For the Long Haul

Scarlet Ribbon’s hooves reached forward, grasping futilely for a lover that was no longer there. Her eyes fluttered open as her brain registered his distinct absence. The world came into focus, and she found that somepony had pulled the covers back on the other side of the bed, and the sheets were cool to the touch.

"Again?" she groaned aloud. She threw the covers off of herself, releasing the smell of stale eroticism into the room around her. She looked down at herself, remembering how incredible he had been the night before, and how she had felt secure, wrapped in his embrace as she fell into slumber.

And now last night’s activity was thoroughly dried into her fur. "Why do you do this to yourself, Scarlet?" she muttered.

Heaving herself off the bed, she quickly pulled the sheets off with her magic and dumped them in the laundry hamper, then put new sheets down on the bed before trotting into the bathroom. She frowned at a used towel, still slightly damp, laying in the middle of the floor. He must have taken a shower before leaving.

Scarlet walked the used towel to the hamper with the soiled bedding, her mind wandering through dozens of possibilities. Was she not pretty enough? That probably wasn't the problem; she’d never had any problems getting a stallion to join her for a date. Everything always seemed to fall apart shortly after sex. Was there something wrong with her in... intimate moments?

She glanced up at herself in the mirror. Her normally impeccable silver and scarlet mane was a mess, framing the orange-cream fur of her coat. Her sea-blue eyes gazed back at her, sparkling with fresh, unspent tears that were threatening to spill over.

I... still look good, don't I?

She turned away abruptly, not wanting to go down that line of thought. Something caught her eye as she looked away: a note on the bathroom counter. She quickly snatched it up and began reading.

Scarlet,

I do appreciate the wonderful nights we’ve shared together. You are truly an amazing mare, in nearly every way that I can even imagine, and for these last weeks, you’ve made me feel like the greatest stallion in Equestria. If I could have anything in the world, I would love to have you as my own. But I can’t.

Last night, when we made love, it was the greatest night of my life. But afterward... you asked me if I thought I could be a father to your daughter. In that moment, I realized that you and I are looking for completely different things in a relationship. I can’t be the father you want me to be. I do want children of my own, perhaps some day, but I am not ready to raise a child yet. I am sorry I'm hiding behind a note instead of telling you personally, but I've never been good at goodbyes.

I'm sorry.

Patch

Scarlet sighed. It was always the same. She was so sure Pumpkin Patch was going to be the one, and yet here she was: Single again. Her day couldn’t possibly get any worse than this, and it had only just started.

She shook the negative thoughts out of her head. Now was not the time to lament; she had to get her stubborn daughter up and to school and then head off to work.

With little more than a nod of her horn, she turned on the water in the tub and a few moments later she was standing under a warm, cleansing cascade. She tried not to think about the note as she lathered up her coat, then let out a frustrated scream as she began scrubbing - paying particular attention to her love-stained thighs where the fur was matted the worst.

It was a long, hot shower, but she eventually stepped out into a steamy bathroom and dried off before wrapping her mane and tail in tightly bound towels. She crossed the hallway and knocked on her daughter's door.

"Jupiter!" she called. "It's time to get up and go to school!"

There was no response. Scarlet knocked again, louder, before gently pushing the door open and peering inside.

The bed was empty and unmade; not that Jupiter ever made her bed. The room wasn't exactly messy, but it was disorganized. Stacks of books littered the floor, and three empty cups of instant noodles sat on the corner of her desk, somehow failing to make their way to a trash can only a foot away. Scarlet frowned, both at her daughter's lack of discipline and her own failings as a single mother. No other mothers in her social class were leaving their children to feed on instant food.

"Jupiter? Where are you?" she called out.

"I'm just leaving," her daughter's voice called back from across the house. She heard the front door slam shut, only to open again a moment later. "By the way, there's a Solar Guard for you at the door!" The door slammed closed again.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and trudged her way across the house to the door. As it opened, the Solar Guard standing on the front porch glanced nervously at the towels in her mane and tail.

"Can I help you?" she asked, ignoring his roaming eyes.

He shook his head quickly as his eyes came back to meet hers. "Chief Engineer Ribbon, your presence is requested in the Royal Conference Hall as soon as feasibly possible. Do you need an escort, ma'am?"

Scarlet groaned. An emergency gathering in the conference hall could not possibly be a good sign. Maybe the day was going to get worse.

"No, that's alright. I can make my own way there," she replied.

The door closed with a loud clack.

