Aperitif/Digestif

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Epilouge
Chapter Five Point Five

Chapter One

Oh…this dream…again…

The restaurant is busy tonight. Pretty much every table is full. The fact that the guests are all faceless, mere silhouettes of ponies no longer bothers him. He’s seen it so often lately that he’s accepted it as normal.

He makes his way among the tables, gliding silently among the white noise of utensils and compliments. It was hard, if not impossible, not to feel that surge of pride at what his family had accomplished yet again. More well-fed and content ponies.

He reaches the back of the building where one specific table sits. Like a lighthouse on the sea, he is drawn to it as a source of comfort. It was there that the two most important ponies in his young life sat, waiting for him.

One was a pretty Earth mare with a coat the color of cream. Her mane was a light violet, cut in a coif fitting of a citizen of Canterlot and eyes like a pair of onyx gems that sparkled with love upon gazing on her visitor. The other was a tall, strong stallion with a coat grey as slate and a mane black as night. Tiny wrinkles crinkled at the corners of his hazel eyes as their guest took his seat at the table.

“Everything is in order then?” rumbled the stallion in a baritone that could’ve been heard clear across the room, should he have chosen to do so. The guest simply nods. The mare cranes her elegant neck and nuzzles him on the cheek.

“I’m surprised they didn’t spill all over themselves watching my favourite little chef make his rounds.” The guest looks away, squirming in his seat. She always says things like that, and he always feels a mix of embarrassment and pride at the implication.

“You know he wouldn’t do that. It’s about making them happy, not their drycleaners.” The stallion gives the guest a meaningful look, but the guest can see the amusement in the male’s eyes.

“Yes dearest. You treat the diners like extended family…”

“As I do my employees. Do not ever forget that: we would not be here if it were not for their faith and hard work.”

“Don’t forget…”

…
…
…

“Don’t…”

…
…
…

“…forget…”

…
…
…

***
Those words continued to echo in the young colt’s mind and ache in his heart all morning. This made it three times in the last week that he had woken up to these words, and he was beginning to get annoyed. Not because of the dreams themselves, or even the message it presented with the subtlety of six alarm chili, but for the glaring omission of one crucial concept: how?

It was quite clear to Peppermill that he had a duty to fulfill, one that could be considered a final request from his late parents. He knew deep in his heart that he would not have peace before he knew that his ‘other’ family, the family of the restaurant, was taken care of. And as if Peppermill didn’t need any more motivation, he needed to develop that sense of closure as far as the physical building was concerned.

Oh yes, he knew what to do, but Celesita help him if he could figure out how to pull it off.

It wasn’t as if he could just pack his meagre belongings and head out in the general direction of Equestria’s capital. The fact that the last time he had made that trip on hoof was when he was under severe duress, and even then he was not sure how he had managed it. And no amount of maturity he possessed was going to let him go without an escort. He could just imagine how badly Applejack would react if he brought up the idea of going away from Ponyville all by his lonesome. No, if he was to go to Canterlot he would have to find somepony willing to accompany him.

He could simply go to Applejack and ask for help. She was as close to a surrogate mother as Peppermill had, after all. But the orange mare was notoriously protective of the colt, and tended to be far more strict with him that she was with her own bloodline. It tended to send mixed messages to the grey colt, and he knew that he needed a clear head to deal with what could be an emotional rollercoaster. He certainly couldn’t go up to some random pony and ask them if they could take him to Canterlot neither. No, he was going to have to be clever in his approach, and particular in his target. With that in mind he set his sights on Sweetie Belle, one of his closest friends.

One would have questioned the colt’s decision to ask such a difficult question of the white unicorn filly. She was not, after all, considered the most clever of ponies. It was true she did tend to be a little…slower to understand things then the rest of her friends but Peppermill had found that the filly also tended to be far more sensible than the others. Whereas Applebloom or Scootaloo would charge headlong into a problem, Sweetie much preferred to ponder and look at all the possibilities. And right now the grey colt knew trying to butt heads with Applejack would get him nowhere. Perhaps a different point of view to his situation was what was needed.

He reached Carousel Boutique, fashion central to Ponyville and home to both Sweetie Belle and her elder sister Rarity. Nosing his way into the building, he found the Element of Generosity walking in from a side room transporting bolts of cloth onto a nearby table.

“One moment darling…” she sang out as she levitated the cloth from the table to their shelves.

“Is it…polite to…make a…gentle colt caller…wait?” rasped Peppermill, not making any attempt to hide the amusement in his voice. He was rewarded with laughter like a bubbling stream, a sound many stallions (and at least one baby dragon among his acquaintances) would of loved to be on the receiving end of. This was the standard exchange the glamorous mare and budding chef took part in, and amazingly the colt felt comfortable with it. It brought to mind nights of mingling and being shown off by his parents to the elite of Canterlot society. He suspected this was why he seemed to bond better with Rarity that any of his other older friends.

“I don’t know darling, do you keep Applebloom or Silver Spoon waiting?” teased the white mare, her blue eyes twinkling as she glanced over her shoulder at the colt. Peppermill winced, silently cursing the tendency for small town gossip to spread faster than anything Canterlot could come up with. He didn’t know why it was such a big deal, or why some mares found the whole thing so…entertaining. It was enough of an annoyance that it helped move along his train of thought and push towards the purpose of his visit.

“Is…Sweetie Belle…around today?” asked Peppermill.

“I’m sorry darling, but I’m afraid she isn’t even in Ponyville right now.” explained Rarity. She explained further when she saw the disappointed look on the colt’s face. “She has gone to stay with our parents for a few days, while I am on my trip.”

“You’re…going on a…trip?”

“Purely business. I try to go to Canterlot a few times a year to strengthen some of my business connections. Plus this time of year is when they have all sorts of fashion shows I simply must attend. One must keep up with the trends, after all…” In truth, Peppermill had zoned out during the majority of Rarity’s airy explanation. His brain had locked onto one simple statement: Rarity was going to Canterlot.

Peppermill might not of believed in things like karma, but he recognized a perfect set-up when presented to him.

“So…how long…will you be…away?” he asked, his face a mask of curiosity but his mind whirling with ideas.

“Well, while I’d love to stay longer I can only afford a two week trip. Oh, I do hope that I can stay in that lovely suite near the castle like the last time I went. It certainly helps to have friends in high places.” tittered the mare.

Two weeks… Peppermill realized that things were falling into place quickly. Fortunately Rarity saved him the trouble of asking his next important question as she sauntered away, lost in the thoughts of her trip.

“I was just getting things ready for the end of the week. After all, one of the first fashion expos I want to attend starts first thing Monday and I simply must be there.”

Oh bother… That tidbit was going to make things tricky, as far as the colt was concerned. That gave him no less than three days to make preparations. He was so lost in thought that he missed Rarity asking him a question. It was only when she cleared her throat that the colt blinked and looked at the mare.

“Pardon?” he asked weakly.

“I asked,” repeated the mare, “why did you want to see Sweetie Belle. Is everything alright?”

“Erm…” Peppermill was at a loss for words, his mind debating on what the best course of action would be. As much as he knew he’d have to dance around the Applejack issue, having to convince Rarity of his intent could be just as tricky. His mouth forming a firm line, he spoke.

“Rarity…I would like…to ask…a large favour…of you.”

“Oh? And what would that be darling?”

“Um…” Once again the colt found himself tongue-tied, though this time due to the rather…intense stare he was receiving from the glamorous unicorn. It was almost as if she was expecting something from him…

“How would…you feel…about having…a guest join you…for your trip?”

“A guest? Why, whatever do you mean darling?” Rarity continued to stare at the colt, which unnerved him. If he didn’t know any better, he would have guessed her to be…anxious?

“I…I…I think it’s time…for me to…tie up loose ends. I need…to see what…is left of…my old home. I need…to make sure…that all of…the employees are…ok. I owe it…to my parents. I…need to do this…” Peppermill’s words came out in an uncharacteristic rush, his heart shoving the words out before his mind could properly process them. When he finished, he found his ears drooping in disappointment with himself.

“Well…” murmured Rarity, her expression a mix of surprise and slight amusement. “You seem to have been thinking about this for a while, hmm?”

“Yes.” sighed the colt. He was convinced his apparent desperation would prevent her from taking him seriously. He was about to apologize for taking up her time when another voice sounded from the room Rarity had came from when he first arrived.

“Ah suppose that explains why you’ve been so distracted lately…” The soft twang brought a jab of regret into Peppermill’s heart as a familiar orange Earth mare with a Stetson hat and blond mane walked into the room.

“Applejack…” sighed the colt. Images of his carefully, if hastily, laid plans crumbing in his hooves. Despite being focused on his surrogate mother/sister and her unreadable expression, he missed the meaningful looks her and Rarity shared.

“Me an’ Big Mac thought this was a case of you wantin’ to sow yer wild oats. But ah reckon it’s more like you wantin’ to make things right…”

“You even…mentioned you…were going to…Rarity’s…at breakfast…” muttered Peppermill, growing more and more despondent.

“Dang it Peppermill, will ya jes relax! You look like Winona after ah catch her rollin’ in something Rarity would have a fit jes thinkin’ about.” Applejack looked hurt having to raise her voice, but it hurt her more to see the colt look so…defeated. “Ah got something to say to you.”

“Yes Applejack?” sighed Peppermill,

“If’in you really feel you need to go to Canterlot, Ah'll let you…on one condition.” The grey colt’s head snapped up, shocked at what he had just heard. Did Applejack just…agree to let…me go?

“You hafta promise that you ain’t gonna do whatever it is you hafta do on yer own. Ah know Rarity has plans, but I expect you to keep her in the loop. As far as you are concerned she is me, understand?”

“I assure you Applejack,” spoke up the unicorn in question, “I will watch Peppermill as if he was my own family.”

“I’d rather…you didn’t.” remarked the colt. “I know…how short of…a leash you…sometimes keep…Sweetie on.” This matter-of-fact statement caused Applejack to toss her head back in a laugh and Rarity to give him a hurt look. But Peppermill didn’t have time to preen over his quip…

…he had a duty to fulfill.

Chapter Two

“Darling please, you are making me dizzy just watching you.” This was the plea from Rarity to Peppermill as he bounced from one side of the train car to the other. The mare winced as the colt seemed to literally smack his snout into one window, only to lunge towards the one opposite. Thank Celestia we are the only ones here today. I think he might be spending too much time with Pinkie… thought the unicorn.

“I’m sorry…Rarity. But…I can’t help…myself.” exclaimed Peppermill, finally taking a seat opposite the reclining mare. “The only time…I ever took…this trip I…didn’t exactly…have time to…take in the sights.”

Yes, I suppose that is true… pondered Rarity silently. One would never have guessed that the same colt that was vibrating with pent-up energy was the same one that had been found exhausted and beaten on the far side of Sweet Apple Acres. Even then he usually radiated a mature calmness, and certainly not the excitement he showed now. Of course, even I would be excited to ‘come home’ as it were…

From the moment the two ponies had stepped onto the train that would take them to Canterlot from Ponyville, Peppermill had been incredibly joyful. He’d been so stressed over coming up with a plan to pull off this impressive trip that getting the blessing of his caretakers of the Apple family had lightened his mood tremendously. Even Rarity, who had made this trip many times in the past, found his joy contagious.

“So, what do you have planned darling? I mean, what exactly are you wanting to do once we are in Canterlot?” Despite having plans of her own to meet with clients and some of the high-class ponies she had befriended, Rarity was under strict orders from Applejack to watch him like a hawk. Due to the respect she had for both her farming friend and the culinary-inclined colt, she was going to keep him safe no matter what.

“Well,” began Peppermill, “I have…to go and…see the restaurant. Or…what is…left of it. By now…the city has probably…tore it down…and put something new in.” Rarity nodded, and the colt continued. “I also…need to find out…where any of…the old employees…might have gone. I need…to know how…they are coping.”

“That is very noble of you. Pray, how do you intend to do this? Where are you going to start?” The immediate clamping shut of Peppermill’s mouth spoke volumes, and the mare sighed. “You haven’t a clue where to start, do you?”

