Blue, part two: A shattered country

There are some ponies who consider a silent day spent in bed a worthwhile pastime. Cloudchaser was not one of them. A week has passed since she regained consciousness, and it only caused her to thoroughly come to hate beds. She ached for the freedom of flight, or movement, at least. That day, she drew the line. Despite the protests of Zecora, she got out of bed, and went outside to get some mild exercise.

After a few careful stretches, she was very pleased to find out that her experiences had not dulled her athletic abilities. She started with a light jog, but soon switched to sit-ups, then finally she spread her wings, and ascended into the sky.

She could feel a part of her become more and more invigorated with each passing second in the air. Her elation had not eaten into her reason, though, and she'd kept her altitude low.

When she finally got tired of flying, she landed next to a barrel Zecora was using to gather rainwater. She punched and kicked it a few times, dissatisfied with the results.

Then, an image flashed in her mind.

The image of a certain stallion.

The things he'd done.

...She only came to her senses when she felt a stinging pain in her hindlegs. Looking back, she noticed not only that it was dripping wet, but a light wound ran along the back of it.

The barrel wasn't better off, either. One of its beams broke from the impact of her kick, and nearly all of the water spilt out.

"You hold back too much anger. I fear it puts you in danger."

She spun around, but relaxed when she saw Zecora lightly tilting her head to catch her gaze. The zebra stepped closer.

"Destruction is not the way, learn that, or be led astray."

Cloudchaser could feel the heat rise inside.

"It's not, is it? Then tell me, what should've been the fate of the bastard who raped me over and over again, and murdered my sister and best friend? Should I have showered him with flowers? Answer me!"

Zecora's expression became stiffer.

"I said that not, now calm your head! Let the dead be simply dead."

"Oooh, so I should forget about them because they are dead?" she asked in a mocking tone.

Zecora stomped with her hooves, startling Cloudchaser a little.

"No! Vengeful you must not be, to truly honor their memory. The world has not stopped, evil is afoot, but you must not do the things that they would. If the evil meet death in your wake, what sort of pony does that you make?"

The pegasus turned away her head.

"I don't need your lecture."

Zecora spoke no more, and Cloudchaser could hear her the sound of her hoofsteps fading.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself.

Sweet Apple Acres was... different from how Raindrops remembered it. The apple fields were still there, sure, and the barn and the farmhouse barely changed. Their surroundings, on the other hoof...

Several sheds and buildings used for storage were erected since the last time she visited the farm. A lot of farming equipment lay in order, waiting for their turn to be used. The most glaring difference, however, was the bustling. Ponies going about their business, reaping harvest, storing crops...

Raindrops knew that earth ponies had a nearly absurd affinity to grow crops, but this was ridiculous. They were so far into autumn that most of the trees had already turned brown, if not barren... yet the earth ponies still managed to grow an absurd amount of various crops and vegetables, amassing a respectable amount of food for the winter.

Which, coincidentally, was the very reason for her being here.

As she shuffled through the papers the other day, she noticed an article about Ponyville strengthening its position despite the nationwide stagnation. Since the Wonderbolts could care less about logistics, it fell to her, the vice-captain, to actually see if their deals were ideal, and most importantly, providing them with sustenance during the winter. Thankfully, she had asked Dust to have a little chat about the funding of the Wonderbolts with the Princess. (Since they were a part of the military, as state of things currently were, maintenance was fully paid by the government.)

The only thing to do was to locate a negotiator, or such, and haggle through a boring deal by sundown. Problem was, even though the company was named 'Apple Trust', that only meant that a member of the Apple family was the chairman... or so Raindrops figured. Still, the Ponyville coalition of farmers emerged sometime after Rainbow Dash's incarceration and escape, and they had a rough outline of an agreement with the Wonderbolts. Problem was, the food they offered was not nearly enough. That should be rectified soon, though.

She noticed Berry Punch trot out of a building, carrying a medium-sized barrel on her back. She swept in, hoping to get some pointers.

"Berry!" she said as she extended a hoof. The purple mare's face brightened up as she grabbed it.

"Drops! I haven't seen you in ages! How are things going?"

Raindrops did a vague gesture.

"Not bad, if you don't count a few unpleasant surprises. I'm actually vice-captain of the Wonderbolts now."

Berry Punch's eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets as she stared at her dumbfounded.