Just like all the other prisoners in Canterlot Prison, Buckboard loved the recreation chamber. A wide, flat area excavated right into the mountainside, just a few hundred feet below Canterlot Castle's foundation. It was barely tall enough for the Pegasus prisoners to get some low-altitude flight to exercise their wings properly, but at least they could. A well-maintained indoor grass field spread across the entire area, providing a nice, natural surface to run on, while small, artificial bushes and shrubs gave a nice scenic environment. They also were arranged so that they could be used as an impromptu obstacle course, providing a venue for prisoners to exercise their competitive spirit.

The drab grays and browns of the stone walls that dominated the rest of the prison were absent here, replaced instead by natural light pouring in from three sides - only the side facing the interior of the mountain remained a stone face, and even that was much more cheery as prisoners were permitted to 'decorate' that wall with artistic endeavors, with any of several paints available for more artistic types to create their temporary masterpieces - though they had to use their hooves or wingtips to paint with. The remaining three 'walls' consisted of massive reinforced wrought-iron bars that were exposed directly to the beautiful vistas below Canterlot, providing clean air and natural lighting for the entire chamber. The end result was much like being outdoors, except that you would never have to deal with the rain or sun beating down upon you. And you couldn't leave if you got sick of it. It was largely unexciting in prison, but at least it wasn't miserable.

Buckboard's many years of hauling contraband had never lacked excitement, at least. He’d ended up with quite a reputation in some circles. Hauling was considered a young pony's job, especially for earth ponies, and it was rare for one to be in the business as long as he had been. Those who evaded capture tended to retire, or start working other, safer jobs for the various Syndicates that controlled the black markets of Equestria. But he had foolishly pressed on.

Now he often spent the majority of his recreational time, a hoof resting on the massive metal bars as he gazed out at the Canterlot Valley below. The view itself was breathtaking, and in fact was one of the best views in all of Equestria that any Earth Pony would ever get without going to the top of one of Canterlot Castle’s spires. It made him envious of the vistas a Pegasus could enjoy from the clouds.

He didn't look out over the valley for the majestic views, though. He did it because his hometown of Ponyville was visible off in the distance. As he gazed out at his home wistfully, sometimes Buckboard would wonder how Sweet Apple Acres was running, with those delicious apples that would always brighten everypony's day. Or wonder if Sugarbeet's tavern was getting good business that day. And about how wonderful it would be to finally get home to try some of the baking at Sugarcube Corner again.

But most of all, he thought about his family. Much to his confusion, his previously loving wife hadn't visited him even once since his incarceration. He often wondered if she was still faithful to him after so many years? He knew it was unlikely, and given her complete and total absence, Buckboard had begun to question if she had even been faithful to him before his capture. Despite all that, he still loved her and wanted to hold her in his hooves again, but it made his blood boil when he dwelled on it too much.

He often redirected those thoughts toward his son; not even yet born when Buckboard had been sentenced to prison. With his wife's total absence, his attachment to the foal was more of an ideal than a reality. Still, dozens of questions plagued him. Was he a good foal? What kind of colt had he turned out to be? Did he have a cutie mark? Did he have any strong male role-models?

Strong role-models...?

Even if he got out, Buckboard was no role-model. Perhaps it didn't matter that he was in prison; Equestria was full of stallions that were better than he was. His wife deserved better. And yet somehow, despite that, that beautiful mare had once chosen him above all of the others.

...

So why had she tossed him aside like a used tissue?

He gazed out again at Ponyville below. Dark clouds were gathering over the town, obscuring his view. It was the largest storm he'd seen in the fourteen years he'd been gazing out at the town.

Fourteen years in this hole.

Buckboard sighed inwardly. If only his wife would actually come to visit, but no - if things continued as they were going, in another six years, he would get to see his adult child when he finally got back on the outside. If even that.

The soft noise of hooves on grass behind him dragged him out of his thoughts. He turned to see his long-time friend, Black Quartz, approaching. Black Quartz was rather small for an Earth Pony, but she rippled with muscle, capable of out-doing most other Earth Ponies in any task of brute strength. The two had been through a lot together even before they ended up in prison, and in his wife's absence, Quartz had made it no secret that she would make herself available to him if he wanted it.

"Hey, Q."

"Buck," Black Quartz replied rubbing her barrel flirtatiously against his side. "Want to go behind a bush and... have some fun?"

And she wasn't subtle about it. At all. It wasn't uncommon for ponies to engage in such activities covertly on the recreation grounds. The guards tended to turn a blind eye to it, when they weren't openly being voyeurs about it. Then again, the other prisoners often were no better. Buckboard shook his head.

"You already know the answer, Q. If I wanted to do that, I'd just apply to be your cellmate."

Quartz hummed a brief acknowledgement.

The two stood next to each other, gazing out on the scenery below in silence for a minute before Black Quartz spoke again. "Thinking about home again?"