“I…was just going…to wander to…all the other restaurants…in the city…and ask. Any eatery…in Canterlot…would love to have…an ex-employee of Aperitif/Digestif.” murmured Peppermill. Rarity gave a gasp, and just about pounced on top of the colt in amazement.

“Aperitif/Digerstif? As in the Apreitif/Digestif? I mean, I knew you lived in an upscale restaurant but…Dear Celestia…”

“Did I…not ever mention…the name of…the restaurant?” yelped Peppermill, taken back by the mare’s exuberance.

“No, and I wish you had. Oh, how I wanted to go there. All of the elite ponies would speak so highly of it. But I never had time to, what with mingling and fashion shows. Peppermill darling, I never even suspected…”

“We…I mean, my parents…tended to downplay…the popularity of,…the restaurant. It was…about the food…not the class. If they could…have gotten away…with it they…would have given…the food away.” Peppermill’s voice had taken a distant, longing quality. “The ponies…that worked the kitchens…and the tables…were more family…than employee. As the…only one left…that can do it…I have a…responsibility to them. Only when I…know they are…ok can I…move on.” A serious expression crossed the colt’s face, and Rarity gave a sigh. She leaned in and gave the colt a tender nuzzle.

“I always marvel at your maturity Peppermill. I wish some of that could rub off onto Sweetie Belle.”

“Could you…mention that…maturity bit to…Applejack?”

“I’ll make a note of it darling.” laughed the unicorn. The two ponies sat in silence as the train carriage continued on its way. Soon, Peppermill spoke up.

"So…where exactly are…we staying while…in Canterlot? The Mareiott? The Pony Johnson?” asked Peppermill.

“Oh, we’re going somewhere a little more…regal than that.” responded Rarity with a twinkle of her eyes. Peppermill pondered this for a moment until something caught his eye outside, and he plastered his snout onto the glass. This left the mare to giggle…and make her own plans.

***

“The…palace…”

“Yes.”

“…seriously?”

“Very serious, darling.”

“Wow…” Peppermill knew that Rarity had some impressively high connections in his home city, but having a pair of personal suites at the royal castle was above and beyond what he was expecting. It was all he could do but to stand in the middle of the room Rarity had, gawking at the furnishings. He hadn’t yet dared to look at the smaller but no less impressive suite attached to this one where he would rest.

“It helps when one has… royal connections. Of course, saving the land multiple times tends to help as well.” admitted Rarity airily. The mare was busy directing the labouring unicorn stallion bellhop as he struggled under the mountain of luggage she brought. Peppermill, who had little to bring, had carried his own tiny suitcase and flatly refused to give it over despite Rarity’s insistence that ‘it’s his job, darling’.

Peppermill began to approach the doors that separated his and Rarity’s suites, determined to try and absorb his surroundings. As a result he never noticed the approach of some royal guards and one rather important guest to the room. But Rarity certainly did not miss this arrival, and spoke up to the colt.

“Darling, we have company.”

“Company?” The grey colt looked over his shoulder at the entourage that had filled the doorway of the suite. At first he thought he was seeing things, but when it registered that he was now in the presence of Equestrian royalty, his natural charm and calm took over (despite the awe and shock he might have been feeling inside).

“It is always nice to see you again Rarity.” said Princess Celestia as the mare bowed before you.

“As it is to see you, your majesty.” replied the unicorn. The goddess turned to smile warmly at the approaching colt.

“And you must be Peppermill. My student Twilight Sparkle has spoken very highly of you.”

“It is…an honour…to meet you…your majesty.” murmured the colt, bowing before the tall alicorn.

“I know Rarity is here on business, but what brings you to Canterlot?” questioned the princess.

“Peppermill is originally from here, Princess. He has come to check on some of his family’s former employees, as well as…” Rarity’s explanation faltered, as she realized she was about to speak on a touchy subject. Fortunately, the goddess saved the mare the difficulty.

“Of course. I offer my sincerest condolences on your loss, my little pony. Should you require any help during your stay here, feel free to ask. I shall give you access to one of my fastest messengers.”

“That is…very generous…your majesty.” admitted the grey colt, mesmerized by the beautiful creature before him. Celestia gave him another warm smile before taking her leave. It wasn’t until Rarity waved a hoof before his face that he snapped out of his daze.

“Of course…you know…the princess. But I…never thought…I would get…to meet her.” gasped Peppermill to the unicorn. “I feel…like I should…have done more…than just bowed…”

“A piece of advice darling,” commented the unicorn, “don’t try kissing her hooves. It wouldn’t work…I know from experience.” Peppermill decided not to dig too deep into that comment, but decided to change the discussion entirely.

“Do you…have any plans…for this evening…Rarity? Or are you…going to rest…after our long…trip?”

“Well, I had intended to relax but as we were arriving to the palace I heard of a soirée being held not that far away. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to let my contacts know I’ve arrived.” admitted Rarity.

“Hmm…well I guess…I can check out…my little room, or…not so little…room as the…case might be.”

“That’s fine darling,” shrugged Rarity. Peppermill once again made his way to the door of his room when Rarity spoke up again. “I expect Fancy Pants to be there, so I simply must find something appropriate to wear…” The colt stopped short of the door, blinking. He slowly turned back to the unicorn mare as she sorted through some luggage.

“I’m sorry…did you say…Fancy Pants?”

“Oh absolutely darling!” sighed the mare. “I guess you can say he is my patron. Celestia knows where I would have ended up if he had not found me and recognized my talents. It will be good to see him again, and he isn’t that hard to look at,” she giggled. Rarity’s gushing commentary was silenced by the incredulous look on the colt’s face. A sudden realization occurred to the unicorn, and she gazed levelly at Peppermill.

“Peppermill, you aren’t going to tell me you…you know Fancy Pants?”

“Um…it was…more like he…knew my dad…” conceded the colt. But Rarity was able to read between the lines, and she could only shake her head in amazement.

“You lived in one of the premier restaurants in Canterlot…your parents were friends with one of the highest of the high class ponies…you are just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I guess so…” shrugged Peppermill. “I wonder…if Fancy Pants…might know anything…about the employees? He seems…to know…a lot about…what goes on…in the city.”

“Well, I can certainly ask for you. I’m sure Fancy Pants and his friends will be happy to help.”

“Um…do you think…it might be…all right if…I went along? It might…be nice to see…Fancy Pants again…not to mention…Miss de Lis.” This time Rarity made no attempt to stop herself from grasping the colt by the shoulders and shaking him in excitement.

“You know Fleur de Lis?!?”

”S-she…knew…M-mom…” warbled Peppermill, getting dizzy from the movement. Only when Rarity composed herself did he add “Mom always…thought she…looked too…thin.”

“Goodness….well, she might have had a point. Not that I would ever make such a comment out loud.” Rarity murmured. She seemed to be inwardly debating on whether or not to take the colt. She finally gave a sigh and a smile. “Of course you can come darling. It would be nice to have such a handsome gentlecolt at my side.”

“And I bet…I’d be a lot…less fussy than…some of the…guests.” snickered Peppermill, followed by a titter from Rarity.

Despite having visited this simple yet elegant meeting space in downtown Canterlot many times in the past, Rarity was always amazed at the class it presented. And that didn’t even take into account the ‘who’s who’ guest list…

The white unicorn mare nodded and made her simple greetings as she and the grey colt made their way among the gathered ponies. Peppermill was quiet, but he examined every pony he passed silently judging who were or were not previous regulars to his family’s business. He wasn’t that surprised to see that quite a few had recognizable faces or cutie marks, nor was he that surprised by the fact they seemed to not recognize him as he walked beside the beautiful mare.

Eventually the two ponies made their way to where a small group of guests gathered loosely around one of the more…impressive members of their clique. She was a tall and slender unicorn mare, a stunning creature that commanded desire and respect. Rarity, not to be outdone in those respects, was happy to consider her an equal.

“Fleur de Lis, darling!” called out Rarity happily. The slender unicorn looked to the sound of her name, and smiled. The two beauties nuzzled each other’s cheeks (the apparent ‘in’ thing) as the other ponies gave them their space.

“Rarity! It is so nice to see you again.” exclaimed the slender mare, her Prench accent light but unmistakable. “And who is…this?” The unicorn’s delicate mouth formed an ‘o’ of recognition at the grey colt before her.

“Hello…Miss de Lis. It has…been a while.” rasped Peppermill.

“Mon dieu!” gasped Fleur. “It’s you! Crème Brule’s little one! But…but…” Peppermill squirmed as the mare placed her fore hooves on either side of the colt’s face and gazed into his dark eyes.

“Fleur?” questioned Rarity, rather taken back by this emotional response. Indeed, the taller unicorn looked to be almost in tears.

“When the fire took the restaurant,” murmured Fleur softly, “it was terrible. When they said that your parents were lost, there were tears. But when no pony had any knowledge of where you were it broke my heart.”

“It’s…a long story.” explained Peppermill, resigning himself to Fleur’s grip.

“No, I’m…alright. I’m just so very happy to see you well.” Fleur let the colt go as she levitated a silk handkerchief to dab at her eyes, followed by a small compact mirror to check her make-up. “And I see you are still as charming as your father.” The corners of Peppermill’s mouth tilted up at this compliment, though he was still somewhat shaken by how the beautiful unicorn had reacted upon his appearance.

“Come, we simply must find Fancy Pants. He will be very pleased to see the both of you.”

Chapter Three

Why do I…always seem to…find myself…in positions…like this? Peppermill followed Fleur de Lis and Rarity as they made their way through the gathered elites of Canterlot society. The problem wasn’t the fact that he was allowing a pair of beautiful, confident mares lead the way. It was that, by being behind them, it gave the young colt a rather…unobstructed view of their flanks as they walked.

Peppermill found himself treading on that thin line between colt and stallion, and the way his thoughts tended to stray as of late were of minor concern to him. The grey colt prided himself on his knack for being able to charm mare and stallion alike, a useful skill in the restaurant business. But lately the tendency of mare and filly to show far more interest in him than normal, and the subsequent emotions that knowledge stirred in him, were of concern.

This train of thought brought back to the colt a series of memories he’d thought were long repressed. His elder brother Saltpeter, at least before his raging jealousy started that chain of events that led the colt to his new life, was a playboy of the highest calibre. It was a given that on any (and all) nights he would come back to the restaurant with a pretty mare at his side to woo and charm. It didn’t take Saltpeter long to realize that he could use his adorable little brother to his advantage in his pursuit of willing female flank.

It wasn’t as if the colt was trying to be overly cute. He simply did what he was told to do by his parents and brother: be polite and friendly. It seemed the combination of charm and his raspy voice tended to result in squeals of amusement and all sorts of compliments. Way back when, Peppermill simply shrugged off the praise and took pride only in the idea that he did as his parents asked. As he grew older he continued this trend, but every so often he found himself…pleased at how happy he seemed to make all of the mares he came in contact with.

The grey colt couldn’t deny that he had few friends while he lived in Canterlot. In fact, it wasn’t until he found himself in Ponyville that he began to be around colts and fillies closer to his age. Of particular interest was the fact that four of the closest friends he had were fillies: Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom (practically the little sister he never had) and Silver Spoon (of who he was…particularly fond). All this female company could give a young colt struggling with hormones ideas. It was those ideas that Peppermill forcefully flushed from his mind’s eye as he attempted to continue walking forward and not be caught staring at the shapely flanks before him.

I should…talk to…Big Mac about this…when I get…home

Finally the mares and colt arrived where Fancy Pants, probably the most politically powerful pony next to the Sun and Moon Princesses themselves, held court.

“He…looks exactly…the same…as always.” murmured Peppermill, to Rarity and Fleur’s delight.

“I always try to get him to wear something other than that old suit.” smiled Fleur, “But he insists on that one. He claims he feels more comfortable in it that anything else.”

“He could wear a potato sack and still look breath taking,” gushed Rarity.

“Does he…still use…that monocle?” asked the colt. He got his answer as the powerfully built unicorn stallion levitated said monocle to an eye as the two beauties approached. Rarity caught a small snort from the colt before Fancy Pants spoke.

