of it, and when she did, she was in an extremely awkward position. Fortunately, she managed to get out of that, as well.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Bronze Star, and Comet Frost were soon underway again. Scootaloo was clearly becoming very impatient. She thought aloud "Ugh! Why don't we ever smash into Rainbow Dash?!"

"You're looking for Rainbow Dash?" uttered a familiar high-pitched voice. The five ponies turned to its source and saw Pinkie Pie sitting in the back of the wagon behind Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. She was wearing a helmet of her own. She merrily professed "If I was her, I'd be at Sugarcube Corner. Of course, if I was anyone, I'd be at Sugarcube Corner. Hey! I have an idea! Wanna go to Sugarcube Corner?"

She almost fell out of the wagon after that last remark, but Apple Bloom grabbed ahold of the pink mare's hind legs and Comet Frost held his front leg behind her back to push her upright.

Once the pink mare was stable, Sweetie Belle apprised her "Well, we're sort of looking for Rainbow Dash, so we can hear how she got her cutie mark."

"Cutie mark?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed giddily, "Come with me and I'll tell you how I got mine!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked to Scootaloo, as though they were waiting for approval. The orange filly sighed and sardonically remarked "Why not?"

Bronze Star and Comet Frost gave the pink mare their attention, as well. However, they were more interested in the circumstances of when and where Pinkie Pie got her mark, rather than how she actually got it. They suspected her tale would have at least two things in common with the others'.

"Alright!" Pinkie Pie professed. Here she thought back to her fillyhood and reminisced "My sisters and I were raised on a rock farm outside of Ponyville. We spent our days working the fields. There was no talking. There was no smiling. *sigh* There were only rocks. We were in the south field, preparing to rotate the rocks to the east field when all of a sudden..."

She made a noise that sounded like a landmine going off. That gesture perplexed the fillies, but Bronze Star and Comet Frost could guess what it meant. Pinkie Pie enlightened them all with "There was this huge explosion, and a rainbow was forming in the sky above me. The first rainbow I ever saw. It was so pretty, so colorful, so wonderful… all I could do was smile. I'd never felt joy like that before! It felt so good I just wanted to keep smiling forever! And I wanted everyone I knew to smile too, but rainbows don't come along that often. I wondered, how else could I create some smiles?"

"So I went into town and bought a few things," Pinkie Pie happily continued, "When I got back, I spent several hours in the silo, setting things up. I was up all night, but I was just as lively and energetic the following morning. When my family came out to harvest the rocks from the south field, I urged them to come into the silo. So they did, and I showed them what I had done. I had organized my first party ever. At first, they seemed to be upset, frustrated, or something. I was worried that that did not like it. But then… my Mom, Dad, and sisters were smiling just as brightly as me. They really did like it. As we partied throughout the morning, I felt so happy I can't even describe it."

Bronze Star and Comet Frost surmised that that was the moment Pinkie Pie received the yellow and blue balloons on her flank, even though she did not explicitly say so. Instead, she concluded her account with "And that's how Equestria was made!"

Comet Frost raised an eyebrow in confusion, and he opened his mouth to say something. Before he could, Bronze Star leaned over and quietly advised him "It's best not to question her."

That did not stop Scootaloo from jerking to a halt, gazing over her shoulder, and saying "Wha... huh?"

"Look!" Apple Bloom declared, pointing upward, "We're here!"

Sure enough, they had arrived right at Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie Pie had already climbed out of the wagon and removed her helmet. As she trotted towards the entrance of the sweetshop, she proposed "Maybe on the way home I can tell you the story of how I got my cutie mark. It's a gem!"

Bronze Star and Comet Frost figured they may as well follow Pinkie inside. Scootaloo appeared to be quite unwilling to do so. Sweetie Belle told her assuredly "Oh, come on. She's just being Pinkie Pie."

Scootaloo was beyond irritated by this point, which was evidenced by the loud groan she produced. In spite of that, she agreed to enter Sugarcube Corner with Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Comet Frost, and Bronze Star.

Once she stepped inside, her mood almost instantly improved. Apart from Pinkie Pie, five other mares were there, and one of them was Rainbow Dash. The other four were Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle.

The orange filly was just glad to see the cyan mare. The moment she spotted her, she joyfully pronounced "Rainbow Dash! You're here!"

Bronze Star smirked and thought aloud "Fancy seeing the rest of you here, too."

"Mrs. Cake had a doctor's appointment," Twilight Sparkle illuminated, "You know, what with her pregnancy and such. Mr. Cake wanted to go with her, so we volunteered to look after the shop while they're out this afternoon."

"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star avowed.

Rainbow Dash turned her attention to the Crusaders and muttered "I hear you're looking for my cutie mark story."

Scootaloo had the widest grin and largest eyes on her face at that moment. She sighed and wryly commented "You have no idea what I've been through today to hear that story."

As the orange filly sat down on the ground, Comet Frost leaned over to Bronze Star and observed "I know Scootaloo's just a filly, and fillies are not often very patient, but she said that as though today was one of the most arduous days of her life. I can think of plenty of things worse than being forced to listen to some mares recall the proudest moments of their foalhoods."

"So can I," Bronze Star conceded. After all, the whole reason he had spent the day with the Crusaders in the first place was because Sir Haywood McCrank had been concerned that the fillies might have been in danger. So far, the most danger they had experienced was that of their own zip-lining routine, and they had emerged from that with barely a scratch.

In the end, it appeared as though Sir Haywood had been needlessly worried for the Crusaders. Right then, Bronze Star was inclined to just head back to the embassy. But before he left, he figured he may as well stay for Rainbow Dash's story. He was just as curious to hear it as Scootaloo.

The cyan mare thought back to her fillyhood and elucidated "It all happened during the race at Flight Camp where I stood alone against all odds to defend Fluttershy's honor. Hoops, 'Dumb-Bell', and I tensely faced each other off. From the moment the race began, I put all my effort into it. I was so caught up in my flying that I barely even paid any attention to my opponents. Dumb-Bell was knocked out of the race in less than a minute. Hoops tried to keep up with me, but I stayed ahead of him for a while. Soon, I was engrossed not only in the race, but also in my flying. It was… hypnotizing, in a sense."

There was a brief silence, and Rainbow Dash pressed on with "I've never flown like THAT before! That freedom was unlike anything I've ever felt! The speed, the adrenaline, the wind in my mane... I liked it... a lot! I was so caught up in my flying, that Hoops managed to catch up and knock me to the side. Luckily, I recovered fast enough to pass him and throw him off course. Turns out the only thing I liked more than flying fast... was winning! Soon I was going so fast that everything around me seemed to be going in slow motion. Finally… it happened."

Everypony was mesmerized by this point. Rainbow Dash smiled at their eagerness and resumed with "That was the moment when I penetrated the sound barrier for the first time ever. The explosion was so loud and powerful that I'll bet everypony in Equestria heard it. But that's not all. I looked over my shoulder and noticed a huge rainbow traveling in all directions. I was also leaving another rainbow in my wake. Most people thought that the sonic rainboom was just an old mare's tale. But that day... The day I discovered racing... I proved that the legends were true. I made the impossible happen!"

Rainbow Dash smirked smugly and gazed at the rainbow-colored lightning bolt and cloud on her flank. She finished up her tale with "And that, little ones, is how you earn a cutie mark."

"Whooooaaaa..." the Cutie Mark Crusaders mumbled in unison.

Bronze Star and Comet Frost were astounded. So it turned out that the explosion and the rainbow from the other mares' stories had actually been produced by Rainbow Dash. Moreover, it appeared as though she may have had an indirect role in each of their stories. The mares noticed this as well.

"Wait a second," Fluttershy pronounced softly, "I heard that explosion. And I saw the rainbow too. Rainbow Dash, if you hadn't scared the animals, I never would have learned I could communicate with them and gotten my cutie mark."

"I heard that boom!" Pinkie Pie disclosed, "And right afterwards, there was this amazing rainbow that taught me to smile."

"When I got my cutie mark, I saw a rainbow that pointed me home," Applejack revealed, "I bet it was your sonic rainboom!"

"There was an explosion I could never explain when I got my cutie mark." Rarity expounded.

"This is uncanny!" Twilight Sparkle proclaimed in amazement, "If that explosion didn't happen when it did, I would have blown my entrance exam. Rainbow Dash, I think you helped me earn my cutie mark too!"

If Comet Frost and Bronze Star were astonished before, that was nothing compared to how they felt now. The aqua stallion muttered "There's coincidence, and then there's… this."

"No, I'd say there's coincidence, then there's fate, and then there's this," Bronze Star observed.

Without warning, Pinkie Pie jumped onto Rainbow Dash and hugged her. The weather maker shouted in alarm "Whoa!"

The pink mare gazed down at the cyan mare and exclaimed "We all owe our cutie marks to you!"

"Do you realize what this means?" Fluttershy muttered cheerfully, "All of us had a special connection before we even met."

"We've been BFFs forever and we didn't even know it!" Rarity commented giddily.

"Come here, y'all," Applejack beckoned the others, trotting over to them.

The six mares then had a massive group hug. They said altogether "AWWW!"

"I'm so glad we're friends!" Fluttershy uttered merrily.

"I love you, guys!" Pinkie Pie murmured jovially.

While Bronze Star and Comet Frost could both regarded as two prime examples of masculinity, the two stallions were touched by this huge display of affection. They could not help but smile at it.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched the mares in adoration and went "Awwww..."

By contrast, Scootaloo grumbled "Ewwww... Gimme a break. Come on, Crusaders! Maybe we just need to try zip-lining again."

The orange filly turned to trot back outside, but before she could go two steps, the white filly and the yellow filly seized her and pulled her into a group hug of their own. She just sighed dismally at that.

Bronze Star scoffed at that scene. Suddenly, he felt a front leg wrap around his throat. The gold stallion looked out of the corner of his eye and realized that Comet Frost was embracing him from the side.

"Comet… what are you doing?" Bronze Star queried, bewildered.

"Just thought you didn't want to be left out, Your Highness," the aqua stallion stated jokingly.

"Um, thanks," Bronze Star mumbled awkwardly, patting the older stallion's back.

Comet Frost quickly released the prince and took a step back, saying "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, sir."

"Oh, no worries; you didn't," Bronze Star asserted, smirking.

A few moments later, the six mares pulled apart from their group hug. Although they had seemed to be focused on each other, they had not forgotten that Bronze Star and Comet Frost were there. Needless to say, they were beyond amazed by their new discovery. It made them wonder about the seventh and final member of their group, the eldest and the only male.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle looked around at one another, and they could all tell that each one of them was thinking the exact same thing. They collectively stepped up to the prince, almost as though they were going to surround him.

Rarity was the first to speak: "What about you, Bronze?"

Bronze Star looked to the fashionista and raised an eyebrow. He queried "What about me?"

"What's your cutie mark story?" Applejack specified.

Bronze Star was surprised he had not seen that coming. He had spent the whole day learning how six of his closest friends earned her special talent, but he had never breathed a word about how he had earned his own. Now that somepony had finally addressed that subject, there was no avoiding it. Based on the stares the mares gave him, they were very eager to be receive some enlightenment. All three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders – including Scootaloo – seemed especially curious, as well. Comet Frost was giving him a hoping glance, too; even the aqua stallion did not know all the details surrounding the prince's cutie mark.

Bronze Star passed the next minute by silently gazing around the room at the other ten ponies. After that, he asked rhetorically "You really want to know?"

"Of course we do," Twilight Sparkle affirmed.

"I can't think of one reason why we wouldn't," Rainbow Dash contended

"Nor a reason why you shouldn't share your story," Fluttershy added in.

"C'mon, Bronze," Pinkie Pie bade him, "Maybe you're somehow linked to us."

Bronze Star scoffed and held up his front hoof. He uttered in slight amusement "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. You don't have to twist my hoof."

He gradually rotated his body until his side was totally visible to the others. He stood so that everypony got a good view of the cluster of stars imprinted on his flank. He placed his hoof above his cutie mark and announced "Interestingly, my cutie mark has two meanings: a symbolic one and a literal one. I'll discuss the symbolic meaning first. Notice that all of the stars in my mark are dissimilar. Some are large; some are small. Some are bright; some are dim. Some are bunched; some are isolated. Regardless, you'll notice that no two stars are identical, and when put together, all of them form another shape: one huge star. That symbolizes my proficiency in politics. I have a natural ability to lead, direct, and advise any pony through any dispute, crisis, or complex situation. In another light, the small stars in my cutie mark represent the many different politicians I routinely do business with, and the larger star formed by them represents the prosperity and congruence the politicians are rewarded with when they follow my guidance."

The ten ponies were clearly intrigued to learn that complex tidbit of information.

"That's fascinating, Bronze," Fluttershy professed, "But it doesn't really explain how you got your cutie mark in the first place."

"I'm getting to that," Bronze Star explicated. He rubbed his chin and thought aloud "Let's see. All of you got yours like… what, nine years ago?"

"Yeah, about that long," Applejack affirmed.

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and perceived "So, when you all got your cutie marks, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were nine, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle were ten, Applejack was eleven, and Rarity was twelve. I was sixteen at the time, and as Twilight could tell you, I already had my cutie mark."

"So when did you get it?" Rainbow Dash enquired.

"Just three years earlier," Bronze Star disclosed, "Believe it or not, I didn't get my cutie mark until I was thirteen."

The mares and Comet Frost were apparently surprised to hear that, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to be somewhat delighted. It gave them hope that they were not the only ponies who had not gotten a cutie mark at their age.

"This is where the literal meaning comes in," Bronze Star professed, "You see, my affiliation with stars is not limited to my name and my cutie mark. The actual stars in the sky mean a great deal to me. Just as my mother is the Princess of the Sun and my aunt is the Princess of the Moon, I am the Prince of the stars."

Pinkie Pie cocked her head in interest and queried "Really?"

"Yes," the gold stallion confirmed, "You see, one night when I was very young, my mother and I flew high into the sky. We ascended so greatly that at our highest altitude, the clouds were closer to the ground than to us. We did not stop until we were twenty miles above Canterlot Castle. Once we got there, my mother beckoned me to study my surroundings. At first, I was confused, as there was nothing but air around us and clouds below us. Then I realized our 'surroundings' included everything above us. So I looked up, and I saw the stars. I spent a good long while studying them. I had never seen the stars up-close before; I was amazed by how beautiful and expansive they were. My mother asked me if I was impressed by what I saw, and I replied that I was beyond impressed; I was mesmerized. She told me she was pleased by that, as all of those stars would someday be mine. Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled by that prospect."

"Wait, how exactly would the stars be 'yours?'" Rarity inquired.

"Well, like the Sun and Moon, the stars do not really move on their own," Bronze Star elaborated, "They are controlled by Alicorn magic, as well. For the past thousand years or so, they've been under a long-lasting spell that causes them to merely come out during the night and disappear during the day. However, it is not quite the same as the old ages, when the stars all moved independently of each other. For centuries, Princess Celestia had been hoping to restore that feature to the stars, but being a full-time guardian of the Sun and the Moon impeded that goal. So she chose me for that duty."

After a brief pause, he continued with "However, my mother told me that before I could claim my title as Prince of the stars, I had to prove I was capable and worthy of that honor. She gave me only one demonstration on how to properly control the stars with magic, and after that, she put me through a number of trials to test how well I could supervise and arrange the stars by myself. Say, for example, she had me organize the stars into certain patterns or adjust the brightness of a few particular stars. I did fairly well on all her exams, but that was not enough. I needed to convince her beyond a doubt that I could manage and keep track of each and every star in the sky. Shortly after my thirteenth birthday, I did just that."

"Go on, please," Twilight Sparkle beseeched him. She and the others were absorbed in this story.

Bronze Star smirked and declared "Twelve years ago, I was in the Astronomy Tower, conducting my daily inspection and exercises on the stars. I always did that work from the Tower, as it's the tallest part of the Castle. The only ponies with me were my bodyguards, Clear Crest and Swiftdrive."

Most of the other ponies nodded in acknowledgement, and Applejack and Comet Frost appeared to be a little stunned. Considering what they knew about Clear Crest, that was to be expected.

Bronze Star soon went on with "Now Swiftdrive preferred to stand off to the side and stay out of my way; she just kept an eye on the entrance to the Tower to ensure that nopony entered without my leave. Clear Crest, on the other hoof, was not as withdrawn. She often talked to me during my work, and she commented on my activities. Before that night, she never interfered with anything I did. But on that night, she stepped up to me and told me that she had a suggestion. Always one to hear another pony out, I let her speak, and she said 'Every night, all you do is monitor the stars and reorganize them in certain ways. Why? Because Princess Celestia instructed you to do so. There must be more to the stars than that, sir. Why only do what your mother suggests? Why not see what you are capable of by your own volition? While I personally would never disobey the Princess, you are free to go beyond the rules she established for you. I propose you take the stars and improvise. For all you know, that could very well be the true test your mother made here. Even if it is not, you have nothing to lose.'"

There was a long interval of quietness there. Then Bronze Star heartily pronounced "Those words changed my life. They inspired me to test my own capabilities on the stars. I started by taking a dozen of them and sending all of them in different directions. Then I took another group of stars and had them swirl around. I made them go so fast that they appeared to form an actual circle. I formed all different patterns with the stars. I relocated many of them, brought some of them closer, pushed some of them further away, increased or decreased the brightness of many more, and switched them around. Within a half-hour, every single star in the sky was maneuvering through space. By then, I could hear a lot of commotion on the grounds outside the castle. The entire city had gone outside to witness all the marvelous action in the sky. Those ponies were just as engaged in my work as I was. They admired it for its beauty, its uniqueness, and its element of wonder. I admired it for all those things, as well, but even more so, I relished in the feeling of dominance and the thrill it brought me. Having all those stars under my control, being able to do anything I wanted with them, seeing all of them scatter but knowing they would only go where I made them go... words cannot express how gratifying that was. It was at that moment when I realized just how important the stars really are in this world. They are as vital to us as the Sun and the Moon, and like the Sun and the Moon, we could not afford to be without the stars, either. I felt so empowered in that one moment that I thought I could keep the stars moving forever.

"Of course, that moment had to end eventually," Bronze Star apprised them, becoming a little more serene, "Eventually, my mother looked outside and noticed what was going on. Then she came to the Astronomy Tower and confronted me. Initially, I feared that I had upset her. In actuality, it turned out that Clear Crest was right; there had been another test. My mother revealed that she had been waiting years for me to do something like what I did that night. Now that she had seen what I was truly capable of, she firmly believed that I had earned the right to be recognized as the Prince of the stars. As you can imagine, I was quite proud of myself when she told me that."

"However, the stars were still greatly disorganized," Bronze Star recounted, "My mother requested that I 'fix' them before I left the Astronomy Tower. For anypony other than an Alicorn, that would have been an impossible task. Luckily, I have a flawless memory. So I was able to return each and every star to the same position, brightness, and proximity it had before I began my 'experiment.' In the end, the sky looked as though nothing had changed at all. Nonetheless, two things had permanently changed. One, my mother had deemed me worthy of being the Prince of the stars. And two, when I turned to leave, Swiftdrive and Clear Crest beckoned me to look at my flank. I peered over my shoulder, and sure enough, right there, on my own flank, this showed up."

Bronze Star looked back at the cluster of stars imprinted on his flank and patted them thrice. Then he gazed around at his friends, smiled, and wrapped up his tale with "And there you have it. I have the stars to thank for my own stars."

To say that the other ponies were amazed would have been an understatement. They were astounded, flabbergasted, transfixed, entranced. There was total silence all around.

Bronze Star ultimately broke the silence with "Some of you may actually remember that episode with the stars from twelve years ago. You may only have fading or fuzzy memories of it, but I still remember it as though it only occurred a few seconds ago. As I recall, it made the front page of every newspaper in the country the following day. The press simply referred to it as an unprecedented instance of magic in nature. Nowadays, they call it the 'Night of the Dancing Cosmos.'"

That last statement evoked a collective gasp from all six of the mares.

"That was you?" Rarity stated in shock, "The Night of the Dancing Cosmos was your doing?"

"That's correct," Bronze Star validated, a trace of smugness in his tone, "I was responsible for one of the most memorable events of the last century."

Rarity grinned widely and stepped up to the gold stallion. She disclosed "Bronze, the Night of the Dancing Cosmos was unlike anything I had ever seen. Seeing all those bright lights scatter in such a wondrous manner… that was what sparked my appreciation for flashy things, mainly gemstones. If I did not have that interest, my horn might not have brought me to that giant rock."

Bronze Star was stunned by that discovery. However, the five additional discoveries he made straight after stunned him even more.

"I never realized just how beautiful the environment was until the Night of the Dancing Cosmos," Fluttershy reminisced, "Seeing it led me to develop my love for nature and all the creatures in it."

"The Night of the Dancing Cosmos was the most amazing display of magic I ever saw," Twilight Sparkle revealed, "It strengthened my fondness for magic, as well as my desire to attend the Summer Sun Celebration."

"When I was younger, I rarely went outside unless it was to do my chores," Pinkie Pie expounded, "The Night of the Dancing Cosmos was so incredible that it encouraged me to spend more time outdoors."

"I never felt as thrill as big as the one I felt on the Night of the Dancing Cosmos," Applejack proclaimed, "That was what awakened the spirit of adventure in me, which – in turn – was what ultimately led me to Manehattan."

Everypony gazed at Rainbow Dash, as though they were expecting her to contribute to the conversation. Soon, she grinned and pronounced "The Night of the Dancing Cosmos had an impact on me, too. When I saw all those stars zooming through the sky, I felt an overwhelming urge to rise up and join them. Of course, I was unable to do that, but that didn't stop my urge. If anything, my love for flight and speed only grew because of that urge. In fact, I'd say it's safe to say that that urge was the main reason I signed up for Summer Flight Camp."

All six mares gradually turned her head in Bronze Star's direction. Initially, he could not tell what any of them was thinking. Then, without any warning whatsoever, the mares rushed towards the gold stallion and engulfed him in another firm group hug. It was so sudden and so strong that they accidentally knocked Bronze Star to the ground. Even on the floor, they continued embracing him.

"Girls, girls, settle down, please!" Bronze Star yelled, surprised.

"Bronze, surely you must realize what this implies," Applejack contended, placing her hoof on her coltfriend's cheek.

"You set in motion a chain of events that led to each of us getting our cutie marks!" Fluttershy declared.

"Not only that, but that chain of events also resulted from your own struggles to gain your cutie mark," Rarity noted.

"We're indebted to you for what you did," Rainbow Dash claimed.

"This entails that not only do we all have a special connection, but the seven of us were always supposed come together," Twilight Sparkle thought aloud, "We may have earned our cutie marks by following different paths, but it was through Bronze Star's actions that we were ultimately united.

"So it was destiny that brought us together, not chance," Pinkie Pie debated, "We were always meant to be friends."

Bronze Star could not deny how absolutely incredible this revelation was. However, he currently felt more edgy than astonished. After all, he was practically buried under half a dozen grown mares, and they were holding him so tightly and so close that he hardly had any freedom of movement. He doubted he had ever received this much physical contact in his life. Even though it was given from his closest friends, he could not help but feel uneasy.

"That's nice, girls," Bronze Star mumbled uncomfortably, "Really nice, truly. You can let me go now."

"Oh, just a few more hugs, Bronze," Applejack teased him.

"Yeah, come on," the other five stated in unison.

Clearly reasoning was not an option. Bronze Star looked up at Comet Frost and begged him "Comet… help me…"

The aqua stallion appeared to be amused by what he saw. He snickered and remarked "I would, sir, but I think you should enjoy this moment. How often are you able to share such strong affection with your best friends?"

Bronze Star stared at the Royal Guard officer in disbelief, but after a few moments, he decided to take his advice and try to get some enjoyment out of that moment. Then he grinned and cheekily commented "Oh, what the buck."

He hugged all six of the mares back at once. They were delighted that he was returning their friendly gesture, and the seven of them remained entangled on the ground for about another minute. At one point, they could hear Scootaloo making a fake retching sound from across the room.

When the seven ponies finally got back onto their hooves, Bronze Star smirked and pronounced "I stand corrected. There's coincidence, then there's fate, then there's surrealism, and THEN there is this."

"I don't care what 'this' is," Twilight Sparkle muttered, "What matters is that it proves that true friendship transcends the choices we make in everyday life. I can't wait to write Celestia about this later."

"That'll make for a Tartarus of a letter," Applejack hypothesized.

"Hey," Fluttershy calmly interjected, "How about a song?"

The other mares all gave cries of approval, as did Comet Frost.

"Definitely!" Pinkie Pie yelled in agreement.

Scootaloo screamed at the top of her voice "NO!"

The song was sung, anyway. Everypony but Bronze Star and Scootaloo partook in it. After the song was over, Bronze Star and Comet Frost bade the fillies and the mares a pleasant afternoon, and they departed from Sugarcube Corner

As they headed back to the embassy, Bronze Star reflected on the day's events. It turned out that Sir Haywood's concerns about the Cutie Mark Crusaders were unfounded. Even so, Bronze Star did not regard spending the day with the fillies as a waste of time. After all, he had just made one of the most amazing discoveries of his entire life. Through his actions, he had indirectly helped the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony gain their cutie marks. That was a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself. He could not wait to tell his other friends about this, later.

When the two stallions got back to the embassy, the meeting between the task force and the CEOs had already been concluded. Dapple Rhomb was in her office, the CEOs were in their rooms, and Swiftdrive and Blade Bearer were in the lounge.

After Bronze Star gave Comet Frost his leave to have some rest and relaxation, he checked in with Sir Haywood McCrank. The federal investigator informed the prince that they had made quite a bit of progress at the last meeting, and he wished to go over the report with him. Bronze Star claimed that he had other business to attend to first, but he would be willing to discuss the investigation later.

Sir Haywood McCrank also mentioned that Bon Bon had visited the embassy earlier that day with a package, which she planned to deliver to Bronze Star's room. At first, Swiftdrive and Blade Bearer were unwilling to let her do that, especially since she would not let them look inside the package. Nevertheless, the beige mare had insisted that Bronze Star himself had asked her to bring that package to him personally, and she showed them a sheet of paper that had been signed by him to prove it. The gold stallion had given her that paper when he visited her that same morning, as he had predicted that the Royal Guard might have given her trouble. Fortunately, his signature ended that trouble.

Bronze Star headed up to his bedroom and found the package on his bed. After closing the door, he tentatively approached the box and lightly tapped it with his hoof. A few seconds later, the package shook itself. Arthur spread his wings and shrieked menacingly in response, but his master raised his front hoof and assured him "It's alright, Colonel. Everything's under control."

At five o'clock, there was a knock on the door to his bedroom. When he answered it, Bronze Star found himself face-to-face with Applejack and Noble Edict. He wordlessly beckoned the mares inside, and right after they entered his room, the gold stallion shut the door again and locked it tight. After that, he trotted over to the window and drew the curtains over the glass. Next he did a quick survey of the room to ensure that there were no orifices that he had failed to account for, anything that might have been used by a hidden eavesdropper. Ultimately, he confirmed that his bedroom was secure.

Once that was accomplished, he briefly updated the orange mare and the red mare on the situation. He told them that Sir Raoul Jowl would be meeting with Clear Crest in about an hour. Less than one hour after that, Sir Raoul was going to contact Bronze Star using the special picture frame he had given the cerise stallion, and that the prince would communicate with Sir Raoul using the other special picture frame.

He did not tell them what would happen after that, partly because he himself was not entirely certain how things would go. While he was hoping for one certain outcome, he could not ignore the possibility that a different one would result instead. Regardless, he assured the mares that they would not have to bother without anything, and that he could do all the talking. He said there was only really one thing that he needed Applejack and Noble Edict to do: he needed them to go along with and agree with everything he said or did. He meant everything, no matter how strange or outlandish it may have seemed. Both mares were a little baffled by this order, but they trusted that Bronze Star knew what he was doing, so they complied with it all the same.

A few minutes before six o'clock, Bronze Star transformed into his Alicorn appearance, as he felt it would be more appropriate for what he had planned. As an extra precaution, he cast a spell on his room to make the floor, ceiling, and walls soundproof. The room was officially secure then.

At six o'clock, Bronze Star got out the picture frame with the built-in surveillance system, activated it, and put it in "Observation Mode." He thought it best to put the picture frame somewhere where it would have a good view of the entire room and where it would be totally visible by him and his companions. Ultimately, he decided to hang it on the wall that adjoined the door to the corridor.

After that, all they could do was wait. The three ponies spent the next fifteen minutes or so gazing at the picture frame intently. It remained blank for all that time. Applejack paced anxiously around the room, Noble Edict leaned against the wall, and Bronze Star tended to Arthur. Every now and then, one of them glimpsed at the clock on the wall above the bed.

Finally, at 6:15, the hidden screen in the picture frame emanated a brief shrill noise. In response, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Noble Edict promptly turned to the frame. The gold stallion trotted toward the frame and stared at it longingly. When he was within five feet of the frame, the hidden screen beneath the glass flickered on, and Bronze Star was face-to-face with Sir Raoul Jowl.

Based on how the screen was shaking, Sir Raoul just have been holding the other frame in his front hooves. The cerise stallion was lightly grinning; he was glad he managed to activate his frame's "Observation Mode" all by himself.

"Are you ready, sir?" Sir Raoul enquired.

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head. Indeed, he was as ready as he would ever be.

The gold stallion heard a voice on the other side say "Who are you talking to, Raoul?"

"See for yourself," the cerise stallion responded. The image on Bronze Star's picture frame shuddered for a few seconds, and then another pony appeared on the screen.

This pony was an onyx mare. The moment her eyes fell upon the screen of her own picture frame, they widened in surprise and she muttered softly "What the…?"

Bronze Star just grinned smugly and uttered "Hello, Clear,"

"You… Your Highness?" Clear Crest stated in perplexity.

"Indeed," the gold stallion candidly affirmed, "It's been a long time."

The former Royal Guard continued to stare in amazement for about twenty seconds. After that, she lightly shook her head, composed herself, and remarked drily "Yes, it has."

"For what it's worth, it's good to see you again," Bronze Star claimed.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you, sir," Clear Crest countered, "The last time you saw me, you could hardly even bear to be in the same room as me."

"Well, we're not in the same room now," Bronze Star cheekily pointed out, "Besides, given the circumstances of our last meeting, can you blame me for not wishing to be close to you?"

Clear Crest scowled and mumbled agitatedly "So even you think I actually conspired to have Shining Armor killed?"

"I suppose now you're going to try to persuade me that you were framed?" Bronze Star presumed incredulously.

"Would it really even matter if I told you I was innocent?" Clear Crest countered.

"No, it wouldn't," Bronze Star professed, "You offered no evidence to prove your innocence, you were the only pony who stood to gain from Shining Armor's death, and his attackers' money trail led directly to you."

"I still wouldn't call that conclusive enough for a conviction," Clear Crest debated.

"Well, add in the fact that you fled before your tribunal, and that would be enough to convince anypony of your guilt," Bronze Star contended. He then sighed and pronounced "At any rate, whether or not you were guilty of that crime is not the issue here. You're not the one I want, Clear Crest."

The onyx mare raised an eyebrow in confusion and murmured "I'm not?"

"No," the prince affirmed, "The one I'm really interested in is your boss."

"I have no boss," Clear Crest claimed, "You were the last boss I ever had, and I have not worked for you ever since my dismissal from the Royal Guard."

"Your current Boss," Bronze Star elaborated.

"I don't quite follow," Clear Crest muttered. She may have sounded bewildered, but Bronze Star could sense the deception in her tone.

"Pretending to be ignorant won't get you anywhere, Clear," Bronze Star declared, "I know what you've been up to this past year. I know what you and your new friends have been planning."

"Do you, now?" Clear Crest remarked sardonically

"Yes, indeed," Bronze Star confirmed, "Up until now, I've just been monitoring you and your companions. I've been observing all of you at work without interfering in your activities. I've decided that this would be the perfect time for me to intervene."

"This is quite a way to present yourself to us," Clear Crest perceived.

"Just wait until you hear what all I have to say," Bronze Star wryly commented, "But first, there is somepony else we should bring into this conversation."

"Who?" Clear Crest queried.

"Esopus Spitzenburg," Bronze Star answered her, "Have him join us, if you please."

"How do you propose I do that?" Clear Crest uttered, a little scathingly.

"With your poster board, I would imagine," Bronze Star frankly told her.

Clear Crest's eyes widened in alarm and she whispered uneasily "You know of that?"

"I know of that and much more," Bronze Star revealed, "Before I tell you what else I know, I need you to contact Spitzenburg on your poster board and tell him that he is being offered a special opportunity. Trust me, this will be worth his while and yours."

Clear Crest narrowed her eyes and stared at the gold stallion skeptically. She mumbled inquisitively "What exactly are you playing at, sir? What are you hoping to achieve here?"

"I'll explain everything," Bronze Star insisted, "First, bring Spitzenburg into the conversation."

"Why should I?" Clear Crest demanded.

"Because I'm giving you what nopony else gave you when you were under suspicion: a chance," Bronze Star notified her, "You may or may not be responsible for the attack on Shining Armor; I don't really care. Even if you were, that crime does not erase everything you accomplished before it. You protected me for almost ten years of my life. You saved the lives of dozen of your fellow officers. You were there when I got my cutie mark. It was because of your advice that I even earned it. Now I'm asking you to follow some of my own advice in return. It could help you just as your advice helped me."

Clear Crest listened to everything Bronze Star told her, and she suddenly found herself in a very interesting position. The prince's words seemed to have the intended effect on her, as after a short period of silence, she softly nodded her head and declared "Very well, Your Highness. I'll need a little time to reach Mr. Spitzenburg, and a little more time to prepare him. I think it would be a good idea if he knows he'll be talking to you before he actually sees you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The onyx mare then moved away from the screen. Sir Raoul held the picture frame so that it was focused on a door on one side of the room. Bronze Star watched as Clear Crest trotted over to that door, opened it, and stepped out.

Once she was gone, Raoul Jowl held his picture frame up to his face so that Bronze Star could see him.

"You doing alright, Sir Raoul?" the gold stallion enquired

"Yes, sir," the cerise stallion proclaimed, "She doesn't suspect a thing."

"Good," Bronze Star avowed, "Let's keep it that way."

"As you wish," Raoul Jowl coincided. He gazed around the room and whispered "I'm not entirely sure where we are. Clear Crest met me outside the Ohmareha police headquarters just as she planned. After that, we entered this nearby bar, went down to the basement, and accessed the sewers through a hidden door. We spent about ten minutes roaming around the underground until we finally came to where we currently are. All I know for certain is that we are within a three-mile radius of the police station, but it could be anywhere within that radius."

"Well, there are only so many possible places you could be," Bronze Star debated, "Anyway, your location is not my concern. Just make sure Clear Crest does not back out of this conversation before I'm ready to end it. It's imperative that she and Esopus Spitzenburg hear me out."

"You got it, Your Highness," Sir Raoul asserted.

A couple minutes later, Clear Crest returned to the room. She was carrying a large poster board on her back. It looked identical to the one Esopus Spitzenburg had used to communicate with her in Appleoosa. From the way she held the poster board, the top of it appeared to be glowing.

"Sir Raoul, Clear Crest, I want you to stand at each other's side and position the picture frame and the poster board in a certain manner," Bronze Star instructed the two ponies, "Hold them away from yourselves at leg's length, above your head, and in opposite directions. That way, anypony on either side will be able to see both of you. Make sure to leave enough room so we can see whoever is on the poster board and vice versa; that's what really matters here."

The cerise stallion and the onyx mare did as they were told, and in the end, they were standing below and in-between the picture frame and the poster board. Bronze Star found himself face-to-face with an elderly Earth Pony stallion sitting in a chair. This stallion had a jade coat, a russet mane, crimson irises, and a field of apple trees for a cutie mark. It was Esopus Spitzenburg himself.

Bronze Star and Esopus Spitzenburg stared at each other in silence for nearly thirty seconds.

The elderly stallion smirked and said bluntly "Well, well, it really is Prince Bronze Star. So, you weren't pulling my hind leg after all, Clear."

"Of course I wasn't, sir," the onyx mare affirmed, "You know I wouldn't waste your time."

"I hope so," Spitzenburg sharply remarked, "I had to postpone a staff meeting for this."

Bronze Star scoffed and observed "You don't seem very surprised to see me, Mr. Spitzenburg."

"Few things surprise me anymore, Your Highness," the jade stallion proclaimed, "When you're as old and experienced as I am, it can be difficult for anything to shock you. However, I am still capable of becoming curious at certain times. Take now, for example. I'm more than a little curious about our present scenario."

"Yes, I imagine you have a lot of questions right now," Bronze Star conjectured.

"No, only a few," Spitzenburg tensely disclosed, "But I would like a thorough answer to all of them. If you have no objections, that is."

"I have none," Bronze Star conceded, "Go ahead and ask them. I'm in no rush."

The elderly stallion leaned back in his chair and placed his hind hooves on his desk. Then he queried "Firstly, what is going on?"

"Simple," the gold stallion replied straightforwardly, smirking, "We've caught up to you, Esopus."

That answer was concise, but comprehensive. Esopus Spitzenburg nodded his head and pronounced in apparent bafflement "That brings me to my next question. What do you believe I have done? More to the point, what have I done to warrant this… 'correspondence' from you?"

"You can act naïve all you want; it'll get you nowhere," Bronze Star assured him, "You know precisely what you have done."

"Let's say for a moment that I didn't, and I was totally clueless," Spitzenburg hypothesized, "Now humor me. Tell me what I've 'done.'"

"Where to begin?" Bronze Star snappily retorted, "First, you organized and launched a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Then you plotted to murder thousands of innocent Equestrians. Tens of thousands, actually. You were undiscriminating in selecting your targets; you would have killed stallions, mares, colts, fillies, foals, and the elderly alike."

"And what possible motive would I have had for all that slaughter?" Spitzenburg asked rhetorically.

"That slaughter would have helped you achieved your ultimate goal," Bronze Star disclosed, "You wished to tarnish my mother's name and turn her people against her. Your hope was that after a certain number of mass murders occurred, the public would lose faith in Princess Celestia's rule. Without the support of the people, it would have been much easier for you and your co-conspirators to finish her off."

"An assassination?" Spitzenburg muttered, seemingly shocked, "You believe that that was the purpose behind this conspiracy?"

Bronze Star grinned wickedly and pointed out "I never said anything about an assassination. I just said you'd finish her off."

Spitzenburg realized he had spoken a little too soon, but his countenance did not give off any feeling of anxiety. He chuckled and proclaimed "Well, you got me there. You got pretty much everything else, as well."

"So you don't deny my accusations?" Bronze Star assumed.

"No, I admit to the truth of them," Spitzenburg professed, leaning on his front leg, "Yes, I put together a conspiracy. Yes, I plotted to kill tens of thousands of ponies. And yes, I aimed for our final target to be your mother. But do you know why I did all that?"

"Because you have an insatiable lust for power," Bronze Star supposed.

"Wrong," Spitzenburg refuted, "Because this country needs change. It needs it desperately. If change does not come soon, this country will deteriorate and collapse. As long as your mother remains on the throne, there will be no change."

"You seem extremely sure of that," Bronze Star noted.

"Your mother has been in power for a millennium," Spitzenburg pointed out, "How much change has this country seen in the past ten centuries? I know it has greatly evolved technologically, artistically, and economically. But what about politically or socially? A thousand years have passed, and we still have the same ruler."

"That's not true," Bronze Star declared, "My aunt, Princess Luna, has returned to rule alongside my mother."

"That makes little difference," Spitzenburg debated, "Princess Luna is still a stranger to more than half of Equestria, and her sister continues to be recognized as this country's supreme ruler. Celestia may include Luna in her decision-making process, but at the end of the day, she is still the one who decides on everything. Many of her decisions can be bad ones, I might add."

"That's just your opinion," Bronze Star coolly stated.

"No, it's the opinion of a lot of ponies'," Spitzenburg argued.

"That may be," Bronze Star admitted, "But there are not many ponies who would resort to mass murder just to illustrate a point."

"I'm trying to show everypony how vulnerable this country really is," Spitzenburg alleged "You have to admit that that is a rather valuable and effective point."

"Well, too bad we keep preventing you from making it," Bronze Star mockingly rejoined.

Spitzenburg let out a slow, even breath and nonchalantly stated "So, the government is fully aware of my little scheme?"

"No, 'we' does not include the entire government," Bronze Star apprised him, "'We' is composed of me, my mother's chief of staff, and the ten ponies in my Special Ops team, the Firebrand Regiment. And, of course, the other two ponies present."

The gold stallion then looked over his shoulder and gestured for Noble Edict and Applejack to approach him. The two mares trotted over to the prince and stood on either side of him. Once they were there, Bronze Star turned back to the picture frame.

On the poster board, he saw Esopus Spitzenburg raise an eyebrow in fascination. He sat up straight again and spent the next minute contemplating the two mares. Ultimately, he fixed his gaze on Noble Edict and pronounced "I briefly remember encountering you from my visit to Ponyville. Noble Edict, was it?"

"That's correct," Noble Edict muttered through gritted teeth.

"To be precise, 'Lady' Noble Edict," Bronze Star illuminated.

That seemed to amuse Spitzenburg. He scoffed and remarked "So, Celestia made you a Lady of her court. May I ask what for?"

"I was one of the ponies who saved her during the Nightmare Moon incident," the red mare enlightened him.

"Well, then it doesn't take much to become a Lady these days, does it?" the jade stallion wryly observed.

"Nopony questioned the Princess's decision to bestow a ladyship on me," Noble Edict contended, "Furthermore, she insisted that I had earned that honor."

"I'm sure you did," Spitzenburg uttered candidly, "After all, in any case, you did help restore the Sun. What's more, you are involved in a hazardous but respectable line of work. As I recall, you are the chief of security of Ponyville."

"Yes, she is the security chief of this town," Bronze Star interjected, "The same town you released a monster in."

"Monster?" said Spitzenburg, feigning astonishment.

Bronze Star did not give a direct response to that. Instead, he turned to the red mare and told her "Noble, the package."

The red mare swiftly trotted over to the bed, picked up the package Bon Bon had delivered earlier, and carried it over to back to the front of the room. Bronze Star gestured for her to open the package. Noble Edict did just that, and she saw a half-chicken, half-snake creature lying inside. It was the cockatrice she and Bronze Star had captured several weeks earlier.

The cockatrice was still blindfolded, and he had been in captivity so long that he barely offered any resistance when Noble Edict grabbed him. Once she had a firm grip on the cockatrice, she held it up for everypony to see. Applejack fought the urge to recoil, Raoul Jowl gasped, Clear Crest flinched, and Esopus Spitzenburg remained indifferent.

"This monster," Noble Edict angrily expounded, holding the cockatrice up high, "You knowingly unleashed this deadly beast into the most peaceful settlement in Equestria. This beast which could have turned scores of my friends and neighbors into stone. Fortunately, we managed to capture him before he inflicted any damage. I've been keeping him in custody ever since."

"Then I commend you for doing your job well," Esopus Spitzenburg bluntly remarked, "I would expect nothing less from a security chief."

"But I bet you expected a lot more from the cockatrice," Applejack cockily muttered, "Must tick you off that the cockatrice did not leave any new pony statues in Ponyville. That thing almost turned Apple Bloom and her friends into stone. Your own great niece! My little sister!"

Esopus Spitzenburg had noticed Applejack when she appeared on the screen of Raoul Jowl's picture frame. However, he had not paid any close attention to her until now. He stared at her for about twenty seconds, and then he brightly commented "Like I said before, I do not get surprised very often. Even so, it's a pleasant surprise to see you here, Applejack."

"Wish I could say it was a pleasure for me, too, Uncle Esopus," Applejack mumbled heatedly.

"Oh, don't be so glum, Jackie," Spitzenburg suggested thoughtlessly.

"'Glum?'" Applejack crossly uttered, "You think I'm glum? Glum is how I feel when one of my trees don't produce fruit for seven days straight. I'll give you a more accurate description of my feelings: I'm appalled, enraged, ashamed, horrified, and – most of all – distraught. Know why? All because of you."

Spitzenburg seemed genuinely stunned by that. He grimaced and demanded "Just what have I done to deserve your contempt?"

"What don't you ask the people of Hoovston that?" Applejack shot back.

Esopus Spitzenburg must have been either especially calm or especially confident pony, because otherwise that statement would have caused him to slip. He managed to maintain his indifferent stance, but the shock was evident in his eyes. Bronze Star was pleased to see that.

"Yes, we know the Hoovston disaster was the work of one of your colleagues," the gold stallion affirmed, "That's the only attack that even came close to succeeding. Look what it produced. Nine hundred ponies dead. Thousands more wounded. Many left without shelter or work. Smalltime businesses collapsed. Sections of the city are still uninhabitable. Countless lives have been ruined, some irreparably. Are you proud of that?"

"This is not a matter of pride," Spitzenburg coldly responded, "You think I revel in the suffering of others? I do not. I gain no pleasure from these murders. I started this conspiracy knowing full well that I would have to sacrifice my integrity, my honor, and my decency somewhere along the way."

"It seems as though you already have," Applejack contended, "What the hay happened to you? You aren't behaving at all like the respectable stallion who used to visit me every year on Hearth's Warming."

"Well, I am the same stallion, Jackie," the jade stallion insisted, "I have not lost my sanity or my ability to discern between right and wrong. My principles and ideals are still the same. The only thing about me that has changed is my willingness to go to extreme lengths."

"You certainly proved how far you're willing to go," Bronze Star conceded grimly.

"Hold on a moment," Clear Crest impatiently cut in. For the past ten minutes, she had been itching to speak her mind. Once everypony else gave the onyx mare their attention, she turned to Bronze Star and pronounced "I'm sorry if I'm speaking out of turn, Your Highness, but there is one thing about all this that I don't quite understand. This is something that really needs to be addressed."

"Go ahead, Clear," Bronze Star bade her.

After a short pause, the onyx mare queried "How did you learn about the conspiracy in the first place?"

"That was my next question, actually," Spitzenburg commented.

"Regardless of who asks it, it deserves an answer," Bronze Star decided, "So I'll tell you. You can thank your colleague Material Study for making me aware of the conspiracy's existence."

Esopus Spitzenburg and Clear Crest were perplexed by that statement. However, Raoul Jowl knew where this was going. Bronze Star had told him to prepare for something like this. Like Noble Edict and Applejack, he had agreed to go along with everything the gold stallion said or did.

"What do you mean?" inquired Clear Crest.

"Nine months ago, Material Study surrendered himself to the authorities," Bronze Star revealed, "He kept on raving about a plot to overthrow the government, and he went on and on about death, destruction, and the ultimate downfall of this country. The police thought he was just a paranoid, superstitious lunatic. I, however, thought his claims were worth investigating. So once I learned where he was being held, I arranged for Material Study to be transferred to the Firebrand Regiment's custody. Eventually, he calmed down and gave us a full confession."

"What all did he tell you?" Spitzenburg queried, a little tense.

"Everything," Bronze Star replied, "Or at least everything he knew. He told us all about the conspiracy's objectives, methods, and purpose. The information he supplied us with enabled us to avoid many of the attacks you planned. Material Study also named some of his co-conspirators. One of the names he gave was yours."

"So I see," Spitzenburg mumbled in frustration, "Then why didn't you arrest me afterwards?"

"Because Study also told us that if one of the conspirators disappeared, the others would retaliate on a large scale," the gold stallion revealed, "At the time, we did not wholly believe him, but we were not going to risk finding out the hard way if he was telling the truth."

"Wise decision on your part," Esopus Spitzenburg perceived. He reclined in his chair again, sighed, and murmured "I always suspected that if one of my colleagues would crack, it would be Material Study. He was only involved in this for profit, after all."

"Yet when he came forward, it was because of a crisis of conscience," Bronze Star stated.

"So, where is Material Study now?" Clear Crest enquired.

"In the ground," Bronze Star expounded, "Shortly after he confessed everything, he committed suicide. Couldn't live with himself; that's my guess."

Spitzenburg and Clear Crest seemed content with that response.

That was the only part of Bronze Star's explanation that had some truth to it. In the last moments of his life, Material Study had indeed tried to confess, but Raoul Jowl had killed him before he could. Oddly enough, Sir Raoul ended up being the one who shared all his knowledge of the conspiracy with Bronze Star and the Firebrand Regiment. Of course, the gold stallion could not let Clear Crest and Esopus Spitzenburg know that. Otherwise he would put Sir Raoul in serious danger. So he invented that story to make them think that Material Study was the traitor instead.

"Any more questions?" Bronze Star offered.

"Just one," Spitzenburg informed him, "This is the key question: how did we get here?"

Bronze Star was baffled by the vagueness of that question.

Esopus Spitzenburg could tell he was confused, and he hastily spoke "I'll rephrase that. What I want to know is how and why you decided to organize this meeting in this fashion."

"I arranged this meeting to demonstrate my ability," Bronze Star explicated, "I know full well that I could have directly confronted you about the conspiracy in Ponyville and Appleoosa. I could have even travelled to Chicacolt and spoken with you at your office. But anypony can have a face-to-face meeting. I had to ensure that you would take me seriously. So I decided to speak with you through Clear Crest because I thought it would give you an idea of just how resourceful and capable I really am."

"You did not think wrong," Spitzenburg declared, sounding impressed, "But how did you know Clear Crest and Raoul Jowl were involved in the conspiracy?"

"Sir Raoul Jowl was another of the conspirators Material Study named before he killed himself," Bronze Star claimed, "He told us that he had met with Sir Raoul recently, and that both of them had been given orders to go into hiding. With that in mind, the other conspirators would not suspect anything if either stallion went missing. As such, we apprehended Sir Raoul Jowl soon after."

At that, Clear Crest and Esopus Spitzenburg glared at Raoul Jowl suspiciously. He did not give off any sign of worry or unrest.

"Relax; Sir Raoul did not betray you, too," Bronze Star insisted, "We interrogated him extensively, but he did not tell us anything we did not already know. He mostly just confirmed everything Material Study told us. For his safety, I've had Sir Raoul kept in protective custody ever since then."

"Right," Esopus Spitzenburg commented frankly. After a short pause, he said inquisitively "What about Clear Crest? I'm one of only three ponies who has been in contact with her."

"You see the picture frame Sir Raoul is holding?" Bronze Star stated.

"Yes," Spitzenburg acknowledged, "What about it?"

"That's the same frame that held the photograph Applejack gave you in Appleoosa," Bronze Star proudly divulged, "That picture frame has a built-in surveillance system, and there are only two of its kind. She and I used the other one to spy on you. We overheard your entire conversation with Clear Crest. You also gave us a very nice look at her when you held your poster board up to the picture frame."

Esopus Spitzenburg frowned deeply at that. Clear Crest felt as though she would scream, she was so furious. Luckily, neither of their reactions involved more than a tense facial expression.

"You say that's the same picture frame you gave me?" Spitzenburg recalled in interest.

"Yeah; we replaced it with a normal frame shortly before we left the town," Applejack apprised him.

"Not long afterwards, we learned about Clear Crest's fling with Sir Raoul Jowl," Bronze Star reminisced, "I thought we could use that to bring her out of hiding. Since Sir Raoul was still in our custody, I got the idea to have him contact Clear Crest and 'reconnect' with her. That was easy enough to do. After they scheduled a rendezvous in Ohmareha, I sent Sir Raoul one of my picture frames so that he could use it to help me talk to Clear Crest directly. Once we established contact with her, I asked her to include you in the meeting. That brings us to where we are now."

"I admire all the trouble you went to," the elderly stallion declared in amazement, "I truly do. Alas, it was a waste of your effort. Because outside of impressing me, I don't see how you'd accomplish anything with this meeting."

"Oh, trust me; by the end of our talk, I will have accomplished quite a bit," Bronze Star confidently pronounced.

"We'll see," Spitzenburg murmured drily.

After a short period of quietness, Bronze Star remarked "So far, all I've been doing is answering your questions. Now I'd like you to answer one of mine."

"Alright," Spitzenburg affirmed.

Bronze Star took another step forward and inquired "How committed are you to this conspiracy?"

"Completely," Esopus Spitzenburg answered, "If this country does not change, it will ultimately fall into ruin. This is my cause, and I'm going to see it through to the end. Even if it costs me my life."

Bronze Star was hoping he might say that. The gold stallion tensed up, tightened his facial expression and proclaimed "Well, in any case, these mass murders are going to cease. I will see to it that they do not occur."

Spitzenburg looked as though he was going to laugh. He spat mockingly "How do you propose to do that? I've ordered my colleagues to go into hiding; I'm the only one you could reach. Anything happens to me, and they'll strike back hard. You have no idea what you're up against."

"I know EXACTLY what I am up against," Bronze Star countered.

"Do you?" Spitzenburg cockily rejoined, "For all you know, there could be dozens of us. Scores. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands."

"How about twenty?" Bronze Star calmly proposed, "Including you."

"Twenty?" Spitzenburg chortled, still smiling in amusement, "Would you care to tell me the names of those twenty?"

Bronze Star cleared his throat, stepped forward, and announced: "Clear Crest… Raoul Jowl… Material Study… Lavender Dazzle… Shuffleboard… Earnest Ides… Dreamcatcher… Alabaster Glaze… Focal Point… Luminous Lush… Metal Gears… Trace Amount… Full Throttle… Wayward Woods… Gloss Vale… Quicktrip… Livewire… Raging Tempest… Sparker Blare… and, of course, Esopus Spitzenburg."

By the time he heard his own name, the smile on Esopus Spitzenburg's face had dropped. It had been replaced by a nervous scowl. That sight was so satisfying that Bronze Star could not help but smile himself.

Eventually, Spitzenburg sat up straight and frankly perceived "You've been doing your research, Your Highness."

"I've identified all twenty of you," the gold stallion affirmed, "I have detailed files on every single one of you. I know all your backstories, all your trades, all your connections, and everything else about you that is worth knowing."

"Well, my congratulations," Spitzenburg snappily uttered, "But it makes little difference. Our plans will proceed nevertheless. We are all determined to change this country. We are going to better this country. Believe me when I tell you that there is nothing you can do to stop us."

Bronze Star had been waiting for the elderly stallion to say something like that. Now came the moment of truth for this part of his plan. He gradually brought a malicious grin onto his face, tilted his head up, and stated slyly "When did I ever say I wanted to stop you?"

That remark caught all five other ponies off their guard. Applejack and Noble Edict gazed at Bronze Star as though he had just made a very vulgar comment. Clear Crest and Raoul Jowl stared at him in disbelief; they looked as though they were certain they had misheard him. As for Esopus Spitzenburg, he was absolutely speechless.

After a minute of tense silence, Bronze Star cheekily muttered "What is it, Esopus? Did I surprise you?"

Spitzenburg collected his bearings and said in bewilderment "I'm afraid I don't understand. Are you implying that you want me to succeed?"

"In a way," Bronze Star professed, "I do not approve of your methods, but that is not to say I do not approve of your ideals."

"Enlighten me, if you would," Esopus Spitzenburg beseeched him.

"Oh, I shall," Bronze Star asserted, "You are right about one thing; this country does need reform, and it needs it to a great extent. There are numerous long-term political and social dilemmas that have gone unresolved. Every year for the past decade, we've had to send troops overseas to reinforce our allies in Saddle Arabia. Our treaty with Yakyakistan needs to be renewed in a few years. Trade relations with Neighway and Prance are declining. And I haven't even started on this country's problems. The upper class is riddled with social parasites. The lower class just barely get by on their own. Even the middle class is plagued by inequality and unfairness. Corruption and greed are not hard to find, either. In fact, I am currently in the same building as six CEOs. All of whom recently discovered that some form of foul play is going on in their companies."

"What sort of foul play?" Spitzenburg queried.

"Premeditated murder and money-laundering," Bronze Star apprised him, "Interestingly, it was because of the Hoovston disaster that they even found out about the foul play."

"Oh, then some good came out of the disaster after all," Spitzenburg contended.

"Not enough good to compensate for the bad," Bronze Star disputed, "Anyway, my point is that fifty years ago, all of the aforementioned issues were unheard of. I respect the fact that my mother has the most difficult job in the country, and I know that she has done it very well for over a millennium. You and I have very different opinions of her. Despite that, there is one aspect about her that you and I agree on. Like you, I believe my mother has sat the throne long enough. It is past time that she passed her rule on to somepony else. As her only child, I am the rightful heir to the throne. Who better to take over than me?"

Spitzenburg took a minute to reflect on that argument. While he did that, Bronze Star happened to glimpse at the other four ponies. Applejack and Noble Edict seemed to have gone mute, and Raoul Jowl was more intrigued than anything. Clear Crest looked downright flabbergasted.

"Is something bothering you, Clear?" the gold stallion queried in concern.

"Am I hearing you right, Your Highness?" the onyx mare stated in astonishment, "You are seriously considering the idea of usurping the throne from Princess Celestia? When I worked at the Castle, you would never have dared such a thing."

"I've matured quite a bit since you left, Clear," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I've learned that diplomacy, negotiation, and bargaining can only get you so far in this world, even if you're of royal blood. Sometimes, when you want something, the most practical technique to obtain it involves taking it by force."

"That is certainly a realistic perspective," Esopus Spitzenburg conceded, "But it raises the question: are you capable of wanting something so much that you would resort to using force to acquire it?"

"Of course I am," Bronze Star insisted, "If you don't think I am, then you know nothing about me."

"Then you really have changed, sir," Clear Crest professed.

"You have no idea, Clear Crest," Bronze Star straightforwardly commented. He then looked back at Esopus Spitzenburg and declared "I seem to recall something you said to Clear Crest in Appleoosa. After she identified me through the photograph Applejack gave you, you suggested reaching out to me. You were under the impression that I could be persuaded to give you support for your cause. Now I am offering you my support freely. You would be a fool to refuse it."

"Maybe, but I would be an even bigger fool to accept it without a second thought," Spitzenburg countered.

"I don't blame you for being skeptical," Bronze Star muttered, "However, please hear me out. What you really want is for things to change. You've made that eloquently clear. I can get you what you want. I can help you instill change in this country. But only if we do things my way."

"Alright, let's say I agreed to that," Spitzenburg remarked, "What would 'your way' involve?"

"There are only two conditions," Bronze Star informed him, "Both of them are nonnegotiable: you will answer to me, and nopony else dies. Absolutely nopony."

"I assumed as much," Spitzenburg murmured drily.

"I mean it," Bronze Star tensely pronounced, "I do not want any more blood on your hooves. The citizens of Equestria are my people, and my people must remain under my protection. There are ways to bring about change without inflicting violence. My way will not involve as much as one additional death."

"Very well," Spitzenburg acknowledged, "Now tell me; how do you propose to get your mother to stand down?"

"I have several strategies in mind," Bronze Star disclosed, "First, I'll play the role of the dutiful son wishing to relieve his mother of her greatest burden. I'll tell her that she should not have to continue enduring the stress of being Equestria's supreme ruler anymore, and I will recommend that she let me carry that responsibility for her."

"That approach sounds a little too thoughtful," Spitzenburg observed, "Aside from that, you make it sound as though Celestia dreads her role as this country's leader. Last time I checked, she seemed quite comfortable in her throne."

"You are correct," Bronze Star affirmed, "Truth be told, I don't have much faith in that approach. So if – or when – that fails, I'll move on to my next tactic. This time, I'd apply a little force."

"What sort of force?" Esopus Spitzenburg inquired.

"I'll switch from empathy to coercion," Bronze Star expounded, "I'll attempt to persuade my mother that Equestria is long overdue for a new ruler, and that I am ready to take her place. Less than two weeks ago, she said herself that she plans for me to take her place someday. I'll just tell her that 'someday' should probably be very soon. After all, I know enough about politics, social order, economy, and every other cultural aspect to rule this country properly. I'll show her that I can maintain this country's prosperity and fix everything wrong with it."

"I'm sure you can," Spitzenburg thought aloud, "Your mother may not be as easy to convince, though. Words can accomplish plenty, but you may need more than words to prove your capabilities. I wouldn't put too much faith in that technique, either. You should go ahead and forget that one, too."

"Then I'll have to use a different kind of force," Bronze Star declared, "I'll show my mother just how powerful I really am."

Spitzenburg leaned forward expectantly and remarked in interest "I'm listening."

"As you may already know, the entire military is loyal to the Royal Family," Bronze Star revealed, "They may have sworn to serve my mother first, but in actuality, most of them favor me over her. I have trained with the Royal Guard and officers from all five branches of the military. I've frequently visited our active and inactive units, and I've made friends with many of them. I've also passed a number of laws that have improved conditions for the military in recent years, and I'm on good terms with everypony on Canterlot Castle's War Council. Those are just some of the many reasons why I am so much more popular in the armed forces than my mother."

"You needn't go on; you've made your point," Esopus Spitzenburg told him, "You're very well-liked by the military; I get it. But is there anything you'd get out of the armed forces other than first place in a popularity contest?"

"Ho, yeah," Bronze Star deviously remarked, "If you were to ask every soldier in this country which member of the Canterlot Royalty they would prefer to follow into battle, odds are three of every four would pick me. In other words, if you and the other conspirators join me, I can offer you the support of roughly three-quarters of the Equestrian military."

Esopus Spitzenburg was intrigued by that revelation. Once he fully grasped it, he grinned very widely, as though he was delighted by it. However, after about twenty seconds, his grin faded and he rubbed his chin. He cleverly observed "With that kind of strength, you could have overthrown your mother long ago."

"That is true," Bronze Star concurred, "However, just because one has an opportunity to seize power, that does not necessarily mean they should. They also need the means to hold on to that power after they obtain it. I could easily use the military to take the throne from my mother. But doing so would have been pointless unless I secured the support of the common people, as well. Because without backers, my reign would end almost as soon as it began. That is where you and your colleagues come in."

"What would you need us to do?" Esopus Spitzenburg inquired.

"You have a very straightforward task," Bronze Star disclosed, "Straightforward but crucial. By doing it, you would enable me to keep my claim to the throne."

"Continue, please," the jade stallion beckoned him.

"Once I take the throne, I will need my own council to advise me on all matters," the gold stallion elucidated, "Hopefully, most of the ponies on my mother's council would be willing to continue advising me after she has stepped down. However, even if all of them swear their allegiance to me, I should still have some of my own people on my council. Ideally, I would need ponies who are held in high esteem by the public, ponies who constantly strive for this country's betterment, ponies who can get things done, ponies who can make tough decisions, and ponies who are determined to repair Equestria's problems. Based on those criteria, I believe that you and your colleagues are exactly who I need."

At first, Spitzenburg was not sure how to respond to that. Ultimately, he just said "How so?"

"I'll explain," Bronze Star illuminated, "All of you come from different backgrounds. All of you are involved in different industries. All of you are very proficient and influential in your own fields. All of you were willing to go to extreme lengths to improve this country. Even though your techniques were gravely misguided, you are the type of ponies who can effectively reform Equestria. All you need is proper direction, and I can give you that. In return, you can publically advocate my rule once I ascend to the throne."

"And you believe our support would ensure that you keep the throne?" Spitzenburg assumed.

"If all of you were seen with me in public, you would rally others to back me up," Bronze Star debated, "You alone would gain me the Apple Family, and Sir Raoul would be able to secure the Canterlot Elite for me. I could even erase Clear Crest's criminal record and reinstate her to the Royal Guard; she would be my Captain. That's just for starters. Between the eighteen of you, I should be able to win favor with the vast majority of the ponies in this country."

"That is rather analytical," Spitzenburg admitted, "However, I hope you plan to have us do more than stand by your side."

"No, I've got a whole lot more in mind for your company," Bronze Star reassured him, "When I come to power, I will put you on my council. I will make you and your companions my closest and most prominent advisors. You will have a say in every choice I make, and I mean every choice. Nothing will be done without consulting you first."

Spitzenburg was notably pleased by that. He grinned and remarked "Now that is what I like to hear. Collaboration. A country should not be governed solely by one pony. It should be governed by a group of ponies instead."

"Although you will be on my council, I would still be the undisputed leader," Bronze Star pronounced.

"I can accept that," Spitzenburg conceded, "Now, what about your mother? By what means to you intend to use the military to take the throne away from her? You specifically said you would not tolerate any more death."

"I have already devised a strategy," Bronze Star disclosed, "I'll assemble a huge company of soldiers and bring them to Canterlot in secret. When the timing is right, they'll storm the city. Once they've taken the Castle, I'll visit my mother in the throne room and politely ask her if she would give me the throne. When she sees how hopelessly outnumbered she is, I expect she'll be quick to see the 'logic' in my request and agree to stand down."

"If I was in that position, I definitely wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse you," Spitzenburg perceived, "But Princess Celestia does not strike me as the type who can be intimidated very easily. Suppose she tries to fight back. Would you be able to defend yourself?"

"I should say so," Bronze Star professed, "My mother is an exceptionally powerful mare, but I know that it is possible to overwhelm her. During the Nightmare Moon incident, she was imprisoned in a sphere of energy by my aunt. My aunt had not been in this country for a thousand years, and she was virtually insane at the time. If a long-lost mare could subdue my mother during a bout of insanity, I'm sure I could do it with several hundred thousand trained combatants beside me."

"You're absolutely sure?" Spitzenburg enquired.

"Yes," the gold stallion pronounced, "Don't worry about Princess Celestia, Esopus. I can handle her."

"I certainly hope so," Spitzenburg uttered apprehensively, "Because if this fails, a lot of us will lose our heads. You might even lose yours."

"No, my mother would never have me executed," Bronze Star contended, "And I assure you, she will not execute you or any of your people, either. I am confident that this will work."

"Still, you must realize that you're taking a huge gamble here," Spitzenburg commented.

"I'm only taking it if you agree to assist me," Bronze Star argued, "It's your choice, Esopus. You could continue with these mass murders, or you can join me. One way or another, you'd arrive at an outcome that will enable you to change Equestria. But which scenario would you prefer to transpire? One that results in a broken country with tens of thousands of ponies dead and the survivors so shaken and disorderly that they have lost all faith and trust even in their own leaders, or one that involves as little suffering as possible and gains you the support of the Equestrian military and the Canterlot Royalty?"

Spitzenburg raised an eyebrow, scoffed, and muttered "When you put it that way, I would be a fool to turn down your offer. However, you must realize that it would be impossible to carry out this uprising without enduring some loss. You may very well gain the support of three-quarters of the armed forces. But suppose the remaining quarter refuses to acknowledge you as their leader. Some of them will be determined to resist you. Worst case scenario, it could mean civil war."

"Yes, I realize there may be a possibility of that," Bronze Star candidly declared, "However, since my units would outnumber my mother's units three-to-one, it would be a very short war."

"That's not my point," Spitzenburg revealed, "Again, I remind you that you said quite clearly that you will not allow any more deaths to result from this endeavor. Have you ever known a war that produced zero casualties?"

"The soldiers of Equestria are always willing to give their lives in service to their country," Bronze Star enlightened him, "If any of them die in my revolt, it would be tragic, but they would at least have meaningful deaths. They would die with honor and they would die for what they believe in. Most of all, they would get to choose whether or not they live or die. Your method gives none of your would-be victims a choice, and all of them are civilians. Why should their lives be forfeit?"

Spitzenburg considered those points for another minute. After that, he stated "You present a very effective argument, Your Highness. Now that I see my options from your point of view, your approach seems to be the more feasible choice."

"Does that mean you'll agree to it?" Bronze Star asked buoyantly.

"Perhaps," Spitzenburg said in response, brushing his hoof against his forehead, "I would like to discuss this with you in further detail. Maybe we could meet face-to-face."

"That's just what I was hoping you'd say," Bronze Star pronounced, "I would like you to meet with me in Canterlot. I will invite you to the Castle as my personal guest."

"The Castle?" Spitzenburg murmured in suspicion, "Why must it be the Castle?"

"There is a place there where we could talk without fear of being overheard," Bronze Star apprised him, noting his reaction, "What? You think I'm setting a trap?"

"Why else would you invite your enemy into your home?" Spitzenburg countered.

Bronze Star irately sighed and retorted with "Haven't you been paying attention to anything I've said? I don't want you to be my enemy, nor I yours. We would both seek to benefit as allies. Besides, if we took you prisoner, I know how your colleagues would respond."

"Fair point," Esopus Spitzenburg observed, "So, what would we do at the Castle?"

"We would have a meeting to discuss the details of the uprising," Bronze Star elaborated, "Only a few ponies will be present. I can assure you that after that meeting takes place, you will be allowed to leave the Castle unmolested. I give you my word."

"Forgive me if your word is inadequate," Spitzenburg mumbled drily.

"Alright, then we'll consult a second opinion," Bronze Star proposed. He turned to the onyx mare and asked her "Clear Crest, how good is my word?"

The former officer of the Royal Guard was silent for about twenty seconds. Then she looked the gold stallion in the eye and declared "Truthfully, it's better than most other ponies', sir. I know that you're a stallion of honor."

"Thank you," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He turned back to Spitzenburg and enquired "Is that good enough?"

Spitzenburg spent a long time contemplating his response. Nearly five whole minutes went by without a single word spoken between the six ponies. The silence was more tense and suspenseful than any noise could ever hope to be.

Then, at long last, Spitzenburg made eye contact with Bronze Star and announced "Very well, Your Highness. I will meet with you."

"Good," Bronze Star uttered in approval, grinning, "Sometime within the next week, I'll send you the details of our meeting. I'm not sure when it will take place; I'll need some time to make preparations first. It'll take at least a week to call upon the military, as even I cannot summon the armed forces at a moment's notice."

"Take as long as you need," Spitzenburg bade him, "In the meantime, I'll tell my colleagues to hold off on any future attacks we had planned. But I won't have them stand down altogether."

"I'll let you have that as insurance," Bronze Star pronounced, "But make sure you keep your people at bay. I don't want a repeat of the Hoovston disaster."

"There won't be, I promise you," Spitzenburg declared. There came another short interval of quietness, and then the jade stallion asked "Is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

"No, I believe we've addressed everything," Bronze Star contended, "I won't take up any more of your time. Go ahead and have your staff meeting, Mr. Spitzenburg. Clear Crest, Raoul Jowl, if you'd like some time to catch up, feel free. Just make sure Sir Raoul's back on the surface by midnight. I need him to regroup with the Firebrand Regiment."

Esopus Spitzenburg, Clear Crest, and Raoul Jowl nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Sir Raoul then lowered his front leg and brought the picture frame closer to him. After a few seconds, he deactivated the surveillance system in that frame, and the screen on the picture frame in Bronze Star's bedroom went blank.

Now Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Applejack were officially by themselves again. The gold stallion smirked in satisfaction and commented "I'd say that went pretty well. Right?"

When he got no response, he turned around to face the two mares, and he dropped his smile.

Applejack and Noble Edict looked as though they were in shock. They stared at Bronze Star as if they did not recognize him or if they did not know who he was. Given what they just heard, he could hardly fault them. Still, he was a little disappointed. He thought they might have had a little more faith in him.

"AJ, Noble…" Bronze Star spoke softly, "Don't tell me you actually bought everything I just said."

This confused the orange mare and the red mare.

"What do you mean?" Applejack asked in perplexity.

"I told Spitzenburg what he wanted to hear," Bronze Star professed, "He thinks he's made an ally out of me. In actuality, I employed a very old wartime adage: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

"So, all that stuff about an uprising…" Noble Edict began.

"I made it all up," Bronze Star revealed, "That was all just a ploy to get the mass murders to stop. I can assure you; there will BE no uprising. For all I know, I might actually be the military's favorite member of the Equestrian Royalty. But even if I am, I don't want my mother's throne, and I would never steal it from her."

"Well, that's a relief," Applejack remarked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this before," Bronze Star told them apologetically, "It was the only way I could convince Spitzenburg that I was willing to join him. It was important that Esopus saw the surprise on your faces when I first suggested the alliance. I needed him to think that I have been secretly planning an insurrection for a very long time, and that I had talked about it with nopony else, even the ponies closest to me."

"Well, I'm sorry we doubted you," Noble Edict sincerely stated.

"Yeah, we should have known you were just misleadin' my Uncle," Applejack contended.

"What's important is that we're all on the same page now," Bronze Star observed, "Although I've fooled Spitzenburg into thinking I'm on his side, I need to ensure that he keeps believing that lie. So I'm still going to arrange a meeting between me, him, and a few others at Canterlot Castle. For that to happen, I'll have to contact a lot of ponies, primarily the War Council. I'll need to bring them into this investigation in order for the next part of my plan to work."

"So your plan isn't over?" Applejack assumed.

"No, it's only just beginning," Bronze Star disclosed, "I would go into detail about it, but trust me; the less you mares know about my plan, the better. It has to be executed exactly as I envision it."

"It must be a methodical plan," Noble Edict conjectured.

"It is," Bronze Star proclaimed, "As long as everything goes accordingly, it should succeed. I expect it will end with my mother still on the throne, and the conspirators on cold metal tables in a morgue."

"So you're still going to have the remaining conspirators killed?" Noble Edict remarked.

"Yes, they signed their death warrants when they allowed the Hoovston disaster to happen," Bronze Star solemnly declared, "Esopus Spitzenburg thinks he will live to see this country undergo some great changes. I won't let him live long enough to see the next Summer Sun Celebration."

"Sounds good to me," Applejack straightforwardly murmured. Dapple Rhomb nodded in agreement.

Bronze Star then removed the soundproof spell on his room and changed back into his Earth Pony disguise. Noble Edict returned the cockatrice to the package and sealed it up tight. At the same time, Applejack opened the curtains and unlocked the door.

Initially, Bronze Star planned to take the cockatrice back to Bon Bon in the morning. However, Applejack would pass the beige mare's house on her way back to Sweet Apple Acres that night, so she offered to deliver the cockatrice for him. He gladly accepted her proposition.

After giving her coltfriend a passionate kiss good-night and signing out at the front of the embassy, Applejack left the building with the package on her back.

Noble Edict would have left, as well, but Bronze Star asked her to stay around for a while. The red mare had nothing going on that night, so she agreed.

They found Sir Haywood McCrank and Dapple Rhomb in the lounge. The indigo stallion was sitting in a comfortable chair, reading. The purple mare was lying on a couch, resting. She appeared to be asleep, but when Noble Edict nudged her, Dapple Rhomb promptly opened her eyes. She saw the security chief and her employer standing over her, and she grinned at them.

Bronze Star noted that Dapple Rhomb looked a lot better than she did that morning, and she claimed that she felt much better, too. She admitted that she had been feeling a little under the weather lately, probably due to stress and fatigue. At that time, she felt totally alright.

Dapple Rhomb sat up on the couch to make room for Noble Edict. As the red mare settled down next to the purple mare, Bronze Star sat down in a comfortable chair that adjoined Haywood McCrank's.

Sir Haywood McCrank took a few minutes to apprise Bronze Star on the last meeting with the CEOs. They had made quite a lot of progress that day. The biggest development involved the list Sir Haywood made the previous day. That was the modified list of employees in the six companies. Every pony on that list was marked as a suspect who may have been working for the Vermane. Initially, there had been fifteen hundred names on that list. By working together, the CEOs and the task force had managed to reduce that number down to nine hundred. Even better, most of the other six hundred had been eliminated for the most obvious reasons. Haywood McCrank planned to apply several more factors to the remaining nine hundred names, and he was certain that the list would continue to get shorter overtime.

Bronze Star was very pleased by this. At this rate, within a few days, the number of names on that list would be in double-digits. Not long after that, the task force might even be able to positively identify at least some of the remaining employees as members of the Vermane.

Once he was done updating Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank asked the prince about his day. The gold stallion was happy to report that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were doing very well. He had spent most of the morning and afternoon with the three fillies, and with the exception of the zip-lining fiasco, they had stayed out of harm's way.

Sir Haywood McCrank was relieved to discover that his fears about the Cutie Mark Crusaders ended up being unsubstantiated. This was one of the few times he had been wrong, but he was actually glad to have been incorrect this time. Even so, he apologized to Bronze Star for having him waste his time.

The gold stallion just smiled and assured the federal investigator that the time he spent with the Crusaders had not been a waste. He revealed that although he had not discovered anything new about the Vermane, he had discovered something far more wonderful and incredible.

Bronze Star spent the next hour describing that day's events to the other three ponies. He recounted the story each of the Element Bearers had told him about how she had gotten her cutie mark, and how it turned out that all of their stories were interconnected. He also recalled the story of how he had gotten his own cutie mark, and how his story tied into the six mares' stories, as well.

Noble Edict, Dapple Rhomb, and Sir Haywood McCrank had all witnessed the Night of the Dancing Cosmos. They found it fascinating that Bronze Star had caused it. What fascinated them even more was how it was through his actions that the Element Bearers had come to earn their cutie marks. It was almost impossible for them to believe; it was so amazing.

When Bronze Star was done going over everything he had learned that day, the others decided to share their own stories of how they had gotten their cutie marks, as well.

Noble Edict went first. She explained that her late uncle was once Ponyville's chief of security. He had been her predecessor's predecessor. Noble Edict's parents had died shortly after she was born, so she had been raised by her aunt and uncle. It was from her uncle that she developed her appreciation for Ponyville's security staff, and she had grown up hoping to follow in his hoofsteps One day when she was twelve, her uncle brought her to the barracks and given her a tour of it. At one point, he presented her with fifteen files of cases the security staff had handled over the years. He challenged her to read the details of those files and deduce how each case had ended. She managed to perfectly determine the outcome of all fifteen cases. She even correctly predicted how the defendant was sentenced in each case. When she finally closed the last file, a law enforcement badge had appeared on her flank.

Dapple Rhomb had her turn next. Interestingly, she and Rough Rider had gotten their cutie marks at the same time. As a native of San Franciscolt, she had spent a lot of her foalhood near the city's famous bay. She, Rough Rider, and their friends would often hang out in the marina. They would pass the time by swimming, fishing, and watching various ships enter and exit the harbor. One evening when she was ten, she and Rough Rider had snuck on board a cruise liner before it left port. The liner did not leave the city; all it did was continuously circle the bay until midnight. Dapple Rhomb and Rough spent most of that voyage at the bough of the vessel, gazing out at the waters. Rough Rider claimed that one day, he would travel all over the world, and he would make a fortune everywhere he went. Dapple Rhomb had been amused by that, and she asked if there was room for her in that dream of his. He told her she would be welcome to join him. The liner's captain had overheard their conversation, and he invited them to his cabin. He told them that he admired their ambition and dedication to each other. He said they had very mature mindsets for foals. The captain posed a lot of hypothetical scenarios to the two young ponies, and he asked what they would do in each one. In each situation, Rough Rider discussed in detail how he would make money from a certain business opportunity. As for Dapple Rhomb, she talked about how she would find the means to support herself, and she stated that she would be willing to adapt to any challenges she faced. The captain found that commendable, and he compared her to a parallelogram: she could bend, she could be flexible, she was complex, and with her resolve, she would not break or collapse. Dapple Rhomb loved that analogy; it fit her very well. By the time the liner returned to the harbor, a bag of bits on top of a map appeared on Rough Rider's flank, and a three-dimensional parallelogram appeared on Dapple Rhomb's flank.

Sir Haywood McCrank was the last to speak. He had gotten his cutie mark when he was only eight. It was rare for a pony to gain his or her cutie mark that early in life, but he had definitely earned his. As a colt, he had always been fascinated by mysteries. Even in his foalhood, he yearned to be a master detective. Every night when he went to bed, his parents would read him a well-written whodunit. They would always stop right before the culprit was identified, and they challenged him to guess who the guilty party was. The following morning, he would give them his answer, and he was always right. His parents were so amazed by their son's innate deductive ability that they enrolled him in a prestigious institution for highly intelligent and perceptive ponies. Many of that institution's graduates had gone on to serve the federal government. Like the School for Gifted Unicorns, this institution also had an entrance exam. Every applicant was given an unsolved case from the Intelligence Bureau, and they were asked to solve it. One might have thought that those who solved the case were accepted and those who failed to solve it were rejected. In actuality, it was the other way around. Every single applicant to the institution was given the exact same case. This particular case had been around for thirty years, and it had never been solved. The institution's board of directors thought the case would make the perfect test for the applicants. All the applicants who ultimately gave up and admitted their own limitations by saying that the case was impossible were allowed to join the institution. However, all the applicants who stubbornly refused to quit and were self-righteous enough to believe that they could actually solve the case were denied entrance to the institution. However, when Haywood McCrank was given the entrance exam, he surprised everypony. He noticed certain details about the case that everypony else had written off as insignificant or meaningless. Not only was he able to identify the guilty party, but he also provided a very thorough explanation to justify his argument. For their own curiosity's sake, the Intelligence Bureau decided to follow up on Haywood's reasoning, and they discovered that he was right. When confronted, the suspect broke down and confessed. Thus, a thirty-year-old crime had finally been closed. An eight-year-old colt had managed to do what scores of educated and experienced ponies could not. The moment Haywood McCrank was registered at that institution, a magnifying glass had shown up on his flank.

Although none of their stories had any resemblance to the others, Bronze Star could plainly see that all of them had earned their cutie marks through their own heart's desire, and all of those desires had resulted from the empathy they had for other ponies. In Bronze Star's opinion, that was just as praiseworthy and magnificent as a special magical connection.

It was about 7:30 in the evening when the four ponies finished reminiscing on their cutie mark stories. After that, Lord Ronald Grump entered the lounge and informed them that he and the other CEOs were about to go into town for dinner. He asked if they would join them.

Before they could reply, they heard a loud slamming sound near the front of the building. It sounded as though somepony had physically burst through the main entrance.

A moment later, Rollin Fields appeared in the doorframe that connected the lounge to the main first-floor corridor. He was breathing heavily, his face was a dark crimson, and his brow was dripping with sweat.

Between labored breaths, the lime green stallion stammered "Noble… Sir Haywood… Dapple… Mr. Ambassador…"

It was a good thing he decided to address Bronze Star last. He did not even notice Lord Ronald Grump was there until he had said the first three names. Had he failed to realize that, he might have called Bronze Star by his true name right in front of the CEO.

"What is it, Rollin?" Noble Edict asked in concern, sitting up on the couch.

The elderly security officer did not answer right away. First, he leaned against the wall and wiped his forehead. He needed a minute or two to catch his breath. Finally, he stood up straight, composed himself, turned to his associates, and announced "The others have returned from Detrot."

Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Sir Haywood McCrank, and Noble Edict quickly went from stunned to pleased. All of them smiled a bit at that news.

"That's excellent," Haywood McCrank remarked, getting up from his chair.

Lord Ronald Grump raised an eyebrow and asked in bafflement "'Others?'"

"Can't explain now, Lord Ronald," Bronze Star candidly proclaimed.

Dapple Rhomb gazed past the entrance of the lounge, as though she expected somepony else to appear behind Rollin Fields. When she saw that he was alone, she looked to the lime green Earth Pony and queried "So, where are they?"

Again, Rollin Fields did not give a prompt answer. Instead, he turned to his side and stared at the wall. It was then that the other ponies realized how jittery he was. They also noticed he was trembling. They soon figured out that that was not just because he had run all the way to the embassy from somewhere across town. He looked as though he had just seen something that traumatized him.

"Rollin, why do you look so worried?" Haywood McCrank inquired anxiously.

Eventually, Rollin Fields let out a very deep sigh and responded with "Same answer for both questions. They're at the hospital."

That statement caused the gold stallion, the purple mare, the indigo stallion, and the red mare to snap to full attention.

"What?" Bronze Star uttered quietly.

"They've at the hospital," Rollin Fields softly repeated, "They've got wounded."

"Who?" Sir Haywood hastily asked, "How many? How badly?"

"I don't know," Rollin Fields responded.

"How's Copper Hollow?" Noble Edict enquired nervously, climbing off the couch.

"I don't know," Rollin Fields admitted.

"How's Rough Rider?" Dapple Rhomb edgily yelled, jumping to her hooves, "How is my husband?!"

"I don't know!" Rollin Fields shouted, "I don't know anything! Their train only just got here, and as soon as it arrived, the entire security staff was summoned to the depot. I was only there long enough to see the others being tended by paramedics. I came here straight after. Right before I left, Dr. Sharp Seams told me that they would be taken to the hospital immediately."

"Then we've got to get over there now," Bronze Star firmly declared, rising to his hooves.

"He's right," Noble Edict conceded.

They were about to file out of the room, but Lord Ronald Grump stood in the doorframe and crossly demanded "What is going on?"

"Lord Ronald, now is not the time," Sir Haywood sharply replied, pushing the CEO out of the way, "I'm willing to give you an explanation later, but for now, I must insist that you stay out of our way."

The entrepreneur was visibly displeased with both that reply and that treatment, but there was little he could do to protest.

Bronze Star, Noble Edict, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, and Rollin Fields departed the embassy in such a hurry that they did not even bother signing out at the front of the building before they headed out.

As they passed through the gate, Rollin Fields told the four younger ponies "Before we get to the hospital, there's something else you should know."

"What?" Dapple Rhomb queried nervously.

"While I was at the depot, I took some time to look for the others," Rollin Fields disclosed, "The train had already been completely emptied by the time I got there. I searched the entire crowd, but I couldn't find all of our people. That can only mean one thing."

All four of his companions managed to grasp an idea of what that "thing" was, and it made them feel profoundly uneasy. The lime green Earth Pony confirmed their suspicions with the following ominous statement:

"Some of our people didn't come back."
> A Steep Price
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Rollin Fields made that last statement, his colleagues became very uneasy. Bronze Star decided to bring some backup. He went back into the embassy, found Comet Frost, Blade Bearer, and Swiftdrive, and ordered them to accompany him. On his way to the front entrance, he encountered Lord Ronald Grump, who was still demanding an explanation. Bronze Star impatiently dismissed the CEO's request and told him to wait. That would not be enough to get the entrepreneur to stand down, but the prince already had enough to worry about. He was in no mood to contend with a restless CEO.

Bronze Star and the three officers of the Royal Guard headed outside and regrouped with Noble Edict, Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, and Rollin Fields. The eight ponies hastily made their way to the hospital.

They were totally unprepared for what they found when they got there. It was like something out of a horror novel.

The lobby was very overcrowded. Dozens of ponies were sitting in chairs, leaning against the walls, or lying on the floor. Many of them were groaning in pain, and all of them were clutching one or two of their body parts. Several doctors, nurses, and orderlies were scurrying to attend these new patients, but there were not enough of them to go around.

Bronze Star and his associates began to push their way through the crowd. As they moved across the lobby, they got a better look at the surrounding ponies. The majority of the injured looked as though they had a gash, tear, or deep cut on their limbs or their torsos. In other words, their wounds appeared to have been inflicted by a knife.

There were a few patients whose wounds had not been caused by a knife. Instead, they had what appeared to be a large grey dot on various parts of their bodies. The dots were not birthmarks; that much was obvious. Birthmarks do not ooze blood. These dots did.

At one point, Noble Edict tapped Bronze Star and pointed to the other side of the lobby. She pronounced "Look, over there!"

The gold stallion gazed in that direction and spotted Copper Hollow in the crowd. He was helping a pair of paramedic transfer a badly carved-up mare from a stretcher to a portable bed. Once she was on, the paramedics rushed her to the Emergency Room. Copper Hollow just watched them as they rolled the bed out of the lobby, and he continued staring in that direction even after they disappeared from his sight.

Bronze Star hastily approached Copper Hollow and placed his front hoof on his shoulder. He queried anxiously "Copper, what's going on?"

The copper stallion slowly turned to face the gold stallion. Bronze Star noticed there was a bandage on the side of Copper Hollow's neck. It appeared to be soaked thoroughly with blood. That was alarming, but not as alarming as the expression on Copper Hollow's face. It was virtually blank.

"What in the name of buck happened here?" Sir Haywood McCrank heatedly inquired.

"Where are the others?" Dapple Rhomb frantically enquired.

"Why are there so many wounded here?" Noble Edict sternly questioned.

Copper Hollow did not answer any of them. He simply continued staring at whatever was immediately in front of him.

"Copper?" Rollin Fields muttered worriedly, "Are you okay?"

The elderly stallion's remark drew the others' attention to Copper Hollow's well-being. He looked as though he was in a trance, and he did nothing apart from blink and breathe. It was like he had shut out everything that was going on around him except for his ability to react to it.

"Talk to us," Bronze Star bade the older stallion, "Please, talk to us. What happened?"

He definitely understood that question, but he had no desire to reply to it. After what he had just endured, one could hardly blame him. Still, he doubted he would ever forget the events of the last two weeks.

They had been the longest two weeks of his life, and they kept replaying in his head.

Copper Hollow had never been away from Ponyville for more than a day. Truth be told, He was quite alright with that. Although he had a bit of a fondness for adventure, he had never had a desire to travel around the country. He would have been content to stay in his hometown for his entire life without leaving it. He had been born there, he had been raised there, and he planned that he would ultimately die there.

Whenever he died, he also planned for it to be at the end of a long and fruitful life. Of course, nopony ever has total control over their longevity. There are a lot of factors that could prolong or shorten one's lifespan. Sometimes those factors occur abruptly and unexpectedly. One such factor is the result of meeting strangers.

If the stranger is friendly, he or she might positively impact the other party and somehow cause them to live longer. If the stranger is hostile, he or she might force that same pony to meet with their demise sooner than they planned. Maybe a LOT sooner.

Copper Hollow had encountered both types of strangers in the past two weeks. On the plus side, most of them fell into the first category. Unfortunately, there were a few individuals who undoubtedly went into the second category. The repercussions of his experiences with those few had been devastating.

The copper stallion could vividly recall the day he left Ponyville. He was certain he would never forget it. It was the first time he had ever been on a train. It was also the last time all ten members of the task force would be together in one place.

Copper Hollow had said farewell to his parents, Iron Hollow and Tin Hollow. He was very glad he had done that. For all he knew, that might have been the last thing he ever told them. If he was not coming back, he wanted the last words they heard from his mouth to be "I love you both."

He was not the only pony in his group who was leaving family behind. Almond Wheeler's cousin Cashew Lane had come to see her off, and Rough Rider had shared a tender exchange with his wife. Having no family of their own in town, Shakedown and Dread Naught simply resorted to shaking hooves with Bronze Star and the other four members of the task force.

Once everypony said their good-byes, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Dread Naught, Rough Rider, and Shakedown boarded the train. After their luggage was checked and their tickets were snipped, they went to the center car and got settled.

About ten minutes later, the conductor announced that their departure for Detrot was imminent. Shortly after, the train began to move. As it gradually picked up speed, many of the passengers on the left side opened their windows and leaned out to get one last glance at their friends and family on the platform.

Rough Rider was one of those ponies. Copper Hollow watched the olive stallion as he smiled and waved at Dapple Rhomb. He used his right front hoof to wave at her. That was the hoof with his legband around it. Even now, Sir Haywood McCrank had refused to remove Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's legbands. Copper Hollow and a few of the other members had suggested that the legbands were no longer necessary, but Sir Haywood had insisted that they needed to keep a close eye on their vigilante counterparts, and the legbands provided their best means for doing so. Still, Copper Hollow found it odd that the indigo stallion would wish to establish that sort of distinction between the two spouses and everypony else. Especially since Shakedown had not been required to wear a legband.

Once the train pulled out of the depot, Rough Rider sat back down in his seat. He still kept his gaze on Ponyville until it faded into the distance. After that, he continued staring out the window so he could admire the scenery. That was how he passed the time. Each of the others passed it in a different manner. Shakedown read a novella, Dread Naught studied his files, and Almond Wheeler did a few crossword puzzles.