Buckboard nodded, but stayed silent for a time. Their conversations were often fairly slow like this. "Thinking about my family," he finally sighed.

"I can tell. Concerned about the kid?"

Buckboard nodded again, and Black Quartz responded with a shake of her head.

"Colts need a father," Buckboard lamented. "Someone to teach them how to be a stallion. He's just hit puberty, Q. He's gotta have hundreds of questions, and I don't know that his mother is going to have the answers."

Black Quartz frowned. "Buck, you've been losing your shit about this for years. You really can't keep doing this to yourself; if you don't stop, by the time you get out of here you're going to fuckin' hate yourself. And what's stopping you from becoming a stallion your son can be proud of? Sure, it's hard to do that from in here, but you can make plans and take steps to try. Go spend more time in the library instead of moping out here in rec. At the end of all of this, if you get out of here and can't even respect your damned self, why should your son respect you enough to give you a chance?"

Buckboard sighed. It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, in some form or another. And Black Quartz had a point. He needed to come out of prison a better stallion, though he wasn't sure how that could happen.

A whistle blew off in the distance. Free time was over, and it was time to head back to their cells. Several armed guards stepped into the recreation area, preparing to provide an 'escort' for any prisoners who were less than cooperative. Black Quartz turned and trotted off toward the doors to the cells, leaving Buckboard alone for a moment again. Buckboard glanced one more time back at the storm settled over Ponyville before turning away.

The Royal Conference Hall was one of the largest single rooms in the entirety of Canterlot Castle, dwarfed only by the throne room itself. The walls - like the rest of the castle, carved from marble - were adorned with stunning artistic renderings of Equestria's greatest triumphs. Not quite as impressive as the Halls of Harmony that honored the greatest actions of ponykind in giant stained-glass windows, but Scarlet was still proud to have some of her own work portrayed in one of the prominent pieces here. The floor, a white and dark grey checked pattern, was mostly covered with a large red carpet with gold trimmings, upon which sat a monumentally large mahogany wood table that stretched the length of the room. The wood was stained to a deep red that went well with the carpet, and seated along both sides were around four dozen chairs, most of them filled. The sheer number of ponies in the room was starting to make Scarlet's skin crawl with concern.

Unsurprisingly, a tense feeling of panic dominated the atmosphere of the room. Not only was this conference called without advance notice, but today’s meeting was unusual in that Luna and Celestia did not normally attend any conference together unless it was a matter of grave importance, and both of their royal chairs - normally absent when they weren't attending - sat imperiously at the end of the table.

Despite Scarlet's own late arrival, neither princess had arrived yet, and both of the massive chairs remained vacant. She counted herself fortunate that senior officials had reserved seating, and she wouldn't have to fight for a good seat. She levitated a notepad and quill out of her saddlebag as a precaution and then settled comfortably in her chair and focused on the conversation bubbling around her.

Even though she didn't know many by name, Scarlet recognized most of the faces gathered around the table from the various military branches and government departments that operated within Canterlot Castle and its surrounding districts. Some, however, were new to her, especially those at the end of the table where the Princesses sat: a griffon with one wing in a splint, a crystal pony with a prosthetic limb, and most curiously, Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire.

Both of Equestria's princesses and the prince of the Crystal Empire holding an urgent meeting were obviously signs of something big, and everypony in attendance was buzzing with speculation and rumor.

"Why's the Griffon here?" a unicorn mare asked. Scarlet caught the griffon scowling from the corner of her eye.

"Maybe the Griffons have finally decided to take us up on our offer to help with their weather," a nearby Pegasus stallion suggested.

"I doubt it," said the mare. Though Scarlet did not know the mare, she recognized her uniform as part of the Wildlife Preservation Foundation. "They want the local weather to stay unchanged. Remember, Griffons are carnivores. If we mess with the weather, it could impact local species' survival and throw off the ecological balance. And that means less food for them."

"What about the Crystal Pony? Why's he here?" another voice wondered.

"I don't know, but I’m sure the Crystal Prince isn’t just here on a social visit this time. It's got to be something big."

Another pony Scarlet didn't recognize turned to face her; one of the new administrators of the Agricultural Department. "You spend a lot of time working with the Crystal Empire. What do you think?"

The question caught Scarlet off guard, and she frowned. "I, uh... I have no idea." As Chief Royal Engineer and head of the Office of Mechanical Engineering, Scarlet was indeed often working with the Crystal Ponies. Their Crystal Magic was frequently useful in Arcane Engineering, a field that focused on the combination of magical energies with mechanical devices. "I haven't heard anything from the Crystal Empire, so I doubt this has anything to do with my department. I also haven't heard reports of a derailed arcano-tech train, and that's about the worst thing my department deals with, which most certainly wouldn't lead to a meeting of this scope."