“Ah, it’s good to see you again Rarity. I do hope Fleur has gotten you up to speed with the goings-on here. I swear, I think one would need a scorecard to keep track of who is with who and so on…” It was then that the two mares spread apart to let the grey colt approach. Fancy Pant’s monocle dropped and the stallion gaped in surprise at the sight.

“Hello…Mr. Fancy Pants.” greeted the colt.

“My word! Peppermill…is that truly you lad?” The barrel-chested unicorn approached the colt, and peered down at him. Peppermill, unfazed, merely shook his head.

“You still…use that…silly thing. Dad…would have…a fit if…he saw that.” announced the colt, pointing to the monocle with a fore hoof. Rarity gasped in horror, but Fleur and Fancy Pants chuckled.

“Well, that answers my question. Only one of Peperoncini’s boys would be as bold as that.” Fancy Pants caught Rarity’s eye and winked before murmuring just loud enough for her to hear. “It’s not real glass. But I always thought it was a wonderful accessory. The colt’s father always teased me about it.”

“He wasn’t the only one…” remarked Fleur with a sparkle in her eye. The stallion smiled warmly at his companion, then turned the same smile onto Peppermill.

“It is good to see you. It was terrible what happened to your parents…and your home for that matter. What in Celestia’s name happened to you?” Peppermill explained about his brother, his forced evacuation of his hometown and subsequent arrival almost on the Apple clan’s doorstep. All the while Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis listened and nodded sombrely. When Peppermill finished his tale, the stallion’s face grew grim.

“Well, that is quite a story. I am happy to hear you have found a caring home with some of Rarity’s friends. Miss Applejack struck me as a very firm but caring pony. Not like your mother, of course…”

“Applejack…watches out…for me…as does the …rest of her…siblings. I’m more…than happy there. But…”

“But?”

“I’m sure…you remember how…Dad felt about…his employees.”

“Of course. He considered each and every one of them as the extended family he never had.”

“Well…he made it…very clear to me…that they were…to be taken…care of no…matter what. But with the restaurant gone…”

“Ah, I think I see what you are getting at lad.”

“Crème Brule would have been so proud to hear this…” said Fleur.

“I need…to know if…they are ok.” finished Peppermill firmly. “And I can’t…think of any…pony that could…help me more…than you. You know…just about…everything about…everypony. You must know…where some if not…all of them ended up…after the fire.”

“A noble endeavour. I know your father would be proud to know you were doing this.” agreed Fancy Pants. “I’m sure if I can find some things out for you. Until then, why don’t you and Rarity go and take advantage of the buffet. It may not be to the degree your family could have done, but it is still quite passable.”

***

As Fancy Pants made his rounds and quietly posed his questions to the other ponies, Fleur and Rarity took the unicorn stallion’s advice and examined the dainties and other tidbits arranged for the gathering. Peppermill took this opportunity to quietly slip away. It wasn’t that he doubted the food would be acceptable, nor was it for a few moments of quiet contemplation (the excuse he would have given should any of the elites took the time to notice). He had this planned out well in advance, and his plan required Rarity’s attention to be elsewhere.

Once the colt had made his way out of the building, it only took a moment to get his bearings. Though it had been a while since he had trotted down the streets of the city, it all came back to him: the sights, the smells and the sounds. Peppermill might have admitted to have become fond of the countryside and small town living, but the city pulsed in his veins and a surge of pride and contentment flooded through him. With a look of determination, the colt made his way down the sidewalks towards the centre of the city.

As he bobbed and weaved among the throng of ponies in his path, he began to feel a sliver of anxiousness in his heart. Peppermill was sensible enough to know that just about anything might be in the place of the big building he grew up in. Canterlot was known for being quick to remove and/or replace anything that might ruin its image, and a burnt out husk of a restaurant didn’t fit on the cityscape. Regardless, the need to just be near where he had once called home would ease the ache he felt in his soul. Only then could he gain the confidence and motivation to fulfill his duty.

As he reached one particular corner, a shiver ran up his spine. I’m almost…home, he allowed himself a smile as he rounded the corner into what would have been the familiar stonework of the big building he had taken his first steps in and where he first learned the knife technique that he liked to show off when the mood took him. He was so engrossed in his memories it took a moment for the realization of what truly was before him to sink in.

…
…
…

“This is…different.” It was most likely the actual grass under his hooves that sunk in first. The square lot in which Apretif/Digestif had once stood was now a space of green, a rare sight in Canterlot. Or, to be more precise, four green spaces divided by cobblestone paths going out in the cardinal directions meeting in the middle in a stone circle. Four white wooden benches sat in each space, and light posts of black metal and magic candles sat at the corners of the lot.

Peppermill scuffed at the grass at his fore hooves, still trying to digest the information his senses provided him. Eventually he decided that he needed to take a rest on one of the benches to truly be able to focus his thoughts. As he sprawled on the bench farthest from the sidewalk, he gazed without seeing the many ponies going about whatever business they needed to do this late in the day.

“Well…Mom would…have been…happy.” said the colt to nopony in particular. Crème Brule had received, as a gift from her beloved husband, the roof of the restaurant turned into a greenhouse where she grew all sorts of flowers. Peppermill had many wonderful, if somewhat fuzzy from time, memories of sitting with her as she took in the beauty. While the flowers planted in the green space didn’t come close to the beauty of the tropical varieties, the warm memory stuck fast in his mind.

As the colt pondered, more and more ponies began to walk through the space. It proved to be a rather handy short cut between the two city blocks. Of course, the colt could recall using the narrow alleys on either side of the building for the same purpose. But he was willing to admit this could be a bit better. At least the chance of scraping against stone walls was no longer a concern. It wasn’t the same as the memory of the flowers, but Peppermill grabbed hold of it tightly.

Regardless of the warm memories he was experiencing, there was still something bothering him about the scene. He continued to look around the space, trying to put his hoof on what it was. It was only when a pair of impeccably dressed ponies walked by him without a second glance (not a uncommon event, given everything) that it finally hit him.

It wasn’t what he saw…it was what he didn’t see…

Canterlot, for all of its glamour and class, tended to treat its local celebrities quite well. And should, Celestia forbid, something tragic happen to said celebrity the city was well-known for the excess it went through to preserve their memory. Peppermill recalled meeting through his father a pony whose talent was to design the beautiful bronze plaques that could be found all over the city. These metal markers were usually found near or at the places that these popular ponies were known to habit. Their beauty made them highly sought after, to the point where that particular artist had a massive backlog of requests made of him should the inevitable occur.

But sometimes…they do it…for special…occasions thought the colt as he gazed all around, looking for that tell-tale glint of metal in the sunlight. But there was no sign of any memorial, at least as far as he could see from his seated position. Peppermill got off of the bench and searched every corner of the space, at every flower bed and every area a plaque might be affixed.

…
…
…

Nothing…

The fruitless search mutated warmth of pride and happiness the colt was feeling into a flame of anger and betrayal. He began to backtrack, praying he had simply overlooked something or missed an obvious spot, but it proved to be a useless task. The grey colt sullenly went back to the bench he had hopped off of and slumped onto it.

“Why?” That was the single, soft word spoken by the colt. His heart and mind boiled with his inability to come up with a logical reason for this massive slight towards his parents. It wasn’t like he was expecting a massive statue or anything. But anything would have been better than seemingly nothing. All the young pony could do was let the red haze settle into his mind and curse at what he saw as hypocrites pass by.

Chapter Four

Rarity happily discussed the newest fashion trends with some of the elite guests while Fancy Pants went about asking one and all about the past employees of Apretif/Digestif. Despite enjoying herself immensely hob-nobbing with the high-class ponies, Rarity found her attention diverted. She had assumed that Peppermill had gone wandering in among the ponies himself for whatever reason, but she had not seen him in quite a while.

Normally the unicorn would have been fine with this, having faith in the colt’s maturity (a far cry from her own little sister, who while she loved fiercely but tended to fret over often). But the rather…pointed request from Applejack came ringing in her mind: ifin so much as a hair on his head is messed up I won’t evah fergive you Rarity The mare doubted her farmer friend would resort to something as crude as physical retaliation, but the thought of losing a good friend was motivation enough.

Politely excusing herself with a claim of being peckish (not necessarily a lie), she made her way to where she thought Peppermill might be. But as she approached the buffet table there was no sign of the grey colt. For the first time since she had arrived in Canterlot, she felt a sudden tremor of worry. It abated when she next spotted the approach of the handsome Fancy Pants towards her.

“Ah, enjoying the catering are we?” he announced.

“Well, I wish I could. Please Fancy Pants, have you seen Peppermill around?”

“You mean, he isn’t with you?” That tremor of worry now turned into a full-fledged quake of distress as the unicorn mare began to look around frantically.

“Dear Celestia! Applejack will hate me if he gets hurt or worse…” moaned Rarity. As she fretted, the stallion frowned. A realization dawned on him, and he comforted the distraught mare.

“I don’t think you need worry my dear. I have a feeling I know where he might have gone. I just hope he doesn’t get the wrong idea of what he may or may not see…” With that cryptic comment the stallion led the mare out of the building and onto the streets of Canterlot.

***

As the day drew into late afternoon, many ponies began to pass through the square where one of the premier restaurants in the city once stood. While most were far more focused on their various destinations a small number took note of the young colt who sat on one of the benches near one of the many flowerbeds sitting in the space. Of that number, few recognized that what may have appeared to be simple calmness on the surface hid a boiling anger just wanting to be let loose…

Peppermill had been seething since he had stumbled on what had once been his home. The severe lack of any sign of his previous address ate away at him. His pride at knowing his parents and their legacy had seemingly went up in smoke at the same time as the building itself wounded the colt’s soul. But it was the sense of betrayal he felt from those same elites that would have given their forelegs to have the chance to dine at Apretif/Digestif that burned white hot in his heart.

The temptation to tear the park apart with his bare hooves was more than Peppermill could stand. The only other time in his young life had he felt this kind of rage was when his older brother had admitted his guilt in the destruction of the restaurant, his parents, and his life. But there it was, wanting escape in as physical of a way possible. If it were not for the knowledge that he would never forgive himself or receive any forgiveness from his friends and loved ones should he let loose, there would have been some newsworthy mayhem going on.

As such, it was all the grey colt could do to sit on the bench and keep his jaw set as the mares and stallions continued to file by without so much as a glance or a comment. He was just about ready to leap off and storm away when he suddenly had…something shoved under his nose. The scent of toasted bread and tomatoes broke through the fog of anger and (for the first time in a few hours) he realized he was famished.

“Ya better eat something kid. Ya look like you’d fly off in a stiff breeze, nowatimean? One of Hotplate‘s specials will fix ya up!” Peppermill jumped in surprise at the rough, yet friendly voice and followed the strong foreleg holding the morsel to a burly stallion the color of a cast iron skillet and grey eyes. He wore a wide grin and a paper hat over a light purple mane styled into a buzz cut.

“If youse is worried about it being too hot, don’t be. I don’t use the hot stuff unless asked.” Peppermill could not quite place the accent, but he suspected that this pony wasn’t local. But while he couldn’t place the pony, there was no mistaking the item before him: a vegetarian sausage in a whole wheat bun covered in what looked like salsa rather than ketchup. The sight and scent caused the colt’s mouth to water and a growl from his empty stomach. Peppermill almost bit into the delight, until a thought crossed his mind.

“I’m sorry…sir but I…don’t have any…bits on me at…the moment. I left…them in…my room.” admitted Peppermill sombrely.

“Ah fergitaboudit…” waved the stallion. “It’s on the house.” Unburdened by this, the colt took a sizable bite of the sausage.

…
…
…

“Oh…wow…” The grey colt sighed happily as he savoured the texture of the sausage and the freshness of the salsa. There was no doubt in his mind that these were hoof-made and not pre-packaged, and he told the stallion as much.

“Ya better believe it kid! Them factories never get the spices right Nuttin’ like hoof-made to get all the right flavours. Might take longer to make…an’ I kinda have to jack up the price a bit…but I think they’re worth it.” The stallion explained as he continued to set up the cart he had somehow managed to wheel into the square without Peppermill noticing.

