Broken Mirror: Side Stories

Blueblood Family Estate

Ten Years Post-Mirror Conflict

Two Weeks Before Archer's First Visit

'Here's to this not blowing up in my face...' I thought as I walked into Blueblood's Upper Canterlot Townhouse. The butler led me to the dining room, where Blueblood and I were supposed to have our lunch meeting. Well... That's the part I told Dart when I left the house half an hour ago.

"Dusk, glad you made it." Blueblood was at the head of the table, the board I dropped off earlier flipped over behind him to show a blank chalkboard. He was flanked by Cosmo and Strike (joined by their wives Trixie and Fleetfoot respectively), Comet, and Steeljack.

"I'm just glad everypony could be here on such short notice." I said as I took my seat at the other end of the table opposite of Blueblood. "Now we need to make something clear very quickly." I cast a spell to seal the doors into the room shut, and another to soundproof the room. "What is said in this room stays in this room. We clear?"

"Clear enough." Said Cosmo. "If anypony asks, me and Trixie were visiting with Princess Sparkle. Something about theories on magical essence, not that I pay attention anyway." Trixie punched him in the shoulder before pecking him on the cheek.

"Do I even need an excuse?" Asked Strike as he nudged Fleetfoot. "We are still trying for kids, so... I'll let the rest of you fill in the blanks."

I couldn't help but laugh. Strike had started spending time with Fleetfoot about a month after we got back from our little jaunt around the Wasteland. Before we had left she had her wing broken fighting an Enclave Alicorn drone, leaving her grounded. Maybe she wanted to wait, but for some reason Fleetfoot hadn't started her therapy until after we got back. And son of a bitch, Strike was right there with her. Within six months, he was flying right up there with Fleetfoot. Right after that was when it became official... They were dating. God damn, one of the thickest-skulled stallions I ever met was dating! Eight and a half years after that and he put a ring on her finger... And here he was joking about nailing his wife in the hope of having a kid. I haven't seen him talk like that since before I sent him through the mirror with Comet.

Steeljack groaned. "Look, can we get on with it?"

I got up from the table and walked over to the chalkboard, grabbing the top of it. "That we can." I pulled the chalkboard down, flipping it over. It was a cork board, with a number of pictures I had pinned to it, connected to a central point on the board with red pieces of string. "My friends, it's time to institute something I call Operation From the Heart."

Steeljack downed his glass of beer before putting his head to the table. Cloud and Cosmo were trying to hide their amusement while Strike was laughing like a child along with Fleetfoot. Blueblood was the only pony at the table with any sort of self-control, although he was at the very least amused. "While I can understand why some of you find the theatrics a bit... Over the top, as it were, Dusk did put some serious planning into this 'operation'."

I tapped my foot in annoyance. "Can we focus please?"

"Sure, why not?" Said Steeljack as he sat back up. "Tell us about this little plan of yours."

I couldn't help but smile. "Alright, we've got two main components to this plan. One is the ring, the other is dinner. Dinner is the easy part. Blueblood is going to let us use his house for a little 'reunion' of the old gang. But the ring is a bit more tricky..."

"You don't want Dart to find out." Added Cloud.

"Damn straight. Which is why we need to keep it quiet. I already picked out a ring with Blueblood's personal jeweler. But where I can't risk getting seen picking it up..."

"You need someone else to get it." Finished Cloud. "I can take care of it."

"Good. Glad we're on the same page. The ring's already paid for. You just need to get in and get out. Think you can do it?"

"I trained him, didn't I?" Asked Cosmo. "He can handle it. What do you need the rest of us to do?"

I pulled the in out of a large envelope that was on the board, tossing it onto the table. "Simple really... I need you guys to get the invites out."

We took the rest of the hour to catch up and just chat. As everyone else filed out to head for home, Cosmo and Trixie were the only ones left. I can't help but wonder why he even tried talking to her in the first place... Maybe I'm just naive, I always thought the showmare was a bit out of his league. "Cosmo, how's Archer been?"

Cosmo turned to look at me. "She's been OK lately. Why?"

"She still into research?"

Cosmo exchanged glances with Trixie and looked back at me. "Ya, why?"

"Well, I need to make it look like I'm focused on something... You think she'll want to hear about the Wasteland?"

"I'll make sure she's available."

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Vale Estate

Half an Hour Later

I walked up to my front door, part of me wanting to wait before opening it. By now it was a do or die moment, with the die being spilling the beans on my proposal. I walked in to a mixed smell of baked apples and cinnamon. "Dart, I'm back."

My marefriend poked her head out of the kitchen. She was covered in flour, indicative of her most recent attempt at baking. "Hey Dusk, how'd it go?"

"Well, we've got the financing squared away for the new jeep, so it's a start." Damn, I hate lying... Especially to Dart. I wonder how pissed she'll be when she finds out that me and Blueblood took care of everything when we met for drinks last week?

"That's great! Anyway, I think I finally got the pie recipe down." She held a plate out with a fresh slice.

Damn... How stupid can I be? Fresh pie is generally scalding hot. As I put the pie down on the kitchen counter and forced myself to swallow the scalding chunk of apple and dough, I levitated myself a spoon and opened the freezer, ripping the top off of the unopened vanilla ice cream and wolfing down four spoonfuls to deal with the intense heat. I couldn't help but clutch my head. "Damn it!"

"Brain freeze?" Asked Dart.

"You'd think I'd know better by now." I said as I walked over to the counter. A quick cooling spell made the pie more tolerable, and I wolfed down what was left. "Although this still isn't your best pie." I waggled my eyebrows at Dart, who broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Alright, spill. What's on your mind." Geez, I know her like a book by now? Either that or I'm better than misdirection than I think.

"Well I was thinking... Did you ever think it would be a good idea to have what we did written down?"

Dart took off her apron and tossed it on the counter. "I thought we took a vow of silence when it came to the Wasteland?" She wasn't lying. After we came back through the portal, our little band of misfits made a pact to never speak of what happened in the Wasteland.

"Well... Maybe it should be written down somewhere. At the very least it can be locked in the castle's archive." I sighed and looked down at my feet. Time to put the month's worth of practice to work. "Look, I'm not asking you to do it. I want to give it a shot..." I looked up at Dart, keeping my head bowed a little bit. "At least for my sake."

Dart saddle up next to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "Well, I won't stop you." She said. She leaned down and gave me a tender kiss, straddling me as I half sat on the counter.

"Thanks..." I stood back up, grabbing Dart by her waist and holding her up. "Now, we could always take this somewhere more comfortable..."

Dart nuzzled me. "We could..."

"Then allow me." I grabbed her and hoisted her over my shoulder, her face to my back. I started the long walk up the stairs to our bedroom, Dart playfully hitting me the whole way up.