Act 3

"...so I asked the Princess if I could stay, and she said yes!" Twilight Sparkle clapped her front hoofs. "It's been the most fun I've ever had, being here in Ponyville, meeting so many ponies, and just, well, just getting out and living, I guess!"

The unicorn's enthusiasm was catching, and Belle found herself thinking about the town as she'd seen it an hour or so ago on the way from her little house to the library, about all the things she'd missed by concentrating so hard on her training the past couple years. "Yeah," she said with a sigh. "I haven't done much living lately either."

Twilight patted her hoof, her little purple one only half the size of Belle's big brown one. "Would you like another peanut butter and oatmeal sandwich? Spike will be happy to-"

"Oh, my gosh; oh, my gosh; oh, my gosh!" someone shouted outside, and through the front door streaked Rainbow Dash, her multi-colored tail streaming behind her. "Twilight! I saw him! I was out helping the cloud crews get ready for today's storm, and there he was, riding the downdrafts like they were zephyrs! And it looks like he's coming here! Here!"

Belle's abs felt as shaky as they did after a long workout, but Twilight just nodded. "Captain Destrier, you mean?"

"Yeah!" Dash spun in place, books scattering beneath her, landed in the space she'd just cleared, and said, "Hey, Belle," before focusing back on Twilight. "You know the Wonderbolts offered him a spot on their team, and he turned them down-turned them down!-so he could join Princess Celestia's guard? When he came and talked to us at flight school, he-" Her eyes narrowed. "Hey! How did you know it was him?"

"I invited him." Twilight crossed her front hoofs demurely on the table. "Belle's thinking of joining the guard, you see."

Dash turned to blink at her, but instead of laughing as Belle half expected her to, the blue pegasus grinned. "Oh, wow! Belle, that'd be so great! I mean, anyone tries anything around the Princess, you'd be all-" She sprang into the air, cocked her front legs back, glared at an imagined intruder. "'You gotta get through me first, punk!' And then you'd, like, just tap him in the chest and- Wham!" Dash flipped head over fetlocks and slammed into one of the library's bookcases, books raining down and knocking her to the floor. "Whoa!"

Belle jumped up, steadied the case before it could topple. "Unless he doesn't want me or I don't qualify or-"

"Are you nuts?" Dash burst from the pile of books. "They'd hafta be crazy not to take you!"

A delicate clearing of throat made Belle look over at Twilight. "Maybe we can get some of this mess cleaned up?" she asked. "Before the captain decides we're crazy?"

So Belle piled the books into alphabetical stacks while Dash swooped some up to stuff them into the cases and the glow of Twilight's horn lifted others more carefully into place. And in less time than Belle would've thought, they'd cleared the whole floor, Dash slapping the last book into an empty spot just as Spike came in. "Hey, Twilight! Des is here!"

Dash landed beside Belle, little whispers of "Oh, my gosh!" bubbling up from her, and Twilight stepped to her other side. "Show him in, Spike," the little unicorn said.

Belle swallowed, and into the room strode an amber pegasus stallion, his flowing orange mane and tail almost glowing. Two cavalry sabers crossed on his flanks, and his silver and white vest bore Princess Celestia's crest surrounded by intricate curlicues of golden filigree. "Miss Sparkle," he said, his voice somehow making Belle think of hot Earl Grey tea. "The Princess sends her fondest regards. And is that Rainbow Dash?"

"You know my name?" Dash's wings were vibrating so fast, Belle could barely see them.

"Of course." Captain Destrier smiled. "You should stop by the Citadel sometime to discuss Sonic Rainbooms with us."

"Oh! My! Gosh!"

The captain winked, and his eyes shifted upward to meet Belle's gaze. "Then this must be Barbelle."

"Yes, sir," Belle said, overwhelmingly relieved when the words came out in the smooth contralto she wanted to use, not at all as jagged and nervous as she felt.

"Excellent!" He stepped back, looked her up and down with a gaze so sharp, Belle thought she could feel it combing over her hide. "A strong infantry's the backbone of any effective military force, and I can certainly see how you'd be a valuable addition to the Princess's Guard. So if Twilight Sparkle's vouching for you, then I'll be happy to recommend you."

"Told you!" Dash elbowed Belle in the ribs.