"Wow..." she finally said, "that's quite an accomplishment. You're here for business, then?"

Raindrops nodded.

"Yes, that is correct. I wish to speak to the pony in charge of negotiating larger orders."

"You're looking for Mac, then," Berry said. "I think I saw him near the barn."

"Thanks Berry," said Raindrops. "Maybe we should gather for whiskey and cigars tonight?"

Berry gave out a short laugh.

"Yeah, right, 'cigars.' In all seriousness, though, I'm free tomorrow for a bit of a chat, or maybe a few shots of that whiskey you mentioned?" she added with a wink.

Raindrops chuckled, and waved goodbye as she headed for the barn. A few ponies passed her, but everypony was more interested in their own businesses than her. When she finally reached the barn, she immediately noticed the familiar stature of Mac conversing with a smaller, greyish white unicorn. She couldn't quite make out what they talked about, but as soon as Mac noticed her, he gestured the other pony to leave. He waited patiently for her to reach him, stretching his hooves.

"Howdy, Miss Raindrops," he said, while nodding.

"Hello, Macintosh. I understand you handle negotiations...?"

Mac motioned towards the farmhouse.

"Ah think we should sit down to discuss business."

Raindrops made no objection, and so they relocated to the Apple family house. Inside was a fairly large table set up very close to the door – something Raindrops remembered to be a bit different.

"Can Ah get you something to drink? Nothing alcoholic, though."

"... A cup of tea, then, thank you very much."

Mac nodded, and disappeared for a moment through a door, but came back nearly immediately. They both took a seat, and Raindrops decided not to beat around the bush.

"Mac, I'll be straight and blunt: I need provisions for the Wonderbolts. At the very least, for the winter, but I wouldn't oppose a continous contract either."

Mac eyed her with care.

"How many ponies are we talkin' about?"

"At the moment, one hundred and fifty-three, including recruits. Although normally we don't house and feed them, a change in the training regime means that we'll have to accomodate them for maximum efficiency."

At that remark, Pinkie Pie entered the room, balancing two cups in a tray on her head. She somehow managed to place both of them in front of them, not spilling a drop despite her broad and sudden movements.

"Sugar?" she asked in a cheery tone.

"Just one," Raindrops replied. "Also, a bit of milk, if you would be so kind."

"Sure!" said Pinkie, her grin cheerful as always. She put a spoon in the prepared tea, and grabbed the now empty tray. "See you later!"

She practically bounced out of the room, only stopping to give a small peck on the cheek to Mac. By the time Raindrops blinked in surprise, she was gone.

"I'm sorry, but... are you... are you involved?"

To her surprise, Mac sported a bit embarassed expression.

"It's a bit... more complicated than that..."

Raindrops waited for the continuation, but Mac seemed content with that much explanation. While part of her really wanted to hear some gossip on the topic, she focused on the more pressing matter.

"So... As I've said, provisions for 153 ponies, including grain, vegetables, and fruits, for the rest of autumn, and winter. Can you supply us with it, or not?"

A calculating expression returned to Mac's face.

"Theoretically, yes. On the other hoof, that is a reasonably big chunk of food, and we're tryin' to get our produce to areas where food production has dropped. You guys aren't exactly the poorest fellas around."

"We are prepared to pay double the price for everything in exchange for absolute priority over any other customers you might have."

Mac stared at the wall with a serious expression. He looked like he was thinking about something really complex, but finally turned back to face Raindrops.

"All right. Double the price, all orders take priority, an' Ah'll arrange the transportation, too. Am Ah right in thinkin' that ya prepared a contract?"

Raindrops flashed a smile.

"Why yes, of course. Here, read through, and sign at the bottom."

While Mac studied the paper, she took a sip from her tea. It wasn't the brand she liked, but at least it was black tea. When she finished her cup, the contract was sitting in front of her, signed.

"Pleasure doing business with you. Please send the first batch to us by next Tuesday. Oh, and thanks for the tea."

Mac watched silently as Raindrops left, not moving until he heard a voice from behind him.

"So, what's exactly your plan?"

Mac turned around, smiling confidently.

"Ya remember Glassbender's request for fundin'?"

"Yeah, a bunch of bits. The connection is...?"

"Well, he said that if we fund him, he can make greenhouses that can grow vegetables during the winter."