After a few minutes of conversation, a loud rumble spread throughout the chamber as the great double doors crashed closed. Princess Celestia stood before the doors with an air of calm concern as she gazed across the gathered ponies. The conversation dulled to a murmur as Celestia walked regally up to the end of the table and took her seat. She glanced around, nodding to various advisors and allowing the room a moment to prepare for whatever important information she had to impart. Everypony's eyes locked to her, and she raised a hoof for silence. The room fell into a deathly quiet almost instantly.

"Thank you all for being here on such short notice," she began. "You are all officers, advisors, and distinguished individuals within your respective fields. And for that, we are thankful to have you here today. My sister is busy dealing with a last-minute issue and will be here in a moment, but before she arrives, I would like to inform you of the purpose of this meeting."

Brief rumblings stirred throughout the room but were quickly silenced as Celestia raised her hoof again.

"As you are probably aware, for eight-hundred years we have shared a comfortable peace with the Kingdom of Griffonia..." Nods and whispers of affirmation permeated the room as the princess continued, "... and just over six-hundred years ago, we established a formal alliance with the Griffons, opening lines of communication and trade. You may also be aware that it has been an unstable alliance; the Griffons are deeply rooted in their own traditions and do not have any deep desire for our hoof-made crafts. Nor does our herbivorous diet mix well with their carnivorous needs." Scarlet noticed several ponies glance at the griffon with a mix of expressions. "As such, with no need for our material goods, trade has been minimal, and anything more than incidental contact with Griffonia has been sporadic at best, limited primarily to tourism and a friendly rivalry in sports."

Celestia went silent, a look of deadly seriousness on her face as she continued. "And now, we have been called upon to save them all. The Dragons of Goldenclaw Peak have begun an indiscriminate massacre against Griffonia!" She closed her eyes, letting that sink in for a few moments.

"Even though our alliance with Griffonia is not strong, Equestria shall respect Her treatises. We will not stand idly by - allowing the massacre of an entire race - and do nothing about it!" Her eyes snapped open with an impassioned intensity Scarlet had never before seen on the Princess. Celestia cast her gaze about the room, stopping for a moment to rest on a few ponies. Her eyes fell directly on Scarlet, the gaze boring right into her soul. The two ponies locked eyes for a few seconds before Celestia's eyes continued wandering.

The expression may have been different - more intense than ever - but Scarlet knew that look. Celestia had expectations for her and the other ponies in this room. Every time Celestia had looked at her with that expression, it had always been leading up to some major project. But what was she expected to do now? Build a machine for war? Scarlet grimaced inwardly. I don't want to make things designed to harm, she thought. But if the Princess orders it, would I do it?

A rising cacophony of questions was making it difficult to hear anypony in particular. Celestia once again raised a hoof for silence, addressing a question Scarlet hadn't heard.

"We received the first report this morning, from a Griffon messenger, that the dragons are even now laying siege to Griffon's Tor. We sent out a scouting party that has confirmed that the Griffon border village, Giomma, has been burned entirely to the ground. Those same scouts were waylaid by a Dragon who advised us that any interference from Equestria would be considered an act of war."

Voices erupted into more questions - a clamor that was deafening - and Celestia was trying her best to pick out questions and answer them. Scarlet couldn't make out the questions, but Celestia's use of the Royal Canterlot Voice every time she spoke made the answers clear.

"Yes, we are investigating further options before we take military action."

"No, the scouting party found zero survivors."

"No, we do not know the Dragons’ motivations."

"Yes, the Dragons have made it clear they are intending to eradicate all of Griffonkind."

"No, we don’t know what that means for Griffonstone."

"No, we aren't making a blind attack on Goldenclaw Peak."

The questions were interrupted as the doors to the conference room opened with a painfully loud groan and Princess Luna strode into the room. Scarlet made a quick note on her pad to have one of her engineers take a look at the spells that maintained the door's hingework. The entire room silently watched as the dark Alicorn trotted up and took a seat next to her elder sister. Celestia whispered something in Luna's ear, and without hesitation Luna immediately launched into an address of her own.

"I'm sure you all want to know what it is Celestia and I are planning to do about this situation." A chorus of nods could be seen. "And for that, we have an idea of what we'd like to do, but there are some complications." She gestured to the three foreigners present. "Geneva, if you'd like to explain what has happened?"

The Griffoness drew up to her full height as she stood to address the room, and Scarlet suddenly became keenly, terrifyingly aware of just how large a full-grown Griffon really was. "Ponies of Equestria," she said, "I am Duchess Geneva of Griffon's Tor, our capital, and one of the last standing bastions of Griffon society. I consider it a privilege to be alive today, for many of my brothers and sisters are not so lucky.

