From her bed, Luna could feel the searing heat and vivid plume of flame bring a brilliant light into the otherwise carefully-shielded darkness of her bedroom. Shocked from her sleep, Luna rushed to her balcony, taking only enough time to wrap her nude form in a silk robe before stepping through the black shroud of magic that kept out normal daylight, storming out onto the balcony before screaming down at whatever students of the university were practicing in the courtyard below. "A BANE ON THEE VILE RODENTS BORN OF ILL-BRED WHORES! WHO DOTH ALLOW YOU INTO OUR PRIVATE COURTYARD TO AGAIN ATTEMPT TO DISTURB OUR SCANT FEW HOURS OF REST WITH YOUR CHILDISH GAMES OF FIRE AND LIGHT!? WELL!?? ANSWER YOUR PRINCESS BEFORE OUR WRATH GROWS FURTHER IN THY ENRAGING SILENCE!!!"

At last adjusting to the bright daylight, Luna turned her eyes down to the small private court built in the gap between her and her sister's chambers, only to see a now very embarrassed young dragoness, the one called... "Oh yes, Barb!" sidling behind the radiant tan figure that could only be her sister, Celestia. The old crone who was with them took a moment longer to register, but at last she remembered the mare... no, not a mare, the withered phoenix looked similar to an ancient matriarch of a pony, but her tail and hair, what little was left, were all dull, rust-red feathers. "Philomena. And she is laughing, again. Did the crone put Barb up to this?"

Celestia was the first to answer, bending far down so she could scoop up the little dragoness and cradle her in one arm, while the other tickled over the girl's belly through her dress before speaking. "My apologies for disturbing your sleep sister, but I thought you'd strengthened your bedroom’s protective magic after that prank from the university students. I never thought that Barb's fire could ever manage to pierce your darkness."

Barb still looked sheepish, but as Celestia's fingers soothingly stroked the dragoness' tender belly scales through her thin dress, she looked up to Luna and attempted to apologize. "I really didn't mean it, I promise, Princess Luna. We just found a journal from an elder dragon and I wanted to try to summon real dragon fire!"

The sweet tone of innocence and excitement from the tiny dragoness melted what little fury was left in Luna's heart; she remembered the little dragon’s dreams, they had been inspiring! Luna stepped away from the balcony and took to the spiral staircase that led down from her balcony into the gated courtyard. Still dressed in only her thin and clingy black silk robe, she smiled to the dragoness when she rounded the last lap, and quickly crossed the rows of flowers to join them. "No, forgive us, dear little Barb. I remember the grand visions you see when you sleep. A noble dragoness protecting her friends with true dragon's fire hot enough to melt metal to butter and drive off any threat. We know your dreams dearest Barb, and we approve of such noble virtue."

Looking rather embarrassed again, Barb nodded quietly while remaining cradled in Princess Celestia's arm. It was the withered crone, Philomena, who broke the silence by waddling over and inserting herself into their circle. "Barb has always dreamed big. For two hundred years she refused to answer me, but she endlessly showed me her dreams when I tried to use magic to speak with her, day and night she always had another ready."

Luna smiled down to the worn woman, who was bent over and supporting herself by an iron grip upon a bright mythril walking stick, the gleaming metal was nearly a silver hue. Luna was just about to answer the wise woman when violent coughs bent Philomena even further over, wracking her shoulders with the effort. That wasn't the real shocker, what awed Luna was the dull-rust feathers in the phoenix's hair and her withered wings all simultaneously burst into a brilliant red and yellow glow, like powerful embers fanned back to life.

Worry just as bright in her eyes, Barb forcefully wiggles and struggled her way free of Celestia's suddenly tightening grip, before dashing the short distance to the withered old woman. Cupping both of Philomena's hands in her own, Barb squeezed them, tears darkening the corners of her eyes. "Breathe!! Just, just breathe! Can't we do something for her?"

The dragoness' tone was frantic, almost pained at how the continued harsh coughs brought the old woman to her knees, but it was Celestia who acted first, her voice tense, hard. "Sister, shield yourself!"

Luna felt more than saw what Celestia was doing, and drew her own magic into a focused wall of darkness around herself, much thicker than the faint shield of gloom she had set up to protect her room. "The weather teams worldwide are going to be after you with questions after this, dear sister!"

The clouds above Canterlot didn't part, they were not given time. It was the sudden blast of heat that melted them away and opened a brilliant column of light in the sky above their courtyard. Inside her ball of darkness, Luna could sense the approaching intense heat, and for a moment worried about the little dragoness, but by then, it was too late.