Braeburn raised an eyebrow.

"That's nice an' all, but you have to keep 'em warm during the night, too."

"Ah think he addressed that one, too. His plans made sense, an' you know that he's made wonders with the town hall's windows."

Braeburn sighed, but made no further comment. As if to a cue, the front door opened, and a rather scruffy-looking pegasus peeked in.

"Boss, there's somepony to see you."

"Ah'll be right there. Also, Ah told ya that ya don't need to call me 'boss'."

The stallion nodded.

"Sorry, boss."

Mac and Braeburn exchanged a quick glance, then both of them walked out to greet their guests.

Living in Trottingham proved to be easier than Rainbow anticipated. Regardless of Trixie's combat aptitude, her illusions were both convincing, and lasting. With a simple spell, and a trinket, which allowed the wielder to enter the manor, they were completely free to make trips into the town. Thankfully, Trottingham laid next to an important trade route, so it wasn't unusual for new ponies to show up daily. It also served as a source of valuable information; not only rumours, but states of the settlements of Equestria too.

The stallions chose to sleep in the servant's quarters, Luna moved into the observatory, Vinyl and Rainbow shared Trixie's room, and the changelings got the main bedroom, used long ago by Trixie's parents. As for Trixie, she theoratically slept in the same room as Rainbow and Vinyl, but she spent most evenings in her father's study, slumped out in the chair, with various papers of magical theory scattered about. It seemed like she had doubled the effort to converse with the victims' ghosts, because her own notes started growing to a respectable size. Unfortunately, most of them were red herrings; a suspicious pony from one testimony turning out to be a sewage specialist, as explained by other witnesses.

Still, she somehow seemed less hindered by all the false leads than before; since reading that letter, she mellowed out a little. She at least responded to small talk, though she would not initiate it.

Currently, though, Rainbow was mostly alone. 'Mostly', because she didn't really feel like talking to the changelings, but apart from them, nopony was available. Luna and Trixie were training, and the others had gone to town for supplies and info.

Feeling a bit lonely, Rainbow decided to sleep through the interim. She arranged her bed until it was perfect for a nap, laid down her head, and...

...signalled the others to follow her. They all arrived in the study, with an ominous-looking book laying on the table.

"Is this it?" Shining asked. Trixie's reply was a simple nod. Shining stepped closer, and began reading.

Everything stirred, and Rainbow could feel some time passing. The room was mainly the same, but Trixie now faced Vinyl. She seemed a bit nervous. Vinyl, however, raised an eyebrow.

"So dudette, you're saying that this is the original? How did you find it then?"

"I..." Trixie hesitated. "I found it in the house of – "

A wet, squishy sound could be heard. Trixie looked down, and saw a sword sticking out of her chest. She collapsed wordlessly.

"What the...?" Vinyl was unable to finish. Shining threw a whole cupboard at her, and a sickeningly loud crunch could be heard. Rainbow couldn't see her body anymore, but a pool of blood started to extend from under the debris.

Shining then started to scream. He ran back to the book, and stared at it, all while his face started to twitch. Rainbow was too scared to move.

Suddenly, Shining went silent. He frantically scanned the room, and finally stopped to pick up a letter opener. Slowly, he turned towards Rainbow, his movements irregular.

Rainbow froze. Her breathing stopped, and she could only stare in his eyes. She saw something in there... a strange glint...

Shining raised the knife...

...and stabbed it in his own throat.

Rainbow's eyes popped open. A sudden movement made her fall off her bed, but she couldn't care less.

"What... whatwhatwhatwhatwhaaaat?"

She got on her hooves, and circled around the room a few times to calm herself down. She only stopped when she heard the door opening.

"Are you all right?" the voice of the male changeling came. Rainbow relaxed her stance – she didn't even notice that she took up a fighting position.

"Yeah, it's nothing, um..."

"It's Mordant," he said with only the slightest hint of accusation in his voice. Rainbow sighed.

"Sorry, I'm a bit bad with names. Are Trixie and the princess still up in the attic?"

"Yes, they are upstairs, in the observatory," said Mordant. Rainbow paid him no further attention, and ran for the stairs as fast as she could. When she got close, she could catch Luna's voice explaining something to Trixie.

"... No, that wasn't right. At all. I am afraid I have to say that was absolutely useless."