Copper Hollow passed the time by meditating. He had so much on his mind at that time, and he only had until the train reached Detrot to get it all in order. He wished he could say he was prepared for what was coming. He most certainly was not. He did not even know he would be going to Detrot until the previous night's meeting. That was hardly enough time to get ready in any meaning of the word.

He was the youngest of the five ponies there, yet he had been charged with leading this group. He was understandably anxious about that prospect.

He did not doubt his ability as a leader. He was confident that he was up to the task, otherwise he would not have volunteered for it. He was widely recognized by his peers as a caring, reliable, and respectable authority figure, and he had worked hard to earn his position as Ponyville's deputy chief of security.

What really troubled Copper Hollow was the place he was leading this group. Other than what he learned in school and what he read in the international sections of the newspapers, Copper Hollow was not very aware of the things that happened in the country outside of Ponyville. However, he knew enough about where they were going to admit that he should be worried.

While no city in Equestria was entirely crime-free, most of them were very peaceful, pleasant, and prosperous. On an average day, a pony could trot through any one of those cities and have a very positive experience.

That was not the case with Detrot. It used to be as lovely as any other city in Equestria, but over the last century, it had drastically fallen into ruin. The industrialization of Equestria had left a negative impact on this coastal city.

A first-time tourist might even be inclined to think that Detrot was not a part of Equestria; it was that different. Some claimed that its biggest commodity was crime, and even amongst the city's natives, there were few who would dispute that allegation.

Detrot had developed at a slower rate than any other major city in the country, its progress was hindered by vice and misappropriation, the black market had been founded there, gangs roamed the streets by day, thugs roamed the streets by night, there were rumors of corruption amongst the police force, murders occurred at least weekly, and there were some ponies who did not acknowledge Princess Celestia as their ruler.

These were problems that the city's populace had to deal with on a regular basis. It was survival of the fittest in Detrot. One had to be tough, fearless, and strongminded to get by. Anypony who could not adapt did not last long. With that in mind, one would think that the residents would be too terrified to leave their homes. Quite the contrary, the locals had seen the struggle as an advantage.

That was actually the one upside to living in Detrot: the city's hardships could be used to strengthen its inhabitants. Many natives of Detrot regarded everyday life as a test of endurance and persistence. That enabled them to grow up to be stronger, more cautious, more aware and more resilient than most other ponies in the country. In fact, several of the best officers of the Royal Guard and officers in the military were from Detrot.

The ponies who were truly in danger were tourists and immigrants from other parts of the country. More than half of the cities' murder victims were originally from other cities. Unlike the locals, newcomers had no idea just how harsh and unsafe the city could be. Their lives had been considerably more comfortable and laidback by comparison. Basically, where they came from, they had could keep their guard down without worry of attack. That was not how it worked in Detrot. Oftentimes, keeping one's guard up was the literal difference between life and death in that city. Some new arrivals learned that the hard way, and it ended up being the very last thing they ever learned.

Fortunately, as a security officer, Copper Hollow had been trained to always have his guard up. Almond Wheeler had received the same training as him, and he was certain that Agent Dread Naught, Shakedown, and Rough Rider were capable of watching their own backs. After all, Dread Naught was from Baltimare, another city with a less-than-stellar reputation, and Rough Rider and Shakedown had helped bring criminals to justice before.

Still, security officers in Ponyville were nowhere near as seasoned in violence as the Detrot Police Department. Furthermore, Baltimare was as calm as Ponyville when compared to Detrot, and Shakedown claimed that they could expect no additional help from the other vigilantes. His reasoning was that he did not have enough time to contact the other vigilantes before they left Ponyville. Apart from that, he pointed out that if more of his people joined up with the task force in Detrot, their group would become too large and attract unwanted attention. So the five of them were on their own. Until they got back to Ponyville, they could not even update the rest of the task force on their progress or vice versa.

So the five of them would have to face all of Detrot's indigenous problems by themselves. That was bad enough for any pony, but the task force was presented with an additional difficulty. On top of everything else, they would have to deal with the Vermane.

That did not please Copper Hollow one bit. He knew full well that the Vermane were the only reason they had made this trip in the first place, but that did not make it any easier to accept that the five of them would be hunting for a bunch of unscrupulous assassins in the most unforgiving city in Equestria. Just the concept of that would be enough to unnerve the bravest of souls.

Copper Hollow could imagine that the others were afraid. He certainly was. For the first time in his life, he realized what it meant to be scared. Even the Nightmare Moon incident and the encounter with the Ursa Minor had not bothered him so much.

All the same, the copper stallion was not going to let his fear dictate his actions. He was afraid, but he was not a coward. He was going to see this job through, regardless of the hazards involved. He knew he had to be strong and firm for himself and for his colleagues. If he appeared to be fearless and bold, he felt that would be enough to give them hope and keep them united in this endeavor.

He was their leader. He sure as Tartarus was going to act like it.

Copper Hollow spent well over an hour meditating. Then lunch was served by the train's crew. It was nothing fancy, but it was filling. After eating, Copper Hollow decided to look for other ways to occupy his time. Rough Rider appeared to be a little bored, as well. That was understandable; a stallion could only enjoy staring at the scenery for so long, and it was a twelve-hour nonstop trip to Detrot.

Fortunately, Shakedown had brought over a dozen novellas, and Almond Wheeler had brought an entire volume of crosswords. Between those resources, there was plenty of entertainment to go around for all five ponies. Even so, Dread Naught was content to keep his muzzle buried in his files for the whole ride. The others did not protest; that meant more for the rest of them.

Finally, at one o'clock in the morning, the train reached its destination. By this point, the majority of its passengers had fallen asleep. Shakedown and Copper Hollow were the only ones in their group who were still awake, and the copper stallion had almost nodded off a couple times.

When the train pulled into Detrot's main station, the whistle was blown and the conductor shouted "Detrot, mares and gentlestallions! Watch your step!"

That had been enough to awaken most of the sleeping passengers, including Dread Naught and Rough Rider. Copper Hollow had to nudge Almond Wheeler a few times to rouse her. Once they were all up, the five ponies swiftly disembarked onto the adjoining platform. From there, they collected their luggage. After collecting their luggage, they promptly exited the station and entered the city.

The instant they stepped outside, they fully realized that they were in a very different place than what they were accustomed to. The air had a pungently foul scent, like a combination of blood, rotten food, and raw sewage. Although it was pitch black, only about half of the streetlights were on, and most of those were either dim or flickering. Despite the lateness of the hour, there were a number of ponies roaming through the streets. Most of them did not even seem to acknowledge the five members of the task force. The few who did gave them little more than a glare or the cold shoulder. There was not a grin or a friendly nod to be seen anywhere.

Copper Hollow was glad that he and his companions were armed. He was still wearing his belt which contained – among other things – his knife. He would be ready to brandish his weapon at a moment's notice. All the same, he was hoping he would not have to draw it for the duration of their stay in Detrot.

Out of concern for their well-being, he suggested that they find shelter as soon as possible. The others promptly agreed with the idea, and Rough Rider was able to offer a solution.

Since the olive stallion had been to the city before, he was familiar with all of its hotels. His favorite one was the Grand Alhoof, which was relatively nearby. However, it was still nine blocks away, and he knew it would be folly to trot that far in Detrot at night.

Luckily, Almond Wheeler was able to hail a couple taxis. At least the cabbies treated them kindly enough. They actually helped their five customers load their luggage onto the carts, and they did not even ask for any assistance

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the front of the Grand Alhoof. The task force paid the cabbies and continued on hoof to the entrance of the building. A bellhop offered to help them with their bags, but they politely declined. Not only because they had packed very lightly, but also because they did not wish to entrust their belongings in anypony else in this town.

The five ponies quickly approached the front desk and requested two rooms. Since Rough Rider was a returning guest, he got to pick those rooms. He managed to get them two standard side-by-side suites with an adjoining door on the twenty-ninth floor.

Dread Naught could have used his status as a federal investigator to reserve them one of the finer suites in the penthouse, but their job in Detrot was supposed to be off the record, and Dread Naught did not wish to use his government credentials unless he had to, lest he risk attracting suspicion.

Anyway, once the suites were booked, the five ponies were given their keycards and took the elevator all the way to the twenty-ninth floor.

The two suites were standard three-room dorms. There was a bedroom, a bathroom, and a main room. Each bedroom had two queen-sized beds with fresh sheets, and the bathrooms were spotless. One of the main rooms had a couch and a minibar; the other had a kitchen.

Before the five ponies got settled, they unlocked the doors that connected their suites together and kept them wide open. That way, they would have total access to each other. They wanted to be able to converse as a group at any time.

They could have rented just one room, but no room in the hotel had five places to sleep. Shakedown was very against the idea of having anypony sleeping on the floor; he argued that nopony ever got decent rest from sleeping on the ground, and all of them needed their rest while they were in Detrot. With two suites, there were four beds and a couch. Shakedown and Rough Rider took the two beds in the suite with the kitchen, Almond Wheeler and Dread Naught took the two beds in the suite with the minibar, and Copper Hollow took the couch.

It was almost two o'clock by the time they were finally able to turn in for the night. Dread Naught beckoned everypony to get a good night's sleep. They would certainly need it; sleep would probably be their only source of solace while they were in Detrot.

At eight o'clock, the five of them woke up and started the first of many hectic days. After freshening up, they had breakfast in the dining hall. As they ate, Shakedown proposed that they go grocery shopping sometime later. He argued that it would be more practical and more discreet if they had most of their meals in their hotel rooms. The others agreed to that idea; all of them had some experience in the culinary arts. They decided they would have breakfast and dinner in the hotel's dining hall or in their suites. As for lunch, they would stop at a food stand or something else with fast service.

After breakfast was concluded, the five ponies headed back up to their suites. Once there, Dread Naught explained that he had already devised a plan for how they would continue the investigation in Detrot. He proposed that they start by going back to the city's main train depot. So they did. After putting on their saddlebags of supplies and utility belts, the five ponies confidently headed out into the city.

Dread Naught had kept the manifest of the train that had the Vermane had used to flee from Ponyville after they attacked Rollin Fields' children. When they got to the depot, the brownish-tan Unicorn approached the ticket vendor and requested to see with the stationmaster. As soon as the stationmaster arrived, Dread Naught showed him the manifest. He told him that he needed the names and locations of every railway employee who had been on that train for that particular trip. The stationmaster seemed perplexed by that request, so Dread Naught presented his government credentials and insisted it was a matter of national security.

The stationmaster left and returned twenty minutes later with a sheet of paper. On that paper was a complete list of the names and current whereabouts of all the personnel of that one certain trip for that one certain train.

Dread Naught's plan was for them to interview all of those workers and see if they could remember anything pertinent from that train ride. As luck would have it, several of those workers were at the depot at that time, and the rest of them would all be in Detrot sometime in the next two days. The task force wasted no time in taking advantage of that.

They spent the majority of the following three days at the train station, speaking with the employees on that list. For the first two days, they did not make a lot of progress. All the workers they conversed with either could not recall anything about that train ride or was able to tell them anything they did not already know.

However, on the third day, the task force members had their first major breakthrough when they spoke with one of the stewards. When they showed the steward the manifest, he recognized it straightaway. As a matter of fact, he claimed that he had written it. Dread Naught asked him if he remembered seeing three stallions – one Earth Pony, one Unicorn, and one Pegasus – who had sat together in the same row near the front of that train. The steward thought back hard and recalled that he had indeed encountered three such stallions.

Shakedown asked for a description of those three stallions. The steward was able to provide them with only a few details, but they were still useful tidbits of information.

For starters, all three stallions had been in their early thirties. The Earth Pony had a mint green coat and a mauve mane, the Unicorn had a tawny coat and a hoary mane, and the Pegasus had a cobalt coat and a puce mane. The steward tried as hard as he could, but he was unable to remember the color of those stallions' eyes or their cutie marks.

He recounted that all three of them had seemed very distant and inhospitable. They had barely spoken a word for the duration of that train ride. The steward also said that whenever he or anypony else went near those stallions, they had thrown an angry scowl in that pony's direction. As a lifelong citizen of Detrot, the steward was accustomed to receiving that sort of treatment, so he did not think anything of their unpleasant demeanor at the time. He just thought it was worth mentioning.

That was pretty much the bulk of what the steward could reminisce about the three stallions. Needless to say, he had no idea what those stallions' names were. While Dread Naught and the others were hardly surprised, they were still a little disappointed. Their investigation might have progressed much faster if the steward could provide them with a name or three.

That aside, the task force had still acquired enough information to further their search for the Vermane. Now that they had a partial physical description of what their three suspects looked like, they knew who to keep their eyes open for.

The next step was for them to do some digging around the city. They aimed to find out who else had encountered those three stallions.

They wondered how they would accomplish this goal. Asking around was out of the question. They would cast a lot of suspicion on themselves if they just went about the city and asked random bystanders if they had seen three certain stallions. Plus, the townsfolk of Detrot were not known to be particularly accommodating, especially with regards to strangers. Most of all, the five members of the task force were searching for three ponies in a city of over a million. Rough Rider proposed that they would need the aid of somepony who was obligated by their job or lifestyle to monitor all activity – criminal or otherwise – in the whole city.

With that said, Copper Hollow recommended that they check in with the Detrot Police Department. Rough Rider concurred with that proposal; he contended that the police in this city could be a reliable source of information. As long as you knew who to ask for help and how to ask for it. Between the five of them, they were bound to produce another viable lead. So they promptly headed to the Police Headquarters.

Since they were still trying to keep a low profile, Copper Hollow knew it would not be prudent to just saunter up to the officers behind the counter and start posing questions. He reasoned that they needed to be more discreet and careful. He asked Rough Rider if he personally knew any cops that they could go to for information.

Rough Rider happened to know three officers like that. One of them was shady, one of them was ruthless, one of them was upstanding, and all three of them gave reliable information. The only problem was that none of them freely shared that information; one had to pull some strings in order to get them to talk.

This was a task best-suited for Shakedown, Dread Naught, and Almond Wheeler. Rough Rider told them all he knew about those three cops, and then the three of them each went to spoke with one of those cops.

Shakedown consulted the shady one. As a former cop himself, the greenish-blue stallion did not delight in having to deal with a crooked police officer, but if Rough Rider said he gave good intel, Shakedown could tolerate that. Plus, he was an expert on acquiring leads through a variety of techniques. When he first approached him, the officer was very tight-lipped. However, after Shakedown offered him a substantial bribe, the officer quickly loosened his lips.

Dread Naught conferred with the ruthless one. Since the police worked for local government and the Intelligence Bureau worked for the federal government, the two forces hardly ever interacted with each other. However, the Intelligence Bureau was responsible for ensuring that the country's other law enforcement agencies did not violate their own laws. This police officer was known for being very abusive towards his suspects, and he rarely showed any remorse, even if they turned out to be innocent. Luckily, he did not lack common sense. Dread Naught just had to flash his government credentials and threaten to conduct an investigation on the officer's activities, and that was all it took to get him to cooperate.

Almond Wheeler visited the upstanding one. This officer was like a resilient model citizen. He had grown up in a treacherous setting but had avoided succumbing to its vices and immorality. He was incapable of being enticed, subdued, or soiled by illicit means. He always did everything by the book, and there was not a hint of corruption in him. Despite his legitimate mentality, he was very stern and withdrawn. He never discussed his files with anypony unless they had a good reason. Almond Wheeler actually had an excellent reason, but given the secrecy of her job, she was unable to share it. As a dedicated security officer, she could grasp some idea of how this police officer functioned. Almond Wheeler reached out to him by appealing to his sense of duty and his sense of righteousness. She insisted that lives were at stake, and he could help save them if he gave her his assistance. In the end, that was precisely what was needed to sway the police officer's mind and get him to open up to her.

Once Shakedown, Dread Naught, and Almond Wheeler had the attention of the three police officers, they informed them of their current predicament. To be precise, they were looking for three certain stallions. They convinced the officers to search the station's archives to see if they had a record of any pony who matched the physical description of those three stallions.

Considering how many ponies had criminal records in Detrot, the three officers were in the archives for quite a while. When they finally came out, they revealed that they did not have a criminal record of any Earth Pony with a mint green coat and a mauve mane, any Unicorn with a tawny coat and a hoary mane, or any Pegasus with a cobalt coat and a puce mane.

However, they found some ponies who matched those criteria in another part of their history.

Over the past several years, the police had gotten a few tips about a mint green Earth Pony, a tawny Unicorn, and a cobalt Pegasus. The ponies who filed those tips had reported seeing those three stallions behaving suspiciously in certain parts of the city. A few of those tippers had even claimed that those three stallions had mysteriously disappeared from those areas at various times and spontaneously reappeared in the same vicinities several hours later.

The officers apologized for being unable to provide more conclusive info about those three stallions, but Shakedown, Dread Naught, and Almond Wheeler reassured them that this piece of information would be quite useful on its own. All they needed to know was where the tips had come from, as well as who had filed them. Most of those tips had been submitted anonymously, but the officers were able to give them the names of about thirty ponies who had given their identities alongside their tips. They also notified the task force that all of those tips had originated from one of three places in the city: the marina, the oil refinery, and the largest high school.

At that point, the task force knew both who to look for and where to look for them. The five ponies spent most of the following nine days at one of those three locations.

They decided to start at the marina. Rough Rider mentioned that sixteen months earlier, he had conducted a business transaction with a bunch of fisherstallions there. Plus, as a native of San Franciscolt, he was well-acquainted with docks and harbors. Moreover, Shakedown had often collaborated with the coast guard during his days on the Manehattan P.D. He was very good at distinguishing all the different types of sailors, and some of them were often smuggling knowledge instead of goods.

Anyway, the task force could be found at the marina for most of the subsequent three days. On the first day, they explored as much of it as they could. They went through the stores, the shops, the stands, and – with the owners' permission – many of the boats that had been stationed there. They wanted to be absolutely thorough. If they had the time, they would have dredged the lake, as well. In the end, they came up with nothing that might have led them anywhere.

On the second day, they moved on to acquiring information through more direct means. They went around the marina and talked to a number of ponies in the area. They spoke with the harbor patrol, the dock hooves, the service manager, the concierge coordinator, the booking agents, the watersports directors, and the engineers. They also sought out some of the ponies who had filed the tips about their three suspects.

By the end of the day, the task force managed to obtain some useful information. Over a dozen ponies directed them to a certain building located in the interior section of the docks. Each of those ponies claimed to have seen a mint green Earth Pony, a tawny Unicorn, and a cobalt Pegasus enter or exit that building at one point in time.

For the bulk of their third and final day at the marina, the task force searched that building. It used to be the old registration office for boat owners, but it had been closed down years ago, and a new office had been built in a more strategic location along the docks. Although the building was boarded up, once Dread Naught showed the harbor patrol his credentials, the task force was granted unrestricted access to the rundown office.

The task force methodically went through all three floors of the office, and all they found were cobwebs, quill pens, and blank papers. And dust. However long this office had been closed, it must have been a long time. Dust could be found in abundance there. It covered every single surface in the entire building.

Except for the shelves on the bookcase in the closet behind the front desk. There was not a speck of dust on those. Shakedown was keen to notice that, and he drew the others' attention to the bookcase. They carefully looked the shelves over, and Copper Hollow spotted a latch that appeared to attach the bookcase to the adjoining wall. He pulled out his knife and used it to unfasten the latch. Once he did that, he lightly nudged the bookcase, and it slowly slid away, revealing a short flight of stairs.

The sudden appearance of this secret passage was alarming and unexpected, but it had to lead somewhere. Copper Hollow announced that they were going to investigate it. After the other four ponies drew their knives, they proceeded down the stairs.

At the bottom of the staircase, they arrived in a very dark room. Dread Naught used his magic aura to illuminate the place. The five ponies looked around and saw that there were a number of crates along the walls. Shakedown used his knife to pry open the lid of one of the crates, and the others gathered around to examine its contents.

Inside the crate was an assortment of jumpsuits in plastic laundry bags, daggers in sheaths, spyglasses, and cameras.

Almond Wheeler opened up one of the laundry bags and pulled out its jumpsuit to get a closer look at the material. She recognized it as the same type of jumpsuit that had been worn by the assailants in Whitetail Woods. She, Copper Hollow, and Dread Naught also noted that the spyglasses and the sheathed daggers were identical to the ones that were used by the Vermane.

Rough Rider inspected up one of the cameras and identified it as a Kojak Plus. He recalled that when he had shown Photo Finish the photographs that the Vermane made of the task force's loved ones, she had informed him that they had been taken by a Kojak Plus.

This marked the task force's next big development. They had located the Vermane's stash of resources. This officially confirmed that the Vermane were in Detrot.

The task force spent a couple hours cataloguing the contents of the crates. When they were finished, Shakedown advised the others to put the objects back right where they were. He cautioned them not to hold on to any of the objects, either. He reasoned that if the Vermane came back later and found anything out of place or missing, they would realize that somepony else had been there.

Another hour later, the basement looked exactly as it did before. After that, the task force headed back upstairs, slid the bookcase back in front of the staircase, refastened the latch, and departed from the building. Then they swiftly returned to the Grand Alhoof Hotel. For the first time since they arrived in Detrot, they all went to sleep that night with a feeling of accomplishment.

The task force spent a lot of the subsequent three days at the oil refinery. For the first day, they conversed with the ponies who lived in the nearby regions that bordered the factory. Most of the ponies who had tipped off the police were actually residents of that district. Half of them could not be bothered to help the task force, but the other half was able to point them in the right direction. They remembered seeing a mint green Earth Pony, a tawny Unicorn, and a cobalt Pegasus approach the plant many times. A couple of them even claimed to have seen the three stallions climb over the fences.

By the time the task force interviewed those particular ponies, it was already quitting time at the refinery, and non-employees were not allowed in after hours. So they chose to head back to the hotel early. This was the only occasion when the task force called it a day before the Sun had set.

The following morning, the task force showed up at the plant right when it opened. Before they got there, Rough Rider addressed how they would gain admittance to the place. Normally, the only ponies – apart from the workers – who got into the refinery were clients, the authorities, or in a tour group.

Everypony had to sign up at least two weeks in advance for a tour, and if Dread Naught presented his government credentials at the main entrance, word would have gotten around quickly that the refinery was under investigation. So the first option would have involved too much time, and the second option would have been too disruptive and suspicious.

To get in, Rough Rider suggested that they pose as a bunch of customers who were looking to invest their interests in the oil industry. They pulled off that performance relatively well; it got the plant manager's attention easily enough. He invited them up to his office to discuss business.

Once they were alone with the manager, the five ponies dropped the charade and revealed their true intentions for being there. He was mildly disappointed that they were not really clients, but he was far more surprised to learn that three suspects in a criminal investigation had been seen on his factory's grounds. He assured the task force that he would assist them in any way he could.

Although they did not think it likely, the task force asked the plant manager if he had any employees whose physical description matched that of the three stallions they were looking for. Unsurprisingly, he did not. He proclaimed that there were hundreds of workers at the plant, but most of them had been there for years, and everypony knew everypony. He even let them see the refinery's roster to prove his claim. Sure enough, there were no mint green Earth Ponies, tawny Unicorns, or cobalt Pegasi under that factory's employ.

However, some of the refinery's workers had filed some of the tips about the three suspects. The task force had the plant manager summon those workers to his office one at a time. When each one arrived, they questioned him about what he had seen that caused him to report the tip. Several of them had only seen three figures galloping in the distance for a few seconds before they vanished. However, the forestallion said he had unmistakably spotted those three stallions between the desalter and the steam reforming unit. He had attempted to pursue those stallions, but he lost them somewhere near the FCC unit. A couple of the terminal operators and project engineers gave more or less the same testimony. Wherever they had first noticed the three stallions varied by place, but they insisted that those stallions always disappeared by the time they reached the FCC unit. A couple times, they had called in security to search the place, but they never found so much as a trace of those three stallions.

Copper Hollow requested to see the FCC unit, and the forestallion and the plant manager escorted him and his colleagues to that section of the refinery. The on-duty technicians spent the better part of an hour explaining the functions of the unit, as well as what went on in this part of the factory. After that, the task force studied the FCC unit and its surroundings for another half-hour. There was nothing abnormal about the unit itself, but at one point, Almond Wheeler peered underneath the unit and spotted a grate.

The manager explained that that particular grate had no real function. It was not used as a drainage juncture or an exhaust port. He mentioned that as far as he knew, the grate could not even be opened.

Then Almond Wheeler reached under the unit, took ahold of the grate with her front hoof, and tried to lift it. It came up straightaway without any difficulty. The manager just scoffed and cheekily stated that he might have been wrong.

Shakedown crawled under the FCC unit, moved up next to Almond Wheeler, and gazed down into the hole in the ground. As she held up the grate, he announced that there were a set of rungs built into the side of the wall. He spat into the hole, and they heard an echo after only three seconds. This indicated that it was no deeper than thirty meters.

The plant manager and the forestallion were just as intrigued as the task force was by this development. The manager went back to his office and looked up the refinery's blueprints, and the original design did not include a subterranean level at one hundred feet below the surface. By all accounts, that passage should not have been there.

All the same, Copper Hollow declared that they were going down there. The plant manager protested, saying that if the copper stallion or any of his companions incurred any form of injury while they were underground, the refinery would be held responsible. He insisted that his own workers should explore the passage first.

This expedition took up most of the afternoon, and lasted after most of the workers had gone home. In the end, all the assigned workers returned to the surface and reported that the passage essentially led nowhere. All they found was a labyrinth of hallways, all of which ultimately turned out to be dead ends.

Nevertheless, Copper Hollow told the plant manager that he and the rest of the task force wanted to take a look themselves. The plant manager seemed reluctant, but he agreed to grant the security officer's request. However, it was already well past closing time, and he could not afford to keep the refinery running all night. He told the task force that if they really wanted to know what was below the factory's ground, they would have to come back tomorrow.

That was precisely what they did. They arrived at the gates of the refinery very early so they could gain entrance as soon as possible. To divert the workers' suspicion, they continued masquerading as potential clients for the refinery. So far, only the plant manager and the forestallion knew who the task force really was and why they were really there. They planned to keep it that way.

After they were granted access to the refinery, they were escorted back to the FCC unit by the plant manager. There were only a few ponies working there at that time, one of which was the forestallion. At Copper Hollow's request, he assigned each of those ponies to handle another task at a different part of the facility. Once they were gone, he reached underneath the FCC unit, removed the grate, and stood aside for the five members of the task force.

One-by-one, the task force crawled under the FCC unit, lowered themselves into the hole, and climbed down the ladder. When they were all down, the forestallion slid the grate back into place and called his subordinates back to their stations. He continued working as though nothing had happened. In actuality, he was keeping watch until the task force got back.

When the task force reached the bottom of the ladder, they found themselves in a maze of tunnels. These tunnels appeared to be hoof-made by the looks of them, and they seemed to go on for at least a mile in every direction. It was a good thing all five members of the task force were very patient and committed to their objectives. Otherwise, they might have climbed back up the ladder the moment they reached the bottom of it.

The corridors were completely dark; there was no lighting whatsoever. The task force had brought flashlights, but even those could not project beyond a few meters. They made sure to stay very close together to avoid getting separated. They also remembered to keep a record of their route so that they would be able to find their way back to the ladder.

Their time underground was far from pleasant. The corridors always seemed to start or end abruptly, like there was no consistency to them. They also smelt heavily of sulfur, bulk tar, and petroleum. Since the tunnels were hoof-made, there was not gravel or concrete to be found; the floor, walls, and ceiling were made entirely of dried earth. Then again, they may have been made of something more.

At one point, Dread Naught stepped in a puddle of something which he was pretty certain was not water. Whatever it was, it almost caused him to slip a couple times, and it smelt no better than any of the tunnels' other odors. Breathing proved to be a challenge; the air down there was stale and bitter. The most unsettling factor of all was how apart from the echoes of their hoofsteps, there was no sound whatsoever. Not so much as a gust of wind. That great silence was profoundly unnerving for all of them.

For the next five hours, the task force aimlessly wandered through the tunnels, but they never really got anywhere. Every time they thought they were on the verge of success, they just encountered another dead end. Before long, this routine became more tedious than disappointing.

However, in the sixth hour of their search, they happened upon a tunnel that was much wider than any of the others. They followed that tunnel, only to meet another dead end. Or so they thought. The task force took a closer look at this wall, and they noticed something irregular. The dried earth that composed the wall was very rough and uneven. On all the other walls – as well as the ceiling and the floor – the dried earth had been smoothed down like cement. This wall was the sole exception to that.

The wall was wide enough so that all five members of the task force could approach it whilst standing side-by-side. They simultaneously ran their front hooves along the wall in effort to find an opening or something of the sort. Rough Rider had been standing the farthest right, and when he pushed down firmly enough, the wall budged. He informed the others of this, and altogether, the five ponies gathered around the right side of the wall and pushed on it as hard as they could.

Finally, the wall came loose and rotated on its center. Consequentially, the task force had uncovered another tunnel which the refinery workers had overlooked. They cautiously trotted down this tunnel and arrived at another room. Like the hidden compartment at the marina, this room was full of crates.

However, when Shakedown used his knife to pry one of them open, the task force discovered that there were no spyglasses, sheathed daggers, jumpsuits, or cameras within. Instead, they found piles and piles of ledgers.

Initially, they were confused by this. They could not imagine why anypony would go so far out of their way to hide several thousand ledgers. Then Dread Naught examined the ledgers more closely, and he recognized some of the names on them. He announced to the others that the names of some of the Vermane's previous victims were on the ledgers. Interestingly, none of the names appeared only once; all of them showed up on no fewer than fifteen ledgers.

After another two hours of examination, Dread Naught managed to put everything together. He explained to the others that the ledgers were basically a record of all of the Vermane's profit. Every time the Vermane killed somepony, an organization deposited a large sum of money into the account of that pony's loved ones. The organization was always one of six companies: two advertisement agencies named Uptown Mystique and Radical Innovation, two insurance corporations named MonuMarent and Landslide, and two banking firms named GrandiHorse and Fabian. Somehow, every time those companies compensated the victims' families, another equally large sum of money was sent out, as well. This sum of money travelled through dozens of other smalltime banks so that its value would increase exponentially in very little time. After a week of this process, the money would be twenty times its original amount. After a month, a hundred times.

Unfortunately, none of the ledgers gave any indication of where the money trails ended, but one thing was for certain: whoever was last to receive even one of those sums of money would be a millionaire for life.

Now the task force knew how the Vermane made all their profits. It was through six of the largest and most prolific companies in the country that they had gotten rich. Ironically, the five members of the task force in Ponyville had already made this same discovery only a few days beforehand. Of course, neither group had any way of knowing what the other had learned in the time since they had split up. Still, what mattered was that they were all on the same page by this point.

When they were done examining the ledgers, the members of the task force returned them to their respective crates in the exact order they had removed them. After that, they closed the crates back up, filed out of the hidden tunnel, and returned the revolving wall to its original position. Then they proceeded back to the ladder and climbed back up.

By the time they returned to the surface, it was past closing time for the refinery. Only the forestallion and the plant manager had lingered; everypony else had clocked out. The task force found the two stallions waiting for them got to the top of the ladder. The grate had already been removed; the five ponies just had to climb out of the hole and out from the FCC unit.

As they came out, the plant manager and the forestallion helped each member of the task force onto his or her hooves. When they were all present, the forestallion asked them expectantly if they found what they were looking for. Copper Hollow just gave them a very definite yes. He also notified the two stallions that the task force would not waste any more of their time.

The plant manager and the forestallion seemed pleased by that, but the task force members were far more pleased. After spending most of the day in a dark, foul-smelling, seemingly endless network of tunnels, none of them ever wanted to set hoof near an oil refinery again.

When they got back to the hotel that night, the five ponies treated themselves to hot showers and room service. After what they had been through, they had earned that much. Even better than the pleasure of those luxuries was the reward of how they felt; they had once again been overcome by the sensation that they had achieved tremendous progress in their hunt for the Vermane.

Of the three locations the police had provided them with, two had been fully accounted for; only one more remained.

The high school was the last place the task force visited in Detrot. They were hoping it would also be the most straightforward part of their investigation. Despite being located in the most dangerous city in Equestria, this particular high school had a great reputation. Its average GPA was well above the national average, the dropout rate was less than one percent, more than two-thirds of the graduates went on to college, the students were honest and respectful, the faculty was supportive and encouraging, and most of all, there had never been any murders at this school. It was one of the few large institutions in the city that had not been tainted by bloodshed.

With all that in mind, the task force figured that searching the high school would be relatively simple. At least this time, they knew what to look for. Given their findings at the marina and the oil refinery, there was bound to be a hidden passage or a secret room somewhere beneath the school. If they were lucky, it would have some information pertaining to where the Vermane were, or where they planned to strike next.

The day after they finished their work at the oil refinery, the task force went to the high school. It was a private academy, complete with uniforms and campus security. They waited until the first bell rang, and after all the students were in class, the task force headed inside.

There were metal detectors at the front entrance, as well as an officer standing guard. Before any of them passed through the detector, Dread Naught approached the on-duty guard, presented his credentials, and said that they were there for part of an investigation. He also let the guard know that they were armed. The guard was willing to let them into the building, but they were asked to leave their knives at the front. Shakedown seemed reluctant to part with his, but Copper Hollow urged him to cooperate.

Once they handed over their weapons, the members of the task force made their way to the head office. There they arranged to speak with the principal and the dean. When both of them were available, the task force discussed their current situation with them. They mentioned nothing about the Vermane or their activities at the marina and the oil refinery; all they did say was that they were looking for three stallions, and that they had been informed that those stallions had been spotted going in or near the high school. The principal and the dean did not seem entirely surprised by that news. They claimed that some of their colleagues, a few of the guards, and a number of their students had reported seeing a few unfamiliar faces on campus on occasion.

Dread Naught showed them the list of ponies who had filed a tip to the police about those stallions, and he asked if they recognized any of them. It turned out that most of those tippers were the ones who had notified the principal and the dean about those trespassers. The other tippers were concerned parents of some of the students.

Shakedown requested to interview everypony on that list. The dean consented to that, and he went to schedule a bunch of meetings between the task force and those other ponies. At the same time, Almond Wheeler asked the principal if she could provide them with a copy of the high school's blueprints. She seemed perplexed by that request, but she assented to do it, as well.

For the rest of that day and all of the following two days, the task force followed a particular schedule. From when classes began at eight o'clock in the morning to when they ended at four in the afternoon, they spoke with the students, parents of students, faculty, and guards who had reported seeing the mint green Earth Pony, the tawny Unicorn, and the cobalt Pegasus on the school grounds. Some were worried that their testimony might somehow incriminate them, and a few asked to have a lawyer present. After receiving assurances that they were not under suspicion, they cooperated with the task force fully. They also promised not to discuss these interviews with anypony else.

At the end of the school day, the task force stayed around to search the school grounds. The school was supposed to be closed by four o'clock in the afternoon; even the guards did not linger around after that. However, given Rough Rider's standing in the Detrot community and Dread Naught's status as a federal agent, the principal and the dean were compelled to let the task force remain after closing time. They even convinced the guards to allow them to carry their weapons then.

The task force used the information they acquired from the tippers to carry out their search. They also used their copy of the blueprints as their reference guide. They searched the building until after nine o'clock each night. On the first day, they concentrated on the second floor. On the second day, they moved down to the first floor. Neither day produced very favorable results.

However, on the third day, they had their last major breakthrough. This happened to be the day before Bronze Star learned how each of the Element Bearers got her cutie mark.

The task force started out this day in the same manner as the previous two. They left the Grand Alhoof Hotel at 7:30 and trotted all the way to the high school. When they got there, they yielded their weapons to the guards, checked in with the principal and the dean, and waited for the first bell. They spent the next eight hours conducting interviews and taking notes. They only stopped once for lunch.

At one point, the head of security stopped by the office to give his semi-daily report. He mentioned that a sophomore had come to him, claiming she had seen some strange ponies outside the campus grounds. He had followed up on that information, but his staff had not found anypony loitering outside the school. Even so, the task force took it into account.

By four o'clock, everypony else had gone home and the members of the task force were on their own once more. They had questioned everypony who had filed a tip to the police or seen those three stallions near the academy. In the end, they had been unable to obtain any new information from these interrogations. It appeared as though they had to put all their faith in exploration this time.

Now that they had searched through all the first and second stories of the building, it was time to go below ground. Shakedown mentioned that they probably should have started their search down there in the first place. He debated that the Vermane would not be so foolish as to have a hidden room above the surface. But what was done was done, so there was no use brooding over it.

The school's catacombs were not as unpleasant as the tunnels beneath the oil refinery, but they were not exactly pleasing, especially when compared to the rest of the academy. The hallways were dank, gloomy, and very uninviting. There were low-hanging pipes all along the ceiling, and the walls were so thick that the slightest sound could produce an echo. Had they not brought along the blueprints, the task force might have gotten lost.

At one point, Rough Rider told the others to stop, saying that he heard something. For a brief moment, they thought they heard the sound of hoofsteps reverberating off the walls. But when they listened a little more closely, there was nothing but silence. A minute later, moved on.

Every now and then, the task force stopped and listened again. Most of the time, they heard nothing. But on a couple instances, they could have sworn they heard something other than themselves. They knew it could just have been paranoia or their imaginations playing tricks on them, but they were not taking any chances, so they drew their weapons.

Three hours into their search, Almond Wheeler instructed everypony to stop once more. This time, it was not to listen to their surroundings. Instead, she did it to point out a wall they had just passed by. She showed the others the blueprints, and according to them, there was supposed to be the start of a corridor where that wall was.

Shakedown curiously approached the wall and extended his front hoof, as if he meant to touch it. But when his hoof came into contact with the wall, his front leg phased right through it. He hastily retracted his hoof and gazed back and forth between it and the wall, as though his eyes had received him. But they had not, otherwise everypony else's eyes had deceived them, as well.

Dread Naught quickly deduced that this was not an actual wall; it was merely an illusion of one. To prove his theory, he went up to the wall and trotted straight through it. When he announced that he was safely on the other side, his companions swiftly followed after him.

This new corridor led the task force to another hidden room, and in this room, they found more crates. As before, they used their knives to pry some of the crates, and this time, instead of gear or ledgers, they found what appeared to be personnel files.

Each of these personnel files seemed to be focused on a particular pony. Nopony was addressed by name in these files; the pony of interest was simply referred to as "subject." The content of the file was composed mostly of many events that pertained to the subject's whereabouts. Some examples of the descriptive statements included "Subject regularly inspects the building's electricity grid," "Subject is highly allergic to coconut," "Subject goes home alone frequently," "Subject will be visiting Chicacolt," "Subject leaves school grounds at exactly four o'clock," and "Subject has night shift at pharmacy." The last page of every single file was stamped with "Completed."

After about an hour of this, Dread Naught realized that all of the "subjects" were the Vermane's previous victims. Then it dawned on him: this room – the very room the task force was in – was where the Vermane planned their murders. He shared his conclusion with the others.

He contended that the Vermane had to accumulate knowledge about their targets by spying on them in secret, and then they came to Detrot to organize and finalize the murder plots. He also pointed out that in many of the files, there was over a year between the date of the first event and the date of the last event. That demonstrated how much care and preparation went into these murders; they only struck when they were absolutely ready.

At the end of Dread Naught's explanation, Copper Hollow stepped forward and beckoned the others to look at a file he had just found. This particular file contained a record of recent events in Ponyville. All the other files had been monitoring the happenings of one or more of the major cities. In addition to that, this file's most recent entry was dated only two weeks ago, and the last page had not yet been marked "Completed."

The reason for that dawned on them almost straightaway. This file was not about one of the Vermane's past victims, but rather one of their would-be victims. In other words, the subject of this file was still alive. This file pertained to the very murder that the task force had been striving to prevent for the last eight months.

Dread Naught seemed very satisfied by this discovery. He took the file from Copper Hollow and slid it into his saddlebag. After that, he announced that they were leaving. They had been unable to locate the Vermane, but with the information in this file, they would be able to determine who the next victim was.

There were still a lot of files scattered around the room. Copper Hollow proposed that they restore the room to its original appearance, but Dread Naught assured him that whenever the Vermane came back, they would already be long gone. Besides, once they looked in the crates, the Vermane would definitely notice that one of their unfinished files had gone missing, so it would make no different anyway.

In the end, Copper Hollow agreed to go ahead and leave. He did not want to spend any more time in this city than he had to, and he was just as eager to get back to Ponyville as the others were.

The task force headed back through the illusionary wall and began trotting back to the staircase of the basement.

When they were halfway there, Shakedown bade the others to halt. He urged them to listen carefully. This time, the alleged noise was not a false alarm; there was definitely something or somepony else producing sound nearby. Worse yet, it appeared to be right on their current path.

Copper Hollow had the group take an alternate route to the entrance. He was hoping they could avoid the source of the noise altogether. That seemed to work at first. Until they realized that the noise was not fading away. If anything, it was getting closer. Much closer.

At one point, the noise appeared to be in the very next hallway. There was no way to go around it; their only option was the go right by it. Shakedown gestured for the others to slow their pace. They gradually approached the mouth of the adjoining corridor with their knives brandished.

When they were almost there, the noise abruptly stopped. But they did not lower their guard. Shakedown stood at the front of the group. When he reached the next corridor, he carefully peeked around the corner and shined his flashlight down it.

He breathed out a sigh of relief and informed the others that the coast was clear. They were just as relieved as he was, and the five of them calmly trotted moved on to the next corridor.

All of a sudden, there was a huge crash, like a stainless steel pot being dropped on a marble floor. It was promptly followed by a loud thud.

The crash originated from the other end of the corridor, but the thud came from right where the task force was. Copper Hollow shined his flashlight down the corridor, and there was still nothing there. He ultimately shrugged it off and began trotting forward, but before he could take two steps, he stumbled over something.

He would have fallen on his face, but Almond Wheeler caught him before he lost his balance. Once he was standing on his hooves, Copper Hollow turned his attention to the object he had tripped over. He pointed his flashlight downwards… and when its beam fell across the object, he nearly dropped it.

The object turned out to be Shakedown. He was lying flat on his back. His eyes and mouth were wide-open, and he was not moving.

Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Dread Naught, and Rough Rider knelt down next to the brownish-tan Pegasus. They saw a hole in the center of his forehead, and in that hole, there was a small, thin capsule of lead.

Somepony had just shot Shakedown in the head with a metallic projectile. Just like that, he was gone.

Before the others even had time to let the shock of that set in, there was another crash from down the hallway. Copper Hollow jerked his head around in response. He suddenly felt a sharp pinch in the side of his throat. He placed his front hoof against that spot, and his neck felt strangely wet.

Another projectile had been fired. This one had grazed the side of the Copper Hollow's neck. Copper Hollow and the others did not even realize this until his wound started dripping blood. That was when the pain kicked in. The copper stallion groaned and collapsed against the wall. Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider rushed to his aid. While they did that, Dread Naught searched the immediate area.

When he came back, he told them that they had to keep moving. Almond Wheeler and Dread Naught gave Copper Hollow a helping hoof to get him back up. They were forced to leave Shakedown behind.

Before the four ponies even got through two more corridors, the noise returned. This time, it did not originate from any one spot; it was coming from everywhere all at once.

Dread Naught told them that they were surrounded. He did not have to say by who; the others had a pretty definite idea of that. Almond Wheeler desperately asked what they were going to do, and Dread Naught decisively announced that one of them would have to stay behind and divert their stalkers' attention elsewhere so that the others would be able to get away.

The other three ponies did not seem delighted by that suggestion, but Dread Naught insisted that that was their only option. He debated that as long as they stayed together, they were all in danger. But he was willing to make himself the sole target of that danger.

The greenish-blue Pegasus removed his saddlebag and gave it to the others. He told them to wait for him at the main train station, and that if he was not there by the end of the day, they were to go back to Ponyville without him. He also told Rough Rider not to worry about getting shocked by his legband; the tablet it was connected to was in his saddlebag, too.

Dread Naught bade the others the best of luck, and then he raised his knife and galloped in the opposite direction. That was the last they saw of the greenish-blue Unicorn.

A lot had happened that night. Quite a lot more had happened in the time since then.

Presently, he was still standing in the lobby of Ponyville Hospital, surrounded by friends and strangers alike.

At that time, the copper stallion finally came to his senses. He stepped forward, grabbed Bronze Star and Noble Edict, and pulled them into a firm embrace. The gold stallion and the red mare did not resist; they warmly hugged their friend in return.

Once they pulled apart, Copper Hollow managed to grin lightly. He uttered sincerely "I honestly thought I was never going to see you guys again."

At that, Sir Haywood McCrank stepped forward and whispered "Did you encounter the Vermane?"

"Yes," the copper stallion affirmed. He gazed around the lobby and professed gravely "They're responsible for all of this."

"How did this happen?" Rollin Fields queried. That was a question which everypony there – not only the members of the task force – was interested in having an answer to.

"They ambushed us twice," Copper Hollow grimly disclosed, "Shakedown didn't make it. I don't know where Dread Naught is."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Haywood McCrank murmured sharply.

"We got separated from him," Copper Hollow revealed. He looked to Bronze Star and stated "I know you ordered us not to split the group up, but we did not have any choice at the time."

"We'll worry about finding him later," Bronze Star reassured him.

"What about Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider?" Rollin Fields mumbled inquisitively.

Dapple Rhomb nodded her head in agreement and inquired pressingly "Where are they?"

Even though he knew that that topic was unavoidable, Copper Hollow did not seem pleased that it had been addressed. All the same, he was not going to stay quiet about it; the others deserved an answer. He released a deep sigh and proclaimed "Come on. I'll show you."

Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Rollin Fields, and the three officers of the Royal Guard followed Copper Hollow out of the lobby. As he led them through the corridors, the copper stallion gazed over his shoulder and proclaimed "I should warn you… you won't like what you see."

When he saw the expressions on Dapple Rhomb and Noble Edict's faces, he hastily added in "Don't worry; they're alive. But they're not doing so well."

Copper Hollow continued to escort the other eight ponies through the hallways in silence. None of the hallways were empty; a doctor or nurse could be found aiding a patient or rushing to a room in every corridor. When they finally stopped, they arrived right outside the surgery preparation room. That alone gave them reason to be nervous, and a few of them were almost unwilling to go any further.

Regardless of that, Copper Hollow swiftly approached the door, pushed it open, and stepped into the preparation room. His companions scurried in behind him. Right away, they saw what had become of Rough Rider and Almond Wheeler.

There were eight stretchers in this room; each one accommodated a different pony. Over a dozen medical personnel were moving around through the room. They conversed with each other, studied their clipboards, reviewed their patients' charts, and tended to the stretchers' occupants.

The stretchers were arranged in two trios and one pair. The first trio was located on the far right of the room; the second trio was located on the far left side. The pair was located right in the center. The ponies lying on the first trio of stretchers were a mare who was coughing up blood, a stallion with a dent in the side of his head, and the carved-up mare Copper Hollow had helped earlier. The ponies on the second trio of stretchers had been covered up by white linen sheets; they were not at all visible.

The ponies lying on the pair of stretchers were Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider. At first glance, they seemed to be in worse shape than anypony else Bronze Star had seen since he entered the hospital.

Almond Wheeler had two large openings in her midsection. From the way the incisions were placed on her chest cavity, she almost looked as if she had been impaled from the side by a saw. It was as though somepony had stabbed her with two knives and attempted to use them to physically rip the skin from her lower body.

Rough Rider had one of those strange black dots a few inches below his throat. There was a ring of dried blood around that dot, and more appeared to be slowly but steadily leaking out. There was also hole in his lower stomach, which was dripping fresh blood, as well. It was like a very small, very thin object had pierced through the front of his torso and exited out the backside of it.

Neither Almond Wheeler nor Rough Rider gave any form of reaction to the arrival of the other members of the task force. They did not even appear to acknowledge their presence.

The doctors did, however. One of them impatiently called out "Please leave immediately. Unless you have some form of medical training."

"It just so happens that I do," Bronze Star declared, "Albeit CPR, treating third-degree burns, and bandaging are the extent of my expertise."

Noble Edict then took a step forward and gestured to Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider, saying "In any case, these two ponies are close affiliates of ours. Their well-being is our concern."

"That's our concern as well, Noble," a familiar voice pronounced. Everypony looked and saw the owner of that voice. It was Sharp Seams. Presently, he was examining the mare who was coughing up blood; an orderly was wiping her chin for her every few seconds. Dr. Seams glimpsed over at the task force and told them "You can remain here if you want. Just stay out of our way."

"We wouldn't dream of interfering, Doctor," Sir Haywood McCrank asserted. Most of the others murmured in agreement, but the federal investigator did not speak for all of them.

Dapple Rhomb hastily rushed up to Rough Rider's stretcher. She gazed down at him and uttered frantically "Rough? Rough, it's me. It's Dapple. Rough?! Say something!"

The olive stallion either did not or could not respond to his wife's pleas. Dapple Rhomb placed her hoof on his front leg in concern. She then realized that his body was drenched in sweat and burning to the touch, as if a fever had begun to set in.

Dapple Rhomb would have tried again to evoke a reaction from her husband, but before she could, another of the doctors approached her and disclosed "He can hear you, ma'am. He's just too weak to answer."

That did little to set the purple mare's mind at ease. She turned to the doctor and asked demandingly "What's wrong with him?"

"He took two metallic projectiles to the chest," the physician apprised her, "The first one went straight through his abdomen. The second one lodged in his spinal column, just below his collarbone. The damage to his abdomen is minimal, but the projectile in his spinal column is contaminating his bloodstream and slowing the flow of oxygen to his brain."

"Can you… fix that?" Dapple Rhomb hopelessly queried.

"We think so," Sharp Seams muttered in assurance, "He's about to go into surgery. I'll be performing the operation myself."

"First things first, though," an orderly remarked, moving next to Dapple Rhomb and picking up Rough Rider's right front leg, "We have to get this legband off him. Otherwise we can't administer the IV."

"Well, go ahead and remove it," Sharp Seams sardonically proposed.

"I've been trying to, sir," the orderly insisted, "But it won't come off. I can't even get it to move. It's almost as though the material is fused into his skin."

"Don't be preposterous," the other doctor rejoined snappily, "It's not that hard. Just find something to pry the legband off."

"Yes, sir," the orderly conceded, a little agitated.

As the orderly went to search through a tray of instruments, Bronze Star gazed at the legband on Rough Rider's front leg. He then leaned over to Sir Haywood McCrank and whispered something into his ear. After a moment's hesitation, the indigo stallion nodded his head in compliance. Then he reached into his suit jacket and removed his wooden tablet. He made a few adjustments to its settings, and then he placed his front hoof against the surface of it.

The orderly soon returned to Rough Rider's side with a pair of pliers. He managed to slide one of the prongs underneath Rough Rider's legband. He was surprised by how easy that was; a minute ago, he could not even separate the material from the skin. After fumbling around with the pliers for a bit, he managed to pull the legband off the olive stallion's leg.

"There we go," the orderly thought aloud in satisfaction.

He was about to deposit the legband into a bin, but Sir Haywood quickly approached the orderly and told him "I'll hold on to that for Mr. Rider. I was the one who gave it to him."

"As you wish, Sir Haywood," the orderly avowed, giving him the legband.

As Haywood McCrank slid the wooden tablet and the legband into the interior pocket of his suit jacket, Rollin Fields looked to Almond Wheeler. The grey mare's eyes were closed, and she appeared to be resting peacefully. The large openings on her chest said otherwise, though. The lime green stallion looked to Sharp Seams and inquired "So, what's the situation with Almond Wheeler?"

"She was stabbed in the lower chest twice," Dr. Seams notified him, "Her X-rays aren't ready yet, but we believe the knife went through flesh, muscle, and bone alike. There's evidence of internal bleeding, and her heart rate has dropped three beats in the last ten minutes. We've had to induce a coma to reduce the swelling in her abdomen."

"Are we going to lose her?" Noble Edict queried anxiously.

"Her wounds are severe, but not necessarily fatal," the other doctor disclosed, "We're confident she'll pull through. As soon as her X-rays are finished, she'll be transferred to surgery. I'll be conducting her operation."

"And you are…?" Bronze Star uttered inquisitively. Although Bronze Star had rarely visited the hospital during his time in Ponyville, he had become friends with virtually everypony in town. However, he did not recognize this doctor.

"This is Dr. Billow Health," Sharp Seams disclosed, "He's a trauma surgeon from Detrot."

"I was on the train when everything went down," Dr. Health commented. He was a middle-aged Pegasus with a russet coat, a cerulean mane, and fawn irises. His cutie mark was a retractor.

"What happened on the train?" Noble Edict said in bewilderment.

"Three of the passengers went on a murderous rampage," Dr. Health recounted, "Had it not been for Mr. Hollow and his colleagues, they would have killed us all."

"Give yourself some credit, Doctor," Copper Hollow debated, "If it wasn't for you, we would have lost a lot more ponies."

"Wait; so how many ponies have we already lost?" Noble Edict queried nervously.

"Just those three," Dr. Seams revealed, pointing to the three covered stretchers on the left side of the room, "They were dead long before the train got here."

"Who are they?" Rollin Fields asked.

"The ponies responsible for all this," Dr. Health grimly answered.

"Those are the assailants?" Haywood McCrank presumed in astonishment.

"Correct," Dr. Health pronounced.

"Why aren't they in the morgue?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Well, you've probably noticed that the lobby is overcrowded," Dr. Seams muttered, "The morgue is being allocated as an additional waiting room. We're just storing the corpses here for now. We also thought it would be practical to keep them separate from everypony else."

"Except these patients," Noble Edict pointed out, gesturing to Copper Hollow, Almond Wheeler, the carved-up mare, the stallion with the dent in his head, and the mare coughing up blood. "Odd how you decided to group the most critically injured ponies with the deceased."

"Well, this is still the surgery preparation room, after all," Dr. Seams contended, "And these five ponies will almost certainly die without surgery."

"Nopony else is going to die today, I assure you," Billow Health asserted, "I've treated ponies in far worse condition than this lot, and those ponies are living totally normal lives now."

"I'm a little amazed by your willingness to aid us, Dr. Health," Noble Edict commented.

"Were you expecting me to just stand by and watch while these ponies suffered?" the russet stallion sharply rejoined.

"No, not at all," the red mare proclaimed, "All I meant was… well, this isn't your hospital. This isn't even your town."

"Doesn't matter," Billow Health insisted, "This may be unorthodox, but a patient's still a patient. I swore an oath to do no harm, and if I did nothing to help these ponies, I would be doing harm by inaction."

"Dr. Health is very renowned in his field, Noble," Dr. Seams illuminated, "He's got more experience with an operating table than anypony else here, including myself. Besides, if everypony here is going to live through this night, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Is there anything we can do to contribute?" Bronze Star asked hopefully.

"It would really help if you could maintain order here," Sharp Seams suggested, "We can handle a busy and overcrowded hospital. We don't need it to become a busy, overcrowded, and chaotic hospital."

"I could bring in more of the security staff," Noble Edict proposed.

"That'll do," Dr. Seams stated approvingly.

Just then, another doctor entered the preparation room with Almond Wheeler's X-rays. She gave them to Billow Health, and as the russet stallion studied them, he uttered decisively "Soon as the anesthesia's ready, we'll be taking them to surgery."

Haywood McCrank trotted over to the three covered stretchers, and he commented "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to examine these bodies."

Most of other ponies seemed baffled by that request. Dr. Health inquired "Why?"

"I'm a federal investigator," Haywood apprised him, "It's my job to investigate this type of crime. Obviously, questioning the perpetrators is not an option, but I can still learn something from their remains."

"By all means, take a look at the bodies if you think it'll help you, Sir Haywood," Sharp Seams remarked, "But if you want a proper autopsy conducted on them, you'll have to wait until later."

"Fair enough," the indigo stallion coincided.

"Is there anything else you need?" Dr. Health murmured restlessly, "We're almost ready to begin the operations, and we can't have any interruptions. This will be your last opportunity to speak with any of us for the next several hours."

Dapple Rhomb had barely spoken a word since Dr. Sharp Seams had diagnosed Rough Rider. For the past five minutes, the purple mare had been standing motionlessly at the side of the olive stallion's stretcher, staring down into his half-open eyes.

After Dr. Health made that last statement, she looked up at him and disclosed "This stallion is my husband. I need to know; what are his chances?"

"Well, he acquired those injuries shortly after noon," the russet stallion thought aloud, "We were closer to Detrot than to Ponyville at the time. I managed to stabilize him on the train, but he's been getting worse ever since then. If you got here a half-hour ago, you would have been able to talk to him; he was fully conscious then."

"Just give me a straight answer, Doctor," Dapple Rhomb pleaded, "Is he going to make it?"

"Frankly, I'm amazed he's lasted this long," an orderly observed.

That was definitely the wrong thing to say. That remark put Dapple Rhomb in so much shock that she almost looked as though she had forgotten how to breathe. A few of her companions scowled in the orderly's direction.

Sharp Seams grimaced and slapped the orderly on the backside of his head. He mumbled angrily "Leave the prognosis to the professionals."

"I'm sorry, sir," the orderly said apologetically, gazing off to the side.

Dr. Seams turned back to Bronze Star and his affiliates, and he announced "Rough Rider and Almond Wheeler have sustained some deadly wounds, but their vitals are promising. We can keep you updated on their progress while they're in surgery. Just check in with Nurse Red Heart at any time."

"Very well, Doctor," Bronze Star acknowledged. There was a short interval of quietness, and then he pronounced "Excuse us; I must speak with my associates."

The physicians did not protest. If anything, they would have commended the gold stallion for his excellent timing; the anesthesiologists entered a moment later to report that they were ready for Almond Wheeler, Rough Rider, and the other three critical patients.

With some difficulty, Dapple Rhomb managed to pull herself away from Rough Rider's side and exit the preparation room with the other eight ponies. She was not doing well; not in any meaning of the word. If she had more time, she might have looked like a nervous wreck.

Her uneasy appearance did not go unnoticed. Once the nine ponies were outside, Bronze Star gently placed his hoof on the purple mare's front leg and murmured worriedly "Dapple? Are you going to be alright?"

Dapple Rhomb did not even seem to feel her employer's touch. She did not appear to be entirely aware of her surroundings, either. She was staring blankly at the space in front of her. Her face was pale, her eyes were dilated, and her breathing was fainter than the calmest breeze.

"Dapple?" Bronze Star repeated edgily, placing his other front hoof on Dapple Rhomb's shoulder.

For a few seconds, the purple mare stood perfectly still. Then, without warning, her eyes rolled backward, her body slumped, and she roughly collapsed on the ground.

"Dapple!" Bronze Star yelled in alarm. The young prince knelt down by his secretary and raised her upper body with his left front leg. He could plainly see that she was unconscious. She tried shaking her, but that did nothing to revive her. He tensely looked around in all directions and shouted "We need help over here! Somepony help us, please!"

Straightaway, two unoccupied nurses responded to his pleas. Once the other seven ponies made way for them, the nurses swiftly approached the gold stallion. One of them knelt down next to Bronze Star and questioned "What's the problem, sir?"

"She just fainted," Bronze Star candidly apprised her.

The other nurse knelt down on the other side of Dapple Rhomb and lifted the purple mare's front leg to measure her pulse. After that, she turned to the gold stallion and told him "Give her to us, Mr. Ambassador. We'll take care of her."

"Thank you," the prince stated gratefully.

Working together, the two nurses managed to pick up Dapple Rhomb by her front legs, and they carried her unconscious form down the hallway. Bronze Star kept his eyes on them until they reached the end of that corridor and trotted into the next one.

After the three mares left his sight, Bronze Star looked around at the seven other ponies present. He ordered the three Royal Guard "Leave us for a moment."

Blade Bearer, Comet Frost, and Swiftdrive nodded in compliance and made their way to an adjoining hallway. Now the only ponies who remained in Bronze Star's company were Copper Hollow, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rollin Fields.

The gold stallion noticed that Copper Hollow was shifting restlessly in place, and he was slouching. Out of concern, he enquired "Are you doing alright, Copper?"

"I'm as alright as I can possibly be right now, Bronze," the copper stallion replied, "All things considered, at any rate."

"Well, you look like you might faint, too," Noble Edict perceived.

"What do you expect?" Copper Hollow cheekily debated, "I haven't slept in over thirty-six hours, I watched Shakedown die, and I was shot in the throat."

"Is that how you got this?" Rollin Fields assumed, pointing to the bandage on the side of the younger stallion's neck.

"Yeah," Copper Hollow affirmed, pressing his hoof against the bandage, "I was lucky; the projectile only grazed me. Still, I lost quite a bit of blood before I patched up the wound. I temporarily lost my coordination, too, but at least I got that back."

"Perhaps you should get some rest," Haywood McCrank advised.

"No, not now," Copper Hollow countered, "I can rest later. Right now, I need to run an errand."

"What errand?" Noble Edict enquired.

"I have to pick something up," Copper Hollow clarified, "You see, the Vermane attacked us because we took something from them."

"What did you take?" Haywood McCrank asked curiously.

"A personnel file," the copper stallion elaborated, "That file contains extensive information about their next target."

"Where is the file?" Bronze Star inquired eagerly.

"It's still on the train," Copper Hollow elucidated, "When the Vermane attacked, Almond Wheeler got the idea to hide the file. So we stored it somewhere safe before we dealt with the Vermane. Even after that, we kept the file hidden as a precaution."

"How come?" Noble Edict said inquisitively.

"It occurred to us that more of the Vermane could have been on that train," Copper Hollow expounded, "Apart from the three who assaulted us, I mean."

"You were right to be wary," Haywood McCrank asserted.

"Glad you approve, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow pronounced drily. After a brief pause, he stated "At any rate, the danger's passed. I'm currently the only one who both knows where the file is and is well enough to get it. I'm going back to the depot to retrieve it."

"Not alone," Bronze Star refuted. He turned to the eldest pony there and declared "Rollin Fields, I'd like you to accompany Copper Hollow to the train station. It's imperative that you find that file."

"You got it, Bronze," the lime green stallion conceded.

Bronze Star nodded in approval at that. Then he announced "The rest of us have other work to do. Sir Haywood McCrank, I know you wished to examine those three corpses as soon as possible, but before you do that, I need you to speak with the six CEOs."

"What for, Your Highness?" the investigator asked in bewilderment.

"Lord Ronald suspects something," Bronze Star explicated, "Once he shares his suspicions with the other five, they'll become suspicious, as well. One way or another, they're eventually going to find out what happened on the train and why it happened. I think it would be best if they received the truth from us."

"I understand your reasoning, sir, but how much 'truth' are we talking about?" Haywood McCrank uttered.

"Just tell them what they need to know and nothing more," Bronze Star expounded, "They don't need to know that this investigation has been going on for close to twenty years. As far as they know, it started eight months ago. Only share what we've learned since the vigilantes sent me that letter. But don't explicitly mention the vigilantes by that label; just refer to them as covert operatives or something."

"What about your… secret?" Sir Haywood queried.

"At the present, there's no need to share my identity with any more ponies," the gold stallion contended, "You can tell the CEOs that I authorized this investigation, but everything I've done on the task force, I did as Ambassador Gold Streak."

"As you say, Your Highness," the indigo stallion acknowledged.

Bronze Star then shifted his gaze to the only mare in the group and professed "Noble Edict, we're going to need a lot more security around this place. The townsfolk will inevitably realize what's going on here, but we don't need them poking around and getting in the way. Bring as many of your security officers as you can spare. Post them everywhere, inside and outside. Only the sick or injured should be admitted into the building."

"What about the families of the patients?" Noble Edict pointed out.

"They're allowed inside, too," Bronze Star decided, "Oh, and I think it would be appropriate if you brought Cashew Lane in here."

"I was already planning on that," the red mare revealed.

"Good," Bronze Star remarked. There came another short period of silence, and then he murmured "In the meantime, I'm going to try to contain the aftereffects of this disaster in my own way. We have to limit the number of ponies who know about this. There's nothing we can do to prevent the citizens of this town from realizing what's going on, but we can ensure that knowledge of this affair does not go beyond Ponyville."

"What are you going to do?" Rollin Fields queried.

"I'm going to speak with Mayor Mare and City Council," Bronze Star enlightened them, "Once I apprise them of the situation, they can monitor what is printed by the newspapers in this town, and we can prohibit word of this incident from leaving the town."

"We can't just censor the press, Bronze," Noble Edict claimed.

"My mother does it all the time," the gold stallion debated, "And that's our only option. If we don't censor the press, the panic and fear in this town will spread to other cities in Equestria."

"He's right," Haywood McCrank concurred, "We have a responsibility to protect the people from all threats to their safety, but they don't need to be fully aware of those threats."

"If you truly think that's for the best, then I have no objections," Copper Hollow muttered.

"Neither do I," Noble Edict murmured.

"Excellent," Bronze Star pronounced. He then called the three officers of the Royal Guard back, and once they returned, he gave them assignments as well. He told them "Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, Comet Frost, I need you to stand guard outside Rough Rider, Almond Wheeler, and Dapple Rhomb's rooms. I don't care who watches over whom; just make sure they're protected."

"Forgive me if I sound out of line, Your Highness, but given the circumstances, we should be more focused on protecting you," Comet Frost recommended.

"I understand and appreciate your concerns, Comet," Bronze Star avowed, "But we're in no immediate danger. Also, I'm capable of defending myself, and Rough, Almond, and Dapple are all in a very vulnerable state. They're the ones who truly need watching over right now."

Despite some reservations they had, the three officers agreed to follow the prince's commands. Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, and Comet Frost went to speak with Nurse Red Heart to find out where Rough Rider, Almond Wheeler, and Dapple Rhomb were being treated.

Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rollin Fields trotted back to the front of the building. Half of the patients had been moved to the I.C.U., Urgent Care, or the morgue, which was being used for an additional waiting room. The situation was still not pretty, but the hospital's staff was working hard to improve it.

The five members of the task force headed outside and went their separate ways. Haywood McCrank went to the embassy, Noble Edict went to the barracks, Copper Hollow and Rollin Fields went to the train depot, and Bronze Star went to Town Hall.

Bronze Star noticed that a number of ponies were starting to gather outside the building. The security officers who were already on duty there were preventing them from entering. Still, that crowd would only grow as word of the train fiasco spread throughout the town. Bronze Star knew he had to move fast to keep the scenario from getting any worse.

As the gold stallion moved through the streets, he reflected on the past twelve hours. He found it difficult to believe that less than half a day ago, his biggest concern had been that the Vermane might have posed a threat to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Much to his delight, that was not the case. Plus, as a result of that apprehension, he had made a wonderful discovery about his cutie mark; it had somehow helped each of the Element Bearers acquire her cutie mark, as well.

Furthermore, Bronze Star had made contact with Clear Crest for the first time in seven years, and he had spoken face-to-face with Esopus Spitzenburg about the assassination conspiracy. Even better, at this time, Spitzenburg was under in the impression that Bronze Star was actually going to aid him in his endeavor to change the country, and he had agreed to commit no more mass murders. The first stage of Bronze Star's plan to end the conspiracy had been a total success; at this rate, it would be completed by the night of the Grand Galloping Gala.

Between the cutie mark stories and how he had perfectly fooled Esopus Spitzenburg, it had been a nearly perfect day for Bronze Star. For a while, he had been under the impression that nothing could ruin it.

Now at the end of that day, a train had pulled in with dozens of injured ponies. Technically, Haywood McCrank actually had been right about the Vermane making a move; he had merely misjudged the targets and location.

Half of the task force was currently indisposed. One member was dead, another was missing, two were in critical condition, and one had passed out. In addition to that, one of the five remaining members was exhausted and wounded. He seemed to be well enough to work, but even he did not have unending stamina.

By the time he reached the end of his muse, Bronze Star had reached Town Hall. He found the mayor's aide and requested an audience with her and the City Council. As the aide went to find those ponies, Bronze Star contemplated on what he would tell them. He was hoping he would not have to spend a lot of time with this meeting, but considering that he himself did not entirely know all the details, he could only imagine how many questions the Mayor and City Council would have.

The prince predicted that he and the rest of the task force would have their hooves full for quite a while.

…

Noble Edict had already arrived at the barracks. She had gathered most of the on-duty security officers together, and she had pulled a few off-duty ones from their houses on her way to the building. She had told them nothing so far; only that an emergency situation had come up. There were a few officers who were already aware of it, but those ponies were stationed at either the hospital or the depot.

Currently, all the uninformed officers were assembled in the lounge, waiting to be apprised of the nature of this "emergency situation." Normally, they would be in the debriefing room for something like this, but that space was far too small for a group this large.

Once Noble Edict had everypony's attention, she filled them in on the crisis at the hospital. Naturally, the bulk of them were alarmed to learn that a train from Detrot had shown up in town with more than half of its passengers gravely hurt. There were only a few who were not surprised, and that was because those ponies were quite aware of Detrot's reputation.

All the same, when Noble Edict mentioned that their colleague Almond Wheeler was one of the most seriously injured victims, every single pony there was both startled and shocked. Noble Edict could sense their unrest, and she assured them that she shared their uneasiness. Be that as it may, she reminded the officers that they had an obligation to impose stability and order in Ponyville, and the hospital was in desperate need of both of those features. As such, they had to get there as soon as possible.

Noble Edict spent the next twenty minutes assigning her officers to all the doors and windows at the hospital. She emphasized that they were only to allow the injured, the ill, and the relatives of the patients entrance to the hospital. Everypony else was to be turned away until the calamity was over, unless they had special permission from her, Bronze Star, or Sir Haywood McCrank.

Once everypony had his or her assignment, the majority of the officers promptly departed from the barracks and proceeded to the hospital. Only three of them stayed behind; they wished to converse privately with Noble Edict first.

One of those ponies was an Earth Pony stallion in his early thirties. He had a shamrock coat, a hickory mane, currant irises, and a picture of a town block for a cuite mark. He was Almond Wheeler's cousin and paramour, Cashew Lane. He approached Noble Edict first.

"There's one thing I don't get, Noble," Cashew Lane proclaimed, "Why would anypony want to hurt Almond?"

"I can't think of a reason, Cashew," the red mare contended, "The better question is: why would anypony raid a train?"

"Well, there's money, infamy, a free ride…" Cashew Lane sardonically uttered, "I'm not too surprised the raid occurred; the train was from Detrot, after all. But from the way you describe it, Almond Wheeler received worse injuries than almost everypony else. Why did the attackers have such a huge disdain for her in particular?"

"Maybe because she was one of the few who was capable of fighting back," Noble Edict hypothesized, "At any rate, you don't have to worry about Almond. She's in the care of a surgeon from Detrot. He's handled cases like hers before, and he's very optimistic about her chances."

"Okay, if you say so," Cashew Lane acknowledged, "I'd like to check up on her before I report to my post, though."

"Go right ahead," Noble Edict bade him.

As Cashew Lane departed from the barracks, Noble Edict turned her attention to the other two officers who had lingered. Interestingly, they happened to be Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig.

"You need something, girls?" Noble Edict stated enquiringly.

"We noticed you didn't say much about the assailants," Paisley Branch remarked.

"They're dead, I assure you," Noble Edict bluntly disclosed.

"That's not what she meant," Cassia Sprig pronounced, "They were the Vermane, weren't they?"

"That's not your concern," the red mare drily mumbled.

"'Not our concern?'" Paisley Branch crossly uttered.

"It stopped being your concern when you left the task force," Noble Edict simplified.

"Well, we still have a right to know who put our friend in the hospital," Cassia Sprig argued.

"Fine, it was the Vermane," Noble Edict professed, "That's why Copper and Almond were in Detrot in the first place. We managed to track the Vermane to that city; they went were there to gather information."

"Did they find any?" Paisley Branch inquired.

"Copper claims they did," Noble Edict revealed, "Hopefully, as soon as he retrieves it, we'll finally be able to determine who the target is."

The periwinkle Pegasus and the cobalt blue Unicorn looked at each other for a few seconds, and then they turned back to the red Earth Pony. Cassia Sprig declared "We want back in."

"It's too late for that," Noble Edict firmly refuted.

"What do you mean too late?" Paisley Branch muttered in astonishment.

"At the last meeting you attended, I recall both of you clearly saying you didn't want anything more to do with the investigation," Noble Edict illuminated, "You made your choice then."

Cassia Sprig raised an eyebrow and stated "Noble, do I detect a hint of resentment in your tone?"

"I respect your reasons for leaving the task force," Noble Edict elucidated, "That doesn't mean I have to respect the fact that you did leave it."

"Are you condemning us for picking family over duty?" Paisley Branch accused.

"Of course not," Noble Edict asserted, "Truthfully, I had half a mind to leave alongside you. But I accepted the risks, and I still accept them. I just don't think you two can. I mean, look at what happened to Buddin and Sweepin Fields. That was just a warning. Something worse could have happened to Cashew Lane, Copper Hollow's parents, or my Aunt. The task force isn't safe, either. Copper almost died in Detrot, and Almond is fighting for her life. If you feared for your families before, that danger is nothing compared to now."

"You don't have to emphasize the danger, Noble," Cassia Sprig pronounced, "The danger is actually why we want to come back. The victims of that train massacre weren't our families; they were innocent bystanders. The Vermane attacked everypony indiscriminately."

"Any one of us could have been on that train," Paisley Branch debated, "We're convinced that the Vermane don't care who is after them and who is not; they'll simply attack anypony who gets in their way."

"So our families are already in danger, regardless of whether or not we're on the task force," Cassia Sprig debated, "At least if we rejoined the force, we'd be able to do something to stop the Vermane."

Noble Edict stood thinking about those remarks for a couple minutes. The other two mares were making some very good points, and inwardly, she was pleased to see them willing to aid the task force. Also, it had been their choice to join the task force, and it had been their choice to leave it. So they deserved the option to return to the task force by their own choice, as well.

Ultimately, Noble Edict turned to the two younger mares and told them "We'll talk about this later. For now, just report to the hospital and keep an eye on the place."

Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig were content with that.

…

At the same time, Sir Haywood McCrank was in the meeting chambers at the embassy. He had just finished filling in the six CEOs on parts of the Ponyville task force's investigation. Specifically, he told them the parts that Bronze Star had permitted him to discuss with them. He said nothing about the vigilantes, the Vermane, or that he had been aware of the Vermane's existence for two decades.

Instead, he told them this story:

Eight months earlier, a special division of the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency had picked up a disturbing rumor about a murder plot in Ponyville. ETNA subsequently passed that information to the Intelligence Bureau, and the Bureau had tasked Sir Haywood with investigating the rumor. After careful review, he had found it to be a genuine threat. When he discovered just how deep the plot went, he had presented his findings to Prince Bronze Star, and the prince had authorized an investigation to be conducted into this plot. Bronze Star had put Sir Haywood in charge of the investigation, and he had instructed him to do his work in Ponyville. The prince had also seen to the construction of a task force to assist Sir Haywood; the force was composed of Ambassador Gold Streak, the newly daubed Lady Noble Edict, and a number of her security officers.

Over the next eight months, the task force thoroughly investigated Ponyville. Along the way, they were joined by Agent Dread Naught and some operatives from the aforementioned special division of ETNA (which was where Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, and Shakedown came from). Overtime, Sir Haywood and Agent Dread Naught noted that their investigation had begun to resemble a number of the Intelligence Bureau's previously unsolved murders. Not long after, they established a definite connection between those cases and the murder plot. That was what led them to discovering that all those cases and the murder plot had the same culprit. Or rather, culprits. The task force had also concluded that the guilty party was not a single individual; an entire group was responsible for those deaths.

The ambush at Whitetail Woods and the mugging of Rollin Fields' children eventually came into the picture. Sir Haywood claimed that those two events were the only occasions when the culprits had exposed themselves, and that those appearances had merely been demonstrations of their abilities. He even mentioned that the culprits had sent them pictures of the families of the task force, and that they had lost a couple of their members to that warning.

Soon he told the CEOs about Shakedown's idea to track the culprits through the railroad company's records. Shortly after that, they had learned that a few of the culprits had gone to Detrot. It had been Sir Haywood's decision to send half the task force to Detrot to further investigate that city. They had left only a few days before the CEOs arrived in town for the conference.

On that note, Sir Haywood made certain to account for his alarming behavior from the conference. He revealed that when he had that episode, it was not because he had a few too many crème brûlées at the brunch for Celestia, even though he really did have more than a few. Anyway, the true reason he had seizure was because he had just noticed a correlation between the CEOs' companies and the culprits, and he been extremely overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of that newest lead. Never in his life had he been so shocked by anything.

When he was finally finished with this explanation, the CEOs were visibly astounded. They seemed to buy everything they had been told. That was fortunate. Most of what Sir Haywood told them actually had been the truth; he had only changed a few details to avoid contradicting himself or compromising Bronze Star's cover.

"That is quite a story, Sir Haywood," Lord Ronald Grump perceived, "So this is why you were so eager to help locate the foul play in our companies. You were trying to close the book on your own investigation."

"I did that for you as much as for myself, Lord Ronald," the indigo stallion pronounced, "I hope you understand why I didn't share this information with you and your associates in the beginning."

"You were doing your job; I know," Ronald Grump commented, "However, I recall you said that Prince Bronze Star gave you explicit orders not to discuss your investigation with anypony outside of your small task force. How will the prince react when he learns you violated those orders?"

"I didn't violate them," Haywood McCrank insisted, "He told me that I could make an exception and share the details of the investigation with anypony who could be helpful to us, or anypony who seriously needed to know. Right now, the six of you meet both of those criteria."

"Well, then we're glad to know you trust us that much," Ronald Grump professed. He gazed around the conference table and asked rhetorically "Aren't we?"

The other five entrepreneurs each murmured in agreement. Then Lord Cycle Geyser leaned forward and declared "I for one am glad you finally explained what your people were doing in Detrot."

That statement both intrigued and unsettled Haywood McCrank. He raised an eyebrow and stated inquiringly "Wait; you already knew I sent half the task force to Detrot?"

"We assumed as much," Cycle Geyser illuminated, "You see, a few days ago, I visited the barracks. Lady Noble Edict gave me a tour, and when we got to the deputy chief's office, I noticed it was empty. When I asked Lady Noble where her deputy chief of security was, she just told me that he was on vacation in Detrot."

Haywood McCrank nodded his head in acknowledgement, and then Cycle Geyser continued with "At first, I accepted her answer without any qualms. Then Lord Ronald came to me the other day and mentioned that he had asked you a certain question that same morning. Do you remember that?"

"I remember it well," Sir Haywood recounted, "He asked me why nopony else from the Intelligence Bureau was assisting us in the investigation into your companies, and I told him that Agent Dread Naught actually was aiding us, but that he was working from…"

"Detrot," Cycle Geyser interrupted him, "Strange coincidence, isn't it?"

Without even waiting for a response, Ronald Grump sat up and professed "Then, of course, there was what we all heard at yesterday's meeting. In this very room, at this very table, we all heard the ambassador's secretary Dapple Rhomb clearly announce that her husband was on business in Detrot."

"That's when we noticed a pattern," Cycle Geyser went on, "Several of the ponies who were close to the ponies involved in our investigation were all in Detrot at the same time. We came to the conclusion that they had all gone to Detrot for the same reason, even though we could not fathom what that reason was."

"Normally, I would call such a deduction a longshot," Haywood McCrank muttered as he straightened out his tie, "However, I'll make an exception in your case; you turned out to be correct. But tell me, did you share those thoughts with anypony else?"

"Well, we told everypony on our boards of directors," Ronald Grump disclosed, "That's about it."

Haywood McCrank gazed off to the side and rubbed in chin in deep thought. After a minute of silence, he turned back to the CEOs, rose from his chair, and proclaimed "I would like you to come with me to the hospital. There's something there I want to show you. Your input on it could go a long way in both investigations."

Although the CEOs were perplexed by this abrupt request, they saw no reason to deny it. After all, Sir Haywood had been courteous enough to trust them with the matter of the murder plot. They figured they owed it to him to do him a favor in return.

Sir Haywood McCrank, Sir Till Dates, Sir Cleave Cobs, Sir Lore N. Budget, Sir Red Burner, Lord Cycle Geyser, and Lord Ronald Grump swiftly prepared to leave the embassy altogether. However, just before they could depart, a particular grey, blonde, cross-eyed Pegasus showed up with a large envelope and a clipboard. The seven stallions encountered this mare right at the front entrance.

"Telegram for Superintendent Haywood McCrank," she announced, holding the envelope in the air.

"I'll take that," the indigo stallion said in response, extending his right front hoof.

The grey Pegasus smiled and handed him the envelope. Then she held out the clipboard and instructed him "Please sign here, Sir Haywood."

Haywood McCrank used the quill that went to the book at the front of the building; the one that everypony used to check in and out of the building. After giving his signature, he grinned at the mailmare and told her appreciatively "Thank you, Derpy."

She remained smiling and happily left the building.

Once she was gone, Sir Haywood gazed down at the large envelope. When he saw a certain symbol and writing on the front side, he frowned and muttered in perplexity "How peculiar."

"What is that, Sir Haywood?" Sir Red Burner inquired.

"It's a BUA," the federal investigator replied as he tore open the seal on the envelope.

"'BUA?'" Sir Lore. N Budget repeated in bafflement.

"Bureau Urgent Announcement," Haywood McCrank elaborated as he pulled out a small stack of papers and placed them on top of the envelope, "BUAs are priority-one communiques from the Intelligence Bureau. Under certain circumstances, the Bureau delivers them to all its members who are away from Headquarters whenever Headquarters acquires some unsettling news."

"What sort of unsettling news?" Sir Till Dates enquired anxiously.

As Haywood McCrank leafed through the stack of papers, he expounded "Generally, the Bureau only sends these out when one of two things happens: there's been a sudden nationwide catastrophe, or…"

When Sir Haywood arrived at a certain page, he abruptly ceased flipping through the papers, and he stopped talking. For the next twenty seconds, he just held the stack of papers in his front hooves and stared at the top sheet in profound shock and disbelief.

"Or what?" Sir Cleave Cobs beckoned.

Haywood McCrank slowly turned to the other stallions and finished with "There's been a death in the organization."

…

"Smells awful in here," Rollin Fields groaned in revulsion.

"Well, corpses DO have a very distinct smell," Copper Hollow contended, "I've heard that smell is very hard to mask or repel, even after the bodies have been taken away."

"Then let's not spend any more time in here than we have to," the lime green Earth Pony advised, "We don't need to be trotting around the town, reeking of death."

"I couldn't agree more," the copper Earth Pony conceded.

The two stallions had made their way back to the train depot. The train that had gotten in from Detrot had been quarantined from the other locomotives that were stationed there.

As two senior members of the security staff, Copper Hollow and Rollin Fields easily gained access to board and search the train. It was the scene of a crime, after all.

There were bloodstains on the flooring, seats, and windows of every single car. But the luggage car had the worst of it. That was where the two stallions currently were.

Nothing had been moved or removed; the luggage car looked exactly the same as it did when Copper Hollow last left it.

Near the front of the car, there was an overturned crate by the entrance. One side of it was stained with blood and chunks of fur.

Near the back of the car, there were two huge pools of blood. They were so close and so large that they almost overlapped.

Near the middle of the car, there was a third pool of blood. This one was smaller than the others, but it also had chunks of brain and bone in it.

One lone whiff of that car was all one needed to learn that somepony had died in there recently.

Rollin Fields could barely contain his disgust. After forty years in security, the stench of blood still repulsed him.

Copper Hollow was even more appalled. Just the sight of the blood pools made him want to vomit. Especially since he had seen all that blood get spilt in the first place.

In fact, he could vividly recall what had occurred on this train.

Back in Detrot, Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider had managed to escort the copper stallion out of the high school's catacombs. He had tried to persuade them to go back for Dread Naught, but they outnumbered him two-to-one, and he was still too dizzy to protest.

At any rate, after escaping the high school, the three of them had promptly returned to the Grand Alhoof Hotel. They only stayed long enough to bandage Copper Hollow's wound and pack their bags. They made sure to pack absolutely everything; they were not going to leave any trace that they had ever been in that Hotel. They even got the clerk at the front desk to erase them from the hotel's records.

Once they checked out, they headed back to the main train station. By the time they got there, Copper Hollow had fully regained his coordination. He still regretted abandoning Dread Naught, but it was far too late to go back for him, and there was a huge possibility that the greenish-blue stallion was dead.

Even so, Copper Hollow was not quick to give up on Dread Naught. Although the federal agent had told them to wait for him no later than midnight, Copper Hollow convinced Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider to remain at the train station for several hours after that. He was reasonably confident that Dread Naught might actually show up. Besides, the earliest train that went straight from Detrot to Ponyville was not scheduled to depart until two in the morning.

They ended up spending close to nine hours at the train station. For those three ponies, waiting was agony. They avoided interacting with everypony else, and they rarely left each other's sight, unless one of them had to use the lavatory. They ate dinner and breakfast at a restaurant in the station. The meals were less than pleasing, but given how uneasy they already felt, complaining about the food would have been trivial. At any moment, at least two of them were closely watching over Dread Naught's saddle bag. They guarded that personnel file with their lives.

A couple times, they considered studying the contents of the file while they waited. After all, this file contained information about the very murder the task force had been striving to prevent. Ultimately, they decided against examining the file; they believed that even taking the file out in public was too big a risk. They would at least wait until they were on the train to study it.

Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, and Rough Rider ended up staying at train station until sunrise. That was just before seven o'clock in the morning. By then, even Copper Hollow had admitted that they had waited long enough. Luckily, there was a train that was scheduled to depart for Ponyville at 7:15. The three of them bought tickets for that train, and within a half-hour, it took them out of Detrot. They were justifiably relieved to see that city fade away in the distance.

It had taken them half a day to get to Detrot. Now they were facing another twelve-hour ride back home.

Somehow, this trip seemed even longer. They did not have as many books or puzzles as they did the first time, so they passed the time by talking. They tried not to speak about what they had just been through, even though they were not going to forget that ordeal any time soon. Still, they managed to find distractions through their conversation. Rough Rider could not stop talking about how much he was looking forward to seeing Dapple Rhomb again. Almond Wheeler was vocally just as eager to see Cashew Lane.

It was at times like that that Copper Hollow wished he was not single; he would have liked to have had somepony to go home to. Of course, he and Noble Edict were very close, but their relationship had always been platonic and professional. Plus, she was his superior officer.

On the whole, the first five hours of the ride were rather uneventful. But shortly after lunch was served, the most thrilling and most terrifying moment of the entire trip occurred.

Out of nowhere, a high-pitched shriek was produced from the back of the train. It was so loud and so shrill that its noise emanated throughout the entire locomotive. In response, most of the passengers immediately placed their front hooves over their ears. Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, and Rough Rider did not react that way. Instead, they placed one of their front hooves over the hilts of their knives, and they turned to the source of the commotion.

Eventually, the shriek ended, but more screams and shouts soon followed it. There was also a noise that sounded like a hefty crash. The three ponies on the task force realized it was the same noise they had heard in the high school's catacombs.

Before long, the screams, shouts, and crashes were overlapping each other, and they sounded as though they were getting closer to the task force. Rough Rider suggested that they check the problem out, but Copper Hollow and Almond Wheeler advised him to wait until the cause was within sight.

It was within sight soon enough. Just a minute later, not two cars down, amidst a crowd of frantic ponies, they spotted three figures in full-body jumpsuits. One was an Earth Pony, one was a Unicorn, and one was a Pegasus. The Earth Pony and the Pegasus were armed with daggers, and the Unicorn was brandishing a firing apparatus. The first two were hacking at everypony within reaching distance, and the third was launching projectiles in all directions.

Right away, Rough Rider, Copper Hollow, and Almond Wheeler knew the train had been besieged by the Vermane.

This time around, the task force had no place to retreat. But even if they did, Copper Hollow would not have taken it. He knew that no matter how many times the task force withdrew, the Vermane would just keep coming after them. So in any case, their only option was to fight back.

In spite of that, Copper Hollow knew that their main concern was not to fend off the Vermane or protect the train's other passengers. Their main objective was to keep the personnel file safe. If the Vermane managed to reclaim or destroy it, all their work in Detrot would have been for nothing.

He told Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider this, and they agreed with him; the file was top priority. Almond Wheeler came up with the idea to hide the file first and then deal with the Vermane. Rough Rider suggested storing the file in the luggage car.

Copper Hollow agreed to that proposal. He decided that he would hold off the Vermane while the two of them went to the luggage car. Once the gray mare and the olive stallion were ready to move, the copper stallion charged into the adjoining the car and confronted the Vermane. The two with knives waved their blades at him erratically, but the copper stallion managed to dodge or parry all of their blows. The one with the firing apparatus would have launched more projectiles, but his colleagues were in the line of fire.

While the Vermane were distracted, Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider took Dread Naught's saddlebag, slipped passed them, and galloped as fast as they could to the luggage car. Despite Copper Hollow's efforts to keep the Vermane's attention on him, the Pegasus noticed the gray mare and the olive stallion. He turned away from Copper Hollow and chased after them. The copper stallion would have tried to stop him, but the Earth Pony and the Unicorn were still in his way.

On their way to the luggage car, Almond Wheeler and Copper Hollow came across the mare who was coughing up blood, the badly carved-up mare, and the stallion with the dent in his head. The three of them had been the first victims of the raid. Alas, there was nothing the gray mare or the olive stallion could do for them at that time.

Once Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider soon reached the luggage car, they hastily looked for a place to stow Dread Naught's saddlebag. When last they looked, the Pegasus was only three cars away; he would be upon them in less than two minutes.

Rough Rider happened to look up when they entered the car, and he saw a tall pile of crates by the entrance. That gave him an idea. He told Almond Wheeler to hide the saddlebag somewhere. While she did that, he climbed the pile of crates and hid behind the top one.

It only took Almond Wheeler thirty seconds to find a good hiding place for the saddlebag. There was a bunch of empty boxes near the middle of the car; one of them was labeled "Confidential." Almond Wheeler tossed the saddlebag into that box, closed it up, and turned it upside down.

After she pushed the box into the shadows, she heard the door to the luggage car open. Almond Wheeler turned back to the entrance and saw the Pegasus enter. He held his knife in a menacing manner, and he started to approach her. Almond reached for her own knife, but before she drew it, she got a glimpse of Rough Rider behind the pile of crates.

When the Pegasus was at the base of the pile, Rough Rider pushed the top crate as hard as he could. The Pegasus did not even have time to react before the crate landed hard on him.

Whatever was in the crate must have been heavy; it broke both of his hind legs. His lower body was trapped underneath the crate, and he did not have the strength in his upper body to liberate himself. He just feebly struggled and moaned in anguish.

Rough Rider hopped down from the pile of crates and calmly knelt down in front of the Pegasus. Then he drew his knife, placed the blade underneath the Pegasus' chin, and used it to open his throat from cheek-to-cheek. The Pegasus made a sharp gasping sound as blood leaked out of his neck. He struggled to catch his breath, but Rough Rider had sliced through his jugular vein.

Within seconds, the Pegasus' head collapsed onto the ground. Blood continued pouring out of the deep cut along his neck. Rough Rider smirked in satisfaction at the sight.

After that, he trotted over to Almond Wheeler, and she showed him where she had hidden the saddlebag. He was content with the location.

By then, the shouts, screams, and crashes had decreased in number. That meant that either Copper Hollow had taken control of the situation, or the Vermane had.

The olive stallion and the gray mare decided to head back out to the passenger cars. Just when they turned to the door, it was kicked open, and the Unicorn appeared in the doorframe. He was pointing his firing apparatus directly at them.