As the blinding force of all the world's focused sunlight was directed into a single blast that roared down for an unfathomable amount of time, and Luna felt her knees creek with the stress, while the outer layers of her shield began to melt away, one layer at a time. Then suddenly, a second radiant red and gold plume formed in the aura of intense sunlight, before both unmeasurable forces at last began to abate.

"By the Night Mother! What in Equestria was that! And who in the bloody fuck do I have to throttle to ensure that never happens again!??" The scream from the balcony above was familiar, and Luna finally released her shields, standing up and surveying the ruined courtyard. Celestia was bathed in a golden-white glow, a puddle of gold and burning fabric at her feet the last remaining tatters of her once noble dress. The red and yellow feathers of Philomena's feathers still glowed their own vibrant hue, and the old woman was breathing calmly again. "And Barb?"

As if she had heard Luna's worried thoughts, Barb shakily stepped out from Philomena's protective arms, her own clothing also burnt away in the blinding firestorm. Unlike the old woman, or Celestia, Barb looked around before calling up at the still-swearing Silken Flight on the balcony above them. "I think everypony is okay now, really!"

Relieved, Luna peaked off a thin layer of darkness from the inside of the shield she had just emerged from, reshaping the bent shadow into a single dress for the tiny dragoness before turning around to look up to her naked lover. "Silk, calm yourself, and go straight to our sister’s room. Find one of her handmaids and get her to fetch Celestia’s Summer Sun Celebration dress. If they question you, don’t be polite. She will need some time to cool down, but at least that dress will hold together until then.” When the naked mare paused for a moment, staring down at her mistress, Luna’s voice cracked like a whip. “Go now! We won’t have enough time for explanations before others begin to arrive!"

Nodding, the naked warrior let her wings unfold, bolting across to the other balcony and kicking in the door. A screaming mare from the other side of the door told Luna they’d have a few extra questions to answer.

There had been confusion. There had been an explanation, one mostly made up of the truth, and Celestia had even ordered one of the more nosy of the guards to spend the week replanting the courtyard’s small flower garden personally when he asked one question too many. Barb and Philomena had been escorted to the old woman's rooms for care, and doctors were being summoned. So when they at last needed privacy, it was natural that they went back to Luna's rooms.

Properly dressed in her stiff leather armor, the black metal studs had each been polished with great care, Silk had done her part in kicking in a few heads and driving away the nosier onlookers. Now she sat on a chair in front of the balcony door, a spiked club getting the same detailed inspection in case somepony else unwanted came looking for Princess Celestia.

Luna tore her eyes away from the hard-boiled mare in the doorway, and asked the question that needed an answer. "So what's the matter with her?"

Celestia was still glowing, such sustained and direct connection to the sun itself had a powerful effect on her sister, and it worried Luna. Sipping at the hot tea, even Celestia's tongue glowed a fading but brilliant hue of white and gold. It took a long time, but the mare collected herself and set down her teacup before answering. "She is dying." Before Luna could speak the words forming on her lips, Celestia's hand shot up and she cut her off. "I know the legends. I know the stories. But she is the only one of her kind I've ever found who didn't have the wanderlust like the others. For much of the last forty years we have used every means feasible to aid her while we searched in vain for another member of her species, but wherever they have gone, they don't wish to be found. Finally, ten years ago as plans for your rescue began to eat up more and more of my time, she gave up. I-I'm scared for her, sister."

The pain in Celestia's voice was thick and made Luna pause, remembering her own time imprisoned by her jealousy. Forcing that painful memory aside, she looked at her own tea, drifting into thoughts of the ill old woman. As a face took shape in her tea, she realized she had been daydreaming of another answer. “Did you devote all of your resources, sister? A name comes to mind that might find another solution.”

Celestia winced, but was quick to shake her head and refuse Luna’s suggestion. “No, we can’t ask him. We have too many other matters we need him to deal with. Besides, at the age of ten, I had to explain the concept of a hypothetical situation to him, because I found him conducting a field investigation, hunting for the Fairy-Tooth-Pony in the halls of the castle at three in the morning, because he simply refused to believe anypony would invest so much effort into a foal’s tale. Besides, if we did ask him, do you think he’d ever sleep again?”

Luna continued to admire the face of a young stallion in her cup. He reminded her... reminded her of somepony very dear to her. “You are right, sister. He already gets fixated on even the smallest matter. Already I see he struggles between his ethics and a friend’s deeds.”