“I suppose…you get…a lot of…customers Mr. Hortplate. There seems…to be a…lot of ponies…going by.” said Peppermill around another mouthful of flavour.

“Eh, I get by. A lot better than some of my pals did ‘round here.”

“Hmm?” questioned the colt, puzzled by this statement.

“Corners and spaces like this are prime for guys like me living from day to day. There a lot of competition, nowatimean? At first I never stood a chance, since I had to spend time makin’ all my stuff see? There have been lots of guys here before me, but fer some reason they never caught on.” explained the stallion. “Seemed nopony wanted anything to do wit their cheap stuff. Then there were all dem stories…”

“Stories?”

“Funny stuff…like their stuff burnin’ or gusts o’ wind knocking their carts over. One guy, he claimed his whole wagon just fell apart. Things like that…” Hotplate peered into a few of his condiment containers, satisfied there was plenty to offer. Peppermill mulled over the stallion’s story, internally debating whether or not he could get away with asking for another sausage. Before he could make a choice, he heard a familiar voice call out angrily.

“Peppermill, where have you been?!?” The colt was grateful he had swallowed the last bite of his treat, because he probably would have spit it out at the sound of the irate Rarity advancing on him. He shifted his gaze to the mare, an apology on his lips, then froze. His expression changed to one of anger at the sight of the large unicorn stallion accompanying the mare. Before anypony could react, the colt bounded off the bench and stormed over to Fancy Pants.

“You! You…are a liar! And…a hypocrite!” barked the colt, his raspy voice cracking with emotion. The unicorn stallion staggered back as if struck, Rarity’s mouth dropped open in shock and Hotplate wisely put his cart in-between himself and the commotion before him.

“I know it seems bad son, but…” began fancy Pants. But his protests were cut off by a shake of Peppermill’s head.

“Don’t ‘son’ me! Everypony always…talks about how…great my parents…were. But does anypony…remember? Does any…pony care? It’s like…the restaurant…didn’t even…exist!” Peppermill reared up and spread his forelegs wide, motioning to the space the ponies occupied.

“Darling, this isn’t the time or the place…” murmured Rarity, looking around, worried about potentially prying eyes.

“This is…the perfect place!” snapped Peppermill, now in a full-on rage. “It’s not like…anypony knows…what used to…stand here…”

“Aprefit/Digestif. It was one of the hottest places in town, nowatimean?” This comment, spoken before he knew what he was doing, came from Hotplate. It caused three pairs of eyes to turn on him, much to his dismay. Geeze, an’ here I thought it wuz gonna be a dull day…

“You…know?” managed Peppermill.

“Are youse kiddin’? Everybuddy knew about this place. Anypony wantin’ to get into the food racket knew about that place. And the two that ran the place, those were some real high-class folks. Er, not that youse aren’t high-class Mr. Fancy Pants sir…”

“So, you are saying you knew about the restaurant and the ponies that ran it?” questioned Rarity quickly, grasping at what appeared to be a way to diffuse the situation.

“Heck yeah…er, I mean sure I did.” exclaimed Hotplate. “I even got to meet the guy who ran the place. Real upstanding’ pony. In fact, if it weren’t fer him, who knows what I wudda done wit myself…”

“…really?” managed Peppermill in a small voice.

“It wuz him that told me to keep makin’ my stuff from scratch. Told me that when food came from da heart it wouldn’t matter how much it cost.” Those words, heard many times before, seemed to pull the plug on all the anger the grey colt had been building up. He seemed to deflate before the older pony’s eyes, and he cast he eyes downward…

…
…
…

…then blinked, followed by his eyes growing wide as saucers.

There, at his hooves, was the brickwork that made up the central part of the open space. And there, in different coloured stones than the rest, were two large letters: an “A” and a “D”. Peppermill looked up at Fancy Pants, jaw slack. The unicorn stallion smiled as he gazed down at the stonework.

“Believe me son, I wanted to arrange something spectacular. There wasn’t a pony I knew that wouldn’t have supported me 100% on a monument of epic proportions. I even had permission from Princess Celestia and Luna themselves. But I knew deep in my heart, as I suspect you do as well, that your parents would never have agreed to it. Peperoncini and Crème Brule were two of the most humble ponies I have ever met. The day I told them of what I had planned they gave me a verbal bashing I have never received in my life, and I’ve been on the wrong end of quite a few tirades…”

“Darling?” Rarity had reached over and took the colt into her slender forelegs, holding him tightly. While she may have not expected him to lash out any more, she still felt the colt needed consoling. While all this was going on, Hotplate could only look on in puzzlement at the events unfolding.

“Something simple, that was what your parents insisted on. Your parents, being owners of a restaurant, knew there was always that possibility that something could happen to the building. It’s something they call ‘insurance’, something I am sure Miss Applejack will gladly teach you about. Your father may not have been much for legacies, but he knew that if the building were to go, something had to be put in its place. This was what they wanted…” Fancy Pants leaned in, and met the colt’s gaze with another warm smile. “The stonework was Fleur de Lis’ idea”

“Hey, hold up a second!” piped up Hotplate, approaching the group and peering at Peppermill. “Yer related to Mr. Peperoncini, ain’t ya?”

“This is Peppermill, the youngest son of the former restaurateurs.” explained Rarity.

“No foolin’? Geeze, I remember reading’ about you in da paper kid. Everybuddy wuz worried when they couldn’t find youse after da fire. You look jus like yer old man, nowatimean?”

“Yes…I know…what you…mean.” Peppermill hadn’t intended on his reply to be considered funny, but apparently it seemed to have that unintended effect. Hotplate threw back his head and laughed, which eventually led to a chain reaction of deep chuckles from Fancy Pants, giggles from Rarity and raspy laughs out of the colt. With the tension removed, the ponies went silent to gather their respective thoughts.

“Lissen kid,” announced Hotplate “I know it probably don’t mean much now, but yer old man wuz a great guy. I know a lot of my pals wudda had no problem in a big fancy statue or whateva here. But think abouddit, a place like this means saps like me can make a few bit’s an’ do stuff they like…”

“Like…sell sausages…from a cart?”

“Well, dat too…” Hotplate then looked around for a moment, held Rarity’s surprised gaze for a moment, then murmured. “An’ some of da scenery ain’t dat hard to look at, nowatimean?”

“It is rather…invigorating, isn’t it?” chuckled Fancy Pants, motioning with a hoof behind a slightly blushing Rarity. The ponies turned to find Fleur de Lis hurrying to them breathlessly. Hotplate’s jaw dropped, and Peppermill snickered as he quickly pushed it back into place just as the graceful mare arrived, a look of relief on her fine features.

“When some of the guests mentioned you two had left, I was concerned.” she explained to Fancy Pants and Rarity. “When I learned Peppermill was gone too, I had a feeling this might be a good place to look.”

“I’m sorry…if I made…you worry…Miss de Lis. I just…had to see…what was left…of my old home.” apologized Peppermill.

“Everything seems to have turned out fine. Would I assume you have some good news, my dear?” questioned Fancy Pants.

“Indeed. How do you say it? I have bad news and good news. It seems most of the former employees have gone to other cities to work. But I was able to learn of a stallion named Cedar Plank who is still in Canterlot.”

“Chef…Cedar? Where…does he…work?” exclaimed Peppermill. Before he could receive an answer, a tantalizing scent wafted to the group. Fancy Pants, Rarity and Fleur all lifted their heads and inhaled the aroma and all of them looking rather hungry.

“I dare say, that does smell rather good, doesn’t it?” admitted Fancy Pants.

“You know, in all the excitement I never did have a chance to look at the refreshment table…” admitted Rarity.

“Nor did I” agreed Fleur.

“Then you…had all…better take advantage…of the situation.” remarked Peppermill. He shrugged out of Rarity’s grasp and led the older ponies to Hotplate’s cart. The dark coloured stallion had begun to prepare some of his sausages, an anxious look on his face. As Peppermill closed in, he murmured to the colt.

“I kinda figured this could be a good time to take a chance, nowatimean? Do you know how my pals would react if they knew I got Fancy Pants himself to try one of my sausages?”

“Don’t forget…Fleur de Lis and Rarity.” intoned the colt.

“I dunno kid. I mean, those are some high-class dames you pal around wit. I dunno if this is the kinda stuff they’d be interested in, nowatimean?”

“What are these lovely looking tidbits you have here monsieur?” This question came from Fleur, who gazed at the food with interest.

“Hoof made…vegetarian sausages…with hoof made…condiments.” explained Peppermill. “They…are very good.”

“Well, I don’t think you could get any better of an endorsement than that Mr. Hotplate.” smiled Rarity, batting her eyes for emphasis. “Would you be so kind as to allow us to sample your delicacies?”

“Three Hotplate’s Specials commin’ up!” exclaimed the stallion happily.

***

Peppermill and Rarity finally made their way back to their suite at the castle, tired but well fed.

“It might not have been haute cuisine, but those sausages were simply divine.” sighed Rarity as she used her magic to close the door behind them.

“Did you…see Mr. Hotplate’s…face when…Fancy Pants gave…him all those bits? Not to…mention when you…and Miss de Lis…gave him those…kisses?”

“Well, he did look after you in a fashion. Though I am still disappointed in you, Peppermill. You really shouldn’t have gone off by yourself, even if you do know the city better than I.” The mare gazed at the colt, who bowed his head in apology. The unicorn gave a sigh and a smile. “Are you sure you are ok darling, about everything?”

“…yeah. I guess…I am. It’s funny…” admitted Peppermill. “…I was…more happy to hear…Hotplate talk…about how my Dad…helped him than…knowing about…the stones or…the little park itself.”

“Your parents sounded like wonderful ponies. You have every right to be proud of them darling. I can’t honestly think of any others, with maybe the exception of Fancy Pants, that would devote that much energy and time to others. I think that is far more important than a few plaques or statues, don’t you?”

“Yes…but I still…feel bad about…yelling at…Fancy Pants like I did.”

“I’m sure he’ll forgive you darling. And enough of all this feeling sorry, it’s not good for the complexion. What else do you wish to do? I assume you are going to want to find this chef friend of yours…”

“Of course. And maybe…Chef Cedar…will know about…how the others…are doing…”

“Sounds like a fine idea. But it will have to wait until tomorrow. I am absolutely exhausted.”

“Yeah…it’s been a …long day.” Peppermill turned away from Rarity, then looked over his shoulder with a grin. “Nowatimean?”

Chapter Five

“You know…you don’t have…to come with me.”

“Oh, but I do darling. I am not about to go through that kind of stress again. It is simply terrible for my complexion…” This rather pointed discussion had been going on all day as Peppermill led the way into the entertainment district of Canterlot. Rarity had flatly refused to let the grey colt out of her sight, no matter how much he pleaded his case. She had even gone so far as to cancel a number of appointments she had made with other well-known dressmakers in the city in order to chaperone the colt.

“What about…all your meetings…and stuff? You have…to keep…your priorities straight.” said the colt as he marched with determination down the sidewalk, easily moving among the ponies going about their daily actions.

“My priority is to make sure you are safe. Fashion…can wait.” The grey colt gave the mare a skeptical look over his shoulder.

“I never…thought I…would hear you say…that.”

“Neither did I, darling. And I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself. I do have a reputation to keep up.” Despite the unicorn’s insistence in keeping her eyes glued to the colt, she found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the beautiful buildings the two of them passed by. In truth, despite the number of times she had been to the capital of Equestria she only tended to visit locations reflecting her tastes in class and fashion. There wasn’t much need to go to a restaurant when everything tended to be catered.

It was one of the top dining establishments in the city that was Peppermill‘s destination this day. Thanks to Fleur de Lis he learned this was where one of the only former employees of Apretif/Digestif who hadn’t left the city after the building burned down worked. Chef Cedar Plank, of whom Peppermill spoke very highly of, apparently became the head chef of what had been one of the restaurant’s major competitors.

“I’d accuse them…of poaching Chef Cedar…but I guess when…the place he used…to work is…gone it…doesn’t count…” commented Peppermill.