Captain Destrier reached around to one of his vest pockets, pulled out some folded papers, set them on the table beside Belle's sandwich plate. "Sergeant Gunny's in charge of earth pony recruits, so if you'll just sign here, we can get started back to Canterlot and introduce you to your-"

"Uhhh..." Belle had to stop and clear her throat. "And, yeah, I'm really grateful, Twilight-" She glanced sideways at the unicorn's startled face. "-that you've taken so much trouble to help me, but, well, sitting here thinking, I just can't-" She squared her shoulders, faced Captain Destrier. "What is it you really do in the Princess's Guard?"

The captain blinked. "We guard the Princess, of course."

"But from what?" Belle gestured with a front hoof. "I mean, who'd be crazy enough to attack the most magical being in the universe? Or are there armies somewhere who want to invade Equestria?" She took a breath and looked at Twilight Sparkle again. "You asked me yesterday what I did, and I realized that, well, I didn't really do anything. So I have to ask, Captain." She looked down at him. "What is it you do?"

The amber pegasus looked back, his gaze steady. "We stand in readiness should our Princess ever require our services."

"And has she?"

"She has not." Captain Destrier puffed out his chest. "And I fervently hope she never will."

"Then thank you for coming all this way, captain." Her nervousness evaporated and left her just feeling tired. "But I've been standing around waiting my whole life, and I...I wanna find something to do now."

Silence filled the library for a moment, then thunder rumbled faintly over Belle's ears. "The storm!" Rainbow Dash cried; leaping into the air again, she whooshed out the door. "See you guys later!"

"Yes." Captain Destrier ruffled his wings. "I suppose I'd best be getting back to the palace." He touched a hoof to the papers on the table and looked at Belle. "Shall I leave these? In case you change your mind?"

She felt guilty for shaking her head, but shake her head she did. The captain just nodded, tucked the papers back into his vest, and gave Twilight a bow. "It was lovely seeing you again, Miss Sparkle." He turned to the doorway. "You, too, Spike."

The little dragon was standing by the door with his arms folded, his frown pointing at Belle, but he perked up and smiled at Captain Destrier. "You just miss beating me at cribbage."

"It's your claws I miss." The captain shook his head. "Moving those pegs with your teeth is almost more trouble than the game's worth." Unfurling his wings, he glided outside, another roll of thunder rustling Belle's ears.

Silence stretched, then, Belle keeping her eyes on her sandwich plate. "I'm-" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble, Twilight."

A sigh across the table. "It's nothing like that, Belle. I'm just..." Her voice trailing off made Belle look up, sadness the only thing she saw in Twilight Sparkle's eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you find whatever it is you're looking for."

Belle forced a smile. "Well, at least you got me started looking." She got to her hoofs and started for the door, Spike still there with his arms crossed. "Thanks for the sandwiches, Spike. They were great."

Thunder again, louder and closer, and Spike nodded. "Better hurry home, or you'll get caught in the storm."

Belle squeezed through the door and stepped out into the town square, clouds filling the sky, a scent of rain on the wind. The first drops spattering her back, she picked up her pace across the town square, her eyes fixed on the little side street that led out to her house, and tried not to think about what she'd just done. The captain of the palace guard had flown all the way from Canterlot, and she'd told him-

The crack of wood splitting from an alley to Belle's right, the snap of rope breaking, the thump of something heavy falling. "Tar and feather those pegasi!" a voice as rough as sandpaper shouted, making Belle's ears fold. "A thunderstorm on the day I make quayside? How dare they!"

A crow cawed, and the sound turned into words: "They sent you the weather report same as always, Sal."

"Belay that, Bosun!" the first voice said. "Help me here!"

Trotting through the drizzle to the alley's mouth, Belle peered in to see the back of a blue-gray earth pony, her white mane and tail flecked with gray, a compass rose on her flanks, the north point at the top not exactly straight up and down. Beside her slumped a cart with only one wheel, the other lying splintered off to the side among scattered packages, one corner of the tarp over the cart's contents flapping in the wind. Five or six crows sat huddled on top, the largest crow wearing a bright red stocking cap.

He was looking straight at Belle, too. He clicked his beak several times, then said, "Got us a boarding party, Sal."

The blue-gray pony spun, and Belle could see wrinkles around her wide eyes: she was older than Belle, maybe even older than Belle's parents...

Belle smiled and tried to look non-threatening. "Hi! I'm Belle! Need some help?"

The crow cocked his head. "Only one bell? Early in the watch, then."

"Quiet, Bosun." The older pony looked Belle up and down same as everyone did. "My dear, you're the answer to a maiden's prayer." She bowed. "Salmagundi W. Binnacle at your service, captain of Her Majesty's ship The Pride of the West."

"It's just a barge," the big crow muttered.