For a few minutes the two sat in silent consideration, until Silk suddenly stood up, hefting her brutal club and shouting at somepony approaching from out of sight. “Away with you, mailmare! The princess doesn’t wish to be disturbed, you’ll have only this one warning!”

Neither sister took any consideration of the words. It hadn’t been the first pony Silk had ordered away, yet alone had to threaten. It was the answer that got the sisters’ attention. “Well, look, I know you have a big club, but the maid’s cleaning up the mess in Princess Celestia’s rooms said she was here, and he said I was to bring this letter to Princess Celestia right away! He said it was very important and not to let anypony distract me! Now don’t make me, make you, hurt me!”

Something in that voice was familiar, and Luna stood up, walked out to the balcony, and placed a single hand on the shoulder of her guard before pushing past her. Hovering in the air before the balcony, a pegasus mare with gray feathers and blond hair in a mailmare’s uniform waited, returning Silk’s threat with her own stubborn frown. It took a moment, but a name flared up in Luna’s mind, and she smiled to the serious-faced mare, those eyes, while they belied her angry nature, showed a happy smile dancing inside. “You’re the mare who brought our sister the letter about Ponyville needing a music teacher, Derpy, right?”

Realizing her words had been overheard by royalty, Derpy visibly winced with guilt and snapped a salute off. “I am, Princess, I’m sorry for arguing with your guard! But Dusk said this letter was really important, and that with Barb visiting Canterlot, he needed me to deliver it without fail!”

Walking out to the edge of the balcony where the mare hovered, Luna offered the mare a hand, her voice soothing and confident. “Then give me the letter, dear mailmare. I promise I’ll deliver your letter to my sister immediately.”

Derpy’s face screwed up for a moment. Torn between her loyalty to the royalty before her, and Dusk’s request. Shakily, she extended the letter towards the princess, her voice very serious again and her eyes sharpening to focus on a single point together for once. “You promise Princess Celestia will see it right away, Princess Luna?”

From inside Luna’s room, Celestia spoke up, approaching the doorway only enough to become visible to the mare outside because of the still-brilliant golden aura that radiated around her. “I will, dear mare. Thank you for such loyalty.”

At the sight of her monarch glowing like the sun itself, Derpy knelt as best she could, ending up kneeling on the balcony’s railing. Pressing the letter into Luna’s hand and blushing darkly, Derpy mumbled something that Luna couldn’t quite make out, and forced the letter into her hand. Smiling a little, Luna pushed aside her own feelings of momentary jealousy, and stepped forward, cupping the mare’s chin and lifting it when the mare tried to look away from them with reverence. Leaning in, Luna kissed the young mare on her cheek, making the girl whisper an ‘eep’ before blushing even darker. “Return to your home, mailmare, and know that your duty has been completed perfectly.”

Derpy jumped back up and saluted Celestia sharply before launching into the air, a delighted smile and a happy giggle preceding her own goodbye. Watching as the mare soared away, Silk shook her head. “She’s got a lot of courage for such a little thing.”

Handing the letter through the doorway to her sister, Luna gave a nod, and slipped her arms around the warrior’s ribs, holding her close from behind. “She does, doesn’t she? In the future, make sure all the guards and your spies know her. From now on, she is to be considered untouchable. Spread the word, she carries Dusk’s letters, and Dusk’s mail is always important.”

Celestia spoke up, her voice amused, as she called the mare’s attention back to Luna’s room. “The weather team has had another sighting of the smuggler around Ponyville. Dusk is requesting a wing of the royal guard to assist his weather team in surveying the Everfree and hunting her down. What do you think, dear sister?”

Refusing to release her grip on Silk, Luna turned around and dragged the mare with her until she could look her older sister in the eye. A grin curled her lips. “I think this will make a great chance for Bronze Feather to get more field experience. Silk?”

Silk didn’t resist Luna’s grip, and was blushing darkly when the goddess asked for her opinion. Off-balance, the mare stuttered a little, before stopping, clearing her throat and starting again. “I’ve only had a few days of real training with her, but she picked up coded language very quickly, and she was already very good at field coordination. I think this is a great chance to test her, princess.”

Luna grinned at her sister and squeezed the mare in her arms with a strong hug, resting her chin on the mare’s shoulder. “There we have it. An opportunity for both Dusk and Bronze to be properly tested, and hopefully eliminate a lotus smuggler.”