“Poaching? Was that meant to be a joke darling?”

“…maybe?”

“Well, just don’t let Pinkie Pie hear that one or we’ll never hear the end of it…” (Little would they know that at that very moment, back in Ponyville, the very mare they were mentioning was in her room rolling on the floor giggling madly and squealing “The chef got poached! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!)

“Here…we are.” exclaimed Peppermill, stopping before a mid-sized building with a long line of ponies waiting to enter.

“It doesn’t look like much on the outside, does it?” commented Rarity.

“The best…places don’t need…to be fancy on…the outside. Word of mouth…and the food…beat out…architecture.” said Peppermill with a hint of pride. “I remember…somepony mentioning once…that A/D looked…like a warehouse.” Rarity only arched a delicately shaped eyebrow in response.

For a few moments, the two watched as the slow trickle of ponies were herded into the building, and an even slower amount of satisfied guests left. Rarity was rather surprised at how slow the service seemed to be, despite how many satisfied ponies walked out of the establishment. She was trying to estimate just how long the two of them were going to have to wait to enter when Peppermill cleared his throat. She looked at him just in time to see him slip into the small alley between the restaurant and the building next door. She followed for a moment, but stopped short unhappily.

“Peppermill, where in Equestria are you going?”

“The…back way…”

“The back way? Through…there?!?” Despite being the middle of the day, the alley Peppermill stood before looked dark and imposing. Not to mention rather grimy and not at all the kind of place Rarity would be caught dead in. She gave a shudder of apprehension and gave the colt a look of pure disgust. Peppermill seemed unfazed, and he pointed with a hoof at the line of ponies.

“Look…if we…were to get in the line…it could be…hours before we…got a table. And even then…they would never…let us try to…talk to the…kitchen staff. The best way…to talk to a chef…is to go where…he goes, in this case…the kitchens in…the back. You just…have to trust me Rarity. You can follow…if you want but…I am not…waiting for you.” And with that the colt ducked away and got lost in the shadows of the alley.

Rarity found herself torn: the elegant side of her was absolutely repulsed by the thought of having to going into a dingy, greasy alley, but the idea of a young colt walking along in the same place seemingly without a thought of his own well-being drove her mad. Finally, with a silent prayer and the beginnings of a lecture on her lips, she squeezed into the space and followed the colt.

“Ew…ew…eeewww!” she wailed, followed by an inhalation to make herself as thin as possible. It wasn’t that the alley was terribly narrow as it was she dreaded the thought of whatever might be on the walls to either side of her coming in contact with her meticulous ivory coat. After what seemed like forever, made more so by the fact that the colt’s dark colouring made him blend so effectively into the gloom before her eyes that she once or twice wondered if he vanished, they arrived.

The tall buildings around the ponies blocked out the light of Celestia’s sun. If it were not for two streetlights and a single bulb sitting over a single door and steps, it would have been dark enough that Rarity wouldn’t have been able to see her hooficure in front of her face. Still, the loud banging and muffled shouts from behind the doorway didn’t comfort the unicorn mare at all. The only thing keeping her from panicking was Peppermill, who nuzzled up against her with a grin.

“There…was that…so bad?” he chuckled. “I’m sure…that Rainbow Dash…and Applejack would…be impressed.” All Rarity could do was shudder as she examined every inch of her pristine coat and mane for any sign of grime. Once Peppermill was satisfied that Rarity was not completely traumatized he approached the doorway. Rarity looked on as the colt actually bucked at the door as hard as he could.

“That…that cannot be proper at all!” exclaimed Rarity.

“It’s the only…way to be heard…over the noise. Considering how hard…these doors get banged…nothing short of…breaking it down will…get anypony’s attention.” Despite Peppermill’s insistence, Rarity could not hear anything resembling a pony approaching the door. There was lots of banging, running water and muffled shouts and what may or may not have been curses, but that was it. The mare was about to try and convince Peppermill to try a different tactic (preferably somewhere far cleaner) when the door swung open and a teenaged colt with a scowl poked his head out.

“What?” he demanded crossly. Rarity felt the urge to snap back at the stallion’s lack of class, but Peppermill spoke up first.

“Could you…please tell…Chef Cedar Plank…he has…a visitor?” shouted the grey colt, making sure to be heard over the noise. The stallion glared at the colt, then went back into the building, slamming the door behind him.

“How vulgar!” growled Rarity, her sapphire eyes glittering angrily. “That young stallion has absolutely no manners what so ever!”

“He’s a…dishwasher. Probably…fairly new…to the job. Probably hasn’t…developed the rhythm yet. I hope he…has the sense to…keep his temper in check. Otherwise…he’ll be…looking for a…new job.” Rarity clamped her mouth shut, her lips a grim line. She may have accepted the colt’s explanation, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. She decided to busy herself by using her magic to locate anything she could sit upon, unwilling to trust the cobblestones beneath her hooves. It didn’t help that Peppermill sat down in front of the stairs without so much a downwards glance.

After what seemed to be far too much time in Rarity’s opinion, the mare felt the presence of somepony approaching the door. It wasn’t through any sort of unicorn magic that she knew this. It was because the sounds behind the door had gone silent, as if whomever was there commanded such a tremendous amount of respect that even the appliances were reverent. When the door opened, out stepped a bulky earth stallion. His coat was the color of cedar and he had a flaming red mane. Dark green eyes first gazed upon the pretty mare, who immediately adjusted her pose to a more suitable position. When the stallion then turned his gaze down to the young colt before him, his expression turned to one of shock.

“Hello…Chef Cedar…” said Peppermill.

“…Peppermill.” The stallion’s deep rumble brought to mind another certain large stallion that he knew. But the unmistakable tone of relief in the baritone was welcomed by the colt and mare. (Peppermill would later admit in private he wasn’t entirely sure how the chef would react to his sudden reappearance. Apparently Chef Cedar was notorious for being rough around the edges and very intimidating towards young chefs, prep cooks and the grey colt himself.)

“I hope…the owners here…are treating you…well.” The stallion gave a snort and answered.

“Are you kidding? You’d think I was made of crystal, the way the owners and the kitchen staff mince around me. At least your father had the sense to tell me if and when I was making a mistake.” The large stallion walked down the steps, and lowered his head to examine the colt closely. `You look healthy enough. I hope this young lady has been treating you well…”

“Miss Rarity…is a friend. Another pony…and her family…have taken me in. Living on…a farm is…a far cry from…the big city.”

“I imagine it is.” Chef Cedar turned to Rarity, his green eyes focused with a certain amount of approval on the mare. “I suspect you’ve heard this many times already, but thank you for watching over him. He has a great future ahead of him.”

“I don’t doubt that one bit chef.” smiled Rarity.

“Are you sure…everything is…alright with you…Chef Cedar? I know…this would never…be the same…as Apretif/Digestif…” began the colt. The stallion silenced him with a large hoof under his chin. This allowed the stallion to meet the colt’s dark eyes with his own green ones. They held this pose for a long few minutes, and Rarity felt puzzled towards its purpose. Finally, the chef spoke.

“After everything you must have gone through, and you still are trying to fill your father’s horseshoes. I bet you would have tried to get here without anypony watching over you if you could have gotten away with it, hmm?”

“Peppermill seems to have developed a stubborn streak from his time with the Apple clan. But I can assure you her, me and the rest of his friends would of followed him to the ends of Equestria to make sure he was safe and happy.” This heartfelt comment from the unicorn mare caused both male ponies to glance in her direction, Chef Cedar with approval and Peppermill with a bit of embarrassment.

“To answer your question,” rumbled the chef, “I will always miss your parents and their restaurant. I learned more at their hooves than in all my years in the culinary academies. And I watched as you came into this world, and watched as you proved to be your father’s son in more ways than I can count. You understand the truth about food, how it is a right and not a privilege.

“I imagine you came here because of how your parents ingrained into you the need to watch over your friends. Believe me, that is a trait worth keeping. But you need to live your life, not what you might think your parent’s wanted. Your parents died because they wanted to make sure as many ponies as possible were safe. They died wanting you to live, and that is all they would want from you.”

Peppermill mulled over these words as the stallion let go of his chin. He felt a tightness in his chest at the mention of his parents, but he also felt like a weight had lifted off of him when the chef spoke of living his own life. The colt realized that, to a degree, he had literally put his young life on hold to fulfill what he felt was his obligation to his late parents. He had convinced himself that the vivid dreams he had been experiencing were orders. Instead, they were simply reminders of how much he loved his parents. Still, there was something that still bothered him…

“Is this…what Applejack meant…by ‘sowing my…wild oats’?” Rarity couldn’t stop herself from giggling at this innocent comment, while Chef Cedar gave a rumbling chuckle.

“I think it will be a while before you will be doing that,” answered Cedar. “Unless you have found some new fillies you haven’t mentioned…”

“So…it isn’t…something about…farming, is it?” frowned the colt, silently making a note to bring this up with Big Macintosh once he got home.

“No darling, it isn’t.” admitted Rarity.

“Hrmm…” Peppermill sighed. “In that case…maybe you…can help me one…more time chef…”

“I can try.”

“Is it…at all possible…that some other pony…from the restaurant…is still in…the city? I still find it…hard to believe…so many left.” The stallion sighed, and responded.

“A lot of the employees couldn’t bear staying in Canterlot after the fire. It was bad enough they lost their jobs and friends, but when they learned that your… brother was responsible there was a lot of anger. Many simply couldn’t stay here knowing that your brother had somehow managed to get out of the punishment he deserved. Still…”

“Yes?”

“I understand that Azure Mist was able to get employment at Canterlot Castle.”

“Azure Mist!” Peppermill’s face lit up at the mention of the name. “How did…she manage…that? She was…getting ready…to work at…the rainbow factory in…Cloudsdale.”

“Apparently she was given an offer she couldn’t possibly say no to. Personally I think it was a wise decision on her part.”

“I am sure this Azure Mist must be an accomplished chef if the castle would hire her.” spoke up Rarity. She frowned when the two male ponies both chuckled.

“Azure Mist is a Pegasus mare who used to work as a hostess at Apretif/Digestif.” explained Chef Cedar. “She was exceptional at that particular job…”

“…but she…probably could match…Rainbow Dash for…the last pony you…would want…near an oven.” finished Peppermill with a raspy chuckle. “It was a…good thing she was…given her meals for…free when she…worked at A/D…otherwise she…would have owed Dad…bits.”

“To this day I can still remember the mayhem that ensued when your father invited her to try her hoof at prep. I didn’t think it was possible to burn that many things in that short of a time span…” admitted Cedar with a small smile.

“I believe I understand.” announced Rarity tightly. While it was obvious the colt and stallion were getting some amusement from this, she didn’t like the idea of them laughing at the expense of a pony who wasn’t available to defend herself. She threw in a cross expression on her face, and was pleased to see peppermill look away ashamed.

“Ahem…” Chef Cedar cleared his throat, not before giving the unicorn an apologetic look. “In any event I understand she is quite happy there. Of course, being the castle I highly doubt you will find it as easy to see her as it was to find me.”

“Oh, I think it might be a little easier than you might think Chef Cedar.” smiled Rarity. The stallion raised an eyebrow at her, then to Peppermill who merely smiled.

“It…was good to…see you Chef.” intoned the colt solemnly.

“Yes, and I am sure I will all about you in the future. Now, if you two will excuse me…”

“Oh, one more thing chef…” Rarity piped up. The stallion had one hoof on the door, and looked over his broad shoulders at the pretty mare. “I do hope you won’t be too harsh on that young dishwasher. I understand it can be…trying working behind the scenes, so to speak…”

“Miss Rarity, that dishwasher’s exact words to me were ‘some colt and a smoking hot mare are asking for you’” Rarity’s blank expression was all Peppermill could stand. In seconds the colt was covering his mouth and snout with his forehooves, shoulders shaking and poorly disguised laughter leaking through. Chef Cedar had already re-entered the building and shut the door behind him.

“Smoking hot…?” managed Rarity, deadpan.