As Rough Rider protectively shoved Almond Wheeler behind him, the Unicorn released two projectiles. Both of them hit Rough Rider in his lower and upper chest. The olive stallion slumped backwards, but the gray mare caught him before he collapsed.

The Unicorn gradually approached them. He kept his firing apparatus pointed at the two members of the task force. He demanded to know where the saddlebag was. He threatened to shoot again if they did not answer him.

Almond Wheeler would have drawn her knife, but that gesture would not have gone unnoticed by the Unicorn. However, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a monkey wrench lying on the ground behind her.

In effort to get him closer, Almond Wheeler claimed she would tell the Unicorn where the saddlebag was. He swallowed that lie easily enough; he slowly trotted towards her. Almond Wheeler continued holding Rough Rider in her front legs, and she occasionally glimpsed on the monkey wrench behind her.

When the Unicorn was close enough, Almond Wheeler reached behind her, gripped the monkey wrench, and swung it with all her might. She clobbered the Unicorn on the side of his head. He immediately dropped his firing apparatus and stumbled against the wall, groaning.

Almond Wheeler gently set Rough Rider down and went over to the Unicorn. Before he could recover from the first blow, she raised the monkey wrench again and bashed him in the face again. She struck him multiple times over the next few seconds. She did not stop until parts of the Unicorn's skull and brains were littering the ground. His horn was the only part of his head that was intact.

When Almond Wheeler finally relented, she let out a deep breath, tossed the wrench aside, and galloped over to Rough Rider. The olive stallion was bleeding profusely from two parts of his chest. Almond Wheeler anxiously looked for a way to stop the hemorrhaging.

She was so preoccupied with that she did not hear the luggage car door open again, or the soft sound of hoofsteps trotted up behind her.

Thirty seconds later, Rough Rider caught a glance over Almond Wheeler's shoulder, and he saw the Earth Pony coming near. The olive stallion tried to notify the gray mare of this, but he could barely move, and his voice was trapped in his throat.

Eventually, Almond Wheeler caught on to Rough Rider's warning, and she turned around just in time to see the Earth Pony raising his knife. He plunged it into her abdomen. She was so overcome with pain that she lost her breath, and she almost lost her lunch, too.

The Earth Pony extracted his knife and sank it into her lower chest again. This time he dug it in deeper and wider. Almond Wheeler would have shrieked, but the pain was too overwhelming for her to think of doing anything.

This time when the Earth Pony removed his knife, Almond Wheeler fell on the ground next to Rough Rider. Both of them were incapable of fighting back or defending themselves.

The Earth Pony grinned maliciously at them. He stepped forward, preparing to finish what he started. Then out of nowhere, he was seized from behind.

Out in the passenger cars, the Earth Pony had managed to overpower Copper Hollow. Fortunately, the copper stallion had recovered, and now it was his turn to overpower his adversary. He used one of his front legs to disarm the Earth Pony. The other, he wrapped around the Earth Pony's throat.

Initially, Copper Hollow had meant to take the Earth Pony prisoner. He was hoping to capture at least one of the Vermane alive, and Rough Rider and Almond Wheeler had already killed the Pegasus and the Unicorn.

However, despite Copper Hollow's attempts to subdue the Earth Pony, the latter stubbornly refused to yield to him. It quickly occurred to Copper Hollow that the Earth Pony would not surrender or go along quietly. Ultimately, the copper stallion realized that this scenario would have to have a different outcome.

Upon arriving at that outcome, Copper Hollow enclosed his left front leg around the Earth Pony's neck, locked it in place with his right front leg, and pulled as hard as he could.

The Earth Pony frantically tried to free himself from Copper Hollow, but the copper stallion was persistent. He gripped his opponent tightly and pulled even harder. Before long, the Earth Pony's limbs were flailing erratically in every direction. Copper Hollow was struck a couple times, but he did not back down.

Soon, the Earth Pony stopped struggling. An unpleasant gurgling was produced from his mouth, and his hind legs were twitching wildly. Even then, Copper Hollow did not let him go.

A minute later, the copper stallion slowly released the Earth Pony and pulled himself out from underneath. He needed a moment to regain his breath, but he was pleased by what he had accomplished. He had successfully asphyxiated the Earth Pony.

He had no time to revel in that achievement; Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider were gravely wounded. Many of the train's other passengers had been injured, as well. Now that the saddlebag was safe, the copper stallion made it his primary objective to aid the victims of this massacre.

He had gone back through the passenger cars to search for help. By some marvelous twist of fate, he found Dr. Billow Health on that train. The doctor had been able to stabilize all of the victims, including Rough Rider and Almond Wheeler. Still, he emphasized it was imperative that they get the wounded to a hospital.

The conductor would have diverted the train to another city, but this railway line ran solely between Detrot and Ponyville. So they had no choice but to proceed to their original destination. Ponyville was still more than six hours away at that time.

Those were perhaps the most unpleasant hours of Copper Hollow's entire life.

At least all the victims had made it to the hospital. That counted for something, but it did little to alleviate the lingering feeling of terror and unease. At any rate, the task force had other things to worry about.

"Where did you say it was?" Rollin Fields queried

"In the very back," Copper Hollow apprised him, "Under a box that says 'Confidential.'"

"Okay," Rollin Fields avowed. He headed to the back of the luggage car and probed through the area. Soon he found the aforementioned boss and pulled it out of the shadows. He overturned the box and there was the saddlebag. He grinned and announced "Bingo."

Copper Hollow smirked, trotted over to the older stallion, and picked up the saddlebag, saying slyly "There you are."

He opened the saddlebag up, removed the personnel file, and flipped to the first page.

Almost immediately, his smirk became a grimace.

…

Dapple Rhomb had passed out at approximately eight o'clock at night. She did not regain consciousness until the next day.

When she came to, she opened her eyes very slowly. She avoided hitting her head when she fell, but she still felt a little light-headed.

Once her eyes were open, the purple mare took a moment to study her surroundings. She discovered that she was lying on a soft bed, and she was dressed in a hospital gown. Evidently, she had been admitted to one of the building's rooms.

She quickly realized she was not alone. Bronze Star was sitting in a chair by the right side of her bed.

When he saw she was awake, he smiled and stated softly "Hey."

"Hey," she returned quietly. Bronze Star helped her sit up, and once Dapple Rhomb was lounging comfortably, she asked him "What time is it?"

"A quarter past midnight," he informed her, "You were out for four hours."

"What did I miss?" she inquired in interest.

"Nothing you'll regret missing," Bronze Star replied, "Almost all the victims of the train massacre have been treated. Some of them only had superficial wounds, but they're being cared for like everypony else."

"How's Rough?" Dapple Rhomb enquired restlessly.

"He's doing well," the prince enlightened her, "He got out of surgery about forty-five minutes ago. He's been transferred to the recovery ward. It could be a while before he wakes up, though."

"Is he safe?" she questioned pressingly.

"Yeah," Bronze Star asserted, "Swiftdrive is watching over him. She's letting nopony but Dr. Sharp Seams and Nurse Red Heart near Rough Rider."

"Thank goodness," Dapple Rhomb mumbled in relief. After a short pause, she queried "What about Almond Wheeler? How's she doing?"

"Almond's been out of surgery for over an hour," Bronze Star illuminated, "Even so, Dr. Billow Health is keeping her in the I.C.U. Before she's moved to the recovery ward, he wants to monitor her vitals for a while. I've also got Blade Bearer guarding her."

"Okay," the purple mare acknowledged. Then she anxiously uttered "So… how's everything else?"

"Well, as you can imagine, tensions are still a little frayed," Bronze Star elucidated, "Soon the entire town will know about this train ordeal. Nothing we can do to prevent that. But I've taken steps to ensure that news of the massacre will not spread beyond Ponyville."

"That's good," Dapple Rhomb commented, "If word of it got out, everypony in the country might become too afraid to go anywhere near a train again."

"That, and everypony would be demanding an explanation for why the attack occurred," Bronze Star pronounced, "Until we've captured the Vermane, we shouldn't let their existence become common knowledge."

"Smart thinking," Dapple Rhomb stated in approval. "By the way, where are the others?"

"Around town," Bronze Star disclosed, "I gave each of them a task to do. They're probably done by now, but I can't say for certain. I myself was with the Mayor and the City Council until about twenty minutes ago, and I haven't seen the others since right after you fainted."

Dapple Rhomb blushed a bit at that statement and looked away. She murmured "Yeah… sorry about that."

"It's okay, Dapple," Bronze Star assured her, "You were in shock. People were suffering all around you. Your significant other was staring death in the face. That's enough to make anypony faint."

"Maybe, but…" the purple mare tentatively began. There was a short pause, and then she turned back to Bronze Star and revealed "I love my life, Bronze, and I've never been one to look on the negative side. I could look back at any stage of my life and think of at least a dozen things I had that were worth living for. But Rough Rider is the only thing I've always had to live for. If I lost him… I don't know what I would do."

Bronze Star gently placed his front hoof on Dapple Rhomb's shoulder and spoke calmly with "Well, let me say this: you aren't going to lose him. Dr. Seams is positive of that, and I believe him. And even if Rough Rider did die, there are other ponies who would still be there for you."

"Such as?" she beckoned him.

"Me," he answered sincerely.

Dapple Rhomb was surprised. She raised an eyebrow and muttered "I thought you only viewed me as your secretary and a liaison to the vigilante group."

Bronze Star just scoffed and proposed "Dapple, look at your right front hoof."

The purple mare complied and gazed down at her right front leg. To her astonishment, it was bare. Her legband was gone.

Dapple Rhomb looked up at the gold stallion and said in bewilderment "Um…"

Bronze Star smirked and held up a small piece of cloth. That turned out to be her legband. The prince explicated "Remember when I had Sir Haywood deactivate Rough Rider's legband? Well, I told him to deactivate yours, as well. I would have removed yours when we left the preparation room, but you collapsed before I could. In any case, it's off now, and it shall stay off."

"Great; I haven't seen this part of my leg in over a month," Dapple Rhomb bluntly remarked, caressing her right front hoof with her left front leg. She then turned back to Bronze Star and uttered inquisitively "But tell me; why'd you take it off?"

"The whole reason I had you put this legband on was because I didn't trust you," Bronze Star apprised her, "Now that the legband is off, I'm saying I DO trust you. And believe me, a pony has to earn my trust in order to get it. There are very few ponies that I trust, and I've known most of them a lot longer than I've known you. Even so, you've proven that you're trustworthy."

Now Dapple Rhomb was smiling widely. She asked hopefully "What about Rough?"

"I've come to trust him, too," Bronze Star declared, "Not just because he voluntarily risked his life. Copper Hollow claims that Rough Rider saved his life in Detrot. In addition to that, he's also done a great many things for the benefit of the task force. So I'm inclined to keep his legband off, as well."

Dapple Rhomb was delighted to hear that. She placed her front hoof on her employer's front leg, and she remarked "Thank you, Bronze. You have no idea how much that means to us."

"I bet I have some idea," Bronze Star cockily countered. He then rested his free front hoof on the hoof Dapple Rhomb had set on his other front hoof, and he professed "By the way, I was wondering… when all this business with the Vermane is finally over… would you be willing to continue working as my secretary?"

"I would love to," she happily replied, "While we're at it, maybe we could establish a firmer alliance between you and my group."

"I was actually planning on something like that," Bronze Star revealed, "I'll wait until Rough Rider wakes up to discuss it with you."

"I look forward to it," the purple mare pronounced giddily. She then leaned forward and wrapped her front legs around the gold stallion's upper body. He lightly grinned and returned the embrace. Sure, Applejack was the mare he loved, but that did not mean he could not be affectionate towards other mares he cared about.

A minute after they came apart, the door to the room opened and Nurse Red Heart entered.

"Good evening, Nurse," Bronze Star bade her, "Or morning, rather."

"Hello," the white mare said in response. She was carrying a clipboard in her left front hoof. After she approached the bed, she looked to the gold stallion and told him "If you don't mind, Mr. Ambassador, I would like to speak with Dapple Rhomb in private."

"Oh, I don't mind if he's here, Nurse," Dapple Rhomb claimed.

"No, after what you've been through, you at least deserve this much privacy," Bronze Star contended. He rose from his chair and trotted to the entrance of the room. Before he left, he gazed over his shoulder and stated "I'll check in on your later."

"Okay," the purple mare conceded, "You can still stay if you want, though."

"No, I'll leave you alone for this," Bronze Star insisted, "It's none of my business."

"If you say so," Dapple Rhomb avowed.

"He'll find out what I'm about to tell you soon enough, anyway, Dapple," Red Heart proclaimed.

Bronze Star found that remark intriguing, but he did not question what it meant. He solemnly left the room. Comet Frost had been standing guard outside the entrance. He held the door open for the prince, and he saluted him as he stepped through the threshold.

"At ease, Comet," Bronze Star commented.

"Yes, Your Highness," the aqua stallion remarked, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Fields came by a few minutes ago. He requested that you meet him, Mr. Hollow, Lady Noble, and Sir Haywood in the security office."

"Thanks for informing me," Bronze Star avowed.

The prince made his way to the security office, where he found Rollin Fields, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank gathered.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he told them sincerely.

"No worries, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank assured him.

"I take it you just came from Dapple's room?" Copper Hollow assumed.

"Yep," Bronze Star responded.

"Is she alright?" Noble Edict enquired.

"She's fine," Bronze Star revealed, "I am a little concerned, though. Nurse Red Heart implied that she may be sick or something."

Rollin Fields snickered at that. That gesture did not go unnoticed by the prince. He queried "Something amusing, Rollin?"

"She's not sick, Bronze," the lime green Earth Pony drily apprised him, "I already know what's going on with her."

"You do?" Bronze Star mumbled in astonishment.

"Think about all the changes we've seen in her," Rollin Fields pointed out, "Her diet is different, she's developed cravings for foods she rarely used to eat, she becomes agitated and fatigued more easily, and according to Sir Haywood, her libido is stronger. Oh, and she frequently stops by the bathroom, which is more often for nausea than for the customary uses. My ex-wife went through all of those symptoms four times."

"I've figured it out, too," Haywood announced, "I may not have any children of my own, but I don't have to be a parent or a doctor OR a federal investigator to determine what Dapple Rhomb's going through."

The realization finally dawned on Bronze Star. Recently, he had seen Cup Cake exhibit almost all of those aforementioned symptoms. He knew full well what the cause of them was in the baker's case. That could only mean one thing for his secretary.

He faced his companions and conjectured "She's expecting?"

Nopony gave a verbal reply or even a nod of the head. Instead, they just smiled knowingly at the prince.

Ultimately, Bronze Star smiled as well and muttered under his breath "Now she has another thing to live for."

While Bronze Star was thrilled to learn that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were going to be parents, that was easily the most delightful bit of information he learned during this discussion in the security office. Nothing else the others told him was especially pleasing.

Noble Edict reported that the security staff had made the hospital impenetrable. Nopony with any ill intentions would be getting into the building on their watch.

She also mentioned that Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig wished to come back to the task force. While part of Bronze Star was thrilled to hear that, the other part was still cross with the two mares for leaving the task force in the first place. However, he was not one to turn down valuable allies, and when they were still on the force, Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig had proven their capabilities many times.

Ultimately, he decided that he would consider reinstating the cobalt blue Unicorn and the periwinkle Pegasus to the task force. However, he would not worry about making a decision until later.

Sir Haywood McCrank had some very grave news. He showed the others the Bureau Urgent Announcement he had received, and the message it contained was grim. The best thing about it was also the worst thing: Agent Dread Naught was no longer missing.

His body had been found in an alleyway two blocks from that high school in Detrot. There were some thick, deep cuts imbedded into the center of his throat, which indicated that he had been garroted. He had nothing on him at the time, except his government credentials. The Detrot Police Department had taken him in very early the previous morning, and when they found his credentials, they notified the Intelligence Bureau that one of their agents had been killed.

Four other bodies had been picked up near Dread Naught. One of them was Shakedown. Apparently, the Vermane had moved his body from the high school's catacombs to one of the adjoining buildings. The task force could not guess what the Vermane's motivation might have been for doing that, but at least they respectfully deposited Shakedown's body outdoors.

There was no form of identification on the other three bodies. However, they had been found in close proximity to Dread Naught. The forensics team had already determined that they had been fighting with Dread Naught; he had killed all three of them before he in turn was killed. Sir Haywood had already concluded that those three must have been members of the Vermane.

That was not the most fascinating piece of information Sir Haywood had to share. He revealed that when he received the Bureau Urgent Announcement, the six CEOs had been with him. The entrepreneurs had convinced the indigo stallion to let them see the Announcement. The contents of the Announcement included pictures of the three stallions who had been found dead near Dread Naught. When the CEOs saw those pictures, Sir Cleave Cobs, Sir Red Burner, and Lord Cycle Geyser each claimed that they recognized one of those stallions. In fact, each of those stallions had recently worked for one of them until a few months recently.

That was enough to rouse Haywood McCrank's suspicion. Earlier, he had developed an elaborate theory about the Vermane. Now he had a reason to believe his theory was authentic. Just to be certain, he did what he had planned on doing beforehand, and he brought the CEOs to the hospital. There he led them to the surgery preparation room and showed him the bodies of the three Vermane from the train massacre.

It turned out that the three assailants were a mint green Earth Pony, a tawny Unicorn, and a cobalt Pegasus; the very same ponies Copper Hollow's group had been pursuing for the past two weeks.

At any rate, once they saw the bodies, Sir Till Dates, Sir Lore N. Budget, and Lord Ronald Grump each positively identified one of the dead stallions as a former employee of theirs.

Sir Haywood McCrank needed no more proof to validate his theory. He was convinced that most of the Vermane – if not all of them – either worked or used to work for one of the six CEOs' companies.

The deaths of Shakedown and Dread Naught were a grievous loss. However, Copper Hollow and Rollin Fields brought even worse news to the conversation.

The two stallions had managed to find Dread Naught's saddlebag on the luggage car. The file was still in the saddlebag, and all the papers in it were accounted for. However, the words on the papers were not.

When Copper Hollow opened the file, he discovered that the writing on each page had inexplicably become illegible. There was a huge smudge over every single letter on every single sheet. It was as though the words had been – for lack of a better term – melted.

Needless to say, the papers were incomprehensible. But that was not the worst part. The worst part was that after the massacre ended, Copper Hollow had rarely taken his eyes off the box that hid the saddlebag, and there was no way anypony could have gotten to the file without him noticing. That meant that sometime before he and Rollin Fields returned to the depot, somepony in Ponyville must have snuck onto the luggage car, located the file, and damaged its contents.

Although Copper Hollow, Rollin Fields, Bronze Star, and Noble Edict were distraught that they had apparently lost their best lead, Sir Haywood McCrank bade them not to lose faith. He inspected the papers in the file, and he assured his associates that the clues were not completely gone. He explained that he was familiar with this sort of sabotage, and if that it would be possible to salvage the information in the file. He assured them that this was just a temporary setback. Recovering that data would be an arduous and delicate process, but it could definitely be done.

The task force was relieved that the data was not lost, but this assurance did not overshadow the fact that somepony had damaged the file in the first place. These allegations of a saboteur in Ponyville were alarming, but not entirely unexpected. After the discovery Sir Haywood made regarding the CEOs' employees, it came as no shock that other members of the Vermane might have been loose in town. Bronze Star declared that they would have to be even more watchful and alert than ever. For all they knew, anypony in town could have been a member of the Vermane.

When the five ponies finished their discussion, it was already after two o'clock in the morning. Normally, each member of the task force would be in bed at that time. However, none of them really felt like sleeping. Even Copper Hollow was wide awake, and he had not laid down in two days.

While the task force would not be getting any sleep that night, they decided to get something to eat. All of them had skipped dinner, so they were fairly hungry. Luckily, the hospital's kitchen was always open, and they had a diverse menu.

The gold stallion, the red mare, the indigo stallion, the lime green stallion, and the copper stallion spent the next half-hour at a table in the cafeteria, eating. The hospital was still bustling with activity, but the tense atmosphere had calmed down considerably. At first glance, one might never have thought so many patients had been admitted there because of an massacre. For the first time since the train got in, the task force was able to have a moment of peace.

Unfortunately, that moment did not even last long enough for them to finish their meal.

Before any of them could clean their plates, Nurse Red Heart rushed into the cafeteria, approached Noble Edict, and stated uneasily "Noble… I need you to come with me."

"What's wrong, Red?" the red mare inquired nervously

"It's Almond Wheeler," the white mare answered ominously.

She did not have to say anything more. Although Red Heart had only asked for Noble Edict, all four of the stallions went with them.

Three minutes later, they arrived in the Intensive Care Ward. Soon they reached Almond Wheeler's room. They found Blade Bearer and Cashew Lane outside it.

There was a large window on the wall that adjoined the door to that room. Cashew Lane was standing right in front of that window, staring through it.

That window was big window for two more ponies to stand side-by-side in front of it. Cashew Lane made room for the others, and Copper Hollow and Noble Edict stood next to him. Bronze Star, Rollin Fields, and Sir Haywood McCrank stood behind them and gazed over their shoulders.

On the other side of the glass, Dr. Billow Health, Dr. Sharp Seams, and a few other doctors were clad in scrubs. They were tending to a comatose Almond Wheeler. She had an IV in both of her front hooves, and an oxygen tent in her muzzle. She was also connected to a heart-rate monitor, which was fluctuating erratically.

"Get me twenty CCs of anistreplase," Billow Health demanded.

"You heard him," Sharp Seams snapped at a nurse.

The nurse hastened to get that medicine, and she gave it to Dr. Health. The russet stallion injected it into one of Almond Wheeler's IVs. A few seconds later, he looked to another nurse and shouted "Status?"

The nurse examined Almond Wheeler's chart, and she reported "She's still dropping!"

"Ten CCs of papaverine!" Billow Health called out.

"On it!" the first nurse acknowledged. She prepared another syringe and turned it over to Dr. Health. He administered it to Almond Wheeler's other IV.

After a few seconds, the nurse at the gray mare's chart yelled "No effect!"

Before Dr. Health could give another command, the readings on Almond Wheeler's heart-rate monitor changed. It had been displaying a series of huge wavelengths, but right then, it collapsed into a straight line.

"She's flatlining!" the second nurse pronounced.

"Get the cardiac unit!" Billow Health shouted.

Two more nurses rolled over an automated external defibrillator. Dr. Seams applied some medical gel to the pads, and then he handed them to Dr. Health.

Dr. Health stood over Almond Wheeler and waited for the signal.

Once the defibrillator was charged up, Dr. Seams declared "Ready!"

"Clear!" Dr. Health avowed, pressing the pads against Almond Wheeler's chest. They gave her a jolt, but other than that, she did not react.

"No response!" the second nurse disclosed.

Dr. Health waited for the cardiac unit to charge again, and when it was, he shouted "Clear!"

He firmly pushed the pads against Almond Wheeler's chest again. Her body jolted again, but her heart-rate monitor remained the same.

Dr. Health repeated this routine another half-dozen times, and each one had the same dismal result. After the ninth attempt, three minutes had passed since Almond Wheeler had flatlined. Her brain had been without oxygen for that long. So at this point, it made no difference what anypony did; it was too late.

Dr. Billow Health slowly placed the pads to the defibrillator down. He gradually removed his medical scrub face mask from his muzzle. Then he picked up the blanket on Almond Wheeler's bed by the edges, and he gently pulled it over her head.

Once the gray mare was fully enveloped by the blanket, Billow Health turned to Sharp Seams and asked "Time of death?"

The tan stallion glimpsed at the clock above the door, and he dejectedly announced "3:10 A.M."

The russet stallion glumly nodded in acknowledgement. He then looked back at Almond Wheeler's covered form and gazed at her sorrowfully.

The task force had witnessed that entire scene. That did not make it any easier to accept. It did not even seem real; it was so abrupt and shocking.

Cashew Lane was frozen in disbelief. All he could do was stare through the window. He did not move, blink, or breathe; he looked almost as lifeless as his cousin.

After a minute, Noble Edict placed her front hoof on the shamrock stallion's shoulder and said tentatively "Cashew?"

Cashew Lane slowly turned to her and continued staring. Then, after ten seconds of uncomfortable silence, he broke down sobbing and wrapped his front legs around the red mare's upper body.

Noble Edict gently hugged him back. Tears started flowing from her eyes, as well. Copper Hollow and Rollin Fields struggled to avoid breaking down, too. Even Haywood McCrank rubbed his eyes a bit.

Bronze Star shed no tears. But he did feel a tremendous amount of pity. He pitied Almond Wheeler. He pitied Dread Naught. He pitied Shakedown. He pitied every other member of the task force. He pitied Cashew Lane. He pitied all the victims of the train massacre.

As strange as it may seem, he pitied the Vermane, as well. He pitied them because he had decided that once he found them, nothing in the world would protect them from him.
> Time Running Short
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time the Sun came up that morning, nearly everypony in Ponyville had become aware of the train massacre. The overall mood of the town was one of panic, anxiety, and restlessness. Many ponies refused to go anywhere near the train depot, and a few were reluctant even to leave their houses.

The City Council managed to restore order by claiming that the attack was an isolated incident. Mayor Mare asserted that the train's staff would be taking some extra precautions from then on. Bronze Star took steps to ensure that nopony outside of Ponyville learned of the massacre without his consent. He even went so far as to have members of the task force read all the town's outgoing mail when it arrived at the post office. Any letter that so much as mentioned the massacre was returned to its owner for revision.

Bronze Star also stopped by Golden Oaks Library and told Twilight Sparkle that she must not – under any circumstances – mention this catastrophe in a letter to Princess Celestia. The lavender mare was startled by this odd request, but she agreed to it all the same.

In addition to that, he had Noble Edict issue a decree that every pony who had been on that train was not to leave Ponyville until further notice. A few passengers were annoyed by that inconvenience, but the way things stood, they had no choice but to comply.

On the plus side, Rough Rider woke up that same day. In the late afternoon, he was revived by Dr. Sharp Seams, and after he was given an hour to compose himself, the other members of the task force came to visit him.

Dapple Rhomb had been asked to linger at the hospital. The purple mare's pregnancy was still in the early stages, but since she had fainted, the staff wanted to run some tests. By then, all the victims of the massacre had been treated, so they could afford to spare somepony to examine Dapple Rhomb. Fortunately, it appeared as though everything was in order; the fetus was healthy and growing, and no abnormalities had been discovered.

Dapple Rhomb went with the other members of the task force to see Rough Rider. When they got to his room, the purple mare had practically thrown herself at her husband. He was still somewhat weak from being shot, but the olive stallion did not allow the pain to prevent him from holding his wife in his front legs again. He was overjoyed to see Dapple Rhomb. When she informed him that they were going to be parents, his joy only increased.

However, when he learned that Almond Wheeler and Dread Naught had been lost, he became visibly distraught. Of the five members of the task force that had gone to Detrot, he and Copper Hollow were the only survivors.

Bronze Star explained that arrangements had been made for their fallen comrades. Almond Wheeler's funeral would be held in three days at Town Hall, and Dread Naught's funeral would take place in eight days in Canterlot. He intended to attend both of them. He mentioned that he already had some business in the capital city the following week, so his plan would work out perfectly.

Although Shakedown's body was still being held by the Detrot Police Department, Bronze Star offered to have it delivered to the vigilante group as a gesture of goodwill. Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb appreciated that; they told the prince where to have the body sent. Once their people received it, they would give the brownish-tan Pegasus a proper burial.

Once the matter of their late colleagues had been resolved, the task force discussed their next move. Although the file on the Vermane's next victim had been badly damaged, Haywood McCrank firmly declared that its information was not gone. He had a technique for efficiently undoing acts of sabotage to recover lost data. However, this process was long and required extremely careful attention and execution. It also depended on what form of sabotage had been inflicted.

Since the words on the file had been – for lack of a better word – melted, Sir Haywood estimated that it would take two or three weeks to restore the papers to their original quality. He mentioned that it would take much less time if he had some assistance from the Intelligence Bureau, but Dread Naught was the only pony he could trust with this affair, and he was unwilling to bring any more of his colleagues into the loop.

Bronze Star did not care how long the recovery process was; all that mattered was that it worked. So he bade the indigo stallion to take as much time as he needed on that task.

Noble Edict made certain to address how Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig had approached her and requested to rejoin the task force. The other six members had mixed feelings on this issue. Nopony was questioning their integrity or motives, but since the two mares had already chosen family over this job, the task force had reason to question their level of commitment.

Ultimately, the choice on whether or not to reinstate Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch to the task force was up to Bronze Star. He declared that he would reflect on this subject while he was in Canterlot, and when he got back, he would make his decision.

The last thing the task force discussed was their theory that members of the Vermane were already in Ponyville. Other than the bodies that had been removed from the train, of course. After everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, Haywood McCrank advised them to be wary of everypony in town. At this point, absolutely nopony was free from their suspicions.

Luckily, they had a lead. Dread Naught had managed to kill three of the Vermane in Detrot, and Rough Rider, Almond Wheeler, and Copper Hollow had each killed another one on the train. According to Sir Haywood, this was the first time he ever had a member of the Vermane in his custody, alive or dead. The fact that they could be killed in itself was a great reassurance.

Furthermore, given how the six dead members of the Vermane had all worked for one of the six CEOs' companies, the staffers on the CEOs' boards of directors were the task force's prime suspects. Altogether, there were about five dozen staffers between the six companies. That was still quite a lot, but if correct, this notion would narrow their list of suspects down from thousands to less than a hundred.

In any case, despite how pressing the murder plot was, it was not Bronze Star's most immediate concern. The assassination conspiracy occupied a much greater part of his mind. So far, his plan to eliminate the remaining conspirators had been executed perfectly, but in order for it to succeed, he had to keep to a schedule.

Now that he had fooled Esopus Spitzenburg into believing that he would help the elderly stallion in his goal to overthrow Celestia, it was imperative that he kept up that charade.

In the next phase of Bronze Star's plan, he would set up a meeting between Spitzenburg and the ponies on his mother's War Council. He could not predict how that meeting would end, but one way or another, by the end of it, he needed to convince Spitzenburg that he had the support of the Equestrian military.

When he got back to the embassy that evening, Bronze Star composed a letter to the Firebrand Regiment. He instructed them to inform the chiefs of the armed forces that sometime in the next week, they could expect to be summoned by him. Ideally, he would assemble them in four or five days, and they would be gathering in the Compartment at Canterlot Castle. Normally, an appointment such as this would have to be scheduled a month in advance, but as a royal, Bronze Star could get them together at a moment's notice.

Over the next few days, the tense atmosphere in Ponyville gradually eased down. Of course, nopony was going to forget what had happened any time soon, and even if he did not have an impeccable memory, Bronze Star would never forget it.

On the third day after the train massacre, Almond Wheeler's funeral took place. Her service had a fairly large turnout. Most of the security staff was present, along with all six of the Element Bearers, the seven remaining members of the task force, the whole of the City Council, the majority of the survivors of the massacre, and a number of the townsfolk.

It was open-casket; the upper part of Almond Wheeler's body was on display for the congregation. She was wearing a dress that Rarity had designed for her. It was her favorite outfit; she loved it so much that she considered the idea of being buried in it. Ironically, she had made that decision just in time.

She did look beautiful in the gown. Its red and black pattern complimented her grey coat rather nicely, and it did an adequate job of concealing the stab wounds on her abdomen.

Before the service began, several ponies approached the casket and knelt before it. Most of those ponies stayed for less than a minute; a select few lingered for much longer. Almond Wheeler's parents and her cousin were in the latter category.

Unsurprisingly, the three of them were hit the hardest by this terrible loss. Her mother and father were overcome with grief, but Cashew Lane was downright devastated. He appeared to be virtually inconsolable, as though he refused to acknowledge that his cousin was really gone. Until he was able to cope, everypony would give him some space.

Mayor Mare gave the eulogy. Noble Edict and a few other security officers came up to say some words about their late colleague. Once everypony had their turn, the casket was closed, and it was carried to the town cemetery. There final farewells were spoken, and then the casket was gently lowered into the ground. Most of the attendants left then, but Bronze Star and the rest of the task force lingered until every last shovelful of dirt had been deposited into the hole. Only then did they depart.

When Bronze Star got back to the embassy, he began preparing for his trip to Canterlot. He did not bother with packing; all he needed to bring was his strongbox and his knapsack. He would also bring Arthur, as he did not wish to leave his pet hawk alone. Once he had all his belongings together, he informed the six CEOs that he would be out of town for that whole week and perhaps most of the following one, as well. After that, he went around town and shared this news with everypony else who needed to know, namely Mayor Mare, the three officers of the Royal Guard, and each of the Element Bearers.

Once he was done with that errand, Bronze Star spent most of the remainder of that day with Applejack. The prince was going to cherish his time with his fillyfriend, as this would probably be the last time they would be together for the next ten days. She did not wish for him to go, but she understood his reasons. She wished him the best of luck for when he met with Esopus Spitzenburg in Canterlot.

The next day, Bronze Star gathered the six members of the task force and told them that while he was away, they were to keep the investigation going. Basically, they had two priorities: recovering the information on the damaged file, and monitoring the behavior and activities of the CEOs' staffers. Currently, that was all they had to concern themselves with.

After this, Bronze Star grabbed his knapsack and his strongbox, called Arthur over to him, and made his way to the train depot. He got there an hour before the train to Canterlot was supposed to depart, and he saw other ponies having their bags searched by the security staff. Due to the train massacre, Noble Edict and Copper Hollow had implemented a number of regulations to ensure the safety of the railroad. Baggage inspection was one of them. These precautions were temporary but mandatory. Luckily, since Bronze Star had his government credentials on hoof, he did not have to have his luggage checked.

Once it was confirmed that none of the passengers were carrying weapons or any other hazardous materials, they were allowed to board the train and take their seats. Bronze Star noted a couple of the town's security force were on the train as well. Another precaution, evidently. He was not expecting any trouble on this short trip, but having the security officers around was comforting and somewhat reassuring.

Before long, the train was underway. A few hours later, it pulled into the main depot at Canterlot. Bronze Star had passed the time by reflecting on upcoming events. These events included the Grand Galloping Gala, his plans to eliminate two of the biggest threats to the country, and a particular weather phenomenon.

At any rate, when the train reached its destination, the gold stallion gathered his strongbox and his knapsack, and he swiftly disembarked. Arthur D. Hawkins flapped alongside his master as he trotted through the streets and towards the Castle.

When he got there, Bronze Star was allowed entrance into the Castle straightaway. Although he had not written a letter to anypony outside of the Firebrand Regiment recently, his return had been anticipated. This was because the young prince had aimed to carry out a certain item of business in the capital city at this time (apart from Dread Naught's funeral and the meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg), and he had already known about this business for months in advance.

In approximately ten days, there would be a meteor shower. It occurred once every hundred years, and it passed directly over Equestria. Bronze Star was the prince of stars, but it had been debated by many that meteors technically counted as stars. As such, he had expressed some interest in supervising the meteor shower when it came. His mother had agreed to this proposal long before Bronze Star moved to Ponyville, and he still had every intention of going through with it. After all, the meteor shower would be a great opportunity for him to practice reasserting his domain in the sky, and it would provide a great distraction from all the tension he had been under lately.

Once he was admitted into the Castle, Bronze Star headed to his bedchamber. There he transformed back into his original Alicorn form and got dressed in his regalia. He put away his strongbox and his knapsack, as he would not be needing anything else in them yet. However, he did take a small ornament in the drawer of his nightstand and tucked it into his vest.

Bronze Star allowed himself a few minutes to go over his itinerary for the following week, and to absorb his surroundings. While he did that, he stepped out onto the balcony and enjoyed the view of the city. Although the image of that view was permanently ingrained in his memory, there was nothing like witnessing it firsthoof. As much as Bronze Star enjoyed living in Ponyville, he was relieved to be in Canterlot again. It was and always would be his first home.

Be that as it may, he did not have time to get comfortable. He would be in town for less than two weeks, and he had much to do in that time.

Bronze Star looked over at his pet hawk and told him "If you'd like to hunt, Colonel, go right ahead. I'll be back by the early evening."

Arthur screeched in acknowledgement at his master's statements and soared out of the bedchamber. After that, Bronze Star closed the doors to his balcony, trotted out of his bedchamber through the main entrance, and locked those doors as well. The two guards posted there saluted him, and he saluted back. Then he made his way through the many corridors.

Obviously, Bronze Star planned to spend some time with his mother and his aunt while he was in Canterlot. It was nearly midday, so Princess Luna must have gone to bed a couple hours earlier, but Princess Celestia was undoubtedly in the throne room. Before he went there, he had to speak to somepony else.

Five minutes after leaving his bedroom, Bronze Star arrived at an office on the fifth floor. The caption "Homefront Safety" was written on the door, which was slightly ajar. Bronze Star lightly tapped his hoof on the doorframe, and he heard a shrill voice call out "Enter."

Bronze Star opened the door and passed through it. On the other side was a small space occupied largely by cabinets, clipboards, desks, and numerous stacks of papers. A Unicorn stallion was seated at one of those desks. He was in his late thirties, he had a glaucous coat, a honeydew mane, ginger irises, and a picture of a blade wedged onto the surface of a table for a cutie mark. Around his waist, he wore a belt that held a short sword.

When he looked up and saw Bronze Star was there, he grinned, rose from his chair, and bowed to the prince. Bronze Star smirked and stated "Rise, Sir Verse."

Sir Verse A. Till was the assistant to Lord Ambit Dexter, the chairpony of the War Council. Whenever the ponies on the Council needed to be assembled, Sir Verse was the one who notified them. Although he did not have any official authority on the Council, he sat in on all the meetings and offered military advice to the royalty just like the chiefs did.

The glaucous stallion raised his head and remarked "Always a pleasure to see you, sir."

"Likewise," Bronze Star rejoined. He stepped into the office, shut the door, and muttered "I assume you know why I'm here."

"Of course I do," Sir Verse pronounced, "SIG Sauer stopped by the other day and instructed me to 'discreetly' prepare the War Council for you. I apprised Commodore Dexter myself."

"And the others?" Bronze Star inquired.

"They've been informed, as well," Verse A. Till disclosed, "They're still awaiting your orders."

"Does my mother know that?" Bronze Star enquired.

"No, as per your orders, Princess Celestia is totally unaware of all this," Sir Verse replied, "If you don't mind me saying, I'm a little surprised you wished to keep her in the dark."

"I still do," the gold stallion proclaimed, "I'll explain why later on. Just tell me; could you bring the entire Council together before noon?"

"Absolutely," the glaucous stallion affirmed.

"Then tell them to be at the Compartment in two hours," Bronze Star uttered.

"Very well, Your Highness," Sir Verse avowed. He then raised an eyebrow and murmured "Apart from myself and Commodore Dexter, none of them have ever been in the Compartment before."

"I am aware of that," Bronze Star calmly asserted.

"This must be a matter of extreme precedence for you to allow them into there," Verse A. Till speculated.

"It is," Bronze Star candidly said in response.

Without another word spoken, the gold stallion left the office. He knew he could expect the War Council to be ready in exactly two hours. Until then, he had time for other things. So he made his way to the throne room.

As he expected, Princess Celestia and Lord Bellerophon were there. They were both delighted to see him, as he was to see them.

Bronze Star spent most of the next 120 minutes talking with his mother and her chief of staff. Most of their conversation focused on two forthcoming events: the meteor shower and the Grand Galloping Gala.

Although it had been several months since he last practiced using his power over the stars, Bronze Star was confident that he would be able to oversee the meteor shower without incident. He was grateful and honored that his mother was giving him this much responsibility in one night. They both knew very well that he would not let her down.

The Gala would be in slightly more than a month. Already, it was the talk of the town. The Canterlot Elite had the most renowned tailors in the city design their tuxedos and gowns. No expense had been spared for the decorations, food, and music. It had been rumored that the whole Royal Family was going to be there this year. That remained to be seen; Princess Luna had neither confirmed nor denied that she would make an appearance at the festivities.

In any case, Bronze Star was looking forward to the Gala like everypony else. Usually, the Grand Galloping Gala was the most overhyped occasion in the country, but he was certain that this one would be much more interesting and exciting.

At a quarter to noon, Bronze Star bade Celestia and Bellerophon a good day and departed from the throne room. Ten minutes later, he arrived at the door to The Compartment, and he gave the secret knock. In response, the slot in the center of the door slid open, and a pair of teal eyes gazed back at him. Bronze Star reached into his vest, pulled out the ornament, and held it up high. Immediately, the slot was shut, locks were unfastened, and the door was opened wide to reveal SIG Sauer standing on the other side.

"Your Highness," the pine green Unicorn muttered, dipping his head a bit.

"Hello, SIG," Bronze Star commented, sauntering into the Compartment. He waited for his trainer to seal the door off again before asking "Are they here?"

"Yes, sir," SIG Sauer disclosed, "And they're demanding answers."

"Then I'll give them some," Bronze Star professed.

SIG Sauer nodded in agreement and trotted over to the steel door on the wall opposite the entrance. As a respectful gesture, he pulled it open and held out his front leg. Bronze Star smiled at that and passed through the door to the lounge of the Compartment. There he found the War Council resting on the couches and chairs.

There were six ponies on the Council: the chiefs of the five branches of the military, and the chairpony.

The Chief of the Army was an Earth Pony stallion named General Whetstone. The Chief of the Navy was a Unicorn stallion named Admiral Littoral Clout. The Chief of the Wonderbolts was a Pegasus mare named General Duster Helix. The Chief of Special Forces and the National Guard was an Earth Pony mare named Captain Regency. The Chief of the Military Enforcement Corps was an Earth Pony stallion, the aforementioned Commander Hard Hull.

All of them had been wearing a uniform for more than thirty years, and they were regarded as the pride of the armed forces.

Workwise, Bronze Star knew all five of them rather well. However, other than the meetings and special occasions, he did not interact with them fairly much. He barely even knew them enough to refer to them as his friends.

All the same, he viewed the head of the Council as a close and personal affiliate. That very pony was seated closest to the entrance of the lounge, and Sir Verse A. Till was standing directly behind him.

The chairpony of the War Council was a Pegasus stallion named Lord Ambit Dexter, known by his peers and colleagues as "The Commodore."

Commodore Dexter was a seventy-nine-year-old war veteran. He had a moccasin coat, a khaki mane, aquamarine irises, and a picture of Equestria's flag surrounded by half a dozen outward-pointing swords for a cutie mark. An accomplished leader, a seasoned fighter, and a practiced legate, he was one of the most respected and longest-active ponies who worked at Canterlot Castle. He was distinguished by many of his achievements, primarily the fact that throughout his lifetime, he had served in all five branches of the military. There were fewer than a dozen ponies in the history of Equestria who could make that claim, and Lord Ambit was the only one who was still living.

As soon as Bronze Star entered the lounge, all heads turned towards him, and everypony got to his or her hooves. Lord Ambit Dexter approached the prince with a wide grin. He tilted his head a little, and he muttered cordially "Your Grace."

"Commodore," Bronze Star said in reply, smiling back.

The two stallions warmly embraced each other, like grandson and grandfather. Indeed, while he had never known what it was like to be somepony's grandchild, Bronze Star thought of the Commodore as the closest thing he would ever have to an actual grandparent.

By the time they came apart, the five chiefs had returned to their seats. Bronze Star proclaimed "It's been quite a while since we were all together in one room."

"Yes, it has," Ambit Dexter coincided, sitting back down, "But I suppose that's a good thing. After all, this is the War Council. We only convene when there's turmoil."

"You are quite right, my Lord," Bronze Star confirmed.

"Then perhaps you can enlighten us on what form of turmoil has brought us together this time, Your Highness," General Duster Helix proposed.

"Well, that is the purpose of this meeting," Bronze Star contended. He moved a vacant wooden chair to the middle of the room and sat down. He faced the War Council and announced "Before we begin, I should make it clear that nothing we discuss here is to be discussed elsewhere or with anypony else. Do we have an understanding?"

The five chiefs, the Commodore, and his assistant all murmured in agreement.

"Why all this secrecy, Your Highness?" Admiral Littoral Clout queried, "Why didn't we gather in the council chambers? Moreover, why aren't Princess Celestia or Lord Bellerophon here?"

"Firstly, this area is much more secure than the council chambers," Bronze Star disclosed, "As it turns out, Lord Bellerophon already knows of this affair, but my mother does not. It must stay that way. Of course, you already know that, assuming Verse A. Till told you."

"Sir Verse only said we'd be meeting here and that we were not to tell anypony else of it, including your mother," Captain Regency recounted, "Aside from that, he's told us nothing, Your Highness."

"Truthfully, I don't know any more than the rest of you," Verse A. Till claimed, "I could only give you what little information I had."

"We're even less pleased with what SIG Sauer has given us," Commander Hard Hull mumbled, glaring at the pine green Unicorn.

"What has he given you?" Bronze Star questioned.

"Nothing but silence, Your Highness," Hard Hull answered grimly, "He hasn't spoken a word since we got here."

"Mr. Sauer is under orders not to disclose anything without my leave," Bronze Star expounded. He turned to his trainer and remarked "I'll take over from here, SIG."

SIG Sauer nodded and exited the lounge through the door on the wall left of the entrance.

"He won't be joining us, Your Highness?" General Whetstone presumed.

"No, he already knows everything we're about to discuss," Bronze Star explicated, "He has other responsibilities to see to. He'll be with us next time, though."

"'Next time?'" Commodore Dexter repeated, intrigued.

"Yes, today is just a debriefing," Bronze Star notified them, "The real work will be at next week's meeting. For now, all you have to do is listen."

The seven ponies were a little perplexed, but they agreed to hear the prince out. He spent a minute looking around the room, and then he began with "Equestria and my mother are in danger."

If he did not have the Council's full attention before that statement, he certainly did at that point.

Bronze Star proceeded to tell the War Council all about the assassination conspiracy. He shared absolutely everything and excluded no details. He started all the way back at the very beginning, when he and the Firebrand Regiment had identified Lavender Dazzle as a potential terror suspect. He then recalled how from there they had established a connection between her and Material Study, and how that in turn led them to arresting both Study and Sir Raoul Jowl.

He also mentioned how the Firebrand Regiment did not become wholly aware of the magnitude or purpose of the conspiracy until Bronze Star had interrogated Sir Raoul Jowl.

The bulk of his explanation was composed of everything that had transpired after Sir Raoul had switched sides. He described how the Firebrand Regiment had managed to identify each of the conspirators overtime, and how the Regiment's field operatives had been closely monitoring each conspirator ever since his or her identification. He also made certain to emphasize how important it was that they not arrest any of the conspirators, lest the others launch an attack against the country in retaliation. At the same time, the Regiment had taken steps to ensure that none of those attacks occurred.

Bronze Star told the War Council how the Hoovston disaster was not an accident; it was the result of one of those attacks. Worse yet, the conspirator responsible for it – Livewire – had only inflicted a fraction of the destruction he had intended to inflict. In other words, the remaining conspirators all planned to cause more destruction on a much larger scale.

Bronze Star did not even leave out anything about his civilian life in Ponyville or his romantic relationship with Applejack. He revealed that the orange mare had been instrumental in helping him identify Clear Crest as the final conspirator, and how she assisted him in his efforts to locate the former Royal Guard. He seemed somewhat proud when he brought up the fact that she had made the suggestion that gave him an idea on how to permanently eliminate the threat posed by the conspirators.

The whole explanation took well over an hour to cover fully. The very last thing Bronze Star covered was the conversation between him, Clear Crest, Sir Raoul Jowl, and Esopus Spitzenburg at the embassy. He went over everything that had been said in that encounter. He talked about how he had tricked Spitzenburg into believing that he would help him overthrow Princess Celestia. Bronze Star revealed that if he was to continue his plan to end the conspiracy, Spitzenburg had to go on thinking that he would be backed by most or all of the Equestrian military.

By then, the War Council had begun to grasp a fundamental idea of why the prince had summoned them without Celestia's knowledge. Bronze Star confirmed their suspicions by informing them of the next stage of his plan.

He told the War Council that Esopus Spitzenburg would be coming to Canterlot in about a week. The prince planned to include Spitzenburg in the War Council's next meeting. At that meeting, he was going to convince the entrepreneur that in the event of an uprising, the majority of the soldiers in Equestria would follow him instead of Celestia.

In order to do that, he required some aid from the War Council. He needed each of the chiefs to draw up a comprehensive roster of all the units in his or her respective branch of the military. They were to gather the psychological profiles on every active soldier in the country and compare them to the prince's. They had to determine the top seventy-file percent units who were most similar to Bronze Star. Once they managed that, the chiefs were to archive the names of those units under a classified file, and they would put those files away until the next meeting.

Bronze Star claimed he did not need them to find whole battalions, whole crews, whole platoons, or whole contingents of ponies who were "loyal" to him. All they had to do was sort out roughly three-quarters of the military; the three-quarters most likely to choose the prince over his mother. Then he would give Spitzenburg those files as proof that Bronze Star was overwhelmingly backed up by the military.

Between the files of the alike units and the War Council's presence, Bronze Star was totally confident that by the end of the next meeting, Esopus Spitzenburg would believe beyond a doubt that the prince had the military behind him.

He knew his plan was extremely risky. In fact, unless the War Council cooperated, he would no longer have a plan. For a few minutes after his explanation, that almost seemed to be the case.

Most of the Council was uncomfortable with the concept of creating files that divided the loyalties of the military around one particular pony, even if those files were inauthentic. If their actions were discovered, they ran the risk of being charged with conspiracy themselves.

Ultimately, it was Lord Ambit Dexter who persuaded his colleagues to see things from Bronze Star's perspective. He argued that they should go along with this plan in spite of the risks. After all, based on the prince's testimony, they would all have a lot more to lose if they did NOT give his plan a chance.

In the end, the chiefs promised Bronze Star that they would do what he asked of them, and that within one week, he would have the names of the top seventy-five percent of the armed forces who were the most akin to him.

Bronze Star adamantly expressed how grateful he was for their collaboration. In turn, the chiefs and Lord Ambit assured the prince that they served at the pleasure of the Canterlot Royalty. In other words, they were simply doing what they swore to do: fight for their country, protect its leaders and inhabitants, and follow the orders of their superiors.

After two whole hours of questions, answers, and thorough elucidations, the meeting reached its end. Bronze Star wished the chiefs good luck on their assignments, and he thanked Lord Ambit for his assistance in the matter. Then they all left the Compartment and continued about their days like normal.

The first thing Bronze Star did after that was go back to his room and compose a letter. He addressed it to Esopus Spitzenburg's office. In the letter, he extended an invitation for the elderly jade stallion to come to Canterlot Castle in exactly seven days. As a precaution, he avoided using any terms or phrases that directly referred to what they would be doing. The gist of his letter was that he was looking forward to "doing business" with Spitzenburg whenever he arrived.

Once the letter was finished, Bronze Star had it sent out into the mail. Then he went to carry out one last task.

Normally, whenever a pony visited the castle for the first time, he or she had to undergo an extensive background check at least a month in advance. There were only two ways to be exempt from this: one came in a tour group, or one was personally invited by the Royal Family. After a few words with the senior officers of the Royal Guard, he had all but secured Esopus Spitzenburg as one of the latter.

By then, everything had fallen into place for the current stage of Bronze Star's plan to wipe out the conspirators. All he had to do was wait for Esopus Spitzenburg to arrive, and then he could begin the next stage.

Although it occupied a large portion of his mind, Bronze Star gave little thought to the conspiracy over the next week. Regardless, he was kept rather busy for those seven days, but he was able to find ample opportunities to relax and set his mind at ease.

He spent a fair amount of time working out with SIG Sauer in the lower levels of the castle or the Royal Guard's training grounds. He concentrated primarily on exercising his horn and his wings, as it had been a while since he last made use of those appendages. He was glad he had adapted to a fighting style that did not rely on magic or flight, but he did not underestimate how valuable either of those assets could be in a hostile encounter.

Shining Armor offered to introduce him to the newest recruits, and Bronze Star giddily accepted. He was always eager to meet new faces. Especially when they belonged to ponies he and his family would depend on for one reason or another.

He was not very impressed with what he saw, but he was by no means disgusted either. He was quite pleased, to say the least. He thought many of the recruits would make excellent officers, and there were even a few who had enough potential to attain the rank of Captain.

To test their prowess, he challenged the five best recruits to spar with him. When they fought him individually, the toughest of them lasted almost two minutes. When they fought him altogether, a full ten minutes elapsed until the last combatant was flat on his back.

Bronze Star bade the recruits not to be discouraged by how he had defeated them singlehoofedly. He claimed that if they gave their training as much time and devotion as he had, they could be just as skilled in combat as he was.

When he was not training, outlining plans, or carrying out his royal duties, Bronze Star could be found with one or more of his peers. It had only been two weeks since Princess Celestia's last visit to Ponyville, but she and her son had barely interacted on that occasion. Her brunch had been overshadowed by the conference between the six CEOs. Bronze Star was determined to make up for that.

As a result, he ended up passing a couple hours every morning, afternoon, and evening with his mother. He also stayed up a little later than usual so he could mingle with his aunt. Princesses Celestia and Luna were glad enough that Bronze Star had come home much earlier than he originally planned; they were absolutely delighted that he was spending so much time with them. After a few days of this routine, the three of them finally started to really feel like a family.

On the fourth day after Bronze Star arrived in Canterlot, Dread Naught's funeral was held. True to his word, Bronze Star attended it. For his protection, he was accompanied by half a dozen of the Royal Guard.

Dread Naught's service was different from Almond Wheeler's in multiple ways. For one, his was invite-only. More than half of the ponies in attendance were off-duty agents of the Intelligence Bureau. While some of those agents had been friends of Dread Naught's, most of them had only been business associates of his.

In addition to that, the aura of Dread Naught's funeral did not seem as somber as Almond Wheeler's. There was a larger congregation, but there were much fewer tears. This funeral seemed strangely formal by comparison. Bronze Star could imagine why.

Ponyville was arguably the only crimeless settlement in Equestria. When somepony died there, it was a tragedy. Whereas Canterlot was the heart of the country's military. When somepony died there, it was not so tragic. In a way, it was just "business as usual."

Furthermore, Dread Naught had a closed casket. Since he had been garroted, the markings on his neck were deemed too gruesome for public viewing. Even so, Bronze Star was very disappointed; he was hoping to get one last look at the greenish-blue stallion. He felt Dread Naught deserved that much for giving his life in the line of duty.

The eulogy was given by Iron Claymore, the director of the Intelligence Bureau. He spoke with a very stiff and stern voice. Still, his rigid appearance did not betray his emotions. Like everypony else there, he was saddened by the loss of one of the Bureau's finest, and he went on for a good five minutes about Dread Naught's many positive aspects.

All throughout the service, Bronze Star felt as though his attention was elsewhere. Even after Dread Naught was buried, his death would leave a whole bunch of unanswered questions.

Normally, whenever an agent of the Intelligence Bureau was murdered, a committee would be formed to investigate the circumstances of his or her death. Luckily, Bronze Star had already taken steps to forestall the creation of that committee. Until the Vermane had been located, he did not need the Bureau poking around in his affairs. Regardless, he knew the Intelligence Bureau would eventually want to know who killed Dread Naught, why he had died, what he was doing in Detrot, and who had sent him there. There was no way to prevent that from happening; all he could do was delay them. He just hoped they would be willing to wait a few more weeks to receive their answers.

Bronze Star sat in the front row for the service. When the casket was carried away at the end of the service, he spotted three particular ponies in the very back. One of them was a middle-aged mare dressed in black with a veil over her face. She was sitting in-between two ten-year-old Unicorn foals; one colt and one filly.

The mare was Dread Naught's ex-wife; the colt and the filly were their twin children.

Bronze Star had never met Dread Naught's family in person; he had only seen them in photographs. It had been five months since Dread Naught had separated from his wife. The divorce had been very bitter; she had fought hard in court for full custody of their children. She and Dread Naught had once been a great couple, but his work had taken up too much of his life, and she could not continue to put up with it.

At least she cared enough to show up for the funeral. That proved that in the end, she still had some feelings for her ex-husband.

After careful consideration, Bronze Star decided to approach Dread Naught's ex-wife and tell her how deeply sorry he was for her loss. Initially, she appeared to be emotionally indifferent to his words. Then she burst into tears and threw her front legs around the gold stallion.

At that, the Royal Guard stepped forward to intervene, but Bronze Star gestured for them to stay back. He wrapped his front legs around her and comforted her as best he could.

Then he turned to her children. He knelt down to their level and took them in his front legs, as well. He wished he could say that he understood their pain. Alas, that would have been a lie. He did NOT know what it was like to lose a father; he did not even know what it was like to have one. All he could do was tell them that their father had been a valiant pony, and that he had died defending the ponies he loved. Strangely, that seemed to bring the twins a small amount of relief.

The cemetery was located just outside the walls of the city. After the final sermon was given for the departed stallion, his casket was lowered into the ground. Once more, Bronze Star did not leave until every last bit of dirt had been deposited into that hole. Only then did he go back inside the city and return to the Castle.

The following two days went by in a fairly straightforward manner. On the seventh day after Bronze Star came home, he woke up very early. In the span of a half-hour, he ate breakfast, got cleaned up, and got dressed. After that, he had Verse A. Till assemble the War Council in the Compartment. In under an hour, Sir Verse, Commodore Dexter, the five chiefs, SIG Sauer, and Bronze Star were all in the Compartment. When they were all together, it was no later than nine o'clock in the morning. The meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg would not be until three o'clock in the afternoon, but Bronze Star wanted to make certain that they were totally ready.

For the next few hours, Bronze Star examined the files that the chiefs had put together. There were hundreds of thousands of names altogether; approximately three-quarters of the armed forces. These were the top seventy-five percent of all military units who were most similar to the prince in terms of personality and mindset.

Bronze Star was pleased to see that Mauser Sauer was in the top ten percent. Interestingly, Commander Hard Hull had labeled Mauser as one of his best soldiers. Bronze Star knew that relations between SIG Sauer and Hard Hull had not been pleasant ever since the former had refused the latter's offer to join the Constabulary Contingent. It was somewhat reassuring to know that the Commander and SIG's son got along well enough.

At any rate, Bronze Star was quite satisfied with what the War Council had given him.

Five minutes before three o'clock, there was pounding on the front door of the Compartment. SIG Sauer went to answer it, and he returned a minute later with Lord Bellerophon and Esopus Spitzenburg. Bronze Star had instructed the palomino Pegasus to receive Esopus Spitzenburg at the main entrance of the Castle and bring him into the building without any delays. Since they had arrived early, Bronze Star supposed that they had experienced no inconveniences.

As Spitzenburg got settled, Bronze Star introduced him to the War Council and vice versa. The chiefs did an incredible job of masking their disgust when they shook Spitzenburg's hoof. They were all tempted to attack the jade stallion on sight. But Bronze Star had given them explicit orders to treat Spitzenburg with courtesy. So they would keep up the friendly act for as long as he was there.

Once introductions were out of the way, Spitzenburg immediately proposed that they talk business. Clearly, he did not wish to waste any time.

One-by-one, the war chiefs presented their files to Spitzenburg. Over the next hour, he carefully looked each of them over. Initially, he seemed to be unmoved. But overtime, his facial expression changed. Before long, he appeared to be quite amazed by what he was reading. Most of the finest and most famous officers and officials of modern day were in those files.

When he finished reading the files, Spitzenburg reflected over them for a while. It was as though he was debating whether or not they were sufficient to validate Bronze Star's claim that he could rally enough of the military to his cause. Ultimately, he decided that they were.

Spitzenburg then announced that he believed an alliance between his people and Bronze Star's could be possible. The way he saw it, Bronze Star had the strength to usurp the throne, and Spitzenburg had the means to help him hold on to it afterwards. He stated that whenever Bronze Star rose to power, he would see to it that the gold stallion had the support of the industries behind him.

Although Bronze Star retained a neutral countenance, inwardly he was smirking at that time. The third stage of his plan to end the conspiracy had been executed beautifully. Everything was being accomplished right on schedule.

After the meeting, Bronze Star offered for Spitzenburg to stay at the Castle as his guest. From the way he presented his offer, Spitzenburg had little choice but to accept it.

The prince had expected him to accept; he had already reserved a special suite for the jade stallion. He made it his personal objective to ensure that Spitzenburg was comfortable with his accommodations. Over the next couple days, Bronze Star stopped by Esopus Spitzenburg's suite to talk with him about various matters. The jade stallion was touched that the prince gave his well-being so much thought and consideration. Little did he suspect that Bronze Star was also orchestrating his downfall.

Three days after the meeting between Spitzenburg and the War Council, the meteor shower occurred. Bronze Star was very excited and a little impatient, but he managed to wait until the early evening.

While Princess Celestia was lowering the Sun, Bronze Star made his way to the top of the Astronomy Tower. He was accompanied by four stallions. Two of them were Royal Guard, Hammer Shaft and Stone Cracker. They had been assigned to guard the prince that night. The other two were Lord Ambit Dexter and Sir Verse A. Till. They had been asked by Bronze Star himself to join him.

Bronze Star had also asked his aunt to join him. Princess Luna needed to raise the Moon first, but once it was up, she flew directly to the Astronomy Tower. She arrived just in time; not two minutes after she got there, the first meteors began to appear in the sky.

In the city below, large crowds had begun to gather in the streets. Everypony marveled at the wondrous sight above them. Bronze Star could hear the shouts of excitement even from the Tower.

The young prince concentrated all his attention on the shower. Anytime there was an irregularity, he used his magic to remedy it. Whenever one of them became too luminous or too dim, he adjusted its brightness. Whenever one veered too far off course, he returned it to its original trajectory.

The first ten minutes were passed in relative silence. After that, Bronze Star muttered over his shoulder "Beautiful, aren't they?"

"Majestic," Sir Verse A. Till commented.

"I quite agree, Sir Verse," Princess Luna remarked.

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. Then he looked over at Ambit Dexter and asked "What do you think, Commodore?"

"It's lovely, Your Grace" the moccasin stallion observed, smiling, "Truthfully, I never thought I'd live to see this meteor shower. The last one occurred only twenty years before my birth."

"Was it worth the wait?" Princess Luna queried.

"I believe so, Princess," Lord Ambit replied, "I've seen plenty of meteor showers before, but none were as… spectacular as this one."

"That could be because I'm overseeing it," Bronze Star cheekily conjectured.

"Could be," said Ambit Dexter, chuckling.

After a few more seconds of silence, Bronze Star thought aloud "It's an incorrect label, you know."

"What is?" Sir Verse asked in interest.

"The meteor shower," Bronze Star clarified, gesturing to the objects in the sky, "Those aren't meteors."

"They're not?" Ambit Dexter murmured.

"No, they only become meteors when they enter the planet's atmosphere," Bronze Star illuminated, "While they're in space, the appropriate term would be meteoroid."

"What about when they strike the surface of the planet?" Verse A. Till enquired, "What are they called then?"

"Meteorites," Bronze Star disclosed, "It's fascinating how an object's location can change its proper name, isn't it?"

"Quite so," Commodore Dexter concurred. He stepped forward and uttered "Most people wouldn't even bother to make that distinction, Your Grace. You must know a great deal about objects in space."

"I take my duties as the Prince of stars very seriously, my Lord," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Astronomy is both a science and an art to me."

"That doesn't surprise me," Luna forlornly pronounced, "Your mother told me about the Night of the Dancing Cosmos."

"Yeah, that was probably the most fun I've ever had," Bronze Star recounted, "I don't suppose you managed to witness it, Aunt Luna?"

"Of course I did," Luna affirmed, "It was probably the most excitement I had in the past millennium. Like you, I've also developed an interest in activity in space."

"You have?" Bronze Star said in interest.

"Indeed," Luna remarked, "After all, for the past thousand years, I had little to do other than study the stars. They were the closest thing I had to company."

Bronze Star, Verse A. Till, and Ambit Dexter became a little concerned by that statement. Luna had rarely spoken of her stay on the Moon, but whenever she did, she always seemed miserable. Given what she went through, that was very understandable.

"Princess Luna, may I ask you a question?" Verse A. Till queried.

"Certainly, Sir Verse," the blue Alicorn affirmed.

The glaucous stallion chose his words carefully, and then he asked the regal mare "How much do you remember of your time as Nightmare Moon?"

"Everything," Luna promptly replied, "Even though I was… not myself back then, I still had the memory of an Alicorn. I was in total solitude for ten centuries, and I remember every moment of it. Every single, solitary, torturous second. If I hadn't gone mad already, I most certainly would have."

"Forgive me," Verse A. Till beseeched her, "I did not mean to unsettle you."

"No need for apologies; all you did was ask a question," Luna reassured him, "However, I'd like to ask you a question in return, Sir Verse."

"As you wish," the glaucous Unicorn conceded.

The tall mare looked down at Verse A. Till, and she questioned him with "What does the 'A' stand for?"

At first, he was baffled. Then it dawned on him that she was referring to his middle name. He smirked at the princess and told her "I can't say, but you're welcomed to guess."

Luna raised an eyebrow and muttered "Excuse me?"

"He's never told anypony his middle name, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star disclosed, "Nopony knows it."

"Really?" Luna said in bewilderment.

"Yes, indeed," Lord Ambit confirmed, "It's not even on his birth certificate. Verse A. Till's middle initial is one of the biggest mysteries of modern times. So much so that he's promised to grant a special favor to the first pony who guesses it right. Because of that, he's had everypony guessing what his middle name is for years."

"How peculiar," Luna thought aloud, "In my day, it was rare for anypony to have more than one name. Yet nowadays, it's not too uncommon to have a middle name."

"I know it must seem strange to you," Bronze Star declared, "There's also the fact that some people prefer shortening their names. Did you know that SIG Sauer's full name is actually Stalwart Inkling Graham Sauer?"

"Oh?" Luna mumbled in astonishment.

"Now you know why he abbreviates it," Bronze Star drily stated.

"There's also the CEO of that insurance corporation," Ambit Dexter interjected, "MonuMarent, it's called."

"I believe you mean Sir Lore N. Budget," Bronze Star remarked, "Everypony knows his middle name is Nay."

"That's because he doesn't keep it a secret," Sir Verse pointed out, "That's his folly, though. I, on the other hoof, find it somewhat thrilling to have a middle name that nopony else knows. It's a way to keep other ponies wondering about you."

"And you're concerned that once your middle name is uncovered, ponies will stop wondering about you?" Luna supposed.

"Not necessarily, Your Highness," Sir Verse claimed, "I just appreciate the effort other ponies make to guess my middle name. Especially when some ponies refuse to give up."

"I've put forth half a hundred words beginning with 'A' already, and all of them were wrong," Bronze Star revealed, "At least with my memory, I never have to worry about submitting the same name twice."

"I'm confident you'll get it right eventually, Your Highness," Sir Verse proclaimed.

"So am I," Bronze Star concurred, "And when I do, I'll expect you to honor your part of the bargain."

"Oh, I shall," Sir Verse insisted, patting his front hoof against the sword strapped to his belt.

Luna noticed that action, and then she stated "If you won't answer my question, could I ask you another?"

The glaucous stallion nodded, and the tall mare queried "Why do you always carry a sword around?"

This time, she got a more thorough reply. Sir Verse explained "Before I became Lord Ambit's assistant, I was in the National Guard for fourteen years. In that force, melee weapons are standard issue for us. They're also our primary means of protecting the country's populace. In addition to that, we have the opportunity to learn over a dozen fighting styles, all of which are centered around blades."

"How many did you learn?" Luna inquired.

"All of them," Verse A. Till responded. He then drew his sword, held it up high, and pronounced "If you're asking whether or not I know how to use this, Your Highness, I assure you I do."

"If you're not in the National Guard anymore, why do you still wear it?" Luna questioned, intrigued.

"It's mostly a symbol of strength," Sir Verse apprised her, "I'm the assistant and advisor to the chairpony of the War Council. In an unofficial capacity, I'm also his bodyguard. I carry this sword to demonstrate my ability to do my job. But I promise you; the sword is not just for show. If need be, I'll use it."

"And I pity the sucker who forces him to," Ambit Dexter remarked, "Sir Verse is best known for two things: his middle initial and his skills with a blade."

"Very true," Bronze Star agreed, "Even I can't best him in single combat. He's beaten me two times, and he never fights anypony more than twice. But I've had a lot of time to practice since our second duel. I'm determined to find out his middle name. When I do, I expect us to have a third duel. Then we'll find out if he's still the better swordspony."

"You plan to take away the two things I'm famous for, Your Highness?" Verse A. Till uttered in mock astonishment.

"Yes, and I'll take pleasure in both," the gold stallion jokingly responded.

The glaucous stallion snickered, sheathed his sword, and said cockily "Then good luck with both. You'll need it. You'll also need a blade and a mind that are equally sharp."

"I'll be sure to have both," Bronze Star asserted.

A couple hours later, the meteor shower ended. Once the sky was devoid of meteors (or meteoroids, as Bronze Star had pointed out), Princess Luna returned to her tower so she could watch over the land for the rest of the night.

After his aunt departed the Astronomy Tower, Bronze Star asked Hammer Shaft and Stone Cracker to leave him alone with Ambit Dexter and Verse A. Till for a few minutes. The two Royal Guard officers obediently complied and stepped out into the stairwell, shutting the door behind them.

Once Bronze Star was alone with the two older stallions, he told them "I was wondering; do either of you have any special plans for the immediate or near future?"

"Well, there is the Grand Galloping Gala," Verse A. Till thought aloud, "But that's not for another three weeks. Until then, I have nothing going on, Your Highness."

"My schedule is considerably free as well, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter revealed, "I'm not even bothering to attend this year's Gala; I've been to enough galas to last me a lifetime."

"I know what you mean, Lord Ambit," Bronze Star muttered bluntly, "In any case, since neither of you are preoccupied with other tasks anytime soon, do you suppose you would be willing to take a last-minute out-of-town trip?"

The glaucous Unicorn and the moccasin Pegasus were stunned by the suddenness of that proposal.

"A trip to where?" Sir Verse inquired.

"Ponyville," Bronze Star informed him, "Think of it as a vacation. Though I'd need you to do a bit of work on this vacation."

"Tell us more, if you please," Commodore Dexter requested.

"My plan to end the assassination conspiracy has hit a slight roadblock," the gold stallion elaborated, "I made a lot of progress in the past week by getting Spitzenburg to believe that I am his ally and that most of the military will support him. The next phase involves bringing the other conspirators out of hiding. That's proven to be even more difficult than I thought it would be."

"How so?" Verse A. Till queried.

"Unsurprisingly, Esopus Spitzenburg is reluctant to tell me where the rest of his companions are or where they'll be in the future," Bronze Star clarified, "He's still every bit as cautious as he was before. I've tried to talk to him about his colleagues through both subtle and direct conversations, but he always manages to avoid the subject of their locations. Obviously, he doesn't completely trust me yet, and if I press him too hard, he'll realize what I'm up to. Luckily, I've devised another strategy to determine the whereabouts of his colleagues. In order for it to work, I will require some assistance from both of you."

"What would we need to do?" queried Verse A. Till.

"I don't want to talk about that right now," Bronze Star professed, "The main reason my plan has worked so far is because I haven't shared any pertinent information about it with other ponies prematurely. For now, all you need to know is that I've convinced Esopus Spitzenburg to come to Ponyville in four days' time. As far as anypony knows, he'll be staying at the embassy at the invite of 'Ambassador Gold Streak.' At the behest of his friend and doppelganger the prince, the 'Ambassador' will also be extending an offer for Equestria's most prominent military figure and his assistant to stay at the embassy, as well. The only question is: will they accept the invitation, knowing full well that he would not waste their time with trivial matters?"

Bronze Star was known to be very good with words, especially when he was trying to make a point. This was one such instance. In just a few statements, he had convinced the two older stallions that he had this delicate situation under control, but he would need their help to maintain that control.

"I'll see to it that Sir Verse and I are ready for our 'vacation' within the next seventy-two hours, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter proclaimed. Verse A. Till nodded vigorously in approval.

Bronze Star smiled in appeasement and muttered "I'll hold you to your word, Commodore."

Shortly after this, the three stallions exited the Astronomy Tower and turned in for the night.

The following morning, Bronze Star got up before the sunrise. Even after he finished getting ready, dawn had yet to come. He took some time to speak to the members of the War Council and he urged them to remain quiet about the whole affair with Esopus Spitzenburg. Then he visited Spitzenburg himself and told him that they would discuss more of their business in Ponyville in three days. After that, he went to Lord Bellerophon and informed the palomino Pegasus that he and the Firebrand Regiment could expect to hear from the prince sometime in the next week. Lastly, he said good-bye to his mother and his aunt, claiming that he looked forward to seeing them at the Grand Galloping Gala.

By the time he was finished galloping around the Castle, it was already midmorning. Once he had spoken with everypony he needed to speak to, Bronze Star returned to his room, stored his regalia in his strongbox, balanced his strongbox on his back, threw on his knapsack, changed back into his Earth Pony disguise, and summoned Arthur D. Hawkins to him. He was fully prepared to go back to Ponyville. He swiftly departed from the Castle, made his way to the train station, and boarded the ten o'clock train.

An hour and a-half later, the train pulled into the Ponyville depot. When Bronze Star disembarked, he took a moment to examine his surroundings. When he had left the town two weeks prior, everypony had been very on edge. Of course, at that time, the town was still facing the aftermath of the train massacre. Plenty of time had elapsed since then, and life had pretty much gone back to normal. That was somewhat reassuring, knowing that the townsfolk were no longer living in fear of the railroad industry.

All the same, Bronze Star was aware that the danger was far from over, and he was one of only a hoofful of ponies who knew that. If Esopus Spitzenburg and the other conspirators still intended to assassinate Princess Celestia, Bronze Star knew they would not make their attempt until after the Grand Galloping Gala. Unfortunately, there was no telling when the Vermane would make their move. However much time the task force had left before then, they had to take advantage of every moment of it.

With that in mind, Bronze Star decided to bring the task force together that day for an unscheduled meeting.

On his way to the barracks, Bronze Star passed by Golden Oaks Library. He noticed that the Element Bearers were gathered outside the building, and there was a pale, light grayish amber owl perched on Twilight Sparkle's back. The mares appeared to be fawning over the plump avian.

The gold stallion trotted over to the group and greeted them with "Hello, girls."

The mares turned towards the prince and each of them smiled at him. Applejack trotted over to her coltfriend and wrapped her right front leg around his shoulders, saying "Glad you're back, sugar cube."

He grinned, pecked his fillyfriend on the lips, and muttered "As am I."

"How was Canterlot, Bronze?" Twilight queried.

"It was great, Twilight," Bronze Star disclosed. He gazed at the owl on the lavender mare's back, and he asked in fascination "Who's this?"

"Hoo," the owl mumbled

"Who do you think?" Bronze Star sarcastically rejoined.

"Hoo?" the owl murmured.

Bronze Star smirked and cheekily uttered "Kind of terse, isn't he?"

The mares chuckled as his witty remark, and Twilight pronounced "This is Owlowiscious. He flew in last night, and I offered for him to stay in the library. Now he doesn't want to leave. Which is good, 'cause I don't want him to, either."

Bronze could have sworn he heard a bitter voice whisper "Some of us do, though."

He gazed upward and noticed that Spike was sitting on the second floor window, reading a book about owls. Every now and then, he glared downwards at the scene below. He seemed to be giving Owlowiscious the cold shoulder.

Bronze Star paid the baby dragon no heed at first. He turned back to Twilight and slyly commented "How nice to see you've finally joined the noble ranks of us pet owners."

Twilight and the other mares giggled at that. Ever since they left the train station, Arthur had been flying alongside the gold stallion. When he spotted the other bird, the hawk flapped over to the owl and let out a screech. Owlowiscious merely responded with another "Hoo."

This exchange between the hawk and the owl occupied another whole minute. It was as though they were having a conversation in a secret code, and with two different languages. At the end of it, Arthur let out a more high-pitched shriek, almost as if he was laughing. Then he soared back over to Bronze Star and rested on his master's shoulder.

As Owlowiscious hooted again, his mistress snickered and perceived "If he can get along with Arthur, then he must have a way with words."

The other ponies chuckled at her joke.

"Oh, what a fantastical, flufflicious feathery little friend!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "I'm... HOOked!"

Everypony laughed again, including Bronze Star, despite the fact that he did not care for puns.

"He's just wonderful," Fluttershy perceived.

"'He's just wonderful.'" Spike uttered mockingly, just loud enough for the seven ponies to hear. As they collectively looked up at him, the dragon grinned guiltily and hastily added in "Uh, yes. Wonderful. He's quite... the charmer."

Everypony turned their attention back to Owlowiscious. Rarity took out an oversized reds bowtie adorned with tiny gems and used her magic to attach it to the owl's chest. She announced "And Owlowiscious is just such a star I just had to make this little bow for you."

As goofy as the bowtie looked, Owlowiscious seemed to be appreciative of it, in spite of his neutral countenance.

At that, Spike growled angrily, crawled back inside the library, and slammed the window shut after him.

As the seven ponies craned their heads upward again, Applejack wondered "What's he all saddle sore about?"

"He's probably just jealous of Owlowiscious," Rainbow Dash theorized.

"Maybe Spike feels threatened or worried that Owlowiscious will replace him?" Fluttershy hypothesized.

"Replace him?" Twilight stated, as if the very idea was absurd, "Hah! That's crazy! Spike knows he can't be replaced."

"Maybe, but does he know that he knows that?" Bronze Star offered.

Twilight considered that statement for a minute, and then she shrugged and remarked "Good question. I'll check up on him later, but I'm sure he's alright."

"Let's hope so," Bronze Star uttered in agreement. He then balanced his strongbox on his back, looked around at the six mares, and announced "Well, as much as I'd like to stay here and catch up, I have work to do. Guess I'll be seeing you all later."

"See you around, Bronze," Twilight told the young prince.

As Bronze Star prepared to depart from the area, Applejack called out "Oh, and I just wanted to mention; the meteor shower last night was lovely."

The other mares mumbled in agreement. Bronze Star peered over his shoulder and replied with "Thanks."

The gold stallion then made his way to the barracks. There he found Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Rollin Fields. All three of them were off-duty, but they were willing to accompany him to the embassy for a task force meeting.

First he had Rollin Fields swing by Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's house to see if anypony was there. Bronze Star was fairly certain that his secretary was already at the embassy, but the salespony only occasionally dropped by to visit his wife at work.

Sure enough, when the gold stallion, the red mare, and the copper stallion reached the embassy, they found the purple mare in her office. Sir Haywood McCrank had just updating the six CEOs on the progress of his investigation, but the indigo stallion was willing to hold another meeting. Fifteen minutes later, the lime green stallion arrived with the olive stallion.

All seven remaining members of the task force were then accounted for. After they ensured that the conference room was secure, the meeting commenced.

The majority of the meeting involved the others apprising Bronze Star of everything they had learned or discovered in the past two weeks. They had amassed quite a large amount of information.

Firstly, they discussed the repercussions of the train massacre. Although some of the townspeople were still a little jittery, almost everypony had stopped worrying that another attack would occur. They actually felt safe enough to lower their guard once more. The only ponies were still uneasy were the survivors of the massacre. On the bright side, thanks to the combined efforts of Billow Health and the medical staff of Ponyville hospital, nopony other than Almond Wheeler had died. Cashew Lane was still grieving for his cousin's death, but he was not as much of a wreck as he was before.

On Bronze Star's orders, Noble Edict and Mayor Mare had taken measures to ensure that news of the train massacre would not spread to other settlements. Comet Frost, Swiftdrive, and Blade Bearer had helped them enforce those measures.

An hour after the prince left for Canterlot, the red mare and the tan mare had gone to the depot and put up a bunch of flyers. The flyers announced that anypony who allowed word of the massacre to reach other parts of Equestria would be subject to criminal prosecution by the federal government.

That all but guaranteed that nopony outside of Ponyville would learn of the massacre until Bronze Star permitted it.

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider also mentioned that they had been contacted by their people. A few days back, Shakedown's body had been delivered to the vigilante group. They had already conducted a funeral service for their late colleague and given him a burial. They had asked the purple mare and the olive stallion to convey their gratitude to Bronze Star for making that possible.

The task force also addressed the issue of whom in town may have been one of the Vermane. They still believed there was a strong chance that some of the staffers who worked for the CEOs may have also been working for the Vermane. Every day since Bronze Star had gone to Canterlot, there had been a meeting between the task force and the CEOs. Each CEO had brought a different staffer to each meeting.

At the meetings, each member of the task force chose one of the companies and studied the behavior and remarks of the respective staffer from that company. The CEOs had been informed of the possibility that somepony on their board of directors was responsible for the "foul play" in their organizations. so they had collaborated with the task force in this endeavor.

After speaking with and examining the staffers, the task force had met again afterwards to compare their notes and weigh the likelihood of the staffers being one of the Vermane. Through this process, they managed to eliminate seven of the staffers from each company as suspects. That brought their list of suspects down from sixty to eighteen. Only three staffers from each company remained. They were hoping to get even further than that, as they knew full well that only three of the staffers – six at most – could be working for the Vermane. It had occurred to them that there was a possibility that none of the staffers worked for the Vermane, but they had no reason to suspect anypony else in Ponyville. At that time, the staffers were still their most plausible lead.

When they finished discussing that matter, Sir Haywood McCrank took a minute to remind his associates how essential it was that they identify the Vermane soon. He voiced some concern that they were running out of time. To validate his point, he notified the others that the number three had been appearing very frequently again.

In addition to all the threes that had transpired on the day of the train massacre, there had been many instances of the number three in Detrot. Copper Hollow and the others had pursued three figures there. It had taken them three days to dig up a lead at the city's main depot. That lead had taken them to the Detrot Police Headquarters, where they had dealt with three different types of cops. The information they had acquired had brought the task force to three different parts of the city. They had spent three days apiece searching each of those three sections, and from there, they had located three major clues.

Even in the wake of the task force's flight from the city, the number three continued to occur. Dread Naught had managed to kill three of the Vermane before he in turn was killed. Only three of Copper Hollow's group had made it back to Ponyville alive, but because of three more assailants on the train, three members of the task force had been killed in total. On a side note, three of the other passengers had been critically wounded.

There had been numerous other instances of three while Bronze Star had been away in Canterlot; far too many to list them all.

In any case, Haywood McCrank had made his point quite clear. All of these threes occurring at once could only mean one thing: their deadline was nearing. The task force was acutely aware that they were getting closer and closer to the day when the Vermane finally moved in on their victim.

Lastly, they talked about the file they had found in Detrot. This matter took up a bigger part of their conversation than anything else.

Although the file appeared to be irreparably damaged, Sir Haywood McCrank had been working tirelessly to recover its contents. He used every technique he knew to repair the harm.

He had pressed the sheets against bricks to align them. He had moistened their edges with a spray can of water to make the words more legible. He had scraped a concrete block against the pages to smooth them out. He had warmed the ink with the fire of candles to reduces the smudges. When all else failed, he had rubbed the entire folder with rags soaked in various special chemical compounds.

As a result of his efforts, Sir Haywood had been able to recover all but three pages of the file. He claimed he had every intention of mending those pages, as well. Before the indigo stallion did that, Bronze Star proposed to review everything else in the file first.

Haywood McCrank presented his findings to his six companions. They were prepared to study the file thoroughly, but surprisingly, there was not that much to study.

A great deal of the file was very vague and concise. There were only a few statements written on each page. Most of those statements were along the lines of "Subject seen mingling with peers" or "Subject working overtime." Each of those statements was accompanied by a specific date, time of day, and location in town.

Whoever the target was, the Vermane had been keeping a careful eye on him or her for a long time. There were entries in the file that dated back to well before the last Summer Sun Celebration.

None of the Vermane were referred to by name, by characteristic, or by any other designation. Although several of the statements looked as though they had been printed by different quills or types of inks, the writing style was generally the same for all entries. It was as though one pony had done all the writing. Either that, or every member of the Vermane had identical writing.

Many of the entries mentioned two specific buildings: the house of the "subject" and the barracks. The barracks was also mentioned almost every time the subject was noted as "going to work" or "leaving work." Because of that, the task force had unanimously come to the conclusion that the target was somepony on the security staff.

Every now and then, there was an entry that mentioned a place called the Tabernacle. From what the task force could gather, the Tabernacle was the Vermane's main base of operations. Unfortunately, they were unable to find any hints as to where the Tabernacle may have been located. The most they could gather was that the Tabernacle was most likely in one of the country's major cities.

There were some statements that deeply baffled the task force. All those statements mentioned a "vat." The least ambiguous of those statements were "order of vat delivered," "vat confirmed authentic," and "vat arrived on schedule." Whatever this vat was or what it contained, there was no specification. Be that as it may, the vat appeared to be vital to the Vermane's activities. Rollin Fields conjectured that the vat referred to the Vermane's equipment, research, and everything else they needed to carry out one of their jobs. That was a reasonable assumption, but they had no information that could directly validate or refute it.

Bronze Star suggested that they try to determine the relevance of the vat later on. He was far more interested in the three pages of the file that they had yet to recover.

Sir Haywood flipped through the folder, located those pages, and set them out for the others to see. While all the sheets had been badly damaged, these three had easily gotten the worst of it. Apparently, the saboteur had wished to be extra certain that the information on these sheets was absolutely unsalvageable. As such, that only made deciphering them all the more important.

Sir Haywood had done everything he could, but even with his full array of resources and expertise, he had been unable to repair those three pages by himself. He proclaimed that he was open to trying any alternative, no matter how unorthodox or ludicrous it sounded.

Bronze Star was the first to give a recommendation. He knew that Twilight Sparkle had some experience with restoring old and worn documents. As an avid reader of books, she tried her best to keep the texts in perfect condition. Back at Canterlot Castle, she had even helped fix and preserve some of Starswirl the Bearded's faded manuscripts.

With all that in mind, Bronze Star thought it ideal to seek out the lavender mare's aid.

Normally, Sir Haywood was unwilling to involve students in his investigations; he deemed such a thing too risky. However, due to the circumstances and the fact that Bronze Star had vouched for her, he was willing to accept the risks. So he gathered up the three pages, slid them into a protective plastic bag, and inserted the bag into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Bronze Star then proposed that he and Sir Haywood take the three damaged pages to Twilight and see if she could restore them. He predicted that it would not take her more than one or two hours. Rather than disbanding the group and having to reassemble it later, Bronze Star suggested that the other five members linger at the embassy until he and Sir Haywood got back. Fortunately for him, the three security officers and the two vigilantes were willing to wait on the federal investigator and the prince for that long.

Before they left, Sir Haywood requested to bring along one of the Royal Guard for protection. He explained that after everything that had happened so far, he was unwilling to take the damaged file outside the embassy without some form of armed escort. Bronze Star understood his anxieties. He also reciprocated them a bit. As such, the gold stallion decided to grant Haywood's request.

He found the three Royal Guard officers in the study. Since they were off-duty at the time, Bronze Star did not wish to order them to join him and Sir Haywood. Instead, he asked if one of them would volunteer for the task. To his astonishment, all three of them coincided to it. Evidently, they had missed the prince while he had been away.

At some point during the meeting, Bronze Star had lost track of time. He could imagine that they had been at work for three hours or more. That did not include trips to the restroom, pauses to stretch, and a prolonged lunch break. Altogether, that added at least another hour. He had no time what time it was, but he could imagine it was no earlier than the middle of the afternoon.

Once he stepped outside, he discovered that it was actually late into the evening. At most, the day had about an hour of sunlight left. Bronze Star could tell straightaway that they would not be back at the embassy before the Moon came out. Not that he minded; he sometimes enjoyed being out after dark.

Twenty minutes later, the gold stallion, the indigo stallion, and the three Royal Guard reached the library. As they approached it, they noticed that all the lights in the building were off. That meant that either the occupants were asleep or they were not home.

The latter turned out to be the case, as Twilight showed up on the scene about a minute later. Owlowiscious was perched on her back, and she appeared to be furious for some reason.

"Hey, Twilight," Bronze Star called out to her.

The lavender mare looked towards the prince. As he and the other ponies trotted toward her, she ruefully grinned and muttered "Hi there, Bronze."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and asked in concern "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," Twilight disclosed, "It's Spike. I'm kinda upset with him right now."

"Why's that?" Sir Haywood inquired.

"Last night before the meteor shower, I asked him to retrieve a certain book about Astronomy," Twilight illuminated, "He told me he couldn't find it. Owlowiscious, however, did. Its pages had been practically reduced to ashes."

"Let me guess; Spike sneezed at the wrong moment," Bronze Star supposed.

"It seems that way," Twilight affirmed, "The book itself is not what bothers me, though. What bothers me is the fact that he lied to me to cover up his mistake."

"While I'm inclined to take your side, I'd like to point out there is a difference between lying and concealing the truth," Haywood McCrank pronounced, "If there wasn't, I and all my colleagues at the Bureau would essentially earn a living by lying."

"Be that as it may, Spike did something even worse than lying afterward," Twilight elucidated, "He took a fake rubber mouse, mangled it, doused it with ketchup, and spread a bunch of feathers all over the library. He did all of that in effort to frame Owlowiscious."

"Now that I can't excuse," Haywood McCrank muttered, grimacing.

"Why would he do that, anyway?" Swiftdrive inquired.

"I'm guessing he really does feel as though he's in competition with Owlowiscious," Bronze Star alleged.

"That's no reason to resort to fabricating a crime and blaming it on him," Blade Bearer contended.

"My thoughts exactly, Blade Bearer," Twilight conceded, letting out a heavy sigh. After a brief interval of quietness, she turned to Bronze Star and asked "What brings you here at this hour, anyway?"

"I was wondering if you'd be willing to do a small favor for me," the young prince replied.

"For you, anything," the lavender mare avowed.

Bronze Star grinned at her eagerness. He noticed that the Sun was going down in the horizon. It would be totally dark within minutes. Aside from that, the six ponies were still standing outside, out in the open. He thought aloud "We should probably go indoors first."

"Okay," Twilight commented, "I was about to step back inside, anyway. Hopefully, Spike's gotten over his jealousy by now."

"We'll see," Bronze Star murmured frankly.

Twilight Sparkle swiftly led the five older ponies into the library. She used her magic to activate the lights in the front room. They discovered that the place was empty, with the exception of all the books on the shelves and the mauled remains of a rubber mouse buried in a pile of ketchup on the floor near the entrance.

"I see he didn't even bother to clean up his mess," Comet Frost noted.

"Talk about leaving the scene of the crime without trying to cover it up," Blade Bearer wittily stated.

"Spike, get down here!" Twilight shouted angrily.

There came no response to that demand. Everypony gazed at the top of the staircase and Twilight yelled "Now, Spike!"

Spike gave neither a verbal nor a physical reply.

Twilight grumbled impatiently and spoke through gritted teeth "Hang on; I'll be right back."

The lavender mare solemnly trotted up the staircase, opened the door at the top, and passed through it. The other five ponies simply stood by and calmly waited for her to return.

When Twilight got back, she no longer looked angry. Instead, she appeared to be disturbed by something.

"What is it?" Bronze Star inquired anxiously.

"I thought he'd be in bed," Twilight said uneasily, "He's not even upstairs."

Sir Haywood rubbed his chin, and then he offered "He be somewhere else in the building."

At that, Bronze Star turned to three Royal Guard and told them "Blade Bearer, search the kitchen. Comet Frost, go to the basement. Swiftdrive, check the second-floor balcony."

