Last Stop on the Mail Route

Myself, Twilight, Dash and AppleJack sat around the Kitchen table. Dina was keeping an eye on the Fillies for me, but I could see her glancing over from the couch several times, watching the trio with some suspicion.

I've got the coffee Dina made for me in my hands, sipping it quietly. Dash looks... like she hasn't slept a wink since she talked to me in the plains, about.. five days ago? I've never seen her look so frazzled. Really torn up about something.

AppleJack is trying to put on a strong face, but keeps glancing at the Fillies -- and Dina, before glancing at Dash.

Twilight is staring at me, mulling something over. I recognize that look. It's usually followed by a long-winded tirade, and I had a pretty good guess about what.

"I..." Twilight starts, but trails off. A silence follows. Alright, not quite what I expected. Let's try to lead with a guess.

"...You want to be upset with me for what I did, but you're having trouble because of how it played out." I loosely field, gauging their reactions. Nothing from Dash, but AppleJack and Twilight share a glance. Think I got it.

Twilight looks to me, nodding.

"Leave it to the Elements, that kind of a thing?" I continue.

"I...I'm sorry, Anon. We--" She starts, but I cut her off with a raised hand.

"Don't be. I'm sure if I wasn't there, you guys would've gotten to them. Sorry for butting in, honestly." I state.

Twilight shakes her head.
"We had no idea where Scootaloo went." She says quietly, looking down at the table. Rainbow Dash recoils, looking away.

AppleJack speaks up.
"We heard what y' did. How, you uh... did it. Obviously, we don't approve of how y' went about it."

I don't say anything, waiting. I could tell this wasn't your typical scolding. Dash looks like she's about to break down.

"...But, you're not a Pony. You ain't like us. You ain't... held t' what we are, an' you did it t' help. Not t' mention th' situation. Can't fault you for that, specially when... we fumbled it on our end." She continues. Not how I was expecting it to pan out.

"...Dash didn't tell you about Scoot, did she?" I ask softly. Dash recoils further, lip quivering.

AppleJack sighs, but Twilight speaks up.
"We had a... situation, with a roaming Hydra that didn't want to listen. Fluttershy is still with it, calming it down. Rarity was in Canterlot for the week, and... Dash knew we were dealing with a lot."

Applejack nods. "So she tried handlin' it herself, while helpin' us with the Hydra." She says -- there's a little bit of a sting added to that.

"So she tried to find Scoot herself, couldn't, and ran herself ragged while trying, and dealing with... a Hydra? Eesh." I finish. The awkward tension is palpable.

I'm starting to realize this is less of a confrontation, and more like they were looking to me for some kind of answer, or some kind of discussion. Dash was beating herself up terribly about it, and both Twilight and AppleJack had some strong feelings about what they'd heard happen.

"How did the others take it?" I ask.

Twilight sighs.
"Fluttershy didn't want to hear about it. Pinkie thinks because it all worked out, we shouldn't worry about it."

"She ain't heard about it yet, but I don't think Rarity is gonna lose any sleep thinkin' 'bout it. She's had run ins with th' Diamond Dogs 'fore." AppleJack adds.

Right. So the only ones who took issue with it -- that probably didn't outright despise me now, sorry Flutters -- were sat in front of me, looking for closure. I lean back in my chair, setting the coffee down.

"I didn't do it to save anybody. I had no idea anybody was there, least of all Scoots. It was a selfish choice, that ended up helping someone out of pure chance. If you want to be upset with me for what I did, then be upset with me. That's more than fair." I start speaking, surprisingly feeling more solid about my stance on it then last night. Maybe Dina's talk helped more than I thought.

Twilight and AppleJack share a glance, but I turn to face Dash, first.
"But the kids fine, don't beat yourself up about it." I explain bluntly.

Surprisingly, Dash speaks up.
"You aren't... upset?" She sniffles. I throw her an odd look.

"I'm not gonna be upset when I do something that upsets you all, and it's met with conversation. Where I'm from, I'd expect... a crowd, torches, and a noose." I joke, though the morbid tone doesn't quite carry. Twilight and AppleJack share another worried look.

"I thought you... didn't trust me." She whispers, looking towards Scoot. Oh. She thought I knew where Scoot was when we talked and refused to tell her -- that I have the kid over because I don't trust her with her.

I snort, getting a few confused looks. I push myself out of the chair, step over to Dash, and return the hug she gave me yesterday. She sniffles in surprise, glancing at me with confusion.

"Scoots here because she likes to bug me to carve little figures of you, and the rest of her friends follow. If you're this worried about her, clearly she's got a good role model. She's fine, now. Don't tear yourself up about it. I dunno... take her for ice cream or something. Kid adores the shit out of you." I say softly, patting her back. I move to let her go, but she's gripping my shirt, crying softly. Cold, cocky, confident exterior-- big softy on the inside.