"Yes, I think I got it the first time. Why aren't we practicing ice spells? Those seemed to work out."

"Trixie, you always stop at the point where things start to become difficult and complex. How do you hope to utilise your magic, if you only touch the surface of a subject?"

"You yourself told me that we need to improve my basics. That was not basic. At all."

"Indeed, but you need to—"

That was the exact moment that Rainbow arrived to the room. Both of them turned to her, having a questioning expression.

"Sorry to interrupt, but... I think you need to hear this."

Rainbow told them about her dream, not leaving out a detail. When she finished, she looked at Luna with a worried expression.

"So? What do you think, Princess?"

"This is... disturbing, at the very least," said Luna. "There is but one book I can think of that we would be interested in right now."

"I'm more curious as to why he went mad just because he took a glance at it."

"It might have been an enchantment. There might have been one put on it to prevent ponies from reading it... Although I know not what could be written inside that would warrant such measures. Maybe we should go over the basics of enchanting – most unicorns can create enchantments, and while the potency and longevity differs from person to person, they can give an important edge in every territory of life."

"Can you enchant something to have such potency as if you cast the spell right then?" said Trixie. Luna gave a nod.

"Yes, but usually it takes several times the magical output to do so. Unless it's a very specific spell, you are better off casting it normally."

"I see. Can they be undone? Can you stop enchantments with spells? Or spells with enchantments?"

"All in time, Trixie," Luna said while giving a vague gesture. "I think we should take a short break before resuming. I will get some refreshments, then I'll be right back."

Luna trotted down the stairs, leaving the two alone. Rainbow pawed at the ground weakly.

"Um... Would you mind if I stayed here? I don't feel really comfortable right now."

Trixie shrugged.

"Sure. If you don't mind me bumbling around and screwing up spells."

Rainbow shivered.

"No, really, anything would be better than remembering a madpony enchanting a book to keep it's contents hidden. I can't even imagine anypony now who would do such a thing."

"Well, there's the killer," Trixie pointed out. "Albeit... you might actually be right."

"Huh?"

"I'm saying that maybe it wasn't the current owner who enchanted the book... but the author themselves."

"What? What for?"

"That I don't know. It's just a hunch anyway, you don't need to pay too much attention to it."

As she watched Trixie's forced smile, Rainbow began to think that maybe this dream was a key to something she didn't really want to know about.

Far away, in a small town in the middle of the coutryside, many ponies were gathered inside a spacious building. All of them were wearing formal clothing, and were waiting for one pony.

Namely, the bride. The wedding proceeded so far without a hitch, but the groom's family requested a traditional ceremony, with priest and all. It proved to be a bit difficult to get one versed in marriage rites, but fortunately, they found one in time.

Said priest was dressed in a simple white garb, that left her cutie mark visible. The groom wondered what the point of connection was between a piece of jewellery and being a priest, but turned his gaze away quickly when the pink priest noticed his stares. She was a bit on the young side, too, come to think of it.

Finally, the door opened, and the bride marched in alone to solemn music. She walked up to the groom, and flashed him the sweetest smile he'd ever seen. The music died out, and they both turned to the priest.

"Right," she said, "let's get this over with."

The groom raised an eyebrow, but let it slip. The priest cleared her throat.

"Right. I now pronounce you dead and colt. You may not kill the groom."

Confusion swept through the room, ponies turning and whispering to each other. The priest continued on.

"Proper Stead, I ask you to stand down under accusations of marriage fraud, several times, if I might add, robbery, theft, and one case of attempted, and several cases of probable murder."

The bride's face distorted under her veil, and she bucked towards the priest, who could barely jump out of the way. She then turned around, throwing away her dress, and running straight for the exit.

Thwang.

The bride fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of her left shoulder. An eerily pleasant voice rang out in the room.

"Now, I'd advise you to stay down, because I get the same amount of bits, whether I bring you in dead, or alive. Got it, pal?"

A bulky, brown mare stood up from the crowd, pulling out a length of a rope from under her seat. She proceeded to unceremoniously tie up the bride, while the owner of the pleasant voice, a hooded mare, walked up to the priest, and helped her stand up. Afterwards, she turned to the stirring crowd. She pulled back her hood, revealing her white coat, and cropped pink-purplish mane. The most disturbing was the large scar across her face, however.