The three Royal Guard obediently went to carry out those assignments. While they were out, Bronze Star tried his hardest to comfort Twilight Sparkle.

At one point, Sir Haywood stated "I'll be right back."

He then exited through a door on the other end of the room, leaving Twilight Sparkle, Owlowiscious, and Bronze Star alone for a couple minutes.

After that, Bronze Star heard the sound of flushing and water running. Right after that, Sir Haywood reentered the front room and disclosed "Well, he wasn't in the bathroom."

Bronze Star snickered in mild amusement at that.

A short time later, the three officers returned to the front room.

"No luck," Comet Frost reported.

"He wasn't on the roof, either," Swiftdrive disclosed.

"He's not here, sir," Blade Bearer professed.

By now, Twilight's anger had disappeared. Instead, she was overcome with worry and distress. Her best friend and assistant seemed to be missing.

"Why could he be?" she wondered frantically.

"I believe I can answer that," Haywood McCrank interjected. He drew everypony's attention to the destroyed fake mouse and pile of ketchup. There were two deep impressions in the ketchup; it looked as though a two-legged creature had stepped in it. In front of the pile, the floor was stained with smaller and thinner splotches of ketchup. They formed a set of Spike's footprints, and they went right out through the front door.

"So he went outside," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Where in town do you suppose he went?"

It was then that Sir Haywood noticed a sheet of parchment had been attached to the inner-half of the library's front door. He removed the sheet and examined it. He frowned in apprehension and held the parchment out to Bronze Star, saying "This answer your question, Your Highness?"

The gold stallion took the sheet and read it aloud: "'Twilight, I'm sorry for everything. I hope Owlowiscious will be a better assistant to you than I ever was. Good-bye.'"

Twilight gasped and muttered in shock "He ran away?"

"It would appear that way," Bronze Star tensely confirmed, passing the note to her, "So he's not in town."

"Wherever he is, we better find him before he wanders too far," Twilight Sparkle advised.

"I agree," Bronze Star conceded, "He won't last two hours out there by himself, let alone the night."

"Any idea where we should look?" Swiftdrive queried.

Owlowiscious then spread his wings, flapped out the open door, and cried out "Hoo!"

At that, the six ponies stepped outside and watched the owl closely. They realized he was pointing towards the ground. From there, they discovered that the ketchup trail went outside and continued well into the distance.

"How fortunate for us," Sir Haywood observed, "He's unknowingly provided us with a means to follow him."

"Not exactly breadcrumbs, but they're the next best thing," Comet Frost perceived.

"Let's just hope he got a lot of it on his feet," Blade Bearer murmured, "Otherwise this'll be a short trail."

As luck would have it, the ketchup trail went on for quite a while. Owlowiscious scouted ahead; the six ponies followed him close behind. The footprints led them out of town and into the Everfree Forest.

Just as the group approached the border of the forest, there was a rumble of thunder. Not two seconds later, it started pouring rain. The storm came so unexpectedly that an undisciplined pony would have panicked. Luckily, Swiftdrive, Blade Bearer, Comet Frost, Haywood McCrank, and Bronze Star had received plenty of discipline throughout their lives.

Twilight Sparkle was not quite as disciplined as they were, so she did panic. But not because the rain frightened her or anything of the sort. She panicked because she was very much aware of the cleansing effect of water.

"Oh, no, no, no!" she shrieked, "It can't rain now! It'll wash away the trail!"

"Calm down, Twi," Bronze Star beckoned her, placing his front hooves on her shoulders, "You won't do Spike or yourself any good by freaking out."

The ponies would have sought shelter, but as far as they could tell, there were no covered spots in the vicinity. They had to make do with standing under a fairly tall tree with huge leaves on its very thick branches. That at least kept them dry. Or rather, it prevented them from getting much wetter.

"Well, this is fantastic," Sir Haywood mumbled in a very sarcastic tone, examining his drenched clothing, "It's going to take me hours to dry out this suit."

"Good thing you got like nine of them, Sir Haywood," Comet Frost cockily pronounced.

"It's still a nuisance, Comet Frost," the indigo stallion proclaimed, "Of course, you three wouldn't know. When was the last time you wore anything that was made of metal?"

"There's a benefit to wearing armor, Sir Haywood," Swiftdrive declared, pounding on her breastplate, "If it gets wet, all it needs is a little polishing. A little rain never hurt it."

"That could be an advantage, but I would prefer attire that does not rust," the Superintendent countered.

"Our armor doesn't rust, Sir Haywood," Blade Bearer contended, "I don't think it does, at any rate."

"Alright, enough!" Bronze Star hastily cut in, "We can discuss the pros and cons of different types of apparel later. We could even invite Rarity to that conversation. For now, we've got more important things to worry about."

"You are quite right, Your Highness," Sir Haywood conceded.

The six ponies looked around at their surroundings. In all directions, the rain was coming down very heavily.

"Should we go on, or should we wait until the rain lets up?" Blade Bearer thought aloud.

"I say we keep moving," Twilight Sparkle debated, "It could be hours before the rain stops."

Just ten seconds later, the heavy showers became a light drizzle, and then the rain abruptly ceased altogether.

There was an awkward pause for a few more seconds. Comet Frost broke the silence with "Or seconds."

"That's literally the shortest storm I've ever seen in my life," Swiftdrive uttered.

"I'm not sure I'd even call that a storm," Blade Bearer contended, "It was like… what, three minutes long at most?"

"Whatever it was, the damage has already been done," Haywood McCrank claimed, gesturing to his sopping wet formal outfit.

"In any case, I second Twilight's suggestion to go on," Bronze Star announced, "If we're lucky, there may still be some remnant of the ketchup trail left."

Nopony had any objections to that. Initially, the trail appeared to have vanished, but Owlowiscious was able to pick it up again. Once he did, the six ponies galloped after him.

Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank were at the back of the group. As they trotted side-by-side, Bronze Star leaned over to the older stallion and whispered "I'm sorry about your suit, Sir Haywood. But I have to ask; how're the pages?"

Sir Haywood reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out the plastic bag containing the three damaged papers. After a moment of inspection, he slid the bag back inside and stated "Intact."

"Good," Bronze Star murmured in approval, "Make sure they stay that way."

"Of course, Your Highness," Sir Haywood McCrank asserted.

The six ponies went on in relative silence for about fifteen minutes. They stayed close to the ketchup trail at all times. The only sounds they heard were their own deep breathing, the fresh mud squishing beneath their hooves, or the occasional "Hoo" from Owlowiscious.

Out of nowhere, they heard a loud, booming crash. It was so unexpected that it made them stop and listen.

"What was that?" Sir Haywood quietly uttered.

"I don't know…" Blade Bearer remarked softly, "It wasn't thunder; it can't be another storm."

"I think it came from somewhere on the ground in front of us," Twilight pointed out.

"Swiftdrive, investigate," Bronze Star commanded.

The dark grey Pegasus spread her wings and ascended into the air. Once he was above the treetops, she hovered in place and assiduously studied everything below her. She kept her eyes open for any sign of movement.

After a few seconds, she called down to the others "I can see a cave about five hundred feet away! The trail appears to lead inside!"

"Could Spike have gone in there?" Blade Bearer proposed.

"Only one way to find out," Bronze Star declared, continuing down the path, "Move out!"

He, Twilight, Blade Bearer, Comet Frost, and Haywood McCrank hastily galloped towards the cave. Swiftdrive remained airborne so she could guide them in the proper direction. Owlowiscious flew ahead of them all.

When they were less than a hundred feet away from the cave, a deafening roar penetrated the quiet atmosphere, and the ground started to quiver erratically. The five ponies on the ground struggled to protect their ears and remain on their hooves at the same time.

"What is going on?!" Comet Frost shouted.

"Talk to me, Swiftdrive!" Bronze Star demanded.

The female Royal Guard gazed into the distance again, and she realized there was something moving in the cave. When she realized what it was, her eyes widened in shock and she screamed "DRAGON!"

By the tone of her voice, they could tell she was not referring to Spike. Before long, they saw what she was actually talking about. Just beyond the mouth of the cave, there was a fully grown green dragon in the midst of a rampage.

"Take cover!" Bronze Star urged the others.

He, Twilight Sparkle, Comet Frost, Blade Bearer, and Haywood McCrank each ducked behind a bush or a shrub. Swiftdrive set herself down on a wide branch on the tallest nearby tree. She stood there so she still had a decent vantage point of the vicinity. They waited for the green dragon to charge out of his cave. For whatever reason, he did not.

Swiftdrive focused closely on the cave again, and then she proclaimed "Hold on; I see another person in the cave! It looks like… oh, no… Spike's in there, too!"

"Then we've got to do something!" Comet Frost proposed.

"Hoo!" Owlowiscious uttered, as if he agreed with that idea.

The owl began flapping directly towards the cave.

"Come on!" Bronze Star shouted, jumping out from his hiding place.

Blade Bearer, Bronze Star, Comet Frost, Haywood McCrank, and Twilight Sparkle speedily galloped to the east. Swiftdrive and Owlowiscious flew as fast as they could above them. In less than two minutes, they were nearly upon the entrance to the cave. Inside the cave, the green dragon had backed Spike into a corner.

Owlowiscious reached Spike just in time. He let out a very firm "Hoo-hoo!" and he fearlessly flew towards the green dragon. He soared dangerously close to the dragon's face, hoping to divert his attention away from Spike.

This ploy worked well. The green dragon roared, looked away from Spike, and tried to swat Owlowiscious with his massive claws. The beast was either too slow or too clumsy to strike the agile owl. At one point, the green dragon swung his huge spiked tail, but he missed Owlowiscious and ended up hitting himself in the head. He wailed in agony as one of his tail's spikes punctured his scaly head.

While the dragon was preoccupied with extracting the spike from his temple, Twilight Sparkle, Swiftdrive, Comet Frost, Blade Bearer, Haywood McCrank, and Bronze Star approached the entrance of the cave. Twilight waved her front leg rapidly and shouted "Spike! Over here!"

The baby dragon did not need to be told twice. He ran as fast as he could past the green dragon. Once he reached the six ponies, he muttered in relief "Am I glad to see you!"

By then, the green dragon had rebounded. Twilight hastily presented her back to her assistant and told him "Hurry! Hop on!"

As soon as Spike was safely on Twilight's back, the six ponies and Owlowiscious hurried off to the west. Not two seconds after they took off, the dragon expelled a huge pillar of fire in their direction. They had just barely avoided getting roasted alive.

They were not out of danger yet. The green dragon promptly stomped out of the cave and chased after the group of ponies. Although they had gotten a head start, he was gaining on them very quickly. Spike was the only one who dared to look back at him. The others were too focused with maneuvering through the distorted undergrowth of the Everfree Forest.

At one point, they passed through a cluster of trees that were compacted so closely together that it rendered the ground beneath them totally dark.

"It's too dark!" Twilight Sparkle announced worriedly, "I can't see!"

"Hoo!" Owlowiscious exclaimed as he hovered in front of the ponies. He was indicating that they should follow him. As a nocturnal creature, he had perfect night vision; he was able to lead the group through the shadowy, crooked path. "Hoo-hoo!"

Fortunately for them, the green dragon had poor night vision. As he entered the darkened zone, he stumbled over a number of fallen trees. Finally, he collided with a pair that he was unable to smash through. His path was blocked off by then. Furious, the green dragon extended his wings, released a stream of fire, and roared in anger.

Right then, Bronze Star had forced himself to look over his shoulder. The image of that enraged dragon was terrible. Even worse was the prospect of what the dragon might do if he found out where the ponies lived. Bronze Star was not going to risk that scenario happening.

Once the group was a safe distance away, he called out "Hold up!"

The other five ponies hastily screeched to a halt. Once the prince had their attention, he proclaimed "We've got to make sure that dragon doesn't pursue us all the way back to Ponyville. Blade Bearer, escort Sir Haywood, Twilight, and Spike to safety. Comet Frost, Swiftdrive, you're with me!"

Most of the others were reluctant to split up, but the Royal Guard were confident that Bronze Star knew what he was doing.

As the lavender mare, the indigo stallion, and the light brown stallion made their getaway, the aqua stallion, the dark grey mare, and the gold stallion turned around and headed back into the fray.

Soon, they were within spitting distance of the green dragon. Of course, for him, that was about twenty meters. There they stopped and took a minute to view their adversary in perspective.

The green dragon was just as large as the red dragon Bronze Star and the Element Bearers had encountered months ago. He was also far more aggressive and far less reasonable. This dragon would not buckle as easily as that other dragon had, even if they had Fluttershy with them.

"Bucking Tartarus," Comet Frost muttered under his breath. His companions were thinking much the same.

"Do you have a plan, Your Highness?" Swiftdrive muttered nervously

Bronze Star nodded his head and pronounced "Swiftdrive, I need you to fly above and around his head. See if you can move fast enough to disorient him. At the same time, I'll gallop around his feet. I'll try to throw him off balance."

"Your Highness, forgive me, but I object to that proposal!" Swiftdrive firmly stated, "I'm willing to get close enough to distract the dragon, but you cannot just put yourself in harm's way like that! Our job is to protect you from danger, not to get you into it."

"We don't have a choice!" Bronze Star heatedly countered, "Your job is also to follow my orders, and that WAS an order, Commander! Is that understood?"

"Yes… sir," the dark grey mare grudgingly responded.

"What about me, Your Highness?" Comet Frost inquired, "What must I do?"

Bronze Star smirked, leaned closer to the aqua stallion, and whispered something into his ear. At first, Comet Frost looked startled or alarmed, as though he felt he had misheard the young prince. However, he knew he had not. After a few seconds of contemplating their options, he looked Bronze Star in the eye and gravely nodded his head in compliance.

Swiftdrive then rose into the sky and sailed towards the dragon. She flew precariously close to his head. He snapped his huge jaws at her every time she neared his mouth, but she managed to dodge him at every point.

At the same time, Bronze Star charged towards the dragon and ducked underneath him. He struck the beast in any region that he could touch while he kept moving. He may have been like a mouse compared to the dragon, but he could deliver some powerful blows.

While Swiftdrive and Bronze Star were all over the place, Comet Frost barely moved a muscle. He simply stood absolutely still on the ground in front of the dragon. He stared intently at him for three entire minutes.

When the dragon was in just the right position, Comet Frost's left eye changed color. The iris faded from blue to red so it matched his right eye. A terrible scowl appeared on his face, and his horn began to produce a bright red aura. The aura gradually grew larger in size and brighter in hue.

Swiftdrive and Bronze Star took that as their cue to retreat. By the time they were safely away, Comet Frost's aura was more than three times larger than his body. Finally, he released it.

At the exact same moment, the dragon expelled another pillar of fire. The flames were huge and dreadfully hot, but when they collided with the aura, they dissipated almost straightaway. The aura sailed right through the fire and struck the dragon in his chest.

In response, the dragon shrieked in anguish. Over the next minute, his scales seemed to become tinted blue and a little thicker. In actuality, a thin layer of ice was forming on his body. He tried to breathe fire again, but he seemed to have lost his ability to do so. Soon, he was struggling even to breathe; the moisture in his lungs had all but frozen over.

After three whole minutes of this, Swiftdrive and Bronze Star approached the aqua stallion, and the latter remarked "Okay, I think he's had enough, Comet."

At that, Comet Frost broke off his assault, and his magic aura slowly faded away. The dragon regained control of his movement and his breath, but he was too numb, too shaken, and too frightened to face the ponies any longer. He whimpered and slunk back to his cave.

By then, Comet Frost's left eye had become blue again, leaving him with his usual mismatched irises. He looked as though he was about to pass out from exhaustion, but Bronze Star and Swiftdrive held on to him before he could collapse.

"You okay, Comet?" Swiftdrive queried in concern.

"Yeah, I'm cool, Swift," Comet Frost retorted, grinning deviously, "Icy cool."

As Swiftdrive rolled her eyes, Bronze Star smiled and stated approvingly "Good job, Comet."

"Thank you, Your Highness," the aqua stallion uttered gratefully, "That dragon won't be pestering us anymore, I assure you."

"Excellent," Bronze Star murmured in satisfaction. After a brief pause, he proposed "Come, we better regroup with the others."

Neither of the Royal Guard protested. Comet Frost had already regained his composure, so he was able to walk independently of the others. The three of them speedily trotted back towards Ponyville.

"No matter how many times I see that, I never get used to it," Swiftdrive commented, referring to what Comet Frost had just done to the green dragon.

"You've only seen it twice, Swift," Comet Frost drily pointed out.

"Well, how come you don't do it more often?" Swiftdrive queried.

"You know full well I can only do it when I get very, very, very angry," Comet Frost reminded her, "Luckily, I learned to control my anger when I entered the force. In fact, at certain times, such as now, I have to physically make myself angry."

"How do you do that?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Simple, Your Highness; I just think of something that angers me," Comet Frost disclosed.

"What did you think of this time?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"All the horrible things that green dragon would have done to you and Commander Swiftdrive if I failed to get angry," Comet Frost professed.

"Why, thank you, Comet," Bronze Star said gratefully, "I'm touched."

"We both are," Swiftdrive conceded.

At approximately the same time, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Blade Bearer, Haywood McCrank, and Owlowiscious had reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. When they were about ten minutes away from the trees, they allowed themselves a moment to breathe.

Twilight panted laboriously, and once she was respiring normally, she looked to the baby dragon and told him "Spike. We were so worried about you. I was so worried about you. Why did you run away?"

The baby dragon gazed at the ground guiltily and revealed "I thought you didn't need me anymore. And that you didn't love me anymore."

All of a sudden, Twilight realized what had caused this whole ordeal. She said reassuringly "Spike. Sure, I was disappointed, but you are my number one assistant! And friend. And you always will be. It's just that sometimes I need some help at night. I can't ask you to stay up late. You're a baby dragon and you need your rest. Owls are nocturnal. So I asked Owlowiscious to help. But not to take your place. No one could ever replace you, Spike. Not even when you are being a jealous numbskull."

Spike had never felt so foolish as he did at that moment. All of this had been the result of a grim misunderstanding. He brightened up a bit and uttered sincerely "I'm sorry, Twilight. I've never should have been so jealous."

"It's not entirely your fault," Haywood McCrank contended, "In my experience, it's not that rare for skilled workers to become envious of the BNG."

"The what?" Blade Bearer uttered, perplexed.

"The Buckin' New Guy," Sir Haywood clarified.

"Oh," Blade Bearer acknowledged.

Twilight ignored the two stallions and candidly told the baby dragon "And I'm sorry too, Spike. I should have been more sensitive."

Spike nodded happily at that. He then turned towards the owl and spoke softly with "And Owlowiscious... I know now that you weren't out to take my job. Forgive me?"

"Hoo?" Owlowiscious said in response.

"Me," Spike repeated, "Forgive me, Spike."

"Hoo!" Owlowiscious exclaimed.

Twilight giggled in amusement and professed "He forgives you, Spike."

A minute later, Comet Frost, Swiftdrive, and Bronze Star emerged from the Everfree Forest and reunited with the rest of the group. Twilight and Bronze Star ran over to Spike and embraced him; Blade Bearer stepped up to Comet Frost and Swiftdrive and bumped hooves with them.

"I take it you weren't followed?" Haywood McCrank presumed.

"Nope, thanks to Comet here," Swiftdrive remarked, patting the aqua stallion on the back, "He got that dragon to crawl all the way back to his cave with his tail between his legs."

"Where else would his tail be?" Spike questioned in puzzlement.

"He meant… oh, never mind; it doesn't matter," Bronze Star candidly murmured.

A thought suddenly occurred to Spike. He looked around at the ponies and asked them "Hey! How did you guys know where I was?"

"It was your ketchup-covered feet," Twilight apprised him, pointing out the tracks that the baby dragon had left, "Owlowiscious discovered your footprints and we followed them all the way to the cave."

"Oh yeah, the ketchup," Spike commented, grinning deviously, "It looked pretty real though, didn't it?"

Twilight just gave him an unamused glare, and the baby dragon let out a nervous giggle.

"It's convenient for us that the rain didn't wash away the trail," Haywood McCrank thought aloud.

"Considering how it was only a three-minute storm, I'm not surprised," Blade Bearer noted.

"In any case, I propose we go all the way back to the beginning of the trail," Bronze Star recommended, "In other words, let's head back to the library."

"Great idea, Your Highness," Blade Bearer agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, the owl, the baby dragon, and the six ponies were back in Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle decided to compose another letter about friendship to Princess Celestia, and she did something she had not done before: she had Spike write it. He did fairly well with that, but he fell asleep partway through. Twilight did not mind, though; it had been a long day for her assistant.

She carried Spike upstairs and tucked him into bed. Then she rejoined the other ponies in the front room. As she cleaned up the mess Spike had made earlier, she looked over at the young prince and muttered "Say, Bronze, didn't you want me to do you a favor?"

"Yeah, that was why I came here in the first place," Bronze Star affirmed, "I don't suppose you'd mind…?"

"Of course I wouldn't, especially since you already did a favor for me tonight," Twilight gladly told him, "What can I do for you?"

"Truthfully, the favor's for Sir Haywood," the gold stallion revealed, turning to the indigo stallion, "You should talk to him."

"Okay," Twilight avowed.

Haywood McCrank approached the magic student until he was face-to-face with her. Then he reached into his suit jacket, pulled out the plastic bag with the three damaged pages, and held it up for Twilight to see. He informed her "I'm currently conducting an investigation in Ponyville. One of the most crucial pieces of evidence is an organized file. Somewhere along the line, the file was badly damaged. I managed to restore the majority of its contents by myself. These three pages are the only ones I couldn't restore. Prince Bronze Star tells me that you have quite a bit of experience in this field."

"He told you right," Twilight confirmed, "I'd be happy to try my hoof at restoring your pages."

"Thank you," Sir Haywood told her appreciatively.

He passed the plastic bag over to Twilight. She opened it up, slid out the pages, and looked them over. She mumbled quietly "The destruction is substantial… it's as though the words have somehow dissolved into the paper. Just how exactly was that file damaged?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Haywood McCrank professed, "All I need to know is: can you fix it?"

"I believe so," Twilight disclosed, "These shouldn't take more than ninety minutes to restore. I know a spell that can repair both the writing and the paper. But the spell is a very complicated and delicate one. In order to carry it out properly, I'll have to go into the basement. The rest of you can wait up here until I get back."

"If it's all the same to you, Twilight, I'd prefer to be with you while you work," Haywood McCrank bade her.

"If you insist, Sir Haywood," Twilight coincided, "But I must urge you to be absolutely quiet. I cannot afford to have any distractions while I'm at work. If I were to lose my concentration for even one second, I could seriously compromise the integrity of the information on these pages."

"I assure you; you won't even notice I'm there," Haywood McCrank asserted, "Oh, and another thing. If possible, I'd like you to at least try to refrain from reading anything on the pages."

He had expected Twilight to be bewildered or astounded by that request. However, she merely nodded in agreement and declared "I understand. Whatever's on these pages must pertain to a matter of national security, so it's not any of my business."

"Precisely," uttered Sir Haywood, pleased that she did not object.

Twilight Sparkle and Haywood McCrank then went down into the basement. Twilight diligently worked to restore the three pages from the file. Haywood McCrank gave her plenty of space, but he kept a watchful eye on her. Above them, Bronze Star and the three Royal Guard simply lingered in the front room. They stood in nearly perpetual silence for that entire time. Bronze Star did not know what was more intolerable: the wait, the suspense, or the quietness.

A little over an hour and a-half later, Twilight Sparkle and Haywood McCrank came back upstairs. Bronze Star gazed over at the indigo stallion and said expectantly "Well?"

"It worked," Twilight proudly announced.

Haywood McCrank did not seem to share her enthusiasm. He just approached the gold stallion and proclaimed "We have to get back to the embassy. NOW."

"Very well," Bronze Star remarked, a little perplexed by the older stallion's distraught demeanor. As he, Sir Haywood, and the three Royal Guard made their way to the front door, the prince gazed over his shoulder and uttered "Thank you for your help, Twi."

"You bet," was all the lavender mare said in response.

While Bronze Star was concerned by how bothered the federal investigator appeared to be, he decided to wait until they were back indoors to ask him any questions.

Twenty minutes later, they were back in the embassy.

Bronze Star had only planned for them to be gone for about two hours. Due to the misadventure with the green dragon, they had actually been away for four. Luckily, the other five members of the task force were still there. Not long ago, they had decided to make dinner for themselves. Now that they were officially off-duty for the rest of the day, Swiftdrive, Comet Frost, and Blade Bearer were able to have dinner.

Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank still needed to eat dinner, but that could wait; they had other business to attend to first.

Soon, the seven members of the task force were assembled in the conference room once more. Haywood McCrank made certain that they could not be overheard, and then he resumed their meeting from before.

"So what's the situation, Sir Haywood?" Rollin Fields enquired.

"We now have the full file," the indigo stallion revealed, displaying the three pages. They had been restored to optimal condition. Even the paper looked brand new. "I know who the target is."

At that, everypony leaned closer, and several of them asked "Who?"

Sir Haywood did not give a direct answer right away. Instead, he placed the three pages side-by-side-by-side on the surface of the table. He slid one of them forward and proclaimed "This page contains all the details of the actual murder. We'll address it last."

He moved that sheet off to the side. Then he placed one of his front hooves on each of the other sheets, and he disclosed "These two contain the most prominent information about the identity of the victim. The top entry on one of them is dated only a few weeks after the Summer Sun Celebration. It says 'Subject has gone on vacation. Surveillance cancelled until further notice.' Then there's a five-week gap until the next entry. That one says 'Subject has returned home. Surveillance shall resume at once.' Furthermore, the other page is dated several months later. There are two entries that really stand out on that one, too. One of them is 'Subject has entered the Running of the Leaves.' The other entry has the same date, only it's a few hours later. That one is 'Subject won a medal in the Running of the Leaves.'"

Haywood McCrank paused for a few seconds, and then he announced "Put all that together with what we've already learned. There's only one pony on the security staff who went on vacation sometime in the past year and placed in the Running of the Leaves."

The answer dawned on everypony immediately. Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Rollin Fields, and Rough Rider all turned towards Noble Edict. She did not even seem to notice all the attention on her. She just gazed at the sheets of paper in front of her, as though she was fixated on them.

Ultimately, she forced herself to look toward the indigo stallion, and she muttered in shock "Sir Haywood, you don't mean…?"

"I'm afraid so, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank mumbled apologetically, "You are the target."

> Working In Advance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stillness. That was all there was. A long, uncomfortable, totally silent, totally uninterrupted interlude of stillness. The buzz of a fly would have seemed as loud and intrusive as a pair of cymbals striking together.

For a long while, all the members of the task force – excluding Sir Haywood – were motionless as statues. None of them dared to even move enough to breathe. It was as if they had been paralyzed with shock by the indigo stallion's revelation.

Ultimately, the other six ponies regained their senses. Rollin Fields was the first to speak: "You are certain of this, Sir Haywood?"

"Absolutely," the Superintendent promptly affirmed, pressing his front hoof against the restored papers, "Lady Noble went on vacation to Canterlot a few weeks after the Summer Celebration, and she won second place in the Running of the Leaves. That is irrefutable evidence to support my claim. There can be no mistake, I assure you."

"None at all?" Copper Hollow uttered hopefully.

"None," Haywood glumly murmured. He slowly looked over at the red mare and told her sympathetically "I'm so sorry, my Lady."

Noble Edict heard his words, but she gave no indication that she was listening. She was staring blankly at the pages on the surface of the table. She gradually tilted her heads upward and mumbled softly "I can't believe this. Me? Why me? How can it be me?"

"Well, it shouldn't come as a complete surprise," Rough Rider boldly remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Copper Hollow said crossly.

"From the beginning, we suspected that somepony important would be the target," Rough Rider disclosed, "That suspicion was what motivated our people to reach out to the rest of you."

"But we never once considered the possibility that Noble Edict would be the one," Dapple Rhomb insisted, "If we thought that was the case, we would have told you."

"I know you would have," Bronze Star pronounced, "Don't blame yourself; none of us were prepared for this discovery."

"At least not entirely," Haywood McCrank commented.

Bronze Star was perplexed by that. Then again, he had noticed that Haywood McCrank seemed much less astounded than everypony else in the room. One would have thought that was due to the fact that he had been the one to reach the conclusion that Noble Edict was the target. Bronze Star suspected there was another reason.

"Something on your mind, Sir Haywood?" the gold stallion asked rhetorically.

"I'd be lying if I said I always knew Lady Noble was the target," Haywood McCrank professed, "Even so, a part of me feels we should have seen this coming. I mean, in the long run, Lady Noble has more reasons for somepony to want her dead than anypony else in town."

To some degree, the other six ponies were stunned by that observation. Noble Edict most of all. She folded her front legs, glared at the middle-aged stallion, and muttered sarcastically "I was unaware you thought so highly of me, Sir Haywood."

"Allow me to rephrase that statement," Haywood McCrank stoically rejoined, "What I meant was that you have an impressive list of accomplishments, my Lady. You are Ponyville's chief of security. You protected a federal witness from four thugs. You tracked those same thugs to Fillydelphia with your predecessor. You brought them to justice and put their boss in prison. You saved SIG Sauer and helped rescue Princess Celestia from Nightmare Moon during the Summer Sun Celebration. You are a lady of Celestia's court. After myself and the prince, you are the leader of this task force. Above all, you're one of the most respected, most admired, and most loved ponies in this entire settlement."

By the end of that speech, Noble Edict's expression had brightened up quite a bit. She retained her grim facial expression and stated "I appreciate all that praise, Sir Haywood. At the risk of sounding vain, I admit everything you say is true. But who would want me dead for any of that?"

"Quite a few ponies, I'm afraid," Sir Haywood declared. "The remnants of that mob, that Nightmare Moon cult, enemies of the throne, enemies of the state, and the few wrongdoers in Ponyville. As well as anypony you have ever arrested or have ordered to be arrested. Every time you've righted a wrong, you've risen in status. Every time you've risen in status, you've become more exposed."

"Sir Haywood presents a good argument," Copper Hollow perceived, "Nopony rose to greatness without making some enemies along the way."

"True, but I never would have thought I'd make so many," Noble Edict candidly uttered, "Or that any of them would go so far to harm me."

"Well, it doesn't matter how far they'll go," Bronze Star asserted, "We won't allow the Vermane to succeed. Whenever they come for you, Noble, we'll stop them."

"Not just stop them," Copper Hollow adamantly proclaimed, "If they lay a hoof on her, I'll kill them with my bare hooves."

"You've certainly proven that you're capable of that, Copper," Rough Rider stated, recalling the end of the train massacre.

"We can discuss how we'll handle the Vermane later," Bronze Star announced. He turned back to Sir Haywood McCrank and commented "From the first two of the three pages Twilight restored, we've established that Noble Edict is their intended victim. You said that the third page contains the details of the crime?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Sir Haywood verified. It was then that he slid the third page forward and professed "This was also the very last page in the file. Fortunately, the entries on it are much less vague than the ones on the others. From them, I have already learned when, where, and how they plan to kill Lady Noble Edict. I have also determined how they intend to make a profit from her death."

"Go on, please," Noble Edict beseeched him.

"They will make their move in exactly nine days," Haywood McCrank expounded, "Which, unless I'm mistaken, happens to be your birthday."

"That's correct," the red mare affirmed with a nod.

Sir Haywood continued with "Based on these notes, the Vermane know that Pinkie Pie will be throwing a party for Lady Noble. Considering her fondness for such affairs, it should come as no shock that they arrived at that conclusion on their own."

"No kidding," Rollin Fields bluntly concurred.

The indigo stallion elucidated with "Anyway, the Vermane anticipate that after the party is over and after she is done celebrating with her peers, Lady Noble will eventually go home by herself."

"I already planned to do as much," Noble Edict avowed, "Tell us something I didn't already have scheduled, Sir Haywood."

"According to this, the Vermane will be lingering nearby until you've fallen asleep," Haywood McCrank elaborated, "Once the last light in your house has gone out, they will break into your bedroom and slit your throat."

"And if I keep my lights on all night?" Noble Edict speculated.

"Well, the entry says 'Strike at final light or midnight; whichever comes first,'" Haywood McCrank informed her, "In any case, they do not intend for you to live past your birthday, my Lady."

"I see," Noble Edict sardonically mumbled, "So how do they plan to get rich from this?"

"Once you're dead, they plan to clean up the scene of the crime and carry your body to the embassy," Sir Haywood explicated, "They expect that all its inhabitants to be asleep by then, but if not, they are willing to wait a while longer. Then they will sneak inside and deposit your body on the second floor. Come morning, they would have eight shocked stallions standing over a dead mare. That mare would be the renowned head of Ponyville's security. Those eight stallions would be an ambassador from Canterlot, a federal investigator, and the leaders of six huge corporations; all of them would be at each other's throats. A scandal would inevitably result from that fiasco, and all scandals produce fines, lawsuits, and court cases. All of which are ideal fodder for the Vermane to make a profit."

"Hold on a moment," Copper Hollow interjected, "How old is that entry, Sir Haywood?"

"This particular page doesn't have any dates for the entries," Haywood revealed, "Why do you ask?"

"We've known about this plot for at least nine months," Copper Hollow pointed out, "The CEOs didn't arrive in Ponyville until after we travelled to Detrot. There is no way the Vermane could have forecasted that the CEOs would come here when they began this plot."

"Well, it was no secret that Princess Celestia and the CEOs would be holding that conference," Rollin Fields recounted, "After all, its location and date were public knowledge since shortly after the Hoovston disaster, three or four months ago. That's plenty of time for the Vermane to update their file to account for the CEOs' presence."

"Yes, but it was Sir Haywood's idea for the CEOs to stay in town," Dapple Rhomb noted, "There is no way the Vermane could have anticipated that they would do that."

"She's right," Rough Rider agreed with his wife, "The Vermane must have incorporated that part into this file while we were in Detrot. For all we know, they could have made this addendum as late as the day before we found it."

"That's not good," Copper Hollow perceived, "If they were willing to modify their plan this close to its deadline, who's to say they won't alter it again?"

"If that was the case, they would not have gone to such trouble to destroy the file," Rollin Fields conjectured.

"My thoughts exactly," Haywood McCrank coincided, "The Vermane could have changed their plan if they wanted to, but if they chose that option, they would have simply let the file be. The information would have been totally useless to us then. Believe me; at this point, we can safely assume that the Vermane have all but finalized all the details of their plan."

There was a short pause, and Dapple Rhomb broke it by asking "So what are we are going to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Noble Edict drily muttered, "We prevent the Vermane from buckin' killing me."

"That's easy enough to do," Copper Hollow proclaimed, "The Vermane will be waiting for you to come home after your birthday party. All we have to do is catch them off their guard. Off the top of my head, I can think of a dozen ways to accomplish that."

"Such as?" Bronze Star enquired.

"We could have Pinkie Pie keep the party going until midnight," Copper Hollow suggested, "Noble Edict could spend the night at my house. A bunch of us could go home with her. We could even host the party at her house. Shall I continue?"

"If those are your best proposals, please do not," Sir Haywood commented frankly, "The Vermane are certain to notice any deviations in Lady Noble's routine, even last-minute ones. They will not react very pleasantly to such changes. Our best hope would be that they postpone their attempt on Lady Noble's life. But I fear that the most probable scenario is the worst one."

"What might that be?" stated Rollin Fields.

"The Vermane will try to achieve their goal through any means necessary," Haywood McCrank supposed, "They may attack anypony who stands between them and Lady Noble. The outcome of that catastrophe would make the train massacre seem like a trivial accident by comparison."

"Then what would you propose we do?" Rough Rider uttered demandingly, "Stand by and do nothing?"

"Of course not," Haywood McCrank asserted, "We just need to proceed cautiously. Every time we encountered the Vermane in the past, they beat us. Do you know why? Because they always caught us off our guard. The only way we can even hope to triumph over them is if the roles were reversed."

"You mean it's us who should catch them off-guard?" Dapple Rhomb presumed.

"Exactly," Haywood affirmed, "Someway, somehow, we need to lure them into a false sense of security, and we can only make a move when they least expect us to."

For the past few minutes, Noble Edict had been listening to the conversation, but her mind had been immersed in deep thought. She had been gazing aimlessly at the wall across from her, contemplating how to deal with the impending threat to her well-being.

Eventually, she sat up straight and announced "I may have an idea. It's pretty risky, but if done right, we'll all of us – myself included – emerge unscathed from this ordeal."

"We all trust your judgement, Noble," Rollin Fields observed, "It's only fitting that you should be allowed to offer a solution to this predicament. Still, it's your life on the line here. Are you sure that won't be a burden on your mind?"

"Don't worry; I have faith my idea," Noble Edict pronounced, "However, in order for it to work, I'm going to need all of you to listen very closely to everything I say. Failure is never an option, now especially. One misstep, and I might not be the only one who doesn't survive my next birthday."

The other six ponies completely understood the seriousness of the situation. It went without saying that Noble Edict had their full attention and support in this matter.

Since Noble Edict had essentially devised her strategy to counter the Vermane on the spot, she only presented her colleagues with a rough outline of it. Fortunately, nopony else seemed to have an issue or concern with any part of it. Her proposal was indeed quite risky, but they all felt that it had a reasonable chance of success.

Once Noble Edict finished describing the outline of her idea, the meeting gradually came to a close. After everything had been discussed, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Rollin Fields headed back to the barracks, and Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb went home. Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank ate a late dinner, and then they retired to their bedrooms.

Although each member of the task force was still a little astonished by the fact that Noble Edict was the Vermane's target, all seven of them went to sleep that night with a feeling of great satisfaction and accomplishment. For the first time since the investigation began, they appeared to be one step ahead of the Vermane rather than one step behind them.

As per Sir Haywood's advice, the task force did nothing unusual over the next few days. Every other day, they spoke with the CEOs about the progress they had made on the investigation into their companies. During those meetings, the task force continued studying the staffers from the six companies. They still believed their theory that some of the staffers were members of the Vermane. Although they had managed to narrow their list of suspects down from sixty to eighteen, they were unable to narrow them down any more from there. Even so, they were almost entirely convinced that at least three of those staffers would be the ones who would invade Noble Edict's household on her next birthday.

After they spoke with the CEOs, the task force always had another private conversation between themselves. They spent most of that time discussing Noble Edict's idea to counter the Vermane. They only had four meetings – at most five – to go over the details, and they had no way to rehearse or demonstrate its execution. Needless to say, they could not risk any ambiguities or uncertainties. So they did not stop reviewing the red mare's idea until every aspect was absolutely clear to all of them.

Despite the urgency of this matter, the imminent encounter with the Vermane was not Bronze Star's foremost concern. Noble Edict was one of his greatest allies and closest friends, but she was still just one pony. As a prince of Equestria, he was obligated to ensure the well-being of everypony in the country. For that reason, his top priority was still his plan to end the assassination conspiracy.

Three days after the task force learned that Noble Edict was the target, Esopus Spitzenburg, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Sir Verse A. Till arrived in Ponyville. Since he already knew they would be coming, Bronze Star was at the train depot to greet all of them. Spitzenburg showed up on the late morning train from Chicacolt, and Lord Ambit and Sir Verse appeared on the early afternoon train from Canterlot.

All three of those stallions were fairly well-known in their hometowns and some of the major cities, but only a certain few in Ponyville would recognize any of them by sight. Bronze Star managed to escort them to the embassy before any of those individuals came around. It was imperative that all three of them kept a low profile for the duration of their stay in Ponyville. If possible, he would try to limit their activities to the embassy. Fortunately, there were enough rooms in that building to accommodate the three new guests and the other eight residents.

Applejack and Noble Edict were the only other ponies who knew in advance that those three stallions would be coming to Ponyville. This was attributed to the fact that they were also the only ones in Ponyville who were aware of the assassination conspiracy and Bronze Star's plan. Neither of them were required to do any laborious tasks for the next phase of Bronze Star's plan; they just needed to act as though he had their full support, as well as prevent other ponies from asking questions.

Applejack gave Bronze Star her words that she would not let Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, or Apple Bloom find out that Spitzenburg was in town. Noble Edict would also ensure that Lord Ambit and Sir Verse were not disturbed. Haywood McCrank and the three Canterlot-based CEOs were acquainted with Commodore Dexter. They were perplexed to see him there, but at Bronze Star's bidding, they did not pester the elderly stallion with questions. Instead, they gave him and his assistant plenty of space and privacy.

At any rate, once Esopus Spitzenburg, Ambit Dexter, and Verse A. Till were settled in the embassy, Bronze Star summoned all three of them to his bedchamber. That was when he initiated the fourth stage of his plan to stop the conspiracy. He felt this would probably be the most critical phase, as well as the most delicate one. It would be very easy to mess it up, but its success was paramount to the completion of the plan.

Bronze Star took a moment to ascertain that his quarters were secure, and then he began a conversation. Or rather, a continuation of an earlier conversation. Essentially, he picked it up from where they left off at the Compartment. To his delight, Esopus Spitzenburg was still under the impression that the prince had three-quarters of the Equestrian military in his pocket. He needed Spitzenburg and his colleagues to continue to believe that lie until their final moments.

"How long will it be until you will usurp the throne from Celestia, Your Highness?" Esopus Spitzenburg queried.

"It will take time to notify and assemble all the soldiers who are loyal to me," Bronze Star proclaimed, "The earliest I can have all of them ready for deployment would ideally be… the night of the Grand Galloping Gala."

"That's acceptable," Spitzenburg conceded, "However, I feel the need to ask; are you certain they will support your revolt?"

"They will follow him unconditionally," Verse A. Till asserted, "Every soldier in the armed forces is dedicated most adamantly to two individuals: the head of his or her branch, and his or her favorite member of the Royalty. With the Commodore, myself, and the rest of the War Council behind the prince, their allegiance to us is all but secured."

"Excellent," Spitzenburg uttered approvingly. He looked to the gold stallion and noted "You have certainly made good on your part of this arrangement, Your Highness."

"Indeed, I have," Bronze Star muttered in agreement. He then leaned forward and pronounced, "Now it's your turn to deliver."

"In what way?" the jade stallion asked curiously.

"You know that when the time comes, my people will do what is expected of them," Bronze Star disclosed, "What assurances do I have that yours will do so, as well?"

Esopus Spitzenburg scoffed and sardonically murmured "I don't suppose my word would suffice?"

"Only if you can speak for all of them without any bit of doubt," Bronze Star retorted.

Esopus Spitzenburg did not reply straightaway. Instead, he meditated for around a minute, and then he sighed and pronounced "I'm afraid I can't. Truth be told, I've known most of my associates for less than two years. Other than Raging Tempest and Sparker Blare, I've only seen each of them in person once. Our interactions with each other are typically limited to the discussions we have on our poster boards, and most of the time, the only ones I communicate with are Raging, Sparker, and Clear."

"I thought you were the undisputed leader of this conspiracy," Ambit Dexter remarked, slightly surprised.

"I am," Spitzenburg affirmed, "My subordinates fear me and respect me, but not so much that they would blindly obey any command I gave them. They operate by their own rules and trust in their own instincts."

"All I need to know is: will they work with me?" Bronze Star muttered.

"I would expect them to," Spitzenburg said hopefully, "But I cannot guarantee their full cooperation."

"And why is that?" Verse A. Till inquired.

"I've mentioned Prince Bronze Star's proposal to them, and most of them are quite skeptical about it," Spitzenburg disclosed, "Of course, I'm somewhat skeptical myself, but I'm more willing to take a chance than my associates."

"That's not good," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I'm not comfortable with the concept of fraternizing with your colleagues if their willingness to collaborate with me is questionable."

"They can be persuaded to follow you," Esopus Spitzenburg stated, "I'll get them to stand by your side, regardless of whether or not they wish to."

"I'm certain you can do that," Bronze Star pronounced, "Even so, their loyalty means little if you must coerce them to give it to me. I need to ensure that there will be no antagonism between our two groups."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Spitzenburg murmured irately.

Bronze Star chose his words very carefully here: "I want to arrange a gathering between our two parties."

Esopus Spitzenburg, Ambit Dexter, and Verse A. Till all appeared to be a little stunned. Spitzenburg was the only one who actually was; Bronze Star had notified Lord Ambit and Sir Verse earlier that this point was part of his plan. This was just part of the act for them.

The jade stallion raised an eyebrow and enquired "What good would that do?"

"It would give both companies the opportunity to become familiar with each other," Bronze Star explicated, "We would also be in a better position to discuss how my insurrection will be executed."

"That is a fair argument," Esopus Spitzenburg acknowledged. He lightly shrugged and remarked "Very well. Since all of my colleagues are currently in hiding, they should be readily available to contact. I could arrange for you to speak with each of them through my poster board."

"Insufficient," Bronze Star promptly rejoined, "These meetings need to be face-to-face. If we cannot even be in the same room as each other, I cannot rely on them for support, and my uprising will have no chance of succeeding."

"I see your point," Esopus Spitzenburg muttered, "Unfortunately, I lost track of my colleagues when they went dark. I do not know where they currently are. Even if I did, I would be unable to arrange sixteen meetings before the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Then just arrange one," Bronze Star frankly suggested.

Spitzenburg was a little astonished by that "Why only one?"

"It be more practical to speak with everypony in your group at the same time," Bronze Star contended, "Some of them may have similar concerns, similar questions, and similar ideas on the matter. By addressing all of them at once, it would save us significant time and resources. We do not need an individual meeting for each of them; all we need is a single meeting between all of your people and a representative of mine."

"'A representative?'" Spitzenburg mumbled, raising an eyebrow, "Not you?"

"Oh, I would much prefer to be the one who meets your peers in person," Bronze Star claimed, "Alas, I will be far too busy in the coming weeks. Between my royal duties, my charade as the ambassador to Ponyville, and various other responsibilities, I cannot afford to spare any time to attend the meeting, even if it took place here or in Canterlot."

"I understand," Esopus Spitzenburg asserted. He leaned back in his chair and asked in interest "So who would speak on your behalf?"

"Commodore Dexter," the gold stallion responded, looking to the moccasin stallion, "He's the Chairpony of the War Council and the best diplomat alive. He can verify your people's allegiance to me and ease any apprehensions they may have about my proposal at the same time."

Spitzenburg nodded in approval and disclosed "I like that idea. A few of my associates are former military; just the knowledge that Lord Ambit is their ally would be enough to assure their cooperation. As for the others, I'm certain they can be swayed through words."

"I will do everything I can to guarantee the endurance of our friendship, Mr. Spitzenburg," Ambit Dexter confidently declared.

"I'm certain you will," the jade stallion commented in agreement. There came a brief pause, and then Esopus Spitzenburg inquired "Where and when would this meeting take place?"

"I felt it best that we both have a say in that," Bronze Star replied, "We will let you decide where; we will decide when."

"All things considered, that would make more sense than the other way around," Esopus Spitzenburg observed, "After all, you're the one with the timetable, and my people are scattered all over the country. The meeting should be someplace that is accessible to all of them, and only I know of all such places."

"Precisely what I was thinking," Bronze Star remarked.

A short interval of quietness followed. It was interrupted when Spitzenburg announced "I will need at least a week to get ahold of my companions and convince them to go to meeting. Longer, perhaps, if they are stubborn."

"Take as long as you need," Bronze Star bade him, "Just make sure they know that this meeting can only happen if all sixteen of them attend it. Otherwise, this plan will fail before it begins."

"Alright, they'll get the message," Spitzenburg conceded, "What about Sir Raoul Jowl?"

"Sir Raoul will be there, too," the young prince expounded, "So will you."

"I assumed as much," Esopus Spitzenburg thought aloud. He said that last statement very quietly.

Ever since the beginning of this discussion, Bronze Star had detected a note of incredulity in the jade stallion's eyes. It had gradually become more conspicuous and obvious.

"Something on your mind, Esopus?" Bronze Star asked, sounding concerned.

"Let me see if I understand you correctly," Spitzenburg stated, "Of the original twenty ponies who were involved in my conspiracy, only Material Study and Livewire are dead. Other than me, the remaining eighteen are in hiding. That is what gives us the upper hoof. Yet sometime in the near future, you would have all eighteen of us together in the same place at the same moment."

"That is the general idea," Bronze Star calmly confirmed, "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"No, I'm merely pointing out that the meeting would be the perfect opportunity for anypony who wished to harm us," Esopus Spitzenburg revealed.

"That's true," Bronze Star uttered, seeming a little taken aback, "What are you implying?"

"Nothing, Your Highness," Spitzenburg claimed, easing down, "I was just making an observation. I'm not worried that anything will happen at the meeting, though. Do you know why?"

"Because Clear Crest vouched for me?" Bronze Star supposed.

"Well, that's one of the reasons," Esopus Spitzenburg answered him, "The lesser of two, actually. Would you like to know the greater one?"

"I assume you'd tell me even if I didn't," Bronze Star drily commented.

"Indeed," Spitzenburg affirmed, "I'd like to show you something, Your Highness."

The jade stallion had been wearing a saddlebag at the time. He reached back, opened the main compartment, and extracted a small, flat, square-shaped object. It appeared to be made of plywood, but it had the durability of steel. One side of it was covered with five rows of four small knobs. The other side was lined with just as many LED lights, all of which were inactive. Under the fifth row of lights, a tiny metallic bar was imbedded in the surface.

"What is that?" Verse A. Till inquired in interest.

"This, Sir Verse, is my insurance," Esopus Spitzenburg revealed, "Although my poster board enables me to converse with my companions directly, this contraption ensures that I can always remain in contact with them. It is immune to water, shock, fire, and it cannot be manipulated through magic."

He then turned the square object so that the side with the knobs was facing the other three stallions. He stated clearly "You see these knobs? Each one of them controls one of the LED lights on the opposite side. By pressing them, the lights turn four different colors. You press once for green, twice for yellow, thrice for blue, and four times for red."

"What does that accomplish?" Ambit Dexter queried.

"I'm getting to that, Lord Ambit," Spitzenburg pronounced, "You see, each of my colleagues has a similar device, though each of theirs can fit in a coat pocket, and theirs only contain one knob and light apiece. Each one of the lights on this pad is connected to the light on one of my associates' devices. In other words, if one of these lights becomes a certain color, the respective colleague's light becomes that same color within moments. And vice versa. That allows me to speak to my associates through a type of code. A very simplistic yet unambiguous code."

"How does the code work?" Bronze Star curiously uttered.

"Green means 'All is well,'" Spitzenburg illuminated, "Every day, I send them a green signal to inform them that I am still around. They expect me to check in by ten o'clock every morning. If I fail to report in or if they are in distress, they go to yellow, which means 'Keep your eyes open.' That is when they believe that they are beginning watched."

"By who?" Sir Verse asked.

"The government or anypony who demonstrates suspicious behavior," Spitzenburg clarified, "They have nothing to worry about just yet; that is merely standby mode. When the lights turn blue, that is when they have reason to fret. You see, blue means 'Approaching danger.' That only comes about when other parties appear to get too close to discovering our intentions. They've rarely sent me a green light, and it's never stayed green for long. Which is good, because if anything happened that was too extreme even for green, I would have no choice but to go to red."

"And what does red mean?" Bronze Star asked in discomfort.

"'Execute,'" Esopus Spitzenburg revealed. He held the pad closer and pointed to one of the knobs in the upper-right corner. He pronounced "For example, if I pressed this knob, within minutes a wave of deadly fires could break out in Neighwark."

He then gestured to one of the knobs in the lower-left corner and uttered "Or, if I pressed this one, a power plant just outside of Manephis could go into meltdown and release hazardous radiation into the area."

He placed his hoof over one of the knobs near the center and remarked "Or, if I pressed this one, a deadly pathogen could be emitted in Baltimare, causing a fetal disease to spread all throughout the city."

Lastly, he pointed out the metal bar underneath the lights and declared "And if I hold down this bar, all the lights will become red. By this time tomorrow, half of the major cities in Equestria could be in ruins."

Bronze Star was by this point speechless. He was barely making any effort to appear stoic. Of course, he could hardly be blamed for that. After all, if one was just informed by a person sitting across from them that he or she had an object that could cause mass destruction, how could one possibly remain composed and indifferent?

"Now, I have no idea what would actually happen; my colleagues set up their attacks independently," Esopus Spitzenburg disclosed, "All I know – and all you need to know – is that if just one of these lights becomes red, a calamity five times worse than the Hoovston disaster will occur."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Bronze Star mumbled angrily, "I thought we had an understanding, Esopus; there will be no more killing."

"Yes, I coincided to that," Spitzenburg alleged, "This is merely a precaution, Your Highness. I would be a fool if I did not consider the possibility that this is all just an elaborate trap you set up to wipe out me and my companions."

At that, Bronze Star seemed to be shocked. He was not astounded because Spitzenburg had accurately guessed what was really going on. In fact, the young prince would have been surprised if Spitzenburg had NOT considered that possibility. He only appeared to be shocked because he knew Spitzenburg would expect him to be if the jade stallion's theory was incorrect.

"Is that what you think this is?" Bronze Star spat, feigning offense.

"No, but I like to be prepared for anything," Esopus Spitzenburg reassured him, "You must know that if anything happens to me or my companions, we will not go down quietly."

"I gathered as much long ago," Bronze Star bluntly stated, "But what good would all those LED lights do you at the meeting? If you're all there, there won't be anypony left to launch the attacks."

"Au contraire," Spitzenburg cheekily countered, "Like I said, I've prepared for everything. Sometime before the meeting, I will have each of my colleagues give his or her light to an unbiased third party. These third parties are all random, anonymous individuals. When my subordinates pass their lights on to them, they will give the third parties the same instructions I gave them. This will ensure that if they must, the attacks will occur, even if my people are unable to carry them out."

"What makes you think these 'unbiased' third parties will comply?" Ambit Dexter inquired.

"Because they're already been paid, Commodore," Esopus Spitzenburg answered him.

"'Paid?'" Verse A. Till repeated.

"Yes, Sir Verse," Spitzenburg affirmed, "A lot of these individuals were in debt when my associates approached them. In exchange for enough money to erase their worries and more, they signed a contract agreeing to do whatever was asked of them. Nopony likes to break a contract, seeing as the penalty is criminal prosecution. So they will not hesitate to follow our orders."

"They will willingly agree to be an accessory to genocide?" Bronze Star supposed, astounded.

"Actually, they are totally ignorant to what we are doing," Spitzenburg proclaimed.

Bronze Star was confused. "How could they be?"

"Simple; we have set everything up in a way that the third parties are unaware of our intentions," the jade stallion enlightened him.

"I'm not sure we follow," Bronze Star thought aloud, rubbing his temple.

"I'll give you an example," Spitzenburg pronounced, "Suppose you took somepony who had absolutely no experience in the culinary arts, and you told that pony to mix a box of baking soda with a bottle of vinegar. They would have no idea that the mixture would cause a chemical reaction."

"Yes, but that's a basic primary school experiment," Ambit Dexter murmured.

"Alright, here's a better example," Spitzenburg professed, "You take somepony who is a novice at chemistry and give them the idea to take a small block of fluorine and place it in a bowl of water. The novice would be unaware that the fluorine would immediately explode on contact. That same concept applies to the aforementioned third parties. To them, they'll just be doing a job for the money we've given them. At most, these jobs will seem like strange errands."

As annoyed as he felt at that time, Bronze Star had to admit that he was impressed. He commented candidly "You have thought of everything."

"Indeed," Esopus Spitzenburg conceded, "I may seem committed for these attacks to take place, but in actuality, I only wish for them to occur as a last resort. It's my hope that at the end of this affair, Equestria will be unblemished, and all those third parties will have earned some free money for a task they never had to do."

"That's my hope, as well," Bronze Star commented. After a lengthy period of quietness, the young prince announced "If there's nothing else, I believe we are finished here. How soon can you begin contacting your people, Esopus?"

"Straightaway, if you'd like," Spitzenburg suggested, "As I said, I will need about a week to get them all to agree to this meeting. In any case, I am certain that I will convince them to cooperate."

"Very well," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Good luck with that."

Esopus Spitzenburg then slipped his pad back into his saddlebag and exited the bedroom. Bronze Star was then left alone with Lord Ambit and Sir Verse. Presently, he was so frustrated that he felt a tremendous urge to shout.

The moccasin stallion and the glaucous stallion could tell that the gold stallion was under a lot of stress. Truthfully, they too were quite displeased that Esopus Spitzenburg had this edge over them. Even though he was cooperating with the prince, the jade stallion was still threatening to hold the entire country hostage.

Ambit Dexter and Verse A. Till managed to set Bronze Star's mind at ease; they assured him that they would find a solution to this hindrance. After all, the fate of Equestria was at stake here.

Bronze Star soon came to realize that this would only be a momentary setback; it was only one more thing he would have to account for. From the look of things, he had an entire week to come up with an answer. In his mind, that would be more than enough time.

At any rate, after Lord Ambit and Sir Verse left his room, Bronze Star took out his blackboard and contacted the Firebrand Regiment in Canterlot. He shared with them the progress he had just made in his plan. He put especial emphasis on the matter of Esopus Spitzenburg's new, unsettling leverage. He tasked them with devising a strategy to neutralize the danger posed by the jade stallion's square pad. SIG Sauer assured the prince that they would concentrate their best efforts on this task.

After he updated the Regiment on his blackboard, Bronze Star went to Sweet Apple Acres and apprised Applejack of the matter in person. They spoke out in the barn so they could converse without fear of being overheard. She seemed just as alarmed as he had been by Spitzenburg's indirect warning. She did become somewhat relieved when he mentioned that the Regiment was working diligently against Spitzenburg's threat, but like him, she still feared for the safety of everypony in Equestria.

Near the end of the conversation, she queried "Do you still think your plan will work?"

"I do," he asserted, "This is just an extra complication I have to compensate for. I'll let Spitzenburg believe he has the upper hoof for now. It may even make the rest of my plan go a little more smoothly."

"Excellent," Applejack commented in approval. She sounded pleased, but Bronze Star noticed she was still a little uneasy.

"You alright?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Applejack mumbled softly, "But I'll be glad once this whole mess is over an' done with."

"You and me both," Bronze Star coincided, "On that note… there's something else we should discuss."

"What might that be?" the orange mare queried.

"Currently, Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom know nothing about Esopus Spitzenburg's conspiracy," Bronze Star disclosed, "As long as he's alive, it should stay that way. But after he's dead, do you think we should tell them the truth?"

"No," Applejack quickly replied, "The only reason I know about all this was because I was being so damn nosy. While I'm glad you were honest with me, it doesn't make it easy to live with the fact that my Uncle is a traitor. I actually envy Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, and Apple Bloom; they have no idea what a monster he is, and they don't even have to know."

"I understand your logic," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Plus, not telling them technically would not be a lie, so you wouldn't have to violate your Element. But don't you think your family deserves to know why he died?"

"Well, that may depend," Applejack thought aloud, "How will he die?"

"I hadn't really thought about that," Bronze Star professed, scratching his forehead, "Spitzenburg and the other conspirators will all be dealt with at the same time. I don't want it to be a bloodbath like the train massacre; I'm hoping to find a more discreet and practical approach."

"Maybe you could make his death look like an accident," the farmer proposed, "Better yet, make all of their deaths seem accidental."

Bronze Star took a minute to consider that suggestion, and then he smirked and muttered "That's not a bad idea. Actually, it may be the best one. It would have the perfect amount of subtlety, and it would make cover-up less of a challenge. It would also avoid any unnecessary investigations by the authorities, and the aftermath would be far easier to control in the press."

He then turned to his fillyfriend and told her "I'll pass your idea along to the Firebrand Regiment. Knowing them, they'll be in full support of it. They may even ask me to thank you for suggesting it."

Applejack smiled back and giddily stated "Well, I'm glad I could help them. And you."

"So am I," Bronze Star declared. Applejack had done so much for him lately; Bronze Star was immensely grateful for her actions. He wished to show her just how grateful he was.

He slowly placed his right front hoof on the back of his fillyfriend's neck, gently pulled her close, and pressed his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and placed her front hooves on her coltfriend's shoulders.

At the moment, the two of them were sitting on top of a hay bale. That gave Bronze Star an idea; a less than innocent idea. He knew that the phrase "roll in the hay" was merely an expression, but he could imagine how that expression became so popular. He even considered the concept of partaking in that activity. Such a thought thrilled and appalled him at the same time.

Bronze Star's feelings for Applejack were then stronger than ever, but he was still uncertain about crossing that line with her yet. He did not wish to bring shame on her and her family. Of course, Spitzenburg had already accomplished that, but this was another matter entirely.

Their moment of bliss was eventually interrupted by a loud knocking on the barn door. The gold stallion and the orange mare hastily composed themselves, trotted to the entrance, and swung it open. They came face-to-face with Pinkie Pie and Gummy.

The baby alligator was standing idly by, exhibiting his usual level of indifference. His mistress, however, was much more active. She was wearing a harness that had two nozzles strapped to her back. He also had on a hat with another nozzle on top of it. Every time she arched her body, confetti shot out of the nozzles.

Before Applejack or Bronze Star could get in a single word, the pink mare began singing at a rapid pace:

"This is your singing telegram

I hope it finds you well

You're invited to a party

'Cause we think you're really swell

Gummy's turning one year old

So help us celebrate

The cake will be delicious

The festivities first-rate

There will be games and dancing

Bob for apples, cut a rug

And when the party's over

We'll gather 'round for a group hug

No need to bring a gift

Being there will be enough

Birthdays mean having fun with friends

Not getting lots of stuff

It won't be the same without you

So we hope that you say yes

So, please, oh please R.S.V.P.

And come, and be our guest!"

At the end of that jingle, Bronze Star and Applejack stared at Pinkie Pie in stunned silence for about twenty seconds. Then they both chuckled in amusement.

"Very nice, Pinkie," Applejack commented.

"Thanks," the pink mare said giddily, "I've never passed out party invitations to a birthday party before; I thought I'd give it a try."

"It's certainly… unique," Bronze Star proclaimed, "You else are you inviting?"

"I started with Twilight, and I just came from Rarity's," Pinkie Pie pronounced, "Then, of course, the two of you. The only ones left are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I'm kinda glad you were here, Bronze. You saved me a trip to the embassy."

"Do you have a lot of work to do?" the prince assumed.

"No, I'm just starting to get tired," Pinkie Pie admitted, wiping her brow of sweat, "Anyway, can I expect you both to be there?"

"Well, when exactly will this party be?" Bronze Star queried.

"Eight days from today," Pinkie Pie disclosed.

"But isn't Noble Edict's birthday party in six days?" Applejack noted.

"Yeah, but that's not an issue," the pink mare asserted, "As you know, I'm almost always planning more than one party. Besides, the two upcoming ones are different types. Noble's party will be open to the public. Gummy's will be a small, private gathering between the seven of us. Assuming we'll all be there, that is."

"I can be there," the gold stallion declared.

"Me, too," the orange mare remarked,

"Great!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed elatedly. She picked up her baby alligator and held him close, saying "Gummy and I are so thrilled to know that!"

"Don't think I've ever seen him so excited," Applejack muttered in an only partially sarcastic voice.

"No kidding," Bronze Star drily concurred. After a short period of silence, he stated "So, you looking forward to the day after Gummy's birthday?"

"Why?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously "What happens then?"

Bronze Star was surprised by her reaction. "You don't have any plans nine days from now?"

"No, I haven't thought about that yet," Pinkie remarked, "As far as I know, nobody in Ponyville has a birthday the day after Gummy."

Now Applejack was astonished. "Seriously, Pinkie?"

"Did I sound like I was joking?" Pinkie replied in a naïve tone.

"No, ya didn't," the farmer cockily murmured.

Pinkie Pie happily grinned, turned around, and bounced towards the front gate, calling over her shoulder "See you around!"

Applejack and Bronze Star waved at her until she vanished from their line of sight. After that, Applejack looked to Bronze Star and muttered "Either Pinkie Pie is pulling our hind legs, or she's actually forgotten that her birthday is right after Gummy's."

"Seeing as how she's made it her goal to memorize the birthdays of everypony else in Ponyville, I think the latter is just as likely as the former," Bronze Star observed.

"That may make the surprise we have planned for her all the more a surprise," Applejack hypothesized.

"Oh, I agree," Bronze Star mumbled, snickering.

When Bronze Star got back to the embassy, he informed the Firebrand Regiment of Applejack's suggestion. As he expected, they found the concept of staging accidental deaths for all the conspirators ingenious. Koch and Peacemaker had a few strategies in mind. That was not the only good news. Already, Ruger and Carabine had begun to devise a tactic to counter Esopus Spitzenburg's new source of leverage. Their idea was in its infancy, but knowing them, it would be fully designed and composed before too long.

For the next six days, Bronze Star kept his focus on three different affairs: the fourth phase of his plan to stop the assassination conspiracy, preparations for Noble Edict's birthday party, and the aftermath of the latter. Sir Verse A. Till, Lord Ambit Dexter, and the Firebrand Regiment gave him quite a bit of aid with his plan. Esopus Spitzenburg spent almost all of his time in his quarters, conversing with his associates on his poster board. The jade stallion interacted with nopony other than the gold stallion, the moccasin stallion, and the glaucous stallion. Bronze Star was willing to wait until Spitzenburg was finished speaking to his companions. All the same, he was quite eager to continue his plan.

In any case, the two issues regarding Noble Edict occupied a greater part of his mind.

Noble Edict's idea to counter the Vermane was very methodical. At every task force meeting, she had managed to clarify and expand upon more factors and details than before. By the eve of her birthday, the rest of the task force had gotten a very firm grasp on what the red mare needed them to do to ensure that she survived.

Naturally, they shared nothing of this affair with the CEOs. However, they kept a watchful eye on the boards of directors. In the time since they learned Noble Edict was the intended victim, they had all but confirmed that some of the CEOs' staffers were members of the Vermane. Perhaps they were the very same members who would attempt to kill Noble Edict. They still could not guess which staffers those would be. Sir Haywood McCrank had a technique to determine which, but he would be unable to employ it until the Vermane made their move.

Finally, the day of Noble Edict's birthday arrived. By the time she had reported for work at the barracks, no fewer than forty ponies had wished her well. Even more did so throughout the morning and afternoon. She greatly appreciated all those simple courtesies; they gave her quite a bit of relief from all the stress she had recently been through.

Noble Edict's shift at the barracks ended at six o'clock sharp. After she clocked out, she, Copper Hollow, and a few of their coworkers headed straight to the home of her aunt Ova Yonder. For sentimental and familial reasons, Ova Yonder had convinced Pinkie Pie to host the party at her house.

The party had a fairly impressive turnout. Bronze Star, Spike, and all six of the Element Bearers were there. So were Sir Haywood McCrank and the rest of the task force, along with Mayor Mare, several of the City Council, many of the security staff, plenty of Noble Edict's friends. Also among the guests were the six CEOs, who had been invited by Noble Edict personally.

A hoofful of the CEOs' staffers were there, as well. The members of the task force kept an eye on them, whenever they could spare one.

The party was nothing short of extravagant. To be precise, it was extravagant even by Pinkie Pie's standards. It was Noble Edict's thirtieth birthday; Pinkie wanted it to be special. They had various activities, they had excellent food, they had alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, and they had just about every form of entertainment one could partake in.

Ova Yonder made certain that nopony had too much to drink in her house. Although Noble Edict knew she was just being a responsible hostess, she was grateful to her Aunt for limiting everypony's intake. She was hoping to prevent anypony from getting drunk, and not just because she wanted to have the night off from work. She wanted everypony there to keep a level head, especially the task force. After all, they would have to be sober, considering the trouble they would soon be faced with.

Even though Noble Edict had insisted on no gifts, nearly half of the party's attendees had brought her a present. There was nothing very elaborate or very expensive, but she appreciated all the things she received and expressed her appreciation to those who had given them.

The guests started to leave at around 9:30. After another hour, the only ponies left were Noble Edict, Ova Yonder, Copper Hollow, Pinkie Pie, and a few other ponies who had lingered to assist with cleanup. Once the house was as neat and tidy as it was before, Noble Edict kissed her Aunt Ova goodnight and headed home.

Some of Noble's friends helped her carry her presents to her own house. They accompanied her all the way to her front porch. There she thanked them for their aid and stepped inside by herself. After that, her friends departed from the vicinity and went home, as well.

When Noble Edict entered her house, she turned on the light to her porch and deposited all her gifts in the living room. She opted to wait until the following morning to organize them. She trotted upstairs and turned on the lights to her bedroom and bathroom.

At this time, it was about eleven o'clock at night. Noble Edict's house was the only one in the immediate area that had any lights on; all of her neighbors were already asleep. Despite the brightness emanating from the first and second floors, the red mare's house was totally surrounded by shadows.

Every now and then, one of those shadows moved. Those shadows were always surrounded by the darkness; they never approached the light. They often came perilously close to it, however.

There was one shadow that stood far apart from the others. This one carried a small, cylindrical object. Currently, the figure was gazing through the object and concentrating it on the window to Noble Edict's bedroom. She appeared to be in the process of settling down for the night. The figure closely monitored every visible move she made.

At 11:30, the light on Noble Edict's porch went out. Three minutes later, the lights in her bedroom and bathroom went out, as well. The figure with the cylindrical object lowered it and signaled for the others to proceed. At once, all the shadowy figures silently came nearer to her house. They prowled closer at a very slow and cautious pace.

They waited in absolute stillness for another fifteen minutes. Then one of the figures stepped up to the door, took out a small pick, and used it to fiddle with the lock. Once the deadbolt was unfastened, the figure noiselessly pushed open the door and slipped inside. Five more shadows followed behind in quick succession.

Once all six figures were inside, the last of them gently shut the door.

All of these half dozen individuals were clad from mane to tail in bodysuits made of a stretchable fabric. Around their waists, they wore belts which held short blades. One-by-one, they brandished these blades and slunk towards the staircase. They crept silently up the flight of steps. Within three minutes, they had all moved from the first floor to the second floor.

Most of the rooms on the second floor could be accessed through a single corridor. One of the figures gestured to the last door on the left side of the corridor. That was the door to Noble Edict's bedroom. Straightaway, the six apparitions slunk towards it with their daggers at the ready.

The door was slightly ajar. The figure at the head of the group slowly pushed it open. The door barely made a creak as it was moved. On the other side, they saw Noble Edict lying on her back in her queen-sized bed. She seemed to be in a deep sleep; the only noise to be heard was the sound of her inhaling and exhaling.

Three of the figures stepped into the bedroom. The leader gestured for the one of those two to cover the window. He gestured for the other one to approach the bed, and he swiped his free front hoof across his throat.

The second figure nodded and made his way over to the bed. He moved very delicately, and very slowly. A snail could have beaten him from the door to the bed. When the second figure was standing less than a foot away from Noble Edict, he stopped. Then he leaned forward to her until his head was directly over hers. He gradually moved his knife closer her neck.

Before he did anything else, the second figure felt a jolt of pain just above his right hind leg. As if by reflex, he gazed down and discovered the source of the pain. He had been stabbed in the thigh by a knife. More shockingly, the hoof that held the knife was sticking out from underneath Noble Edict's blanket.

The second figure noticed that he could no longer hear Noble Edict's deep breathing. He gazed back at her face and realized that she was not asleep after all. Her eyes were wide open, and she gave him a wicked grin.

"NOW!" she yelled, sitting up straight and gripping the second figure by the throat.

Immediately, Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig sprang out of the room across the hall and jumped the two nearest figures who were still out there. At the same time, Haywood McCrank emerged from the bathroom and attacked the leader, and Copper Hollow emerged from the closet and rammed into figure by the window. Each one of them was armed with a knife, as well.

The last figure out in the hall considered the idea of turning and running. Before he was even halfway down the hallway, he was intercepted by Rollin Fields. The lime green stallion smirked, drew his knife, and thrust it into the figure's upper chest. The figure groaned and collapsed backwards against the wall. Rollin Fields seemed to be pleased by his agony. He mumbled softly "You should never have harmed my children."

Although the Vermane were still armed too, they were so unprepared that they had no time to react or defend themselves straightaway. That was good news for the task force. While the Vermane were disoriented, they attacked them using every opening they could spot. There was a multitude of hacking and slashing; the Vermane received far more blows than they delivered.

In under a minute, all six of the Vermane were sporting at least three notable injuries. The leader finally admitted the hopelessness of the situation. He managed to break free of Haywood McCrank, and he hastily ordered in a deep voice "Pull back!"

Although the members of the task force appeared to have no intention of breaking off their assault, they did ease down slightly. The two Pegasus members and the two Earth Pony members of the Vermane struggled to get within reaching distance of the two Unicorn members. Once they were near enough, the two Unicorns cast a teleportation spell on themselves and their four companions. There was a flash of light, and just like that, the six of them were gone.

Now Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Haywood McCrank, Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, and Rollin Fields were all on their own. At least they were until a moment later, when Bronze Star crawled out from underneath the bed. His wings and horn were visible at the time, and he had his belt of assorted weapons around his waist.

The prince used his magic to illuminate the room. There was blood all over the floor and on some of the walls. Luckily, nopony on the task force appeared to be injured. Even so, Bronze Star was compelled to ask "How's everypony doing?"

"Pretty good, all things considered," Paisley Branch declared, smirking.

"Ho, yeah," Cassia Spring concurred, twirling her knife in her hoof, "I don't think that could have gone any better."

"Let's get a little more light in here," Copper Hollow proposed, turning on the switch by the door. As Bronze Star's aura dissipated, the lamps in the corners were activated. The members of the task force braced themselves just in time for the sudden influx of light. The artificial rays reflected off the glistening puddles of red below their hooves.

"Is anything out of place?" Haywood McCrank queried.

"Well, I see lots of blood," Copper Hollow observed, "None of it ours, though."

"Good; that's what's important," Bronze Star remarked, "So, how much damage did you all do?"

"At the very least, I gave my target a limp," Noble Edict professed.

"I damn near could out the eye of mine," Copper Hollow commented.

"Mine seemed to have two or more lacerations," Haywood McCrank murmured.

"I think I cut off part of one of the ears of mine," Cassia Sprig disclosed.

"I made mine bleed so much that it's a wonder he didn't collapse," Paisley Branch recalled.

"I'm almost certain I killed mine," Rollin Fields proclaimed, "If not, I must've mortally wounded him. He'll be dead soon enough."

"If we're lucky, he won't be the only one," Copper Hollow heatedly muttered, "I still don't understand why we didn't just kill them on the spot."

"It wouldn't have had the same effect," Noble Edict enlightened him, "Those were just six of the Vermane. If we killed them, it would have been a short-lived victory. We would have had to go through the tedious process of disposing of the bodies as if we were erasing all signs of a crime. Moreover, the other members of the Vermane would probably just assume that their colleagues had been unsuccessful."

"I see where you are going with this, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank uttered, "We've turned the tables on the attackers, and we've inflicted a great deal of punishment on all of them. Now they'll have to go back to the rest of their organization. Then all of the Vermane will know what we are capable of now."

"Precisely, Sir Haywood," the red mare affirmed, "They'll think twice about antagonizing us again."

"Well, then let's hope a couple of the Vermane we just encountered won't succumb to their wounds before they return to their base of operations," Rollin Fields thought aloud.

"Even if they don't die, their injuries are too conspicuous to be left unattended," Cassia Sprig pointed out, "There's no way they'd be able to survive out there without medical treatment."

"She's right," Paisley Branch coincided, "That could be a telltale sign to mark who in town is one of the Vermane. If tomorrow we see anypony in town with a really bad wound, it will be easy to tell where they got it."

"Then we should look out for anypony of that sort," Bronze Star advised.

There came several mutters of agreement, and then the gold stallion rubbed his front hooves together, gazed around the bedroom, and suggested "We better clean this place up."

It took about an hour for the seven of them to wipe the walls and the floors clean of blood. Noble Edict's bedsheets were ruined, but she could afford to replace them. She would worry about that later, as she did not plan to spend the remainder of the night in that house.

Once the second floor was more or less in its original condition, Bronze Star had the others gather around him. Then he teleported all seven of them across town to the living room of Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb's house. The olive stallion and the purple mare were relieved to seek that their friends were alright.

The ambush had been Noble Edict's idea, but Bronze Star had been the one who orchestrated it. He and the others had left her party a half-hour early to see to the preparations. They had all gathered at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's house. There, Bronze Star transformed into his Alicorn form and briefed them on how everything would go down.

Earlier that week, he had measured the distance between Noble Edict's house and the vigilantes' house. That way, he knew exactly how far he would have to teleport himself and at least five other ponies. It was critical that they all reappear inside the building, otherwise they would tip off the Vermane to their presence.

Due to Dapple Rhomb's pregnancy, Bronze Star was unwilling to have her teleported anywhere. It was decided that she would stay home. Rough Rider refused to leave his wife alone, and he still had the scars from his last encounter with the Vermane, so he remained behind, as well.

Haywood McCrank had addressed the possibility that the Vermane would send two trios after Noble Edict instead of one. If that was the case, he debated that they would need some reinforcements, as it would essentially be five against six.

As such, Bronze Star had decided to accept Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig's requests to be readmitted back into the task force. He knew they were both very good with a knife. Plus, they had proven their dedication in the past, and he felt they were still totally faithful and true to their cause.

At any rate, once the whole of the task force – save for Noble Edict – had gathered at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's house, Bronze Star had transported himself, Copper Hollow, Rollin Fields, Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, and Haywood McCrank to Noble Edict's bedroom. There they had gotten into their respective hiding places and waited until Noble Edict returned home.

Even after Noble Edict got in, the others did not come out. She knew where they were; she did not want to risk exposing them to anypony who may have been watching her.

Her idea could not have gone any more smoothly. The Vermane had trotted right into the trap, and all of them had been critically injured. From the looks of things, the Vermane would not been harassing them again anytime soon.

All the same, as an additional precaution, it had been decided that Noble Edict would spent the night at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's house for her protection. Sir Haywood suggested that perhaps she should stay at a friend's house every night until they could confirm that she was no longer in danger. She was more than willing to go along with this arrangement.

Once Noble Edict was settled, Bronze Star switched back to his Earth Pony disguise. Then he, Rollin Fields, Cassia Sprig, Paisley Branch, Copper Hollow, and Haywood McCrank went home. They all slept quite peacefully that night.

The next day at the embassy, the task force assembled with the six CEOs. This time, Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig accompanied them.

During that meeting, they made an interesting discovery. Mr. Lessee – the stern landlord of the apartment complex – had arrived at the embassy to speak with the CEOs. He revealed that six of his tenants had mysteriously disappeared. All six of them had been one of the staffers from each of the CEOs' boards of directors. There was no trace of them at the apartment complex or anywhere else in town.

At first, the CEOs were bewildered by this news, as they had not permitted any of their staffers to leave. That was when Sir Haywood McCrank offered a very credible hypothesis. He contended that those six staffers were the ones who arranged all the foul play in the companies. He reasoned that since they had gotten so close to determining the source of the foul play, the six staffers had panicked and decided to flee town to avoid exposure.

Of course, each member of the task force knew the real reason for their flight: those six staffers must have gotten grievously injured last night and were unwilling to stay around for anypony else to find out how. In other words, they were the same six stallions who broke into Noble Edict's house.

Haywood McCrank debated that the danger was not entirely over, but the threat had subsided significantly. As a result, he was going to close the case and end the investigation. Nopony on the task force or the CEOs protested this decision. Although the Vermane were not officially gone, the people of Equestria would be safe from them for a long while.

Bronze Star decided to end the lockdown on the train depot. Everypony who had been present during the Vermane's most recent attack was free to go anywhere they pleased. They were still sworn to silence about the massacre, but they were no longer confined to Ponyville.

The CEOs and the rest of their staffers would plan to leave soon, as well. They had not forgotten Bronze Star's idea of a merger between their conglomerates. They each still planned to send a representative to the Grand Galloping Gala to discuss that issue. None of them had decided on who they would send yet, but they would make their selections before they left town.

In any case, Bronze Star was going to put the Vermane out of his mind for a while. He had to switch his focus back to the assassination conspiracy for the present.

After the last meeting with the CEOs, Bronze Star checked up on Esopus Spitzenburg. The jade stallion had spent most of the past several days in his room, sitting in front of his poster board. He had convinced all but three of his companions to attend the meeting with Lord Ambit Dexter. He was confident that he would get those three to agree to be there. Bronze Star just left the elderly stallion alone and let him work.

The next day, Bronze Star had another meeting with Mayor Mare and City Council. This was just a standard weekly update that he had become quite accustomed to. The mayor and her cabinet seemed quite relieved that the peril from the train massacre was no longer a concern, and that they were safe from further harm of that sort.

After that meeting, Bronze Star worked with Dapple Rhomb in her office for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. At one point, the prince asked his secretary to bring her husband to work the following day. He claimed he had something important to discuss with both of them. He did not specify what, but the purple mare agreed to this request.

At around mid-afternoon, Bronze Star went to Sugarcube Corner to attend the party Pinkie Pie had arranged for Gummy. It was not nearly as spectacular as Noble Edict's party, but all of Pinkie's parties had a certain special form of appeal, so Bronze Star still enjoyed himself.

He observed Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they took turns bobbing for apples. Applejack managed to snatch one in her teeth. She tossed it into the air, caught it in her mouth, and ate it in one bite.

"Nice one!" Rainbow Dash commented, "Now, let me show you how it's really done."

She opened her mouth as wide as she could, but before she could plunge her head into the water, Pinkie Pie sauntered by and told them "Hey, girls!"

"Hey, Pinkie Pie!" the cyan mare returned.

"Howdy!" Applejack greeted her.

Pinkie Pie squealed giddily and remarked "Just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you could make it to Gummy's party."

"Are you kiddin'?" Applejack muttered, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Me neither," Rainbow Dash conceded, "When Pinkie Pie throws a party, I am there!"

She then lowered her head into the large bucket of water and came back up a moment later with an apple in her teeth. "Ta-da!"

"Aw!" Pinkie Pie murmured, "It's just a boring old apple. Don't worry, there are plenty of other surprises in there."

Rainbow Dash spat out the apple. As it ricocheted off of Applejack's face and fell back into the bucket, she asked eagerly "What kind of surprises?"

"I can't tell you that, silly," Pinkie Pie slyly said in response, "Then it wouldn't be a surprise."

As the pink mare trotted to another part of the room, Applejack and Rainbow Dash gazed down at the bucket. They both thrust their heads into the water at the same time.

Applejack came up first. She had another apple in her mouth, but this one was attached to a spring. The orange mare struggled to extract it, but the spring pulled her back into the water until her entire head was submerged. When Rainbow Dash came back up, she brought Gummy with her. The baby alligator's jaws were locked around her face. Based on his position, his tongue must have been directly under her muzzle.

Applejack and Bronze Star chuckled in amusement. Rainbow Dash jerked her head to the side and flung Gummy across the room. She wiped away the alligator's saliva and winced in embarrassment.

"Congratulations on your first kiss, Rainbow," Bronze Star cheekily proclaimed.

The cyan mare blushed heavily at that; the orange mare just laughed harder than before.

At the refreshments table, Rarity was helping herself to some punch. After she finished her glass, Pinkie Pie promptly refilled it with a ladle.

"This punch is simply divine," the white mare professed, "Is this the same recipe you used for your 'Spring Has Sprung' party?"

As the fashionista took another swig of punch, Pinkie Pie answered her with "Nope! Something new."

She then turned towards the punch bowl. Gummy had landed in it when Rainbow Dash had thrown him. Rarity was in the midst of a long sip when she noticed this. In response, she expelled all the contents of her mouth. Pinkie Pie was standing directly in front of her, so Rarity ended up spitting in her face.

However, the pink mare did not seem to mind this. She did not even blink. All she did was declare "It's Gummy's favorite."

Bronze Star snickered at the sight and whispered into Applejack's ear "Reminds me of when I first admitted my feelings for you."

Applejack flushed at the memory of that event. It had been incredibly awkward at the time, but luckily, it had not ended badly.

Rarity realized that Twilight Sparkle was staring at her uncomfortably. Rarity could tell that she was beckoning her to pretend that she still liked the punch, in spite of the fact that it was tainted.

The white mare gulped and reluctantly continued to drink the punch that Gummy had swam in.

Fortunately for her, she did not have to do this for very long. A certain beat soon started playing on the gramophone. Pinkie Pie shrieked joyfully "Ooh, this is my jam!"

As the pink mare made her way to the dance floor, Rarity turned to a potted plant and spewed the punch into the soil. Bronze Star could not blame her; he would not want to drink any of that Essence of Gummy if he did not have to.

Fluttershy and Twilight were already grooving on the dance floor. Pinkie Pie joined them and queried "Having fun?"

"A blast!" Twilight asserted.

"You always throw the best parties, Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy pronounced.

"They're always the best parties 'cause my best friends are always there!" Pinkie Pie claimed happily.

"Can't argue with that," Bronze Star concurred.

For a few seconds, the three mares were dancing together. Then Pinkie Pie became a little too rambunctious and accidentally sent the lavender mare and the yellow mare flying towards opposite walls. Strangely, the pink mare did not even seem to notice that. She was too preoccupied with her own movements.

"C'mon, everypony!" Pinkie Pie urged her friends, "Gummy wants to dance!"

Bronze Star helped Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy out of the walls. Funnily enough, there were two pony-shaped holes where they had struck. Knowing Pinkie, she would have those fixed before long.

Once the two mares had regained her senses, they went back to the dance floor. Applejack, Bronze Star, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash joined them. Gummy was standing in the center of the group, still as a statue. As the ponies danced, Pinkie cheered him with "Go, Gummy! It's your birthday! Go, Gummy! It's your birthday!"

If Gummy was delighted, he did a masterful job of hiding his glee.

The party lasted until well into the evening. That was when the guests decided to leave.

Pinkie Pie watched from the window of the dome on top of Sugarcube Corner as her friends trotted out the sweetshop's main entrance.

"Hoo-wee!" Applejack tiredly stated, "I am beat! I haven't danced that much since... Well, since your last party. Thanks again for the invite!"

"Always a pleasure!" Bronze Star shouted.

"See ya later, birthday alligator!" Rainbow Dash yelled back.

"Bravo for hosting yet another delightful soiree," Rarity commended.

"It's been lovely," Fluttershy disclosed.

Twilight Sparkle was the last to leave. Pinkie Pie called out to her "You sure you don't wanna stay? There's still some cake left."

"Uh, I think I'm gonna pass," Twilight told her, "Great party though. We should do this again soon."

As the gold stallion and the five mares trotted away, they heard Pinkie Pie gasp and declare in agreement "We should do this again soon!"

"Yeah, like tomorrow," Bronze Star mumbled under his breath, smirking.

"Shh, don't give her any ideas," Fluttershy advised him.

"Relax; I don't think she heard me," Bronze Star assured her. After a bit of quietness, he looked around at the mares and uttered "Seriously though; is everything be ready?"

Twilight Sparkle rubbed her chin and thought aloud "Cake's being baked, decorations have been ordered, music's been arranged, presents have been wrapped, barn's being allocated for space. We're all set."

"Very good," Bronze Star said approvingly.

"I must say; Pinkie seems surprisingly mellow, even though it's the eve of her own birthday," Rarity observed.

"Maybe my theory that she actually forgot wasn't so outlandish, after all," Applejack supposed.

"If she did forget, then it'll just be an even greater surprise!" Rainbow Dash contended.

"Regardless of that, do you think she'll like what we have planned?" Bronze Star queried.

"Oh, absolutely," Fluttershy proclaimed. The others gave murmurs of agreement.

"Good," Bronze Star uttered, giving a light smile, "That's what's really important."

The five mares and the stallion each went their separate ways after that.

When Bronze Star arrived at the embassy, he found that it was bustling with activity. That was quite unusual, considering the lateness of the hour. Despite that, Bronze Star knew what was going on.

Now that the source of the foul play in the corporations had been located and purged, there was no reason for the CEOs and their subordinates to remain in Ponyville any longer. As such, they were preparing to leave town within the next twenty-four hours.

However, before Red Burner, Cleave Cobs, and Cycle Geyser returned to Manehattan, and before Lore N. Budget, Till Dates, and Ronald Grump returned to Canterlot, they had to address the issue of their merger. Each CEO needed to determine who would represent him at the Grand Galloping Gala. They also had a lot of paperwork that needed to be filled out; most of it regarded the "traitors" that had disappeared the previous night.

All fifty-four of the remaining ponies on the CEOs' boards of directors were at the embassy. The staffers were in the process of receiving orders from their superiors and hurrying to accomplish them. Many of them had to accept an additional amount of responsibility to compensate for their missing colleagues.

This was the CEOs' method of determining who would speak for them at the Gala. They would each give the role to the staffer who worked the hardest and produced the best results the most quickly. So far, none of them had singled out anypony in particular, but the night was still young, and much work remained to be done.

Commander Swiftdrive, Lieutenant Commander Blade Bearer, and Lieutenant Commander Comet Frost were standing guard at various spots inside the embassy. Despite all the activity, the three of them did not have to intercede anywhere.

Oddly enough, Haywood McCrank was the only pony there who was not busy. The indigo stallion had spent most of the past nine months focusing on the murder plot, and from the look of things, he had prevented it from occurring. Now he was treating himself to a well-deserved rest.

Before he went to his bedroom, Bronze Star stopped by Esopus Spitzenburg and checked up on his progress. The jade stallion revealed that only one of his companions had not yet agreed to be at the meeting with Lord Ambit Dexter. He had expected her to be the most unwilling to yield, but he was confident that he could convince her to be at the meeting. Bronze Star decided to hold Spitzenburg to his word.

Lord Ambit Dexter and Sir Verse A. Till were going over some reports on national security. In times of peace, reviewing and following up on those reports constituted the majority of the two stallions' busywork. They may not have been in Canterlot, but like Bronze Star, they would continue doing their jobs, regardless of their whereabouts.

By sunrise the next morning, all the staffers had left the embassy. The six CEOs were away from there, as well. Bronze Star later found out that they had spent most of that day at the apartment complex.

At any rate, when Bronze Star woke up that morning, he, Esopus Spitzenburg, Swiftdrive, Comet Frost, Blade Bearer, Ambit Dexter, Verse A. Till, and Haywood McCrank were the only ponies in the building. By the time he had showered, eaten breakfast, and fed his pet hawk, Dapple Rhomb had shown up for work. As her employer requested, she had brought Rough Rider with her.

Neither the olive stallion nor his wife had any idea why the gold stallion wanted him there. Fortunately, he did not keep them wondering for long. After they arrived, he led them into Dapple Rhomb's office and closed the door. The purple mare sat at her desk and her husband took the chair on the other side of it.

Bronze Star remained standing. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his front legs. Then he gazed at the two spouses and announced "You two have been with me for less time than the others on the task force, and unlike the others, you aren't officially authorized to uphold the law. Even so, you've been with me long enough to prove that you are capable of maintaining peace and justice, and I have come to think of you as more than just allies."

"We feel the same way, Bronze," Rough Rider proclaimed.

Dapple Rhomb nodded and muttered "It's actually a bit of a shame that the investigation is over now. We enjoyed working with you."

"Hey, just because the task force has been disbanded, that does not mean our relationship is at an end, too," Bronze Star debated, "We can continue to function as partners… and as friends."

That seemed to capture Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's interest. The latter queried "How so?"

Bronze Star unfolded his front legs and leaned a little closer to the married couple. He inquired "Are you two qualified to speak for your organization?"

"Indeed we are," Rough Rider replied, "We've been speaking for them ever since you got us to confess our involvement with them."

"That's what I thought," Bronze Star drily muttered, "Tell me; would your people be interested in establishing a more… 'perpetual' relationship?"

