Chapter Five:
When a bandit spends the night

"Listen girls, it ain't that ah don't believe y'all. It's just that yer story sounds a tad far fetched." Applejack said to the crusaders as they made their way towards Sugarcube Corner for the welcome party that Pinkie was throwing for a new arrival to the town.

"But we didn't imagine it sis, honest!" Apple Bloom protested. Well ah can't really know that fer sure until ah see it with mah own eyes."

Applejack looked back and told her sister as she opened the door to the sweets shop and bakery.

Stepping inside, the four of them were met by Pinkie Pie. "Ooh, ooh, you finally made it slow pokes. Come on in!" Pinkie said excitedly to her friend and the crusaders. "Yeah, sorry we're late, we had a lil' bit of extra work to get done before the party." Applejack explained.

"Oh hey, it's you three little ladies." Said a particular black bird as it hovered near the new arrivals.

"KIR!" Exclaimed the three crusaders excitedly. "If you're here, then that must mean Jing is too!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Somebody call for me?" Asked Jing as he approached the group. "Well ah'll be, ah guess ah owe y'all an apology fer doubhtin ya." Applejack said to her little sister and her friends, to which all three smiled proudly.

"Well then, you must be Apple Bloom's older sister." Jing asked as he extended his hand. "Yessiree, thank ya kindly fer gettin mah sister outta that mess she and her friends got into." Applejack said as she nearly dislocated Jing's arm.

"No problem." He replied, as he massaged the soreness from said arm.

Later that evening as the party was winding down, and guests began to leave, Jing was sitting by the window, looking out at the stars.

'Sure is a nice night, I wonder how Daniel and my parents are handling my disappearance? Probably worried sick. Well there's probably no real chance that I'll see them again, so I guess all that's left to do is to just keep moving forward.' Jing was then interrupted from his thoughts by Applejack. "Hey Jing?" Turning away from the window he looked to the orange mare. "Yes?" He asked.

"Ah was wonderin where y'all were plannin on stayin fer the night." She asked him. "Not sure." He answered her.

"Well if y'all would like, ahm sure ya could stay with me an mah family at the farm." Applejack offered.

"Well I can't see why not, I'm sure it beats sleeping out in the cold. Sure I'd like that." He answered her. "Great, let's get goin, c'mon Bloom."

Applejack called her sister. "*Yawn* Comin sis." Apple Bloom answered her as she said goodbye to her friends.

"We're home!" Applejack announced as the group entered the Apple family home. "Evenin." Big Mac greeted his siblings, then turned to look at the two house guests. "Mac, this here's Jing. He's the one who rescued the crusaders today." Applejack said as she introduced the human.

"Hey, don't forget about me here." Kir said, slightly annoyed that he had been left out. "Oops, mighty sorry 'bout that Kir, y'all were a big help too." Applejack apologized to the albatross. "Eh it's fine." He said.

"Thank ya both kindly, ah don' know what ah'd do if ah lost either one of mah sisters." Big mac said as they shook hands..hoofs...appendages.

As he shook appendages with the two of them. "Well now that introductions are out'a the way, ah offered them a room fer the night, as thanks fer their help." Applejack told her brother. Big Mac nodded his understanding to her then led them up the stairs. "Right this way."

Canterlot:
"What do you mean Bandit King? How would one become a king of such rabble as bandits?" Asked a certain blonde unicorn noble.

"He has earned the title of Bandit king because he is simply that, the greatest thief who has ever existed." Stated the white fox.

"Pah! Such nonsense, he's most likely nothing more than an overconfident little commoner with delusions of grandeur." Blueblood dismissed.

"I assure you that my previous master thought the exact same thing when they crossed paths. He is not one to be taken lightly." She warned.

"Oh fine, if you insist that he is such a threat, then I shall have somepony sent to deal with him my dear Sherry." Blueblood finally agreed.

Ponyville:
"So Jing, What do ya think of this place? They seem like a bunch of decent folk to me." Kir asked as the two companions got ready to go to sleep. "Yeah, I think so too. Seems like a perfect little place." Jing answered as he laid down.

"Yeah, there's even some nice ladies to match the scenery too!" Kir said, as he imagined himself wooing countless beautiful mares.
"Careful Kir, that over inflated libido of yours is going to get you into trouble some day." Jing laughed to himself.
"Ah who asked you." Kir jabbed back. Jing just looked out of the bedroom window, looking at the beautiful night sky once again.
'I wonder what tomorrow is going to bring?' he thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note

Chapter Five folks. Looks like Sherry has returned and is up to no good, but what does she and Blueblood have planned? Stay tuned and find out!