"Fillies and gentlecolts!" she said, grabbing the attention of everyone, "I'm sorry for interrupting your ceremony, but we had to. Let me introduce ourselves. We are the DBS, professional headhunters. Now, some of you might say 'That's no reason to shoot a mare, is it?' and normally, they would be right. But, as you can see here..." A plain piece of paper with a pony's portrait flew out from under her robe. "...That mare is a criminal, suspected with killing quite a few stallions, and taking their fortunes." She turned to the dumbfounded groom. "Better luck next time, pal."

An angry pony trotted up to her, and snatched the paper from her. After a brief glance, his expression changed, and started looking at the members of the DBS differently. He finally nodded, and the three mares left the scene, leaving behind only a small pool of blood.

Later that day, the trio was back in their office, counting the money they got from delivering Proper Stead, the 'Black Widow'.

"That wasn't bad, for such a simple job," Babs said. Diamond Tiara snorted.

"Please. I've seen connoisseurs make more money."

"What's a can-o'-sir?" Babs asked, a bit confused. Sweetie paid them no mind. Hunting bounties actually profited quite well, and on the upside, they were making Equestria safer. If only something big came up...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a polite knock on their door. Without waitng for an answer, a slim, prim, middle-aged stallion entered the room.

"Excuse me. I wonder if I'm bothering you at the right moment?"

"We're not open. Your disappeared cat can wait until tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm not here about simple cats," the stallion said. Sweetie narrowed her eyes.

"We're not taking hit jobs. Only legal bounties, issued by the government."

The stallion seemed unfazed.

"I can assure you, it is completely legal. And, on the other side, it pays quite well."

Diamond snorted.

"Yes, I can imagine. You will offer us a thousand bits to take care of some business partner—"

"My employer is ready to pay a fifty thousand bits if you can hunt down the dangerous criminal known as Rainbow Dash."

The room froze.

"Speak." Sweetie's voice was cold.

"Thank you. My employers wish to see the fugitive brought to justice. As I've said, they are willing to pay fifty thousand for the dead body of Rainbow Dash. Additionally, she's known to have escaped with three ponies. Another twenty thousand is in for you, if you take care of the former guard captain, Shining Armor. The two accomplices that were last seen with them, will net you five thousand each... if the primary targets are dead."

"Sixty for Rainbow, and thirty for Shining," Sweetie said.

"Ya what?!" Babs shouted. Sweetie paid her no mind, instead fixating on the stallion. He didn't seem intimidated.

"The price is not negotiable, I'm afraid. If you do not accept our offer, I shall leave."

"We'll take it," Sweetie said. "Contract."

The stallion smiled slightly, and produced papers covered in fine print. Sweetie tossed them to Tiara, and she had a quick glance at them.

"Seems legit," she said. "I recognise this crest. Contract seems valid, too."

"All I needed to hear."

Without further ado, Sweetie signed at the bottom, and gave back one copy. The stallion smiled, and pulled out a dossier.

"This contains the results of the investigations conducted after their escape. It also contains reports of sightings, but I would take them with a cup of salt, mind you. I'm sure you don't need my guidance to do this."

"Damn right," said Sweetie. "Now, if you would excuse us, we have some discussing to do."

The stallion bowed slightly, and left. A certain brown mare ready to explode stayed, however.

"What the hay, Sweetie? Huntin' down Rainbow Dash? I expected somethin' like that from Diamond—"

"Thanks," Tiara said.

"—but not from ya! She was yer sister's best friend!"

"Was," Sweetie pointed out coolly. "Besides, I'm not interested in Rainbow Dash."

Babs wrinkled her nose.

"Then what?"

Sweetie's voice slowly distorted as she spoke.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm after the bastard who either killed, or let my sister die! I don't care what happens to Rainbow, but I'll have Shining Armor's head!"

She took a few deep breaths, then turned her attention back to the dossier.

"I hope that we'll find at least something useful in this."

Applejack fought in quite a few life-threatening situations, but none as dangerous as her own brother giving her a hug. She swore she could feel her bones creak as the stallion just grabbed her into the tightest situation of her life. Hearing Braeburn smirk from the sidelines didn't really help, either.

After what seemed a lifetime for her lungs, Mac loosened his grasp, and she not as much fell as melted to the ground. Being an Apple, however, she was back on her hooves in less than a second.