"That would probably depend on the circumstances of the relationship," Dapple Rhomb professed.

"For now, I just need to know: would they be willing to at least consider it?" Bronze Star questioned.

After some careful thinking, Rough Rider said candidly "Yes… yes, they would."

"Good," the gold stallion avowed, smiling "Then what say we discuss the possibility of a lasting affiliation in the near future?"

"How near?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

"The day of the Grand Galloping Gala," Bronze Star clarified, "Or rather, the night of it."

The purple mare and the olive stallion were stunned by that statement. The former asked rhetorically "Won't you be in Canterlot that night, Bronze?"

"Of course I will," Bronze Star affirmed, "You two don't have anything going on that night, do you?"

"Nope, not really," Rough Rider disclosed.

"Then why don't you attend the Gala?" Bronze Star proposed.

The secretary and the salespony were perplexed by that proposition, even though they had partially seen it coming.

"We appreciate the offer, Bronze, but we don't have tickets," Rough Rider proclaimed.

"That can easily be remedied," the prince asserted, "Later today, I could write a letter to my mother. She'd be happy to send me a couple extra tickets. She won't even bother to ask who they're for."

"Well, that's convenient," Dapple Rhomb commented, grinning.

"So, will you accept the tickets?" Bronze Star enquired hopefully.

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb looked at each other, as though they were having a silent conversation on this topic.

Ultimately, they turned back to the gold stallion, and the olive stallion declared "You bet."

Bronze Star remained grinning as he clapped his front hooves together. "You won't regret it."

"Just a moment," Dapple Rhomb bade him, "There's one thing about this that's not totally clear to me. I understand your reasons for wanting this partnership. But I don't understand why you want to form it during the Grand Galloping Gala."

"For multiple reasons," Bronze Star explicated, "Firstly, the merger between the Manehattan-based and the Canterlot-based conglomerates will take place during the Gala. There's no reason why a secret merger between me and your people can't be drafted there, as well. Secondly, we have a little saying in the capital city: 'if it's done in a castle, there should be no hassle.' In other words, if we form this partnership in Canterlot Castle, it will be recognized by all its participants as authentic and pure. Lastly, like the rest of us, the two of you need a break from all the tension you've been through in the last few months. You've already been to the Castle before, and from what you've told me, you enjoyed being there. So why not go there for the most anticipated event of the year? After all, the Gala may be one of your last opportunities to seize the day before you receive your greatest blessing."

When he said that last statement, he gazed at Dapple Rhomb's abdomen. Straightaway, she and Rough Rider realized that he was referring to the tiny lifeform growing inside her. The purple mare gazed down at her body and placed her front hoof on the area below her midsection. Dapple Rhomb was nearly three months pregnant; her foal bump was starting to become conspicuous.

Eventually, she turned back to her employer and admitted "Those are all good points."

"Are you always so poetic, Bronze?" Rough Rider wryly inquired.

"Only when it suits the setting, Rough," the prince cockily retorted.

The salespony chuckled at that. After a momentary pause, he added in "Well, in any case, looks like my wife and I are going to the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Fantastic," Bronze Star remarked. A thought then occurred to him. He asked the two older ponies "Out of curiosity, what will you wearing?"

"Oh… right," Rough Rider mumbled with a small grimace, "I have a few good suits, but I don't think I have anything worthy of a gala."

"Neither do I," Dapple Rhomb frankly disclosed, "Even though my dresses still fit me, they're not… well, 'dazzling' enough for this sort of event."

"I can offer a solution for that, too," Bronze Star pronounced, standing up straight, "Rarity would be delighted to design some outfits for you. Let's swing by Carousel Boutique."

"All of us?" Dapple Rhomb assumed in astonishment.

"Yeah," Bronze Star confirmed, "I'd like to pay for your costumes. And before you ask, yes, I insist. I hope you'll allow me to treat you."

"Oh, we'd never deny you something like that," Rough Rider conceded, "Still, you sure you don't mind joining us there? You don't have other stuff you'd need to do first?"

"No, for the first time in a long while, I don't have a lot going on at the present," Bronze Star revealed, "I was planning on going to the Boutique sometime today anyway."

"Then I guess we may as well go now," Dapple Rhomb proposed.

The olive stallion, the purple stallion, and the gold stallion then exited the office and headed to the front of the building. After they signed out, they approached the main entrance.

Rough Rider reached the door first. He pulled it wide open and stepped outside. Almost immediately, he shouted in alarm and recoiled.

A moment later, his wife and her boss discovered why he did that. Pinkie Pie had been standing just outside the entrance. Gummy was resting on her head. Since Rough Rider was about half a foot taller than the pink mare, he had been staring directly into the baby alligator's eyes when he exited the building.

"Oh, uh… hey, Pinkie," Bronze Star greeted his friend. He had not expected to see her until sometime in the afternoon.

"Morning, Bronze," Pinkie Pie giddily said in response, "I was wondering if you'd be able to come to Gummy's after-birthday party today."

You've got to be kidding me Bronze Star thought. He gazed off to the side nervously, and then he claimed "Uh, I'd love to, but… I'm busy,"

"I didn't even tell you when it is," Pinkie Pie pointed out in bafflement.

"That's just it," Bronze Star hastily uttered, "I'll be busy all day."

"You don't seem to be busy right now," Pinkie perceived.

"Actually, I'm afraid I am," the prince anxiously maintained, "I'm buried in paperwork at the moment."

"No, you're not," the hyperactive mare disputed, "The only thing you could possibly be buried in is air."

"It's an expression, Pinkie," Rough Rider sardonically pronounced.

Dapple Rhomb quickly came to Bronze Star's aid. She coolly declared "He's not exaggerating, Pinkie. There's so much paperwork inside this building that you could swim through it all. That's why we came out here; we needed some space to breathe."

Rough Rider appeared to be confused at first. Then he realized where his wife was going with this. He grinned slyly and commented "Can't tell you how relieved we are to be out here. It's a wonder we were able to navigate our way to the door, there's so much clutter in there."

Initially, Pinkie Pie seemed incredulous about that claim. She narrowed her eyes, as though she saw right through their lie. Then she loosened her countenance and grinned. It appeared as though she had swallowed that lie, much to Bronze Star's good fortune.

"I understand," the pink mare asserted, "Business before pleasure. Then again, for me, those two often go hoof-in-hoof."

"Sadly, they don't for us," Bronze Star pronounced. He then went back to the entrance and loudly remarked "Now, if you'll excuse us, it's time for us to dive back into that sea of paperwork. We gotta tackle it while it's tame."

"Good luck," Pinkie Pie bade him, "Hope you don't drown in it."

Bronze Star chuckled at that. Then he, Dapple Rhomb, and Rough Rider reentered the embassy. They did not go any further than the front door. Instead, they peered out the small windows on either side of the entrance. They waited until Pinkie Pie had departed from the premises. They scarcely made a move until she was out of sight.

"She's gone," Bronze Star announced. He pulled the door open again and slipped back outside, "Let's get going."

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider already knew that Bronze Star and the Element Bearers would be holding a surprise birthday party for Pinkie Pie. So they did not question his false alibi for being unable to attend Gummy's after-birthday party.

They cautiously made their way through the streets, keeping a close eye out for Pinkie Pie. If they happened to encounter her out on the town, it would have been extremely awkward.

Luckily, they made it to Carousel Boutique without running into the pink mare. When they got inside, the doorbell rang, but they found the front room empty. However, they could hear the sound of water running from the bathroom.

"Be right there," a melodic voice called out.

Twenty seconds later, the running water stopped, and Rarity emerged from the bathroom. She was in the process of towel-drying her mane very thoroughly.

"A little late to be touching up your appearance, isn't it?" Bronze Star commented.

"Sorry, it took me a while to get the mud out of my mane," Rarity disclosed.

"Mud?" Bronze Star uttered in confusion. It was then that he noticed that one of Rarity's plants had been removed from its pot. The gold stallion soon ventured a guess as to what had happened. He presumed "Pinkie?"

"Mmm-hmm," the white mare verified, touching up her mane, "She caught me off guard. So I had to make up an excuse on the spot."

"You think she bought it?" Bronze Star queried.

"I hope so," Rarity remarked. She then hung the towel up on a rack just outside of the bathroom. Then she turned back to her visitors and inquired "What can I do for you?"

Bronze Star explained "I've invited Dapple and Rough to the Grand Galloping Gala. I was hoping you could design some formal attire for them."

The fashionista smiled and declared "I'd be happy to, Bronze. Twilight will be coming by soon, but I should have enough time right now to get started."

The white mare led the olive stallion and the purple mare to the podium. There she began taking their measurements. As she ran her tape measure along their bodies, she mentioned "This is quite remarkable, isn't it? Ten months ago, only eight of us would be going to the Gala. Now it looks as though fifteen people in town will be attending it."

"Fifteen?" Bronze Star mumbled in interest. In actuality, more than fifteen ponies in Ponyville would be at the Gala, but Rarity could not have known that Sir Verse A. Till and six of the CEOs' staffers would be there. He could not help but wonder who she was referring to. He rubbed his temple and thought aloud "There's you, me, Applejack, Sir Haywood McCrank, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash… and now Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. Who am I missing?"

"Cashew Lane and Dr. Billow Health," Rarity responded.

"Really?" the gold stallion muttered, intrigued.

"Indeed," Rarity confirmed, "A few days ago, they came by and commissioned me to make them a pair of tuxedos. In fact, I just finished their suits last night. They're in the next room right now, trying them on."

"Well, that's nice," Bronze Star murmured.

At that moment, Rarity was measuring Dapple Rhomb's waist. She wanted to get a precise reading, even though she knew she would have to add an inch or two to compensate for how much larger the purple mare's foal bump would be in a few weeks.

As she did this, she gazed over at Bronze Star and requested "Would you mind checking up on them and seeing if they need anything? They've been in there for a while."

"Sure," the gold stallion conceded.

He then trotted into the back room. Cashew Lane and Dr. Billow Health were located at the opposite end. Both stallions were wearing a formal suit that could match Sir Haywood McCrank's in style and appearance.

Presently, Billow Health was standing in front of a large mirror, straightening his tie. Cashew Lane was standing behind him, helping him smooth out the sides of his jacket.

After a moment, the physician turned to face the security officer and asked him "What do you think?"

"Very suave," the shamrock stallion observed, smirking, "You're the sharpest dressed doctor I've ever seen."

"Why, thank you," the russet stallion uttered, grinning, "You're the sharpest dressed… peacekeeper I've ever seen, too."

"You're not big on Smalltalk, are you, Doctor?" Cashew Lane supposed.

"No, I just save it for my bedside manner," Billow Health illuminated.

It was then that they noticed the gold stallion's reflection in the mirror.

Billow Health turned to him and stated cordially "Good morning, Mr. Ambassador."

"Hello, Doctor," Bronze Star returned affably. He then looked to the security officer and proclaimed "I'm glad to see you in better spirits, Cashew."

"I'm still in mourning for Almond Wheeler, sir," Cashew Lane disclosed, "But I have taken some comfort in the knowledge that she's at peace and the citizens of Ponyville are safe now."

"Well, I'm glad you're doing better," Bronze Star commented. There came a brief interval of quietness, and then he pronounced "Rarity tells me that you and the Doctor will be going to the Gala."

"Not just that; we'll be going together," Billow Health apprised him, "As friends, of course."

"I'm curious to know how that worked out," Bronze Star mumbled in interest.

"Well, you see, I got the tickets long ago," Cashew Lane expounded, "I was going to surprise Almond with them, but she died before I could even mention them to her. For a while after her death, I didn't want to do anything but sulk. Eventually, I decided that I needed a distraction to cheer me up. I still had the tickets to the Gala, so I figured I may as well go. I just needed a plus-one."

"Which turned out to be me," Billow Health elaborated, "I was actually a little surprised when Mr. Lane approached me with the offer. He claimed it was his way of expressing his gratitude for how I helped his cousin, despite the fact that I was unable to save her.

"What matters is that you tried, Doctor," Cashew Lane asserted, "Aside from that, there are dozens of ponies who are still alive because of you."

"That's true, I suppose," Billow Health admitted, "At any rate, I chose to accept Mr. Lane's proposal. I may have been uncertain at first, but now, I'm looking forward to the Gala. Even more than I was looking forward to that seminar."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and enquired "What seminar?"

Cashew Lane seemed perplexed by that remark. "Don't you know why Dr. Health was on that train in the first place, sir?"

"Actually, I hadn't really thought about that," the gold stallion proclaimed, "But now that you mention it, I would like to know."

"Then I'll tell you," Billow Health elucidated, "There is a medical seminar in Las Pegasus. It's only held once every fifteen years. All the greatest scientific minds in the country participate in it. Ever since I was a medical intern, I've wanted to go to it. Its most recent date was scheduled for last week. I had been planning to attend that seminar for months. I set up reservations and everything well in advance. I saved up enough vacation time. I researched every issue that would be discussed, even the ones that were of little interest to me."

"Looks like you thought of everything," Bronze Star perceived.

"I certainly felt that way," Billow Health disclosed, "Just to be safe, I wanted to get to Las Pegasus early. So I decided to get there a week before the seminar began. On that day, there were no trains that went directly from Detrot to Las Pegasus. Apparently, the railway line that ran between those two cities was undergoing maintenance. Luckily, I found an arrangement that would only take a little extra travel time. I planned to ride one train that would take me from Detrot to Ponyville, and from here, I would catch a connecting train to Las Pegasus.

"My arrangement was going along very well… until that terrible tragedy occurred," the russet stallion continued, "While I am glad I was able to save many of the victims of the train massacre, I was disappointed by its repercussions. I knew I would be stuck in this town for a while afterwards. Unfortunately, I was here even longer than I expected to be. It's too late for me to attend the seminar; it's more than halfway over by now."

"I'm sorry you had to miss it, Doctor," Bronze Star murmured apologetically.

"It's not your fault, sir," Billow Health assured him, "Anyway, once I was finally permitted to leave Ponyville, I just considered going home. Then Mr. Lane came forward and waved that extra ticket to the Gala in front of my face. So I figured 'What the Tartarus?'"

"Well, I'm pleased that you got some benefit out of this ordeal," the gold stallion commented.

"So am I, sir," Billow Health declared.

"You've been there before, right, Mr. Ambassador?" Cashew Lane presumed.

"Oh, yes," Bronze Star confirmed, "I'll be at this one, too. Perhaps the three of us could meet up sometime during it."

"I have no objections," the shamrock stallion claimed. The physician nodded in agreement.

A couple minutes later, Bronze Star headed back out to the front room of Carousel Boutique. He apprised Rarity that Cashew Lane and Billow Health seemed perfectly content with their outfits. She was thrilled to hear that.

Rarity had already finished taking Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's measurements. She was in the process of drawing up some sketches for how she envisioned their outfits would look. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were quite pleased by her designs.

The olive stallion and the purple mare were going to remain at the Boutique for a little while longer. Bronze Star, however, had an agenda to keep to. He notified Rarity "I'm going to meet up with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres. She'll need a hoof getting everything set up."

"Very well," the white mare acknowledged, "I'll be there in about an hour."

The prince then exited Carousel Boutique through the front door. First he took a minute to ascertain that Pinkie Pie was nowhere in the vicinity, and then he galloped at a moderate pace to the western border of town.

When he arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, the doors to the barn were wide open. He stepped inside the building and spotted Applejack at once. The orange mare had already moved most of the contents of the barn up against the walls. Now she was hanging streamers on the loft. She stood on top of a ladder to access the hard-to-reach places.

"Need a hoof?" Bronze Star called out.

Applejack turned and saw her coltfriend standing on the ground below. She smiled and responded with "Yeah, or two."

The orange mare and the gold stallion spent the next forty-five minutes putting up decorations. They were all alone in that time.

After that, Twilight Sparkle showed up with some party supplies. She had confetti, party hats, favors, and some other materials.

Rarity arrived next; she had the gramophone. Fluttershy came soon after; she had the cake. Everypony had already brought their gifts; they had dropped them off at the ranch last night, shortly after Gummy's party.

Now they were only waiting on Rainbow Dash to bring the food.

The other ponies expected her to arrive almost immediately after Fluttershy, but that was not the case. Applejack decided to keep an eye out for her. She stepped outside and paced around the entrance of the barn.

After about five minutes of this, the cyan mare showed up very suddenly. She was not alone. She was flying as fast as she could towards the barn, and she was being pursued by a pink blur on the ground.

"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash shouted anxiously, "We have a problem!"

When Applejack realized that Pinkie Pie was chasing Rainbow Dash, she gasped and got out of the way. Once Rainbow passed into the barn, the orange mare galloped inside and slammed the door shut behind her.

Pinkie Pie halted immediately in front of the barn. Miraculously, Gummy had managed to hold on to her tail without getting whiplashed. His mistress bonked her head against the barn door half a dozen times and screamed "I know you're IN THERE!"

Applejack gestured for everypony to be quiet. Then she opened the door slightly and stated "Oh! Howdy, pardner!"

Pinkie Pie glared at her and muttered "Mind if I... take a look inside the barn?"

"No!" Applejack hastily retorted, "Uh, I mean, yes, I mean... you can't come in here!"

"Rainbow Dash just went in there," the pink mare noted.

Applejack began to sweat. She apprehensively claimed "Oh, well, she was just bringin' in some... supplies! Yup, supplies for the... renovation! Fixin' up the whole thing, top to bottom... uh, lots of construction goin' on in there right now."

"You heard her!" Rainbow Dash whispered, "Construction!"

She, Bronze Star, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity started mimicking the noises of various construction tools. Their impersonations were grossly unconvincing, but there was little else they could do to make their act more believable.

"Yup!" Applejack asserted, "Construction! That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it."

She gave a nervous laugh and gulped. She hated lying, especially when it was towards one of her friends. But at this instant, she had no choice but to resort to it. She just prayed Pinkie would believe her.

There was a very tense pause as the pink mare stared suspiciously at the orange mare. She obviously did not find it very plausible that the barn was under quarantine due to construction. She could tell that something else was going on. However, she did not want her friends to know that she was on to them. So she muttered irately "Okey... dokey... lokey."

As she backed away from the barn, Applejack let out a relieved sigh. Then almost immediately, Pinkie Pie rushed forward until their muzzles were touching. Applejack could only stare uncomfortably into the slightly younger mare's eyes.

Luckily, Pinkie Pie soon stepped away and left the plantation. Once she was gone, everypony else peered outside and sighed in relief, as well.

"Who would have thought it'd be so hard to keep a secret from Pinkie?" Rarity murmured.

"My thoughts exactly," Fluttershy professed.

"Yeah, it's been easier for me to keep my identity hidden from the rest of the town than it's been to prevent her from learning about this," Bronze Star contended.

"If ya ask me, this is almost more effort than it's worth," Applejack observed, "Almost, mind you."

"I'll just be glad if she appreciates this," Rainbow Dash commented.

"She will; trust me," Twilight avowed.

The seven ponies passed the next two hours by putting the rest of the party together. Once all the decorations were hung and the food and drinks were set out, they carefully wrapped up their gifts. All of them had gotten at least two presents for Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash had gotten her three, as they were best friends.

By noon, the party was totally ready. All it needed at that point was a birthday mare. Rainbow Dash volunteered to fetch Pinkie Pie. Once she left, the others excitedly waited for her to get back.

Through his experiences, Bronze Star had established that it took about forty minutes to travel by hoof from Sweet Apple Acres to the center of Ponyville and back. So he found it peculiar when he and the mares had to wait well over an hour for Rainbow Dash to return with Pinkie Pie.

Apparently, the pink mare had not come along willingly. Rainbow Dash practically had to drag her all the way from Sugarcube Corner to the barn. It was a strenuous task, but the cyan mare was determined to accomplish it.

When they finally reached the barn, Rainbow Dash grunted and panted "We're... here..."

As the weather maker caught her breath, Pinkie Pie forced herself to approach the barn door and slowly push it open. Inside she saw Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Bronze Star, Applejack, and Rarity standing in a line. The four mares were wearing party hats. Bronze Star bypassed a party hat, as he found them somewhat undignified.

Nevertheless, he joined the four mares in shouting in unison "Surprise!"

Pinkie Pie seemed astonished by the sight, but not in the pleasant way. Rainbow Dash pushed her further into the building. The pink mare dragged her hooves for the entire distance, as though she was resisting.

When Pinkie was within two meters of the other five ponies, Rainbow Dash stopped pushing her.

It was then that they realized that Pinkie's appearance had drastically changed. Her normally poofy mane and tail had gone flat and straight. Her coat had faded into a darker shade of pink. Most of all, there was a hostile and unreceptive glaze in her eyes, and an unwelcoming scowl across her face. The only consistent thing about her was that Gummy was riding on her back, being his usual unresponsive self. Bronze Star felt as though he was looking at a totally different mare.

"I really thought she'd be more excited," Fluttershy softly remarked.

That sparked a reaction out of Pinkie Pie. She shrieked furiously "Excited? EXCITED? Why would I be excited to attend my own farewell party?!"

The others were taken aback by that outburst.

"Farewell party?" Twilight asked, bewildered.

"Yes!" Pinkie yelled angrily, lunging away from them, "You don't like me anymore, so you decided to kick me out of the group and throw a great, big party to celebrate! A 'Farewell to Pinkie Pie' party!"

Nopony had any idea what she was talking about. They would have thought the pink mare was playing a joke, but she sounded uncharacteristically serious.

Applejack approached her and asked in concern "Why in the world would you think we didn't like you anymore, sugarcube?"

Pinkie Pie grimaced and stared down at the others as she screamed "Why? Why? WHY?! Because you've been lying to me and avoiding me all day, that's why!"

She was so frantic that when she delivered that last sentence, she managed to hover in midair simply by flailing her legs. Bronze Star mumbled under his breath "Maybe I'm not the only one who secretly has wings."

When she landed on the ground, Rainbow Dash smirked and muttered sardonically "Uh, yeah! Because we wanted your party to be a surprise."

Rarity then trotted up with a yellow balloon in her front hooves and professed "We'd been planning this party for such a long time, we had to make excuses for why we couldn't attend Gummy's party so that we could get everything ready for yours."

Twilight Sparkle then gestured to the table with the cake and pointed out "If this is a farewell party, why does the cake I picked up from Sugarcube Corner say 'Happy Birthday, Pinkie Pie?'"

Pinkie Pie did not know how to respond to that. She gazed at the large pile of presents on another table, then at the banner that hung from the loft, and lastly at the birthday cake. She struggled to put everything together, and she had an epiphany.

Out of nowhere, her mane and tail returned to their normal poofiness, her coat brightened up, her eyes became warm and inviting, and her lips spread into a wide smile. She squeaked elatedly "Because it's my birthday!"

Her front legs extended to unnatural lengths as she reached out for her friends. She grabbed Twilight, Rarity, and Bronze Star in her right hoof and Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash in her left hoof, and she pulled them all together into a tight hug.

She commented in happiness and in disbelief "Ooh, how could I have forgotten my own birthday?"

The others merely sighed in relief.

"Looks like you were right, AJ," Bronze Star slyly observed. His fillyfriend just scoffed.

Pinkie Pie then released her friends and bounced around the barn. She declared "And you like me so much you decided to throw me a surprise party!"

"That's what we've been trying to tell you, darling," Rarity affirmed.

Pinkie was so enthralled that she could barely stand still. She proclaimed "You girls are the best friends ever! So are you, Bronze!"

She then eased down and gazed guiltily at the ground. She remarked softly "How could I have ever doubted you?"

"It's okay, Pinkie Pie," Twilight reassured her, "It could have happened to any of us."

"Uh-huh!" Rainbow Dash conceded, "It sure would."

"Don't worry about it," Fluttershy bade the pink mare.

"I'm just glad I haven't been replaced by a bucket of turnips," Rainbow Dash stated cockily. At that, Pinkie Pie winced.

"Huh?" Twilight murmured in confusion.

"You don't wanna know," was all the cyan mare said in response. The pink mare quickly calmed down.

"Then we won't ask," Bronze Star pronounced.

"All right, girls!" Applejack interceded as she activated the gramophone, "Enough of this gab. Let's party!"

The music started playing loud and clear. Soon the party was underway, and the unpleasant experience between Pinkie and the others was all but forgotten.

Spike showed up ten minutes late. He claimed that he had to finish off a large plate of gems before he came to the party.

Twilight Sparkle had him compose another letter to Princess Celestia about the latest lesson she had learned pertaining to friendship. This had been one of her most valuable and meaningful lessons to date. Once the letter was written, sealed, and sent off, the eight friends enjoyed the party without any other hindrance.

At one point, they formed a conga line with Pinkie standing at the head. She looked back at the others and proposed "You guys wouldn't mind if we celebrated Gummy's after-birthday party too, would you? His party was cut short, and he's pretty upset about it."

Bronze Star doubted if Gummy really was upset at all. He was just standing off to the side with a balloon in his jaws. He was either gnawing or sucking on it. With him, it was hard to tell which.

"May as well," Bronze Star drily remarked, humoring the pink mare.

"Oh, definitely," Fluttershy stated.

"Aww, he was upset?" Rarity asked rhetorically.

"Uh-huh, sure!" Applejack affirmed.

"For Gummy, yeah!" Rainbow Dash called.

"Yeah, why not?" Twilight giggled, "Let's have a party for Gummy."

This party lasted nearly five whole hours. Although it did not have any of Pinkie Pie's trademark flamboyance, it was undeniably a pleasurable affair. The games and activities were captivating, the food was delectable, the drinks were refreshing, the decorations were mesmerizing, the music was upbeat, and Pinkie Pie loved all her gifts.

Including the time spent on cleanup, the party went on until nine o'clock. Bronze Star was the only one who left before then. He would have stayed until then, but he had a couple items of business that needed his attention before the day was over. Pinkie Pie was very understanding when he told her that he needed to leave early; she thanked him for his part in organizing the party like everypony else.

When Bronze Star got back to the embassy, it was even emptier than it had been that morning. Haywood McCrank informed him that the CEOs and their boards of directors had all gone back to either Manehattan or Canterlot in the early afternoon. The three officers of the Royal Guard had travelled back to the capital city, as well. That meant that including the prince and the federal investigator, only five ponies were staying at the embassy.

Bronze Star went up to Esopus Spitzenburg's room and checked up on his progress. The jade stallion was proud to report that Clear Crest had finally submitted to his demands, and that she would attend the meeting with all of the remaining conspirators.

Spitzenburg also told Bronze Star that he had decided on where the meeting would take place. In addition to his mansion and apple orchards on the border of Chicacolt, he owned a private retreat located several miles outside of the city. He had deemed the retreat the most ideal place to hold this meeting; it was secure, isolated, and kept under constant guard.

For those same reasons, Bronze Star approved of his choice. The Firebrand Regiment would be able to eliminate all the conspirators more easily if they were out in the middle of nowhere. There would be no witnesses, and they would not have to try so hard to make the deaths look accidental.

Bronze Star notified Spitzenburg that he had also decided on when the meeting would be: the night of the Grand Galloping Gala. He reasoned that it would be the perfect opportunity, as that would be the night when the most politicians would be gathered in Canterlot. He argued that if he mobilized the armed forces the very next day, they would be able to lockdown the capital city within a matter of hours, and they would have the bulk of the country's partisan influence gathered in one place.

Spitzenburg needed little convincing to agree to the date of the meeting.

After he left the jade stallion's room, Bronze Star visited Lord Ambit Dexter and Sir Verse A. Till in their rooms and apprised them on the situation. Both the moccasin stallion and the glaucous stallion took this newest development into account. They did not have to act upon it just yet; Bronze Star just needed them to stand by for the present.

The gold stallion then went to his bedroom, got out his blackboard, and notified the Firebrand Regiment that the meeting was going to happen. There was nothing they had to do right away, either; he needed them to wait for further instructions from him. They assured him that they would be ready for him at a moment's notice.

Bronze Star was pleased by the scenario. The fourth stage of his plan to end the conspiracy had been completed. It would not be long before he would implement the fifth and final stage. Then his mother and his country would finally be safe.

Shortly before Bronze Star went to bed, there was a knock on his bedroom door. When he answered it, he saw Haywood McCrank standing on the other side.

"What's up, Sir Haywood?" the prince casually asked.

"I'd like just a moment of your time, Your Highness," the indigo stallion requested.

"Certainly," Bronze Star coincided, letting the older stallion inside. After that, he closed the door and enquired "What's on your mind?"

Haywood McCrank reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He held it out to the younger stallion and revealed "Shortly before Lord Ronald Grump and the other five CEOs left, he asked me to give you this."

Bronze Star took the paper and unfolded it. He discovered that it was a very short list. After taking a minute to study the list, he asked curiously "What are these?"

"Those are the names of the six ponies that the CEOs have selected to represent them at the Grand Galloping Gala," Haywood elaborated, "You know, for their merger."

"Yes, I understand," Bronze Star pronounced, "I assume Lord Ronald wanted me to have this list so I could use my status as an ambassador of Canterlot to relay it to somepony in the Equestrian Royalty?"

"Precisely," Sir Haywood affirmed, "But I want to draw your attention to a more… unsettling tidbit of information that pertains to this list."

"Go on," Bronze Star beckoned him.

Haywood McCrank took in a deep breath and elucidated "All six of the ponies on that list were frequently seen with each of the six staffers that went missing the day after we ambushed the Vermane at Lady Noble's house. From what I've gathered, the twelve of those stallions were very close for the duration of their stay in Ponyville. In fact, when the first six vanished, the other six seemed to be the hardest hit by their disappearances. They actually seemed to be distraught or shaken."

"And you think that signifies something?" Bronze Star supposed.

"Yes," Sir Haywood disclosed, "It's made me wonder. What if the danger is not over? What if the Vermane are going to make another move against us sooner than we expected?"

"Do you believe these six stallions are members of the Vermane, too?" Bronze Star queried.

"No, but there is a strong possibility that they are," Haywood McCrank contended, "If they are, that means very bad news for us. Nopony would expect a murder during an event such as the Grand Galloping Gala. Lady Noble Edict will be there as a special guest of the Princess herself. That's the best opportunity the Vermane could have to make another attempt on her life."

"If you're so concerned about these staffers' intentions, couldn't we just contact the CEOs and request that they all send somepony else to the Gala?" Bronze Star proposed.

"We could, but that still wouldn't solve the problem," Sir Haywood claimed, "If the Vermane really are going to move against Lady Noble at the Gala, they will just find a way to get some of their other members to attend it. At least with this arrangement, we'll know who to suspect."

"Well, how certain are you that these six staffers actually are working for the Vermane?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I only have about twenty percent certainty," Sir Haywood candidly professed, "But even with one percent, I believe my theory deserves some consideration."

Bronze Star shrugged and murmured "I'm not expecting any trouble at the Gala. But I have never doubted you before, so I'll take some time to reflect on your theory. Come back to me first thing in the morning. By then, I will have decided on how to proceed."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank acknowledged.

The indigo stallion then left the bedroom, leaving Bronze Star on his own once again.

The prince gazed down at the list of names. He did not wish to believe that the Vermane were going to cause trouble at the Gala, but like Sir Haywood said, he could not ignore the chance that they would.

It was then that Bronze Star fully realized that he would soon be faced with a challenge even greater than any he had faced all year.

Within the course of a few hours, he would introduce most of his closest friends to the lifestyle of the capital city, oversee a merger between the two largest conglomerates in the country, wipe out the proponents of a deadly conspiracy against his mother, and risk another confrontation with a persistent guild of unscrupulous assassins.

One thing was for certain. The night of the Grand Galloping Gala would be one wildly eventful night indeed.
> Forthcoming Endgame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several days later, Bronze Star woke up in the early morning with a wide grin across his face. He ate a modest breakfast in the embassy's dining room with Sir Haywood McCrank, Sir Verse A. Till, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Esopus Spitzenburg.

"Well, today's the day," the gold stallion announced.

That phrase had a different meaning for each of the other four stallions, but all of them interpreted the statement the way he was supposed to.

After breakfast, Bronze Star left the building with Verse A. Till and Haywood McCrank. For the first time since the Running of the Leaves, the indigo stallion did not put on a suit before stepping outside. He would be wearing one before long, though.

The three stallions knew their intended destination, but they made two stops before heading there. First they came to Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's house, and they were joined by the purple mare and the olive stallion. After that, they travelled to the barracks and picked up Copper Hollow, Cashew Lane, and Noble Edict.

The eight ponies then went to Carousel Boutique. Near that building, they spotted a familiar pink blur rapidly appearing, disappearing, and reappearing high in the air. As they got closer to the figure, they realized it was Pinkie Pie jumping on a trampoline.

They heard the pink mare giddily shriek between her leaps "Ahh! I... can't... believe... the Grand... Galloping... Gala... is... tonight!"

Spike was standing very close to the trampoline. Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the ground about five meters away, engrossed in a book. She glared at Pinkie Pie and muttered in annoyance "Pinkie! Please stop shouting, I'm trying to concentrate."

The pink mare compliantly ceased her screeching, but she was still bounding up and down on the trampoline as robustly as before.

Rarity stepped out of Carousel Boutique a few seconds later. As soon as she noticed the pink mare, she rushed over to the trampoline and sharply told her "Pinkie Pie! Stop that right now. It's time to prepare for the Gala, and I refuse to let you put on your new dress when you're all sweaty."

Just before Pinkie Pie hit the surface of the trampoline again, she froze in midair and moved herself to the ground. She landed directly next to Spike. She was still visibly elated, but she somehow managed to contain her excitement.

She quietly observed the lavender mare reading her book. Then she leaned over to the baby dragon and queried "What's Twilight doing?"

"She's got an awesome magic spell she's been working on for the Gala," Spike revealed.

"Where are the others?" Rarity mumbled, trotting over to the other two mares and the dragon, "It's getting late."

At that precise moment, Applejack, Billow Health, Bronze Star, Cashew Lane, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Fluttershy, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Rainbow Dash, Rough Rider, and Verse A. Till arrived on the scene. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash came from the west, Dr. Billow Health came from the east, and everypony else came from the south.

"Hold your horses, girl," Applejack cheekily remarked, "We're here."

"And how are we 'late?'" Copper Hollow inquired, "It's not even eight o'clock."

"I know," Rarity pronounced, "We're already behind schedule."

"But the Gala's not for like ten or eleven hours," Cashew Lane mentioned, "The quickest train could get us there in less than one."

"We're not getting there by train," Spike disclosed.

"We're not?" Dapple Rhomb said in mild surprise.

"No, tonight, all the railways going in and out of Canterlot will be shut down," Bronze Star expounded, "They do that to ensure that the capital city won't become overcrowded."

"So how will we be getting there?" Rough Rider enquired.

"That's what Twilight's working on," Spike illuminated, "Don't worry; we won't be walking there."

All this time, the lavender mare had been sitting and reading in silence. Just then, she sat up and declared "Perfect! I'm ready."

"For what?" Rainbow Dash asked eagerly.

Rather than answer the cyan mare, Twilight looked to her assistant and signaled him with "All right, Spike."

Spike stepped forward with two ripe red apples in his claws. As he set them down on the ground in front of the magic student, Pinkie Pie cheerfully commented "Apples! Are we having pie?"

Spike shushed her and beckoned everypony "Watch!"

Twilight tilted her horn towards the apples and concentrated on them closely. Soon she produced her signature violet aura, and as it grew, the apples became immersed in it. Straightaway, the aura began to expand and grow, and so did the apples with them.

When the aura dissipated, the apples had become at least a hundred times their original size. Two doors had appeared on either side of both, four wheels – two much larger than the other two – connected by two axels had materialized on their bottoms, and a bench showed up on their fronts above the smaller wheels. Above the benches were small windows that peered inward. There was a flag with an apple attached to the stems, and the sides of the apples were augmented with gilded decorations.

In five seconds, the two simple apples had been transformed into genuine carriages.

All around, the gathered ponies expressed their astonishment with things like "Awesome!" "Wow!" "Lovely!" "Astonishing!" "Incredible!"

"Thanks," Twilight stated gratefully, "But that's just the start. Fluttershy, did you bring your friends?"

"Yes," the yellow mare replied. She stepped forward and eight small white mice crawled out of her mane and onto the ground. She anxiously asked the lavender mare "Will they be safe, Twilight?"

"You have my word," Twilight asserted. She focused all her attention on the mice, and she cast the spell again. This time, when the aura lifted, the mice were taller than any of the ponies there, and they had greatly changed in stature and physique. They also wore halters on their elongated heads, harnesses around their enlarged torsos, and each had a large feather atop its forehead. They looked very much like horses. Even so, they retained the trademark eyes, teeth, and ears of mice.

"Ta-da!" Twilight proudly murmured.

This trick did not yield the same enthusiastic response as the one with the apples did. Everypony stared at the mouse-horses awkwardly and stated things such as "Oh." "Uh." "Ah." "That's a choice." "Interesting." "What in…" "That's… new."

Billow Health gave the most eloquent reaction. He quietly muttered "This is why I've always been a strong opponent of cross-breeding."

Twilight either ignored or did not notice the others' discomfort. She merely grinned and uttered "Neat, huh? And don't worry. They'll be mice again at midnight."

"But the Gala won't officially be over until sunrise," Haywood McCrank pointed out.

"We can just come back to Ponyville by train," Bronze Star suggested, "The lines should be reopened by then."

"And if not, I can always redo the spell," Twilight proposed.

"For the love of Celestia, I hope it doesn't come to that," Cashew Lane sardonically stated.

Most of the others shared the shamrock stallion's sentiment. Although the mice may have looked like horses, the ponies could easily recognize them as rodents. Apparently, cats could still tell the difference, too. Opalescence had been lurking in a nearby bush. Right then she emerged from it, and once her eyes fell upon the mouse-horses, she meowed aggressively and lunged at them.

"Opalescence, no!" Fluttershy cried.

The cat paid her no mind. Instead, she bared her claws and attempted to sink them into the hindquarters of the nearest mouse-horse. Despite how much larger and stronger the mice now were, their primal instincts kicked in at the sight of the feline and the physical contact with her.

All eight of the mouse-horses neighed in alarm and bolted away from her.

Twilight yelled desperately "Wait! Come back!"

The mouse-horses ignored her entirely. They galloped away from the vicinity as quickly as their new long legs would take them. Twilight grimaced and proclaimed drearily "Those horses were supposed to pull our carriages. How will we get to the Gala?"

"Got any more mice, Fluttershy?" Noble Edict queried. She was one of the few who were not creeped out by the mouse-to-horse transformation.

"No, those are the only ones I could spare," the timid mare claimed, "All my other mice were… busy."

"We could always walk there," Copper Hollow suggested.

"Are you kidding?" Noble Edict said incredulously, "There are more than fifty miles between here and Canterlot."

"That'd be hard enough to traverse if we weren't wearing anything," Haywood McCrank contended, "Alas, this is a formal event we're attending, and nopony knows better than I do how hard it is to travel a great distance on hoof whilst clad in wool, cashmere, or polyester."

"Plus, some of us are already carrying another pony," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, placing her hoof on her slightly swollen abdomen.

"So for you, it's either carriage or miscarriage," Cashew Lane cockily noted. Several of the others gave him very unamused looks. Dapple Rhomb actually seemed affronted. The shamrock stallion took a step back and stated guiltily "Okay, that wasn't funny."

"That'd probably make a good sales pitch tagline, though," Rough Rider thought aloud, rubbing his chin. Dapple Rhomb wanted to roll her eyes at her husband's comment, but she could not help but smile.

"Guys, listen!" Twilight Sparkle impatiently uttered. "We need a solution to our transportation problem and we need it soon, otherwise the Gala will be over by the time we find one."

"What ever shall we do?" Rarity commented in a semi-mocking tone. She then narrowed her eyes at Twilight, as though she thought the lavender mare was a fool.

The fifteen ponies and the baby dragon were not the only ones present in the area right then. Opal was on the ground, licking her legs without a care. A few other ponies were hanging around near her.

Rarity trotted over to Caramel and Lucky Clover, and using her trademark charm, she politely told them "Uh... ahem. Excuse me. Uh, would you boys mind pulling our carriage to the Gala?"

Caramel and Lucky smiled very widely at the white mare. They agreed right then and there to assist her.

A few minutes later, Lucky Clover and Caramel were harnessed to a pair of short wooden tugs that had been attached to the front of one of the carriages. They trotted side-by-side and moved the carriage without any difficulty whatsoever.

Rarity smirked in satisfaction, and Twilight murmured in slight embarrassment "Oh. Yeah. Right."

"Well, that's one carriage accounted for," Noble Edict perceived, "Who's going to pull the other one?"

"That'll depend," Copper Hollow pronounced, "Twilight, how many ponies fit in each carriage?"

"About six, if you want to be able to sit comfortably," the lavender mare professed.

"Well, there's sixteen of us," Bronze Star stated, "So a dozen of us will be able to travel without overcrowding the vehicles. As for the remaining four… I'm not certain."

"That works out very well," Rough Rider debated, "The way I see it, we'll need two more pullers for the other carriage, as well as a driver for each one."

"Let's put the Element Bearers in the one that Caramel and Lucky Clover will pull," Haywood McCrank proposed, "Spike can be their driver."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Spike conceded. The six mares agreed to that proposal, as well.

"Now what about the other one?" Bronze Star questioned. Normally, he would have volunteered for such a task. After all, he was definitely strong and resilient enough to pull the carriage all the way to Canterlot unaided. However, due to certain factors, he needed to be inside that carriage when it arrived in the capital city. So somepony else would have to pull it.

There was a bit of silence as everypony gazed around at everypony else, waiting for a volunteer or two to come forward.

Finally, Cashew Lane announced "I wouldn't mind pulling the carriage. It'd be nice to enjoy the scenery of the countryside firsthoof."

Nopony objected to that. A few seconds later, Billow Health proclaimed "I'd be pleased to do it, too. Nothing like a good workout to get the cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular systems ready for a night of thrills."

Most of the other ponies were lost halfway through that sentence, but they did not protest the russet stallion's offer either.

"So, who wants to be the driver?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

Straightaway, Sir Verse A. Till stepped up and submitted "I'll accept that responsibility. I know the exact route we'll need to take to get to the capital city, and out of everypony else here, I believe I am the most logical choice."

Aside from Bronze Star, everypony else gazed at Verse A. Till in surprise, as if they had only just noticed he was there. Truthfully, most of the other ponies had never seen him before that day. Only Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Sir Haywood McCrank had even met him before, and of those three, only Haywood had encountered the glaucous stallion since he had come to Ponyville. Even so, he had no idea what Sir Verse was doing there.

"Pardon me, sir, but just who might you be?" Fluttershy inquired.

Bronze Star apprised the others "This is Sir Verse A. Till, head advisor to Lord Ambit Dexter, the Chairpony of the War Council. He and Lord Ambit have been conducting business in Ponyville for the past few weeks."

"The Commodore is in Ponyville?" Spike asked in interest. He and Twilight were well-acquainted with Ambit Dexter.

"Yes, he and Sir Verse have been staying at the embassy as my guests," Bronze Star elaborated, "You see, the two of them came here on some confidential matters. I can't say anything more than that."

"You should know that I'll be attending the Gala tonight," Verse A. Till disclosed, "Since I'm obviously the newest pony to this group, it would follow that I should be the one to drive the other carriage. After all, I can imagine that most of you would be a little averse to sitting in a small, confined space with somepony you barely know for several hours. I certainly would."

Everypony could clearly understand and agreed with the glaucous stallion's reasoning.

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind, Sir Verse?" Twilight Sparkle enquired.

"No, Twilight; it's no bother at all," Verse A. Till assured her. He then reached back, griped the hilt of his sword, drew his blade, and held it up high. He said "Besides, in the very unlikely event that we encounter some unwanted company on our path, it'll be beneficial if the driver was seen wielding this."

Half of the ponies cringed at the sight of the sword, but the other half were relatively indifferent to it. Copper Hollow merely uttered "That would certainly be an effective display of force."

As Verse A. Till nodded and sheathed his weapon, Noble Edict declared "Now that we have our travel arrangements, we need to devise a timetable for our travels."

"Two pairs of ponies carrying seven passengers each in a relatively weightless carriage…" Cashew Lane muttered, rubbing his temple in deep thought, "We could go at a rate of what? Somewhere between ten and fifteen miles an hour?"

"That's about right," Haywood McCrank concurred, "If we go at a speed of approximately eleven miles per hour, we should get to Canterlot in a little more than five hours."

"We should add in another half-hour for breaks," Billow Health advised, "It's not good for anypony to be in continuous movement or to remain inside a small, confined space without a bit of respite somewhere down the line."

"You know better than we do, Doctor," Copper Hollow muttered, "I personally have no problems with stepping outside of the carriage once every couple hours."

"Then let's allow ourselves an even six hours for the trip," Rough Rider suggested.

"Alright," Bronze Star propounded, "The Gala begins at exactly eight o'clock. Less than two hours after sunset. We should leave sometime between 1:45 and 2:00."

"That still gives us six and a-half hours to get ready," Dapple Rhomb observed.

At that revelation, Rarity's face sank and she murmured "Only six and a-half hours? We're even more behind than I thought!"

"Rarity, relax," Cashew Lane cautioned the white Unicorn, "We've already got our transportation and our schedule planned out, and we all know what we'll be wearing. What all do we have to do before we leave?"

"Get dressed, of course!" Rarity edgily replied.

"It doesn't take six hours to get ready," Rainbow Dash drily stated.

"It does for some of us," Applejack slyly mumbled, glancing at the white Unicorn.

"I can get dressed in like ten minutes," Dapple Rhomb claimed, placing her front hoof on her protruding lower body, "Even when I have this to work around, the most I'd need is fifteen."

"Then you could have gotten dressed twice in the time we've been idling out here, Dapple," Rarity agitatedly murmured. She then gestured for everypony else to gather closer, and she gestured to Carousel Boutique, saying "Come now. We have no more time to waste. I want all of you inside that building this instant!"

While most of the other ponies were amused by the white mare's needless worrying and insistence, they decided to comply with her demands. They did not wish to provoke her into a state of further unease.

Before he was forced inside Carousel Boutique with the others, Sir Verse A. Till proclaimed "You'll have to excuse me for a bit. Before I do anything else, I have to run an errand for Lord Ambit. It's quite unavoidable, I promise you. Aside from that, I left my tuxedo at the embassy."

"Okay, but please hurry back, Sir Verse," Rarity beseeched him, "I'd feel more comfortable if I knew firsthoof that everypony was on the path to getting ready."

The glaucous stallion reassured the fashionista that he would not dawdle. Right before he left the vicinity, Bronze Star also took Applejack aside and told her that he needed to talk to her in private. He did not specify what he wished to discuss, but the orange mare reasoned out on her own that it had to be something of great precedence. So after convincing Rarity that they would be back as soon as possible, the farmer and the prince exited the area.

In less than three minutes, they caught up to Sir Verse A. Till. At first, Applejack assumed it was simply a coincidence that their path had converged with his. Then she noticed that Bronze Star was trotting directly alongside the glaucous stallion, as if they had the same intended destination in mind.

"Sir Verse, didn't you just say you had to do something for Lord Ambit?" Applejack recounted.

"Yes, my lady, and what I said was true," Verse A. Till affirmed.

"Well, the embassy is east of here," Applejack contended, "We're going north."

"The Commodore's not at the embassy," Sir Verse informed her.

The orange mare raised an eyebrow and inquired "Then where is he?"

"At the train depot," Bronze Star enlightened his fillyfriend.

This statement confirmed Applejack's notion that her coltfriend and Sir Verse were headed towards the same place. Still, she felt there were still a few unanswered questions. She enquired "Why's he there?"

"He's about to have a lot of company," Bronze Star expounded, "And I'm not just referring to the three of us."

While Applejack was still quite curious, she decided to wait until they reached the train station to ask anything more. Knowing Bronze Star, he would be more cooperative that way.

When the orange mare, the gold stallion, and the glaucous stallion arrived at the depot, they found it nearly deserted. In fact, there was only one pony in the immediate vicinity. Lord Ambit Dexter was lounging on a bench in the center of the platform. He had a folio on his lap, and he was leafing through a couple small stacks of papers in its pockets.

The elderly moccasin stallion appeared to be so engrossed in his papers that he seemed to pay no heed to his surroundings. He did not look up until the other three ponies were within whispering distance. Then he closed his folio, rose to his hooves, and gave a light grin.

"Your Grace," Lord Ambit stated, tilting his head towards Bronze Star.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long, Commodore," Bronze Star remarked.

"Not at all," Lord Ambit reassured him, "I myself only left the embassy a little over twenty minutes ago. Currently, Spitzenburg is all alone there now. I had to make sure we did not leave behind anything that could tip him off about your plan."

"I appreciate that," the gold stallion proclaimed, "Now would be the worst possible time for my plan to be compromised."

"We made it this far, Your Highness," Verse A. Till noted, "The completion of our objective is practically within our grasp."

"Emphasis on 'practically,' Sir Verse," Bronze Star debated, "No matter how far we get, this ordeal will not be over until it's over."

"We know, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter pronounced.

The elderly stallion then shifted his gaze from the prince to the mare standing at his side. He smiled at her kindly and commented genially "You must be Applejack."

"That is correct, sir," the orange mare affirmed, raising her hat to him, "And you're the Chairpony of the War Council, I take it?"

"Yes, I am Lord Ambit Dexter," the moccasin stallion disclosed, "Also known far and wide as 'The Commodore.'"

"I'm pleased to meet you," Applejack claimed, "I'm… sorry if I don't appear to be as honored as I should be. You must be a big deal in Canterlot and other parts of Equestria. But not so much here, since we've never been struck by war. Also, I'm afraid Bronze Star hasn't told me very much about you."

"That's quite alright," Ambit Dexter murmured, "Anyway place untouched by war is sacred in my book. I'm also not partial to being the subject of gossip. Anyway, the prince has told me quite a bit about you."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and gazed at her coltfriend out of the corner of her eye. "Really?"

"Yes, but he only has good things to say," Lord Ambit added in truthfully, "Prince Bronze Star is a very caring and affectionate pony, but I don't think I've seen him so smitten with anypony as much as you."

"Commodore, now's not the time for that talk," Bronze Star muttered through his teeth, his cheeks a light red. Applejack, however, seemed touched by that, and she placed her front hoof on his.

"Right, right, of course, Your Grace," the elderly stallion hastily remarked, looking back to the young prince, "Getting back on track, the three of you got here just in time. They'll be arriving very soon."

"'They?'" Applejack repeated, intrigued.

"You'll see," Verse A. Till said in response.

Ambit Dexter sat back down on the bench and continued looking through his folio. There was enough room for two more ponies, so he scooted over so Bronze Star and Applejack could sit together. Verse A. Till was content to remain standing by the Commodore's side, just as he had been doing for the entirety of his career.

Not ten minutes later, a shrill whistle could be heard in the distance. It was rapidly approaching from the north. After another three minutes, a train pulled into the station. Once it came to a full stop and the conductor gave the order to disembark, the doors to the passenger cars were opened. Surprisingly, nopony emerged from most of the cars.

Other than the conductor, the engineer, and the stewards, there were only eleven ponies who stepped out onto the platform, and all of them came out of the last passenger car.

Bronze Star knew all eleven of those ponies. Ambit Dexter and Verse A. Till were acquainted with most of them, and Applejack recognized at least two of them.

Bronze Star swiftly got off the bench, turned to Applejack, and held out his front leg to her. As he helped her to her hooves, he smiled and proclaimed "It's time to properly introduce you to the Firebrand Regiment."

The orange mare wordlessly followed her coltfriend as he, Lord Ambit, and Sir Verse moved towards the eleven new arrivals.

As they came closer to the larger group, she got a better view of their appearances and their activities. Four of them were moving two large crates out of the baggage car and onto the platform. One was being handled by a brown Pegasus stallion and an aqua blue Unicorn stallion. The other was being moved by a blue Earth Pony stallion and a tan Unicorn mare. They were being guided by a purple Earth Pony stallion. Once the crates were placed down, they were opened and the contents were inspected by a scarlet Unicorn stallion and a taupe Earth Pony mare. At the same time, a sky blue Pegasus mare was showing an organized stack of papers to a pine green Unicorn stallion and a mahogany Pegasus stallion.

The only pony who stood out from the rest of the group was a cerise Earth Pony stallion. He exchanged no words or actions with any of the others; he just leaned against the wall of the depot and gazed off into the distance. He wore a sling over his right shoulder, and it held a tall, thin, gray metallic canister in its socket. Despite how indifferent he seemed to everything around him, his countenance emanated a small trace of smugness.

As the prince and his companions neared the end of the platform, each of the other ten ponies gradually turned towards them. Applejack noted how each of those ten reacted to Bronze Star's presence. Some of them grinned, some gave him a polite nod, and some saluted him. But every single one of them looked at him with what could not be confused for anything short of the utmost respect.

By the time Bronze Star was within reaching distance of the large group, all of them stopped what they were doing and gave him their attention. He then cleared his throat, turned to his fillyfriend, and gently placed his front hoof on her shoulder. She took that as a sign to step forward, so she did so. The gold stallion then looked around at the assembled ponies and introduced them one at a time.

He steadily proclaimed "These eight ponies are Sergeant Beretta of Special Forces, Brigadier Carabine of the Military Enforcement Corps, Special Agent Caracal of the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency, Captain Glock of the Royal Guard, Inspector Heckler of the Border Patrol, Lieutenant Koch of the Navy, Major Peacemaker of the Army, and Specialist Ruger of the Defense Department."

As he said that, he gestured to the tan Unicorn mare, the aqua blue Unicorn stallion, the sky blue Pegasus mare, the blue Earth Pony stallion, the brown Pegasus stallion, the purple Earth Pony stallion, the scarlet Unicorn stallion, and the taupe Earth Pony mare respectively. Each of them acknowledged Applejack with a nod or a smile, which she returned thusly.

After that, Bronze Star pointed out the mahogany Pegasus stallion and the pine green Unicorn stallion, and he remarked "Of course, you already know General Walther of the Wonderbolts, and the Regiment's leader, SIG Sauer."

"How could I forget?" the orange mare murmured, smirking.

Walther smirked as well and commented "Good to see you, AJ."

"Likewise, General," Applejack rejoined. After a brief pause, she lightly bowed her head to the other ponies and stated in an unusually formal tone "Allow me the honor of introducing myself. My name is Applejack. I'm a farmer and lifelong resident of Ponyville. I'm also the Bearer of the Element of Honesty and a very close friend of your Prince. But, of course, given how resourceful I've heard you are, you must already know all that."

"We do," SIG Sauer confirmed, "That doesn't make your deeds any less admirable, though. Especially since some of us have seen them firsthoof."

Applejack knew that SIG Sauer was primarily referring to what had transpired on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration. It was difficult to believe that eleven months had already elapsed since then. So much had happened in that time. Then again, based on how things were going, a lot would take place that very night, as well.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice behind her that said "Well, every pony here has done some good deeds of worthy repute. This mare may be young, but she is no exception."

Those words had come from Ambit Dexter. Applejack was astonished to hear the elderly stallion make such a benign observation about her. After all, he had first met her less than an hour ago, and before that, all he knew of her was what Bronze Star told him. Regardless, he sounded completely serious when he made that statement.

Everypony shifted their attention from Applejack to Ambit Dexter. Beretta, Carabine, Koch, Peacemaker, SIG Sauer, and Walther gazed at him in reverence. That was to be expected, as they had all served in the armed forces, and the Chairpony of the War Council was loved by nearly all Equestrian soldiers. Even though none of them had ever been involved in the military, Caracal, Glock, Heckler, and Ruger held the Commodore in very high regard, too.

"Are you well, Lord Ambit?" SIG Sauer queried. It may have seemed a strange question to ask an old pony who appeared to be physically and mentally healthy, but from SIG Sauer's tone, it sounded like a totally normal way to open up a conversation.

"I am quite well, Mr. Sauer," the moccasin stallion answered, "Although I'm here on business, I've enjoyed living in this town. It is a wonderful place, believe me."

"Oh, I believe you," SIG Sauer asserted, "I myself stayed here for nearly two months. Granted, I was unconscious for most of the first ten days, but the other six or seven weeks were very pleasant. Better yet, my children came to visit me. It was the first vacation the three of us had together in a very long time. I was actually somewhat reluctant to leave this town."

"What matters is that you're here now, and that you're alright, Stalwart Inkling Graham," Verse A. Till cheekily muttered.

SIG Sauer rolled his eyes and glared at the glaucous stallion. He mumbled under his breath "Every time we meet…"

"You shouldn't have told me your full name," Verse A. Till wryly debated.

"Laugh while you can, Sir Verse," SIG Sauer proclaimed in a somewhat menacing voice, "Just wait until I learn your middle name."

"Oh, I plan to be waiting a long, long time," Verse A. Till tauntingly professed.

Applejack could not help but chuckle. Here were some of the most influential and prominent ponies in all of Equestria. They had convened in this town to address a matter of national security, and they were generally no-nonsense by nature. Yet now, a few of them were exchanging harmless japes and Smalltalk with each other like casual acquaintances. It appeared as though there really were two sides to every pony.

She then turned her gaze to the cerise Earth Pony stallion who stood apart from the rest of the group. His mind still appeared to be elsewhere, and other than an occasional glance, he had yet to acknowledge anypony else's presence. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere before.

Applejack pointed him out to her coltfriend and stated "Who is that? He looks so familiar."

"He should; that's Sir Raoul Jowl," Bronze Star notified her, "Don't you remember? He was there when I approached Esopus Spitzenburg."

"Oh, yeah," Applejack commented, softly slapping her own forehead, "We saw him through those special picture frames. How could I forget that?"

"Well, the live feed on the screen of our frame was not exactly high quality," Bronze Star conjectured, "Aside from that, our attention was primarily on your Uncle, not Sir Raoul. Plus, you're never met the stallion in person, and not everypony is as good as faces as I am."

"Well, not everypony has a memory like yours, Your Highness," Verse A. Till interjected.

"Fair assessment, Sir Verse," Bronze Star admitted. After a pause, he asked nopony in particular "How is our unlikely ally, anyway?"

"He's doing well, Your Highness," Peacemaker pronounced, "I evaluated him myself. He's still of sound mind and sound body. The marshals have been taking good care of him."

Although the gold stallion was satisfied by the physician's report, he was impelled to observe Raoul Jowl for about ten seconds. He thought aloud "He seems surprisingly calm."

"Indeed he does," Heckler conceded, "If there was one of us who was not at all worried about the outcome of tonight, it would have to be him."

"But he is concerned, right?" Bronze Star presumed, a little uneasily, "I mean, surely he must care?"

"Yes, he's as committed to your plan as the rest of us," Walther revealed, "He just doesn't want anypony to see him sweat."

"That can be a good thing," Carabine contended, "If he remains stoic, the other conspirators won't suspect him of defecting."

"That's definitely a plus," Applejack concurred, "My Great Uncle Esopus can usually sniff out deception as easily as a rotten apple. You'll have to put on one Tartarus of a show to keep foolin' him."

Bronze Star checked the time and discovered that it was already past 8:30. He clapped his front hooves together and declared "Let's get down to business. Most of you will have to be out of town well before sunset, and we have yet to address the next stage of my plan. We cannot afford to waste any time."

"Very well, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter remarked in acknowledgment.

Once again, the ten ponies of the Firebrand Regiment busied themselves with moving and organizing their supplies and equipment. While they did that, Bronze Star went inside the depot and spoke with the stationmaster.

There was a large, vacant room in the depot that could be reserved for last-minute conferences and other matters by incoming or outgoing passengers. A couple days earlier, Bronze Star had booked the room for three hours. He and the other fourteen ponies would be able to discuss the last stage of his plan without any interruption. He did not think they would need the full three hours, but he would rather overestimate the required time than underestimate it.

Once the stationmaster gave him the key to the private room, Bronze Star went back outside to the others. He found that Applejack had moved to within reaching distance of Raoul Jowl. Sir Raoul himself had hardly moved, but he was clearly looking directly at the orange mare.

"So, Applejack, is it?" he assumed.

"Yes, Sir Raoul," the farmer validated, "I'm the one whose Great Uncle you named as a traitor."

"In that case, you have my apologies," the cerise stallion remarked, "And my sympathy."

"I appreciate both, but I don't need either," Applejack disclosed, "I'm just glad you'll be helping to stop him."

"It's my pleasure, my dear," Raoul Jowl uttered.

Bronze Star never would have thought that his fillyfriend would engage in a one-on-one conversation with Sir Raoul Jowl without some encouragement on either stallion's part. Strangely enough, Applejack seemed to have made a positive first impression on Raoul Jowl and vice versa.

Bronze Star decided to just let the two of them talk. He went over to the other ponies and assisted them with their own work.

At one point, he asked the members of the Regiment "Did you have any troubles getting out of Canterlot?"

"Just a few," SIG Sauer revealed, "Getting other ponies to respect our personal space was easily the biggest one."

"How so?" Verse A. Till queried in interest.

"This morning, the streets of Canterlot were practically overflowing with ponies," Koch recalled.

"No kidding," Ruger agreed, "We barely had enough room to make our way through the town,"

"Fortunately, everypony else seemed too preoccupied with their own affairs to pay any mind to ours," Glock added in.

"That bad, huh?" Verse A. Till asked rhetorically.

"Yeah; right now, Canterlot is so overcrowded that I doubt anypony would even notice we're missing, anyway," Heckler hypothesized.

"Still, it's a good thing we left when we did," Beretta professed, "They were about to close down the station."

"Which brings me to another setback we faced," Walther recounted, grimacing, "Transportation."

"True," Carabine conceded, "It was almost ridiculously hard to find an outgoing train. That was mostly due to all the incoming ones."

"It's actually a little ironic," Caracal pronounced, "When we left, loads of ponies were entering the city by the railroads. We seemed to be the only ones who gave any thought to leaving it."

"Not that we can complain," Peacemaker contended, "We had virtually the entire train to ourselves."

"That must have made it easy to remain inconspicuous," Lord Ambit supposed.

"You're quite right, Commodore," SIG Sauer confirmed, "In fact, I'd say the train ride here will end up being our most relaxing part of today."

"Be grateful you were at least allowed that much relief, Mr. Sauer," the moccasin stallion advised, "Out of all of us, I have perhaps the most difficult task, and I'll probably have no respite until this ordeal has passed."

"After that, you can have as much reprieve as you'd like, my Lord," Bronze Star asserted, "For now, you can take some small amount of comfort in the knowledge that this will all be over in less than twenty-four hours."

"If fate is kind, that is," Verse A. Till commented.

"We can only pray that this time, it will be," Ambit Dexter murmured quietly.

The Firebrand Regiment then proceeded to lug all their materials inside the station. Bronze Star, Sir Verse A. Till, and Lord Ambit Dexter entered the building immediately after them. Applejack and Raoul Jowl were the last to come inside. They were still friendly chatting with each other.

Soon everypony except the orange mare and the cerise stallion was inside the vacant room. Before either of them could join the other thirteen ponies, Raoul Jowl stopped Applejack and inquired "May I offer you a compliment?"

"Sure," she muttered.

There were a few seconds of silence, and then Raoul Jowl disclosed "Now, I'm probably just saying this because I've been living out in the middle of nowhere for almost the entirety of the last nine months, and in all that time, the only people I've had for company are three federal marshals – all male. All very laconic, as well, I might add. The only time I got outside my safe house was when the Regiment moved me to Omareha so I could find Clear Crest for them. I was immediately moved back to the safe house the very next day, and yesterday was the first occasion since then that I was allowed out of it. You know, the Regiment moved me from there to Canterlot in preparation for tonight. Oh, and please forgive me if I seem to be droning on; I normally don't talk too much."

"Well, based on what you've told me, you haven't really had anypony to talk to ever since you were placed in witness protection," Applejack perceived, "Still, I'm more interested in the compliment you wish to give me."

"Yes, yes, of course," Raoul Jowl coincided. He then cleared his throat and declared "Now, I'm not in the habit of judging anypony solely by appearances, but I must tell you that you, my dear, are a marvel to look at."

Applejack was a little stunned by the directness of that remark, but she just smiled and murmured "Well, thank you for saying that, sir. I don't get told things like that very often."

"That's a shock," Raoul Jowl proclaimed, "I can tell when a mare does not use makeup or other products on her skin. You are one such mare; your beauty is natural. Nothing about your appearance is 'made up.'"

Applejack scoffed and professed "At the risk of sounding vain, I can't deny any of that, sir."

"Good; you shouldn't," Raoul Jowl contended, grinning mischievously, "If I had known that mares as attractive as you lived in the rural parts of Equestria, I would have considered taking a break from city life long ago."

The orange mare blushed and sardonically stated "You're quite the charmer, Sir Raoul."

"So I'm told," the cerise stallion bluntly mumbled

Applejack raised an eyebrow and noted accusingly "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hittin' on me."

"I'm not, I promise you," Raoul Jowl drily claimed.

Inside the room, the members of the Firebrand Regiment were setting up their gear at a large circular table in the center. Caracal had chosen one of the seats closest to the door. She had overheard most of Applejack and Raoul Jowl's conversation. Right then, she peered over her shoulder and glumly called out "Don't worry yourself, Applejack. If Clear Crest and I are any indication, he prefers Pegasi."

"I also prefer mares when they're single," Raoul Jowl candidly muttered, "Based on how the prince is fawning over this lovely young mare, she's not."

Applejack blushed deeper at that, and a few members of the Regiment seemed to be intrigued. Bronze Star slowly glimpsed over at the cerise stallion and warned him "Mind your tongue, Sir Raoul."

"I meant no offense, Your Highness," Raoul Jowl said in reassurance, "On the contrary, I commend you for your taste. I know that you would never court a mare simply because of her looks. Applejack here must possess a number of likable attributes apart from beauty."

"Oh, she does," Bronze Star affirmed, "But that's not really the main issue now, is it? Would you please just get in here so we can begin?"

"Your wish is my command," was Raoul Jowl's concise reply.

The cerise stallion stood aside so Applejack could enter before him, and after he stepped inside, he shut the door and locked it. Both of them took a seat at the table, which – as luck would have it – was large enough to accommodate fifteen ponies.

The following two hours were passed in a very productive manner.

Ever since Bronze Star had gotten Esopus Spitzenburg to agree to the meeting between his colleagues and Lord Ambit Dexter, the Firebrand Regiment had been working diligently to prepare for it.

They had focused much of their resources on studying Esopus Spitzenburg's private retreat, where the building would occur. The retreat was kept under very tight scrutiny. It was surrounded on all sides by barbed wire and electric fencing. Private security guards under Spitzenburg's own payroll patrolled the perimeter night and day. Most of all, there was a state-of-the-art motion detector system that could detect any unauthorized activity on the premises. Nopony could set hoof on, fly over, or teleport onto the vicinity without setting off an alarm.

The Regiment's field operatives had been unable to get even close to the building without running the risk of exposing themselves.

Ultimately, the Regiment had to resort to studying the retreat through extensive research. They looked up the original blueprints of the building and its surroundings. They also dug up the layout of the motion detector system. Ruger recognized its configuration. In fact, she had been in the team who designed the prototype model. She had managed to locate a number of holes in the network. The holes were small, and they only occurred every once in a while, but the Regiment could manipulate them to their advantage.

After they addressed how the Regiment would approach the retreat, they discussed what they would do when they arrived at it. SIG Sauer, Beretta, and Glock had devised an arrangement to put the house under careful surveillance for the duration of the meeting. The Regiment would monitor the entirety of the meeting unnoticed from the building's exterior. They would also ensure that nopony left the building before it ended.

Of course, they needed to ensure that the meeting would last long enough to finish luring the conspirators into a false sense of security, but not so long that they would catch on to what was really happening. Ambit Dexter had spent his time preparing for that. He had composed so much material to discuss that he would be able to keep the conspirators talking for as long as need be.

Even so, Heckler, Caracal, and Walther gave Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul Jowl a number of useful tips on how to remain casual whilst undercover. That extra knowledge would ensure that Esopus Spitzenburg and the other sixteen conspirators would not suspect either of them of deception.

Regardless of how long the meeting went on, there was only one way it would end. Of the twenty ponies who attended the meeting, Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl would be the only ones who left the building alive. The Regiment would see to that, too.

The Regiment had all liked Applejack's idea of making the conspirators' deaths look accidental. Coming up with such a solution had not been easy, but Peacemaker and Koch had managed to find one. That was where Raoul Jowl's new gray canister came into play. The canister turned out to be a large flask of brandy. However, in actuality, only a third of it contained brandy; the top third. The lower two-thirds concealed the object that would be used to eliminate the conspirators. The plan was to smuggle the object into the retreat, and then release it at the most appropriate moment.

The Regiment had also accounted for Esopus Spitzenburg's contingency plan. They had considered the possibility that when Spitzenburg was on the brink of death, he would try to use his electronic pad to launch his attacks on the major cities of Equestria. However, Carabine had come up with a remedy for that problem. He would immerse the entire retreat in a wave of magic that would intercept any form of electrical signal, and he would keep the spell in effect until the electronic pad had been neutralized.

Although Bronze Star, Applejack, and Sir Verse A. Till would be in Canterlot while all of this was happening, the three of them did not intend to stay in the dark until this affair was over. Bronze Star wanted to receive constant updates throughout the duration of the meeting.

As such, the prince had decided to entrust Verse A. Till with his magic blackboard. SIG Sauer would bring the other blackboard to Chicacolt, and all throughout the meeting, he would send reports of the Regiment's progress. Bronze Star and Applejack would be preoccupied with other matters during the Gala, so the gold stallion would check in with Sir Verse often, and whatever the glaucous stallion told him, he would share with his fillyfriend, as well.

In total, the fifteen ponies only required an hour and forty-five minutes to overview and review everything they had planned for the late evening. If they followed their prearranged timetable, Esopus Spitzenburg and his sixteen colleagues would indeed perish well before midnight.

Bronze Star wrapped up the conversation with a few carefully-chosen words: "I know we have handled some dangerous jobs in the past. In more than a few of those jobs, some of you almost didn't come back alive. However, all of those jobs are trivial in comparison to this one. This assignment could very well be the most one of your careers. As such, we can afford no mistakes whatsoever. Where you're going, it's paramount that nopony sees you at work. This operation requires the utmost care and discretion, and as far as the townsfolk of Chicacolt are concerned, you were never there. Be cautious, be meticulous, do nothing to compromise your own safety, and stick to my plan at all times."

"Understood, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter avowed. Each member of the Firebrand Regiment murmured in agreement, and Verse A. Till gave a firm nod of his head.

Before anypony did anything else, Applejack rose from her chair and declared "Beggin' your pardon; before we part ways, there is something I'd like to say. I know you're on a tight schedule, but I hope you'll allow me a minute to speak a few personal words."

"You can say anything you want to us, Applejack," Bronze Star solemnly professed, "After all, we wouldn't have gotten this far without you."

Nopony there could dispute that claim. Based on what Bronze Star had told them, Applejack had been the one who gave him the idea for his plan to annihilate the conspirators. She had also been the one who enabled them to expose Clear Crest's role in the conspiracy and uncovered her past relationship with Raoul Jowl.

The orange mare was not used to being the center of attention. All the same, she could bring herself to face a large group of ponies when the situation called for it.

She fiddled with her hat for a few seconds, and then she gazed around the table and announced "You may find it kinda odd that I'm helping you arrange the death of one of my relatives. It may come as an even bigger surprise that I am do this voluntarily. You may think I absolutely loathe my Great Uncle Esopus. I will not lie to you; I have not always cared so little for my him. In fact, four months ago, I practically loved him as my grandfather. Even when I learned about his crimes, I tried to defend him. My stubbornness almost cost me my friendship with Bronze Star. It was not until I overheard my Uncle scheming with one of his companions that I realized how foolish I had been to stand up for him. I do not love, respect, admire, or adore him any longer. However, as much as I'd like to, I do not hate, curse, deplore, or condemn him either. All I really feel for him anymore is pity. I pity him not because of what will happen to him tonight, but because he forced this fate upon himself. In any case, I will be comforted by the knowledge that my Uncle and his associates will no longer threaten this country after tonight. I am in full support of anything you must do to ensure his death. But I would like to ask for a favor."

At that, everypony else leaned forward slightly, and Sir Verse A. Till pronounced "We're listening, my lady."

Applejack stood in silent thought for a moment, and then she turned back to the others and stated "If word of my Uncle's actions ever got out, my family's reputation could be irreparably damaged. If possible, I would prefer it if you never made his crimes public knowledge. So maybe after this matter is resolved, we just never speak of it again?"

"As it happens, that was our intent," SIG Sauer revealed, "Nearly all of our assignments are never shared with anypony outside of the Firebrand Regiment, and only a select few others know about the rest of them. You see, Applejack, once each of our jobs is accomplished, we file it away and never revisit it unless a future case bears some form of resemblance to it. This one is no exception. Once we have purged the threat posed by this conspiracy, we will ensure that nopony else ever learns of its existence. Or your Uncle's involvement in it."

"Thank you," Applejack remarked appreciatively, smiling a bit, "You have no idea how much that means to me. I mean, a scandal like this would ruin the legacy of my family."

"We realize that," Ambit Dexter proclaimed, "It is quite unfortunate, but nonetheless true. The public may revel in spreading gossip and rumors. We, however, do not. Nopony here will judge you or any of the other Apples from your Uncle's misdemeanors. A pony's entire family should not be accountable for his or her offenses. Nor should they share in the glory of his or her accomplishments. Every pony must work hard to earn a name for himself… or herself. Every pony assembled here certainly has. Including you, Applejack."

"I'm grateful to hear you say that, Lord Ambit," Applejack gleefully muttered, "I'll be honest with you all. Before we had this talk, I had no idea why Bronze Star wanted me to be here. All of you have worked for the military or the government for many years, and you all bring a number of special skills to the table. Whereas I have spent my life in an apple orchard. I thought I would stand out like an outcast. But that's not how I feel now. I actually feel comfortable amongst all of you, like I really belong. I may have only met most of you a few hours ago, but Bronze Star trusts you, and all of you prove your honor and your worth just by following his orders. You must have a very special bond with him."

Applejack's words seemed to have a rather positive impact on everypony there, especially Ambit Dexter. The moccasin stallion gave a wide grin and declared "Maybe in time, you could develop such a bond with us, as well, my dear princess."

The orange mare seemed pleased by that statement. At least she was until that last word came out of the Commodore's mouth. When she heard it, she flinched. That gesture was so minor that Bronze Star was the only one who noticed it. He also noted that she seemed to become a little unsettled. He was quite perplexed as to why, but he could afford to wait to find that out. At any rate, the meeting had gone on long enough.

"Alright," Bronze Star commented, rising from his chair, "Since this discussion's apparently over, let's get back to work. SIG Sauer, take charge and get all your stuff together. You and the rest of the Regiment need to be on a train to Chicaolt in about an hour and a-half. Lord Ambit, you, Esopus Spitzenburg, and Sir Raoul Jowl will be on another train shortly before one o'clock. Return to the embassy and make sure Spitzenburg is getting ready for the trip. Sir Verse, assist Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul with their preparations, then meet me and Applejack at Carousel Boutique. Oh, and be sure to bring my strongbox when you come."

At that, the group disbanded and everypony went to accomplish their own preassigned tasks. Koch, Glock, Ruger, Beretta, Carabine, Heckler, Caracal, SIG Sauer, Walther, and Peacemaker started packing up their materials and moved them back outside. Verse A. Till, Ambit Dexter, and Raoul Jowl exited the depot and headed southeast towards the embassy.

Bronze Star and Applejack also left the train station; they trotted directly south in the direction of Carousel Boutique.

When they were halfway there, Bronze Star looked over at his fillyfriend. He spotted a modicum of agitation in her facial expression, and out of concern, he queried "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled softly, "I'm just thinking about the last thing Lord Ambit said to me."

"I would have thought you'd be pleased," Bronze Star remarked, a little astonished, "These days, he rarely expresses such a profound interest in getting to know a total stranger."

"That's not what bothers me," Applejack disclosed, "Did you hear what he called me?"

"Of course I did," Bronze Star muttered, now more astounded, "I'm surprised; you're acting as though he called you 'bitch.'"

Applejack snickered at that, but she retained her grim countenance and stated "I've been called many things, Bronze. I'm pleased to say 'bitch' is not one of them. 'Princess' is not one of them, either. I'm glad for that."

"Why?" Bronze Star enquired, intrigued.

"Well, most of the time, when people use the word 'princess' when referring to somepony outside of the Equestrian Royalty, it sounds very much like a derogatory term," Applejack elaborated, "Usually it's used to describe somepony who's helpless or overly sensitive, or to mock somepony who's really girly."

"That's just one context it could be used in," Bronze Star debated, "The Commodore knows you're none of those things. He probably meant 'princess' as a type of praise."

"Praise?" Applejack said in bewilderment.

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "There are lots of stallions who use that term when talking to younger mares. In fact, SIG Sauer tells me that when Alpine was a filly, he used to call her 'princess' all the time. She seemed to enjoy it. Mauser sometimes teased her with it, too, but from what I've seen, it's normal for siblings to mess around with each other."

"As somepony who's both an older and younger sibling, I can assure you that it is," Applejack slyly uttered, "So, tell me; does SIG Sauer still call his daughter 'princess?'"

"No, not since she was seven," Bronze Star explicated, "On that day, she told SIG – and these were her exact words – 'Daddy, I'm not going to be a princess when I grow up. I'm going to be a doctor.' He mentioned to me that he had never seen Alpine so adamant about anything. Even so, he's proud of her for choosing such a noble path, and he never called her 'princess' again after that."

"I guess I'm not the only mare who doesn't care for that nickname," Applejack frankly observed.

"True me, you're not," Bronze Star contended, "General Walther could validate that. He once called Fleetfoot 'princess' when she was four, and she absolutely hated it. In fact, she refused to speak to him until he rescinded it."

Applejack chuckled and murmured "That isn't why she stopped talking to him, is it?"

"No, they didn't drift apart until the first time she applied for the Wonderbolts Academy," Bronze Star informed her, "Aside from that, the cause for their estrangement was for a much bigger reason. On the plus side, however, ever since the Best Young Flyers Competition, they've managed to mend their relationship a little."

"That's good," Applejack remarked approvingly, "Getting back to the original subject of our conversation, do you honestly believe the Commodore called me 'princess' to praise me?"

"Do you have reason to believe he was speaking in a disrespectful manner?" Bronze Star presumed, "If so, then I might not know the Commodore as well as I thought I did."

"Truthfully, I don't think he meant it as a compliment or an insult," Applejack thought aloud, "He honestly sounded as though he believed I actually was a princess."

"Really?" Bronze Star commented, stunned, "Peculiar. The Commodore is old, but he's not senile. He knows full well that you're not one."

"Then why did he call me that?" Applejack enquired.

"I have no idea, but he must have his reasons," Bronze Star spoke candidly, "In any case, don't let it trouble you. We should be more focused on tonight. For now, let's just worry about getting ready for the Gala. If you want, you could always speak to Lord Ambit again later. His train should be leaving at approximately the same time as our carriages."

"Alright, I'll talk to him then," was all Applejack said in response.

Before long, the farmer and the prince arrived at Carousel Boutique. From the look of things, they got there just in time. Rarity had spent most of the past three hours getting the others into their outfits and double-checking the measurements to ensure that they all still fit perfectly. So far, that was case for everypony.

She had also taken a half-hour to put together two modest tuxedos for Lucky Clover and Caramel. Even though those two stallions would only accompany the others for the carriage ride, they wished to at least look presentable in the capital city, and thus, Rarity had made them those suits free of charge.

As soon as Bronze Star and Applejack trotted in through the front door of the building, Rarity escorted them to the back room and urged the gold stallion and the orange mare to don his cloak and her duds respectively. Fortunately, their formal attire fit them flawlessly, as well.

Once Rarity finished her inspection of everypony's outfits, she promptly had them all undress. Before they left for Canterlot, they would freshen themselves up at the spa, and Rarity refused for them to be wearing their clothes while they received their treatment.

Verse A. Till had not yet rejoined them, but Bronze Star convinced everypony to wait for the glaucous stallion. Even Rarity consented to that; she claimed that they were going well with regards to time. In fact, they were ahead of schedule.

Soon, Sir Verse A. Till showed up at Carousel Boutique. When he got there, he was carrying two objects on his back: Bronze Star's strongbox and his own tuxedo in a plastic laundry bag. He gave the former to the prince and – at Rarity's behest – gave the latter to the fashionista.

Rarity had moved the mares' dresses, the stallions' (and Spike's) suits, and Bronze Star's cloak onto a single portable clothing rack. There was just enough room for Sir Verse A. Till's tuxedo to go on, as well.

Of the eighteen ensembles, Verse A. Till's was the only one that had not been created by Rarity. She offered to augment it for him, but he politely declined. He claimed that he liked his suit the way it was, as it had been designed specifically to accommodate his sword. Furthermore, he did not wish to cause any unnecessary delays. Rarity would have insisted, but she decided not to argue with Sir Verse and leave his tuxedo as it was.

When Applejack saw Bronze Star's strongbox, she suddenly remembered that she had planned to bring a trunk of her own to the Gala, but she had accidentally left it at home. She would have gone to retrieve it herself, but she did not wish to agitate Rarity any more than she already had. So instead, she asked Spike if he would mind going back to Sweet Apple Acres, picking up her trunk, and taking it to the spa. The baby dragon appeared eager to do this errand.

About twenty minutes later, fifteen of the seventeen ponies who would be leaving for Canterlot were gathered in the main room of the Ponyville spa. The only two who were not there were Lucky Clover and Caramel. They had agreed to meet up with everypony else when it was time to depart from the town.

At that moment, Rarity was touching up her makeup. Rainbow Dash was washing her mane in a sink. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Fluttershy were sitting underneath three hood dryers. Pinkie Pie approached a fourth one that had not been lowered all the way. She was fascinated by it.

"Ooh!" she squealed in excitement as she activated the machine. Unfortunately for her, it was on its highest setting. Air was expelled so quickly from the dryer that the pink mare was thrown off her hooves and against the wall.

In other parts of the room, everypony else was getting ready in various other ways.

Noble Edict was liberally powdering her muzzle. Cashew Lane was rubbing ointment all over his face. Copper Hollow was combing his mane and folding mousse into it. Billow Health was examining his wings and ensuring that his feathers were neatly aligned. Haywood McCrank was standing in front of a mirror and shaving himself with a straight razor.

Dapple Rhomb was lounging in the hot tub. Rough Rider was sitting on the edge of the tub directly behind his wife. As he let his hind legs soak, he massaged her shoulders with his front legs.

Verse A. Till applied a thin layer of petroleum jelly to his lips, as they were quite dry at the time. He also rubbed some more against his horn to give it a newer and shinier appearance.

Everypony was so preoccupied with their own affairs that there was hardly any talking.

Eventually, Spike arrived at the spa with Applejack's trunk. Lotus and Aloe informed him that the others were gathered in the largest treatment room, so the baby dragon went directly there. To his dismay, the door was locked.

He pounded on it and groaned "Come on, you guys. Let me in!"

Rainbow Dash had just finished wrapping up her mane in a towel. She began to approach the door and called back "Sure thing, Spike."

Rarity impulsively rushed in front of the door and protested "Heavens no! We're getting dressed."

Applejack had just emerged from her hood dryer. She had moved towards the door at the same time as Rainbow Dash. She glared at the white mare and sarcastically uttered "Dressed? Uh, beg pardon, Rarity, but, uh... we don't normally wear clothes."

"Some of us do," Haywood McCrank countered, shearing off the tip of one of his sideburns so it would match the other one in length

Bronze Star had been gurgling with mouth wash right then. After he spat, he looked over at his fillyfriend and cheekily murmured "So what does that make your hat, AJ? A head ornament?"

Applejack scoffed, rolled her eyes, and wryly retorted with "Whatever you say."

Rarity was no longer attempting to block the door. She backed away from it and moaned. She then used her magic to unfasten the lock and pull the door open. She said apologetically "I'm sorry, Spike. Some of us do have standards."

The baby dragon smiled as he stepped into the room and proclaimed "I still can't believe we're gonna be at Canterlot tonight. Our home town, Twilight, Sir Haywood, and… Gold!"

He managed to correct himself just in time, much to the relief of most of the ponies.

Bronze Star had not revealed his true identity to Billow Health or Cashew Lane. He knew he would have to tell both stallions the truth eventually. He actually had an idea for a fairly cunning and amusing way to do that. However, he wanted to hold off on telling them until sometime that evening.

Spike shrugged off his blunder and stood between Twilight and Pinkie, who was now using a hood dryer properly. He continued with "And the best part is that we all get to hang out together all night long!"

Despite Spike's optimism, nopony there seemed particularly pleased with that prospect. In fact, most of them had different plans for how to spend their time that evening.

Rainbow Dash was resting on a couch against the side of the room. She tentatively uttered "Uh... I-I don't know, Spike."

Rarity used her magic to insert false eyelashes into her eyes. Once her left lashes were in place, she professed "We'll just have to see."

Meanwhile, Applejack was polishing Fluttershy's right front hoof. Once she finished scrubbing, she spat on it as though it was a shoe. The yellow mare cringed in disgust as the orange mare submitted "We're gonna be a mite busy."

Just then, Pinkie Pie's hood dryer lifted itself up and the pink mare cheerfully pronounced "Busy having fun!"

Her time under the hood dryer had rendered her mane straight and droopy. Nopony had seen her mane this flat ever since the breakdown she had on her birthday. Because of that, the sight of her mane in this state was a little unsettling to some.

Luckily, her mane returned to its normal puffy and semi-disorderly state a moment later.

Spike was somewhat dismayed by how his suggestion had been shot down by four of his closest friends. He climbed onto a comfortable chair and mumbled glumly "Oh. Okay."

Twilight had emerged from her hood dryer shortly before Pinkie. She was now in the process of applying a light coat of makeup to her face. She reassured her assistant "Don't worry, Spike. We'll all get to spend some time together."

"Great!" Spike exclaimed, brightening up quickly.

"I think she's referring to the carriage ride," Cashew Lane slyly remarked.

Copper Hollow and a few others laughed at that. The copper stallion looked over at his coworker and humorously stated "Good call, Cashew. Five hours in a ten-foot by eight-foot by six-foot cart with five grown ponies… I foresee lots of bonding time for all of us."

"Except those of us who are stuck on the exterior of the carriages," Verse A. Till contended.

Cashew Lane sneered and murmured accusingly "Are you saying you're not looking forward to passing the afternoon with me and the doctor, Sir Verse?"

"Not at all, Mr. Lane," the glaucous stallion insisted, "I was just making a point. Don't forget I volunteered to drive our carriage. I prefer to be out in the open, anyway."

"Good," the shamrock stallion stated with a smirk, "You won't regret it. I promise you that you won't get bored; I got a lot of interesting things to talk about."

"I'd prefer if you saved them for the trip," Verse A. Till bade him.

Cashew Lane scoffed at the older stallion's bluntness. He went over to the perfume rack and browsed through the contents for a brand of cologne. Once he found it, he sprayed some onto his face and shoulders.

As Billow Health brushed trace amounts of dandruff out of his tail, he announced "I've heard that the Surgeon General will be there."

"What you've heard is true, Doctor," Bronze Star affirmed, "Purple Heart always attends the Gala."

"Fantastic," the russet stallion uttered in delight, "I've always wanted to meet him in person. Looks like I'll finally have my chance."

"Oh, you'll have a chance to meet a lot of interesting ponies, Doctor," Noble Edict disclosed, "Last time I was there, I met plenty."

"I look forward to it, Lady Noble," Billow Health professed, evidently gleeful.

Once everypony finished touching up his or her image, they proceeded to adorn their apparel for the Gala. The majority of them had no issue with getting dressed in front of members of the opposite sex. Rough Rider even aided his wife with her dress; her foal bump had gotten large enough that it made dressing herself a little difficult.

The only two ponies who got dressed in private were Rarity and Bronze Star. The young prince only did that so that when he opened his strongbox, Cashew Lane and Billow Health would not see his crown. He only removed his soft shoes and his vest, and he put them on, along with the cloak Rarity had created for him. He would wait until later to adorn his crown.

It was a quarter past noon when the group finally left the spa. They did a quick check to ensure that everypony had their ticket to the Gala. Bronze Star was the only one who had not brought a ticket, which was attributed to the fact that he did not even need one to attend.

At any rate, the sixteen would-be Gala attendees stopped by Savoir Fare's restaurant to have lunch. To minimize the risk of staining their attire, Rarity insisted that everypony eat standing up. That was not the most pleasant way to dine, but somehow, it made the meal go by faster.

After they ate, the fifteen ponies and the baby dragon headed back to Carousel Boutique. Lucky Clover and Caramel were standing beside the two makeshift carriages. Rarity gave them their tuxedoes and beckoned them to step inside her shop. It only took the two stallions five minutes to get dressed. As soon as they were, they promptly came back outside.

Everypony then focused their attention on the carriages. Two long wooden tugs had been attached to the front of each carriage underneath the bench. At the head of both sets of tugs, there were a pair of harnesses and some reins.

Bronze Star, Copper Hollow and Rough Rider helped Lucky Clover and Caramel put on the harnesses of the first carriage. Noble Edict, Haywood McCrank, and Verse A. Till helped Billow Health and Cashew Lane get hooked up into the harnesses of the second carriage. After securing the reins from the tips of the tugs to the tops of the carriages, Spike and Verse A. Till climbed onto the benches and took up their positions as the drivers.

Now the carriages were ready for transportation. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle climbed into the first carriage, and Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider piled into the second one. Applejack set her trunk in the center of her group's carriage; Bronze Star placed his strongbox on the floor of his.

The gold stallion and the orange mare stood apart from the others in that they were the only ones who were bringing something to Canterlot apart from their clothing. They were also the only ones who had one more task to do before they left town.

Bronze Star instructed Spike and Verse A. Till to bring the carriages to the train station. The depot was in the northernmost part of town, and Canterlot was almost directly north of Ponyville, so this was hardly even a minor inconvenience.

At any rate, when the carriages reached the depot, they came to a complete halt. Bronze Star and Applejack emerged from their carriages at almost the exact same time. As they stepped down onto the ground, they each told their fellow travelers "Be right back."

Currently, a single train was docked in the station. It was due to depart for Chicacolt in under a half-hour. Most of the passengers had already boarded the train. Three of the few who had not were sitting on a bench in the center of the platform. Those three ponies were Lord Ambit Dexter, Sir Raoul Jowl, and Esopus Spitzenburg.

Bronze Star and Applejack swiftly trotted over to the three seated stallions. In turn, each of them stood up as the prince and the farmer approached them.

Esopus Spitzenburg's eyes immediately fell upon his great-niece's attire. He enquired curiously "Is that a new dress, Jackie?"

"Actually, these are just my work duds," Applejack enlightened him, "My friend Rarity jazzed 'em up a bit, you see. She thought they would be a bit more appropriate for the Grand Galloping Gala."

"In any case, they're stunning," the jade stallion professed, studying her dress closely, "You look so beautiful today, Jackie."

"Well… thank ya, Uncle Esopus," Applejack remarked, flushing a little. She had genuinely accepted that compliment from her Great Uncle. She figured she may as well allow him that much, seeing as how this would almost certainly be the last time he ever spoke to her.

There were still a few other ponies standing on the platform to the depot. Luckily, all of those individuals were well out of earshot of Ambit Dexter, Applejack, Bronze Star, Esopus Spitzenburg, and Raul Jowl. As such, the five of them were able to speak openly without running the risk of being overheard.