“It’s…a compliment…” wheezed Peppermill between laughs.

“Is that what passes as a compliment in Canterlot?! I have never heard anything so…crass…so vulgar…” sputtered the mare.

“I’ve heard…some of…the other colts…back in Ponyville…call you that…in private. And…a few stallions too…” Peppermill managed to totter back into the alley, leaving Rarity to fume.

“I want names Peppermill! Every single one of them that said that about me! Are you listening to me? Peppermill?”

…
…
…

“Pep-per-millllll!!!”

Chapter Six

Rarity and Peppermill sat in a small antechamber just off of what was referred to by the denizens of the Canterlot elite as the Night Court. As the story went, prior to the corruption of Princess Luna into Nightmare Moon, the dark alicorn used the room as a meeting place where commoners could plead their concerns and confront accusations towards them. With Princess Luna presiding, and her word during the dark hours as royal law, it proved to be an effective way for Luna to get back into the proverbial swing of things.

The colt and mare had been told by a servant upon their arrival to the castle just after the evening meal that Princess Luna wished to speak to the two of them privately before court was to begin. This piece of information proved to produce a pair of anxious ponies. Rarity had not had as much of a chance than the rest of her friends to formally meet the Moon Princess, given her unavailability during the last Nightmare Night celebration. It didn’t help the grey colt much that this princess was as untouchable as her elder counterpart, despite being born not that far from the castle.

“So you…have no idea…what to expect…from Princess Luna?” questioned Peppermill as he squirmed before the ornate door leading into the court.

“Sadly I was far too…busy that night to receive a proper introduction. But from what Twilight Sparkle and Applejack have told me she is quite approachable. That is, assuming she has learned when to properly use the Royal Canterlot Voice.” Rarity admitted.

“Like I don`t…have enough on…my plate trying…to decide what…to say to…Azure Mist.” mumbled Peppermill.

“I am sure you will be fine darling.”

“Easy for you…to say. You look as…nervous as me.”

“I most certainly am not nervous!”

“How do you…explain the hole you…put in…the carpet?” The ivory mare looked down frantically at her hooves, only to see no hole or any other damage she might have caused. She gave the colt a dark look, but when she was met with an impish smile, she found herself unable to stop from laughing. Soon, the two ponies where chuckling, the tension draining from their bodies.

“Um, excuse me?” Rarity and Peppermill both looked up at the sound of the uncertain voice. A young Earth mare wearing a necklace with a silver crescent moon, the symbol of the Moon Princess, stood in the now open doorway.

“Oh, we are so terribly sorry. We were just…sharing a private joke.” remarked Rarity.

“I see. Princess Luna is now ready to receive you and Mr. Peppermill.” The mare turned and walked out of the room, leading the unicorn and Earth colt into the large room.

“Mister…Peppermill?” murmured the colt, giving Rarity a lifted eyebrow. “Father used…to hate being called that.”

“I think you should be proud darling. How many colts your age get to be called that?” giggled Rarity. Eventually they found themselves standing before the midnight blue alicorn, the much beloved Princess Luna. She sat upon a carved onyx throne, looking quite regal, yet there was a sense of anxiousness coming off of her.

“The Element of Generosity, it is an honor to meet you at last.” Luna bowed her head to the mare, as Rarity returned the gesture, though much lower.

“It is a great honor to meet you as well, Princess Luna.” she intoned. “May I present to you Peppermill.”

“Your…Majesty…” Peppermill bowed as low as he could. When he lifted himself off of the floor, he found the alicorn smiling down at him.

“You are as charming as my sister told me you would be. When she told me of your desire to see Azure Mist, I was happy to help in any way I could. She is one of the best bailiffs the Night Court has had in a millennium.”

“Thank you…Your Majesty. I am…happy to…hear she has…done such a…good job here.” The colt found himself feeling a bit more confident about the situation after these words. At least until Luna spoke again.

“I must admit, she does not speak very much of her past. I didn’t even know she’d worked for your parents…”

She hasn’t talked…about the past? This thought sobered the colt dramatically, and he began to feel that worm of worry twitching in his stomach again. He spoke carefully, hoping his voice wouldn’t betray his concern. “She hasn’t…mentioned at all…about what happened?”

“No, I am afraid she has not.” Luna seemed to be able to read the uncertainty in the colt’s heart, and she quickly changed the subject. “Do you have ideas on how you wish to proceed with this meeting? I am afraid I am at a lost for ideas…”

“Perhaps it would be best if you went about the business of the Night Court as if nothing was different. We wouldn’t want to interrupt anything important.” said Rarity quickly, picking up on the colt’s distress.

“Agreed. You should be able to watch everything that goes on from the gallery, and decide then what to do.” Rarity nodded, and nudged Peppermill into motion. She led the colt to a small hallway that allowed them full view of the proceedings. Unfortunately it seemed Peppermill was in no shape to observe, for he seemed to grow more and more upset as the minutes ticked by.

“I…I…can’t do this…” whimpered the grey colt.

“Of course you can darling…” began Rarity. But the colt spun around, his whole body shuddering with barely controlled emotion.

“Rarity, Azure Mist…never talked…about her past. The only…reason she wouldn’t…do that is if…she wanted to…forget it. I’m not…going to go…out there and…bring back…bad memories. I’d rather leave…her with something…to look forward to…than bring up something…she doesn’t care about.”

“Peppermill, I’m shocked at you! I simply refuse to believe that this mare would do something like forget something that, from what you have told me, she loved to do. And there is no way I am going to let you walk away from this. I know it is hard, but you need to be strong…” Rarity felt the need to use her telekinetic magic to keep the colt in place, and was glad she did for she could feel Peppermill straining against her magical grip. She was about to attempt to talk more sense into the colt when a fanfare sounded through the room, followed by a strong but feminine voice
.

“Hear ye, hear ye! The Night Court is now in session! All rise for Her Majesty, Princess Luna!”

“Azure Mist…” whispered Peppermill. Rarity removed her aura from the colt, allowing him to creep towards the end of the hall to peek out into the courtroom. She hovered over his shoulders, and followed his gaze towards the source of the announcement.

“Well, I can see why you seem so fond of her. She is quite striking, isn’t she?” The young mare stood tall and proud, her wings spread wide as she continued to direct the proceedings. Her blue-green coat shone and her mane was cut in a serious yet fashionable short style. Emerald green eyes scanned the various ponies awaiting the decision from the Moon Princess.

“I always liked…her mane…that way.” commented Peppermill softly.

“Very professional…” agreed Rarity. Colt and mare continued to watch and listen as various Canterlot citizens approached the dark alicorn with their requests and concerns. While Rarity found herself making mental notes of some interesting gossip, Peppermill was totally focused on the Pegasus mare that he was enamoured with.

Right until Azure Mist just happened to glance directly at the hallway where he stood…

With a tiny yelp Peppermill tossed himself backwards, bumping into Rarity. This caused the white unicorn to stifle a yelp of her own, as she staggered back in alarm. The two ponies froze as they heard Princess Luna suddenly speak out.

“Is there something wrong, bailiff?”

“It’s…it’s nothing Princess. I thought I…saw somepony…”

“Perhaps we should take a recess. I have something I wish to discuss with you.”

“As you command…” As the petitioners began to file out of the room, Rarity stepped over the prone colt and peered with a sapphire-blue eye as Azure Mist stood before Luna. She glanced back at Peppermill, who seemed to be unable to get onto his hooves.

“Tell me bailiff, do you find your duties to your liking?” Despite the rather…peculiar line of questioning from the dark alicorn, Azure Mist did not flinch nor question it.

“I find this job to my liking, Your Majesty.”

“I simply ask because I was doing some performance reviews and I noticed that you did not list anything in regards to your previous employment. Does that mean your tenure here is your first job?”

“My first job?” echoed Azure, biting her lip. Even from a distance, Rarity could sense the unease tensing the mare’s wings. She clearly did not like the question being asked by her patron.

“Surely you must have done something before coming here. Your skills in handling the gallery are impressive…” Luna was trying to coax an answer from Azure, and Azure was becoming more and more pensive.
“I…did have a job before this. But…”

“But?”

“It really wasn’t anything special. It’s…not worth mentioning.”

”WHAT!?” Rarity made a valiant attempt to grab Peppermill as he raced by her, a grey blur of motion. But she came up short, almost doing a face plant onto the stone floor. Meanwhile, at the sound of the indignant exclamation, Azure Mist threw herself in between Luna and the approaching colt with wings spread wide in a protective gesture. Peppermill came to a screeching halt before the Pegasus, his eyes blazing in anger and tears tricking down his face.

“Not…worth…mentioning?! How can…you say that? You told me…you loved working at…the restaurant. You said…my parents were…some of the…nicest ponies…you ever knew! I…I thought…”

“Gah!!” Azure Mist gave a bellow of shock and shot straight up into the air, her wings flapping madly. She pointed down at the colt with a trembling hoof, her eyes wide and head shaking frantically.

“Peppermill!” Rarity exclaimed, racing into the room and trying to console the irate colt.

“No! No, you…you can’t be real! He said…he said you were…were…”

”ENOUGH!!!” Peppermill and Rarity flattened themselves onto the floor in shock as the Royal Canterlot Voice reverberated through the room. Meanwhile, the stunned Azure Mist managed to land on her hooves with a dazed expression on her face. She looked down at the prone colt, a soft keening noise coming from her throat.

“You…you can’t be alive. He said…he said you died in the fire…and…and…”

“Listen to me Azure Mist.” Rarity had managed to get back onto her hooves, and grasped the Pegasus’ face between her forehooves and held her gaze. “Whatever he, and I assume you must mean Saltpeter, told you is a lie! This is Peppermill, alive and well. Please, trust me when I tell you this.”

“She is correct Azure Mist.” remarked Luna. The Princess of the Night had left her throne and stood beside her bailiff. “This colt managed to escape the destruction of the restaurant, the vile intentions of his brother and ended up in the care of the Element of Honesty and her family.”

“R-really?” Azure Mist trembled in the grip of the unicorn. She was clearly struggling with her emotions, and was still unsure of what was the truth.

It was because of the focus on her that nopony noticed Peppermill stand up and race out of the room…

Chapter Seven

Given the natural amount of havoc an evening in Canterlot Castle went through, the sight of a grey colt wandering aimlessly among the hallways didn’t raise many eyebrows. It was probably a good thing, for if anypony actually made an attempt to accost the colt with the pepper grinder cutie mark, they would have been alarmed at the hollow look in his dark eyes.

Not…important… Peppermill, oblivious to everything around him, could only walk stiffly down the maze of hallways before him. As much as he wanted to run, his legs wouldn’t function properly. The various wall hangings and décor he passed were not given a second look, for he couldn’t see a thing through the tears that tried to flow down his cheeks.

She was…scared of me? Somehow Peppermill managed to arrive at a small open space deep in the castle. The starry sky above and Luna’s Moon illuminated a green square of grass seemingly in the middle of the thick walls of the building. The only other items in the area were a stone bench and a large tree with blossoms hanging heavy in its branches.

A…tree? For the first time in the last few moments, a sliver of composure flickered in the colt’s eyes. The sight of the foliage brought an image of apple trees to mind, followed by an overwhelming sense of homesickness.

“I ran…all the way there…once before. Could I do…it again?” Peppermill asked out loud. The voice of reason, the voice that Peppermill considered the source of his much-lauded maturity, told him it would a bad idea. At the very least Rarity would go berserk if he were to race off in the middle of the night back to Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres.

“What do…I do?’ wailed the colt, sinking to his belly in the soft grass. Head hanging, he gave a shiver as a gust of cool wind rustled the leaves of the tree.

…

Then he gave another shudder, this one of surprise. The chill had suddenly been replaced by such a sense of warmth and softness, the colt almost yawned in comfort. It was when he felt something…feathery caress his back that he regained a bit more of his senses. He lifted his head to see a large, white wing lay tenderly across his body. He turned his head to follow the wing to its source, and found himself looking into the gently smiling face of Princess Celestia.