I glance to Twilight and AppleJack. Jack seems relieved, letting out a built-up sigh. Twilight is staring at me.
"...I don't understand how you can be so kind, and still do the things you did." She mutters, as if looking for an answer on my face.

"Sounds like a conversation you should have with your Teacher, Buttspark. She and I aren't that different." I return, finally released from Dashes grasp. She sniffles rubbing her face with a Hoof--already looking a little more like her usual confident self.

Twilight looks like she wants to protest, but frowns slightly, looking at the table. She was probably about to list every physical difference between me and Tia.

Dash nudges me with a hoof, getting in first.
"Thanks. Uh... don't tell anyone?" She mutters, smiling as I nod. She flaps over to land beside Scoot in the living room, and I return to my seat, picking up my coffee.

"Can I see it?" Twilight asks firmly, glancing up. I know what she's alluding to. My rifle.

"No." I state, just as firm.

"Y-you can't just--" She starts to argue.

"I can. And I won't. Talk to your Teacher, Twi. She'll have the insight you're craving right now." I bluntly stop her. At this point, keeping it under wraps was a long forgotten idea... but, since excommunication didn't seem to be their first choice, the morally dubious nature of the situation meant that talking it out might be the best way. Staying silent about the whole thing kinda died out the moment I got prisoners, and not just gems from the trip.

I had a feeling my next letter with Tia was going to be a loaded one.

Twilight is stewing, muttering to herself under her breath. I don't think the Ponies around here deal with such... grey topics often. I get the feeling most of their problems lean towards black and white.

"Twi... go write that letter t' th' Princess. I wanna talk with Anon." AppleJack whispers, snapping Twilight out of it. She nods, hopping down off the chair, slowly heading outside, clearly deep in her own thoughts.

I look to the last Mare still with me at the table. She stares at me. I wait.

"...Are y' gonna use it 'gain?" She asks quietly.

"That's like asking if the Princess will turn things to stone, or if you'll use the Elements on something, Jack. If I have to, I will, but it doesn't mean I want to." I explain, keeping eye contact.

"...Then what happened this time? Why?" She follows up.

I glance away, sighing. I didn't have a good answer for that one.

I feel a hoof softly press against my hand. I look back to AppleJack.

"...Just... Buck, I dunno, Anon. I wanna chew y' out, but I know you've been through things most folk in this town probably can't even think of. I know things ain't as simple as we'd like 'em to be." She glances towards the couch, locking her eyes on Apple Bloom. I know she's thinking about what she'd do, if it was Bloom in that pit instead.
"Yer' tryna find yer' place, an'... Ah trust you. I ain't know many who'd offer up their own home to a Griffon, or th' fillies as a makeshift clubhouse, for that matter." She sighs, patting my hand.

I hold her hoof. This is why I've always been fond of AppleJack. Salt of the earth, keeping the other Mares grounded.
"Thanks, Jack."

She nods, pulling back and sinking into the chair.
"Buck, I hate havin' these talks. But, yer' always welcome at the farm. I appreciate you puttin' up with Apple Bloom."

"I don't mind it. Honestly, she's the most well behaved--no, actually, that's Bell. Second best behaved." I joke, sighing and sipping my coffee.

AppleJack chuckles weakly, sliding off the chair.
"I best get goin'. An' thanks. For Dash. It was eatin' her up terribly."

I nod, watching her trot for the door.

"Apple Bloom -- lets git, you've got chores!" AppleJack calls, and Bloom groans loudly.
"Do I hafta?!"
"Yep."
"Uuuuuughbyegirlsbyemistermussbyemissdina" Bloom groans, a river of words spewing from her mouth as she slowly and dramatically trots after her sister.

Not long after, Dash and Scootaloo head out, apparently taken with that Ice-cream idea. Dash looked a lot better.

Bell glanced outside, noting that it was about noon. She squeaked out a swear (made me promise I wouldn't tell) and bolted back home for lunch.

Myself, Dina and Dink were all that's left. All that's left. Funny, it used to be just me, now my tiny house felt empty without being jam-packed.

Dink toys with one of the figures I'd been working on, pretending to be a judge and loudly critiques my work. A little caricature of Sunbutt, scaled to match the name. Dink still hasn't asked for one, yet.

Dina is poking into some of the books I'd yet to return to Twilight, while I start working on Lunch, rifling through what I've got left in the fridge. Not much. I lean against the counter, arms crossed as I call to Dinky.
"So, Dinkster. What kind of food does your mom like?"