"Four days ago, the dragons of Goldenclaw Peak began a savage attack on our kingdom and our way of life. Our hunting grounds have been set ablaze. Our villages have been razed to the ground. Our sacred nests have been destroyed. Within a matter of days, we were driven back by the onslaught and forced to take shelter within our mountain strongholds.

"Their siege against Griffon's Tor has been relentless. Any griffon who has attempted to leave has been pursued, attacked, and killed without mercy. We have no idea what provoked the Dragons' attack, and they have refused any attempt at peaceful discourse. Our dietary needs don't allow us to store much food, and our medical supplies are being consumed rapidly.

"King Gerard and his advisors decided we should take our best fliers and send them for help. I and seven others were selected, instructed to take indirect routes as much as possible to avoid detection, and we carefully snuck out at night via an ancient series of tunnels in the mountain. I took flight, planning to circle north, but I was spotted by a young Dragon, who pursued and attacked me. I fought him off, knowing that I was no match for his strength. Another dragon attacked my assailant, and I was able to get away, but not without great cost to myself." She gestured to her broken, mangled wing. "After collapsing in the Spiritwood, I was saved by an attentive Crystal Pony patrol guard, and would not have made it here today otherwise. I owe my life, and possibly my homeland, to him." She gestured to the Crystal Pony seated next to her. The Crystal Pony stood as the griffon sat back down, bowing slightly, but he said nothing before returning to his seat.

After a brief smattering of polite applause, Prince Shining Armor stood and cleared his throat. "You all know of me. I am Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire. Some of you here call me the Prince, but here in the confines of Canterlot, it’s just more comfortable if you would address me as Captain." He noticed Celestia's look of disapproval and grimaced.

"Uhh... So!" he said, putting on a much more serious face. "Based on what Geneva has shared with us, there's clearly some level of dissent among the Dragons, which means we can't just go in and attack indiscriminately. As such, our first order of business should be to ensure the safety of the Griffons at Griffon's Tor and any other strongholds that are still fighting. However, we run the risk of a war with the Dragons ourselves should we attempt to assist them directly, and given their seemingly genocidal intent, we consider this a worst-case scenario." Shining looked out at all the ponies in attendance. "Does anypony have an idea that might buy enough time to prepare for a full-scale military operation, or for our diplomats and Griffon allies to negotiate a peace?"

Silence descended upon the room. Scarlet Ribbon thought about all of her creations, every last invention she had ever created, but none of them seemed suitable for any such task. A nervous murmur spread throughout the room as the ponies gathered failed to think of anything. After a minute of fruitless consideration, the Crystal Pony who had stood earlier returned to his feet.

The Captain Prince stepped to the side, giving everyone a clear view. "Salvage?" he questioned. "You have an idea?"

"I do," the Crystal Pony replied, stepping forward. With the Prince no longer blocking her view, Scarlet could see the pony's mechanical leg more clearly. It was obviously powered by Crystal Magic; she watched as it compensated for his weight as he shifted about, fascinated with its precision.

"Many years before I joined the Crystal Patrol, I was involved in the illicit trade of weapons fueling the Crystal Ponies’ rebellion against King Sombra." Several gasps sounded throughout the hall at Sombra's name, but Celestia raised a hoof and they were silenced. "A thousand years ago, these weapons were frequently smuggled out of Diamond Dog territory - territory that is today controlled by the Griffons. Though my knowledge is a millenium old, I am quite familiar with the geography around Griffon's Tor and the routes between Griffonia and northern Equestria. Many of the routes used by smugglers then were dense with forest, hiding their wagons from Sombra's aerial patrols. I propose we gather together what resources we can offer to the Griffons as aid and send wagons back into Griffon territory, along similar routes. If ponies are capable of hiding from a dragon's sharp eyes, we have a chance." A discontented murmur spread through the hall, and not even Celestia's raised hoof quieted them this time.

"Captain?" Luna asked. "What do you think?"

The Crystal Prince stood. "Not you," Celestia chastised. Shining returned to his seat.

Captain Ironblade, who stood across the table from Scarlet, shook his head. "I am not sure of this plan, Your Highnesses. The manticore's share of Equestria's military is not trained for stealth and subterfuge, and those that have any training whatsoever were trained for infiltration with minimal equipment. They would only be useful for light work and would hardly be capable of hauling cargo in the volume that our allies need. While I believe this idea has merit and would buy us the time we need, failure would dramatically worsen our circumstances. I feel the logistics of it would pose too great a risk, and that risk is something we cannot afford."

A flash of inspiration struck Scarlet Ribbon and she bolted to her hooves. Dozens of pairs of eyes darted to her, waiting expectantly.