“Foals mostly between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, Miss Cheerilee’s class. Star students: Sweetie Belle, age 12 only just a few weeks ago, Silver Spoon, age 13, Rumble age 16. Notable foals: Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, and Aura. Troublemakers: Scootaloo, Snips, and Snails. Mostly good foals, find activities that will keep the troublesome foals from breaking things, and keep the ones with brains separated from the unruly bunch.”

Lyra just couldn’t help it, even as she leaned in drawing her finger across the line on the page to help the confused Snips keep up with the beat, she found her eyes wandering across the class, noticing the way Scootaloo stared out the window with a distant look in her eyes, the way Sweetie Belle hummed along with the song when she hadn’t even been given a part to play yet, and even Snips’ inability to keep time even when she was guiding him along with her damned finger on his page!!!

Forcing herself to take a breath, Lyra clapped her hands together, calling the class to stop. “Good first effort, we’ll use that as a starting point, and send you all home with a copy of the sheet music to practice.” She turned and gently gestured to Sweetie Belle. “Dear, you seem to have a good sense of the rhythm. Care to pick an instrument and come sit here beside Snips?”

The moment the whole class looked at the youngest foal in the room, Sweetie froze, and hid behind her sheet music. Something was mumbled out from behind the page, but Lyra couldn’t tell just what the filly had said. Taking two steps across the room, she cleared her throat, speaking softly. “I’m sorry, what, Sweetie?”

Apple Bloom leaned forward over the music stand and answered instead. “Sweetie doesn’t play any music, she just kinda hums a lot. I think she’s really good at humming, though!”

Behind her, Lyra could hear the whispers and snickering starting already. It would be Diamond and Silver or Snips and Snails. Rather than let them continue, she turned around and flipped Snips and Snails pages back to the very sheet. “Diamond, Silver. Please come help Snips and Snails keep time while they practise the first page. Since you both seem to be the best with your instruments, you’d be the best to show the poor colts how to keep a rhythm in their head.”

“And it’ll keep you four busy and separate from your best friends, thus cutting down on the rude comments behind my back.”

The groans and grumbles from the four students faded away quickly enough under her glare, and the girls got up and moved to stand beside the two colts, keeping them busy and grumbling at one another while she went across the room and pulled a free chair up beside Sweetie Belle. “Now that the rest of the class is busy, how about we talk, Sweetie? How come you don’t play any music? I can tell you like it. You even picked up the sheet music faster than anypony else in class.”

It didn’t appear to matter that she was speaking quietly, and sitting in close to the filly, Scootaloo had finally stopped paying attention to the world outside the window and looked over, grinning at them. “It’s because she’s really shy and doesn’t like showing off in front of anypony. Not like her big sister, Rarity.”

While Sweetie Belle locked up and refused to look at her, Lyra took the silence as a chance to begin the process of dealing with Scootaloo. “Scootaloo? I didn’t ask you. I asked Sweetie Belle. How about you move your chair away from the window and go back to reading the sheet music? Rainbow Dash isn’t going to leave you behind just because you stayed until the end of class for once.”

Wincing, Scootaloo stood up, and pulled her chair a few feet away from the window, but pouted and muttered to herself the whole time. “...Wasn’t even looking for Dash today anyways. It’s Dusk I’m worried about. He’s dealing with some smuggler and I’ve got class? So stupid!”

Adding Scootaloo’s muttering to her mental notes, Lyra looked back at Sweetie Belle, who stared up at her now, and smiled a little before leaning in and speaking very softly so nopony could overhear her. “Scootaloo is right, though. I do wish I was as brave in front of a crowd as Rarity. She is so good at standing up and speaking her mind while other ponies gawk at her and make rude comments.”

Lyra grinned and fluffed a hand through the foal’s hair. “Don’t worry. Your big sister is just very good at standing up for herself. You’ll learn how to handle crowds too, don’t worry. How about for now, we plan some private classes, maybe sometime on the weekend or sometime during the week when your parents can supervise and give you some encouragement?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes suddenly shone, and she reached out, tightly gripping Lyra’s wrist. “Rarity promised we could take up some big sister, little sister project together. Could we have it be a music class?!!”

The joy and excitement in the filly’s eyes was almost enchanting, and Lyra laughed, patting her head. “Sure, Sweetie, sure. I’ll talk to Rarity sometime and find out when works with her schedule.”

As the other students exited the classroom, Apple Bloom quietly folded up the last few chairs and pushed them aside. Lyra watched over her while she wrote a few more notes. ”Nopony asked her, yet here she is, doing extra work. Takes after her big sister, I supose.”