"Well, Esopus, I have fulfilled my end of our pact," Bronze Star belligerently proclaimed, "I have amassed the Equestrian military to our cause. Now it is time for you to do your part. Secure the support of the common people for me, and this country is ours."

"I shall not disappoint you, Your Highness," Esopus Spitzenburg confidently declared, "I have already had some words with Lord Ambit Dexter, and I find his counsel… very encouraging. Once my colleagues have spoken with him, it should not require much convincing for them to consent to this alliance."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Bronze Star professed. He then turned to the moccasin Pegasus and queried "What about you, Commodore? Can this relationship last?"

Lord Ambit sternly answered him with "It can, Your Grace. There's an adage I've always lived by. 'Former enemies make the best allies.' I have proven the truth of that saying many times in the past; this occasion is merely another of those times. I may not know Mr. Spitzenburg very well, but I cannot deny that he is committed to his goals."

Ambit Dexter knew full well that this conversation was an act meant to continue fooling Esopus Spitzenburg. That question and the subsequent answer had been rehearsed, yet they sounded totally believable. Spitzenburg seemed to buy it, at any rate.

Bronze Star looked to Raoul Jowl and asked rhetorically "Are you ready, Sir Raoul?"

"Just about, Your Highness," the cerise Earth Pony replied. He removed his canister of brandy from his sling, unscrewed the cap, and took a deep swig. After he swallowed and screwed the cap back on the canister, he confidently muttered "Okay, NOW I'm ready."

"Nice," Spitzenburg murmured bluntly, "Try not to drink too much before the meeting, Raoul."

"Relax, Esopus," Raoul Jowl asserted, "I haven't lost my wits to that point yet."

"I should hope not," the jade Earth Pony commented. There was a brief interval of silence, and then Esopus Spitzenburg turned to face Bronze Star and told him "I still find it quaint that Verse A. Till will not be joining us. Every time I've seen Lord Ambit in the past few weeks, Sir Verse has almost always been with him"

"Normally, Sir Verse goes wherever I go," Ambit Dexter disclosed, "But tonight, I need him to be in Canterlot so he can represent me at the Grand Galloping Gala. If both the Chairpony of the War Council and his assistant were absent, people would get suspicious. Sir Verse will be able to come up with an excuse to explain why I'm not there. Haven't we gone over this before?"

"We have, albeit not so thoroughly," Spitzenburg contended. He gradually shifted his gaze to the gold stallion and stated "I look forward to our next encounter, Prince Bronze Star. The next time we cross paths, I'll probably be addressing you as 'King.'"

In any case, that's the last time you'll ever call me 'Prince' Bronze Star thought. He was wise enough not to say those words aloud. All he did was smile sneakily and lightly nod his head.

Raoul Jowl gazed over at the clock on the wall of the depot, and then he pronounced "The train won't leave for another fifteen minutes, but we may as well board it now."

"I second that," Esopus Spitzenburg said in agreement.

The cerise stallion, the jade stallion, and the moccasin stallion prepared to head to the nearest passenger car. Applejack stepped forward and calmly uttered "Hold on a moment. Before you go, Lord Ambit, could I have a word with you?"

"Of course, Applejack," the Chairpony of the War Council conceded.

Raoul Jowl and Esopus Spitzenburg went ahead and entered the passenger car. At that time, only Ambit Dexter, Applejack, and Bronze Star remained on the platform.

"What do you need?" Lord Ambit stated inquisitively.

"It has to do with what happened earlier on," the orange mare tentatively revealed, "During our discussion with the Firebrand Regiment, you called me 'princess.'"

"That is correct," Ambit Dexter admitted, "What about it?"

Initially, Applejack hesitated. Then she became a little bolder and murmured "I know I'm probably gettin' worked up over nothing, but I have to know; why did you call me that?"

Lord Ambit raised an eyebrow and enquired "Do you think I was cajoling you?"

"I'd like to think not," Applejack disclosed, "According to Bronze Star, you may have used it as a form of praise."

"I did," the Commodore affirmed, "But not in the way you might presume. In my mind, it is demeaning to call a mare or a filly 'princess' for no reason other than affection. I never called my wife that. Or my daughter. Or my granddaughters. Or my great-granddaughters. The title is supposed to convey a position of authority and benevolence. It is not to be reduced to nothing more than an overused term of endearment."

"So why did you call me 'princess?'" Applejack queried.

"I called you that because I believe you are somepony worthy of the title," Ambit Dexter elucidated, "You possess all the ideal characteristics, you are beloved by nearly everypony you know, and you care deeply for the well-being of everypony in Equestria. You could very well be a princess in everything but name."

Applejack was strangely touched by that statement. All the same, she looked the elderly stallion in the eyes and straightforwardly averred "Excuse me for sayin' this, my Lord; I appreciate that you think so highly of me, but all I am and all I ever want to be is a farmer. I am definitely not a princess."

"You aren't one now," Ambit Dexter corrected her. He then glanced over at Bronze Star out of the corner of his eye and added in "That could always change."

This time, both the orange mare and the gold stallion were left speechless. The moccasin stallion could sense their astonishment, but he felt oddly satisfied in the knowledge that neither of them could nullify his last remark. He gently smiled at the two younger ponies and told them "You shouldn't worry yourselves with that or any other long-term affairs. Tonight, you should go to Canterlot and enjoy the Grand Galloping Gala. The Firebrand Regiment and I will handle the threat posed by Spitzenburg and his coworkers."

"Alright, Commodore," Bronze Star avowed, forcing a grin, "I wish you the best of luck. May you resolve this matter soon and safely return home afterwards."

"I shall, Your Grace," the elderly stallion asserted. He then galloped over to the closest passenger car and sauntered inside.

Applejack and Bronze Star stood by themselves for about a minute in awkward silence. After that, he lightly tapped her on the shoulder and said "Come on. We shouldn't keep the others waiting."

She merely nodded her head in acknowledgment and returned to the carriages with her coltfriend without another word spoken.

Chicacolt bolted out of the station about fifteen minutes later. By then, the carriages were already well underway.

Spike and Verse A. Till had led their carriages to a wide road that began at the northern part of Ponyville. This road expanded all the way to Canterlot, and at various points, it connected with other paths that led to other cities in Equestria. The path was little more than a dirt road, and it could be hard to spot in darkness if one strayed too far from it. Fortunately, Lucky Clover, Caramel, Billow Health, and Cashew Lane never lost sight of the road. They kept to it at all times.

Ever since the rise of the railway, people in Equestria rarely ever travelled by road anymore. Most of the exceptions occurred whenever there were some special circumstances, such as the railroad network (or part of it) being temporarily shut down. Then again, there were still some ponies who preferred travelling by carriage. While it was easily more time-consuming, it was also less expensive, less restrictive, more serene, and more secluded.

Most of the first hour of the trek was spent in relative quietness. The two carriages gradually yet efficiently traversed up the dirt road. From that position, Ponyville was just a speck from far behind, and even the highest precipice of Canterlot Castle could not be coherently discerned in the distance.

There was nopony else to be seen for miles in any direction. In a way, it was though they were literally passing through the middle of nowhere. Be that as it may, all eighteen of them had no qualms with that prospect. After all, this would probably be the most peace and quiet they would have until the afternoon of the next day.

Bronze Star finally broke the thick uninterrupted silence when he curiously inquired "Anypony plan to do anything special while we're there?"

Haywood McCrank was the first to submit and answer: "I wouldn't call this special, but I'm going to take some time to catch up with my coworkers from the Intelligence Bureau. The Bureau is always very well-represented at the Gala. I haven't received updates on many of their goings-on as often as I would have preferred to receive them."

"I'm plotting to make a lot of new acquaintances tonight," Rough Rider disclosed with a conniving smirk, "The Grand Galloping Gala is attended by ponies of all trades from every corner of Equestria. I can't think of a better opportunity for a salespony like me to expand his clientele."

Dapple Rhomb snickered at her husband's optimism and leaned against his shoulder. She placed her front hoof on her abdomen and mumbled "I think I'll just linger around the buffet. Hopefully it'll be able to accommodate this little one. My cravings are getting stronger and stranger in equal measures."

"I'll probably attract a fair amount of attention, most of it unwanted," Noble Edict speculated, "After all, there are a lot of ponies who would lunge at the chance to meet a Lady of Celestia's court. With that in mind, I may spend much of the evening dodging the more insufferable members of the Canterlot Elite."

"I wouldn't blame you at all, Noble," Bronze Star contended, as he too did not hold most of the Canterlot Elite in very high esteem. He then gazed over at the one passenger who had yet to speak and queried "What about you, Copper?"

"Well, honestly, I don't really care what there is to do at the Gala," Copper Hollow contended, "I'm not saying I doubt I'll enjoy myself; I already know I will. Even so, this is only my second time outside of Ponyville. I'll just be glad if it goes better than my first one."

"I quite agree with the sentiment," Rough Rider pronounced, "I myself was fortunate enough to survive your first trip. But three others weren't."

"Well, you can all find some comfort in the knowledge that we've taken measures to ensure that no harm befalls any of us at the Gala," Haywood McCrank debated.

"On that subject…" Bronze Star interjected, sitting up straight and looking around at his friends, "Everypony got their 'insurance?'"

At that, Copper Hollow, Haywood McCrank, and Rough Rider pulled up the flaps of their suit jackets, and Dapple Rhomb and Noble Edict lowered their skirts slightly. Underneath their outermost layer of formal clothing, all five of them were wearing a belt, and on those belts, they each carried a knife in a sheath.

Bronze Star then opened up his cloak to reveal that he too was carrying a hidden sheathed knife on a belt he wore below his vest.

The gold stallion had promised Sir Haywood that he would seriously consider the likelihood that they would encounter the Vermane at the Gala. Ultimately, Bronze Star had concluded that such a thing was almost outrageously improbable. Even so, as a precaution, he had proposed that every member of the task force who went to the Gala should be armed. Haywood McCrank and all the others seemed to like that idea. They felt considerably safer just by having those weapons on-hoof.

However, Bronze Star made it extremely clear that those knives would not be brandished unless the task force was faced with a serious threat. He also clarified that drunk, stupid, or annoying party guests did not constitute 'serious threats.' They would only use their knives in the event of an encounter with a hostile and dangerous third party.

As the task force concealed their weapons again, Bronze Star declared "Remember, guys; you must not let anypony else know you are armed. Nopony will search or frisk you at the entrance, but the Royal Guard monitor the guests very closely. Typically, all weapons are banned at the Gala. Sir Verse A. Till is only allowed to keep his sword because of his status in my mother's administration. Whereas for you… think of it this way: if you get caught with these knives, it won't bode well with the Royal Guard AT ALL. Even I might not be able to help you then."

"I don't expect we will have to draw our weapons tonight, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank candidly hypothesized, "It soothes me just to know that we have them close-by. That way if anything really DOES go down at the Gala, we'll be able to do something about it."

"That's why I suggested the knives in the first place, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star affirmed, "Now, as I said before, it is highly unlikely that the Vermane will strike again tonight. However, I have given Sir Haywood's theory about the staffers some consideration, and I have decided that it could not hurt to keep tabs on them."

"Won't you be discussing the union between their conglomerates with them at some point?" Dapple Rhomb presumed.

"Yes, but the merger won't be negotiated until sometime after midnight," Bronze Star revealed, "That will give us plenty of time to observe the staffers beforehoof."

"Excellent," Sir Haywood commented in approval, "I would recommend we have some surveillance on the staffers whenever we can spare some. However, none of us should spend the entire evening hanging over the staffers. Not only would they become suspicious, but the other guests would certainly notice if we developed a huge interest in a few particular ponies. So ideally, one of you should pass by the staffers every now and then to study their behavior. If you see them demonstrate any unusual mannerisms, come straight to me. I'll decide how to proceed from there."

"And if the staffers od nothing out of the ordinary?" Rough Rider enquired.

"Then we'll let them be and enjoy the evening," Bronze Star candidly proclaimed, "This is Grand Galloping Gala, after all. It's supposed to be a time of merriment and pleasure."

"True that," Copper Hollow concurred, "On that note, do you have anything planned tonight, Bronze?"

"Oh, I'll be all over the place," the gold stallion revealed, "First I'll help my mother with the greetings for a bit. Then I'll go around and give my regards to the garden, the VIPs, my family, the festivities, and the endorsements."

"'Endorsements?'" Noble Edict asked in bewilderment.

"Applejack will be selling some of her family's products," Bronze Star explicated.

"So I'm guessing you'll devote most of your time to the endorsements," Dapple Rhomb cockily murmured.

"Perhaps I will, Dapple," Bronze Star brazenly alleged, "For a similar reason, it's equally possible that whenever Rough Rider is not trying to find more customers, he'll probably be lingering by the buffet."

The purple mare and the olive stallion chuckled at that observation. The latter of them muttered "I personally am looking forward to a more sophisticated form of excitement tonight."

"We all are, Rough," Haywood McCrank professed.

The six ponies continued talking for another two hours. They never readdressed the issue of the Vermane. That topic had occupied too much of their attention for the past nine months. They decided to give their minds a much-needed rest from that ordeal.

At around 5:15 in the early evening, the carriages arrived at a crossroads. There was an inn at the southeastern corner of the intersection. Inns could frequently be found in the countryside. They were mostly used to host travelers who still journeyed by the roads.

There were a few other carriages parked outside this particular inn, and a number of the current guests were dressed in formal attire. Evidently, many of them were bound for the capital city, as well.

Verse A. Till proposed that they stop at the inn for a bit Everypony else welcomed an opportunity for a break. They had been on the road for three hours, and they were well ahead of schedule.

Cashew Lane, Billow Health, Lucky Clover, and Caramel were unfastened from their harnesses so they could sit down and rest. Verse A. Till and Spike climbed down from their benches, and everypony else stepped out from the carriages so they could stretch their legs.

Several of the passengers went inside the inn to grab a small snack or use the bathroom. The others remained outside by the carriages and had some friendly conversations with a few of the guests.

At one point, Noble Edict moved away from the others and gazed towards the north. Canterlot had come into her field of vision. She seemed somewhat fixated by the magnificent city perched in the side of its mighty mountain. She had been to the capital city before, but she had never seen it from this angle. It was truly a sight to behold.

Bronze Star spotted the red mare standing apart from the others. He slowly trotted over to her, stood by her side, and commented "Amazing, isn't it?"

"'Amazing' doesn't even begin to describe it," Noble Edict disputed, "I didn't realize until this very moment just how much I was looking forward to the Gala."

"That's a typical reaction," Bronze Star professed, "It's like to opposite of when people get hyped up for an event. Instead of building up your excitement overtime, you have been so preoccupied with other matters that you haven't had time to get excited until now. It's a simple delayed reaction. Personally, I think it's better if you don't keep your expectations very high. That way, you don't run the risk of being disappointed as much."

"I get what you're saying, Bronze," Noble Edict uttered, "I don't expect that I'll be let down by the Gala. However, the Gala being a disappointment is the least of my worries right now."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and inquired "What are you saying, Noble?"

"Well…" the red Earth Pony began uncertainly. She then sighed and grimly stated "I have this feeling that something terrible will happen tonight, Bronze. I don't know where the feeling comes from or why it's there, but it IS there, and I can't shake it off."

"Do you have any idea what this tragedy might be?" Bronze Star asked in interest.

"Maybe it has to do with the Vermane," Noble Edict theorized, "I'm not concerned they'll go back to Ponyville. With me and Copper out of town, Rollin Fields is the most senior officer of the security force. He's been on the force longer than anypony else in town. Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig will be able to assist him in anything. So the town will be in good hooves, even if the Vermane show up there."

"Maybe you're worried that the Vermane actually will show up at the Gala," Bronze Star hypothesized.

"That could be it," Noble Edict affirmed, "However, I'm not afraid that they'll make another attempt on my life. After how we caught them off-guard last time, I'm convinced that we could best them in a six-on-six struggle."

"Especially since this time, I'll be able to fight alongside you," Bronze Star pointed out.

"That does make me feel a little better; I know how skilled you are in combat," Noble Edict muttered, "The thing that really troubles me is how we haven't seen any trace of the Vermane ever since my birthday. I am half-inclined to assume that they just gave up on trying to kill me altogether, but Sir Haywood made it a point to emphasize their stubbornness."

"Have you spoken to Sir Haywood about your qualms?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Yes, I have," Noble Edict replied, "A few days ago, he and I reviewed the file that Copper Hollow and Rough Rider brought back from Detrot. I thought that maybe there would be some clue as to what they would do in the event that their plan failed."

"Did you find anything useful?" he inquired.

"No, there was nothing we hadn't already gone over," she expounded, "However, those frequent references to a 'vat' on each page really stood out. We tried to determine the relevance of the word 'vat,' but we couldn't find any indication that those entries contained any meaningful information."

"Those entries must have been written for a reason," Bronze Star debated, "Did Sir Haywood bring the file with him?"

"Yeah, it's in the inner pocket of his suit jacket," Noble Edict informed him.

"Then maybe later, if we have a chance, we can go over the entries together," Bronze Star suggested.

"Okay," Noble Edict conceded. Her mood seemed to improve significantly after that, and she gazed off into the distance again.

Although it was summer, the Sun was already starting to set. There was a mountain range far into the west. The Sun was low enough that the tips of the mountains blocked it from view of the inn. Even so, rays of sunlight managed to peer over the slopes and fell upon the wide-spreading valleys and plains below. It only made Canterlot and its surrounding landscape seem more majestic.

Bronze Star and Noble Edict allowed themselves a minute to enjoy the scenery. Then a thought occurred to the prince. He turned to the security officer and conjectured "Maybe it's the assassination conspiracy that troubles you."

She just scoffed and bluntly stated "Oh, I'm not troubled by that at all. I know that the Firebrand Regiment will eradicate that problem soon enough."

"That they will," Bronze Star confirmed, smirking, "Applejack and I had a talk with them this morning. Sir Verse A. Till, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Sir Raoul Jowl were there, as well. We spent over two hours going over the details of my plan. The Regiment left for Chicacolt by train shortly after. Before we departed from Ponyville, Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul boarded another train to that city with Esopus Spitzenburg. They should all be at Spitzenburg's retreat by the time we arrive in Canterlot. All the while, Sir Verse will be in perpetual contact with SIG Sauer. He'll constantly update us on the Regiment's progress for the duration of the operation."

"Looks like you've got everything well in order," Noble Edict perceived.

"Yeah, that's the only way my plan is guaranteed to work," Bronze Star contended, "So, no hard feelings about not being included in this morning's debriefing with the Regiment, right?"

"None at all," Noble Edict reassured him, "Between the Vermane and the Gala, I'm under enough stress right now. I'll let somepony else worry about the conspiracy."

"I'm glad for that; it'll do you some good to have a little less stress," Bronze Star mumbled approvingly, "You can just leave the ending of the conspiracy to Sir Verse, Lord Ambit, Sir Raoul, the Regiment, and me."

Noble Edict merely nodded her head in acknowledgement and smiled.

At 6:15, the Gala attendees from Ponyville regrouped at the carriages. Some of the inn's guests had already checked out and had departed in their own carriages. Some of the others were preparing to leave.

The Ponyville group was ready to resume their course to Canterlot. Billow Health, Caramel, Cashew Lane, and Lucky Clover allowed the others to fasten them back into the harnesses at the front of the carriages. Somepony suggested rotating the pullers for the second half of the journey so that the four stallions would not become exhausted. The four stallions were grateful for the idea, but they insisted that they could handle the task.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle returned to the first carriage, and Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider returned to the second carriage. Spike and Verse A. Till climbed back up to their original spots on the benches, and they took up the reins again. The two carriages swiftly headed up the road again.

By seven o'clock, the Sun had long vanished behind the western mountains. The adjoining land was shrouded in darkness. Stars had begun to appear in the sky, and the many lights of Canterlot could be seen glimmering in the distance.

The road was wide enough that the carriages could travel side-by-side as they continued advancing towards the capital city. Spike's carriage was on the left; Verse A. Till's was on the right.

The baby dragon looked over at the glaucous stallion and asked him "Will the Commodore be joining us, Sir Verse?"

"No, today Lord Ambit has other duties to see to, Spike," Verse A. Till apprised him, "I'm attending the Gala on his behalf."

"You won't be too busy, will you?" Spike queried hopefully.

"First, I need to handle a certain task," Verse A. Till disclosed, "It could take me most of the night. So alas, you and I might not be able to hang out."

"Okay," Spike sullenly murmured, "I understand."

"It'll be alright, Spike," Sir Verse asserted, "You're among over a dozen of your friends. Some of them are bound to make time for you tonight."

Spike seemed to cheer up at that. He joyfully announced "Awesome! 'Cause I planned out my insider's tour of Canterlot. I've gotta show Rarity the crown jewels, and Applejack the Princess's golden apple tree. And Pinkie, we gotta go to my favorite donut shop. Maybe I could also introduce Rough Rider to the Minister of Trade, and I could show Copper Hollow the Castle's arsenal."

He was loud enough so that everypony in both carriages could hear him. All he could hear was a bunch of excited chattered coming from within the carriages. He took that as approval for his suggestions, even though it most likely was not.

"Then let's get moving!" Spike yelled exuberantly. He cracked his reins and shouted "Hyah!"

In response to that, Caramel and Lucky Clover halted. Caramel promptly turned around, got up in Spike's face, and grumbled "Excuse me!?"

Spike cringed away and said nervously "Um... I..."

Verse A. Till quickly interceded and proclaimed "Peace, gentlestallions. He meant no harm."

Despite how annoyed and frustrated Spike's pullers had been about getting whipped, they agreed to heed Sir Verse's advice. Even so, Lucky Clover flashed a hostile glare at Spike and uttered threateningly "If you weren't friends with our neighbor Rarity... Hmph."

Verse A. Till had placed one hoof on the hilt of his sword, just in case any heated disputes broke out. When Caramel and Lucky Clover turned back around and continued pulling their carriage, he held his own reins in both front hooves again. Billow Health and Cashew Lane had hardly even slowed down, so their carriage was about ten paces ahead of the other one.

When Spike's carriage caught up, he looked over at Verse A. Till and told him appreciatively "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," was the glaucous stallion's candid reply.

Less than twenty minutes later, the carriages reached the base of the northern mountain. There they came to a winding passage that crawled upwards toward the city above. The path was long but not steep. In another twenty minutes, the carriages arrived at the top of the dirt road, and it opened onto a paved street of concrete.

There were many other carriages on this street, all of which were heading to the Gala, as well. Spike and Verse A. Till quickly fell in with them. Soon, they came to the outer courtyard at the front of Canterlot Castle.

At this point, the street broke off into a pathway of polished marble. This pathway extended all the way from the edge of the courtyard to the side gate of the Castle. The main gate was located in the city, and given how crowded the city was at that time, it was deemed more practical for one of the castle's secondary gates to be utilized for the Gala guests instead. The eastern gate had been selected as the best choice, given its location and surroundings.

This specific gate had a moat around it. The drawbridge and the portcullis had both been raised, and the entrance was being guarded by two of the Royal Guard.

At the start of the marble pathway, valets were directing other carriages over and helping the passengers climb out. Then the drivers and pullers were relieved of their burden, and the valets went to store the carriages in a private yard in the city.

Verse A. Till's carriage reached the marble pathway first. The valets swiftly moved to release Billow Health and Cashew Lane from their harnesses, and they aided Sir Verse A. Till as he came down from his bench. Nopony said a word about his sword, although it did draw a few stares.

Inside the carriage, Bronze Star had just changed back into his Alicorn form. After the gold stallion alerted the others, Rough Rider and Copper Hollow had covered the windows on the doors, and Noble Edict had pressed her back up against the window above the driver's bench. Then the three of them – along with Dapple Rhomb and Haywood McCrank – had tightly shut their eyes. That ensured that the transformation's blinding light was not seen by anypony.

Once Bronze Star's wings and horn reappeared, he opened his strongbox, removed his crown, and carefully placed it on top of its head. Then he shut his strongbox and locked it up.

"I'll bring your strongbox in for you, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank offered, extending his front hoof to the prince.

Bronze Star grinned and dropped the key in the elder stallion's hoof, saying "Thank you, Haywood."

As the indigo stallion pulled the metal suitcase closer to himself, Bronze Star rubbed his front hooves together and mumbled eagerly "Ho, this is going to be sweet."

During the latter half of their ride, Bronze Star had explained his idea for revealing his identity to Billow Health and Cashew Lane. He proposed that once their carriage reached its destination, he would change into his original appearance, don his crown, and teleport outside of the carriage. However, he would not teleport right outside of it. Instead, he would teleport to a position just in front of the side gate.

Long ago, Bronze Star had memorized the exact distance from the side gate to the tip of its outer courtyard. He never thought he would have any real need for that information. Now, it turned out he would. Without that bit of knowledge, he would have been unable to safely conduct his teleportation spell.

At any rate, once the carriage came to a complete stop and the valets moved to replace Cashew Lane and Billow Health, Bronze Star peered out the window on the left side of the car and focused on the side gate. Then a silver aura sparked on his horn, and he disappeared immediately after.

A moment later, he reappeared in midair. He was ten feet ahead of the gate and forty feet above the ground. His sudden materialization out of nowhere produced several gasps and yells from the ponies below. He flew a little lower so they could get a closer look at him. When they realized who he was, everypony settled down. Many of those ponies actually waved and called out to him, hoping to get his attention. Bronze Star smiled down all of them.

He quickly flew back to the brink of the courtyard. The carriage that had brought him was being led away by a pair of valets. The eight ponies who had travelled with him were clustered together near the start of the marble pathway. Haywood McCrank was balancing Bronze Star's strongbox on his back. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were trotting side-by-side to proudly declare that they were there as a couple. Verse A. Till was distracting Caramel and Lucky Clover so that they would not look up.

Cashew Lane and Billow Health had noticed that they were one passenger short. They were asking the others if they knew where the gold stallion had gone off to, but nopony gave them a straight answer.

When Bronze Star was close enough to them, Copper Hollow and Noble Edict instructed Cashew Lane and Billow Health to turn their attention to the sky. The shamrock stallion and the russet stallion complied, and they saw Bronze Star directly over their heads.

Initially, they were baffled by the resemblance the prince bore to Ambassador Gold Streak. Then it occurred to them that there was no Ambassador Gold Streak. When the truth dawned on them, they seemed downright flabbergasted.

Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and the others laughed in amusement at their dumbfounded expression. Bronze Star snickered a bit, too. He did feel somewhat guilty for pulling this type of prank on the two stallions, especially since it was because of them that he had gotten to Canterlot. Even so, he could not resist the opportunity to have a little fun with them.

Despite how profoundly shocked the two stallions must have been, they went from being astounded to being amused, as well. Soon they were grinning and chuckling alongside the prince and the other six ponies. So Bronze Star's practical joke had not gone too far, much to his relief.

Spike's carriage pulled up to the marble path a couple seconds later. He hopped off the bench and opened car's left door, bowing as he did so. Rarity was the first to emerge. She was quickly followed by Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. The six mares filed out in an orderly line; Applejack carried her trunk out with her.

When Spike rose and opened his eyes, his tail became so stiff that he was able to balance his whole body weight on it. He exclaimed "Whoa!"

This was the first time he had seen all six mares in their dresses for the Gala up-close. Needless to say, they were all quite stunning.

Spike could only stammer "You all look... amazing!"

Another pair of valets offered to take his carriage away, but Lucky Clover and Caramel claimed they could handle that on their own. They just needed some directions to the yard, which the valets were happy to provide.

Bronze Star was still hovering in midair. From the look of things, their arrival could not have been more perfectly timed. By this point, nearly everypony would planned to attend the Gala was either inside the Castle or out on the marble pathway.

The young prince waited as all fifteen of his companions presented their tickets to the head valet. After he collected all their tickets, they were allowed to go down the marble pathway, as well. They lingered near the start of the pathway so they could have a moment to absorb the fact that they were finally at the Grand Galloping Gala. It was almost impossible for most of them to contain their excitement.

Bronze Star flew back to the castle and rose to a height above the gate. From here, he bellowed in a powerful tone "Attention, please! My dear Equestrians… My honored guests and my fellow natives… Equines of all ages and backgrounds… On behalf of the Canterlot Royalty and the whole of the capital city… I officially welcome you to… The Grand Galloping Gala!"

At that, music abruptly started playing. The music signaled the opening ceremonies for the Grand Galloping Gala. Bronze Star knew that in the matter of commencement, music was traditional for the start of the Gala.

Singing, however, was not. Nevertheless, Bronze Star received a surprise of his own a few seconds later.

From the start of the marble pathway, Twilight Sparkle elatedly cried "I can't believe we're finally here. With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this... The Best Night Ever!"

She then closed her eyes and began to sing:

"At the Gala"

Several random bystanders repeated:

"At the Gala"

Fluttershy then flew ahead of her friends and sang in her soft voice:

"At the Gala

In the garden

I'm going to see them all

All the creatures

I'll befriend them at the Gala"

The choir again went:

"At the Gala."

The yellow mare then proceed down the pathway as she sang:

"All the birdies

And the critters

They will love me big and small

We'll become good friends forever

Right here at the Gala!"

A line of ponies had formed behind her. All of them marched and simultaneously sang:

"All our dreams will come true

Right here at the Gala

At the Gala"

Applejack then galloped in front of Fluttershy. She began to sing as well:

"At the Gala"

Immediately after each one of her lines, Verse A. Till, Noble Edict, Billow Health, Copper Hollow, Cashew Lane, Dapple Rhomb, and Rough Rider provided some backup vocals. The seven of them sang:

"It's amazing"

Applejack: "I will sell them"

Others: "Better hurry"

Applejack: "All my appletastic treats"

Others: "Yummy yummy"

Applejack: "Hungry ponies"

Others: "They'll be snacking"

Applejack: "They will buy them"

Others: "Bring your money"

Applejack: "Caramel apples, apple sweets"

Others: "Gimme some"

The orange mare wrapped up her lyrics with:

"And I'll earn a lot of money

for the Apple family!"

Now the entire choir formed two lines and sang as one:

"All our dreams and our hopes from now until hereafter

All that we've been wishing for will happen at the Gala

At the Gala"

As the lines separated, Rarity trotted through them and sang:

"At the Gala

All the royals

They will meet fair Rarity

They will see I'm just as regal at the Gala"

The choir repeated that last phrase:

"At the Gala"

The white mare continued with:

"I will find him

My Prince Charming

And how gallant he will be

He will treat me like a lady

Tonight at the Gala!"

Many of the guests sang together:

"This is what we've waited for to have the best night ever

Each of us will live our dreams

Tonight at the Gala

At the Gala"

Suddenly, the music picked up its pace. A round of trumpet fanfare could be heard all over the vicinity. Bronze Star looked over his shoulder and saw three of the Wonderbolts flying out from above the castle. They were much higher in the sky than he was, and they were going so fast that they left clouds of dust in their wake.

Rainbow Dash gazed up at them longingly. She sang in a fervent voice:

"Been dreamin'

I've been waitin'

To fly with those great ponies

The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks

Spinning round and having kicks

Perform for crowds of thousands

They'll shower us with diamonds

The Wonderbolts will see me right here at the Gala!"

As the three Wonderbolts withdrew back to the castle, the ponies on the marble pathway resumed singing:

"All we've longed for

All we've dreamed

Our happy ever after

Finally will all come true

Right here at the Grand Gala

At the Gala"

Right then, Pinkie Pie started bouncing up and down. She jumped so high that she almost came up to Bronze Star's level. She now had her turn to sing:

"I am here at the Grand Gala

For it is the best party

But the one thing it was missing was a pony named Pinkie

For I am the best at parties, all the ponies will agree

Ponies playing

Ponies dancing

With me at the Grand Gala!"

As she hopped further down the pathway, some of the other guests added in:

"Happiness and laughter at the Gala

At the Gala"

At that very moment, there was a collective gasp from the ponies on the ground. It could barely be heard over the volume of the music, but it did not escape Bronze Star's keen ears. He also noticed that many of the ponies on the ground were looking up, but they were not focused on him. They seemed more interested in something above and behind him.

Bronze Star turned around, and he gasped, too. His mother was high up in the sky. She had just emerged from a cloud in the sky, and she was gracefully gliding over to another nearby cloud. As she landed on the second cloud, Twilight Sparkle finally had an opportunity to sing. She sang:

"At the Gala"

Once more, Cashew Lane, Noble Edict, Rough Rider, Verse A. Till, Dapple Rhomb, Billow Health, and Copper Hollow lent their voices as backup singers. They repeated:

"At the Gala"

Twilight: "With the Princess"

Others: "With the Princess"

Twilight: "Is where I'm going to be"

Others: "She will be"

Twilight: "We will talk all about magic and what I've learned and seen"

Others: "She will see"

Twilight: "It is going to be so special

As she takes time just for me"

Everypony else joined in with:

"This will be the best night ever!"

Right then, everypony on the ground had formed one giant crowd, and they were all heading down the marble pathway together. Twilight was at the front of the assembly. As they all proceeded towards the open gate, they sang:

"Into the Gala we must go

We're ready now, we're all aglow

Into the Gala, let's go in and have the best night ever

Into the Gala, now's the time

We're ready and we look divine!

Into the Gala"

Fluttershy then appeared to Twilight's right and sang:

"Meet new friends"

The choir sang:

"Into the Gala"

Applejack stepped up to the right of Fluttershy and sang:

"Sell some apples"

Again, the choir went:

"Into the Gala"

Rarity trotted next to the left of Twilight and sang:

"Find my Prince"

Pinkie Pie then walked to the left of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash walked to the right of Applejack. The latter of them sang:

"Prove I'm great

As a Wonderbolt is"

Fluttershy: "To meet!"

Applejack: "To sell!"

Rarity: "To find!"

Rainbow Dash: "To prove!"

Pinkie Pie: "To whoop!"

Twilight Sparkle: "To talk!"

By now, the crowd had come to the end of the marble pathway. They were inches away from crossing the drawbridge. There they paused and energetically concluded the number with:

"Into the Gala

Into the Gala

And we'll have the best night ever!

At the Gala!"

The six Element Bearers had been at the front of the crowd. The rest of Bronze Star's companions had been at the very back of it. Yet somehow, by the time the singing and the music ended, all fourteen ponies had been standing within five meters of each other. They were just barely inside the castle.

Bronze Star gradually lowered himself to the ground and trotted over the drawbridge. As he moved onto the soft red carpet at the entrance of the castle, Haywood McCrank gave him his strongbox. The federal investigator had been the only pony other than the prince who had not contributed any lyrics to the song. Even so, both of them liked the song.

"What do you think, Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star queried.

The indigo stallion merely shrugged and observed "If this year's Gala is anything like that musical number, it should be fairly entertaining."

Spike then slid across the carpet on his knees and proclaimed "Yeah! This is gonna be the best night ever. You know why? Cause we're all gonna spend time at the Gala to-"

Before he could even finish, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle all bolted off in different directions. They moved so quickly and so unexpectedly that they knocked the baby dragon onto his backside. After he regained his senses, he finished his statement with "-gether."

He looked around and saw that nearly half of his companions were already gone. He leaned on his left claw and mumbled in defeat "Or not."

Cashew Lane, Bronze Star, Verse A. Till, Noble Edict, Rough Rider, Dapple Rhomb, Billow Health, Copper Hollow, and Haywood McCrank just chuckled.
> Conflict Resolution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although most ponies preferred to travel by train in modern times, there were certain days of the year when carriages were the more ideal method of transportation. The day of the Grand Galloping Gala was perhaps the foremost example. From any time between midnight and twilight, hundreds of carriages would traverse the roads in the country's vast wilderness. countryside. Throughout the day, no fewer than a dozen carriages had departed from every major city. Regardless of their origin, almost all of them had the same endpoint: Canterlot.

Despite all that, not every carriage in Equestria was utilized for passage to the capital city on the night of the Gala. Aside from taxis and military cars, there were a few privately-owned carriages that were only used every now and then.

One such carriage had left Chicacolt at around the same time that Bronze Star and his companions reached Canterlot Castle.

This particular carriage had a driver and two pullers. They were carrying three passengers: Sir Raoul Jowl, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Esopus Spitzenburg. The carriage was Spitzenburg's; the driver and pullers, too. The other day, their employer had notified them in advance that their services would be needed that night. The driver and pullers had been there to greet the three stallions when they arrived at Chicacolt's main train station.

Less than ten minutes elapsed between the instant when Spitzenburg, Lord Ambit, and Sir Raoul stepped off the train and the instant when they climbed into the carriage. Once they were settled, the driver instructed the pullers to head out.

Spitzenburg's office was located in the northwestern corner of the city, and his house was near the northern border. Normally, whenever Spitzenburg returned to the town by train, his carriage would bring him to one of those two locations.

That night was an exception. The driver and the pullers knew they were not going to either of those places. All Spitzenburg told them was that he had business in the east. Spitzenburg did not have to tell them where exactly they were going; they already knew that, as well.

As the carriage exited the city through the eastern border, the paved street turned into a dirt road. The pullers followed that road for about five miles. This carriage did not have a roof; the three passengers were out in the open. They could not speak of confidential matters without running the risk of being overheard.

They could hardly complain about that, though. The regions outside of Chicacolt were surprisingly calm and peaceful. Stars glittered brightly in the sky above them, and a gentle early summer breeze flowed through their manes. They passed the trip in almost total silence. The only sounds to be heard were the rotating of the wheels and the hoofsteps of the pullers.

Soon they came to their intended destination: a large plot of land.

This plot of land was owned by Spitzenburg. It covered an approximate area of ten acres by ten acres. Its perimeter was marked by a ten-foot brick wall. The top of the brick wall was lined with barbed wire. Every couple hundred feet, a security guard could be seen patrolling on the exterior. Nothing and nopony got even close to the wall without any of them noticing.

The only entrance into the vicinity was provided by an iron gate on the western border. At one point, the dirt road broke off into several other pathways; one of which ran through the gate. When the carriage got there, Spitzenburg's driver directed the pullers onto this pathway. As they drew nearer to the area, they heard a strange humming sound. It started out faint, but as they got closer, it became much louder.

A large shack had been built just outside the wall, right by the gate. It served as an outpost to the security guards. This outpost was manned by no fewer than three ponies at all times. A large window that covered the top half of most of its southern wall; against this wall were three electronic panels. The first panel opened and closed the gate. The second panel monitored the vicinity's motion detector system. The third panel supervised all other activity that occurred on the premises. A movable chair was positioned in front of each panel.

When the carriage was within fifteen meters of the shack, one of the on-duty security guards stepped outside and moved onto the dirt road. Esopus Spitzenburg opened his steel briefcase and removed a laminated sheet of paper.

The pullers brought the carriage to a total halt once they reached the security guard. Esopus Spitzenburg waved her over and showed her the laminated paper. She studied it up-close for a few seconds, and then she handed it back to the jade stallion. She grinned up at him and declared "Welcome back, Mr. Spitzenburg."

"Thank you," Spitzenburg rejoined. When the mare's eyes fell upon his fellow passengers, he gestured to Raoul Jowl and Ambit Dexter and disclosed "These two genlestallions are with me."

"Very well," the security guard acknowledged. She called over her shoulder "Open the gate and shut down the grid!"

Her two colleagues were stationed at the first two electronic panels on the south side of the outpost. Both of them made a few adjustments to the settings, and after that, the gate's massive iron doors slowly swung open, and the humming sound faded away. As long as that sound was off, it signified that the motion detector system was offline.

"Has everypony arrived?" Spitzenburg queried.

"Yes, sir," the security guard responded as she gave him back the laminated paper, "All sixteen. The last of them got here just ten minutes ago."

"Was the last one by any chance an onyx mare?" the jade stallion assumed.

"Actually, yes," the female security guard affirmed, "Interestingly, she came from the east, not the west. That means she must have trotted here from wherever she came, but there isn't another settlement in that direction for at least thirty miles."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Spitzenburg pronounced, "If she can, she tries to avoid being in public places. That's why she didn't come to Chicacolt by train or carriage. She likes to interact with as few ponies as possible."

"I believe that, sir," the female security guard wryly stated, "She seemed reluctant just to speak with us."

The other two security guards murmured in agreement. During this exchange, Ambit Dexter sat silently in his seat. Raoul Jowl, however, was beginning to feel a little impatient; this casual conversation was preventing them from continuing onward. Luckily, Spitzenburg did not keep it going.

"I'd like you to leave the gate open and keep the motion detector grid offline for now," Spitzenburg instructed the security ponies. He pointed out the driver and the pullers and proclaimed "These three are just dropping us off. Wait for them return, and once they're back on your side of the wall, reseal the gate and reactivate the system."

"Understood, sir," the female security guard asserted, saluting her employer.

Spitzenburg's carriage began to move again, and it passed through the massive gate. The pullers quickened their pace so that they could arrive at their final destination faster. Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl studied their surroundings as they pressed on.

At first glance, one would not think that this piece of property belonged to a member of the Apple Family. After all, nearly every rural establishment owned by the Apples contained vast fields of strong, healthy trees.

Whereas here, there was not a single tree to be seen anywhere within the area bounded by the brick walls. That was especially odd when considering that there were plenty of trees to be found just outside the perimeter. In addition to that, this land was green, flat, and fertile; very ideal for planting and growing.

In actuality, this patch of land had once been covered in apple trees just like Sweet Apple Acres. However, those trees had become a complication once Spitzenburg installed his new motion detector system. The system was so sensitive that even the slightest changes in space and density triggered the alarm. That included the rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs, and the falling of apples. As such, Spitzenburg had decided to uproot all the apple trees within that area and relocate them to his other orchards in Chicacolt. Now nothing grew there, even though things still could.

In the very center of the vicinity, there was a large three-story mansion. This was Spitzenburg's private retreat. He only came here on certain occasions, such as when he needed a break from the stresses of work or he needed some solitude. Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl would later find out that this was the very same building where Spitzenburg, Raging Tempest, and Sparker Blare had first formed the assassination conspiracy.

In less than five minutes, the carriage arrived at the front door of the mansion. There the driver helping Esopus Spitzenburg, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Sir Raoul Jowl climb out. Once the three passengers were on the ground with their belongings, the driver had the pullers turn the vehicle around and headed back the way they came.

Once the carriage was out of his line of sight, Spitzenburg directed Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul towards the building. Many of the windows on the ground and second floors were illuminated with the artificial light of lamps and chandeliers. On each side of the mansion, there was a thick wooden door. Spitzenburg now stood in front of the door on the western side of the building; this was the foundation's primary entrance and exit. He pounded his front hoof against it three times, and it was promptly answered by an onyx mare.

All three of those stallions knew this mare, and she knew all of them.

She first gave her attention to Ambit Dexter. She saluted the moccasin stallion and remarked formally "Commodore."

The Royal Guard was not one of the five branches of the Equestrian military, but they still held the War Council in very high esteem. Lord Ambit had been the Chairpony of the Council long before the onyx mare enlisted in the Royal Guard.

"At ease, Commander Crest," Lord Ambit muttered solemnly.

Clear Crest lowered her front leg and bluntly stated "I haven't gone by that title in a long time, sir. But if you wish, you may continue to address me as such."

The Commodore merely nodded in acknowledgement.

"Anything to report, Clear?" Raoul Jowl inquired.

"Nope, nothing," Clear Crest revealed. She was a little more informal with the cerise stallion. That was hardly surprising, considering their history. "Then again, I just got here, Raoul. But according to the others, there's been no unauthorized activity around here all day."

"Good; very good," Esopus Spitzenburg murmured in approval. He balanced his steel briefcase on his back and proclaimed "Then let's get started."

"Very well, Mr. Spitzenburg," Clear Crest coincided. She stepped aside so that the three stallions could enter. Once they were all inside, she closed the door and bolted it shut.

By then, the driver and the pullers had gotten the carriage back to the vicinity's entrance. Subsequently, the gate swung shut and locked back in place. At the same time, the humming sound returned, meaning that the motion detector system was back online.

So apart from the nineteen ponies inside the mansion, there was now nopony else on the grounds of Spitzenburg's retreat. That was how it appeared, at least.

A minute after Clear Crest shut the front door, there was movement on the roof of the mansion. If one looked closely, they would have seen the silhouettes of ten ponies up there. They were all clad from muzzle to tail in black. On their foreheads, they wore a type of mask. When they trotted around the roof, every step they made was very soft and graceful. Their hooffalls could not even be heard by anypony who may have been in the mansion's attic.

These ten ponies were the members of the Firebrand Regiment.

The Regiment had gotten to Chicacolt several hours earlier. Getting to the city and out of it had been simple. Getting onto the grounds of Spitzenburg's retreat had been the real challenge. Fortunately, they managed to find a solution through their resourcefulness.

Ruger had been one of the engineers who designed the prototype of Spitzenburg's motion detector system. Her team had tried their hardest to perfect the device, but even the final optimal product had a number of flaws. Spitzenburg's model was a little more up-to-date than the original, but it still had some of those flaws.

Ruger had been able to discreetly acquire the blueprints of the newer system. She had shown them to the other members of the Regiment and explained the flaws in detail.

The most noticeable flaw was that when the system was used on a very large area (such as an area of three acres by three acres or more), the system's generator could not extend to its immediate surroundings. In other words, the larger the area the system was programmed to cover, the less space it could cover in close proximity to the generator. Since Spitzenburg's retreat was ten acres by ten acres, Ruger estimated that all the space within a twelve-meter radius of the mansion would be left untouched by the motion detector system. That meant that once the Regiment got that close to the building, they could move around freely without fear of being detected. They just had to remain within thirty-six feet of the mansion at all times.

Of course, they had to cross the monitored area first. That was the truly difficult task. Flying and teleporting directly over were not viable options; the system could register wind and magic as easily as any physical mass.

Fortunately, Ruger knew another flaw that they could exploit. The system could keep theoretically remain online in perpetuity, but the generator needed to reset itself every now and then to continue running. Thus, every couple hours or so, the generator had to reduce its power so it could switch frequencies. Every time it did this, a few pockets opened in certain parts of its network. While the generator was resetting, these pockets would be momentarily untouched by the system, and anypony who knew how to find them could use them to get to the generator.

By observing the system that encompassed Spitzenburg's retreat, Ruger had been able to determine when and where one of those pockets would open up. She had the Firebrand Regiment move as close as they could safely get to that spot. They made certain to avoid stepping too close to the brick wall, lest they get spotted by Spitzenburg's security guards.

From that location, Ruger suggested that once the pocket opened, the Unicorn members of the Regiment would teleport themselves and the other members to that spot, and then they would teleport to the roof of Spitzenburg's mansion. The other nine members had no objections to her proposal.

In the time leading up to when the pocket opened, Ruger had repeatedly emphasized that they would have to be quick, as the pocket would only be open for about five seconds. If they were still in it when it closed, they would immediately be discovered.

They worked out the arrangements for teleportation in advance. They would have two trios and two pairs. Peacemaker would teleport himself, Heckler, and Ruger. Beretta would teleport herself, Walther, and Glock. Carabine would teleport himself, Koch, and half of their equipment. SIG Sauer would teleport himself, Caracal, and the other half of their equipment.

They waited patiently for their window of opportunity, and once it arrived, they hastily teleported to the coordinates Ruger had specified, and then they teleported to the roof of the mansion. Once all ten of them were up there, they rapidly gazed in all directions for signs of activity.

Much to their relief, the iron gates stayed locked, the security guards remained at their posts, and the atmosphere was as quiet and still as ever. Evidently, the Regiment had not triggered the alarm.

It had been over two hours since they had teleported to the roof of the mansion. They had been lying motionless on the roof for that entire time. Occasionally, one of the conspirators arrived at the gate and was allowed entrance by the security guards. Every time that happened, the motion detector system was deactivated long enough for the conspirator to reach the mansion.

It had occurred to the Regiment that they could have simply teleported onto the premises when the system was shut down for one of the conspirators to cross the land. Be that as it may, they were unwilling to teleport onto the vicinity whenever somepony else was outside the mansion whilst on the vicinity. The risk of being spotted was deemed too high.

At any rate, now that all the conspirators had arrived, the members of the Regiment no longer had to remain still as statues on the roof of the mansion. As soon as Clear Crest sealed the front door, SIG Sauer rose to his full height and softly announced "Alright, everypony; this is it. We're officially past the point of no return. We are to carry on at once."

That last statement marked the exact moment when the final stage of Bronze Star's plan was put into motion.

…

At that very same moment, hundreds of miles away, Spike had just been ditched by the Element Bearers. The baby dragon was still sulking about being unable to spend the evening with six of his best friends. Fortunately for him, he was still in the company of nine of his other acquaintances.

"Cheer up, Spike," Haywood McCrank bade the baby dragon, "There's bound to be a few ponies here who will be happy to socialize with you sometime tonight."

Spike rose back to his feet and smiled, saying "There must be if you say so, Sir Haywood. I've never know you to make an inaccurate deduction."

The indigo stallion scoffed and candidly uttered "I doubt anypony ever has."

Bronze Star was approached by Billow Health and Cashew Lane. The two stallions were smirking deviously at him, as if he had just made a very cunning joke. Since this was the first time they had been this close to him whilst he was in his Alicorn form, he could imagine what was going through their heads.

"I suppose I surprised you, gentlestallions," the young prince conjectured.

"Oh, quite so, Your Highness," Billow Health confirmed, "But truthfully, we were expecting to receive more than a few surprises tonight."

"Reasonable assumption," Bronze Star commented, "The Grand Galloping Gala is full of surprises for everypony."

"Then we can just consider yours as the first one," Cashew Lane contended.

"Well, it would certainly be fitting," Bronze Star concurred, "I'm just glad you two are taking it so well."

"Why the Tartarus wouldn't they?" Copper Hollow cheekily murmured, "They got to be chauffeurs for one of the most powerful ponies in the country without even realizing it."

"He has a point," Verse A. Till remarked, "Who wouldn't be in awe after doing something like that?"

"You got me there," Bronze Star stated. There came a short pause, and then he thought aloud "Well, we could spend the whole evening like this, just standing around and talking. But if we wanted to do that, we could have just stayed in Ponyville. Come on; I'd like to show you the overhyped phenomenon that is the Grand Galloping Gala."

"'Overhyped?'" Dapple Rhomb repeated, perplexed.

"Forgive me my sarcasm," Bronze Star drily said in response, "Now follow me, if you please."

The gold stallion then placed his strongbox on his back and allowed Spike to climb onto him. Once the baby dragon was sitting comfortably between his wings, Bronze Star led Noble Edict, Rough Rider, Verse A. Till, Billow Health, Cashew Lane, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, and Haywood McCrank down the wide corridor that intersected the castle's eastern gate.

This was one of the longest corridors in the whole of the castle. Even when trotting at a moderate pace, the nine ponies took over ten minutes to travel the entire length of it. When they reached the other end of the corridor, they arrived in the castle's foyer.

On the northern wall, there was a large staircase that broke off into two separate smaller flights of stairs halfway up. Princess Celestia was standing in the center of that stairwell. She was there to greet all the guests.

Twilight Sparkle suddenly appeared under the archway of the foyer's southern wall. She galloped towards the large staircase and speedily trotted up the steps. When she reached the platform at the halfway point, she exclaimed giddily "Princess Celestia!"

"Twilight!" the white Alicorn stated merrily, "It is so lovely to see my star student."

"Oh, I'm so excited to be here!" Twilight proclaimed, "We have so much to catch up on."

Celestia grinned and muttered "Well, I want you right by my side the entire evening, so we'll have plenty of time together."

Twilight rushed to her mentor's left side and commented "That's just what I was hoping you'd say."

At that moment, Lyrica Lilac and Royal Ribbon came up the staircase to give their regards to the princess. Bronze Star waited until they were gone, and then he looked to his companions and declared "Dapple, Rough, Cashew, Billow, I'd like you to meet my mother. Sir Verse, you should probably come with us. Noble, Copper, Sir Haywood, Spike, you can go ahead and start enjoying yourselves."

"Don't mind if we do," Spike uttered eagerly. He climbed off of Bronze Star's back and went off in search of recreation with Copper Hollow, Haywood McCrank, and Noble Edict.

Once the four of them were gone, Bronze Star had his other five accomplices follow him up the staircase. When they reached the middle of it, he lightly bowed to the white Alicorn and told her "Good evening, Mother."

Celestia smiled down at her son and pronounced "It's so good to have you home again, Bronze Star."

"It's good to be home, Mother," the young prince claimed. He then moved to a position that enabled him to face the white Alicorn, the lavender Unicorn, and his five companions all at once, and he announced "There are a few ponies I'd like to introduce to you."

Princess Celestia eyed these other individuals in interest. Dapple Rhomb stepped forward first, and Bronze Star revealed "This is my secretary, Dapple Rhomb."

"Your Highness," the purple mare said respectfully, tilting her head towards the larger mare.

"Welcome to the Gala, my dear," Celestia bade her. She quickly realized that Dapple Rhomb's midsection was somewhat swollen, and she presumed "You are with foal?"

"Yes, I am," Dapple Rhomb admitted, adjusting her dress so it covered more of her abdomen, "Thank you for noticing."

"As somepony who has been in your situation before, it would have been difficult for me NOT to notice," Celestia professed. Bronze Star snickered at that. His mother continued to smile, and she said "I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"That means a lot to me, Your Highness," Dapple Rhomb murmured sincerely, touched by that remark.

Celestia then diverted her attention to the three new stallions who had accompanied Bronze Star and Verse A. Till. She hypothesized "I assume one of you gentlestallions is the father?"

Rough Rider moved next to his wife and proudly stated "That would be me, Your Highness."

"This is Dapple's husband, Rough Rider," Bronze Star apprised the white Alicorn.

Celestia nodded her head in acknowledgment. She asked curiously "So, what do you do, Mr. Rider?"

"I'm a salespony," the olive stallion illuminated, "Specifically, a travelling salespony by trade. I've sold merchandise all over the country."

"Have you been to Canterlot before?" Celestia enquired.

"Yes, we have," Rough Rider claimed, "In fact, about ten months ago, we were in one of this castle's tour groups."

"Well, I hope your second visit to the Castle is just as exciting as your first one," Celestia proclaimed.

"We're confident it will be, Your Highness," Dapple Rhomb contended.

The olive stallion and the purple mare then trotted back down the staircase and went off to partake in the festivities.

Bronze Star then presented the russet Pegasus and the shamrock Earth Pony to his mother. He elucidated "This is Doctor Billow Health, a physician from Detrot, and this is Cashew Lane, an officer on Ponyville's security force."

The doctor and the security officer both bowed deeply to Celestia. After they stood back up, she remarked "Pleasure to meet you, gentlestallions. How did you come to be acquainted with my son?"

"Well, technically, Your Highness, we didn't become acquainted with him until about a half-hour ago," Cashew Lane expounded, "Up until then, we thought he was 'Ambassador Gold Streak.'"

"How so?" Celestia inquired.

"Like most of the other guests, we got here by carriage," Billow Health disclosed, "Mr. Lane and I were the pullers on the carriage that brought Prince Bronze Star here. When he and got in, his back and forehead were bare. When we opened the doors to let him out, we found we were one passenger short."

"Then we looked up," Cashew Lane continued for him, "We discovered that the prince had teleported out of the carriage, and he was flying in the air over our heads."

Twilight Sparkle chuckled and wryly commented "I'll never forget the expressions on your faces when you realized Bronze and the Ambassador were the same pony."

"Oh, we were just as amused as you were, Twilight," Cashew Lane insisted, "Prince Bronze Star certainly knows how to pull a practical joke."

"I learned from the best," Bronze Star claimed, gazing over at his mother out of the corner of his eye. She snickered at that subtle gesture.

Celestia looked back down at Billow Health and Cashew Lane and queried "Do you stallions have anything special planned for tonight?"

"Actually, I'm hoping to shake hooves with the Surgeon General," Billow Health enlightened her, "Where might I find him?"

"Purple Heart is currently in the ball room, Doctor," Celestia informed him.

"Thank you, Your Highness," the russet stallion bowed his head again, and then he headed down the staircase and went to find the ball room.

"I think I'll just hang out with Noble and Copper for a while," Cashew Lane supposed, "Maybe she can help him and me to get to know some of the locals."

"Give them my regards, if you would," Celestia beckoned the shamrock stallion.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Cashew Lane avowed, dipping his head slightly. He then turned back to Bronze Star and suggested "We must talk again sometime later tonight."

"Alright," the gold stallion conceded. Cashew Lane trotted down the staircase and left the foyer through the same doorway that Noble Edict and Copper Hollow had gone through.

Now the only ponies left on the stairwell were Bronze Star, Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Verse A. Till.

The white mare finally acknowledged the glaucous stallion and pronounced "I'm glad to see you here tonight, Sir Verse. Especially since I haven't seen much of you lately. Or Lord Ambit, for that matter."

"I apologize for that, Your Highness," Verse A. Till uttered in assurance, "We've been preoccupied with a job outside of the city."

"What job might that be?" Celestia inquired in interest.

Verse A. Till had anticipated that he would be asked this question. Luckily, he and Bronze Star had composed and rehearsed a believable response to it in advance.

The glaucous stallion straightforwardly explained:

"Lord Ambit Dexter and I have spent the past few weeks in Ponyville. With all the dangers that have cropped up there in the past year – such as the Nightmare Moon fiasco, an Ursa Minor attack, a parasprite infestation, and two dragon sightings – Prince Bronze Star has developed some concerns for the town's safety. Although Ponyville has gotten through most of those incidents unscathed, he does not want the town to be unprepared if something even worse hits it. So he summoned me and the Commodore there to evaluate Ponyville's defenses."

"What did you conclude?" Twilight Sparkle inquired. She had become just as intrigued in this discussion as Celestia, and like Bronze Star, Ponyville's safety meant very much to her.

"I'm pleased to say the town does not need military enhancements," Verse A. Till revealed, "Its location and environments serve as ideal natural fortifications. In addition to that, the residents are quite capable of defending themselves and their homes if they must. That can be attributed to the spirit of community that is prevalent in the entire town. As a result, we have decided that Ponyville is secured enough in its current state."

"That's quite a relief," Twilight commented cheerily.

"Indeed," Celestia conceded, "That would explain why you and Ambit Dexter have been away these past few weeks. But tell me; why isn't the Commodore here now?"

"Lord Ambit wished to stay behind in Ponyville to deliver his report to the security staff," Bronze Star explicated, "Since Lady Noble Edict and Deputy Chief Copper Hollow are both here tonight, the Commodore is presenting our findings to Official Rollin Fields. Mr. Fields is a very methodical stallion, and he wanted to go over every last detail. Ambit Dexter knows they could have waited until after the Gala to do this, but he preferred not to stall the process."

"In that case, I can understand and excuse his absence tonight," Celestia proclaimed, "I'm also pleased to know that Ponyville is still in good hooves."

"We all are, Your Highness," Verse A. Till contended, "The prince in particular. I'm not surprised he became so concerned about the town's well-being. If I lived there long enough, I would probably come to regard it as a second home, as well."

At that, Celestia looked to her son and stated inquisitively "Is that true? You've begun to view Ponyville as a second home?"

Bronze Star lightly shrugged and professed "Canterlot will always be my hometown and the city I grew up in, Mother. But after living in Ponyville for nearly a year, I have become very familiar with the town itself and the populace. Right now, I feel just as comfortable and at home there as I do here."

He was a little worried that his mother would view that statement negatively. To his relief, she actually seemed a little elated to hear that. She smiled widely and told her son "Then be sure to thank Sir Verse. It's partly because of him that you even went there."

That sparked Bronze Star's curiosity. "How do you mean?"

"Although I was the one who advised you to go to Ponyville, Sir Verse was the one who put the idea in my head," Celestia notified her son.

The gold stallion raised an eyebrow, turned to Verse A. Till, and murmured "Is that true?"

"It is, Your Highness," the glaucous Unicorn affirmed.

"I would elaborate on this matter, but at the moment, I need to keep the receiving line going," Celestia proclaimed, "So I'm afraid I'll be a little too busy with greeting the guests to converse with you."

"I understand, Mother," Bronze Star asserted, "I wasn't planning on staying in any one place for very long tonight, anyway. I'm going to go and see how the rest of my friends from Ponyville are doing."

"Please give them my regards when you see them," Celestia beckoned her son.

"I shall," Bronze Star solemnly declared, "Oh, and before I leave, could you tell where Lord Bellerophon and Aunt Luna are?"

"Bellerophon is in the garden enclosure," Princess Celestia apprised him, "Incidentally, I believe I saw Fluttershy heading that way, as well."

"Well, the castle's indigenous plant life and wildlife are the main reasons she wanted to attend the Gala in the first place," Bronze Star drily contended, "What about Princess Luna?"

His mother did not answer straightaway. Initially, she almost appeared hesitant to give a reply. Ultimately, she sighed and revealed "Your aunt is in the observatory on the top floor of the Astronomy Tower. She told me she would rather remain there for the duration of the Gala."

Bronze Star was astounded. He perceived "I know she must carry out her royal duties as the Princess of the Night, but that doesn't mean she has to spend every single second watching over Equestria."

"Bronze, I don't think that's the reason why she isn't here," Twilight grimly contended.

Almost immediately, Bronze Star knew what the lavender mare meant. When he first met his aunt, she had been very reclusive and antisocial. In the time since she had returned to Ponyville, she had gradually improved her ability to mingle with other ponies. Even so, she still had no desire to mingle with too many ponies at one time. Since Canterlot Castle received more visitors on the night of the Grand Galloping Gala than any other day of the year, one could hardly blame Luna for choosing to opt out of it.

"If she doesn't want to participate, I'll respect her wishes," Bronze Star decided, "But sometime later – like after midnight – I think I'll pay her a visit."

"Oh, she'd love that," Celestia commented with a nod of approval.

Bronze Star then bade his mother and her apprentice a lovely evening, and he and Sir Verse A. Till trotted back down to the base of the staircase. The gold Alicorn was still carrying his strongbox on his back.

"Would you like me to hold onto that for you, Your Highness?" the glaucous Unicorn offered.

"If you wouldn't mind, Sir Verse," Bronze Star replied gratefully.

He passed his strongbox over to the older stallion. Once Sir Verse was able to balance it on his own back, he inquired "Where to now?"

Before Bronze Star could give him an answer, he spotted his cousin Prince Blueblood near the southern wall of the foyer. Presently, he seemed to be on his own. Bronze Star would have thought Rarity would have approached him by then.

Then he saw the white Unicorn enter the foyer through the western entrance. As soon as she spotted Blueblood, she gasped and squealed in excitement. At that moment, Blueblood was passing through one of the smaller doors in the southern wall. This particular exit led out into the main courtyard.

Rarity eagerly began to head in that direction. She constantly alternated her pace between a trot and a gallop, and she mumbled under her breath "Hurry, Rarity... Oh, but not too fast. But don't wanna lose him... WAIT! Have to play it cool. Oh, but don't be cold! I can't lose him, I can't! He's everything I imagined! Even better than I imagined."

Blueblood had just picked a rose from one of the bushes and struck a pose with it. To Rarity, he looked invigorating. Bronze Star, on the other hoof, knew better. Blueblood was doing that to make himself look good, not to entice Rarity.

Bronze Star hastily trotted over to the fashionista and told her "Just a moment, Rarity. Let me have a word with my cousin first."

As thrilled as Rarity was right then, she nodded her head and said in agreement "Okay, Bronze."

Verse A. Till remained back with Rarity as Bronze Star trotted over Blueblood. When the gold stallion was within earshot of the white stallion, he called out "Hey, Blueblood!"

Blueblood slowly turned around and came face-to-face with his cousin. He muttered disinterestedly "Bronze Star. Where have you been?"

"Elsewhere," Bronze Star frankly responded, "That's not important though. You see that mare behind me?"

Blueblood gazed over the Alicorn's shoulder and spotted Rarity standing in the doorway. She flushed and turned away, unable to look him in the eye. Verse A. Till scoffed.

"What about her?" Blueblood asked.

"She wants to meet you," Bronze Star revealed.

"Who wouldn't?" Blueblood smugly rejoined.

Bronze Star ignored that statement. He stepped up to his cousin, gripped him by his necktie, and pulled him closer until their muzzles were almost touching. He uttered in a hauntingly calm tone "She's a close friend of mine, and she's been looking forward to meeting you for a very long time. So I want to make this absolutely clear: Treat her with the same respect you'd treat me or my mother with. Otherwise, I'll throw you through the nearest wall."

Blueblood had five years, fifty pounds, and eight inches on his cousin, but Bronze Star was at least three times stronger than him. He knew the gold Alicorn was more than capable of carrying out that threat. Even so, if the white Unicorn was intimidated by it, he gave no indication of it. He merely nodded his head and mumbled "If you insist."

"Good," Bronze Star grinned, released his cousin's necktie, and patted him on the shoulders. After that, he trotted back over to Rarity and remarked "He's all yours."

"Thank you," Rarity murmured appreciatively.

As the white mare followed the white stallion further into the courtyard, Verse A. Till enquired "Do you think Rarity actually has a chance with Prince Blueblood, Your Highness?"

"Not at all," Bronze Star straightforwardly admitted, "But at the very least, he should let her have this night."

Just then, a small yellow and gray bird flapped past the two stallions. It gracefully landed on a bush and rested momentarily. Then it rose back up and flew away.

Having heard the bird chirping, Fluttershy hurried over. She ecstatically commented "Oh my! A meadowlark!"

She quickly trotted after the small bird. Before she could reach it, it disappeared behind a hedge. But almost immediately after it vanished, the sound of whistling permeated the air.

Fluttershy assumed that that was some sort of signal meant for her. She giddily murmured "I think she's calling to me. It's exactly what I wished for!"

She hummed melodiously, and she was answered by another whistle.

Before the yellow mare could follow the whistling, Bronze Star trotted over to her and apprised her "Fluttershy, if you're interested, the Castle's most interesting specimens of plants and animals are located over there."

At that, he gestured to a pair of finely-trimmed hedges that formed a barrier between the garden enclosure and the rest of the courtyard. The whistling sound appeared to originate from the other side of the hedges.

Fluttershy grinned at the gold stallion and told him "Thanks, Bronze. I'll go check it out."

"I hope you like what you see," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Be very gentle with the animals, though. They're not used to other ponies fawning over them."

"I can be gentle," Fluttershy softly declared.

Verse A. Till smirked and murmured "We know."

As Fluttershy stepped between the twin hedges, a tall palomino Pegasus stepped out from behind them. When he saw the gold Alicorn and the glaucous Unicorn, he gradually approached them and stated cordially "Hello, Your Highness. Greetings, Sir Verse."

"Evening, my lord," Verse A. Till saluted Princess Celestia's chief of staff, "What have you been up to?"

"I was just admiring all of the gardens' exotic forms of vegetation," Lord Bellerophon responded.

"Yeah, they're quite a marvel," Bronze Star conceded, "But they can wait. The meeting between Lord Ambit and the conspirators must have started by now."

"When will the Regiment report in?" Bellerophon queried. The palomino stallion was one of only sixteen ponies who knew all the details pertaining to the assassination conspiracy.

"Soon enough," the young prince claimed, "Sir Verse will be in charge of our correspondence with them. I've allowed him the use of my blackboard for the duration of the operation."

"Would you like to get it out, Your Highness?" Verse A. Till proposed.

"No, let's move to a secluded location first," Bronze Star recommended.

The three stallions thought about going back inside. Just then, Applejack came out into the courtyard. Her trunk was now on wheels, and she was nudging it forward with her head. She stopped in front of a huge pair of decorated stone pillars. She deemed this to be the most strategically ideal spot to open her booth.

The orange mare gave her trunk a swift buck with her hind legs, and it automatically transformed into a makeshift stand. Once it was up, Applejack moved behind the stand. Almost immediately, she was approached by a male Pegasus.

This stallion was Soarin, an officer in the Wonderbolts. He served as First Lieutenant under the command of Captain Spitfire. Like all other Wonderbolts who attended the Gala, he was in full uniform.

"Howdy, partner!" Applejack greeted him, "You hungry?"

"As a horse!" Soarin pronounced.

Applejack was pleased to hear that. "Well, what'cha hankering for? Caramel apple? Apple pie? Apple fritter? Apple fries?"

"I'll take that big apple pie!" Soarin told her jubilantly.

He deposited two bits into the bucket at the base of Applejack's stand, and in exchange, she gave him the whole apple pie. As he took it in his mouth, she stated "Well, thank you kindly, sir!"

After Soarin headed back inside, Applejack yelled joyfully "Yee-haw! In the first minute, I made my first sale. Just like I expected."

Bronze Star and his two associates trotted over to his fillyfriend, and he commented "Impressive. Most first-time merchants rarely manage to pull that off in this city."

"Well, it ain't beginner's luck," Applejack cheekily declared, "I've been getting ponies to buy this stuff for years."

"Then either your products are exceptionally good, or you are very persuasive," Verse A. Till theorized.

"Probably both, Sir Verse," Applejack alleged.

When Lord Bellerophon rejoined the other two stallions, Applejack gazed up at him and suggested "Can I offer you something, my lord?"

"Actually, I haven't eaten all day," Bellerophon disclosed, "I'll take two packs of apple fries."

"Very well," Applejack coincided. The Castle's chief of staff deposited four bits into her bucket, and she handed over two packs of her apple fries. Verse A. Till had decided that he was quite parched, so he paid her another three bits for a jug of fresh apple juice.

Bronze Star smirked and observed "At this rate, you'll be bringing in some hefty profits before midnight."

"That's what I'm shootin' for," Applejack muttered eagerly.

Her coltfriend lightly nodded his head in acknowledgement. After that, he professed "In the meantime, the Firebrand Regiment is working diligently to accomplish an objective of their own. You needn't worry yourself with that, Applejack. Sir Verse will be communicating with them all throughout the night."

Applejack somberly nodded her head and enquired "When will they send their first progress report?"

"First they have to check in," Bellerophon apprised her, "Then they'll send a report."

"In any case, we should be hearing from them very soon," Bronze Star disclosed. He then removed the key to his strongbox from his wing and held it out to Verse A. Till. As the glaucous Unicorn took the key, the prince stated "Go ahead and get out the blackboard, Sir Verse. If you are uncertain about how to use it, Lord Bellerophon can aid you."

"I'm confident that I can manage, Your Highness," Sir Verse A. Till assured him.

Bronze Star did not doubt the older stallion's claim. He looked around at the three ponies and informed them "As you know, I cannot spend the whole evening here; I'm expected to pay royal homage to the guests. So while I'm gone, Sir Verse, I need you to be ready for updates from the Regiment at all times. Make a note of everything they tell you, and then write them back to acknowledge that we have received their notice. If they ask for instructions on how to proceed tactically or if something urgent has transpired, send Lord Bellerophon to find me and bring me back here. Otherwise, you don't have to bother with seeking me out. Applejack, you don't have to do anything but sell your products. But if you're curious about the Regiment's progress, just ask Sir Verse and he'll tell you."

Verse A. Till, Bellerophon, and Applejack agreed to those terms. Once he had assurances, Bronze Star muttered "I'll be back in a bit."

The gold stallion swiftly made his way to the VIP section of the Gala. That area and the pathway leading up to it were marked off by rows of gold stanchions connected by red rope. Around half of the ponies in the VIP section were Wonderbolts. Most of the other half appeared to be members of the Canterlot Elite, but there were a few notable exceptions.

Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Cashew Lane were standing at one table in the back. Noble's status as a Lady had earned her VIP status, and Copper and Cashew had been allowed entrance to the VIP section simply for being in her company. Presently, the three of them were chatting with two of the Wonderbolts.

Bronze Star could have gone into the VIP section if he wished to, but he felt the non-VIPs deserved some attention, as well. So instead, he spent some time shaking hooves and exchanging introductions with the ponies gathered outside the VIP section. Every pony he spoke to was very courteous to him.

Before long, Soarin showed up. In his mouth, he still held the apple pie Applejack had sold him. When he reached the edge of the VIP section, his superior officer – Captain Spitfire – landed in front of him and cockily observed "Always hungry after a show. Eh, Soarin?"

"Heh. Yeah!" Soarin bluntly affirmed. When he talked, he opened his mouth just wide enough for his pie to slip out. He gasped and shouted in despair "My pie!"

Luckily for him, Rainbow Dash was very close-by. She flew through the air with her front hooves extended. She dove in front of Soarin and caught his pie just before it could touch the ground.

As the cyan mare rose back up into the air, Soarin grinned at her and uttered gratefully "You saved it. Thanks."

"Hey, no prob," Rainbow Dash asserted, giving him back the pie.

Bronze Star was quite amused by how melodramatic that scene had been. He gazed around at the crowds and humorously yelled "It's alright, folks! No cause for alarm! The crisis has been averted!"

That earned a number of laughs from the ponies in the vicinity. Rainbow Dash snickered a bit, as well. As she set back down on the ground, she remarked sardonically "Very funny, Bronze."

Spitfire then stepped closer to the cyan mare and proclaimed "Hey! I know you. You're the pony that saved us in Cloudsdale and won The Best Flyer Competition."

"Hay yeah!" Rainbow proudly confirmed "Name's Rainbow Dash."

"Well, Rainbow Dash. Looks like your skills saved us again," Spitfire perceived, "Oh, well, at least they saved Soarin's apple pie."

Soarin had set his pie down on the ground in front of him. Now he was greedily scarfing it down. Between his large bites, he mumbled "Yeah..."

"Lovely," Bronze Star commented, a little disturbed by the Wonderbolt's etiquette. Or lack thereof.

While her lieutenant was gorging himself, Spitfire asked Rainbow Dash "Wanna come hang out with us?"

"Sure," the weather maker casually responded, "Why not?"

As Spitfire, Misty Fly, Fleetfoot, and a few more members of the Wonderbolts passed into the VIP section, Rainbow Dash followed them close behind. She stood at the entrance of the section and whispered elatedly "I'm... hanging... with the... Wonderbolts!"

She squealed like a fangirl and galloping into the VIP section, giggling all the while.

Bronze Star lingered in that area for a few minutes more. At one point, he noticed Haywood McCrank was at another table with Iron Claymore, the director of the Intelligence Bureau. The two stallions seemed deeply engaged in conversation. Every now and then, Sir Haywood marginally turned his head towards another direction. It was as though something other than his boss had caught his attention.

Bronze Star soon realized what it was. The six staffers who had been selected to represent the six companies of the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates were gathered around another table. They did not appear to be demonstrating any suspicious behavior. Even so, Bronze Star knew Sir Haywood was not going to stop watching the staffers until he was absolutely certain they were not working for the Vermane. The gold stallion just hoped the indigo stallion would not obsess over that theory or drive himself mad with it.

Since the merger between the conglomerates would not be made until after midnight, Bronze Star felt he could wait until later to speak with the staffers.

About five minutes later, the prince went back inside the Castle. He decided to stop by the ballroom next. On his way there, he encountered Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider at the buffet table. The purple mare was treating herself to a bowl of pickled beets, a block of parmesan cheese, and a strawberry éclair. Even more intriguing was the fact that she was eating all three at once.

The olive stallion was just a few feet away from her. He was in the middle of a conversation with three ponies whom Bronze Star recognized as local entrepreneurs. Evidently, Rough Rider was trying to convince those ponies to allow him to sell their goods in other cities. Based on their facial expressions, he was very close to getting them to agree to a deal.

Bronze Star went to the ballroom next. Dozens of ponies were in that room. Most of them were in pairs or trios. A lot of these ponies, Bronze Star was acquainted with.

He spotted Billow Health speaking with Purple Heart. The two physicians could have been discussing medicine, their favorite cases, or their personal lives. Whatever the subject of their talk was, they were both quite engrossed in the conversation.

The five chiefs of the War Council could be found in various parts of the ballroom. In one spot, there was Haute Cuisine, the Castle's head chef. In another spot, there was Wood Reaper, the royal carpenter. Several of the Royal Guard were present, as well. Those included Comet Frost, Hammer Shaft, Swiftdrive, Stone Cracker, and Blade Bearer.

In the very back of the room, Bronze Star saw his cousin, Princess Cadence, sitting with Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard. If one looked closely, one could see that the two of them were holding hooves.

At the far end of the room there was a stage. On it there four musicians playing calm, gentle music that nicely complemented the formal ambiance of the Gala.

Frederick Horseshoepin was on the piano, Parish Nandermane was on the harp, Beauty Brass was on the sousaphone, and Octavia Melody was on the cello. Together they formed perhaps the most acclaimed classical quartet in Equestria.

It was rumored that Octavia was just as fond of modern music, as well. This was primarily attributed to her friendship with Vinyl Scratch, a renowned disc jockey from Ponyville. Some suggested that the two mares were more than just friends, but again, that was just a rumor.

Nopony was dancing yet. Bronze Star found that odd; the aura was very ideal for slow dancing. Then again, the night was still pretty young. There would be plenty of time for dancing later on. For now, he figured that the guests could just enjoy the other forms of merriment the Gala had to offer.

Bronze Star chose to stand near the door and listen to the music for a while. At the same time, he observed the other guests as they interacted with each other. The setting was very soothing and serene.

A couple minutes later, Pinkie Pie sauntered into the ballroom. Bronze Star grinned and muttered "Hey, Pinkie. I was wondering when I'd see you. Where have you been?"

"I've been looking for the ballroom, Bronze," the pink mare illuminated, "I don't suppose you can tell me where it is?"

"You just entered it," the gold stallion slyly notified her.

Pinkie Pie examined her surroundings, and her mood instantly shifted from curious to enthusiastic. She uttered through barely-contained elation "The shiny dance floor... The pretty party ponies... Ooh, the fancy band... Shiny! Pretty! Fancy!"

Unable to hold back her glee any longer, she shrieked "GOTTA DANCE!"

As the pink mare bolted into the ballroom, Bronze Star mumbled anxiously "Oh, dear."

Pinkie Pie bounced all over the room as she sang in delight:

"I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala,

I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala,

I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala,

It's all I ever dreamed.

It's all I ever dreamed, woo hoo!

It's all I ever dreamed, yippee!

I'm at the Grand Galloping GalaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

When she finished that high note, she realized that nopony else was behaving as rambunctiously as she was. She had drawn a large number of stares from the other guests. Most of them were glaring at her in annoyance or fury. A certain few pitied her for making a complete fool of herself in public.

Pinkie Pie nervously slunk over to the side of the ballroom and quietly uttered "It's all I've ever... dreamed?"

Normally, Bronze Star would have cringed in discomfort at such a display. But he felt the Gala could use some of Pinkie Pie's spirit. It would certainly liven things up. Even so, he was compelled to intervene on Pinkie's behalf. Once the pink mare was out of the ballroom, he announced "Please excuse her, everypony. She's very drunk."

Again, the prince produced a large amount of laughter from the guests. Moreover, that statement made most of them view Pinkie's actions as more comical than disturbing. They could actually understand and even somewhat excuse her behavior if she was inebriated. After all, it was likely that many of them would be more than a little wasted by the end of the Gala, as well.

"Nice save, Your Highness," a husky voice addressed Bronze Star from his side.

Bronze Star turned his head and saw that he had been approached by Blade Bearer. He smirked and remarked "Thanks, Blade. I just hope Pinkie won't get 'drunk' again."

"If you'd like, I could watch her and ensure that she doesn't 'drink,'" Blade Bearer proposed.

"I appreciate the offer," Bronze Star contended, "But Pinkie's tougher to control than you might think. No, you can let her be. Just make sure she doesn't hurt anypony."

"I will," Blade Bearer assured him. There was a short interval of silence, and then the light brown Unicorn leaned closer to the gold Alicorn and mentioned "While I'm here, I must have a word with you, Your Highness."

Bronze Star turned to face the Royal Guard and queried "About what?"

"A certain event that happened in Ponyville," Blade Bearer clarified.

Bronze Star frowned and uttered crossly "Blade, I thought we agreed never to speak of the train massacre outside of Ponyville."

"I'm not talking about the train massacre," Blade Bearer apprised him.

Now Bronze Star was intrigued. "Then what are you talking about?"

Blade Bearer cautiously gazed over his shoulders, as though he was worried that somepony may have been eavesdropping. When he was certain that nopony was listening, he told the prince "It's Sir Haywood. He may be hiding something."

…

Back in Chicacolt, the fifth and final phase of Bronze Star's plan to purge the assassination conspiracy was well underway.

After Esopus Spitzenburg, Ambit Dexter, and Raoul Jowl entered the mansion, the members of the Firebrand Regiment busied themselves with securing the building's exterior. Each one of them handled a different task.

Firstly, Ruger distributed communicators to the others. These were the communicators that were the size of a thumbtack and could be inserted into one's ear. Although the earpieces could be locked in place, they could be removed from the ear without any difficulty, as well.

Once everypony was wearing his or her communicator, SIG Sauer ordered everypony to carry out their duties. As they dispersed, Ruger reminded everypony that they could safely move everywhere within twelve meters of the mansion. But it was imperative that they did not stray any further than that, lest they be picked up by the motion detector system.

Although there were only ten of them, the Regiment was able to effectively surround the mansion.

Beretta stood at the westernmost point of the safe zone. There she assembled her firing apparatus, and after loading a projectile into the chamber, she glimpsed through the scope and aimed it at the mansion's front door. From that position, she had an excellent view of the entire western side of the building. She was primarily focused on the front door. Although the plan was to make the conspirators' deaths look like accidents, the Regiment could not afford to take any chances. If the situation called for it, Beretta was prepared to shoot anypony who came out that door. Unless, of course, it was Lord Ambit Dexter or Sir Raoul Jowl.

Glock circled around the building and visually examined all the first-floor windows. He was able to verify that each of them could be blocked from the outside. Heckler flew in the air above him, and he studied the second- and third-floor windows in the same fashion. He concluded that those windows could be forced shut from the outside, as well. This meant that if the conspirators attempted to escape the building by jumping out a window, the Regiment would be able to prevent them from doing so.

Koch, Peacemaker, and Carabine stood in close proximity to the mansion's side and back entrances on the northern, southern, and eastern walls of the building. At that time, they were merely standing guard at those doors. Each of them would have another, more crucial job to do later that evening.

While everypony else was focused on the actual assignment, Ruger was instead concentrating on what would happen afterwards. Once the operation had been accomplished, the Regiment would need to make a clean getaway. Presently, Ruger was pacing the boundaries of the safe zone. She was using a device to monitor the fluctuations of the motion detector system. Once the device contained enough data about the system's rotating frequencies, she used that information to determine when the next pockets in the network would open up.

The lounge Clear Crest had spoken of earlier was in the center of the mansion's second story on the western wall. It was the largest room in the building, and the meeting between Ambit Dexter and the conspirators was taking place there.

Caracal was flying just outside the window to that room. She had taken out the device she used in Hoofington to overhear the interaction between Material Study and Raoul Jowl; the one that resembled half a stethoscope. She inserted the eartip into her right ear, and she pressed the chest piece firmly against the lower right corner of the windowpane. Then she hovered to the left of the window so that nopony on the inside would see her.

Walther flew a hundred feet over the mansion. He had a fantastic bird's-eye view of the entire retreat. From that vantage point, he could see everything and everypony for miles in every direction. If anypony else entered the vicinity, he would be the first to know. Since he was clad in black like the rest of the Regiment, none of the security guards around the perimeter could see Walther, but he could see all of them.

SIG Sauer was the only one who was still on the roof of the mansion. From there, he monitored the activities of his colleagues and the advancement of the operation. He had the Regiment's blackboard with him, and he used it to send reports of their progress to Bronze Star's blackboard often. Luckily for him, the Moon provided just enough light for him to clearly write and read messages on the blackboard.

In the lounge, there were two couches, three recliners, and a comfortable chair crowded around a coffee table. The only one of them that faced Caracal's window was the comfortable chair. Ambit Dexter had made sure to sit in the chair so that nopony else would be apt to notice the chest piece of Caracal's listening device.

Of the twenty original proponents of the assassination conspiracy, only Livewire and Material Study were unaccounted for, and both of them had been killed. All eighteen remaining conspirators were gathered in that room with Lord Ambit.

Sparker Blare, Raging Tempest, and Esopus Spitzenburg sat on the couch to the moccasin stallion's right. Lavender Dazzle, Clear Crest, and Raoul Jowl sat on the couch to his left. Wayward Woods was resting his front hooves on the back of the latter couch. Dreamcatcher, Focal Point, and Trace Amount were leaning back in the recliners. Metal Gears and Luminous Lush sat on the floor on the side of the coffee table opposite Lord Ambit's chair. Shuffleboard was pacing behind Spitzenburg's couch. Alabaster Glaze was resting against the side of that same couch. Earnest Ides, Full Throttle, and Quicktrip were standing against the walls. Gloss Vale was leaning against the mantle on the fireplace.

The meeting between Commodore Dexter and the conspirators had already been going on for over an hour and a-half. So far, the majority of their conversation had been composed of formal introductions, and overviewing the outline for how Bronze Star's "uprising" would occur. Lord Ambit had spent the past week drafting summaries for how each of the conspirators would aid Bronze Star once he took the throne. Each of the conspirators represented a different industry, so each one would be responsible for overseeing the productivity and loyalty of his or her respective industry. They would also be given the authority to ratify and uphold certain laws on Bronze Star's behalf.

All of Lord Ambit's summaries were fake, of course, but they made Bronze Star's plan seem all the more believable. Even so, none of them would ever be enacted.

At the start of the meeting, most of the conspirators were uncertain of the concept of an alliance with Bronze Star. In fact, only Sparker Blare, Raging Tempest, and Esopus Spitzenburg were totally willing to listen. The other conspirators decided to follow the ringleaders' example and hear the Commodore out.

Metal Gears, Gloss Vale, Shuffleboard, and Focal Point had served in various branches of the military. Their enduring respect for Commodore Dexter won them over easily. The others, however, needed more persuading.

Luminous Lush, Alabaster Glaze, Dreamcatcher, and Earnest Ides were uncertain about the concept of serving on Bronze Star's council; all of them had always been much more socially active than politically active.

Full Throttle, Trace Amount, Quicktrip, and Wayward Woods had been secretly involved in illegitimate activities for a long time. They were concerned that if their illegal doings became public, they would risk hurting both themselves and Bronze Star's new administration.

Lavender Dazzle and Clear Crest were definitely the hardest to convince. The former was widely recognized as an outspoken opponent of Celestia, and the latter had been a fugitive from justice for nearly eight years. To both of those mares, the idea of this sort of change almost sounded too good to be the real deal.

Raoul Jowl was the only real ally Lord Ambit had there. His contribution to the conversation garnered a lot of support from the other conspirators. If it was not for him, the Commodore might not have been able to earn their trust.

Every now and then, the cerise stallion removed his metal canister from his sling, opened it up, and took a swig of brandy. Some of his colleagues were perplexed that he had taken up drinking. Esopus Spitzenburg had already informed the other conspirators that Sir Raoul had been in Bronze Star's protection for the past nine months, and he only had three federal marshals for company. Sir Raoul claimed that the drinking had helped him deal with the feeling of loneliness.

As strange as that may have sounded, the other conspirators did nothing to protest Raoul Jowl's new habit. After all, he only drank enough to ease his nerves; he never consumed enough to become intoxicated. What really mattered was that Spitzenburg and the others had allowed Sir Raoul to hold on to his canister. There were a few things besides brandy in that container, and later on, those things would be vital to the completion of Bronze Star's plans.

By the time the meeting reached the end of its second hour, Ambit Dexter had managed to sway the opinions of all of the conspirators in his favor. Clear Crest and a couple of the more cautious ponies were still a little skeptical, but they decided this would be a chance worth taking.

Although all of the conspirators were now on the same page as Lord Ambit, they all still had their guard up. While the Firebrand Regiment was responsible for ensuring that the conspirators did not leave the mansion, the Commodore and Sir Raoul would be personally responsible for ensuring that the conspirators would perish that night. Until they lowered their guard, that would have to wait.

Fortunately, Ambit Dexter still had plenty of subject matter, all of which was somehow relevant to the topics they been discussing throughout the meeting. For the past two hours, he had been doing most of the talking and answering of questions. There were a few questions of his own that he wanted answers for. One issue in particular had been bugging him since he first learned of the assassination conspiracy's existence.

Ambit Dexter sat up in his comfortable chair and announced "There's something that's been on my mind for a while now. For the sake of my curiosity, would you mind telling me what inspired you to begin this conspiracy in the first place?"

Although he had not been looking at any specific pony when he made that query, it was clearly directed towards Esopus Spitzenburg. Interestingly, more than half of the conspirators seemed to share Lord Ambit's inquisitiveness.

Shuffleboard ceased his pacing and pronounced "I'd like to know that, too, Esopus."

Ambit Dexter raised an eyebrow and assumed "You don't know?"

"Well, I don't," Luminous Lush commented.

"Neither do I," Full Throttle disclosed.

"I doubt any of us do," Metal Gears supposed.

"That may be the case," Raging Tempest coincided. He turned to the jade stallion and remarked "Ever since this thing began, you've kept me and Sparker in the loop on everything else, Esopus. Yet even we don't know what led you to begin this scheme."

"You know my motivations and intentions," Esopus Spitzenburg contended.

"Yes, yes, you wished to instill some type of change on Equestria," Sparker Blare recounted, wrapping his right front leg around his side of the couch, "But you never told us how you got the idea to bring about that change through those attacks. I think you owe it to all of us to explain that much."

"I concur," Wayward Woods remarked. Many of the others murmured in agreement.

Esopus Spitzenburg was astonished at how all of his colleagues had suddenly developed such a keen interest in a topic that they had never expressed much interest in before. Given how adamant they were, he could not avoid addressing this issue. After about a minute of silence, he sighed and declared "Now would be as good a time as any to tell you. Truth be told, I wasn't the one who first thought of this conspiracy. It was originally Clear Crest's idea."

With the notable exception of Lavender Dazzle, everypony else seemed stunned to hear that. All eyes were on the onyx mare.

"It was?" Raoul Jowl muttered in bewilderment.

"Yes," Clear Crest candidly confirmed, "But only the idea was mine. Esopus was and always has been in charge of everything else."

"I think they want a more thorough explanation than that, Clear," Lavender Dazzle hypothesized.

"'They?'" Gloss Vale noted, "You don't share our curiosity, Lavender?"

"I already know," the electric violet Unicorn revealed, "Like the rest of you, I was instrumental in making Clear Crest's idea happen, but only she can take credit for its inception."

Wayward Woods placed his front hoof on Clear Crest's shoulder and proposed "Then perhaps she can explain how her thoughts led us to where we are now."

Clear Crest gazed around the room at her colleagues and Ambit Dexter. She looked at Raoul Jowl last. She could tell that even her former flame yearned to learn the truth.

Ultimately, the onyx mare merely shrugged and stated "Alright. I'll enlighten you all."

She paused for a minute, and then she elucidated:

"As you all know, I've been on the run for the last seven years. My training as a Royal Guard enabled me to take care of myself. I was able to survive whilst totally independent from society. But I could do little more than survive. The wilderness was the only place I could go without fear of being watched. Sometimes I was forced to go to a public place, and every time I did, I ran the risk of being apprehended by the authorities. You must understand; in the eyes of the common people, I was nothing but a renegade and a criminal. Based on popular opinion, you would think I was a terrorist. I could put up with it for a while. But three years ago, I made it to my hometown of Nanbucket. I asked a few of the locals about my family, and based on their accounts, my parents were telling their neighbors that they only had two children: my younger brother and sister. I asked those neighbors if they were certain my parents did not have a grown daughter, and they told me they were certain of that. That was how poorly I was viewed; even my parents wanted nothing to do with me.