"Apologies for interrupting, Captain," Scarlet announced. "But I think this idea has more potential than you are giving credit for. I have a hobby project I've worked on in my spare time; a personal challenge I made for myself. A wagon that could make a stealth mission significantly easier than it would appear at first. And while your military regiment may not have ponies with the experience we need, perhaps it is not the military we need. Perhaps what we need are real professionals - ponies who have extensive experience with smuggling wagons of illicit goods and hiding them from prying eyes." Scarlet gestured at the Crystal Pony. "Ponies like Salvage." She stopped and took a deep breath. "And... myself."

A murmur spread throughout the assembly. Chief Justice Silver Key stood up, throwing his chair back, and levelled an accusatory hoof at Scarlet. "I always knew I couldn’t trust you, and now you are here publicly announcing your criminal history? I’ll have you arrested and hauled--"

"Justice Key, please," Celestia interrupted, clopping a hoof against the table, much to Scarlet’s relief. "This is not the time or place. Let us hear her out."

"We need criminals," Scarlet continued. "For this task, I mean." She pointed a hoof at Salvage. "Not all criminals are unethical. Not all laws are just. I can assure you, if you remove their incentives for crime, most of them would prefer an honest living. Just as the two of us are no longer a part of that world, many of these ponies' loyalty can be bought, for the right price."

Voices erupted throughout the hall as dozens of ponies began voicing their opinions at once, overwhelmingly negative. Luna struck the table with her hoof, glaring fiercely at any pony who dared peep. The hall went completely silent.

"Yes, it is clear that the idea does not sit well with many present here," Luna growled. "But does anypony else have any other ideas?"

Minutes passed in silence. Celestia turned to Scarlet. "I am aware of your experience," she said, glancing momentarily at Silver Key with a crooked smile. "And your hoof-picked engineering crew has proven your ability to select only the best of the best. But are you sure you are ready to take on this responsibility? Can you put forward your life for the protection of not just Equestria, but her allies as well?"

Scarlet Ribbon swallowed thickly, feeling the weight of the entire hall's expectations on her shoulders. She thought about her daughter. Failure could mean war, and war would be devastating. But doing nothing could be far worse; what was to stop the dragons from doing the same to Equestria after the fact?

Jupiter didn't deserve a world like that. No matter what happened, she had to stop the Dragons.

"Yes, Your Highness. I am."

Salvage stood up. "I would offer my services as well," he affirmed. "I have already pledged my life for the Crystal Empire, but I would just as happily put my life on the line for our sisters and brothers in Equestria."

A smattering of uncertain applause rippled through the assembled ponies. Silver Key manifested his gavel and slammed it against the table. All eyes turned to him as he threw an accusatory hoof at Celestia. "You dare to put the fate of Equestria into the hands of known criminals? The very scum that we lock away as threats to a stable society? Your foolishness will not just ruin Equestria, it will doom Griffonkind to a terrible fate. Mark my words, Princess, this will not end well."

Silver Key stormed out of the hall, slamming the massive door closed with his magic. One of the hinges buckled slightly under the force of it.

Scarlet circled the previous note on her pad.

Moonshine grunted softly as her back hit the ground. Sinking ever-so-slightly into the soft earth, she looked up lovingly at the Earth Pony who had pushed her down, visible only by the light of the full moon above. He stood over her, lowering his lips to her ear and nipping softly.

"I want you," he whispered sweetly to her. She shuddered as his words brought a pleasurable chill down her spine. She reached her forehooves up, wrapping them around his neck and pulling him down into an embrace.

"I know," she whispered back. "Me, too." She longed to be filled by her lover, to make passionate, sweet love for hours. But, alas, there was no time for that. "Now hurry, please, before the others wake up," she hissed. Her body demanded relief, and he was going to give it to her. She felt a familiar pressure as his thick, throbbing stallionhood speared into her pussy, her own slick arousal providing easy passage into her depths.

Her lover wasted no time bearing down and thrusting rapidly, grasping her hips and driving his flesh into her own with wild abandon. With every thrust forward, her pleasure rose to dizzying heights, each light kiss of his glans against her cervix bringing even more exhilaration and excitement. She struggled against her own building pleasure, trying to stifle her squeals of satisfaction lest she awaken the ponies sleeping nearby.

The knowledge they could be seen at any moment only turned her on even more. Her nipples were painfully stiff, aching for attention. Her horn came alive, unsteadily grasping at her teats; twisting and pulling at them. With each tug, her mind craved more and more from her lover. Hormones flooded her body, screaming out for her to be bred - she needed his seed to fill her; to give her their foal. Her magic reached out with burning desire, lightly caressing her lover's swinging ballsack, gently massaging his weighty testicles, trying to coax out the cream of life that her body so desperately craved.