“Oh…bother…” moaned the colt. “I am…so sorry if…I woke you…up, Your Majesty…” Peppermill was silenced by a warm nuzzle on his forehead, and he heard the soft murmur of the alicorn.

“You have nothing to apologize for, my little pony. I could never sleep knowing one of my subjects was in such distress.”

“Everything was…going so well. All of…the former employees…were doing well. Then I heard…about Azure Mist. I know that Rarity…kept telling me…that it was…love…but…but…”

“But?” This gentle prod by the goddess brought forth a flood of barely-comprehensible words from Peppermill. Celestia simply sat there, letting the colt’s pain gush forth. She made no attempt to stop him, knowing that doing so would not prove helpful to relieve the pain he was experiencing. It was only when he wound down with a rather faithful statement that she reacted.

“I don’t know…if she even…really cared for me…”

“That’s not true!” Peppermill looked up to find Azure Mist standing before him, flanked by Rarity and Princess Luna. The colt never said a word, but promptly turned his back on the Pegasus, ears pressed against the back of his head. Azure gave a sigh, but continued to speak.

“The day the fire happened was my day off. I wasn’t even the city, because I was visiting relatives. I didn’t find out about it until I literally went there the next morning for my shift to find a burned out husk. I swear I thought my world was coming down around me. Some fireponies who were still checking for hotspots told me about the fire, and how…how the owners had been lost in the blaze.” The Pegasus’ words came out forced, as she painfully relived the ordeal.

“That hurt, knowing that your parents were gone. It hurt so badly that I flew straight home and locked myself in my room. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much in my life. The thought of losing that beautiful building and your wonderful parents, it was too much for me. I admit, the thought of you or your brother never crossed my mind…”

“I…knew it!” snapped Peppermill. He was about to lay into the mare when Azure Mist cut him off with a word.

“Peppermill, please let me explain. It was a few days later when one of my friends came banging on my apartment door. She basically yelled through the mail slot that…that Saltpeter had been seen being led away by some guards when he was found rummaging through the ruins of the restaurant. I just about flattened my friend between the wall and door when I flew through it.”

“I got there just in time to see more guards racing to subdue Saltpeter. He supposedly was resisting arrest or whatever. He looked like he had been in a fire himself, given how much of his mane was burned off. He sounded more like some sort of wild animal than a pony, snarling and growling, yelling that the restaurant was his and no pony else could have it.”

“Somehow, when I got his attention and begged for answers, he seemed to calm down. But then I asked what had happened to you. The moment I said your name…” The mare gave a shudder at the memory, while the colt (despite his attempts to be angry with her) felt a pang of regret at her discomfort.

“He screamed that you were dead…over and over again. He said he hated you and he was glad you were gone. He said that you took the talent he should’ve had, and that ponies didn’t deserve to know somepony like him.”

“Saltpeter must have went straight back to Canterlot after he came for you in Ponyville.” remarked Rarity, remembering the events with a look of disgust.

“All my sadness turned to fury. I’ve never been so mad in my life. I couldn’t believe Saltpeter would say such things about you. Those same guards that had to restrain him ended up doing the same to me.” Azure turned her gaze to the ground. “Then he said what I think was the worst thing of all: he called me stupid for caring about some colt when I could have had a stallion like him.”

“I couldn’t believe he would say that. Why wouldn’t I care for you Peppermill? You are one of the cleverest, most gifted colts I’ve ever met. I never had any siblings, so I kind of thought of you like a little brother. I mean, you managed to survive a fire, that rotten older brother and all his venom, and found yourself all the way into Ponyville.”

“Yeah…” came Peppermill’s ragged reply.

“After the…well, fight with Saltpeter I flew back home and spent a few more days locked away. The thought that you were gone hurt so much…I just wanted to lay in my bed forever. I hardly ate during that time, and every time I went to sleep I’d have nightmares of seeing you and me and your parents all in that fire…”

“Then, one night, I had a different dream…”

***

”You wanted to see me sir?”

It felt like the end of another shift when Peperoncini and Crème Brule had asked me to come to their private table. You usually didn’t get asked to do that unless they had something important to discuss.

“Hello dear. Has everything gone ok tonight?” asked Crème Brule. I was always amazed at how beautiful she was, and yet she never acted like some of the other mares in the city who would shameless flaunt their appearance.

“Nothing out of the ordinary ma’am…”

“I suppose a dull night is better than one having the kitchen staff running around like chickens with their heads cut off.” Peperoncini always made me think about something my grandmother always said about being comfortable in your own skin.

“Unless we are serving folks from the Griffin Kingdom dear. I suspect they would probably enjoy that…” The warm laughter between the couple made me feel warm all over…

…until Peperoncini gave me a firm look.

“But in all seriousness Azure Mist, we do want to make sure you are enjoying your job.”

“I love working here sir. Between the food, the staff and the clientele what mare wouldn’t?”

“We are glad you feel that way dear. But are you sure this is something you want to do for the rest of your life?” asked Crème.

“This…this isn’t me being laid off, is it?” The initial terror at that thought was quickly replaced by immense relief by the older ponies shaking head.

“Absolutely not! Hostesses as good as you come once in a blue moon.” said Peperoncini,

“It’s just we thought of you when this was left by somepony from the castle during the lunch rush today.” Crème pushed a slip of paper to me, and I peered at it. It was a notice that the Night Court, preside by Princess Luna, was looking for a new bailiff.

“A bailiff?” I asked puzzled.

“A far cry from a hostess, but surprisingly similar, I suspect…” remarked the tall stallion, his dark eyes twinkling.

“I think that would suit you quite well. After all, I remember it wasn’t that long ago we had to literally send a dishwasher to your apartment just to get you up for the breakfast session.” smiled Crème Brule.

“But…what about the restaurant? And Peppermill? I promised that I would take him to be carnival when it came here…” I began.

“It isn’t like you couldn’t come by and enjoy a meal or some company here dear…” said Crème.

“And while I imagine my son might be less enthusiastic to see you go,” added Peperoncini, “I am sure he…both of them would be happy to see you doing something like that.”

“I don’t know…”

“I know you would miss us, some more than others…” remarked the cream colored mare, “but you do need to sometimes think of yourself. Never forget that…”

…

“Never forget…”

***

As Azure Mist’s story finished, she caught the brief look of open-mouthed shock on the colt’s face. She gave him a wan smile. “When I woke up the next morning, it was the first time in weeks I felt refreshed. I couldn’t get the image of that notice out of my head. I found myself having this overpowering urge to go to the castle. Even if it was nothing more than a product of my misery and exhaustion, I just had to find out for sure.”

“When I reached the castle, do you know what the first thing I saw was? I swear, attached to a public notice board was the exact same flyer I saw in my dream. I don’t know why or how, but I realized it was a sign. I had to go through with it, no matter how much I missed my old job and life. No matter how much I…missed you…”

“And the rest…is history?” The three mares before him looked at one another, rather surprised by the abrupt change in the colt’s demeanour. Only Princess Celestia seemed unfazed, merely maintaining an enigmatic smile on her face.

“I was pretty much hired on the spot, and have worked here ever since. But believe me Peppermill, I never forgot. But seeing you here before me, seemingly rose from the dead, I think I would be entitled to be a bit flustered.” Azure Mist strode forward, and lifted the colt’s chin with a hoof so she could look him in the eye.

“Miss Rarity and the princess told me all about your…adventures. I am so happy you found a family that loves you as much as your parent’s did. I’m not as surprised as you might think about you wanting to come back to Canterlot to check on everypony. That’s your father’s influence shining through.” She suddenly leaned in, her own eyes sparkling. “And apparently being…popular with the fillies doesn’t surprise me either.” Peppermill glanced around Azure to give Rarity a dark look, while the white mare simply smiled.

“I think you should be ok now Peppermill.” announced Celestia. “I assume you can handle things from here sister?”

“Of course! We…” Luna suddenly went pale in the face. “Oh no! We never finished the recess!”

“And we had a full ledger!” moaned Azure Mist. The two winged mares suddenly took off back towards where the Night Court was being held. This left Celestia, Rarity and Peppermill to watch them fly off.

“You know, those two get along quite well…” Celestia chuckled.

“It does seem that way, doesn’t it?” grinned Rarity. The unicorn turned to the colt. “Perhaps we should try to get together at a different time, to let you and Azure Mist to catch up.”

“Hmm…” The grey colt pondered this, then looked to the Sun Princess with a grin. “Tell me…Your Majesty…what is…your opinion on…breakfast made…by a colt?”

“Is that an offer to cook for me? And your friends?”

“Maybe…”

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to be offered that. Ever since Twilight Sparkle told me about this ‘Sunrise Special’ you make…”

“Heh…I would…consider it a…honor. As long as…Azure Mist…and assuming she…is willing…Princess Luna…can partake as well.”

“I’m sure they both would consider it an honor.” Peppermill nodded, and then gave a large yawn. This caused some amused chuckling from the goddess and unicorn.

“I think somepony needs his sleep. It has been an…eventful night.” Rarity began to lead the sleepy colt away, when a sudden golden aura lifted him off the grass. Rarity watched as he slowly floated onto the back of the Sun Princess, and noted he was already asleep well before he found himself astride the alicorn.

“I think his soul is soothed. Perhaps now he can go on with his life and live the way those that love him want him to…” murmured Celestia.

“And maybe find more that will love him…” agreed Rarity.

Epilouge

No amount of pleading from the employees of Ponyville’s train station could convince the pink mare with the cotton candy mane to move from her spot on the train tracks. Despite her insistence that it was the best place to spot the express from Canterlot, the conductors expressed concern for her safety. It wasn’t until some of the other ponies gathered on the platform assured them she would move once the train arrived did they toss their hooves up in defeat and go about their duties.

“Come on! What’s taking so long?” asked Rainbow Dash for what was the eighth time (and Twilight knew this for a fact, since she had counted every time her friend had done so) in the last half an hour. “Express train my hoof…I could fly from Canterlot faster than this…”

“Dashie’s right.” quipped Pinkie Pie from the tracks. “I can’t see any trains coming at all…”

“Um, that’s because you are looking in the wrong direction Pinkie…” murmured Fluttershy, who stood under a large banner that read Welcome Home.

“Huh…maybe that’s why I couldn’t see Canterlot…”

“Girls please” sighed Twilight Sparkle. “The Equestrian Railroad is one of the best in the world. Rarity and Peppermill will get here exactly when they are supposed to.”

“Ah hope so…” sighed Applejack. She was flanked by Big Macintosh, Applebloom and even Granny Smith in her walker. The nervous energy coming off the family of farmers was palatable. They had missed their adopted kin very much, and were as anxious as any of the gathered crowd. “It ain’t been the same ‘round here since Peppermill went off with Rarity. Ah just hope everything is okay…”

“Eeyup…”

“Oh! Oh oh oh! I see it!” cried Pinkie jubilantly, bounding high in the air and waving frantically down the tracks. Sure enough, the call of the train’s whistle came to the ears of the gathered ponies soon followed by the rumble of the engine down the tracks. When Rainbow Dash had a clear shot, she launched herself off of the platform to grab Pinkie Pie in mid-jump to set her down with her friends. Soon the train and its cars pulled to a stop, and one of the conductors on-board called out.

“Last stop, Ponyville!” A cheer went up from the crowd as ponies began to file off of the passenger car. Another cheer erupted upon seeing the familiar white unicorn step onto the platform.

“Goodness, such a warm welcome. Maybe I should take these trips more often…” teased Rarity as Pinkie leapt at her to embrace her. Applejack anxiously tried to look beyond her glamorous friend, hoping to catch a glimpse of the grey colt she and her family had become attached to. Every second that ticked by that he didnt appear was like a squeeze of the mares heart. She was about to ask Rarity what the deal was when she heard a familiar raspy voice from inside the carriage.

“And make sure…not to overcook…the vegetables. You…would be amazed how…often ponies boil…carrots into mush. A little crunch…can make a world…of difference…” Peppermill finally stepped out of the train car and onto the platform.

“Welcome home!!!” bellowed the crowd, the loudest cheers having an unmistakable Appaloosan twang to it. Peppermill gave a start at the noise, and then grinned as he found Applejack standing before him.