"When I realized that, I was overcome with tremendous rage. All I had ever done was protect the Canterlot Royalty and the people of Equestria. In exchange, they treated me like dirt. Less than dirt, actually. At least normal ponies are mindful of when they stand on dirt. When my name was trodden on, nopony gave a mule's flank. But I digress. After I discovered how low I had become in status, I felt a tremendous thirsting for blood. I wanted to kill everypony who I believed had wronged me. Of course, if I did that, only foals and felons would have been left. Before I could harm anypony, I realized that the true injustice was in how I had been treated before I escaped from the authorities. I considered the possibility that there would be a better solution to my predicament in remedying that problem.

"Eventually, I overcame my desire to murder a significant percentage of Equestria's population. However, I did not turn away from that thought altogether. I speculated that if the right number of ponies died under the right circumstances, the damage that had been done to my reputation could be undone. Moreover, nopony else would ever be a victim of that same injustice. Theoretically, the entire country could be reformed into a better place. That's when I developed my philosophy: sacrifice a few so that the many can prosper."

"That was when she sought me out," Lavender Dazzle took over for the onyx mare, "Even back then, I was universally recognized as one of the most eloquent critics of Princess Celestia's rule. During her exile, Clear Crest had come to share my beliefs, and her newfound outlook on life made her believe that I could help her with her new goal. When she first approached me, I was hesitant. Although I have always been a very controversial person, I didn't have any warrants for my arrest. Whereas she did. However, I was impressed by how much risk Clear Crest took to reach out to me. That alone spoke volumes about how committed she was to her objective. It didn't take her long to gain my attention and my trust."

"Once I had them, Lavender and I started devising various strategies for how we would work towards this goal," Clear Crest disclosed, "Needless to say, she and I did not have the means to accomplish it by ourselves. We were just two mares. One of us was being observed by the government; the other was hiding from it. So we decided to increase the size of our group. Even though we had laid the foundation for the conspiracy, neither of us felt qualified to lead it. As such, the first thing we focused on was finding an idyllic leader. Lavender really proved her resourcefulness there; she knew just about every pony in Equestria who shared our principles. From them, she drew up a list of prospects for potential associates. Out of all of them, we deemed Esopus Spitzenburg to be the most favorable individual to lead us."

"Now's when I finally entered the picture," Spitzenburg announced, sitting up in his chair, "They scheduled an appointment with me at my office. At the time, I only knew Lavender Dazzle and Clear Crest through their reputations. Like she said before, Lavender's ideals have always been quite similar to mine. I had been interested in meeting her for a long time. Clear Crest, however, I was uncertain of. I'm sure you can imagine why. Anyway, despite my skepticism, I agreed to speak with them.

"When they first came to me, I admit I was astounded by their proposal," he continued after a brief pause, "Their objectives were very practical and appealing, but the concept of attaining them through mass murder were not. However, it was not the concept itself that unsettled me. It was the policy of going through with such a thing. I mean, plotting to commit genocide was one thing. It was another entirely to actually do it. All the same, Clear Crest made some very compelling arguments. Deep down, I myself already knew that the most effective way to reform the country was to reset it. In other words, we would have to inflict a small amount of damage to the country in effort to preserve the larger majority of it. That would be the best way to eliminate Princess Celestia. Clear Crest did nothing to influence my opinion on that issue; she just helped me to admit it."

"By the end of that discussion, Esopus had coincided to be the conspiracy's leader," Lavender Dazzle disclosed, "Everything gradually fell into place from there. We knew we would need enough ponies to keep our schemes strong and alive, but we had to avoid bringing in so many ponies that we would be unable to safely keep track of everything. In the end, we settled on twenty."

"Lavender and Esopus selected Raging Tempest and Sparker Blare to be the secondary heads of the conspiracy," Clear Crest remarked, "The four of them picked out most of the other members. But there were a few names that I put forward."

"Was I one of them?" Raoul Jowl presumed.

Clear Crest smirked at the cerise stallion and muttered cheekily "Yes, you were. You were actually my top recommendation. After all, I know what you're capable of. In every capacity."

That statement drew a number of chuckles. Raoul Jowl narrowed his eyes at his ex-lover, sipped a bit of his brandy, and remarked "I hope you're not saying my 'prowess' was the only reason you brought me into this affair."

"Relax; it wasn't," Clear Crest asserted, "Even so, I didn't hide our old relationship from Esopus. That's the reason why you didn't have one of those magic poster boards like the rest of us. He didn't want to risk causing an unpleasant encounter between you and me."

"That makes sense," Raoul Jowl thought aloud, "However, from what I recall, Material Study didn't receive a poster board, either."

"Well, he was different from the rest of us," Lavender Dazzle debated, "I don't think he ever truly believed in our cause. He was just looking to earn some profit."

"Then why did you recruit him?" Raoul Jowl queried.

"We believed his expertise in chemical warfare would be invaluable," Sparker Blare illuminated, "It's almost a shame he didn't survive; his skills could have benefited the new Equestria's defenses."

"Well, according to what Prince Bronze Star told Esopus, Material Study tried to rat us out," Raging Tempest recalled, "So I suppose it's for the best that he died."

"I couldn't agree more," Raoul Jowl pronounced, lifting his canister of brandy up to his lips again. As he took another drink, he grinned wickedly. Nopony else there knew that Sir Raoul had been the one who got Material Study to stop breathing.

There came a short interval of quietness, and then Ambit Dexter turned to Clear Crest and uttered "This is all extremely fascinating. There is one aspect of your explanation that perturbs me. You are basically saying that this whole conspiracy is the product of a fervent longing for murder?"

"No, Lord Ambit," Clear Crest refuted, "The conspiracy stemmed from a 'fervent longing' for vengeance."

"Vengeance for what?" the moccasin stallion inquired.

"The way I was treated after I was arrested," the onyx mare bitterly clarified, "I hadn't even been convicted yet, but everypony acted as though I had been. Even my fellow officers of the Royal Guard – people who had previously regarded me as a close, personal friend for many years – had turned their backs on me. I wanted them to pay for that."

Lord Ambit raised an eyebrow and murmured "You wanted them to pay for doing their jobs?"

"I wanted them to pay for doing their jobs wrong," Clear Crest glumly expounded.

"What did they do wrong?" Ambit Dexter asked in bafflement.

"They apprehended the wrong pony," Clear Crest proclaimed.

Ambit Dexter rolled his eyes and mumbled "I suppose you're going to insist that you were innocent of that crime?"

"I am," Clear Crest pronounced, "We're not hiding any secrets here, Commodore. What would I have to gain by lying to you about this?"

"That story would make your motives for beginning the conspiracy seem more understandable, and you could make other ponies more sympathetic to your cause," Lord Ambit contended.

Clear Crest inhaled and exhaled very deeply. Then she commented sternly "That is a rational perspective, my lord. However, consider the following: I have just admitted to being the mind behind this entire conspiracy's existence. I will not deny the role I played in organizing so many terrorist attacks against Equestria. I will claim responsibility for the Hoovston disaster. I will even confess that I was the first one to suggest assassinating Princess Celestia. But this I will swear until the day I die: I was not the one who sent those thugs after Shining Armor."

"Then who was?" Ambit Dexter enquired.

"I don't know," Clear Crest firmly murmured, "But I promise you; I had nothing to do with it. Please don't question my word."

Ambit Dexter reflected on everything the former officer of the Royal Guard had just told him. He gazed off at the wall for a couple minutes, and then he turned back to Clear Crest and stated "As strange as this may sound… I believe you."

The Commodore was not alone. Every pony there was wondering if Clear Crest actually had been framed for the crime that had ruined her life. That included the pony outside the lounge's window.

Caracal had been listening to the entire conversation. Like the rest of the Firebrand Regiment, she had always been certain of Clear Crest's guilt. Now, even she was beginning to doubt it. So much so that she decided to voice her apprehension to SIG Sauer later on.

…

Whenever Bronze Star was given very secretive information, he always handled it very carefully. However, the way he handled it varied by how sensitive the information was. Sometimes he could share the information with everypony who worked at Canterlot Castle. More often than not, he could only share it with Lord Bellerophon or the Firebrand Regiment. On certain ocassins, he could only trust himself to keep the information safe. There were also times when he did not know who could be trusted with the information.

His last encounter with Blade Bearer was one of those times. The light brown stallion had some rather intriguing news to share with the prince about Sir Haywood McCrank. It was neither enlightening nor definitive, but it was somewhat accusatory. It made Bronze Star wonder if Sir Haywood had been withholding something from him all along, despite everything they had been through.

Haywood McCrank had always been something of an oddity; his flippant behavior, capricious mannerisms, and unconventional techniques had distinguished him from everypony around him. Not all of these distinctions were favorable.

All the same, Bronze Star never doubted that regardless of how mad Sir Haywood may have seemed, there was always a method to his madness. Now, he had to wonder if at times, his madness had no real meaning. What if Sir Haywood was just plain mad?

Initially, Bronze Star refused to even consider that as a possibility. He had known Haywood for more than half of his life, and every time the Superintendent was summoned to investigate a case, he had never once placed his own interests above anypony else's.

Ultimately, he looked to Blade Bearer and declared "I understand that you have… reservations about Sir Haywood's actions, Blade, but I don't think this is any cause for alarm. After all, we all got out of that dilemma unharmed."

"I trust your judgement, Your Highness," the light brown stallion proclaimed, "All the same, perhaps we should confront Sir Haywood about this matter."

"If it would set your mind at ease, I'll do it," Bronze Star coincided.

"Then whenever you approach Sir Haywood, I would like to join you," Blade Bearer requested.

The gold stallion raised an eyebrow and presumed "You actually think Haywood would try to hurt me?"

"No, but I would hate to risk it," the Royal Guard officer contended, "Whatever the situation, your safety is always my top priority."

"Very well," was all the prince said in response.

Bronze Star lingered in the ballroom for close to an hour. He spoke with almost everypony there. Those ponies included Wood Reaper, Haute Cuisine, Purple Heart, Billow Health, Hammer Shaft, Comet Frost, Stone Cracker, Swiftdrive, and the Chiefs on the War Council.

Before he left, he noticed Pinkie Pie had reentered the ballroom. She was sitting by herself at a table on the side of the room. She seemed depressed. That was mostly due to the fact that the Gala was not as thrilling as she had expected it to be.

Bronze Star decided to just let her be. Maybe the pink mare would eventually come to appreciate the Gala's version of having fun, even though it was a much more mellow form of fun.

When the prince left the ballroom, he revisited the other areas of the Castle that had been reserved for the Gala. He passed through them in the reverse order that he had first gone through them. Blade Bearer accompanied him for his protection. Not just because of Sir Haywood, but because there were always plenty of unpredictable individuals at the Gala.

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were still at the buffet table. The purple mare had managed to appease her cravings. At least for then; she predicted it would not be long before her unborn foal's appetite returned. The olive stallion was no longer trying to do business with the other attendees. Instead, he was conversing with some fellow salesponies. However long they had been talking, the others must have come to like Rough Rider; they had invited him to join their guild. Membership in that guild would enable him to enhance the quality of his products and optimize his profits. He claimed he would need some time to consider their offer, but he already felt obligated to accept it.

Bronze Star was pleased to see that his secretary and her husband were enjoying the Gala.

Sadly, some of his other friends were not.

When he reentered the foyer with Blade Bearer, he saw that Princess Celestia was standing on the large stairwell, and Twilight Sparkle was still by her side. He observed them for a full ten minutes, and in all that time, the magic student tried to talk to her mentor. Alas, Celestia was so preoccupied with the receiving line that her apprentice was unable to find an opportunity to even say three words to her. Because of that, the lavender mare was visibly disgruntled.

Bronze Star then headed back to the VIP section; Blade Bearer followed him close behind. From what they could see, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Cashew Lane, and Haywood McCrank were deriving plenty of pleasure from the Gala's festivities, as well. When he remembered what Blade Bearer told him, he avoided stepping into Sir Haywood's field of vision. He also noticed that Copper Hollow was gazing intently at the representatives from the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates. Apparently, the copper stallion had come to share Haywood's qualms about the staffers.

At any rate, regardless of how restless the security officers or the federal investigator may have been, they were clearly enjoying the Gala, too.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, was not. She was experiencing the same problem as Twilight; she had been unable to speak with the individuals she had come to see. The Wonderbolts were much too busy interacting with the other VIPs to give the cyan mare their attention. That was not to say she made no efforts to gain their notice; she certainly tried. But she failed all the same.

When Bronze Star returned to the courtyard, he discovered that the three remaining Element Bearers had encountered their share of disappointments, too.

Rarity had made contact with Prince Blueblood, but his behavior towards her was by no means courteous. She was still patiently waiting for a gallant Unicorn prince to arrive, not knowing that prince would never come.

Fluttershy had been unable to get even close to the animals in the garden enclosure. Every time she went near them, they scurried away in fear.

When he last saw Applejack, she had nine bits in her bucket and an optimistic grin on her face. Now when he came back to her, she had nine bits in her bucket and a dismayed frown on her face. In the time since her coltfriend had left, she had been unable to make even one more additional sale.

Sir Verse A. Till and Lord Bellerophon were still near the orange mare. Verse A. Till had Bronze Star's strongbox by his left side; it was slightly ajar. He also had the prince's magic blackboard on his lap, and he was using it to communicate with SIG Sauer. In spite of the fact that Chicacolt was hundreds of miles away, it only took seconds for a statement to be passed between those two blackboards. Sir Verse was using his magic aura to rapidly write down the words, phrases, and sentences for each message. After thoroughly reading the response to each message, he swiftly erased it and began to compose the next message.

Sir Verse had been sitting against one of the two stone pillars that Applejack had set up her booth in-between. Lord Bellerophon was leaning against that same pillar to the right of the glaucous stallion. He was standing in such a way that he could read over Sir Verse's shoulder, but he could also ensure that nopony else got close enough to sneak a peek at the contents of the blackboard. Every few minutes, Applejack looked over at them, as though she was hoping for some huge update on the Firebrand Regiment's progress.

When Bronze Star got to within ten meters of the three ponies, he turned to Blade Bearer and told him "Please remain here, Blade. I must speak with Lord Bellerophon, Sir Verse, and Applejack about a private affair."

"As you say, Your Highness," the light brown Unicorn avowed, saluting the prince and holding his ground.

As Bronze Star approached Applejack, Bellerophon, and Verse A. Till, all three ponies demonstrated a change in their posture. The palomino Pegasus stood up straight, the glaucous Unicorn rose to his hooves, and the orange Earth Pony stopped slouching and even became a little gladdened by her coltfriend's reappearance.

When the gold Alicorn was within reaching distance of the three of them, he inquired "What news from Chicacolt?"

"Your plan seems to be goin' smoothly," Applejack apprised him, "Not a single hitch so far."

"Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul made contact with the other seventeen conspirators shortly after you went inside, Your Highness," Bellerophon elaborated, "The Firebrand Regiment has the mansion completely surrounded and blocked off. Based on their reports, Spitzenburg and his associates do not suspect a thing."

"Excellent," Bronze Star mumbled in approval, "How long until they'll be able to execute the last act of my plan?"

"Strictly speaking, they've been ready to do so for nearly a half-hour, Your Highness," Verse A. Till proclaimed, "They're just waiting for two things: the best opportunity to strike, and your authorization to proceed."

"Tell them they have it," Bronze Star firmly declared, "As soon as the most ideal opportunity presents itself, they are to implement the final part of my plan. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

Verse A. Till gravely nodded his head and used the blackboard to write a very concise and unambiguous message to SIG Sauer. Not ten seconds after that statement vanished, SIG Sauer sent back a response confirming that the Regiment had received the order, and that they were about to carry it out.

There was nothing more Bronze Star or anypony else in his company could do to further his plan. The outcome of this scenario was left entirely in the hooves of Ambit Dexter, Raoul Jowl, and the ten ponies of the Firebrand Regiment.

Although Bronze Star, Applejack, Verse A. Till, and Bellerophon were far away from Chicacolt, they felt as tense and apprehensive as Sir Raoul, Lord Ambit, and the members of the Regiment must have felt. Even so, they were unwilling to wait in silence until they heard back from SIG Sauer. As such, they decided to talk to each other.

Verse A. Till looked to Bronze Star and pronounced "Your Highness, I don't mean to pry, but when I opened your strongbox to get your blackboard, I found this in it, as well."

At that, he leaned down to Bronze Star's strongbox, opened the lid, and removed a length of cloth. It was actually a type of cloak, similar to the one Bronze Star was wearing right then. However, this cloak was much more unique. Its outside was between light tan and yellow, and Its inside was greyish-black. Its lining was white, and its collar could be fastened with a platinum brooch.

"Would you mind telling me what this is?" Verse A. Till requested, "It looks so familiar, like I've seen a picture of it in a book."

Bronze Star smiled, stepped forward, placed his hoof on the center of the rare cloak, and proudly informed the sword-bearing stallion "That, Sir Verse, would be the Shroud of Valor."

Verse A. Till seemed astonished by that revelation. He gazed at the garment in fascination and murmured "I have heard of this. It's a legendary artifact from the old days of Equestria. How did you come to acquire it, Your Highness?"

It was Applejack who provided the explanation: "When we put Nightmare Moon down, the Elements of Harmony were mainly to thank for that. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and I were the ones who wielded them and harnessed their power. However, the Shroud of Valor was what made that possible. If it was not for Bronze Star, the six of us would have burned to death. His act of bravery summoned the Shroud of Valor, and it saved seven ponies, including Princess Luna."

Verse A. Till rubbed his chin and professed "I already knew the Elements of Harmony were back in Equestria. I was unaware The Shroud of Valor had returned, as well. If I was not actually seeing it and holding it myself at this very moment, I would never have even believed in its existence. Right now, I'm nothing short of amazed."

"Feel free to fawn over it as much as you'd like, Sir Verse," Bronze Star wryly commented, removing his cloak from the Shroud of Valor, "Just be sure to return it to me by the end of the night. Oh, and don't forget to continue checking the blackboard for any further reports from the Regiment."

"Understood, Your Highness," the glaucous stallion conceded, acknowledging all of the prince's commands.

As Verse A. Till became absorbed with examining and studying the Shroud of Valor, Bronze Star shifted his attention to Applejack.

He smirked, leaned against the front of the farmer's booth, and sardonically asked her "So, how's the apple-selling industry?"

"Business ain't exactly boomin', if you know what I mean," Applejack answered with a grimace, "But I'm not going to let a minor setback discourage me. I just have to find a way to attract more customers."

"Maybe this will help," Bronze Star conjectured. He took in a deep breath, placed his front hooves around his mouth, and shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice "OH MY, LORD; THESE APPLES ARE TASTY!"

Applejack, Bellerophon, and Verse A. Till barely had enough time to cover their ears. Everypony else in the vicinity had no time at all. Even those of them that were hard of hearing could discern all seven of those words.

Bronze Star had expected that that declaration would send everypony galloping. It did, but not in the direction he had intended. Everypony moved away from the booth, not towards it.

Applejack was both irritated and amused by her coltfriend's exclamation. She turned to him and cockily stated "Well, at least they've all noticed my stand. Now I just need to convince them that what I have to offer is worth the possibility of going a little deaf."

"What if I brought Rough Rider out here?" Bronze Star proposed, "He could sell your products for you."

"No, using a middlepony is too complicated and expensive," Applejack professed. She then developed a devious smirk on her fact, and she muttered "Actually, I have a ploy that may work. Watch this."

A few meters away, Star Gazer and Fine Line were talking and trotting at the same time. They did not seem to be watching where they were going; their eyes were mostly shut. They were headed directly towards Applejack's booth, but neither of them seemed to be paying it any mind. When they reached Blade Bearer, they split up. Fine Line turned to her left and went to speak with another acquaintance. Star Gazer continued towards Applejack's stand.

She ducked behind the booth and waited until Star Gazer got a little closer. Then she shoved a bunch of apples onto the ground in front of her stand. When Star Gazer reached her booth, he stumbled over the apples and tripped. Applejack hastily helped him to his hooves, and as she did so, she drew his attention to her products. Unfortunately, Star Gazer did not seem the least bit interested in any of them; he was too aggravated by having been tripped. He scolded Applejack for her carelessness and promptly continued on his way.

"Damn," Applejack uttered in frustration.

Bronze Star was partly compelled to make a witty remark, but when he saw how upset his fillyfriend was, he decided to hold his tongue. So he just stayed silent as he helped her gather up her apples off the ground and return them to their original places on her stand.

After that, Applejack retook her position at the back of the stand. She rested her front legs against the surface of the counter and let out a heavy sigh. For several minutes, she hardly made any other movements; she merely remained in that stance.

Bronze Star stood idly by on the other side of the stand. He watched as the other ponies in the courtyard mingled with each other. Many of them seemed to be on a date. That was not surprising; the Grand Galloping Gala was regarded by many as the epitome of great dates. In a way, Applejack was Bronze Star's date, even though they had not done anything to suggest that they were there as a couple.

At least not yet.

After he got his fill of observing the other guests, Bronze Star turned back to the booth. Applejack was still bent over it, her face conveying an expression of insecurity and uneasiness. At first, Bronze Star assumed that was attributed to the poor luck she had been having with her sales.

"It'll be alright," Bronze Star said in assurance, "Somepony's bound to buy another of your products. And if worse comes to worst, I'll purchase your entire inventory."

Applejack lightly smiled at her coltfriend for a moment, but then her smile dropped, and she lowered her head and uttered "No, I don't want you to feel obligated to do that just so I can make some cash. Besides… I wasn't thinking about my sales."

"Then what were you thinking about?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.

The orange mare slowly looked up at the gold stallion, and she revealed "I was thinking about what Lord Ambit said earlier. You know, about a certain title, and the likelihood of me acquiring it in the future."

"Oh…" Bronze Star muttered in acknowledgement. After an awkward pause, he looked up at the sky and quizzically commented "You're still fixated on that, huh?"

"Yeah," Applejack bluntly affirmed, "I realize that I'm probably overreacting again. But the way Ambit Dexter implied how things between us would ultimately turn out… He kinda freaked me out."

"You're not saying you would hate it if our… affiliation ever got that far, are you?" Bronze Star asked in concern.

"No, of course not," Applejack disclosed, "It's just… the Commodore sounded so certain that you and I would end up in a committed relationship. It was as though he thought that there would be no other outcome for us."

"Well, the Commodore isn't well-known for having excellent foresight," Bronze Star apprised her, "However, he is not one to make premature assessments, either. If he seems genuinely confident that something may happen, there is a strong chance that it may occur."

That statement seemed to make Applejack a little more restless. That did not go unnoticed by her coltfriend. Bronze Star queried "Does that bother you?"

"No, but…" she tentatively began.

"But?" he beckoned her to go on.

Applejack released a heavy sigh, and she stated "You remember the day our relationship began? You directly addressed all the possible ways it would turn out. That included the possibility of commitment. As I recall, you did not sugarcoat anything; you told me how things would be. You even had me put on your crown, and you asked me if I would ever be willing to wear one of my own."

"If memory serves, you told me that you would," Bronze Star recounted.

"Yes, and that was the truth," Applejack proclaimed, "However, when our romantic relationship took off… I never really imagined it would bring us here."

Bronze Star seemed a little perplexed by that statement, and when Applejack noticed that, she hastily added in "I'm not saying I didn't think our relationship would ever last this long. I'm just sayin' I had no way of knowing that it would."

"That's a good argument," Bronze Star contended, "At the time, I couldn't have known, either. All the same, right now, you and I are probably as close as two ponies can be without becoming lovers. Before we cross that line, I would prefer it if we were in a more definite relationship. Do you really think there could be that sort of future between me and you?"

Almost straightaway, Applejack responded with "Yes, I seriously do. And if I have to accept a title I never wanted, then so be it. It would be worth it if it meant I got to spend the rest of my life with you. That's how much I love you, Bronze."

Bronze Star could not help but smile when he heard that. He extended his front hoof and placed it on his fillyfriend's. She smiled back and placed her other front hoof on his.

She then muttered enquiringly "What about you? Would you wish for us to wind up together?"

"Absolutely, and not just because I love you, too," Bronze Star enlightened her, "I'm twenty-five years old, AJ. In a few weeks, I'll be twenty-six. SIG Sauer was younger than that when he got married. When he was my age, Mauser had already begun to speak in complete sentences, and Alpine was on the way. SIG taught me plenty about the joys of having a family. Of course, given the longevity of my race, I'm not in any huge rush to start one any time soon. But that doesn't mean I can't. Because I want to. I really want to. I especially want to do it with somepony I love, and somepony who loves me back. I'm lucky to even have that option. Long ago, tradition would have dictated that I should marry a royal from a foreign country to strengthen the bond between our two nations. But those days have come and gone, and Equestria has no further need for such unions. Now, the law says I am allowed to wed whomever I please. That works out for me and you."

Applejack was overjoyed by that. Her gloom over her lack of sales had practically faded away. She raised her front hooves, placed them on the sides of her coltfriend's face, and pulled him in to kiss him full on the mouth. Bronze Star offered no resistance. He closed his eyes, placed his front hooves on her shoulders, and savored the sensation of her soft lips on his.

Up until then, Bellerophon, Verse A. Till, and Blade Bearer had allowed the gold stallion and the orange mare to have their personal conversation without any interruption. Now that they were making some conspicuous physical contact, Lord Bellerophon found it ideal to intervene.

He stepped forward and quietly uttered to Bronze Star "Your Highness, I must urge discretion. You're surrounded by ponies who have never seen you and Applejack together before."

Normally, Bronze Star would have heeded the palomino Pegasus's words of caution. Applejack would have typically exercised a little more restraint, too. However, at that time, they were too caught up in the moment to pay any mind to anything else.

Without even diverting his eyes from Applejack's, Bronze Star murmured "Let them see us, my lord. I don't care what they think."

"Neither do I," Applejack professed. A wicked grin appeared on her countenance, and she suggested "How about you come behind the booth?"

"I like that idea," Bronze Star said approvingly.

The gold stallion removed his hooves from his fillyfriend long enough to trot around the booth and join her. Then he wrapped his front legs around her upper body, and she wrapped her own front legs around his waist. Before either of them did anything further, Bronze Star turned to his mother's chief of staff and stated "Lord Bellerophon, would you mind…?"

He did not need to say any more. The palomino Pegasus already surmised what the prince was about to ask of him. Although he was still somewhat unsure, in the end, he just smirked and pronounced "I'll make sure nopony disturbs you. Just don't let things get too far."

"Don't worry; we're not that irresponsible, my lord," Applejack asserted.

After that, she and Bronze Star focused exclusively on each other. Then they simultaneously closed their eyes and passionately pressed their lips together. They were locked in that position for a while, but before long, they were using more than just their mouths to get intimate.

…

When SIG Sauer was informed by Verse A. Till that the Firebrand Regiment had Bronze Star's clearance to fulfill the finishing step of the prince's plan, the pine green Unicorn had performed swiftly and accordingly. He had set the blackboard aside, crept towards the edge of the roof of the mansion, bent his head downwards, and generated a very small orb of energy with his magic aura.

The orb sailed twelve meters to the west until it was directly above Beretta's head, just before the expanse that was monitored by the motion detector system. The orb was level with the windows on the mansion's second floor. It remained in that position for about ten seconds, and then it dissipated.

Inside the mansion, very little was going on. The meeting had officially ended about twenty-five minutes ago. Dreamcatcher, Full Throttle, Trace Amount, Focal Point, and Raging Tempest had decided to turn in for the night. The five of them had retired to the guest bedrooms on the third floor, and they had already fallen asleep.

Everypony else was still assembled in the lounge. There was little talking amongst them; most of them were just relaxing and meditating on the situation. A few of them were considering going to bed soon, as well.

Ambit Dexter had still been sitting in the comfortable chair that faced the window to the lounge. When the orb of energy appeared outside, he was the only one who spotted it. He had been waiting three hours for that orb to appear. It was the signal to move on.

After the orb dissolved into the air, Ambit Dexter cleared his throat and announced "This has been a most fulfilling discussion. I am glad to have become affiliated with all of you. But at the moment, I am famished. Would you mind if I made myself something to eat?"

"Not at all, my Lord," Esopus Spitzenburg remarked, "The kitchen's downstairs. It's well-stocked. Help yourself to anything you'd like."

"Don't mind if I do," the moccasin stallion uttered in approval. He gathered up his files, rose out of his chair, and exited the room. The conspirators could hear his hoofsteps fade away as he trotted down the hall.

Fifteen minutes later, Raoul Jowl got up off the couch and held up his grey canister, saying "I'm going to need a refill soon. I don't suppose you have any brandy around here, Esopus?"

"There's some in the wine cellar," the elderly jade stallion apprised him, "But don't you think you've had enough, Raoul?"

"I'll compensate you for whatever I drink," Raoul Jowl proposed

"Money's not the issue," Spitzenburg murmured, "I'm more concerned for your liver."

"Oh, don't worry yourself with that," Raoul Jowl said, "I'm a social drinker at most; I know when to stop. I haven't been full-out inebriated since before I was knighted."

"Very well," Spitzenburg decided, waving his front hoof, "Go ahead and get another drink. Just make sure that whenever you go to bed, you're not staggering there."

"Okay, I will," Raoul Jowl conceded. He then placed his canister back in his sling and stepped out of the lounge. He made his way to the staircase and trotted down to the first floor. The entrance to the wine cellar was on the eastern end of the mansion. However, the cerise stallion did not go that way. Instead, he headed down a corridor that led to the northwestern corner of the building. There he stopped outside a certain door, and he lightly tapped his hoof against it three times.

The door was slowly opened by Ambit Dexter. The moccasin stallion wordlessly gestured for the cerise stallion to enter. Once Raoul Jowl was on the other side of the door, Commodore Dexter closed and locked it. Then he flipped on the lights.

The two stallions had rendezvoused in a bathroom. It may have seemed like a peculiar place for two ponies to secretly meet, especially when they were of the same gender. However, this bathroom was a strategically important location for Bronze Star's plan.

Once the lights were activated, Raoul Jowl upturned his grey canister, revealing two very tiny cylindrical devices attached to the bottom of it. These two objects were two more of the communicators that the Firebrand Regiment used to communicate. Sir Raoul and Lord Ambit each took one of the communicators and inserted them into their right ears.

Once the communicators were locked in place, Ambit Dexter uttered softly "This is Catalyst-1. Can you read us?"

Since every member of the Firebrand Regiment used an alias during one of their assignments, they had decided that Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl should temporarily have one, as well. Ambit Dexter was Catalyst-1, and Raoul Jowl was Catalyst-2. Whenever Verse A. Till was mentioned, he was referred to as Catalyst-3.

"Omicron-10 here," SIG Sauer replied, "We read you well, Catalyst-1. Is Catalyst-2 there?"

"I'm here, Omicron-10," Raoul Jowl bluntly uttered, "I assume Catalyst-3 gave us Omicron-11's permission to go on?"

"Indeed, he did," SIG Sauer disclosed, "Are you both ready?"

"Yes, we're in position," Ambit Dexter reported, "We'll proceed at your bidding."

"Noted," SIG Sauer avowed. He then announced to his colleagues: "Omicron-6, pull back. Omicron-2, Omicorn-8, be prepared to act. Omicron-3, Omicron-7, stand by. Omicron-1, Omicron-4, Omicron-5, Omicron-9, watch the building very closely."

The other nine members reacted thusly. Caracal removed her listening device from the window of the lounge and flew back up to the roof. Carabine approached the northern side of the mansion and tilted his head towards the wall, and Koch held his front hoof to his ear. Ruger and Peacemaker stood close to those respective ponies. Heckler and Glock monitored the mansion's windows very closely, Beretta concentrated her firing apparatus on the door, and Walther hovered a little closer to the ground so that he could concentrate better on the mansion.

Once everypony checked in, SIG Sauer muttered "Omicron-2, you may begin."

Koch acknowledged this command, and he articulately spoke into his communicator "Alright, Catalyst-1 and Catalyst-2. I need you to follow my instructions exactly as I give them. Is that clear?"

"It is," Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl stated in unison.

"Good," Koch avowed. After a momentary pause, he pronounced: "First, dump out whatever's left of the brandy."

Raoul Jowl held the canister over the sink and unscrewed its cap. Less than half a cup of liquid remained, and all of it flowed out of the container. Raoul Jowl was not upset to see the remnants of the brandy go down the drain; he was actually pleased.

"Done," Raoul Jowl proclaimed.

"Alright, now; there's a small button on the bottom of the canister," Koch disclosed, "Press it firmly while continuing to hold the canister upright."

Raoul Jowl turned the canister downside up so that the opening was back on top. He did not bother to reattach the cap this time. As he held the canister at leg's length, Ambit Dexter reached under it and steadily pushed his hoof against the button.

Immediately, the secret compartment in the bottom two-thirds of the canister slid open, and a metal spoke shot out of the canister's mouth. There were three objects attached to this spoke. Two of them were oxygen masks fixed with bags of breathable air. The third was another, slightly larger bag, but this one was not filled with oxygen. Instead, it was filled with a very deadly toxin.

This toxin was the key to eliminating the conspirators. Originally, it had been one of the chemical compounds that Material Study had sold to Raoul Jowl. When the Firebrand Regiment had arrested those two stallions, they had confiscated all of those compounds. Many of them had been disposed of; the rest had been employed for other purposes. Back then, the Regiment never would have thought that they would ever use one of the lethal compounds.

Then Bronze Star had presented Applejack's suggestion that they make all the conspirators' deaths appear accidental. After considering many other possible solutions, Peacemaker had suggested using chemical warfare. Eventually, the Regiment had chosen to examine the contents of their impounded goods, and they had discovered the toxic compound.

The exact elemental and molecular structure of the compound was unknown, but its effects were easy enough to profile. It worked on the equine body similarly to methane gas. Merely being exposed to the compound was not fatal, but prolonged exposure to it was.

The compound was odorless, colorless, tasteless, and invisible. Couching was its only real symptom. Coughing was also a telltale indication of the compound's progress in the victim's body.

Once the subject started coughing, it was a surefire sign that the compound was at work. A minor cough did not ascertain that the subject would die, though. If the minor cough developed into a violent fit of coughing, the subject would be in danger, but they could still survive. However, if the subject ended up coughing so hard that it was as though they would hack up a lung, their fate was sealed. They would be doomed to succumb to the compound.

In its original form, the toxin could still have killed anypony, but it would have had to have been breathed in for hours before the victim could die. However, Koch and Peacemaker had modified the compound to make it much more potent. In its new, altered state, they had deduced that nopony would be able to survive exposure to the toxin for longer than twenty minutes.

The amount of time it would actually take for the toxin to kill the victim depended on quite a few factors. All of those factors pertained to the actual victim. They included the victim's age, height, weight, gender, race, and even physical well-being. Peacemaker had estimated that the average required time for the toxin to work was between seven and twelve minutes.

Of course, all that meant nothing if the Regiment would be unable to make the conspirators' deaths seem unintentional. Luckily, the compound would manage that for them. Once the conspirators' bodies were found, they would bear no external indications of what killed them. Furthermore, the autopsies would reveal nothing out of the ordinary. Death would appear to have been induced by exposure to natural gas. With all that said, nopony who stumbled onto the retreat afterwards would be impelled to believe that these deaths had been a result of anything other than a horrible accident.

There was certainly a great deal of irony and poetic justice in this scenario; the conspirators would be brought down by one of the very devices that they had intended to use against the country.

At any rate, once the oxygen masks and the bag of the toxin were visible, Ambit Dexter queried "What next, Lieutenant?"

"For safety's sake, go ahead and put the oxygen masks around your foreheads," Koch advised, "But don't pull them over your muzzles just yet. You're going to need every ounce of fresh air they can provide once you've released the compound."

Raoul Jowl and Ambit Dexter promptly adorned the oxygen masks. The straps held the mouthpieces firmly against their foreheads, but they could still be slid to a lower position on their faces.

"Go on, Omicron-2," Raoul Jowl bade Koch.

The purple stallion professed "According to the blueprints of the retreat, the mansion's main ventilation unit is in cupboard on the north wall of the bathroom. Do you see a cupboard?"

Sir Raoul and Lord Ambit quickly found a pair of wooden doors halfway up the wall to the left of the room's entrance.

"Yes, it's right by the door," Ambit Dexter responded.

"Open it," said Koch.

Raoul Jowl held on to his canister while Ambit Dexter approached the cupboard and pulled it open. It was virtually empty. On the ceiling of that tiny space, there was a fan that was spinning rapidly behind a grate. On the right wall, there were a few knobs that could be used to adjust the fan's modes and settings.

"We're in," Raoul Jowl apprised the others.

"Okay," Koch muttered in acknowledgement, "This next part is extremely critical. Take the compound and hold it directly underneath the fan. Wait until it's almost touching the grate; then call me back."

Raoul Jowl gently removed the bag of toxin from the metal spoke on his canister. He carefully passed it over to Ambit Dexter, and the moccasin stallion turned to face the ventilation unit. He extended his front legs and leaned forward as far as he could. He handled the bag with absolute care.

Once he was holding the bag less than an inch below the grate, he murmured "I'm ready for the next step, Omicron-2."

Koch gravely uttered "Before we continue, I would like to remind you that after you release the compound, you'll be unable to contact us for a whole half-hour. During that time, you must ensure that nopony else gets to where you are. It's imperative that the ventilation system remains online for the entire thirty minutes."

"We'll guard this room with our lives," Raoul Jowl asserted, "You just make sure nopony other than us leaves this building."

"We shall," SIG Sauer remarked. After a bit of quiet, he told Koch "Give the order, Omicron-2."

"Yes, Omicron-10," Koch acknowledged, "Catalyst-1… do it."

"Aye," Ambit Dexter mumbled.

He gave all his attention to the bag of toxin in his front hooves. As he held onto it firmly with his left from hoof, he raised his right front hoof to the top of the bag. In one swift motion, he removed the lid of the bag and broke its seal. A barely visible wisp of smoke could be seen as the compound was expelled from the bag. It flowed steadily upwards into the fan, and then it disappeared.

The compound had been released into the mansion's ventilation system. Within minutes, it would scatter throughout the entire building.

Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl slid their oxygen masks over their mouths and muzzles, and they secured them in place. After that, Lord Ambit notified the Regiment "The compound is out."

"Roger that," SIG Sauer acknowledged, "We'll see you in a half-hour. Good luck in there, Catalyst-1 and Catalyst-2."

"Same to you," Raoul Jowl rejoined as he and Lord Ambit deactivated their communicators.

SIG Sauer then declared "Omicron-8, cast the net."

Carabine had remained standing with his head tilted towards the mansion's northern wall ever since Koch had started giving instructions to Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul. Once he received that order from SIG Sauer, he used his horn to cast a spell. In response, his magic aura touched against the wall, and a wave of energy spread out all around it. Soon, the entire building was encompassed by this energy.

The energy field could intercept any electronic signal or magical streak that attempted to pass through it. For that reason, it was the Regiment's protection against Spitzenburg's tablet. It would also prevent the conspirators from raising the retreat's alarm, and it ensured that none of the Unicorn conspirators could teleport out of the mansion. This was also why the Regiment had broken off contact with Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl; their communicators would not get through the shield.

The shield could not prevent physical objects from passing through it, but that was beneficial. There was a chance that some of the Regiment would have to enter the building while the energy field was still up. In addition to that, the Firebrand Regiment had been able to employ other measures to ensure that none of the conspirators left the mansion.

"The net's been lowered, Omicron-10," Carabine announced.

"Superb, Omicron-8," SIG Sauer commented, "Don't raise it until I tell you to."

"Understood," Carabine affirmed.

By then, the chemical compound had dispersed throughout the entire mansion. Esopus Spitzenburg and eleven of his colleagues were gathered in the lounge. They were still calmly resting with no immediate worries or concerns. For a little while, none of the conspirators were even remotely aware that the air they were breathing was contaminated.

Five minutes after Lord Ambit released the toxin, Gloss Vale let out a single cough. She politely covered her mouth when it came, but she paid it no other mind.

A few seconds later, she coughed twice; a little more firmly this time. Even so, she thought nothing of it.

Twenty seconds later, she started coughing much more loudly and roughly.

"Are you alright, Gloss?" Earnest Ides inquired.

"I'm fine," Gloss Vale claimed, "I think I've just got something in my throat."

"Oh, okay," Earnest Ides stated. Not fifteen seconds later, he began to cough, as well.

"Wow, you already got him sick," Wayward Woods cheekily observed.

"I'm pretty sure coughs aren't that contagious, Wayward," Luminous Lush mumbled, unamused.

"I know they're not," Quicktrip confirmed. All of a sudden, he let out a cough, too.

Now some of the others became concerned.

"Must be something in the air," Sparker Blare theorized, gazing around the room.

"That can't be," Esopus Spitzenburg debated, "I just had the filters replaced."

"You certain of that?" Gloss Vale softly uttered. By then, she was unable to go six seconds without coughing.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to verify it," Spitzenburg contended, "Lavender, Clear, would you mind checking the status of the filters?"

"Sure, Esopus," Lavender Dazzle conceded. She and Clear Crest got up off their couch and exited the lounge.

Since the electric violet mare and the onyx mare were two of the few who had been to Spitzenburg's retreat before, they knew where everything of importance was. For instance, they knew that the ventilation system's filters were monitored by a panel in the basement. As such, they headed to the building's lowest level.

On the way there, Lavender Dazzle came to develop a rather unpleasant cough of her own. She assured Clear Crest that she was well, but by the time they arrived in the basement, she had begun to doubt her own claim. She was coughing so harshly that she was surprised she didn't spew any blood.

Soon enough, they found the panel that kept track of the mansion's ventilation. On it, there was a gauge that measured the status of the filters. The gauge was measured by colors. If it was green, the filters were in optimal condition. If it was yellow, the filters were not performing as efficiently, but they were still keeping the air clean. If it was red, the filters were on the verge of failing and needed to be replaced. If it was black, it meant that a harmful substance was loose in the building, and the filters had been rendered useless.

At that time, the gauge was black.

When Clear Crest discovered this, she stared at the panel in horror. Lavender Dazzle would have been just as alarmed, but she was too busy coughing to care very much. She fell backwards and weakly stammered "Clear…"

Clear Crest managed to catch the other mare before she landed on the ground. Just eight seconds later, Lavender Dazzle stopped coughing. She also stopped breathing, blinking, and moving. Clear Crest did not even have to check her pulse to confirm what she already knew.

Clear Crest forced herself to lower Lavender Dazzle onto the ground, and then she sprinted back up to the first floor. She yelled in distress "Esopus! Esopus!"

When she reached the bottom of the staircase that connected the first and second stories, Esopus Spitzenburg appeared at the top of it. Sparker Blare was with him. They seemed just as shaken as she was.

"Where's Lavender?" Sparker Blare muttered agitatedly.

Clear Crest stared up at them and stated uneasily "You're not going to believe this, but while we were in the basement, she collapsed. She's just… gone."

"I believe it," Spitzenburg tensely professed, "The same thing just happened to Gloss Vale. She damn near hacked up her last meal, and then she fell onto the coffee table and never got up. Worse yet, Shuffleboard and Alabaster Glaze have started coughing, too. What the Tartarus is going on?"

"The filters' gauge is black," Clear Crest enlightened them, "There's something harmful in the air."

"But how…" Spitzenburg began in bewilderment. Right then, the truth dawned on him. His face tightened and he murmured somberly "Lord Ambit."

"What?" Clear Crest uttered hauntingly.

"This was all a trap," Spitzenburg proclaimed, "Prince Bronze Star never intended to give us power. He just lured us out here to kill us all."

Sparker Blare grimaced and mumbled heatedly "That bastard son of a-"

"No time for that!" Clear Crest interrupted him, "What do we do, Esopus?"

"Find Lord Ambit, wherever he is," Spitzenburg pronounced, "Whatever he's doing, stop him, Clear. Sparker, get everypony else out of here. I'll call security."

The two ponies acknowledged the jade stallion's commands and went to accomplish them.

When Sparker Blare returned to the lounge, the other conspirators were all on their hooves. They were gathered around Gloss Vale's body, but they seemed more interested in the nasty coughs that almost all of them had suddenly acquired.

Sparker Blare announced to them "We have to *cough* get out of here now. Metal Gears, Shuffleboard, go wake up *cough cough* Raging Tempest and the others. Everypony else, get *cough* out of the building as fast as you *cough* can."

The seven ponies hastily rushed out of the lounge. Earnest Ides was the last to leave. His cough was so bad that he was practically unable to catch his breath. Mere moments after he exited the lounge, he stumbled against the wall and dropped to the floor.

Quicktrip was coughing so much that he could barely even trot straight. Luminous Lush had to give him a helping hoof. She got the idea to teleport the both of them out of the building. She rushed to the nearest window, gazed outside, focused on the ground, and cast the teleportation spell.

She and Quicktrip rematerialized in the exact same spot they had just been in. Carabine's energy shield had prevented her from teleporting out of the mansion. Luminous Lush was unaware of the shield; she was baffled as to why she had been unable to teleport. She tried again and again, but she and Quicktrip always reappeared on the inner side of the window.

By her tenth failed attempt, Quicktrip had stopping coughing. Moreover, he had gone totally listless, and Luminous Lush was forced to abandon him. As she desperately searched for another exit, she let out a cough of her own.

Esopus Spitzenburg, Shuffleboard, and Metal Gears made their way to the third floor. They went up together, but when they reached the top, they separated. Metal Gears and Shuffleboard went to the section with the guest bedrooms, and Spitzenburg went to his private study.

There was a console in Spitzenburg's study that enabled him to contact the retreat's security guards. Normally, whenever he used that console, the units at the outpost would respond in seconds. When the jade stallion tried to contact them this time, all he got was static.

Carabine's magic shield had prevented the console's signal from going out.

Spitzenburg then pulled a certain switch on the console. The switch was supposed to activate the retreat's alarms, but nothing happened; there was only silence outside. The energy field had intercepted that, as well.

While Spitzenburg was preoccupied with those difficulties, Metal Gears and Shuffleboard had been trying to rouse Raging Tempest and their other four sleeping colleagues.

Unfortunately for them, their efforts were wasted. The toxin in the mansion's air worked much more quickly on ponies who were asleep or unconscious. Raging Tempest and the others had died even before Lavender Dazzle and Clear Crest had gone down to the basement. Alas, Shuffleboard and Metal Gears did not even know the toxin was there, so they still endeavored to rouse their colleagues.

They went to Focal Point's bedroom. They shook her a bit, and then Metal Gears searched for a pulse and could not locate it. So they left her.

Metal Gears still had yet to cough, but Shuffleboard's coughing was progressively getting more severe.

They next entered Full Throttle's bedroom. By the time they confirmed that he too was gone and exited again, Shuffleboard felt like he was going to vomit, and Metal Gears had begun to feel a burning sensation in the back of his throat.

They came to Dreamcatcher's room after that. She had always been a heavy sleeper, but when they found her sprawled out on her bed, she was definitely not sleeping. When they left that room, Metal Gears finally coughed for the first time.

When they got to Trace Amount's bedroom, Shuffleboard had been unable to go on. He leaned against the wall of the corridor and struggled to remain standing. Metal Gears stepped into the bedroom by himself and rushed to Trace Amount's side. Just like the others, he would not wake up, either.

While Metal Gears was still in Trace Amount's bedroom, Shuffleboard's coughing abruptly stopped. It was followed by a loud thud. Metal Gears returned to the hallway and found his colleague slouched against the wall with his eyes wide open.

Metal Gears forced himself to press onward. He finally came to Raging Tempest's bedroom, but even he had perished.

As disheartening as that was, Metal Gears knew he could not linger. By this point, his cough had gotten so loud that it could be heard all over the house. He hurried out of Raging Tempest's bedroom and made his way back downstairs. He was determined not to die there.

Metal Gears made it as far as the top of the staircase that connected the second and third floors. It was then that his resilience gave out. He coughed one last time, and then he tumbled down the stairs all the way to the bottom.

Wayward Woods managed to go longer without coughing than almost everypony else. After Spitzenburg, Metal Gears, and Shuffleboard had gone upstairs, he had focused all his thoughts on looking for a way out of the mansion.

That proved far more difficult than he could have imagined. He and Alabaster Glaze had tried opened up windows on the second floor. As a Pegasus, he would have been able to fly out. Alabaster Glaze was not a Pegasus, but she was very desperate to flee, as she had already been coughing for three minutes.

Heckler had been able to clamp all of the second- and third-floor windows shut without anypony inside noticing. Glock had done the same to the first-floor windows. Furthermore, the glass in all those windows was unbreakable. Even somepony with the strength of an Alicorn could not open them. That did not stop Wayward Woods and Alabaster Glaze from trying, though.

They had tried forcing over half of the second-floor windows when Alabaster Glaze's cough became too persistent for her to carry on. Wayward Woods tried to convince her to continue, but ultimately, she just collapsed outside one of the windows.

Wayward Woods gave up on his idea of finding an exit from the second-floor. He rushed downstairs and tried the first-floor windows instead. When he got to the southeastern corner, he encountered Luminous Lush, who was still struggling to teleport herself outside. Her cough had degenerated into an uncontrollable fit of hacking. By the time Wayward Woods left her, Luminous Lush had collapsed, as well. She had given up on teleporting… and on everything else.

Wayward Woods scurried through the first-floor, looking for any possible form of escape. At one point, he came across Sparker Blare. The last time he saw him, Sparker Blare's cough had been relatively gentle. Now he was crumpled against the wall; he barely even had the strength to cough anymore. Wayward Woods knelt before his associate and tried to pull him back onto his hooves, but Sparker Blare would not or could not cooperate. Soon, a sharp gasp emanated from his throat, and he fell onto his side. Only then did Wayward Woods let him be.

Finally, Wayward Woods felt a tingling sensation rising in his throat. When it reached its pinnacle, he brought his front hoof over his mouth and coughed into it. He only coughed once, but he knew what that meant. Now he was frantic to get out of the mansion. He went to the front, side, and back entrances, but when he tried to open them, they would not budge. Members of the Firebrand Regiment were bracing them from the outside.

By the time Wayward Woods had tried all four of those doors, he was coughing so much that his face was turning a shade of purple. Then he got the idea to go to the wine cellar. He speculated that maybe there was a trapdoor that led to the outside.

Before he was even halfway to the cellar, he had tripped over a rug. He hit the ground so hard and he almost got the wind knocked out of him. That just made his cough worse. Wayward Woods tried to rise again, but he found he could not. The most he could do was drag himself down the hallway.

When Wayward Woods was less than ten feet from the cellar, he at last succumbed to the toxin. Even if he made it all the way to the cellar, his fate would not have been different. He would only have discovered that there was no trapdoor leading to the outside.

By this point, the only conspirators left were Clear Crest and Esopus Spitzenburg. Like their colleagues, neither of them were immune to the toxin; they had both started coughing, as well. However, their coughs were still relatively mild; they had time to do something about their predicament.

Neither of them was focused on escaping the building. Both of them had some unfinished business, which they were determined to finish before they too fell victim to the toxin.

Esopus Spitzenburg stomped out of his study and trotted speedily towards the staircase. Every ten or so steps, he had to pause to cough. When he reached the staircase, his cough had gone from being a nuisance to being an actual impediment. To avoid collapsing, he had to grip the banister with both front hooves as he made his descent. He almost tripped over the fallen form of Metal Gears when he got to the bottom of the staircase.

All this time, Clear Crest had been searching relentlessly for Lord Ambit Dexter. She was furious when she was unable to locate him. When she was unable to find Sir Raoul Jowl either, she was initially perplexed, but then she realized that the two stallions must have been in cahoots with each other.

When she finally made it to the bathroom in the northwestern corner and kicked open the door, she was able to confirm her hypothesis. There she saw the moccasin stallion and the cerise stallion standing near the main ventilation unit; they were both wearing oxygen masks.

Her eyes fell upon Raoul Jowl first. He muttered angrily "Traitor…"

"He's no traitor," Ambit Dexter resolutely pronounced, "You are."

Raoul Jowl slowly nodded his head and remarked "You brought this on yourself, Clear."

Clear Crest felt herself become consumed by a tremendous rage. She had not experienced this type of rage ever since she had first gotten the idea for the assassination conspiracy. She lunged towards Raoul Jowl and wrapped her front hooves around his throat.

The cerise stallion struggled with the onyx mare for a bit. He was stronger, but she was more skilled in combat.

Ambit Dexter hastily came to Raoul Jowl's aid. He gripped Clear Crest by her wings and forced her off of him. In response, Clear Crest whipped around and punched Lord Ambit in the jaw. That caused him to slip and hit his head against the bathtub. That in turn left him too stunned to fight or defend himself.

Clear Crest then spotted the grey canister on the sink. She picked it up and held it high over her head. She planned to bash Commodore Dexter's head in with it. But before she could, Raoul Jowl recovered and seized her from behind. He managed to force her away from Ambit Dexter.

The two of them struggled for nearly an entire minute. Then Raoul Jowl managed to pry the canister out of Clear Crest's front hooves. While he had that advantage, he had to act quickly, and act quickly, he did. He pinned Clear Crest to the ground with one of his front hooves. With the other, he raised the canister into the air and clobbered her in the side of the head with it. One blow was all it took; Clear Crest was rendered unconscious.

Raoul Jowl needed a moment to regain his breath. Then he stepped back into the bathroom and knelt next to Ambit Dexter. The Commodore was still alive, but he was barely awake. To Raoul Jowl's horror, there was a huge crack in the moccasin stallion's oxygen mask.

Sir Raoul did not know whether that crack had been made when Clear Crest punched Ambit Dexter in the face or when his head struck the bathtub. Either way, the damage had been done; Lord Ambit's oxygen mask was irreparably damaged.

Raoul Jowl panicked. If the Commodore died, the Firebrand Regiment would most certainly hold him responsible. Aside from that, he had come to admire the Chairpony of the War Council. He had done more for Equestria than any of the conspirators could have ever hoped to do. The way Sir Raoul saw it, the country could not afford to lose him.

For those reasons, Raoul Jowl did the only thing he could do to save Ambit Dexter's life. After a moment's hesitation, the cerise stallion took a deep breath, held it in, and removed his oxygen mask. Then he leaned down, removed Lord Ambit's mask, and replaced it with his own. After securing his mask around the Commodore's head, he sat down against the wall and pressed both of his front hooves against his muzzle and mouth. He held his breath for as long as he possibly could.

One floor up, Esopus Spitzenburg was struggling to get back to the lounge. His cough had reached the stage where there was no hope of recovery. Despite that, the jade stallion had refused to accept defeat. He vowed that if he was going down, he would bring Equestria down with him. He would make Prince Bronze Star pay for double-crossing him.

He made it all the way to the doorway of the lounge. Gloss Vale was lying motionless on the coffee table. Near the front of that table was Spitzenburg's steel briefcase. The elderly stallion limped towards it. With every step he took, he coughed incessantly.

When he got to his briefcase, he dropped to his knees. He input the combination as quickly as he could, but just turning the dials was arduous to him.

Once the briefcase was unlocked, Spitzenburg hastily opened it up. There on top of everything else was his electronic tablet. He picked it up and slammed his front hoof against all of its knobs once, twice, and thrice. But before he could press the knobs a fourth time, his endurance failed him. He dropped the tablet and fell flat on his back.

…

Bronze Star and Applejack had made out in public many times before. This was the first time they had done so in Canterlot. It was also the first time he had appeared as his true self. In addition to that, the two of them had gotten much more "frisky" with each other than they ever had before. With the possible exception of that night on that train to Appleoosa.

Presently, the two of them were lying down on a towel behind the orange mare's stand. They had been cuddling for a while, but now they were letting their hooves explore each other's bodies. They avoided making any sounds that would have drawn unwanted attention, but their arousal was obvious. It almost made Applejack not regret that she had been unable to sell more of her products. To her, this was much more pleasurable than earning money.

Alas, their excitement had to end at some point. Specifically, it ended when Lord Bellerophon approached the booth and knocked on the counter three times.

Somehow, that was enough to get the farmer and the prince to give their attention to the palomino Pegasus.

Applejack was lying on top of Bronze Star at that moment. He gently moved her a bit so that he could look Bellerophon in the eye. Then he mumbled irately "What is it, my lord?"

"Customers," his mother's chief of staff answered him.

At that, Applejack swiftly got up off her coltfriend and rose to her hooves. She needed a moment to adjust her hat and smooth out her dress. After that, she smiled at the two ponies standing on the other side of her booth and inquired "What can I get ya?"

When Bronze Star was back on his hooves, he discovered that his fillyfriend's customers were Rarity and Prince Blueblood. It looked as though they were together. In the loosest form of the word.

"Two apple fritters, please," Rarity requested.

"Two apple fritters comin' right up," Applejack proclaimed. She disappeared behind the booth for a moment and reemerged with a tray holding two large apple fritters. She placed the tray on the counter and remarked "That'll be four bits."

Rarity and Blueblood both stood still, as though they were expecting each other to move first. Then Rarity murmured softly "Ahem."

Blueblood retorted with a slightly louder "Ahem."

"Ahem!" Rarity stated in irritation.

"AHEM!" Blueblood exclaimed.

Bronze Star flashed a hostile scowl at Blueblood, but the older prince did not even seem to notice it. He was disgusted by his cousin's impolite conduct.

Rarity grimly sighed and realized "I'm going to have to pay, aren't I?"

As the white Unicorn reached for her dress's money pocket, Applejack decided to do her friend a courtesy. She held out the tray and declared "It's okay, Rarity. I got you covered."

"Thank you, Applejack." Rarity remarked, grateful. She then frowned at Blueblood and added in "At least somepony here has good manners."

Blueblood disregarded that comment. He took a large bite out of one of the apple fritters. He chewed it twice, and then he promptly spat it out. He then examined the displays of Applejack's booth and shrieked "Oh! Fritters! Dumplings! Caramel apples! My royal lips have touched common carnival fare!"

He then calmly trotted away and rudely pronounced "I'm going to the buffet for some... hors d'oeuvres."

Bronze Star felt a strong desire to enclose his front hooves around his cousin's neck. Judging by the expressions on Applejack and Rarity's faces, he was not the only one.

Rarity lingered at the stand for a minute. After Blueblood went inside, she turned to Applejack and suggested "AJ, I don't suppose you'd be interested in trading princes for the rest of the night?"

She was only half-joking when she said that. All the same, Applejack was unwilling to share HER prince with anypony.

"No way in Tartarus, Rare," she humorously replied, "But I feel for ya."

"So do I," Bronze Star disclosed, a note of aggravation in his voice, "I swear; I am going to kick Blueblood's ass all the way to Yakyakistan if he doesn't shape up."

"It may come to that," Rarity drily theorized, "If so, I won't stop you."

Soon the white mare went back inside the find Blueblood. The gold stallion and the orange mare were left by themselves once more. Despite how poorly Blueblood had regarded Applejack's products, his reaction had enlightened her as to why she was not making more sales. She professed "Well, no wonder nopony wants my food. They're fillin' up on those fancy-schmancy vittles. Well, my down-home apples are plenty good enough for this crowd. I'll just dress 'em up a bit and prove it to 'em."

Bronze Star had to admire his fillyfriend's initiative and determination. He notified her "Haute Cuisine is in the ballroom. If you need some suggestions on 'dressing them up,' he could provide a few."

"Nah, I already have a pretty good idea of what to do," Applejack uttered, "But I'd still like to talk to the Castle's head chef later on."

"I'm sure he'd like to have some words with you, too," Bronze Star professed.

Applejack prepared to take her booth inside the Castle. Just before she could, Verse A. Till approached her and Bronze Star. He was carrying the prince's blackboard on his back, and he had a very wide grin across his face.

"You're in a very good mood, Sir Verse," Bronze Star perceived.

The glaucous stallion continued to grin as he removed the blackboard from his back and held it out to the gold stallion. He muttered confidently "Once you read this, you will be, too, Your Highness."

Bronze Star took his blackboard and gazed down at it. When he looked up from it, he was grinning as widely as Sir Verse. Applejack approached her coltfriend and said inquisitively "What's up?"

Bronze Star turned to his fillyfriend and informed her "It's over. Your family's good name has been restored."

Applejack needed a moment to embrace that statement, and then she was smiling as well. She presumed elatedly "He's dead?"

"Not just him," Bronze Star responded, "All the conspirators. At long last, the country is safe."

Applejack may not have looked it, but inwardly, she was overjoyed. She then turned back to her stand and cheerfully announced "This calls for celebration. I'll bake us a cake. Course, I was already plannin' on doing that."

"I look forward to it," Bronze Star muttered in approval.

As Applejack rolled her booth inside, the prince turned back to Verse A. Till and asked him "Does the Regiment have anything special to say, Sir Verse?"

"Well, SIG Sauer claims there are a few details he would like to apprise you of before he submits a full report," Verse A. Till explicated, "He also mentioned that there's one thing in particular that Caracal would like to share with you as soon as possible. However, they're prefer to wait until they've fled Spitzenburg's retreat to go over that. We should give them another hour or so."

"Sounds good," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I'm going to go inside for a while. As soon as you hear back from the Regiment, come and find me."

Verse A. Till nodded in compliance. Then he went back over to Bronze Star's strongbox and put the blackboard back inside, next to the Shroud of Valor.

Bronze Star soon trotted back into the Castle. He was followed close behind by Lord Bellerophon and Blade Bearer. The prince spent another hour surveying the guests as they partook in the Gala's merriments. At the outset, everything appeared to be going smoothly.

Then he got to the ballroom. There he discovered that Pinkie Pie had started "drinking" again. She had set up a DJ station. She was evidently trying to liven things up. As the energetic music played, she tried to get the other guests to share her enthusiasm. She came off as a little too forceful. "Come on, everypony! You wanted a partay? Now it's paaartaaay! Yeah! Uh! Now that's a beat, yeah! Uh! C'mon, dance! Yeah, woohoo!"

"Should I stop her, Your Highness?" Blade Bearer asked Bronze Star.

"You probably should, Commander," Bronze Star recommended.

As the light brown stallion went to calm the pink mare down, Applejack entered the ballroom through its western entrance. She was using her trunk as a cart now. On it was a huge cake. It had eight layers, and it was topped with an apple.

As the orange mare sauntered inside, she called out "Okay, all you high-class ponies. Here's a highfalutin apple cake for your hoity-toity taste buds."

Several of the attendees actually seemed interested in the cake. Bronze Star thought it looked quite appetizing.

Unfortunately, nopony had a chance to taste a piece. At that very moment, Pinkie Pie had climbed back onto the stage with the DJ station and she bellowed "STAGE DIVE!"

Then she jumped off the stage. When she landed, it was on the edge of Applejack's trunk. The force of her impact sent the cake flying.

Right then, Rarity and Blueblood entered the ballroom. She had been forced to hold the door open for him, and not the other way around. If that was not rude enough, when he saw the cake coming, Blueblood pushed Rarity in front of him to shield himself.

They both screamed as the cake came hurling towards them. The cake splattered against Rarity, covering her dress in crumbs and icing.

That was when Rarity hit her breaking point. She turned to Blueblood, growled angrily, and barked "You, sir, are the most uncharming prince I have ever met! In fact, the only thing royal about you is that you are a royal pain!"

Blueblood flinched away from the white Unicorn and groaned in revulsion "Ewww...! Uh, stay back! I just had myself groomed!"

"Afraid to get dirty?!" Rarity shouted furiously. She then shook herself vigorously, and all the crumbs and icing were transferred from her dress to Blueblood's coat.

He whimpered and stumbled backwards against a huge metallic figurine. He hit it so roughly that the figurine was in danger of falling off its pedestal.

Rainbow Dash had entered the ballroom just then. When she saw the precarious position the figurine was in, she yelled "This is my chance!"

She swooped forward and caught the figurine before it landed on the ground. She muttered happily "Yes!"

Her moment of triumph did not last long. She lost her balance and stumbled around the room, saying "Whoa!"

The figurine rammed against one of the huge stone pillars on the southern end of the ballroom. That started a chain reaction that caused every pillar in the room to crash into the one next to it and crumble on the ground. At the end of that, Rainbow Dash was standing in a huge pile of rubble. The figurine somehow remained on her back, but then it split in half and joined the other debris on the ground.

By then, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia had arrived at the northern entrance of the throne room. Twilight surveyed the scene and she dolefully muttered "Well... it can't get any worse."

Then it did. A rumbling sound could be heard all over the ballroom. It gradually became louder and closer, and then the eastern door of the ballroom was thrown open. All the animals from the Castle gardens scampered or flew inside. Fluttershy appeared in a disheveled state behind them. She was very unstable, and she was struggling to catch her breath. Once she caught it, she screamed at the top of her voice "You're... going to LOVE ME!"

Most of the guests started screaming, too. Their screams were of terror; they fled in every direction to avoid the Castle's animals.

Twilight observed this catastrophe and muttered nervously "Um, um, uh... Eugh."

Princess Celestia leaned over to her apprentice and urged her "Run."

Twilight then gave a sharp whistle. At that, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy composed themselves and rendezvoused with the lavender mare. Together the six of them galloped as fast as they could to the main entrance.

As they went down the staircase, one of Rarity's glass slippers came loose and fell off her hoof. Pinkie Pie noticed this and proclaimed "Ooh! Rarity, your glass slipper! Now your prince is sure to find you."

She was quoting a famous fairytale. While that prospect may have delighted Rarity once, it no longer did then. She shrieked and yelled "No!"

She rushed back to the slipper and smashed it with her hoof. Pinkie seemed confused by this, but before questions could be asked, Rarity grabbed her and shouted "Let's go!"

Bronze Star and Celestia had been standing at the top of the staircase at the time. Despite how traumatic that episode may have been for the Element Bearers, the two Alicorns had been left fairly amused by it.

Bronze Star trotted halfway down the staircase and picked up the remnants of Rarity's slipper. Then he smiled up at Celestia and commented "Best Gala yet, Mother."

"I could not agree more, Bronze Star," Celestia remarked, smirking.
> The Torment Of Knowledge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike had given up on the Grand Galloping Gala long before any of the others had. He had been able to spend some of the evening with Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Cashew Lane, but the three of them soon went off to mingle with Haywood McCrank.

After the three Ponyville security officers deprived him of their company, Spike browsed through the various rooms of the Gala, looking for somepony else to interact with. Sadly, the majority of his friends were preoccupied with their own affairs. The only ponies he knew that were available were some of the Canterlot Elite, and Spike had almost as little tolerance for them as Bronze Star.

Ultimately, the baby dragon decided to leave the Castle and retreat to a quieter location. He headed to his favorite Donut Shop, which was operated by a Unicorn stallion named Joe. Because of the Gala, hardly anypony else came in that night; Spike was Joe's only customer for hours. So at the very least, Spike got to spend most of the evening with one of his old friends. Granted, he was mostly just there for coffee and pastries.

At that time, Spike took a huge swig of his coffee, and he slammed his cup down on the counter, a large marshmallow floating in the center. He called out "Hey, Pony Joe. Another donut."

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Joe austerely perceived, as though Spike had spent the night consuming some alcoholic beverage instead of java and sweets.

"Another donut!" Spike demanded indifferently, "Extra sprinkles!"

As Joe went to fill the baby dragon's order, the shop's bell rang as the front door opened. Six mares silently filed inside. All of them were lightly-bruised and clad in wrinkled gowns.

Joe recognized one of them. He smirked at her and warmly stated "Twilight Sparkle! Ha, ha. Long time no see."

Spike turned to the Element Bearers and smiled. He hopped off his stool, walked over to them, and asked eagerly "Hey, how was the Gala? How was your best night ever?"

Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle all gathered around a table and bade the baby dragon to join them. They ordered some donuts of their own, and after Joe served them, the mares told Spike all about the many mishaps they had experienced in the past few hours.

At the end of the explanation, Spike noted "That sounds like the worst night ever!"

"It was!" the Element Bearers agreed, rather cheerfully. Then they all broke out into laughter.

When the sniggers subsided, Twilight glumly muttered "I just hope Princess Celestia isn't upset with us for ruining the Gala."

At that moment, Princess Celestia and Bronze Star entered the Donut Shop. They were still in very good spirits.

"That was the best Grand Galloping Gala ever!" the regal mare proclaimed as she and her son approached the six mares and Spike.

"Princess Celestia!" the seven of them exclaimed in unison, stunned.

"I've here, too, you know," Bronze Star sardonically commented as he stood between Applejack and Rarity.

"Pardon me, Princess, but tonight was just awful," Twilight pointed out as Celestia moved between her and Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, Twilight," Celestia amusingly remarked, "The Grand Galloping Gala is always awful."

That statement perplexed her apprentice and her friends. The lavender mare queried "It is?"

"Are you kidding?" Bronze Star retorted, "Formal gatherings are enjoyable in small crowds, but on the Gala's scale… they would only be useful as a prelude to a long, peaceful nap. That's how tedious and dreary the Gala usually is."

"That is why I was thrilled you were all attending," Celestia apprised the mares, "I was hoping you could liven things up a bit. And while the evening may not have gone as you planned, I'm sure you'll agree that in the end it didn't turn out so bad for this group of friends."

The six mares thought about the white Alicorn's observations, and they found they could not argue with anything she said.

"You're right, Princess," Twilight declared. Even though she had spent most of the night shaking hooves, she had managed to learn another lesson about friendship at the Gala. She presented it thusly: "Friends have a way of making even the worst of times into something pretty great."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash conceded, "Hanging out with friends!"

"Talking!" Fluttershy softly added in.

"Laughing!" Pinkie Pie giddily muttered.

"You mean doing exactly what I wanted to do the whole time?" Spike dryly presumed.

"Yes, Spike," Twilight candidly admitted, "You were right."

"As horrible as our night was..." Applejack began.

"...being together here has made it all better." Rarity finished for her.

Pinkie Pie then perceived: "In fact, it's made it..."

Everyone except Celestia and Bronze Star announced as one "...the best night ever!"

Then they all erupted into another round of laughter, which the two Alicorns partook in.

"I don't know about 'best night ever,'" Bronze Star contended once the laughter died down, "This was easily the best Gala ever. But to me, the ideal best night ever wouldn't involve loss of profit, being profoundly ignored, discourteous treatment, disturbances of the peace, shaking hooves to the point of needing a cast, or… mental breakdowns."

He had looked at Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy respectively when he made those points. The yellow mare blushed when the gold stallion looked to her; she was hoping that nopony would bring up how she had nearly cast aside her sanity when she was out in the garden enclosure.

"I guess I was a little too determined to make friends with the Castle's animals," Fluttershy supposed, "I didn't try to be that forceful with them at first."

"Well, how did you approach them?" Bronze Star queried, "Did you trot or gallop?"

"As I recall… I galloped," Fluttershy disclosed, "I was pretty eager to meet them, you see."

"That's probably what chased them away," Bronze Star speculated, "Those animals have always been sheltered. Whenever somepony rushes towards them, they innately regard him or her as a threat."

"Oh," was all the timid Pegasus said in response. Wanting to change the subject, she looked to the gold stallion and asked "So, what was your favorite part of tonight, Bronze?"

"Hard to say; it was very eventful," Bronze Star professed, "However, the highlight of the evening was probably when Applejack and I spent some time together. Not the kind of time all of us could have spent together. If you know what I mean."

Applejack's cheeks tinted red, and she mumbled bluntly "I fancy they all know what you mean, Bronze."

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity giggled, whereas Spike was too young to know what the prince meant. Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow and gave her son a suspicious glare.

When he saw the expression on Celestia's face, Bronze Star proclaimed "Relax, Mother; we didn't do anything too suggestive."

"Yeah, we kept our clothes on the entire time," Applejack asserted, "Ask Lord Bellerophon if you need assurances."

"No; your word is good enough," Celestia stated.

Applejack was visibly relieved to hear that. She sighed and remarked "Just wish I could have sold a few more of my products; my revenues weren't even enough to cover my expenses."

Bronze Star patted her on the back to comfort her and commented "I'm confident you'll recover from that loss."

Applejack seemed to share her coltfriend's optimism, and she brightened up at that.

Bronze Star then removed an object from the inner pocket of his cloak and placed it in front of Rarity. It was the glass slipper she had left behind at the Castle. It was whole again; the gold stallion had mended it with his magic. He told the fashionista "Rarity, I believe this belongs to you."

She smiled appreciatively and adorned the fragile shoe again. As she did that, Bronze Star murmured "I'm curious; why didn't you just put it back on?"

"I was in a hurry to get out of the Castle as soon as possible," Rarity explicated, "Putting the slipper back on would have taken more time than smashing it."

"Yeah, about one or two seconds more," Bronze Star sarcastically contended, "They're called 'slippers' for a reason. You just slip them on and viola; you're wearing them. It's not as though you had any laces or straps to deal with."

"Oh, well," Rarity uttered, shrugging, "Anyway, thanks for returning it to me, Bronze. Why can't Blueblood be more like you?"

"I've asked him that myself many times," Bronze Star remarked, "I probably should have warned you about Blueblood, though. He's not like the rest of the Equestria Royalty. He gives the rest of us a bad name."

"I believe that," Rarity muttered, "By the way, how exactly is he your cousin?"

"He's not related to me, my mother, or my aunt through blood," Bronze Star revealed, "He's a naturalized Royal, like my other cousin."

"Oh, alright," Rarity acknowledged.

There came a brief interval of silence, and then Rainbow Dash pronounced "Say, Bronze; a lot of the Wonderbolts attended the Gala, but I never saw General Walther there. Why is that?"

"The General is out on business tonight," Bronze Star apprised her.

"Doing what?" the cyan mare enquired.

"That's confidential," Bronze Star replied.

"Oh, right," Rainbow Dash avowed, recalling what Bronze Star told her about the Firebrand Regiment.

"I know you were wishing to mingle with the Wonderbolts, Rainbow," Bronze Star debated, "That may not have worked as you hoped, but if Walther was here tonight, he would have made some time for you. If we're lucky, he may return to Canterlot before we go back to Ponyville."

Rainbow Dash smirked and conjectured "Then I might still have something to look forward to later."

Bronze Star lightly nodded his head in affirmation. After that, he turned to Pinkie Pie and stated "Pinkie, there's something I should mention to you. While I know you were only trying to make the Gala a little more exciting, you may have gone a little overboard."

"What do you mean?" the pink mare enquired.

"You're accustomed to a more energetic form of fun," Bronze Star specified, "The Canterlot Elite and most of the other guests prefer a quieter, more refined form of fun. They're just as uncomfortable and displeased by your version as you are by theirs. That being said, you kind of made an ass of yourself in the ballroom tonight. To excuse your behavior, I had to tell the other attendees that you were drunk."

Everypony else chuckled at that, including Pinkie Pie. She shrugged and perceived "To be honest, I probably would have had a lot more fun if I actually WAS drunk."

"I know how you feel," Bronze Star claimed, "The Gala tends to have that effect on ponies who do not lead a monotonous lifestyle. More than once, I've been tempted to have a few drinks myself. But I know better than to become inebriated during such an event."

Princess Celestia was both proud and pleased to hear her son say that. In response, she gave him a firm nod of approval.

The eight ponies and the baby dragon continued talking for another ten minutes. Then the door to the Donut Shop opened again and Blade Bearer stepped inside. He approached the occupied table and bowed to the two Alicorns.

"Good evening, Commander Bearer," Celestia bade the Royal Guard.

"I hope I am not disturbing you," the light brown stallion remarked, "You should know; there is some business at the Castle that requires royal mediation."

"Very well," Celestia avowed, "I will come along as soon as-"

"My apologies, Your Highness, but these matters require your son's attention, not yours," Blade Bearer hastily interrupted, keeping his head tilted towards the white Alicorn.

"How so, Commander?" Bronze Star questioned in interest.

"Sirs Verse A. Till and Haywood McCrank both wish to speak with you, my prince," Blade Bearer notified him, "They both expressed a certain amount of urgency. If you desire, I can tell them to wait on you for a while."

"No, I know they wouldn't waste my time with trivial issues," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I may as well see to their needs now."

Bronze Star moved away from the table and joined the light brown stallion. After that, he looked to Celestia, Spike, and the Element Bearers. He told them "Depending on how long I'm busy, I may see you either here or back in the Castle. In any case, I'll see you all again sometime before sunrise."

His mother and friends acknowledged that statement. The eight of them went back to conversing soon after the gold stallion and the light brown stallion left the Donut Shop.

It was already after midnight. Although the streets of Canterlot had been overflowing with ponies for most of the previous morning and afternoon, there was not a single person to be seen outdoors that night. It was as though the prince and the Royal Guard had the whole city to themselves. In a way, Bronze Star did.

When they reached the castle, they were immediately allowed entrance by the officers on duty. Although the Gala was over, most of the guests had chosen to linger after-hours. The ballroom was virtually in ruins, but the garden enclosure, the courtyard, the VIP section, and the other reserved rooms were still relatively intact. The majority of the guests were gathered inside the building.

"Who would you like to see first?" Blade Bearer asked Bronze Star, "Sir Verse or Sir Haywood?"

Bronze Star thought for a few seconds, and then he said inquisitively "Who would you recommend?"

"Well, Sir Verse came to me first, but Sir Haywood sounded more pressing," Blade Bearer disclosed, "I won't tell you whom to pick; it's your choice, Your Highness."

"Let's go to Sir Haywood first," Bronze Star decided.

"Alright," Blade Bearer conceded, "Last time I saw him, he was near the buffet table."

"Was he alone?" the gold Alicorn enquired.

"No, most of the ponies who accompanied you from Ponyville were with him," the light brown Unicorn revealed, "On a separate note, are you going to mention that thing I told you about Sir Haywood earlier?"

"I suppose so," Bronze Star alleged, "Truthfully, I'm just as interested in getting an answer from him as you are."

Soon the two stallions arrived in the room with the buffet. Most of the food was gone, but many of the guests were gathered around the table. Some were talking in groups; some were standing alone.

Bronze Star spotted Haywood McCrank at the head of the table. In his company were Copper Hollow, Cashew Lane, Rough Rider, Noble Edict, and Dapple Rhomb.

Rough Rider was the first one to notice Bronze Star approaching them. He pointed the younger stallion out to the others, and they all gave him a polite nod or grin in acknowledgement.

"Hey, everypony," Bronze Star casually greeted them, "Did you enjoy yourselves tonight?"

"Oh, very much, Bronze," Copper Hollow responded.

Noble Edict said in agreement "I had more fun tonight than I did on my birthday."

"Considering what happened after the party, that's saying quite a bit," Rough Rider perceived.

"Huh?" Cashew Lane uttered in bewilderment.

"Never mind, Cashew," Bronze Star murmured quickly, as he did not wish to mention what the task force had done to the Vermane who had snuck into Noble Edict's house. He turned to Haywood McCrank and presumed "You requested an audience with me, Sir Haywood?"

The indigo stallion solemnly nodded his head. Then he gestured over his shoulder and pronounced "If you look directly behind me, Your Highness, you'll notice that the CEOs' representatives are standing right over there."

Bronze Star peered around Sir Haywood, and sure enough, he saw all six of the staffers that had been selected to speak for the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates at their merger. They were Mr. Rivers from Uptown Mystique, Mr. Fowler from Radical Innovation, Mr. Beach from Fabian, Mr. Shepherd from Landslide, Mr. Potter from MonuMarent, and Mr. Clay from GrandiHorse. They were off to the side of the room, talking amongst themselves.

The sight of that was rather remarkable. Two months ago, three of those stallions would have refused to even be in the same building as the other three and vice versa. Now, they appeared to be as close as a group of lifelong friends. Furthermore, they were secluded from the rest of the guests. Based on how they inched away from anypony who came within a certain distance of them, that was deliberate on their part.

Bronze Star asked Cashew Lane and Blade Bearer to give him a few minutes with the other ponies. After the shamrock stallion and the light brown stallion went off to the side, Bronze Star inquired "Any developments on the staffers?"

"Not officially," Haywood McCrank apprised him, "They've spent the majority of the evening by themselves. For almost all of that time, they've been talking. I cannot guess as to what the subject or subjects may be, but every time I've looked over at them, at least one of them was moving his mouth."

"Maybe they're eager to begin discussing the merger," the gold stallion theorized.

"They could be," Haywood McCrank professed, "When the CEOs left Ponyville, all they would speak about was the merger. But we have reason to believe the staffers may have other interests in mind."

"Explain," Bronze Star bade him.

"An hour ago, we concluded that simply observing the staffers from afar was inadequate," Noble Edict told him, "So we decided to have one of us go over to them and attempt to engage them in conversation."

"Copper Hollow volunteered for that job," Dapple Rhomb revealed.

Bronze Star looked to the copper Earth Pony, and the latter stallion elucidated "Although they have been unwilling to interact with anypony else tonight, when I approached the staffers, they welcomed me into their discussion almost straightaway."

"What did you talk about?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Mostly me, actually," Copper Hollow disclosed, "For whatever reason, they were quite fascinated in learning about my life. They asked me about my personal life, my career as a security officer, my hobbies, my skills, and a lot of other subjects. As perplexed as I was by their questions, I decided to oblige them with answers."

"Could it be they were merely interested in knowing you?" "I mean, even though we interacted with all sixty of the ponies on the companies' boards of directors in Ponyville, the CEOs were the only ones we really spoke to at length."

"That is a plausible theory, Bronze," Copper Hollow muttered, "However, what Sir Haywood said is true. We know the CEOs of the companies are ecstatic about this merger. The staffers, not so much, apparently. When I was around them, they hardly spoke a word about the merger. I brought it up once, but they disregarded the topic fairly quickly. In addition to that, I picked up a general feeling of uneasiness when I was with them. They seemed very restless and very edgy. It was almost as though they are bothered or afraid of something."

Bronze Star rubbed his temple to think for a minute. Then he uttered "Remarkable. Anything else, Copper?"

"Yes," Copper Hollow expounded, "Just before I left them, the staffers told me that they were interested in meeting my friends, too. Especially Noble Edict. They expressed a particular desire to become acquainted with her."

Now Bronze Star was intrigued. He turned to the federal investigator and queried "What do you make of that, Sir Haywood?"

"Perchance it's only a request," Haywood McCrank supposed, "Then again, it could also be a ruse to lure us into a trap."

"If it is, it's not a very subtle one," Dapple Rhomb noted.

"So should we officially establish that the representatives are with the Vermane?" Copper Hollow asked.

"No, we can still neither confirm nor deny that yet," Haywood pronounced, "But we should probably follow up on this."

"I agree," Bronze Star coincided. He had already devised a strategy, and he presented it to the other five ponies: "The representatives claim that they wish to get to know all of you. We may as well indulge them. As such, I'd like the five of you to go over to them."

"And do what, Bronze?" Rough Rider inquired.

"Talk," Bronze Star explicated, "Discuss any topics they address. If their questions are reasonable, answer them. If the questions seem too prying or too personal, just dismiss them and change the subject. Also, try to find out why specifically they are so interested in becoming familiar with you. Determine if they have an underlying motive. Oh, and remember their colleagues who disappeared the day after the Vermane came to Noble Edict's house? Bring them up at one point. Monitor the representatives' reactions closely. It could very well be that Sir Haywood's theory has merit after all."

Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, Rough Rider, and Haywood McCrank agreed to this proposal.

"Refresh my memory; what were the names of the staffers who vanished?" Rough Rider stated inquisitively.

Noble Edict replied with "There was Mr. Bell from Uptown Mystique, Mr. Cook from Radical Innovation, Mr. Porter from Fabian, Mr. Hunt from Landslide, Mr. Fisher from MonuMarent, and Mr. Weaver from GrandiHorse."

"Got it," the olive stallion avowed.

"Anypony else wish to know anything else?" Bronze Star enquired.

"What if they ask about the merger?" Dapple Rhomb conjectured.

"Unlikely, given their lack of interest in it earlier," Copper Hollow supposed.

"Well, if they do bring the merger up, tell them it's still on my mind," Bronze Star recommended, "If they really aren't with the Vermane, I'll have it finalized by sunrise. Oh, and most importantly: if the representatives do anything indisputably indicative of involvement with the Vermane, you are all authorized to brandish your weapons and take them into custody."

"We hear you loud and clear, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank proclaimed.

"Hold up," Rough Rider muttered, "We can easily overpower the staffers, but there are five of us and six of them. One of them will still be able to shout for help, since he won't have a knife at his throat."

"I'll remedy that," Bronze Star commented. He gazed around the room until he spotted Comet Frost and Swiftdrive. He called the two of them over and briefly filled them in on the situation. He did not say anything about the Vermane; he just claimed that Sir Haywood and the others were cross-examining the staffers, and that this matter was related to the investigation they had done in Ponyville. The prince also apprised the two Royal Guard officers that he had allowed his five companions to carry weapons. He emphasized that there was a possibility that they would have to draw their weapons and threaten the representatives with them. If that was the case, Comet Frost and Swiftdrive were to reinforce Haywood McCrank. That way, the odds were seven to six in favor of Bronze Star's associates.

Once Bronze Star had given them thorough instructions on what they were to do, Haywood McCrank, Rough Rider, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Dapple Rhomb were ready to "mingle" with Mr. Beach, Mr. Clay, Mr. Fowler, Mr. Potter, Mr. Rivers, and Mr. Shepherd. The olive stallion, the purple mare, the copper mare and the red mare headed over to the representatives. The indigo stallion would have joined them, but Bronze Star stepped up to him and remarked "Sir Haywood, before you go, I need to talk to you."

Sir Haywood McCrank agreed to give him a little more of his time. After that, Bronze Star had Blade Bearer come back over. He then looked over his shoulders and made a note of everypony in the area. Once he verified that the three of them could speak privately without being overheard, the prince turned to the superintendent. He took a minute to pick his words, and then he stated "Do you recall that night in Ponyville when we saved Spike from the green dragon?"

"I doubt I'd ever forget any night I encountered a dragon of that size," Haywood McCrank cheekily murmured, smirking. When Bronze Star did not chuckle, his smirk dropped.

The gold Alicorn candidly pronounced "As you may recall, shortly after we escaped from the dragon's cave, our group was forced to split up. Swiftdrive, Comet Frost, and I stayed behind to fend the dragon off whilst you, Blade Bearer, Owlowiscious, and Twilight Sparkle got Spike to safety."

"That's correct," Sir Haywood affirmed, "What about that event?"

"Blade Bearer tells me that was not the only point when the group became smaller," Bronze Star disclosed, "He claims that before you escaped from the Everfree Forest, you and he were separated from Twilight, her owl, and Spike. Is that true?"

"It is," Haywood McCrank admitted, "We nearly got lost in the Forest. In fact, he and I also lost each other at one point."

"He's told me that, too," Bronze Star professed, "The way he tells it, he searched the area extensively in effort to find you, and eventually, he did. To be more precise, you found him… and you came galloping towards him with your knife raised over your head. You managed to seize him by his shoulder and swing your knife within an inch of his head before you broke off your assault."

Haywood McCrank absorbed everything the gold stallion told him. He became visibly disturbed by those statements, but he made no effort to deny them. He merely sighed and declared "All that is true, as well."

Bronze Star's only reaction to that was a very slight nod. He calmly asked the indigo stallion "Why did you attack him?"

Haywood McCrank glanced downward and glumly stated "Before I tell you, please believe that I never intended to hurt the Lieutenant Commander."

"I'm not concerned that you meant me any harm, Sir," Blade Bearer assured him, "What really concerns me is what compelled you to react that way to my presence. I haven't forgotten your request that we never spoke on this issue again. I was willing to stay quiet for a while, but I feel Prince Bronze Star deserved to know eventually."

"I understand," Sir Haywood mumbled, "Truthfully, I was mostly only unwilling to address this topic whilst we were in Ponyville. Now that we're in Canterlot, I feel it is safe enough for us discuss it."

"Then enlighten us, if you would," Bronze Star bade him.

Haywood McCrank coincided to that. After some silence, he revealed "The reason I attacked the Lieutenant Commander was because… I mistook him for somepony else. You see, a couple minutes after he and I were separated, I was attacked, too."

Bronze Star and Blade Bearer were astounded to discover that. The prince asked in concern "By who?"

"All I saw of my assailant was his silhouette," Haywood McCrank recounted, "He managed to catch me unawares, as my mind was primarily on regrouping with Blade Bearer and the rest of our company. He overpowered me for a few seconds, and during that time, he frisked my suit jacket, as though he was looking for something. He was wielding a knife, but he didn't know I had one, as well. Once I drew it, I was able to throw him off and fight back. That was when he ran off. I chased after him, and even after I lost track of him, I tried to continue to pursue him. That was when I spotted Commander Bearer. It was very dark, and Commander Bearer was so alike in physique and stance to the assailant that I mistook him for the assailant. That was what led to that unpleasant encounter between me and him."

Bronze Star and Blade Bearer listened to the federal investigator. His story sounded quite credible, but there were a few minor details that the gold stallion was still unclear on.

"You say the assailant frisked you?" Bronze Star muttered. After Sir Haywood nodded his head, the prince inquired "What do you suppose he was looking for?"

"This," Haywood McCrank said in response, reaching into his jacket and removing the file the task force had taken from Detrot, "I was carrying those three pages that Twilight Sparkle restored after that ordeal with the dragon was resolved. The assailant clearly wasn't searching me for weapons, so they are the only other things he could have been after. He almost got away with them, but I showed him my knife just in time."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and presumed "So you believe the attacker was a member of…?"

"Correct," Sir Haywood McCrank confirmed, sliding the file back into his jacket, "I'm sure you're also wondering why I chose to withhold this information from you. I'll explain that as well, Your Highness. My reason is quite simple, actually: you had enough to worry about back then. I didn't wish to add my account of an assaulter to your list of troubles."

"I appreciate your concern, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star remarked gratefully, "But in the future, feel free to come to me and fill me in on anything of precedence at any time, regardless of how many other worries I may have then."

"Very well, Your Highness," the indigo stallion claimed. He quickly realized the full implications of that command, and he assumed "Does 'any time' include now?"

"It does," Bronze Star confirmed, "However, I plan to be in the upper levels of the Castle for the next hour or two, and you and the others will be down here, conversing with the staffers. I won't be readily available if you acquire any pertinent news that needed my attention. Then again, there are ways of establishing contact between ponies that don't involve being face-to-face."

"Such as your blackboard?" Sir Haywood exemplified.

"Yes, my blackboard is an excellent example," Bronze Star contended, "But written communiqués tend to be rather time-consuming and inefficient, especially when compared to verbal communiqués. Aside from that, SIG Sauer has the other blackboard, and he's out of town. Fortunately, the blackboard's not the only method of communication that I have at my disposal."

"What else do you have?" Haywood McCrank enquired curiously.

"I'll tell you in a minute," Bronze Star stated frankly. He then turned to the Royal Guard officer and muttered "Blade Bearer, I've probably kept Sir Verse A. Till waiting long enough. Could you go ahead and find him for me and bring him here?"

The light brown stallion solemnly saluted the gold stallion and marched out of the room. Once he was gone, Bronze Star opened up his cloak, reached his front hoof into one of its inner pockets, and extracted a small plastic bag. In that bag were six of the miniscule communicators the Firebrand Regiment used to remain in contact with each other, along with a small manual on how to use them.

"Like you, I like to be prepared for anything," Bronze Star pronounced, "I brought these along in case I was busy elsewhere tonight. Turns out I will be. Odds are I'll be back down here before you need to speak with me. Even so, it couldn't hurt for you to have the option to contact me directly. As such, if for any reason you direly need to get in touch with me, use these."