He did not last long under her ministrations, thrusting erratically until he hilted inside of her and stopped, tensing up. He let out a strangled groan, and she felt the pulse as his throbbing cock fired volley after volley of cum, spraying down her cervix in his desperate bid to fertilize her womb. She began magically abusing her clit as he came, trying desperately to bring herself to climax with him, her own body tensing with the anticipation of release.

But her orgasm did not come.

It never did.

Hammerhoof collapsed against her, eyes closed in a nearly catatonic state. "I love you," he whispered into her ear, breathing heavily. She pulled him into an embrace once more, taking comfort in his hooves. Even though she could not reach her peak, she still enjoyed simply being close with her lover. She would survive. And the fires of her estrus would hopefully dim a little for the efforts. Her horn glowed softly, casting a spell to prevent any eggs from implanting in her womb.

She smiled to herself, satisfied just to be with him. Hammerhoof's breathing slowly returned to normal. He lifted his head, and Moonshine seized the opportunity, planting her lips firmly against his. Her tongue pleaded for entry, and his teeth parted, allowing her to explore his mouth, wrapping his own tongue around hers as best as he could. A moment later, Hammerhoof pulled away from her, standing back up on all four hooves.

"We need to get cleaned up before the others notice," he whispered softly.

Moonshine nodded, focusing on her magic and pulling moisture from the surrounding air, forming a bubble of water. She withdrew a small towel from her saddlebags and then touched the bubble with her horn, exercising the power of her cutie mark. Though it did not change in appearance, the bubble now reeked of alcohol. Moonshine wet the towel with it and gently washed the two of them clean before dousing herself with the remainder of the bubble, hoping the smell of the alcohol would overpower the stench of sex wafting from her nethers. It's not like anypony would be shocked that she reeked of alcohol, given how much she drank, anyway.

"It's fucking cold," she complained quietly.

"Then let's go sit by the fire," he suggested.

Princess Celestia sat back in her throne, sipping on a cup of tea. Scarlet Ribbon and Salvage stood before the throne as Scarlet eagerly explained her plan. Silver Key stood nearby with a scowl on his face, clearly only here because he was requested.

"Once we have the crew, all we need to do is get a sizable number of crystals to power the spell matrix on the wagon and we should be able to keep a number of enchantments on it," Scarlet explained. "I believe Prince Shining Armor would have no problem coming up with the crystals, and Salvage will be present to power them with his Crystal Magic."

Celestia set her tea aside. "And what size crew are you expecting to need for this mission?"

"With modern wagon design, the bare minimum a wagon team needs is two ponies: one to handle the brakes and one to pull. But the ideal team has six - two Earth Ponies to pull the wagon, two Unicorns for the brakes, and two Pegasi to help with lifting. Salvage can probably stand in as an Earth Pony, and I have several years of experience braking wagons, so we would ideally want to take two Pegasi, one Unicorn and one Earth Pony."

The throne creaked slightly as Celestia settled back and gazed at the ceiling in thought.

"You seem to have a reasonably clear plan for how your team should function. Have you given any thought to which ponies you will approach with this plan?"

"Stealth is critical," Salvage interjected. "The every-day smuggler has no experience trying to hide from eagle-eyed predators such as Dragons while hauling large loads of cargo. Domestic wagons aren't unusual, aren't scrutinized thoroughly, and don't draw suspicion from the sky, so ponies with experience smuggling internationally would probably be the best fit for our needs. "

"Justice Key? Can you provide me with a list of those candidates?"

Silver Key turned to face the Princess with a smirk. "I am sorry, Your Highness. Our justice system does not differentiate between domestic and international smuggling, so there are no records regarding the difference."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Then you will provide me with a copy of all dossiers for ongoing investigations on international smuggling suspects."

His cheerful expression clouded over. "I will have the report by the end of the day," he replied sedately.

"And what am I to offer the ponies that I wish to recruit?" Scarlet asked.

"If you are confident that they are the right pony for the job, then you have all the resources of the Crown at your disposal, up to and including a full pardon. Though I expect you to be judicious with your offers, and I expect you to report to me immediately with the details of any accepted offers so I may prepare."

The room around Flywheel was a strange miasma of color, distant walls deforming and swirling in all shades of grey. The ground was a strange pattern of unevenly spaced bands, alternating in blue and black, white and gold.