"Didn't I tell you-?" Captain Binnacle started to yell, but she stopped, took a breath, swept her hoof back to gesture at the crows, looking more dejected than before as the rain fell faster and heavier. "This is my stalwart crew, and while they're experts aboard ship, when aground, they tend to be less useful than your average bits of broken crockery." She touched her chin. "You, on the other hoof, appear to be a strapping, healthy lass, and offering help, I believe I heard you say?"

"Sure." Belle stepped over to the side of the cart, took the broken axle in the crook of her right front leg, and tested the weight before hefting it, raising it till the sides of the cart were straight up-and-down again. "Can your crows pick up the packages?"

"Can and will!" The captain tapped a hoof. "Flap lively, lads and lasses, and we'll be out of this blasted squall!"

The crows erupted from the cart, Belle wincing at the water spraying from their wings; the alley echoed with their caws, the birds swooping all the bundles up and dropping them into the cart, Bosun standing with the tarp's broken rope in his beak to hold the cover open. And as quick as Dash and Twilight had been with the books, this seemed even quicker to Belle, the packages gone from the cobblestones and the crows landing on the now bulging tarp. "All set, Sal," Bosun said, dropping the rope.

"Smartly done!" Captain Binnacle bent down and somehow tied the broken ends of the rope together with her teeth. "Extra rations of honeysuckle once we're back aboard." She tapped the side of the cart. "Now, then, Belle, if you'd be so kind, we're navigating over to Miss Rarity's." The captain slipped into the cart's harness, and with the rain becoming a downpour, Belle trotted with the whole crew out of the alley across the deserted town square toward the dressmaker's shop, a place Belle had never actually entered.

Bosun flew ahead, knocked his beak against the door, and it sprang open, light and heat flooding out around the white unicorn that Belle had met at one of Applejack's picnics. "Sal! Thank goodness!" Rarity pushed the door further open. "Come in, all of you, out of this beastly weather!" The crows squawked happily and dashed inside. "I've cocoa and towels just inside the kitchen!" Rarity called after them.

"Much obliged, Miss Rarity," the captain said. "You're too kind to the blighters."

"Oh, nonsense! I've just been so worried! It's not like you to be late, Sal, and-" She stopped, her eyes going wide as Belle met her gaze. "Oh! It's Barbelle, isn't it?"

Belle nodded, and Captain Binnacle gave the cart a slight tug. "Perhaps, Belle, we could join the others inside?"

"Oh! Right!" Belle stepped forward, and between the two of them, they got the dripping cart through the doorway and into Rarity's front hall. "Sorry about the mess," she muttered.

"Pish tosh!" Rarity tossed her mane. "It's nothing a bit of mopping won't fix."

"Aye." Captain Binnacle slipped from the harness. "Hold the cart steady there, Belle, and I'll be back in a jiff with some towels for you."

She clattered away down the hall, and Rarity began undoing the ropes holding the canvas over the cart. "It's always a joy when Sal gets to town! I don't knew where she finds such wonderful material, but none of my other suppliers can even come close!" Pulling a package from the cart, she touched her horn to it, and it split open to reveal rolls of ribbon: crimson and indigo and deep forest green. "At design school, all my professors raved about her, and when she accepted me as a client, well, I-"

"Was that Sal?" a familiar voice shouted behind her, and Belle looked back to see Pinkie Pie burst through the doorway, rain scattering from her like startled birds from a tree. "Does she have my-?" The little earth pony leaped into the cart, Belle bracing against the sudden extra weight, then she popped back out, a large package hanging around her neck. "Rainbow jimmies for the donuts!" Pinkie's whole body seemed to smile. "Sal's are the only ones that actually taste like rainbows!" She jumped from the cart and raced to the door. "You can bring the rest by the bakery after the storm, Belle, and tell Sal we've got her money and our next order ready! Bye!"

Belle blinked at the brief Pinkie-shaped hole in the curtain of rain outside, then she turned back to see Rarity, her horn glowing, directing the rolls of ribbon drift through the air to settle in cubbyholes above her workbench. "But hauling that barge of hers up and down the rivers of Equestria at her age!" Rarity shook her head and smiled up at Belle. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see Sal's taken on an assistant!"

"Assistant?" A warm shiver ran down Belle's back. "Yeah." She returned Rarity's smile. "I'm glad about it, too."

A scuffling in the hallway, Captain Binnacle with a stack of towels on her back. "I wasn't sure how many it'd take for a great lump like you, Belle, so I-" She stopped, her eyes narrowing. "And just what are you two grinning about?"