Bronze Star used his magic to open the bag and remove one of the communicators. Once he was holding that single communicator in his front hoof, he sealed the bag back up and hovered it in front of Sir Haywood McCrank. The indigo stallion extended his front leg to a position underneath the bag, and Bronze Star released the bag so it landed in Haywood's hoof.

"Instructions on how to use them are included," the prince informed him, "Keep one for yourself, and give one of the other four to each of the others. I'll put this one in my own ear. If any of you ever want to share anything with me, you can talk to me just as easily as you would if I was in the same room as you."

"Sounds like a fine arrangement," Sir Haywood perceived. There was a short interval of quiet, and then the superintendent asked "Is there anything else you'd like to discuss, Your Highness?"

"No, my mind is at ease for now, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I'm not pleased you kept silent about being attacked in the Everfree Forest, but I respect your reasons for doing so. I'll be speaking with Sir Verse, my Aunt Luna, and maybe a few others for the next couple hours. I should be back by three o'clock, if not earlier."

"If I manage to verify or nullify my hypothesis about the representatives' connection to the Vermane before then, I'll make sure to notify you," Sir Haywood asserted.

"Very good," Bronze Star said approvingly, "You have my leave to proceed."

Haywood McCrank bowed his head in veneration, and then he swiftly went to join Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict. The five ponies read the instructions for handling the communicators carefully, and then they each inserted one of the communicators into one of their ears. Bronze Star simultaneously slid his own communicator into his own ear. After activating and testing the devices, he bade his five companions good luck in their assembly with the representatives.

Not long after the five ponies approached Mr. Beach, Mr. Clay, Mr. Fowler, Mr. Potters, Mr. Rivers, and Mr. Shepherd, Blade Bearer returned to the room with Verse A. Till. Lord Bellerophon was with them, as well.

Verse A. Till was carrying Bronze Star's strongbox on his back. It had been closed and locked, and the key was contained in a pocket of Sir Verse's jacket.

When the three older ponies approached him, Bronze Star remarked "Blade Bearer mentioned that you asked for me, Sir Verse."

"Yes, Your Highness," the glaucous stallion validated, "Not for anything particularly crucial; I simply wish to give you the summary report of the Firebrand Regiment's latest assignment."

"Do you think you can trot while you give me that report?" Bronze Star suggested.

"Certainly," Verse A. Till conceded, "Why? Do you have business in another part of the Castle?"

"I wouldn't call it business," Bronze Star debated, "More of a family call, really. I'm going up to the Astronomy Tower to see my aunt. It'll take a while to get up there, so I may as well pass that time proficiently. Plus, I'd enjoy some company."

"Would you enjoy a little more?" Cashew Lane stated from across the room. He had been standing at least five meters away from Bronze Star ever since the gold stallion had spoken to the members of the Ponyville task force in private. Up until then, he had been minding his own business. Now Bronze Star was speaking loudly enough for him to overhear, and the shamrock stallion was looking for something to do.

"Actually, I would, Cashew," Bronze Star murmured, "I did promise that we would have an opportunity to talk sometime tonight, after all. I suppose you'd like to see more of the Castle, as well."

"That would be nice," Cashew Lane proclaimed. As he approached the prince, his eyes lit up and he proposed "Say, how about we bring the doctor along, too? He's like the only other pony here I kinda know who isn't preoccupied with other matters."

Bronze Star shrugged his shoulders and uttered "No harm in that. Last time I saw Dr. Health, he was still conversing with the Surgeon General. But Purple Heart isn't a huge conversationalist, and they're bound to run out of subject matter eventually."

"We actually passed the physicians on our way here, Your Highness," Bellerophon disclosed, "We can safely assume they haven't moved since then."

"Let's find out," Bronze Star proclaimed. He, Blade Bearer, and Cashew Lane followed Lord Bellerophon and Sir Verse A. Till to the last place where they had seen Doctors Purple Heart and Billow Health. The two stallions were each carrying a glass of champagne in his right front hoof. They were still talking, but when then noticed Bronze Star approaching, they quieted down and grinned.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Purple Heart stated, raising his glass to the prince. Then he drained half of it in one gulp.

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgment at his personal physician, and then he looked to the physician from Detrot and asked "Have you enjoyed the Gala so far, Dr. Health?"

"Oh, yes," the russet stallion answered, "This is much better than that Las Pegasus seminar."

"Glad to see you enjoying yourself, Billow," Bronze Star murmured. When Purple Heart took another sip of his beverage, the gold stallion queried "How many drinks have you had?"

"This is only my second one," the Surgeon General revealed, "I'll avoid consuming too much alcohol, just in case my services are needed sometime later. Given the current state of the ballroom, it's a wonder there haven't been any injuries yet."

"While I applaud you for drinking responsibly, you do not have to restrict yourself to two glasses of wine," Bronze Star said in assurance, "It'll take more than that concerned for inebriation to kick in."

"I know, Your Highness," Purple Heart commented, "Even so, I'd rather not risk it. I'd prefer to remain in control of my senses until the last guests leave."

"Suit yourself," Bronze Star coincided. He then turned to Billow Health and stated "In the meantime, would you care to see more of the Castle, Dr. Health? I'm about to show Cashew Lane around a bit, and he advised inviting you along, too."

The russet stallion smirked, raised his glass, and uttered "I'd love to see more of this place."

He then placed his glass on the tray of a passing waiter. Then he joined Bronze Star's company. After that, he told Purple Heart "I'll see you again sometime before I leave, Mr. Surgeon General."

The ex-military doctor nodded in acknowledgement and went off to the buffet table. Billow Health watched him as he trotted away, and then he rhetorically asked Bronze Star "So that's the pony who delivered you?"

"Yes," the gold stallion affirmed, "He was my mother's personal physician even before I was born. That wasn't long before he was appointed to the position of Surgeon General."

"After speaking with him for the past few hours, I can safely say that he's earned his station," Billow Health pronounced, "My meeting with him was exactly what I was hoping for; it wasn't disappointing in any way."

"I'm glad at least one of my companions' expectations were met," Bronze Star mumbled drily.

After some silence, Verse A. Till advised "Shall we pay our respects to Princess Luna?"

"Yes, let's head on up there," Bronze Star recommended.

"Hold up a moment," Bellerophon interjected, "If we're going around with a group this large, we should probably bring more of the Royal Guard with us."

"I wholeheartedly agree, my Lord," Blade Bearer conceded. He left the area for a few minutes and returned with Hammer Shaft and Stone Cracker. Bellerophon would have preferred to bring more of the Royal Guard, but was content with three officers.

Bronze Star and his company then began making their way upstairs. As they proceeded to the Astronomy Tower, Verse A. Till gave Bronze Star the summary report of the Firebrand Regiment's mission in Chicacolt. To avoid divulging pertinent information to the others, he spoke in vague, concise statements, and he referred to each member of the Regiment – along with Lord Ambit Dexter and Sir Raoul Jowl – by his or her codename. That way, only Bronze Star and Bellerophon knew what he was talking about. Luckily, Billow Health and Cashew Lane were far more interested in their surroundings than in what the glaucous stallion had to say, and the three Royal Guard did not make it their business to pry into the prince's affairs.

Bronze Star was greatly pleased by most of the summary report.

After Lord Ambit released the toxin in Esopus Spitzenburg's mansion, the Firebrand Regiment's primary goal had been to ensure that none of the conspirators escaped from the building for thirty minutes. That task had been simple enough to manage. Carabine's energy shield had prevented the conspirators from signaling for help or teleporting outside.

After that half-hour passed, Peacemaker, Ruger, SIG Sauer, Caracal, and Koch cautiously entered the building. Heckler, Beretta, Glock, and Walther remained outside to stand guard on the foundation, and Carabine kept his energy field up as a precaution. To protect themselves from the toxin, all ten of them wore gas masks.

Ruger and Koch went straight to the lounge on the second floor. They found Esopus Spitzenburg's tablet lying less than a meter away from his body. Spitzenburg had attempted to send out the signal for those prearranged terrorist attacks to take place. Carabine's energy shield had managed to intercept and block the transmission, but it would only be withheld for as long as the shield was in place.

Koch and Ruger were able to fix that problem thusly. By combining his scientific skills and resourcefulness with her electrical and mechanical engineering skills, they were able to deactivate the tablet and modify it so that the signal to launch the attacks would never be transmitted again. They were able to guarantee that the tablet would not be responsible for any deaths.

Peacemaker had gone from room to room to locate all of the conspirators. He checked them for pulses and heartbeats, and he pronounced each and every one of them D.O.A. All seventeen of the conspirators had died from prolonged exposure to the toxin.

They soon discovered that somepony else had met that fate, as well.

Caracal and SIG Sauer had headed directly to the bathroom in the northwest corner on the first floor. Clear Crest was outside the room, flat on her stomach. Inside the bathroom, they found Lord Ambit Dexter unconscious. His oxygen mask was still in place, and its supply had not run out.

They also found Raoul Jowl slumped against the wall. His eyes were slightly open, his mouth was agape, and he was totally motionless. There was no oxygen mask on his face, and his front hooves were covered with spit, as though he had been coughing nonstop into them.

Caracal took one look at the bruise on Clear Crest's head and another look at the broken oxygen mask on the floor. Then she put everything together and realized what had happened. Raoul Jowl had sacrificed himself to save Ambit Dexter from Clear Crest and the toxin.

Bronze Star had been dismayed to learn that Raoul Jowl had perished. However, he was touched to learn that he had given his life for the Commodore's. That mindset was shared by everypony in the Regiment. Twelve hours ago, Caracal would have been gratified by Raoul Jowl's death. Now, even she regarded his last act with great respect.

Bronze Star also found quite a bit of relief in the knowledge that Ambit Dexter would live. After he verified that all the conspirators were dead, Peacemaker had concentrated on aiding the moccasin stallion. His diagnosis was that the Commodore had suffered a head injury, but he would recover from it. He predicted that Lord Ambit would not regain consciousness until they left Chicacolt, but the Regiment would be able to transport him discretely.

After that, the Regiment had busied themselves with removing any indications that they were ever at Spitzenburg's retreat. Carabine retracted his energy shield, Glock and Heckler removed the clamps on the windows, and everypony else cleaned the mansion up a bit. They removed or modified any signs of struggle the conspirators had made in their attempts to flee the building.

Lastly, Peacemaker vented the remainder of the toxin from the mansion, and Koch punctured an opening in one of the mansion's natural gas lines. That way, whenever somepony visited the building and found the bodies, they would assume the deaths had been the result of a methane gas leak.

Once all that had been accomplished, the Firebran Regiment made their getaway. They patiently waited for Ruger to determine when another pocket would open in the retreat's motion detector system, and once she did, they used it to teleport out of the vicinity. The grounds' security guards never even noticed them leaving. The Regiment promptly went back to Chicacolt under cover of darkness.

Now they were just looking for a train to take them back to the capital city. Since Canterlot's train stations were still closed off due to the Gala, they would probably be waiting until dawn. Since she had time, Caracal had chosen to share a piece of unsettling information with Bronze Star. It involved something she had overheard during Lord Ambit's conversation with the conspirators.

SIG Sauer had included this bit of news in the summary report. Verse A. Till asked to speak with Bronze Star and Bellerophon alone when he got to this part. Bronze Star told Billow Health, Cashew Lane, and the three Royal Guard to trot ahead of them for a while. Once those five stallions were out of earshot, Verse A. Till went into detail about Caracal's revelations.

Bronze Star was astounded to learn that Clear Crest had been the one who orchestrated the entire conspiracy. All this time, he had thought that Esopus Spitzenburg had devised the entire scheme from day one. To learn that his former bodyguard had been the real mastermind behind it all… he was utterly speechless.

The prince was even more shocked to learn what had prompted Clear Crest to organize the conspiracy in the first place. Her motive pertained to her claim that she had not been the one who hired those two thugs to attack Shining Armor.

Clear Crest had made that same claim many times when she had been in the custody of the Military Enforcement Corps. Nopony believed her then; Bronze Star initially saw no reason to believe her at this time, either. Then he learned what precisely Clear Crest had said. Caracal was unable to provide the onyx mare's exact words, but she was able to convey their essence and the magnitude of their meaning.

When Verse A. Till finished sharing Caracal's data, he found that he himself was wondering if Clear Crest really had been innocent all along. If she was, then the rough treatment she had received whilst in custody had been entirely unreasonable and unwarranted. Furthermore, perhaps if she had been treated with more respect and integrity during her detention, she never would have escaped and gone into hiding. If that had been the case, the conspiracy would never have even existed.

That was more perturbing than almost anything Bronze Star had learned about the conspiracy since he first became aware of it. He wondered if Clear Crest really had been blameless for the attempt on Shining Armor's life, and if the conspiracy was somewhat the product of her desire for revenge. He could almost understand her thirst for blood. What really bothered him was the matter of Clear Crest's claim of innocence. If she had not hired those thugs to assault Shining Armor, then who did?

Bronze Star decided he would revisit this issue sometime later. At that time, he just wanted to concentrate on being a courteous host, a caring nephew, and a prince of Equestria.

After Verse A. Till finished giving SIG Sauer's summary report to Bronze Star, the two of them and Lord Bellerophon rejoined Billow Health, Cashew Lane, and the three Royal Guard. Not ten minutes after the eight stallions regrouped, they arrived at the door to the Astronomy Tower.

Before they went up the stairs, Bronze Star gave Billow Health and Cashew Lane some advice on how to approach and address Princess Luna. Their group was just small enough so she would not be compelled to use the Royal Canterlot Voice or the royal "we." The security officer and the physician assured the prince that they would not present themselves as too inquisitive or verbose to his Aunt. Even so, Bronze Star did not wish to overwhelm her by breaking her solitude with too much company. So he asked Blade Bearer, Hammer Shaft, and Stone Cracker to remain at the base of the Tower whilst the other five stallions went up to see her. The Royal Guard compliantly took up their posts outside the door.

When they got to the top of the Astronomy Tower, Princess Luna was out on the balcony, gazing thoughtfully up at the Moon. She did not react to the sounds of her visitors' hoofsteps, but as Bronze Star approached her, she slowly peered over her shoulder. She smiled at her nephew when he entered her line of sight.

"It's a pleasure to receive your company here tonight, Bronze Star," Luna proclaimed.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star candidly but politely retorted.

As Lord Bellerophon and Sir Verse A. Till bowed to the blue Alicorn, Bronze Star gestured for Billow Health and Cashew Lane to come forward. He introduced the security officer and the physician to his aunt and vice versa. The shamrock stallion and the russet stallion expressed how honored they were to become acquainted with Luna, and she proclaimed that she was thrilled to meet them, as well.

Bronze Star managed to strike up a conversation between himself and the other five ponies. Even though Luna had only just met Cashew Lane and Billow Health, she found that they had a number of interesting things to say.

They never focused on any one specific issue for too long. Typically, they all spoke about one topic for a few minutes, and then their talk smoothly transitioned into another subject. With this system, everypony had an opportunity to address something that concerned or interested him or her. Aside from that, Luna preferred to keep her statements short.

All throughout the discussion, Bronze Star constantly looked over at his aunt. He detected what was probably a modicum of uneasiness in her countenance. Being the caring stallion that he was, he decided to investigate and determine the cause of her apprehension. So he asked to speak with Luna out on the balcony. She eagerly accepted his request.

Bronze Star suggested to the others that they stargaze while he and his aunt were outside. Billow Health and Cashew Lane chose to follow his idea; they had the perfect vantage point for observing the stars. Verse A. Till and Bellerophon simply leaned against the walls and waited for the two royals to return.

Once the gold Alicorn and the blue Alicorn were alone, the former asked the latter "Are you alright, Aunt Luna?"

"I'm quite fine, I assure you," Luna insisted, "It's just… well…"

"Yes?" Bronze Star said enquiringly.

Luna looked down at her nephew and apprised him "I'm not certain how to explain this, but all day… I've had this notion. A very strange, very quaint notion that before the Moon goes down, some form of travesty will occur."

Bronze Star took in his Aunt's statements and considered their meaning. He muttered "Peculiar. Noble Edict told me that same thing before we got here."

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow and enquired "She believes something terrible is going to happen, soon?"

"Indeed," Bronze Star grimly affirmed, "She was unable to explain why she thought so, but she was unable to ignore or disregard that feeling of dread."

"Did she at least have an idea about what 'something terrible' may be?" Princess Luna asked in interest.

"She had a theory, but not a very definite one," Bronze Star revealed, "What about you? Do you know why you're inclined to expect a calamity before sunrise?"

"Alas, I cannot venture a guess," Luna informed him, "For a while, I speculated that perhaps I was just being paranoid. But if Lady Noble Edict has the same feelings I do, then maybe my fears are not so irrational."

"Well, while we're speculating, do you at least have any theories about the cause of your unrest?" Bronze Star inquired.

Luna shrugged and hypothesized "Most likely, it's because the Summer Sun Celebration will soon be upon us, and the memories of what happened at the last one still weigh heavily on my mind."

Bronze Star found that to be an understandable and practical assumption. He submitted "Maybe you're subconsciously worried that the Nightmare Moon cult will resurface. If so, you can hardly be blamed. None of us wish to encounter them again."

"I could not agree with you more," Luna straightforwardly murmured, "I've actually managed to put them out of my mind ever since you and your friends saved me."

"So have I," Bronze Star claimed. That was not a lie. For the last nine months, Bronze Star had been so preoccupied with the assassination conspiracy and the murder plot that he had barely had any time at all to focus on the Nightmare Moon cult. In spite of that, he had neither forgiven nor forgotten them for their misdeeds.

Now that Esopus Spitzenburg and the rest of the conspirators had been annihilated and the Vermane's plot would be handled soon enough, he figured that he would be able to revisit the matter of the Nightmare Moon cult. He was actually somewhat curious about the progress that had been made by the authorities to apprehend Hazy Wisp and her associates.

"Any other ideas?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Not off the top of my head," Luna professed, "It could very well be that Noble Edict and I are simply making pessimistic assumptions about tonight. It's possible that I am needlessly fretting over a catastrophe that will never actually happen."

"That could be the case," Bronze Star stated, "Anyway, if anything grim does happen today, I'm confident we're adequately equipped to handle it. This is the capital city, after all. Almost nothing ever evades our notice."

"Let us hope tonight won't be one of the reasons why you say 'almost,'" Luna perceived.

"Let's hope," Bronze Star concurred.

The blue Alicorn and the gold Alicorn reentered the Astronomy Tower. Bellerophon, Billow Health, Cashew Lane, and Verse A. Till gave the two royals their attention. Luna smiled at the stallions and told them "Thank you for coming to see me. While I'm a mare who prizes her solitude, I relish in having some company up here from time to time."

"If you'd like, we could stay with you for a while longer, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star commented.

"No, that's alright, Bronze Star," Princess Luna assured her nephew, "You have much better things to do than linger up here with me all night."

Bronze Star was stunned by the bluntness of that remark. Based on his Aunt's tone, he did not know whether it was meant as a joke or if she was totally serious. Before he could say anything in response, Verse A. Till stepped forward and suggested "I wouldn't mind remaining with you, Princess Luna. I actually know quite a bit about the underrated wonders of nighttime, so we would at least have something to talk about."

The blue mare scoffed and observed "Swords, military, mysteries, counsel, the darkness… you are experienced in an impressive number of fields. You're quite versatile, Sir Verse A. Till."

Sir Verse softly chuckled at that remark. Nopony noticed him doing that except Bronze Star. In response, the gold stallion's eyes expanded widely, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

He quickly wiped the grin away and announced "Actually, Sir Verse, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. I'd prefer it we discussed it downstairs, though."

"As you say, Your Highness," Verse A. Till avowed. He turned to Luna and suggested "Maybe I can join you up here some other time, Princess."

"Alright, Sir Verse," Luna acknowledged. She seemed a little disheartened that the glaucous stallion would not be staying in the tower with her. Bronze Star suddenly felt guilty for depriving his Aunt of a potential companion. Luckily, Sir Verse was able to fix that problem.

He whispered something into Bronze Star's ear, and in turn, the gold stallion leaned up to Lord Bellerophon and whispered something into his ear, as well. The palomino Pegasus gave a light smile and nodded in response.

He turned to Luna and offered "If you still wish to have a companion, I could remain here with you, Your Highness."

Luna cheered up considerably at that, and she proclaimed "I would be delighted, my Lord."

Soon after Princess Celestia's chief of staff decided to keep her sister company, Bronze Star, Cashew Lane, Billow Health, and Verse A. Till departed from the Astronomy Tower. When they reached the bottom of the winding staircase, they rejoined Stone Cracker, Hammer Shaft, and Blade Bearer.

"Where to now, Your Highness?" Blade Bearer enquired.

Almost simultaneously, Verse A. Till asked "What did you want to talk to me about, Your Highness?"

"My quarters," Bronze Star answered the light brown stallion's question first. He then replied to the glaucous stallion's question with "Two things, actually. One I'll discuss on the way. The other, when we get there."

The seven stallions then made their way through the castle's corridors. Since most of the on-duty officers of the Royal Guard were downstairs monitoring the Gala guests, the upper levels were practically deserted. They were able to move unbothered by anypony, and there was utter quietness all around.

The silence did not last. When the group reached the top of a staircase and began to descend, Bronze Star said to Verse A. Till "Earlier on, when we spoke to my mother in the receiving line, she claimed that it was partly because of you that I ever went to Ponyville. Do you recall that?"

"I do," Verse A. Till confirmed.

"I'd like it very much if you could give me some clarity, Sir Verse," Bronze Star beckoned him, "What did she mean?"

Verse A. Till smiled at the prince and illuminated "I've served your mother for a very long time, Your Highness. But before I ever began working for her – even before I first came to Canterlot – I was in the National Guard. The National Guard gets deployed across the country more than any other division in all five branches of the military. I was able to travel to dozens – perhaps scores – of cities on my many assignments. I loved everything about the National Guard, but the thing I appreciated the most was how often I was able to visit a new part of Equestria."

"That's great, Sir Verse," Bronze Star frankly mumbled, "But how does that relate to what my mother said earlier?"

"I was once young, too, Your Highness," Verse A. Till explicated, "My love for adventure was once just as ardent as anypony else's. Countless ponies are born with a desire to go out and see new places; discover what's out there. I was one of the few who was able to live that ambition. The experiences were everything you'd imagine them to be. It was magnificent; I don't think anything else can compare."

"Then why did you give it up?" Bronze Star inquired. Now he was genuinely fascinated by Verse A. Till's tale.

"I always knew I would have to, eventually," Verse A. Till professed, "Over the course of my fourteen years in the National Guard, I had all the adventure I ever wanted. In the later years of my service, I came to value the purpose of my traveling over the thrill it brought me. I do miss it, but being the assistant to Lord Ambit is just as fulfilling."

"Yeah, some might say that standing by the Commodore's side is an adventure in itself," Bronze Star debated, "Plus, you still get to carry a sword."

"True, and true," Sir Verse remarked, "Anyway, here's the part where I provide you an answer to your question."

"Go on," Bronze Star permitted.

Verse A. Till started his actual explanation with "As you know, I was appointed to the position of assistant to the Chairpony of the War Council shortly before your fifteenth birthday. Not long after that, you began your military training with Stalwart Inkling Graham Sauer."

Bronze Star snickered a bit at the mention of SIG Sauer's full name, and then the glaucous stallion went on: "I watched as you received the best combat instruction in the country. After ten years of vigorous routines and exercises, you were practically the definition of an ideal soldier. However, I could tell that you weren't entirely pleased with your station. I was not the only one; your mother and Lord Bellerophon noticed that, as well. Princess Celestia once mentioned that her happiness is more important to her than anything. So when you became depressed for no apparent reason, she became very concerned for you. So much so that she started consulting members of her inner circle for possible solutions. Most of them were unable to come up with anything. I, however, was able; I knew precisely what was going on."

Bronze Star had always loved his mother, and he had never doubted that she loved him, but he was quite touched to learn that she had gone to such lengths to make him happy. This time last year, he actually had been going through a phase of despair. He never thought that anypony else realized that, but he should have known better than to underestimate Princess Celestia's capacity as a mother. She could always tell when her son was troubled.

The prince was eager for Sir Verse to continue. He uttered questioningly "So what was going on with me?"

"You were unsatisfied with your lifestyle at the time," Verse A. Till contended, "You never once complained about it, but I knew that that was the reason. It's quite understandable when you put it in perspective. You are loved and adored by the entirety of Equestria, but back then, the only part of it you personally knew was Canterlot. For the first twenty-five years of your life, you had never been more than ten miles away from the capital city. That was attributed to the fact that you were sheltered by your mother. While there are some who are content with spending their lives indoors, there are some who are not. Some ponies just need to get out and see what's out there. I was one of those ponies. I realized that you were another, and it would not do to keep you here forever."

"That's quite perceptive of you, Sir Verse," Billow Health noted.

"I agree," Cashew Lane commented, "Did you ever take psychology in college?"

"No," Verse A. Till replied, "Then again, I never went to college."

Bronze Star interceded and said to the glaucous stallion "Getting back on track, what did you do when you discovered I shared your desire for adventure?"

"A month before the last Summer Sun Celebration, Canterlot's last ambassador to Ponyville retired," Sir Verse apprised him, "Before his position could be refilled, I went to your mother and suggested that you could take his place. I debated that you were the perfect candidate. You had all the qualifications, you make friends easily, and it would be a good opportunity for you to see more of the country. She gave my proposal some serious consideration, and in the end, she decided it was worth trying out. You know the rest."

Bronze Star was rather amazed by everything he had just learned. He never knew that somepony other than his mother had come up with the idea for him to temporarily move to Ponyville. Then again, she had never really explained what inspired the idea; she merely claimed that she assumed he would enjoy a chance to travel.

Ultimately, Bronze Star simply grinned at Verse A. Till and pronounced "It appears I have you to thank for a whole lot of things, Sir Verse. Particularly my relationship with Applejack."

"You're very much welcome for that and everything else, Your Highness," Sir Verse asserted, patting the prince on the back.

A couple minutes later, the seven stallions arrived at Bronze Star's bedchambers. Two officers of the Royal Guard had been outside the large double doors. Bronze Star dismissed them from their posts, and Hammer Shaft and Stone Cracker replaced them. Blade Bearer was assigned to remain outside the chamber, as well. If anypony else came by, he was to notify the prince. Otherwise, all he had to do was patrol the corridor until the prince and the others came back out.

Bronze Star got out the key to his bedroom and swiftly unlocked the entrance. Then he pushed the doors open and beckoned Sir Verse A. Till, Billow Health, and Cashew Lane to go inside. The glaucous stallion, the russet stallion, and the shamrock stallion promptly trotted into the chamber. Once all three of them were in, Bronze Star entered and shut the doors behind him.

He allowed Cashew Lane and Billow Health a couple minutes to gaze around the room. The two of them were clearly in awe. That tended to be the reaction of most ponies when they saw a royal bedchamber for the first time.

Verse A. Till was still holding Bronze Star's strongbox on his back. The prince trotted over to the glaucous stallion and gripped the strongbox by the handle, saying "I'll take that, Sir Verse."

Sir Verse A. Till nodded and allowed the prince to reclaim his property. He did not say anything, but he was glad to be relieved of that burden. It had started to feel quite heavy.

As Bronze Star carried his strongbox over to his desk, he asked the other two stallions "Like what you see?"

"I certainly do," Billow Health responded, "This is a very nice room. Very large yet very organized."

"Thank you, Doctor," Bronze Star said appreciatively.

Cashew Lane cheekily muttered "Normally, I'd be skeptical if a stallion invited me into his bedroom. Especially at this hour. But I'm mostly sure that that's not the reason you brought us here."

Bronze Star and Billow Health chuckled at the shamrock stallion's jape.

Verse A. Till smirked and cockily proclaimed "If you saw what he and Applejack were doing in the courtyard a couple hours ago, you'd be entirely sure of that, Mr. Lane."

Billow Health and Cashew Lane burst out laughing at that. Bronze Star's cheeks became a little red, but he snickered a bit, as well. After all, he could not deny Sir Verse's allegation.

When the laughter ended, Bronze Star set his strongbox down on his desk. Then he opened it up and took out a certain cloak.

"What's that, Your Highness?" Billow Health questioned.

"The Shroud of Valor," the gold stallion told him.

"The what?" the russet stallion murmured in perplexity.

"It was instrumental in averting Nightmare Moon's return at the last Summer Sun Celebration," Verse A. Till enlightened Billow Health.

"Oh, alright," the physician acknowledged. He watched as Bronze Star went over to a closet on the wall left of the entrance, and then he asked "What did it do?"

"It protected the bearers of the Elements of Harmony when they defeated Nightmare Moon," Bronze Star responded as he stepped inside the closet. He emerged a few seconds later with a pony-shaped mannequin. It was similar to the mannequins Rarity used at Carousel Boutique. But this mannequin was meant for displaying armor and weapons instead of tuxedos and dresses.

"I remember that thing," Cashew Lane recounted, referring to the Shroud of Valor, "You were wearing it when you and the others returned from the Everfree Forest. Don't think I've seen it since then, though."

"Well, I've been keeping it in my bedroom at the embassy for the past eleven months," Bronze Star disclosed as he brought the mannequin to a spot next to his bookcase.

As he set it down, Billow Health stated inquiringly "If you've had it there this whole time, then why'd you bring it here now?"

"I've thought things over, and I decided it would be wiser to keep the Shroud of Valor in Canterlot," Bronze Star expounded, "My Mother has been keeping the Elements of Harmony here, and the Shroud should ideally be found close to the Elements. That way, if they're ever needed again, the Shroud will be nearby to reinforce them."

"That is a good reason, sir," Cashew Lane perceived, "Plus, if anything, it seems much more fitting for the Shroud of Valor to be kept here rather than at the embassy."

"I strongly agree with the sentiment," Billow Health declared, "While the role of Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville is a meaningful and prestigious one, such an individual is hardly worthy of possessing a relic like the Shroud. A prince of Equestria, on the other hoof, should be deemed innately worthy of holding onto it."

"Those are excellent points," Bronze Star uttered in approval. He then gazed around the chamber and announced "Look around again, if you would. Everything in this room has some significance or some explicit purpose. Nothing that I own is meaningless or devoid of value. All of my belongings must be useful or relevant in some way."

"You must be very particular with how you decorate your room," Billow Health conjectured.

"You could say that, Doctor," Bronze Star casually admitted.

Cashew Lane went around the room and studied several of Bronze Star's possessions up close. He thought aloud "I'd be interested in learning the backstories of some of this stuff."

"I'd be happy to provide you with some," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Believe it or not, most of the items in this chamber bear some amount of relevance to the history of the Castle or my family."

"I suppose you can indulge us with a tale or two," Billow Health wryly commented.

"Okay," Bronze Star coincided, "Pick out any object you want and I'll explain its importance and past as best I can."

"Just a moment, Your Highness," Verse A. Till interjected, "When we left the Astronomy Tower, you mentioned that there were two topics that you wanted to speak to me about. One of them – the one that pertained to how I influenced your mother to let you go to Ponyville – you addressed straightaway. You wanted to wait until we got here before you brought up the other one. Now that we're here, may I ask what the second topic is?"

"I'll get to that soon enough, Sir Verse," Bronze Star asserted, "For now, just enjoy the impromptu lectures I'm about to give on my personal property."

Verse A. Till humorously rolled his eyes and said in response "As you wish, sir."

Bronze Star then proceeded to tell the three stallions all about many of the objects in his room. Those included – but were not limited to – his desk, some of his books, a number of trinkets, and even his bed. Cashew Lane, Billow Health, and Verse A. Till listened to everything he said in deep fascination. If they ever had any questions, he always gave them answers that satisfied their inquisitiveness.

While this was going on, another discussion was taking place several floors below the prince's bedroom.

There were two private cells adjoining the room with the buffet table. For the past hour, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider had been conversing with the representatives of the six companies of the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates. All the while, Comet Frost and Swiftdrive stood guard at the entrances to the cell, as per Bronze Star's order.

Shortly before the conversation began, Haywood McCrank had distributed the communicators to his four companions, and after briefly reading the instruction manual, they had adorned the communicators thusly. So far, they had not needed to contact Bronze Star, but they kept in mind that they always had the option to do so.

The majority of the conversation had pertained to the personal and professional lives of Sir Haywood and his associates. They still found it rather bewildering how the staffers had developed such a profound interest in them. Even so, they were under orders to investigate the staffers and determine their true intentions for being so inquisitive. So they gave what answers they could afford to give, but they never released any classified or restricted information.

Every now and then, Sir Haywood or one of his colleagues had brought up the merger or the representatives' missing colleagues. Every time they did that, one or more of the staffers became notably edgy. Even after they managed to change the subject, the edginess did not entirely disappear. It was as though the representatives were inwardly struggling to retain their composure. That just made Sir Haywood more suspicious, and the others had started to believe his hypothesis about the staffers' possible impure intentions.

Copper Hollow had gotten the idea that one or more of them could attempt to excuse themselves from the conversation, and then they could study the subsequent reactions of the staffers. When he shared this proposal with his companions, they agreed to test it out.

Fifteen minutes after the conversation began, Dapple Rhomb said that she needed to get something from the buffet table, claiming that her cravings had returned. In response to that, Mr. Fowler beckoned her to stay and tell them about her upbringing.

Another twelve minutes later, Copper Hollow proclaimed that he felt like going on a walk. Mr. Beach immediately insisted that he could go on a walk anytime; he would probably only have the rest of that night to speak with them.

Sixteen more minutes passed, and Sir Haywood McCrank mentioned that he had to find Iron Claymore and tell him about the newest case he had been assigned. Mr. Shepherd interceded there and pointed out that that he had been with the Bureau's Director for most of the Gala; he could wait until later to see him again.

Eleven minutes later, Rough Rider declared that he needed to seek out some of the local entrepreneurs and draft out a type of service arrangement with them. Mr. Potter countered by saying that although business should come before pleasure, it was the other way around at the Gala.

Thirteen more minutes went by, and then Noble Edict commented that she suddenly remembered that Princess Celestia wished to show her more of the Castle. Mr. Clay promptly halted her and remarked that the Castle would still be around once their conversation was over.

By this point, the purple mare, the copper stallion, the indigo stallion, the olive stallion, and the red mare were certain beyond a doubt that something was extremely aloof with the representatives. Every time they tried to leave the room, one of the staffers had prevented them from doing so.

Twelve minutes after Noble Edict was denied a chance to exit the room, Haywood McCrank announced that he and his four companions had to go and speak with Prince Bronze Star. This time, all the representatives began conspicuously disconcerted. Before Sir Haywood or the others could leave, Mr. Rivers stepped between them and the door and protested that they were depriving the staffers of their company too soon. Haywood politely dismissed that remark and debated that their conversation had lasted long enough.

For the first time, one of the staffers gave a somewhat violent reaction to his attempt to leave. Mr. Rivers gripped Haywood McCrank by his shirt collar and firmly pronounced that they must not go.

That was when Haywood McCrank finally decided that he had enough. He looked around at his affiliates and quietly murmured "Take them."

In the span of the next five seconds, each member of Ponyville's task force drew his or her knife, and Comet Frost and Swiftdrive moved in to assist them. Before any of the representatives could respond in any manner, they were each seized. Rough Rider grabbed Mr. Potter, Copper Hollow grabbed Mr. Beach, Noble Edict grabbed Mr. Clay, Dapple Rhomb grabbed Mr. Fowler, Swiftdrive grabbed Mr. Rivers, and Comet Frost grabbed Mr. Shepherd. A few of the staffers put up a struggle, but once they saw the knives, they did not dare resist anymore.

Once all six of the envoys were secured, Haywood McCrank had them brought before him in a semi-circle. He gazed around at the representatives accusingly, and then he remarked "Alright, you can drop the act now."

"What act?" Mr. Rivers asked, seemingly baffled.

"Playing the fool won't get you anywhere," Sir Haywood mumbled crossly, "We've known all along what you're up to."

"If you know, then why aren't you trying to help us?" Mr. Fowler snapped.

"Help you?" Sir Haywood uttered in astonishment, "You think we'd voluntarily aid you in your efforts to kill one of our own?"

All six of the envoys seemed to be more confused than shocked now. Mr. Beach raised an eyebrow and queried "What the Tartarus are you talking about?"

"You're not here to discuss the merger," Sir Haywood professed, "You're here to commit a murder."

The representatives stared at the indigo stallion as though he had just threatened to throw a baby pony off a building. Mr. Potter spat heatedly "Where did you get that absolutely ridiculous idea?"

"This is about the foul play that's been plaguing your conglomerates for the past few decades," Sir Haywood revealed, "All those deaths were prearranged from within your companies. Lady Noble Edict would have been your latest victim, had we not gotten one step ahead of you. Now we managed to be one step ahead of you yet again."

"Yes, but are we stepping in the same direction?" Mr. Clay sharply murmured, "We suspected that somepony in our companies was responsible for the foul play, but I assure you that we are not the guilty parties, Sir Haywood."

"Forgive me if I doubt you," Haywood McCrank mockingly stated, "You are supposed to be in Canterlot to finalize the merger between your two unions, yet you've barely spoken of that merger all night. Don't tell me you don't have another reason for being here tonight."

"We are certainly not here to kill anypony, least of all Lady Noble Edict," Mr. Shepherd sternly argued. Then he became a little anxious and added in "But we're not here for the merger, either. In fact, it wasn't really our choice to be here."

"Is that so?" Haywood sardonically commented, "I seem to recall that you six volunteered to represent your companies at this event."

"We were… coerced into volunteering," Mr. Shepherd nervously revealed.

Haywood McCrank now had his turn to be bewildered. "Coerced how?"

Mr. Shepherd did not answer him straightaway. None of the other five representatives spoke a word either, but Mr. Shepherd was still the center of attention.

"Tell him," Mr. Clay beckoned him, "That's the only way out of this."

Ultimately, Mr. Shepherd let out a heavy sigh and muttered softly "If you lift up my suit jacket, you'll find an envelope."

Comet Frost swiftly raised the bottom of Mr. Shepherd's jacket, and sure enough, there was an envelope between the waistline of his pants and his belt. Haywood McCrank took the envelope, held it up for all to see, and slowly opened it. He pulled out a photograph and a folded piece of paper.

Sir Haywood looked at the photograph first, and he instantly recoiled in terror.

"What is it, Sir Haywood?" Copper Hollow asked in concern.

The indigo stallion gradually looked up at everypony else and whispered hauntingly "A picture of a head… a decapitated head."

Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Rough Rider, Dapple Rhomb, Comet Frost, and Swiftdrive were horrified by that revelation. Sir Haywood forced himself to look at the picture again, and then he realized "I know this stallion."

"You should," Mr. Shepherd contented, "He was my colleague, Mr. Hunt. The one who disappeared."

"Only he didn't exactly disappear," Mr. Beach contended.

"Nor did any of the others who vanished in Ponyville," Mr. Potter expounded.

"We all have envelopes with similar contents," Mr. Fowler murmured

"Check us, if you don't believe us," Mr. Rivers advised.

Subsequently, each of the other five representatives were searched, and they all had an envelope like the one Mr. Shepherd had. Inside each one was a folded piece of paper and a photograph of a decapitated head. Mr. Rivers had a picture of Mr. Bell's head, Mr. Beach had a picture of Mr. Porter's head, Mr. Potter had a picture of Mr. Fisher's head, Mr. Fowler had a picture of Mr. Cook's head, and Mr. Clay had a picture of Mr. Weaver's head.

Rough Rider studied the photographs, and he observed "These were taken with a Kojak Plus. The same type of camera that took those threatening pictures we received at that one task force meeting."

"In other words, the type of camera the Vermane use," Noble Edict noted.

"The what?" Mr. Shepherd said in confusion.

"Never mind that," Haywood said hastily. He then unfolded the piece of paper from Mr. Shepherd's envelope and read it. It only contained two short sentences: Come to the eastern border of town, just outside Everfree Forest tonight at eleven o'clock. Tell nopony about this letter.

Sir Haywood looked up from the paper and demanded "When did you receive these envelopes?"

"The day after our associates went missing," Mr. Shepherd explained, "We were compelled not to go to the Everfree Forest, but when you receive a picture of a coworker's head, you don't really have much choice. So the six of us headed out to Forest together and arrived there at exactly eleven o'clock. As soon as we got there, three figures clad in full-body jumpsuits came out of nowhere and held us at knifepoint. They told us that if we wanted to avoid incurring the fate as our friends, we would do everything they asked of us."

"What did they ask of you?" Haywood demanded.

"For starters, they told us to volunteer to be the ones who represented our bosses at the Grand Galloping Gala," Mr. Shepherd apprised him, "That was no easy task; we had to convince everypony else on our companies' boards of directors to relinquish that privilege. But we managed it, all the same. Next, we were to come here under the premise of overseeing the merger between our conglomerates. All of us actually are qualified for such an action, but that is not what brought us here. Those masked figures are what brought us here."

"Did they give you any further instructions?" Haywood enquired.

"Yes; just one more, Sir Haywood," Mr. Shepherd professed, "They put especial emphasis on this last one: after midnight, we were to somehow bring you, Lady Noble Edict, Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, and Copper Hollow into a conversation and make that conversation last as long as possible. They told us to use whatever means necessary to prolong the conversation."

"What purpose did that serve?" Sir Haywood inquired dubiously.

"They only gave us one reason," Mr. Shepherd pronounced, "They wanted us to keep the five of you away from Prince Bronze Star for about two and a-half hours after midnight."

Sir Haywood was baffled by that. "Why?"

"They never explained why," Mr. Shepherd insisted, "They simply told us to ensure that all of you left the prince alone until 2:30 in the morning, otherwise our heads would be the next to go. They also told us to carry these envelopes with us everywhere we went, so that they would be a reminder to us that they meant business."

Haywood McCrank did not know what to make of all this at first. For a few minutes, he paced back and forth and contemplated on the meaning of this newest development. From the looks of things, his theory about the representatives working for the Vermane had been inaccurate after all. Not only that, but the staffers had apparently been manipulated by the Vermane to do some dirty work for them. All the same, it did not add up. If Noble Edict was the one the Vermane were after, why did they tell the staffers to detain her and her affiliates? That was what confused him the most, particularly the fact that the Vermane wanted the five members of the Ponyville task force to stay away from Bronze Star. What possible motive could they have had for that?

Before too long, Sir Haywood McCrank managed to put all the pieces together. When he did, he looked absolutely flabbergasted. The terror he had felt when he saw Mr. Hunt's decapitated head was nothing compared to the tension he felt right then.

He firmly announced "Commander Frost, Commander Swiftdrive, keep an eye on these six gentlestallions. Dapple, Copper, Rough, Noble, I need a word with you in the next room."

The two Royal Guard compliantly remained in the cell to watch the representatives. Haywood McCrank led Dapple Rhomb, Copper Hollow, Rough Rider, and Noble Edict into the adjoining cell. They could not imagine what the indigo stallion had to tell them, but it must have been urgent and imperative. After all, that was the first time he had ever addressed Noble Edict without including her title of "Lady."

Once the five of them were alone in the next cell, they sheathed their knives, and Copper Hollow inquired "What's going on, Sir Haywood?"

The federal investigator did not reply to the copper stallion's question. Instead, he pressed his right front hoof against his right ear; the ear with his communicator. He softly uttered "Your Highness, are you there? Come in, please. Come in."

Back in Bronze Star's bedchamber, the prince was in the middle of explaining the backstory of a special sword on a table next to his desk. This sword had been forged centuries ago by Molten Lead, one of the greatest blacksmiths in Equestrian history. It was regarded by many as his finest work.

The sword had been a gift to Bronze Star by Lord Bellerophon on his sixteenth birthday, and the prince had cherished it ever since then. He kept it sharpened and cleaned constantly, and he used it often to practice his proficiency in melee combat. Its steel was firm and straight; its hilt was sturdy and elaborate. Even its garlanded sheath spoke volumes of its magnificence. It truly was a sword fit for a prince.

Billow Health was quite amazed by the sword, though he claimed that the sharpest thing he ever wished to use on another pony was a scalpel.

Cashew Lane asked if the sword had a name, and Bronze Star told him that its name was Last Stroke. It was called that because every pony who ever wielded the sword had emerged victorious from all their clashes with other ponies.

Verse A. Till was very vocal about how he appreciated Bronze Star's taste in blades. That was hardly surprising, given how he was a professional swordspony himself.

Just as Bronze Star wrapped up his detailed chronicle on Last Stroke, Sir Haywood contacted him on his communicator. The indigo stallion only spoke loud enough so Bronze Star could hear him. Even so, the gold stallion knew he could not reply just then; Cashew Lane, Billow Health, and Verse A. Till would think that he was talking to himself.

Fortunately, the prince was able to think fast. He trotted towards the bathroom and stated "Please pardon me for a little while. It's been a long night, and I need a few minutes to freshen up."

"Take as long as you need, Your Highness," Verse A. Till beckoned him. Cashew Lane and Billow Health mumbled in agreement.

After Bronze Star entered the bathroom, he shut and locked the door. Then he approached the sink and turned on the faucet to give the illusion that he was washing. Once the water was running quickly and loudly, Bronze Star moved away from the sink, placed his right front hoof against his ear, and whispered "What's up, Sir Haywood?"

"I've just made an abysmal discovery, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank dourly informed the prince.

"The representatives really are working for the Vermane?" Bronze Star presumed sadly.

"No, they're not," the superintendent responded, "But the Vermane are here, and they are going to strike before the night is over."

"So Noble Edict is still in danger?" Bronze Star assumed.

"No, she's safe," Sir Haywood disclosed, "That's the abysmal discovery I was referring to. Lady Noble Edict is not the target."

Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider had activated their communicators as well so that they too could communicate with Bronze Star and listen in on his dialogue with Sir Haywood McCrank. After that last statement, they all seemed astounded.

"She's not?" Copper Hollow uttered, a bit of relief evident in his tone.

"Indeed not," Haywood McCrank affirmed, "She never was, in fact."

"How is that discovery 'abysmal?'" Rough Rider queried, perplexed.

"Because I know who the real target is," Sir Haywood revealed.

"Who?" Bronze Star asked.

The indigo stallion was almost reluctant to give a response, but duty and obligation motivated him to provide one. He dismally illuminated "It's you, Your Highness."

Water was still running from the faucet of Bronze Star's sink. But at that moment, his back was turned to the sink. If he had not been the one who activated the sink, he never would have known the water was running. Right then, no sound could reach his ears. No smell could reach his muzzle; no taste could reach his tongue. His eyes were staring ahead, but they did not really see anything. It was as though all his senses had been shot. That was how difficult it was for him to process what he had just heard.

Rough Rider, Noble Edict, Dapple Rhomb, and Copper Hollow were shocked, as well, but nowhere near as much as the prince.

Bronze Star eventually regained his composure and asked unsteadily "Are you certain?"

"Completely," Haywood McCrank said apologetically.

"How can you be sure?" Bronze Star practically demanded of him.

Haywood McCrank then apprised the prince of everything that had just taken place in the next room. The matter of the photographs with decapitated heads and the manner in which the representatives were pressured into stalling Bronze Star's companions were very compelling in ascertaining Sir Haywood's conclusion. Even so, it was not enough to convince Bronze Star that it was his blood that the Vermane were truly after.

"What happened just now is not my only evidence, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "Recall the relevance of the number three. We have witnessed countless instances of three in the last five months, but most of the ones that pertained to the case were centered around you. For example, you were the third pony to finish the Running of the Leaves. During the race, the task force encountered a member of the Vermane three times. Each time, there was a trio of task force ponies present. You are the only pony who was in all three of those trios, and you found those three clues that led me to the discovery that the Vermane were behind the murder plot in the first place."

"That may be," Bronze Star murmured, "But don't forget that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and I were attacked. I thought you said that whenever the Vermane sent one of their 'warnings,' they never went after the victim."

"I never specifically said that," Sir Haywood debated, "I only said that the Vermane had never gone after a victim when they delivered a warning in any of their other murders. I could not say with absolute certainty that the victim would never be the one to receive the warning. That was just a theory, Your Highness. Theories can be wrong. Just like how my theory about the staffers was totally incorrect."

"What about what happened at Noble Edict's house on her birthday?" Dapple Rhomb contended, "Was that another warning?"

"It must have been," Sir Haywood remarked, "Maybe they never intended to kill her that night. Perhaps their goal was just to intimidate her or wound her."

"Well, whatever they did to me, it would not have been enough to motivate me to dissolve the task force," Noble Edict asserted, "It'll take more than a petty warning to discourage us."

"The Vermane seem to share that mentality with us," Copper Hollow noted, "You'd think that after what we did to them that night, they would know better than to continue to harass us. Unfortunately, that's not the case."

"Still, none of this explains why I'm the one the Vermane are after," Bronze Star interjected.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank beseeched. "But it's actually fairly easy to see why the Vermane targeted you. There are a lot of ponies who would benefit if anything happened to you."

"Explain," Bronze Star commanded him.

"Well, think on this," Haywood McCrank offered, "If a member of the Canterlot Royalty was murdered, the country would be thrown into utter chaos. Most ponies would resort to extreme measures to protect themselves and their loved ones. A whole lot of companies could make a profit from all that fear and disarray. That would include the six companies in the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates."

Bronze Star pondered on all of that, and he found that Sir Haywood presented an irrefutable argument. He let out a deep breath and uttered "You're right, Sir Haywood. It's actually quite simple when you see the situation from that perspective. But there is one thing about all this that does not fit."

"What might that be?" the indigo stallion asked.

This time, Bronze Star spoke to the vigilantes: "Dapple, Rough, do you remember that letter you sent me the last time you visited the Castle?"

"Of course," his secretary replied.

"What about it, Bronze?" the salespony questioned.

"I explicitly remember reading that your organization became aware of the murder plot before the Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star reminisced.

"Well, we ourselves weren't the ones who acquired the information; our superiors picked it up," Rough Rider recounted, "But what you say is true; our people learned of the plot even before the Summer Sun Celebration."

"That's just it," Bronze Star explicated, "In the letter, you also told me that the murder would either take place in Ponyville, or the victim would be somepony who was living in Ponyville at the time I received the letter."

"That's true, as well," Dapple Rhomb confirmed, "We don't know how our superiors managed to learn that, but the intel was good and the information was legitimate."

"That aside, I didn't even know I was going to be in Ponyville until the day before the Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star professed, "The only way the Vermane could have planned for me to be the victim was if they somehow knew in advance that I would be staying in Ponyville after the Celebration. But…"

He abruptly cut himself off. He thought about everything he had learned over the past few hours, and a very unpleasant realization dawned on him. He was left speechless by his own deduction. This was almost as shocking to Bronze Star as the revelation that he was meant to be the Vermane's victim all along.

He was brought back to his senses when he heard Rough Rider ask "Bronze, you still with us?"

The gold stallion shook his head to clear it a bit, and then he steadfastly muttered "Sir Haywood, get out that file from Detrot."

The indigo stallion obeyed that command without question. He reached into his jacket, extracted said file, and stated "Done."

"Open it up," Bronze Star told him.

"To which page?" Haywood McCrank inquired.

"It doesn't matter," the prince stoically said in response.

"Alright," Sir Haywood affirmed. He opened the file to a random section, and then he asked "What now, Your Highness?"

"Concentrate on all the entries that talk about a 'vat,'" Bronze Star instructed him.

"Okay," Sir Haywood avowed. He spent the next minute flipping through several of the file's pages. Every time he spotted the term "vat," he made a note of it. At the end of that minute, he commented "There's a lot of them."

"I know," Bronze Star pronounced, "Now, look very closely, and tell me; does it say 'vat,' or does it say 'V.A.T.?'"

Haywood McCrank held the file closer to his eyes and squinted so he could better focus on the print. A few seconds later, he raised an eyebrow and declared "Actually, it does say 'V.A.T.'"

"So those entries are not referring to a container, a tool, or any other object," Bronze Star observed, "It's a code word. Or a codename. Or an actual name."

"What do you suppose it's short for?" Copper Hollow inquired.

"Isn't it obvious?" Bronze Star snippily muttered, "How many ponies do you know with those initials?"

Rough Rider, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict only needed about five seconds to realize what the prince was implying. When they did, they were almost as stunned as he had been.

"Sir Verse A. Till…" Copper Hollow tensely muttered.

"Exactly," Bronze Star bluntly confirmed.

"That's impossible," Dapple Rhomb disputed, "He's the assistant to the Chairpony of the War Council. He's worked for Princess Celestia for years. There's no way he could have gotten his job if he was an assassin. Surely his background check would have given him up."

"You mustn't underestimate the Vermane's capabilities, Dapple," Haywood McCrank cautioned her, "We already know they have managed to infiltrate six of the most prosperous companies in the country. Who's to say they cannot do the same at Canterlot Castle?"

"That is a fine point, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider admitted, "But all that aside, how can Verse A. Till be working for the Vermane? He's one of the most respected officials in Princess Celestia's administration."

"So were Clear Crest and Sir Raoul Jowl," Noble Edict candidly mumbled.

Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, and Copper Hollow gazed at her in bewilderment. It was then that Noble Edict remembered that none of them were aware of Raoul Jowl's past involvement in the black market, and she instantly regretted saying that.

"Excuse me, Lady Noble?" Sir Haywood said inquisitively.

"Forget what she said; it's not important," Bronze Star swiftly claimed, "Regardless of Verse A. Till's standing in the eyes of the public, there is something you should all know. Less than an hour ago, I found out that he gave my mother the idea for me to be Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville. He's the only pony apart from Princess Celestia who could have even conjectured that I would be moving to Ponyville after the Summer Sun Celebration. From the way he tells it, he went to great lengths to persuade her to let me travel there."

"How could he have known that you would accept the proposal?" Copper Hollow contended.

"Because he knows me," Bronze Star professed, "Much better than I know him, apparently. Furthermore, Sir Verse has been all over the country. He's also one of the best swordsponies in Equestria, and the Vermane's signature weapon is a dagger."

Everypony reflected on what the gold stallion had told them. In the end, Noble Edict morosely commented "I hate to admit this, but Bronze Star's right. All the signs point to Sir Verse being a member of the Vermane."

"Based on the file we brought back from Detrot, he must be one of the Vermane's most prominent and influential members," Rough Rider observed.

"Not just that; he must be the one who's supposed to kill me," Bronze Star perceived.

"Or one of them," Haywood McCrank speculated, "Remember; the Vermane always send out three assassins, not one."

"We know," Dapple Rhomb recalled, "Three stallions, one from each of the three major pony races."

"Well, Sir Verse would be the Unicorn," Copper Hollow noted, "Who do you suppose the Earth Pony and the Pegasus are?"

"Probably somepony Sir Verse has spent a lot of time with tonight," Rough Rider theorized.

"Well, he's been with me for almost every minute since we arrived in the city," Bronze Star revealed, "In fact, he's in the very next room right now."

"Is anypony else with you, Bronze?" Rough Rider enquired.

"Yes," Bronze Star replied, "Cashew Lane and Billow Health are here, too. They've been with me and Sir Verse for the past two hours."

"An Earth Pony and a Pegasus," Dapple Rhomb palpably pointed out.

Noble Edict narrowed her eyes at the purple mare and uttered "Are you honestly suggesting that one of my officers is working for the Vermane?"

"Would that be any harder to believe than the concept that the assistant to the Chairpony of the War Council is working for them?" Haywood McCrank countered.

The red mare thought for a few seconds, and then she mumbled "When you put it that way, no. It's actually quite believable by comparison."

"Still, Noble and I have known Cashew our whole lives," Copper Hollow professed, "He's been on Ponyville's security staff longer than either of us."

"That doesn't free him from suspicion, though," Rough Rider debated.

"He's right," Haywood McCrank coincided. He looked to Copper Hollow and Noble Edict, and he inquired "Do recall if Cashew Lane ever demonstrated any bizarre or questionable behavior in his youth?"

Noble Edict thought back a little, and then she recounted "Well, there was this one time over a decade ago when I remember he did something unusual."

"What did he do?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

"He went on vacation for the entire summer," the red mare professed, "He never said where he travelled to, but when he got back… he was different."

"Different how?" Sir Haywood queried.

"Before his trip, he was very brash and playful," Noble Edict recalled, "He never took anything seriously. But when he returned to Ponyville… he was a lot sterner. He still had his smug sense of humor, but he often set it aside in place of his newer, more somber mindset."

"I remember that," Copper Hollow conceded, "That was the year before Cashew applied for the security force."

"How old was he then?" Haywood McCrank queried.

"Well, Noble was fifteen, and I was twelve or thirteen," the copper stallion proclaimed, "So Cashew was seventeen at the time."

"Seventeen is still a rather impressionable age," Haywood muttered, "I don't know how the Vermane recruits its members, but maybe while Cashew Lane was on vacation, they picked him up and molded him into one of their number."

"Hold on; we still have verified if Cashew really is a member of the Vermane," Noble Edict protested.

"Aside from that, Cashew Lane is Almond Wheeler's cousin," Copper Hollow murmured, "He was also included in those threatening photographs the Vermane sent us."

"That would have been an excellent way to forestall suspicion on him," Rough Rider contended.

"I just thought of something," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "When did Cashew Lane first start becoming more affectionate towards Almond Wheeler?"

"About four or five months after the task force was formed," Copper Hollow disclosed, "Before then, he had only loved her as his cousin."

"Do you think it's at all possible that he was only trying to get closer to her so he could find out what progress the task force was making?" Dapple Rhomb speculated.

Noble Edict reflected on that hypothesis, and then she gave a nod of her head and uttered "That's not an unreasonable theory. I mean, Almond did mention that Cashew seemed deeply interested in the private work she was doing at the embassy. He seemed more interested in the work than the fact that she was involved in it."

"Then as of now, I think it's safe to say that we can account for two of the three Vermane that are here tonight," Haywood McCrank perceived.

"What about the Doctor?" Bronze Star enquired.

Haywood McCrank frankly muttered "Well, Your Highness, you and I have known Sir Verse A. Till for a long time, and Copper Hollow and Lady Noble Edict have known Cashew Lane for even longer. None of the six of us have been acquainted with Billow Health long enough to have known him. If anything, he's the easiest of the three to suspect."

"Plus, he's from Detrot," Copper Hollow debated, "Everypony knows that city is virtually a breeding ground for criminals. Rough and I can confirm that. Besides, physicians are just as capable of deceitfulness and murder as anypony else."

"Even so, don't forget everything Dr. Health did for the victims of the train massacre," Dapple Rhomb professed, "He saved at least two dozen patients, and he tried to save Almond Wheeler's life."

"Yet she died anyway," Noble Edict commented, "That was odd, seeing as how he claimed to have stabilized her without any difficulties. He was unable to explain why she went into cardiac arrest afterwards."

"Unable or unwilling?" Rough Rider stated doubtfully.

"Either way, a surgeon of his renown must have known what went wrong," Haywood pronounced.

"Something else just crossed my mind," Bronze Star interceded, "Copper, when you got back from Detrot, do you happen to remember who the very last person to get off the train was?"

Copper Hollow stood trying to reminisce for a minute, and then he revealed "Well, I was more focused on helping Almond Wheeler and Rough Rider out of the train; they were barely conscious. I was too busy with them to notice who the last person to leave the train was. However, I do recall that Dr. Health went back into the train after it was evacuated. He claimed it was to double-check for survivors. He was in there for quite a while, though."

"Long enough to locate the file and attempt to render it useless?" Bronze Star conjectured.

"If he knew where to look, then definitely," the copper stallion affirmed.

"Perhaps that was his actual reason for being on the train in the first place," Noble Edict supposed.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Bronze Star murmured, "I always thought his presence on the train was a little too coincidental. Still, his story about the seminar should be taken into account."

"What seminar?" Haywood asked in interest.

Bronze Star apprised them with "Dr. Health claimed he was planning on attending a seminar in Las Pegasus. After the train that ran from Detrot to Ponyville got in, he was going to catch a connecting train from Ponyville to Las Pegasus."

"Wait; is that the seminar that medical officials from all over the country partake in?" Rough Rider enquired.

"Yeah, that was what Dr. Health told me," Bronze Star disclosed.

"Bronze, that seminar took place months ago," Rough Rider proclaimed, "I would know; I was in Las Pegasus at the time."

"So he lied?" the gold stallion assumed. He sounded unsurprised.

"It would seem so," Copper Hollow mumbled through gritted teeth, "So that bastard killed Almond Wheeler."

"Cashew Lane could have done that, too," Noble Edict speculated, "He was posted outside Almond's suite in the I.C.U. As I recall, he specifically requested that assignment."

"There's more to indicate their guilt," Rough Rider professed, "Before we got here, Sir Verse A. Till was alone with Billow Health and Cashew Lane for several hours."

"That's right," Dapple Rhomb conferred, "He was the driver to our carriage, and they were the pullers. I recall that they volunteered for those tasks, too. Who knows what they could have been talking about in those six hours?"

"Also, did you notice that when we arrived, their clothes were totally clean?" Noble Edict recounted, "You'd think that after trotting for over fifty miles on a warm late spring day whilst fully clothed, their suits would have been sticking to their bodies. But they had hardly even broken a sweat."

"Well, the Vermane are in pristine physical condition," Bronze Star noted, "We know that from the Running of the Leaves."

"One more thing, Your Highness," Sir Haywood cut in, "When Verse A. Till, Cashew Lane, and Billow Health joined your company after midnight, did you ask them to join you, or did they ask you?"

Bronze Star replied with "Sir Verse came to speak with me after you did, Sir Haywood, and I offered for him to accompany me up to the Astronomy Tower to see my Aunt Luna. Cashew Lane invited himself and Billow Health along. They haven't been more than ten meters away from me since then."

"That's it then," Haywood McCrank decided, "We have our three assassins."

There came a short interval of silence, and then Copper Hollow broke it with "So what do we do now?"

"Well, we've established that the Vermane are going to make an attempt on my life sometime before sunrise," Bronze Star muttered, "Can you at least give me an idea of when I can expect it to come?"

"Mr. Shepherd claims that he and the other representatives were instructed to keep us away from you until 2:30 in the morning," Haywood McCrank revealed.

Copper Hollow gazed at a clock on the wall, and he announced "It's almost 2:20 right now."

"Ten minutes until they strike," Dapple Rhomb remarked.

"Where are you right now, Bronze?" Noble Edict inquired.

"My bedchamber," the gold stallion responded, "To be precise, the bathroom of my bedchamber. I came here to drop off the Shroud of Valor. After I put it on a display, I stayed around to show Billow Health, Cashew Lane, and Verse A. Till some of my antique possessions. They're still out in the main room right now. Where are you guys?"

"We're still in those cells that adjoin the room with the buffet table," Rough Rider informed him.

"That's not good," Bronze Star contended, "Even if you started now, it would take you more than ten minutes to gallop from there to here."

"Maybe you could escape from the chamber," Copper Hollow advised.

"How?" the prince tensely uttered, "The main entrance is blocked, the door to the balcony is locked, the windows are shatterproof, and the emergency exit is concealed. There are no other openings available."

"Why don't you just teleport?" Noble Edict suggested.

"I've told you; it's impossible for anypony to teleport in or out of the Castle," Bronze Star mumbled irately, "There's a special charm that prevents that. It's used as a safeguard to protect the Castle from intruders."

"What about within?" Sir Haywood proposed, "Can you teleport within the Castle?"

"Between certain rooms, yes," Bronze Star revealed, "But there are a few rooms that cannot be accessed via teleportation even from inside the Castle. I'm afraid my bedchamber is one of them."

The other five ponies were dismayed to hear that. The situation looked hopeless. It was as though Bronze Star had unknowingly been backed into a corner without any chance of getting out of it.

"So what are we going to do, Your Highness?" Haywood McCrank enquired drearily.

Bronze Star had already determined the answer on his own. He breathed in deeply and declared "I cannot reason my way out of this, I cannot flee, and I cannot wait for you guys to reinforce me. That leaves me with only one possible course of action. I'll have to make the first move."

"You're going to engage them?" Copper Hollow assumed, astounded.

"That's correct," Bronze Star confirmed, "I don't intend to let them get away with this slight."

"Bronze, the odds are three to one in their favor," Rough Rider pointed out.

"Aside from that, you said that the member of the Vermane that ambushed you in Whitetail Woods was able to fend off you, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all at once," Noble Edict recounted.

"That was because he caught us off guard," Bronze Star debated, "Based on what happened at your house, Noble, we know that the Vermane can be taken off their guard, as well. I have that advantage on my side right now. Plus, I've been enhancing my skills with a blade ever since then."

"Your Highness, I beg of you," Haywood McCrank implored the prince, "Do not be so hasty."

"Do you have a better idea, Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star murmured snappily.

"Call the Royal Guard," the indigo stallion recommended, "They could improve your chances. They may even be able to prevent any conflict."

"No, I can't do that," Bronze Star refuted, "Verse A. Till, Billow Health, and Cashew Lane would probably cut them down before I even had a chance to give them the order to fight."

"Then let us aid you," Haywood proposed, "Maybe if we gallop fast enough, we can still reach your room in time."

"Even if you could, I wouldn't want you to," the gold stallion solemnly pronounced, "The Vermane are here for me. Me and nopony else. I won't allow any of my friends to put themselves at risk for my sake."

"Well, we'll still go ahead and make our way up to your room," Haywood McCrank firmly uttered, "If we arrive soon enough, we'll assist you in your skirmish."

"You'll do no such thing," Bronze Star flatly countered.

"Your Highness, I've always admire your selflessness," Haywood McCrank insisted, "But this is one instance when it could be your undoing."

"I'm sorry, Sir Haywood," the prince resolutely declared, "But I refuse to put anypony other myself in danger here."

"Forgive me, sir," Haywood beseeched him, "But you are being unreasonable."

"Am I?" Bronze Star sharply murmured, "Stay away from this area until I call you back. That's an order."

"But Your Highness-" Sir Haywood began.

Bronze Star did not even let the indigo stallion finish. At that moment, he swiftly removed his communicator from his ear and deactivated it. Then he slid it into the inner pocket of his cloak.

He did not know what time it was, but it had to be very close to 2:30. He did not have long to act.

The prince trotted over to the sink, which was still spouting water. He set his crown aside. Then he splashed some of the cold, clean liquid over his face, and he allowed his mane to soak for about twenty seconds. After that, he turned off the valves, and the stream of water ceased.

Bronze Star grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry his mane and face. Once his hair was relatively dry, he adorned his crown again, and he exited the bathroom.

Cashew Lane, Verse A. Till, and Billow Health had been standing in various parts of the room when the gold stallion rejoined them. Bronze Star continued to wipe his face as he trotted over to his desk. When he got there, he lowered the towel, managed an authentic grin, and proclaimed "Sorry if I kept you waiting for too long."

"No worries, Your Highness," Verse A. Till asserted. Billow Health and Cashew Lane mumbled in agreement.

They sounded courteous enough, but Bronze Star did not allow that to cancel out everything he had learned since he last saw those three stallions.

Bronze Star wondered how he would neutralize the three of them before they could do so to him. Ideally, he would have to disable at least one of them even before they realized he knew of their intentions. Out of all three, Verse A. Till posed the biggest threat. He had known the prince the longest, and he was the most efficient with melee weapons. If Bronze Star only had to fight two of those three stallions at once, he would much rather those two be Cashew Lane and Billow Health.

Bronze Star had already been planning on skirmishing with Verse A. Till. Of course, he originally intended for their fight to be friendly and competitive. If Sir Verse really intended to kill the prince in a clash of blades, he could certainly pull it off. He had already defeated Bronze Star in a duel twice before.

Fortunately, Bronze Star had an idea on how to incapacitate Sir Verse. He just had to be very careful and meticulous in executing his idea. Otherwise the results would be disastrous.

The gold stallion straightened out his mane, and then he announced "Sir Verse, now would be a good time to bring up the second topic I wished to discuss with you."

"What might that be, Your Highness?" the glaucous stallion enquired.

"Your middle name," Bronze Star answered him, "I've determined what it is."

"Is that so?" Verse A. Till cockily uttered, smirking deviously, "Then what is it?"

Bronze Star looked him in the eye and proclaimed "Your middle name… is simply the letter 'A.'"

At first, Verse A. Till did not give any reaction to that statement. After fifteen seconds of quietness, he casually inquired "What makes you think that?"

"When we were up in the Astronomy Tower, my Aunt Luna used the term 'versatile' to describe you," Bronze Star explained, "I've known that word and its meaning for a long time, but I never considered it may have had a connection to you. Then I heard it right next to your name. That was what led me to conclude that your middle name is just 'A.' Am I correct?"

Verse A. Till absorbed everything the gold stallion told him, and then he smiled and revealed "You are correct, Your Highness. Some ponies have speculated that the 'A' stands for nothing, or that I don't actually have a middle name, but you are the first one to submit that 'A' is my middle name. I must congratulate you on figuring it out."

"Thank you," Bronze Star murmured. There was a pause, and then he muttered "Now I believe you owe me a favor."

"Indeed," Verse A. Till coincided, "When would you like our third duel to be?"

"Now," Bronze Star promptly told him.

The glaucous stallion looked stunned. "Right now?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Bronze Star supposed.

"No," Verse A. Till insisted, "It's just that… it's almost 2:30 in the morning, and we're both clad in formal attire."

"Favors wait for nopony," Bronze Star debated, "Come on, Sir Verse. You can think of the time and our clothing as an extra challenge for both of us."

Sir Verse finally gave in and stated "Very well, Your Highness. We'll begin whenever you're ready."

Bronze Star nodded in approval. Then he trotted over to the table that displayed Last Stroke. As he got the sword down, he called over his shoulder "I know; let's make this a little more interesting. You tell me one of your weaknesses, and I'll tell you one of mine."

Verse A. Till found that to be an odd proposal, but he chose to oblige the prince. He thought for a minute, and then he professed "Well, occasionally, when I move in to deliver a blow, I am forced to leave my left shoulder undefended. By doing that, I can optimize the amount of damage I deal with my right front hoof."

"Interesting," Bronze Star commented. He made a note of that statement. If it was true, he would find out in a minute.

The prince then extended his wings and kept his back to Verse A. Till. As he focused on his sword, he pronounced "When my wings are expanded, they impair my field of vision. I cannot see anything directly behind me, or behind me and slightly to the right or left. If they're folded, I can see behind myself perfectly, but the option to take flight becomes unavailable. SIG Sauer has urged me to fix this weakness many times, but I've never been able to."

"Fascinating," Verse A. Till remarked. He sounded a little too intrigued. Bronze Star heard the sound of steel being drawn. He kept his head in front of him and acted as though he was still tending to his sword.

"So, you can't see me right now, Your Highness?" Verse A. Till assumed.

"Nope," Bronze Star drily claimed, "You could sneak up behind me right now, and I wouldn't notice until you reached me."

What he said was not entirely true. Bronze Star's wings actually had been a conditional blind spot to him once. In fact, his wings had been the reason SIG Sauer had managed to catch the prince during the combat drill they had on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration.

However, ever since Bronze Star began his romantic relationship with Applejack, he had managed to find time to concentrate on improving his fighting style. Sometimes he would sneak out to the Everfree Forest and practice in his Alicorn form when nopony was around. After many arduous attempts, he had finally managed to find a way to maximize his field of vision, even when his wings were protracted. He now had the perfect opportunity to test it.

At that moment, Bronze Star peered out of the corner of his left eye and parted the feathers in his left wing. Through the separated feathers, he spotted Verse A. Till approaching him from behind. In his right front hoof, he was holding a blade high over his head. But it was not his sword. It was a type of dagger. At a glance, Bronze Star recognized that brand of dagger. Only one organization carried it: the same organization that had targeted the prince for assassination that night.

Bronze Star moved very quickly. He reached for his towel, turned around, and tossed it in Verse A. Till's direction. The glaucous stallion stumbled as he continued moving forward. Before he had a chance to recover, Bronze Star grabbed him by his left shoulder and pulled him over to the table. Then he seized Sir Verse's right front leg and forced it onto the table. After that, Bronze Star drew his knife from his belt, raised it up high, and plunged it downwards.

Verse A. Till let out an agonizing scream as he dropped his dagger. Billow Health and Cashew Lane gasped in shock and terror. As for Bronze Star, he could only smirk.

He had used his dagger to pin Sir Verse's right front leg to the table. The blade had impaled the glaucous stallion's hoof, and it was wedged in the hard wooden surface of the table. Verse A. Till could barely move his leg without wincing in pain.

Bronze Star was quite pleased. He had effectively restrained Sir Verse A. Till and crippled his sword-wielding hoof simultaneously.

Of course, only one of the three threats to his safety had been nullified. Before he could relax, he had to handle the other two.

Bronze Star swiftly turned to Cashew Lane and Billow Health. He scathingly uttered "Do you two yield, or are you going to do something stupid?"

Both stallions appeared to be horrified. For a moment, they honestly looked as though they had no idea what had prompted Bronze Star to attack Verse A. Till.

But only for a moment. After that, Billow Health and Cashew Lane took action. Slowly, their countenances tightened and they glared at Bronze Star menacingly. They both reached into their suit jackets, and they each pulled out a dagger identical to Sir Verse's.

Bronze Star nonchalantly sighed and decisively declared "So be it."

He then took up his sword and drew it from its sheath. Last Stroke glittered brightly in the moonlight as the prince held it in the air. He lowered the weapon towards the physician and the security officer, and he muttered ominously "This sword hasn't tasted blood in decades. But I can guarantee you it still can."

A wiser person would have heeded Bronze Star's threat. Billow Health and Cashew Lane completely ignored him. Both of them raised their daggers and charged the prince at the same time.

For about two and a-half minutes, the three stallions fought. The sound of steel ringing filled the vicinity, and the shadowed outline of the feud were enlarged against the far wall. Even though Bronze Star had a longer blade and nearly eleven years of military training, Cashew Lane and Billow Health were surprisingly deft and skilled with their daggers. It took a great deal of the prince's abilities to counter both of them at the same time.

In the third minute of fighting, Bronze Star managed to knock Cashew Lane against the wall. While the shamrock stallion was on the ground, Bronze Star focused primarily on Billow Health. Although the doctor was at least ten years older than the security officer, he maneuvered with the precision of the surgeon he was.

After another minute, Bronze Star delivered a blow to the russet stallion's side, and Billow Health tripped. As he fell onto his back, Bronze Star moved in to finish him off. That was when Cashew Lane reentered the fray. He lunged towards Bronze Star, waving his dagger like a lunatic. The gold stallion intercepted him just in time, but both of them went rolling across the ground. They stopped when they reached the foot of Bronze Star's bed. When they stopped, the security officer was on top of the prince. He struck Bronze Star in the face with his free front hoof three times. His blows were strong, but Bronze Star was very resilient.

Bronze Star then struck Cashew Lane in his throat, causing the shamrock stallion to falter. Bronze Star then pushed him off, but he caught Cashew Lane before he collapsed. He gripped Cashew Lane by his shoulder and dragged him in front of the rail at the base of the bed.

Bronze Star slammed the shamrock stallion's head against the rail over and over. For the first three times, Cashew Lane yelled in anguish. After that, all he could do was lightly moan.

Eventually, Bronze Star relented. When he did, Cashew Lane offered no resistance. The prince then leaned down, picked up Last Stroke, and held the center of the blade near Cashew Lane's head. In one swift movement, he used the sword to slice through the shamrock stallion's neck.

Cashew Lane sputtered as the steel penetrated his skin. He gasped for air, but all he could taste was metal and iron. Blood slowly leaked from the thin opening in his neck. Soon enough, his head dropped and his front legs fell to his sides.

After a few seconds, Bronze Star extracted the sword and let Cashew Lane's body drop to the ground. He glared down at it and mumbled "That's for Shakedown."

Bronze Star swiftly returned his attention to Billow Health. He turned just in time to see the russet stallion rise from the ground. Bronze Star rushed over with his sword raised. He swung Last Stroke hard, but Billow Health blocked the blade just in time.

The two of them battled fiercely for another two minutes. They spent that entire time trying to gain the upper hoof over each other. Both of them proved to be a worthy adversary.

At the end of that interval, Billow Health was able to back Bronze Star into his desk. The gold stallion hit the desk so hard that many of its contents were knocked off. An inkwell shattered on the floor beside the desk; the quill pen that went with it landed nearby.

As Bronze Star tried to push Billow Health forward, the russet stallion rammed into the prince and knocked him onto his back. Bronze Star's grip on his sword loosened, but he managed to avoid dropping it. Before he could get back onto his hooves, Billow Health knelt over him and grabbed the gold stallion by his throat. He forced him to remain lying on the ground.

The russet stallion tried to hack at any part of Bronze Star that seemed to be open. Bronze Star somehow managed to parry all of his attacks, even from the ground.

At one point, Billow Health's dagger and Bronze Star's sword intercepted each other in their centers, and the two stallions were stuck with their blades locked in that position. At that point, they had an equally strong likelihood of gaining the upper hoof, but Billow Health had the more strategic position.

Bronze Star then spotted the quill pen that had fallen off his desk. It was just out of reach of the gold stallion. Billow Health's left front hoof was around the prince's throat, and he was gripping his dagger with his right front hoof. Bronze Star was using both of his front hooves to wield Last Stroke.

He realized that the russet stallion's attention was entirely on the sword. That gave him the opportunity to employ counterattack. He removed his right front hoof from the hilt of his sword, and he extended it towards the quill pen. After struggling for fifteen seconds, he was able to move the quill a little closer, and then he grabbed by its head.

Bronze Star swiftly turned his head back to Billow Health, and he swung his right leg firmly. He jammed the tip of the quill pen into the side of the russet stallion's throat.

Immediately, Billow Health released the gold stallion's throat and broke off his attack. He made a horrid gagging sound as he began hemorrhaging from the opening in his neck. Bronze Star stabbed him with the tip of the quill twice more, and then he shoved Billow Health off of him.

As Bronze Star rose to his hooves, he tossed the quill pen aside. Then he clutched Billow Health by the front of his tuxedo, pulled him closer, and held his sword perpendicular to the russet stallion's upper body. With one swift thrust, he plunged Last Stroke into the russet stallion's chest.

Billow Health's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and the gagging sound became louder. When the sound faded, he stopped moving. Bronze Star let go of his body then, and he mumbled "That's for Dread Naught."

Bronze Star stood in silence for a long while after that. He had never killed anypony before. He heard many people reacted differently to taking another pony's life for the very first time. Some experienced bloodlust. Some were horrified. Some were ashamed of themselves. Some were relatively indifferent at first, but they were never the same afterwards.

Bronze Star did not know how he felt at that time. Maybe the realization of what he had just done had not quite settled in just yet. It would eventually; he was certain of that.

At any rate, Bronze Star had other things to worry about. He gazed over at the table that had displayed Last Stroke. Verse A. Till's front leg was still pinned to the surface of the table by the gold stallion's dagger. The glaucous stallion had lost so much blood that he had been left in a severely weakened state.

Bronze Star gradually trotted over to the table. On his way over, Verse A. Till drew his sword with his left front hoof and pointed it towards the prince. He threatened "Even with one hoof rendered useless, I could still best you in a swordfight, Your Highness."

His voice was full of malice, but given how weak the glaucous stallion had become, Bronze Star could tell his threat was an empty one. He effortlessly raised his sword and swung it down on the hilt of Verse A. Till's. The impact of that single blow was sufficient to cause Sir Verse to drop his sword at once.

"Save your energy before you pass out from blood loss, Sir Verse," Bronze Star advised him, "I'm not going to kill you."

The glaucous stallion raised an eyebrow and remarked in perplexity "Why not?"

"I need you to tell me where the rest of your colleagues are," Bronze Star straightforwardly elucidated.

"Then you may as well kill me," Verse A. Till heatedly spat, "I will never talk."

"We'll see about that," was all Bronze Star said in response. Then he raised his sword again and struck Sir Verse on the head with the hilt, knocking him out. Almond Wheeler would be avenged soon enough, though.

Right then, Bronze Star was technically alone in his bedchamber. There were three bodies, of course, but one of them was unconscious; the other two were lifeless. The prince spent a couple minutes cleaning his sword. As he wiped Last Stroke's blade of blood, he savored his first true victory. After training in the ways of the military for almost eleven years, he finally had something to show for it.

Despite that, there was one aspect of this fiasco that puzzled him.

For the entirety of his struggle with Billow Health and Cashew Lane, the Royal Guard had never shown up. Bronze Star knew that the doors to his bedroom were not soundproof. The sounds of swords clashing, ponies yelling, and glass breaking would have been just as audible to anypony standing outside the room.

With that in mind, the Royal Guard were supposed to have entered the bedchamber the minute the fight began. Even before that, actually. Verse A. Till's shriek when Bronze Star stabbed him should have summoned them. Yet they never came through the door.

Bronze Star wondered if something was up. He decided to investigate.

After he finished cleaning Last Stroke, Bronze Star trotted over to the main entrance of the chamber. Then he slowly pulled the doors open.

When they were all the way open, he encountered a horrifying sight.

Hammer Shaft and Stone Cracker had been armed with spears when he last saw them. Now their spears had… changed position.

Hammer Shaft's spear was lodged in his throat, and Stone Cracker's spear was jettisoning from his lower body. Both stallions were lying on the ground with their eyes wide open. Not a trace of life was in either of them.

That was not the most disturbing part. The most disturbing part came when Bronze Star looked up.

Blade Bearer was standing across the hallway. He was holding a firing apparatus in his left front hoof, and he bore an evil smile on his face. He was aiming the apparatus directly at the door.

He fired once.

Bronze Star abruptly felt a sharp aching in his midsection. He gradually gazed down and saw a projectile had hit him in the middle right region of his torso. That was exactly where his Refresher Box was.

Blade Bearer set off the firing apparatus two more times, and two more projectiles hit Bronze Star in his abdomen and his upper chest. In response, the gold stallion tumbled backwards and landed on his back in the center of his bedchamber.

Bronze Star was overcome with pain and shock at the same time. It was hard to tell which was greater. The pain of being shot was unbearable, but the shock of who had shot him was enough to take his breath away. Between those two sensations, he felt it was a wonder that he was alive.

With great difficulty, Bronze Star tilted his head upwards and gazed back towards the doors. Blade Bearer calmly trotted into the room. He cast aside the firing apparatus and traded it for a dagger. He retained his wicked grin all the while.

When he reached the wounded prince, Blade Bearer knelt by his side and looked him over. Then he uttered "I'm sorry it came to this, Your Highness. I really am. I was hoping I would not have to be the one who delivered the killing blow. But I suppose I had too much faith in Sir Verse, Billow Health, and Cashew Lane."

Bronze Star's shock only increased at that. The revelations that Billow Health, Verse A. Till, and Cashew Lane had been members of the Vermane were difficult enough to fathom. But to discover that Blade Bearer – one of Bronze Star's dearest friends and most loyal bodyguards – had been involved with the Vermane… he was completely speechless.

Despite that, a lot of things suddenly made sense. Blade Bearer had been the one who ambushed Haywood McCrank in the Everfree Forest. He had only brought that up to Bronze Star to draw attention towards Sir Haywood instead of him. Blade Bearer had also been posted outside Almond Wheeler's suite when she was in surgery at the hospital. He was the one who actually killed her. Blade Bearer had also been present when half of the task force conducted an investigation with the six CEOs. When the other half of the task force had been in Detrot, Blade Bearer must have informed the Vermane that they were there.

Bronze Star could only imagine what else Blade Bearer had done to sabotage the task force's progress.

However, the next thing he learned shocked him more than anything.

Blade Bearer remained leaning next to Bronze Star, and he teasingly pronounced "Now that there are no secrets between us, there's something you should know. You know our old friend, Clear Crest? I hated her, but she was a fine officer. In every way. She only had one problem: she got in my way. Remember eight years ago, when Captain Glock relinquished his position, and we needed somepony to replace him? Of course you do; your mother oversaw the process. Eventually, we got down to two candidates: Shining Armor and Clear Crest. Had it not been for them, I probably would have become the next Captain of the Guards. I was not about to pass that opportunity up. So I took steps to try to make it happen. I found a couple of reliable hitstallions, and I hired them to go after Shining Armor. Then I went to an acquaintance of mine who was an expert at altering money trails. He modified the transaction so that it appeared to originate from Clear Crest's bank account instead of mine. Then I killed him so he wouldn't talk. My plan didn't work liked I hoped it would; the hitstallions failed to kill Shining Armor. Oh, well; at least it half-succeeded. I managed to get Clear Crest out of the picture. How about that, huh? Am I clever or am I clever?"

Bronze Star could not believe what he was hearing. Just a couple hours ago, he had been informed that there was a huge likelihood that Clear Crest had been framed for the attempt on Shining Armor's life. He had also been told that that was what drove her to begin the conspiracy against Princess Celestia.

Now this very stallion before him was confessing to having committed the crime Clear Crest had been accused of. That would have been unsettling enough if he had admitted to that any time before the Gala. But after learning what Clear Crest had done after she escaped from confinement… Blade Bearer was guilty of much more than assault, murder, and conspiracy.

He was also indirectly responsible for the entire assassination conspiracy. He was responsible for the incident in Hoofington. He was responsible for the Hoovston disaster. He was even responsible for the deaths of Esopus Spitzenburg, Clear Crest, Raoul Jowl, and the other seventeen conspirators.

Bronze Star was amazed that his sanity had nod collapsed from all the shocking discoveries he had made that night. Then again, he was in so much anguish that his sanity was apt to buckle, anyway.

Blade Bearer could tell that Bronze Star was hurting very badly. The light brown stallion was about to lessen the gold stallion's agony. Permanently.

"I think we've had enough surprises for one night," Blade Bearer contended. He took his dagger and slowly brought it up to Bronze Star's throat. He uttered in a disturbingly gentle voice "Just hold still, Your Highness, and it will be over very soon. There won't be any pain, I assure you."

Bronze Star was in no condition to resist whatever Blade Bearer did to him next. That did not mean he had accepted his fate. Even so, he had no say in it, either.

Despite that, Blade Bearer was not the only pony who had some control over the prince's fate at that time.

Right before Blade Bearer could cut Bronze Star's throat open, he was grabbed from behind, and he felt a sharp jab in his thigh. He yelled in discomfort and released his dagger. It landed harmlessly on the floor.

Blade Bearer was then roughly turned around and forced onto his back. Then he came face-to-face with Sir Haywood McCrank.

The countenance Sir Haywood bore at that moment was inexplicable. It conveyed such utter hatred, such utter rage, and such utter wrath… that one single glimpse of it would be enough to chill the blood of even the bravest of persons. It certainly had that effect on Blade Bearer; he was petrified.

"You're wrong," the indigo stallion spoke in an alarmingly calm tone that did not match his contorted face, "There will be unbearable pain."

He then grabbed the side of Blade Bearer's breastplate and tore it off with one swift movement of his left front leg. As a result, the light brown stallion's chest was left fully exposed. Haywood McCrank was holding his knife in his right front hoof, and he slowly raised it above his head.

"No… No, no!" Blade Bearer begged frantically, "No, please, NO! NO! Don't do it! Please!"

Haywood McCrank completely disregarded his pleas. When the knife was as high as his hoof could bring it, he brought it down.

Blade Bearer screamed as the blade penetrated his lower chest.

Haywood McCrank did not stop with one blow. He speedily withdrew his knife, lifted it again, and stabbed the light brown stallion in his abdomen. Once more, Blade Bearer shrieked in misery.

Sir Haywood continued to stab him repeatedly. He kept up his assault on the treacherous Royal Guard. The time in-between his blows rapidly decreased. The knife rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell… no less than twenty times. In half as many seconds.

Blade Bearer stopped struggled by the sixth blow, he stopped moaning by the eleventh blow, and he stopped moving by the eighteenth blow. Even then, Sir Haywood did not relent. He stabbed the light brown stallion over and over and over again.

When the number of knife openings in Blade Bearer's body was closer to one hundred than zero, Noble Edict and Copper Hollow finally arrived in the room.

Their eyes immediately went to the indigo stallion. They hastily approached him, and Copper Hollow yelled "Sir Haywood, what are you doing?!"

The federal investigator did not even acknowledge the copper stallion's remark. He just continued to stab Blade Bearer's ruined torso.

"Enough!" Noble Edict shouted, "You've got him; he's dead!"

Sir Haywood did not heed the red mare's words either. All he seemed capable of focusing on was inflicting as much damage as possible to Blade Bearer's already-mangled remains.

Finally, Noble Edict stepped forward, grabbed Haywood McCrank by his shoulders, and exclaimed "Stop this, now!"

In response to that, Sir Haywood whipped around, seized the red mare, and waved his knife through the air. He stopped it when it was just an inch away from Noble Edict's neck. Then he held it there.

Copper Hollow promptly drew his own knife. He moved forward, prepared to defend his fellow security officer.

"Stop!" Noble Edict sternly ordered him, "Stay back!"

Copper Hollow obeyed his chief's orders, though he was reluctant to comply. After he backed up five paces, Noble Edict turned her head back towards Haywood McCrank. He was still holding her close, and he was still holding his knife at her throat in a threatening manner.

Noble Edict's eyes were connected with his. When she looked into them, she saw so many powerful emotions at once. It was as though he was consumed by his primal instincts. If not, he was on the edge of madness.

The red mare knew that agitating Sir Haywood or struggling with him would produce very bad results. All she could do was try to calm him down and reason with him.

She spoke patiently and softly "Put the knife down, Sir Haywood. It's alright. I give you my word; everything will be alright."

This time, the indigo stallion heard her words. They had a soothing effect on him. His rage quickly drifted away.

It was then that he realized what he was doing to Noble Edict. He dropped his dagger and backed away from her, horrified with himself. He looked down at his front hooves, as though he could not believe they had just been on the verge of claiming the life of one of his best friends.

His guilt weighed heavily on his mind. However, it was quickly replaced by an even stronger feeling of angst. That was when he noticed Bronze Star was lying on the ground less than five feet away. His vest was soaked in three places with blood, and his eyes were barely open.

"Oh, my…" Haywood McCrank uttered in disbelief.

He rushed to the prince's side and knelt next to him. Right then, Bronze Star did not even have the strength to turn his gaze towards the indigo stallion.

Noble Edict came to Bronze Star's other side and took his front hoof in hers. She stated worriedly "Bronze? Bronze, talk to us! Please!"

He struggled to say something, but all that came out was a distorted grunt.

Haywood McCrank looked over at Copper Hollow and bellowed demandingly "Get help! NOW!"

The copper stallion nodded and turned around to leave the room. As he did, Haywood McCrank looked back down at Bronze Star and murmured softly "Your Highness? Stay with us, Your Highness. You're going to make it; I promise. We won't let you die."

His voice was strained with despair and grief, but he meant what he said.

Bronze Star would have told the indigo stallion that he believed him, but he was unable to speak even one coherent word. It was hard for him to even recognize on his own surroundings. Sounds became harder to hear, and the only thing he could smell was his own blood as it continued to leak from the wounds in his chest.

Before long, his eyesight started to become blurry as well. One moment he could clearly make out the faces of Haywood McCrank and Noble Edict above him. The next moment, all he could discern of them was a pair of indistinct shapes.

If he had looked outside right then, he would have seen that the stars in the nighttime sky were collectively becoming much dimmer. Even the shiniest of them began to reduce in brightness as the prince's vision started to fade. It was almost as if they could actually detect and share in the suffering of the Prince of Stars.