"Hello," a voice from behind called. It was feminine but otherwise distorted. Flywheel looked to the voice and saw a fuzzy outline of a pony. She shimmered with hues of silver, orange, and red, and he could not make out exactly where her mane ended and her body began, but even without being able to make out her features, he knew she was beautiful. The silhouette in front of him watched him intently for several seconds, and Flywheel opened his mouth to reply. No sound came out. The illusion crumbled into pieces, her ghostly form falling to the ground in a cascade of perfectly-cut cubes, each one bouncing and skittering away, evaporating as it struck the ground like a drop of water flung across a hot stove.

The scenery around him began to change. The walls stopped their strange undulations, firming up into a solid brown color, lacking in texture. The floor bent and shifted as the blue and black changed to red. The white faded away and the bands warped themselves into checkered red and gold. The checked pattern slowly slid around drunkenly beneath his hooves.

Another voice spoke. "Dearly Beloved, today we celebrate..."

The voice faded into gibberish, and Flywheel couldn't understand anything beyond that. He looked down at himself and found he was wearing a tuxedo. When he looked up again, a faceless mare looked at him, dressed all in white. Even though she had no eyes, he could tell she was staring deep into his soul, judging him. A cold chill ran down his spine. Her mouth opened impossibly wide as she lunged at him.

Flywheel awoke with a start, opening his eyes to the familiar sight of his own tent. He stretched his tense muscles and shook his head to clear away the cobwebs of the strange dream, but it wasn't working.

He couldn't even remember how many years ago he had started into drug smuggling, not just because it had been a long time, but also because he had sampled so many different drugs that large parts of his memory were just a blur. But as he'd become hooked on the drugs, so too, had the drugs hooked him, causing strange, vivid dreams that danced with snippets of broken memories, long forgotten. Like the one he had just experienced.

They were no less disturbing with their frequency.

Flywheel stood to his hooves with a wide yawn and stepped out into the harsh, cold morning light. Three of the four other tents nearby betrayed no signs of wakefulness and two pairs of hoofprints trailing off into the trees from the fourth. The freight wagon sat nearby, undisturbed. Not wanting to dwell on the dream, Flywheel trotted over to check on the wagon's cargo.

A quick burst of magic opened the rear of the bonnet, allowing him an easy climb into the back of the wagon. All around the wagon's interior were simple, unmarked bags of some white powdered substance. He'd sampled some before. It tasted terrible, and he was fairly certain it was not a drug. Everything seemed to be just as it should here, but Flywheel couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He worked his way to the front of the cargo bed and moved one of the bags aside to access a hidden panel in the floor, lifting it and checking on the other cargo.

As the panel came away, a wooden box, painted black with red trim, greeted him. Something about the box didn't look right. Had someone gotten into it? Flywheel lifted the box out of its compartment with his magic, examining it. Nothing was out of place, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He lifted the lid carefully and examined the contents. Blood red leaves filled the small chest, but again, nothing seemed out of place.

If you looked through the Equestrian Government's List of Controlled Substances, one could find a long list of things that were prohibited or restricted within Canterlot's influence. Astragalus, Equisetum, Sweetclover, Poison Joke, Goldenglow, Sorghum; dozens upon dozens of dangerous plants and alchemical concoctions were listed within. While most were forbidden outright, some were permitted for use in certain Zebrican rituals, but only for use in their sacred medicinal arts. Among these listings was a rare plant, resulting from the cross-pollination between Heart's Desire and Poison Joke; a plant known as Heart's Passion, often simply shortened to just Passion. And it was Passion that had become the hot-ticket item in the drug trade.

Flywheel took one of the Passion leaves from the box and chewed on it as he returned the box to its resting place, closing the panel that protected it from the rest of the cargo - or from prying eyes.

A noise behind the wagon startled him. Was he being watched? He turned around, but nopony was there.

"Forager?" he called out.

The dulcet tones of Moonshine's voice called back to him instead. The voice of a goddess herself.

"No, you idiot. It’s me and Hammer. What the hell are you doing in the wagon?"

"Checking on the goods," Flywheel replied. After ensuring he had re-secured the cargo properly, he hopped out of the back of the wagon.

Moonshine was by the fire pit, her deep grey coat melding into the red coat of the Earth Pony. Hammerhoof.Her hooves were entwined with his and the two were sharing a deep kiss. Flywheel watched with jealous fury, still chewing idly on the red leaf. He wasn't going to lose Moonshine. Especially not to a dirt eater. But it was okay; his plan would see fruition soon.

He glared jealously as the two ponies stayed in each other's embrace for several moments before he shook his head and trotted over to the nearby stream, drinking deeply of the fresh water. After enjoying a long pull of the cool waters, he looked up to see a storm brewing above. He smiled. No — it didn't matter what Hammerhoof and Moonshine did now. Not after that storm rolled in, right on schedule. This day was going to be just perfect.