"Mac, Ah swear you've gotten stronger since last time," Applejack said. Mac shrugged.

"Ah have friendly wres'lin' matches with a bear."

"Ye... Ya...Yu... You what?" Applejack really hoped she'd misheard.

"Fluttershy says it's good fer both of us. Persn'ly, Ah don' really know if that's the case." Mac was as laid-back as ever. Applejack tried to read him, but she couldn't tell if he was serious or not. She finally shrugged, and turned to Braeburn.

"Nice to see you too, cousin."

Braeburn flashed her a smile.

"Likewise. Ah think Ah'll stay from huggin', for your sake."

"'Preciate it."

Mac cleared his throat.

"Say, AJ, I think Pinkie and Fluttershy wanted to talk to ya about somethin'. They're in the house right now."

Applejack glanced at her brother.

"Well, whaddaya know, I have this sudden urge to speak with them! See you later."

Mac waited until his sister disappeared from sight, then nodded to Braeburn. The cowboy took the hint, and quickly left. Mac turned to Redblood.

"Care for a little walk?"

The prince seemed unsure.

"Cer...tainly?"

Redblood followed Mac to what he supposed was a quite fresh sowing area. Some short fences were strewn around to obstruct ponies from going in between the crop lines, leaving spaces wide enough for a cart to pass through. Nopony seemed to be in the immediate vicinity.

"So Ah've heard ya've spent quite some time with my sister."

Redblood stopped. Mac's face was unreadable, not threatening, but there was something in his voice that made him wary.

"I will not deny it."

"Ah also heard that the first time ya've tried her cookin', ya said it was 'like country fair food', an' you've referred to her several times as a commoner."

"... I cannot deny that either," said Redblood. "I do would like to point out that I do not think of her that way anymore."

Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Really? What would change yer mind, o prince?"

Redblood took a deep breath.

"Do you know who was among the first ones to be arrested for being blue? My personal chef. Oh, the actual reason was different, charges of embezzlement, and such. But the underlying meaning was there. And things that start change... are things that affect you personally. I was dumbfounded. Then I was angry. When I heard the same propaganda from the council, too, I... started shouting. Then my aunt had to banish her sister again, for whose return she patiently waited a thousand years."

"Things like that... pushed me over the edge. I started to think about preconceptions, and... well, I came to the conclusion that maybe not everything I've been told was true..." He noticed Mac's expression. "Hey, I had to start somewhere!"

"Still," he continued, "I've started thinking, and that brought us to where we are now. I think that I've made plenty of mistakes judging ponies in general, but I'm getting better about it. Is this what you wanted to hear?"

"Actually, no," said Mac. "Ah was hoping ya'd drop some hints to yer attitude, to measure ya up... This was clearly more 'an that." He looked at Redblood shiftily. "So whaddaya think? 'Bout our family, Ah mean. Ah want the truth."

"Think?" Redblood seemed distant. "I don't really know what to think. I know what you do is important, more so since the starvation in some cities, but... I can't imagine myself doing the same. Even if my life depended on it. Even though I no longer think less of ponies involved in farmwork, I still think it's a taxing job without benefits."

"It is, in a way," Mac said. "The whole point in it is to create somethin' that's both needed an' tasty. And at the end of the day, Ah have mah pride for keepin' all this together."

Redblood kept silent for a while, but then burst out.

"All right, I've answered your questions, now tell me, what was the point of all this? Why are you so interested in me?"

Mac gave him a... certain type of look.

"Well, as the saying goes 'round they parts, 'pay attention to the colt who intends to fuck yer sister.'"

It was just as well that Redblood wasn't drinking anything, because he'd have been choking right there and then.

"Excuse me?" he said, trying to sound more indignant than panicky.

"Do you deny it?" Mac asked. He looked calm, but there was a certain edge to his voice. Somehow, it had the opposite effect on the unicorn, and he felt his temper rise.

"Why not?" he said. "I mean, if she's fine with it, I would be, too."

"Is that all?" Mac asked, his voice further losing warmth.

Redblood told him of the evening they spent together in Canterlot, in a not too posh, but somewhat still elegant restaurant, talking about each other, and their pasts; her mentioning an episode from her fillyhood, the time when she lived with her aunt and uncle; feelings and impressions of ponies close and far to her, and the perfect end to the evening, which may have included a kiss and nothing more... At least, he could have told him that.