“Welcome home, sugarcube.” beamed the mare. “Is everything ok?” Peppermill didn’t respond right away, which made Applejack squirm slightly in concern. Then the colt marched up to her, reached up with his forelegs and gave her as strong of a hug as he could manage. At first, Applejack seemed surprised at this show of affection. Then she seemed to melt ever so slightly, sheer joy radiating off of her. She gathered the colt in her own forelegs and squeezed him tightly, turning around so that the rest of the ponies could see. The sight brought an even louder cheer from the gathered crowd.

“Thank you…” mouthed Applejack to Rarity, her green eyes glistening with tears. Rarity simply nodded, as Applebloom and the rest of the Apple clan crowded around, not about to be left out.

And, when asked afterwards, Peppermill would tell any pony who asked that it was something he would never forget.

Chapter Five Point Five

Peppermill understood that, on average, he tended to be a busy young colt. One moment he might engage in a playful shoving match with Big Macintosh, the next he would be dutifully listening to one of Granny Smith’s rambling stories about ‘the good old days’, and then following that by showing Applejack and Applebloom how to cut an onion without having to worry about the tears. It was rare to find himself with little to do, and he liked it that way.

So it was almost painful how bored he was at that very moment.

After Rarity had read the riot act to him following what he was convinced was the longest shower in Equestrian history, he had been sequestered (read: ordered in a shrill voice) in their suite for the remainder of the day. No amount of promising and pleading had budged the mare’s mind. After a somewhat trying time dealing with dirty alleys and uncouth dishwashers, the fashionista was determined to finally accomplish what she had originally set out to do while in Canterlot.

And so Peppermill found himself in the lavishly adorned suite, sprawled out on his back on the massive feather bed Rarity was using, staring at the ceiling with glazed look in his eyes.

“Why…am I bored? I…never get bored…” sighed Peppermill out loud. “Maybe I’m just…shell-shocked from…Rarity’s rant. That explains that…warning Sweetie Belle gave me. It can’t be…healthy to…get that mad.” The colt rolled onto his stomach, finding his gaze falling onto the vanity near the door outside. With a huff, he struggled out of the bed and trotted to the mirror.

“I have to…figure out how…to see Azure Mist…” The news that the Pegasus mare was still in Canterlot pleased the colt immensely. Of all of the ponies he knew while his parent’s still lived and the restaurant still stood, she was his undeniable favourite. In fact, there was more than one time when he vocally expressed his preference of her over his own older brother Saltpeter. She was kind, funny, a hard worker and rather pretty. That remembrance of her sea-blue mane and grey-violet eyes brought a slight blush to the colt’s face, and when he spotted it in the mirror’s reflection he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“But she…is working at…the castle now. There is no way…I can just…walk in and ask…where she is…” explained the colt to no pony in particular. As he rested his forehooves onto the table he noticed a pad of pristine parchment and an ivory ink pot. He rolled his eyes at first at the lavishness of the materials, but then frowned. A thought occurred to him as he gazed at the writing implements.

“Twilight Sparkle…and the others…do it all the time. And she did say…she would offer any help…she could…” Peppermill took what seemed to be a delicate quill made of crystal in his mouth and began to write…

***

The beautiful white unicorn mare literally pranced her way towards the royal suites, visions of dresses, bits, and a rather studly unicorn stallion she had been introduced to dancing in her head. This is just what I needed… thought Rarity no alleys, no filth, and proper complements on my beauty.

Rarity was in such a good mood that she was blissfully unaware of the crumpled balls of paper littering the floor of the suite as she breezed in. She took no notice of the fact that her perfectly made bed was now occupied by a rather frustrated grey colt. He was down to one page of paper from the pad he had found, and he had made no progress in what he felt should have been an incredibly easy task. Meanwhile, Rarity pranced by to freshen up in the bathroom.

“How hard…can it be…to write a…simple note?!” exclaimed Peppermill, angrily spitting out the quill. He gave a baleful look at the implement, noting that he had almost chewed it in two in his annoyance. At least he didn’t have to worry about ink stains, since he hadn’t managed to come up with anything worth writing in quite a while, and what little ink was on the nub had long dried up. He pulled his glare off of the offending item to see Rarity stride back into the room…

…and stop in her tracks…

…and drop her jaw into the plush carpet.

“Peppermill! What in Equestria have you done?” she wailed in horror.

“I've learned I…make a better…chef than…a writer…” growled Peppermill, sulking in the bed. Sulking, that is, until he felt himself suddenly lifted off the bed. He yelped as he noticed the violet aura surrounding him, matching the aura now around Rarity’s horn. The next noise he made was a grunt as he landed hard onto the floor amidst a sea of crumpled paper.

“You will clean this up immediately, then you will go to your room!” commanded Rarity, sapphire eyes flashing. Peppermill made no sound, but got to his hooves and stiffly marched into his separate suite, slamming the door behind him. Rarity wanted to storm the door, demanding an apology. But instead she shut her eyes tight and silently counted to herself, using her sheer force of will to calm down.

Minutes passed, then she let out a ragged breath. She slowly began to collect the paper into a pile to transfer it to a wastebasket. As she did, she felt a flicker of curiosity go through her. What could he possibly have been doing that would get him so angry? she thought silently. She used her telekinetic magic to smooth out one ball of paper, and managed to make out a message:

Dear Princess Celestia,

As per your generous offer for assistance I, Peppermill, am

The remainder of the message was crossed out. Rarity went through a few more papers, and discovered a growing trend. It seemed the colt could only manage a salutation and nothing more, never satisfied with whatever it was he was writing. It was rare to see the normally confident colt so flustered, and Rarity felt a stab of regret for raising her voice.

As she continued to collect balls of paper she pondered the situation. It was clear the colt wanted to see this Azure Mist that apparently worked at the palace. Given that this mare was the last employee of Apretif/Digestif who had stayed in Canterlot after the restaurant’s destruction, there was no doubt the colt needed to see that she was well. The fact that he seemed so pleased to hear that she was still in the city obviously meant she was important to him.

And we don’t have that much time…we have to get back to Ponyville soon…The mare pondered for a moment as she continued to tidy up her room, including a quick remaking of her bed and replacing the depleted pad of paper and inkwell to the vanity. As the chewed-up quill passed by her field of vision, a realization popped into her head.

He might not have any experience writing to Celestia, but I do… Taking up the pad, and giving the inkpot a quick shake to verify that there was still some serviceable ink inside, she began to write:

Dear Princess Celestia…

***

Hours later, Peppermill peeked into the larger suite with an apologetic look on his face. A bit of ‘alone time’ to release his frustrations onto the smaller yet no less luxurious feather pillows had calmed him down enough to let the memory of his behaviour burn in his mind. The colt was totally ashamed of himself, and willingly prepared himself for a cold silence from Rarity.

He found the mare sorting through some sketches of dress designs as she lounged on her immaculate bed. Only when Peppermill cleared his throat did Rarity look up, adjusting the red bifocals she wore to address the colt.

“Feeling better darling?”

“…yes. I’m sorry…about earlier…Rarity. I’m not…a letter writer…”

“I understand darling. Believe me, it is doubly hard when the recipient is a goddess and ruler of the land.”

“That still…not an…excuse. It’s just…I want to…see Azure Mist…so badly…”

“She must be very important to you.” Peppermill had approached the bed and laid his head onto it. Rarity reached out with a dainty forehoof and brushed aside a stray bit of black mane from his forehead.

“The more…I think about…her the more…I realize just…how much of her…I see in…my friends…”

“Oh?” Rarity found this bit of information interesting.

“She is kind…like Fluttershy, but…a hard worker like Applejack. She’s smart like Twilight…and fun like Pinkie. She is…full of confidence…like Rainbow and…kind of pretty…not to your degree…of course. She even had Silver Spoon’s eyes…” Rarity listened intently to the colt’s words, recognizing the signs of puppy love when she heard it (the mention of Silver Spoon certainly not lost on her either).

“She must be very important to you darling…” said Rarity after the colt’s commentary wound down.

“I guess…I mean, she is…it’s just…I know she…would have been…heartbroken when…the restaurant went up.”

“And maybe just a little bit worried for you too, hmm?” Rarity smiled at the colt, who first blushed then shook his head, cross with himself. Why do I…get like this…when I think…about Azure Mist? he thought unhappily.

“Is that why you were so upset about not being able to write for some help? You didn’t want to sound desperate, or maybe a bit too anxious to see her?” The mare was answered by a deeper blush. The unicorn slid off the bed and placed a kind hoof on the colt’s shoulder. “The feelings you must be having are quite normal Peppermill. You loved her…well, still love her. No pony in Equestria would fault you for that.”

“I’m supposed…to be…the mature one…” mumbled Peppermill.

“And you are darling. You are one of the most mature colts I have ever met. But maturity doesn’t mean you can’t let somepony special into your heart. But you cannot let that keep you from moving on. There are always going to be special ponies that will be important to you. But the sooner you move on, the better you will feel. Believe me, I’ve learned this lesson myself.” The colt stood there, then gave a sigh.

“You’re right. I guess…I just have…to figure out…this letter thing…sooner than later.”

“True. But sometimes being mature means letting somepony with experience lend a hoof.” smiled Rarity. Peppermill blinked at the mare, who continued to give him an enigmatic smile. “I took the liberty of a little…editing for you. I am certain I was able to get your message across to the princess.”

“Wait…you sent a…letter to…Princess Celestia…for me?”

“Just before you came in here I gave it to a delightful young guard who just happened to be walking by. I imagine the princess must be reading it by now.” Peppermill was silent, then smiled.

“Thank you…Rarity.”

“You are most welcome darling.” The colt felt a bit better, no longer feeling guilty or ashamed at his perceived inadequacies. He was about to question the mare on her hunger, ideas of some interesting dining establishments coming to mind to take her to when a knock on the door interrupted them. He gave Rarity a raised eyebrow, but the mare simply approached the door.

“Yes?” she asked pleasantly. Peppermill was not able to make out the conversation, but did see a small scroll being exchanged between the visitor and the unicorn. Rarity dismissed the pony at the door and floated the scroll towards him.

“I do believe this is for you darling.” grinned Rarity. She magically opened the scroll, and Peppermill read the message out loud:

Dear Peppermill and Rarity,

I am happy to hear of your recent success in searching for your friends from your parent’s restaurant. The maturity you have shown in this task impresses me greatly.

As to your request, I have learned that the Pegasus mare Azure Mist is indeed here at the palace. In fact, she is currently acting as Princess Luna’s bailiff during sessions of the Equestrian Night Court.

I have sent word to my sister in regards to your friend, and she has expressed a keen interest in assisting you with your reunion. It would be advisable that you (and Rarity if she so chooses) come to the palace just after the evening meal to make arrangements.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Peppermill mulled this information over, then glanced over the hovering scroll to Rarity.

“Bailiff?”

“I would suspect that she must mean the pony who organizes the ponies that come to see Princess Luna and ask her advice and to pass judgment over conflicts.” explained Rarity, who was rather impressed by the news about the mysterious mare that Peppermill idolized.

“That’s a far…cry from a…restaurant hostess…”

“I assume so. I guess now you will have to decide what your next course of action will be.”

“What kind…of question is that? Of course…I’m going. I…I need to do this.”

“Are you sure? This is your…well, beloved Azure Mist we are talking about. Are you really prepared to take this step? Can you face her and be able to accept whatever may happen?” Peppermill bit his bottom lip in hard thought, then gave a sharp nod. Rarity nodded herself, not at all surprised at the silent answer. “If it is all right with you darling, I would like to accompany you to this ‘Night Court’. It sounds fascinating…”

“Yes…I think it…would be for…the best if…you came. I’m…going to need…some support with this.”

“Well then, I had best see what kind of outfit I can whip up for such an event. And I think you could use a bit of sprucing up yourself. At the very least a bit of shampoo…why does Applejack let you keep your mane so long? It simply doesn’t suit you at all…”

“I like…my mane…this way.” exclaimed Peppermill indignantly. Azure Mist…seemed to…like it…I think…