Instead, he said, "If I wanted nothing but a cheap affair, I would have gone to Madam Beaver's Boarding house, or would have bedded one of the hangers-on that always show up, hoping to leech off me. I can't tell you my intentions, because... frankly, I'd rather be elaborating them to Applejack."

Mac's expression had only the hint of a smile.

"Well done. You might find me a bit overprotective, but—"

"BIG MACINTOSH APPLE!"

The voice that shouted with such righteous indignation caught both of them off-guard. They turned to the direction of the farmhouse, from where an orange blur stormed through the fields, followed by a pink, and a less pink streak, a heartbeat later. All said, Applejack could really storm. It was part of her job, after all.

Mac seemed to shrink a little as she got closer, but his stance remained firm and upright.

"So it begins," he muttered under his breath.

Applejack actually caused a small dust cloud to rise when she stopped in front of her brother. She took a deep breath, and spoke in a tone that the stallions filed under 'dangerously friendly.'

"Mac," she began, "ya remember that time when I said you'd be enough for two mares? I was joking!"

"Look, AJ—"

"Don't 'look' me, mister! I come home, have a chat with my friends, and they tell me you're swingin' both their barn doors?!"

"Um, Applejack... " Fluttershy began, but it was like trying to steer a boat with a spoon.

"What were you thinking? Is it some sort of reward for taking them in?!"

"No, actually..." A brick would've paid more attention.

"I mean, if there was something, but you weren't even flirting with anypony—"

"WE HAD DATES!" Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs, startling Applejack, and nearly giving a heart attack to Redblood. Applejack shifted her gaze to Fluttershy.

"Surely you mean the fruit?" she asked with suspicion. Fluttershy shook her head, and shrunk back under the sudden attention. Pinkie gave her a reassuring pat on the back, and the timid pegasus started speaking softly and slowly.

"Sometime after I helped out Mac when he lost his voice, he insisted we go somewhere so he could repay me. It... became a date. There were some more... but it ended..."

"Ended?" Applejack asked, unable to string some coherent thoughts together. Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes. It was because... because..."

"Because you were afraid to take it further," Mac said quietly. Wordlessly, Fluttershy nodded again.

"Okay, I think I get it. Old flame, new flame," Applejack said, desperately fighting the mental image. "But Pinkie, I don't remember you..."

Her voice trailed off, because Pinkie looked embarassed. Embarassed. Applejack wanted a wall that she could ram her head against until things started to make sense again.

"Weeeell... How should I say this?" Pinkie's expression was of one who never had to be tactful up to this point. "You know, I hop, skip and jump everywhere in Ponyville? But maybe I hopped, skipped and jumped around these parts a bit more frequently when you weren't around? Saying 'good day' to a friend I happened to bump into? Share a cupcake I accidentally brought with me? Making inappropriate remarks about farming equipment?"

"What remarks?"

The one who talked was Redblood, for whose face the word 'confusion' would not have done justice. Applejack suddenly found that her cheeks were burning.

"Eh...Uh... I guess you heard everything?"

"No, not a word. My question was entirely unrelated," he said, still bemused. Pinkie took a deep breath.

"Well, you know how ponies say that a pitchfork—"

"No! Please! Don't!" Applejack said hurriedly. She found that during her brief lapse of attention, her two friends stood beside Mac.

"It wasn't just that," Pinkie said. "When he came... he was like a hero of legends. It made me fall for him all over again."

"It was like that for me, too," Fluttershy added. "But the true reason was... his kindness that he showed me, and to my animal friends. I ... guess..." She trailed off. "theoldflamedidntexactlydieout..."

Applejack's gaze fluttered between the trio several times. After about a minute of this, she grabbed Pinkie's shoulder.

"Cider."

"Sure!" Pinkie beamed, and started hopping back to the house, followed by Applejack. Fluttershy gently nuzzled Mac, then hurried after them.

Redblood opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no sound came out. His gaze met with Mac's, and to his surprise, the red stallion actually grinned.

"The irony, eh?"

Dinnertime came fast, even though watching Trixie practice wasn't really a fun way to pass time. Still, Rainbow found it oddly calming to watch her cast, screw up, and curse because of spells. She only stopped when Vinyl arrived back alone. As she explained, the stallions found something that they deemed important enough to investigate, but forgot to tell anything about it to her.

Luna stared at Vinyl just a little longer the latter was comfortable with.

"I hope we won't be regretting this later," she said finally.

"Dunno," Vinyl said, "I guess they know their stuff well enough to decide if it was worth it."

"The less said, the better," Trixie added. "We'll worry about that when the time comes. As for now... Can I ask you to leave? Except you, Vinyl."

In a few moments, the room was bare save the two unicorns. Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

"Dudette, you're being very mysterious and stuff right now."

"I didn't intend to be," said Trixie while placing two small onyx statuettes on the floor. "The truth is, I've been thinking about things that happened to you... and came to the conclusion that you might need some... closure."

Vinyl's raised eyebrow wrinkled back at once.

"What closure?"

Instead of replying, Trixie's horn lit up, and she pointed to the two statuettes. A small trail of bright, wispy white magic swiweled out of her horn, and slowly connected them. When the light subdued, only two floating figures remained.

Floating figures Vinyl knew well.

"Good evening," said Octavia.

Diamond Rose stood uneasy in Twilight's office. General Purpose was present, too, looking none too pleased. The fourth pony in the room was an older stallion, with a respectful, if uncaring expression.

"As I've said many times before, we need weapons and armor," said the general. "The current equipment is... less than satisfying."

"And as I've said just as many times before, we do not have the resources to do that."

The general's face began to redden at the sight of the completely calm stallion.

"For sun's sake, fool, look at our neighbours! They didn't spare funding to arm their troops!"

"Their countries don't have to deal with imminent starvation either," Twilight said silently, not even bothering to look up from a paper she was reading. The general walked up to her desk, and slammed down very hard.

"How in the nine blazes did it become starvation anyway? Get food and supplies from Azure City, and that's that!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, general."

Rose paid very close attention to Twilight Sparkle. She was practically in charge, with Celestia resting most of the time. Even so, her thought processes were very hard to follow. Still, when Rose heard her say 'Even I don't have access to Azure City,' next, she could perceive regret, and... anger? The general was not a stallion of finesse, so he could only feel the very sharp stare Twilight pointed at his hooves. He hurriedly took them off the desk, but did not back off.

"Still, you could stop supplies from going in! Don't spend our resources feeding criminals!"

"I am not," said Twilight coldly. "No shipments whatsoever enter Azure City."

The general looked taken aback.

"What, nothing at all?"

"Not even a cart of hay," Twilight said. "And thankfully, we've got a contract offer from a certain Green Soylent, who did charity in the Brideaux area. I've heard he'd distributed his brand of, well..." She ruffled through some papers, faster than an average pony could even perceive them. "...Everything," she finished curtly. "It seems to me that this one pony solves more of our problems than the entire military and police force combined."

Ah, there it is, Rose thought, the usual red-around-the-neck expression.

Indeed, the general looked liked he was ready to explode. Still, he opted to swallow back his cusswords, and stormed out of the office. The older stallion made a polite, if a bit archaic gesture, and left, too. Rose was left alone with the most powerful unicorn in the country – speaking in political terms, of course. Still, if she considered the fact that Twilight was the student of the princess, it would be wise to think she had a tremendous amount of magical power as well.

"So? What are you still waiting around for?"

Rose nearly flinched when the irritated voice reached her ears. She still managed to hide her surprise, though.

"I'm waiting for your approval to start training the new police recruits with the CCF."

Twilight laughed bitterly.

"Is that it? Seems like everypony wants something from me nowadays. Money, power, legal authority, matrimony... Why do you need my consent, anyway?"

Rose kept her expression neutral.

"Police needs to be legal. It holds up the law. I have confidence that you possess the acceptance of the princess."

Twilight sighed.

"Is that so? I envy you."

She snagged a paper from the pile, and ran through it quickly. After stamping it, she gave it to Diamond Rose.

"You are right. We need proper order. I'm leaving the details to you, but rest assured, I will check up on you later. Perhaps in the presence of Princess Celestia, too."

Rose nodded, and prepared to leave, but when she touched the handle of the door, Twilight spoke up.

"Do you know why is there a difference between our weaponry and the griffons' ? We didn't have to keep an army just to suppress dangerous elements in annexed territories."

Rose couldn't decide if she really heard the next sentence.

"Now we have an enemy in our own."