Just as Lyra recapped her inkpot, a small throat clearing before her made her look up, and Apple Bloom stood before her, an unfamiliar stern look on the filly’s face. “Lyra, you seem like a good teacher. But don’t pick on Sweetie Belle. She’s my responsibility to look after, and I ain’t gonna put up with nopony hurting her.”

Shocked at the possessive and defensive way the filly spoke about her classmate, Lyra was too busy staring in stunned silence to answer as Apple Bloom quickly turned and left the room, closing the door with a definite bang.

Lyra sat for a few minutes in stunned silence, looking from the papers she had been writing to the now empty classroom, and back. “So, I guess you gave me a new world of problems to deal with, Dusk. Do I go after Snips and Snails who are too lazy to keep time with music? Scootaloo’s inability to focus on her classwork when Dash is standing on the other side of an open window? Apple Bloom is up to something as well, and Sweetie clearly can’t wait to spend more time with her sister. At least that’s easy enough.” Putting away her notes, she looked out the classroom window at Scootaloo and Dash. “What was it you said, Scoots? Dusk and a smuggler? I think that’s going to have to take priority, sorry, foals.”

Dusk passed the single page of parchment over to Lyra, giving the mare the full weight of his attention. “Like I said, we don’t have much to go on. Black and white tail hair, always wearing a very heavy brown, possibly leather, cloak. Estimated height is around six foot two and likely an earth mare. There are arguments if her eyes are blue, gold or some color of turquoise, but regardless, our information on her is very limited.”

Dusk waited as Lyra read over the information he had written on the sheet, but there really was little else of note. The spy pushed a hand through her hair and threw the parchment back to Dusk’s desk, giving a sigh. “So other than the fact this smuggler is a mare, is somewhere in the Everfree Forest, and knows how to handle and prevent the regrowth of Black Lotus, you know nothing else about her?”

Dusk sighed, shook his head and straightened the parchment to square it with his desk. “You’re basically right, yes. But I’ve done what little I can to improve our odds. I’ve got a map of the Everfree set up and separated into grids, and I’ve plotted out her sightings. We know she has not yet been seen within two grids of Ponyville, that gives us a ten kilometer buffer from town that we will ignore for now. So if I get the full wing I requested, I’ll split them up into groups of two and pair them with four members of Ponyville’s weather team. That will let us search eight grids at a time for any signs of cut plants, or tracks of a pony in the area, plus the two guards will provide enough insurance to make sure the weather team can do what they do best: look for small details. I wish I’d asked for the Wonderbolt Cadets. They don’t fight as well, but I’m sure they are even better at scouting then the royal guard. Still, safety first.”

Lyra started nodding, and walked over to the map Dusk had spoken about, looking over it for a while in silence. Dusk fished out the list of the weather team and shifted through the pages, growing anxious while he waited for her to speak. She nearly caught him off guard when she finally did. “So, why are you ignoring the grid where Dash caught her harvesting the Black Lotus?”

“Two reasons. First, if she is as smart as she appears, even if she was based in the area, she’d have probably moved camp. Black Lotus went for nearly two thousand bits for a single dried leaf last winter, and the haul she got from that clearing should have bought her anything in Equestria she wanted. The second, why is she still in the Everfree if she has that much Black Lotus to cure and preserve? I’ve checked the list of known resellers and smugglers the Royal Guard are watching, none have black and white tail hair. I’ve even requested a listing of known outlaws that come close to matching our target. The only reason I can think of for a pony with so much value in black market goods to still be in the area is because they know they were seen, and they want to wait until enough time has passed for suspicion to go down.”

Lyra laughed, shaking her head. “Or they have such a high price on their head they have a third party they trust delivering their goods to resellers the guard don’t know about. Or they dyed their hair when they went to Canterlot. Or-”

Dusk sighed, and cut her off. “Black Lotus is traceable, Lyra. Dried and preserved, broken down into powder, mixed with rose water, it doesn’t matter. The guard has a spell Shining told me about; it makes it possible to track even trace amounts. If somepony we don’t know of is trading or smuggling Lotus in Canterlot, they’ve found a new way to hide it.”

“Alright. So we start just outside of the grid with the lotus and look for hints of cut plants and a pony staying in the area. I’m guessing report in after four hours and then move grid by grid based off clues?”

“No. If after four hours, and all eight grids turn up no signs, we move to the grid where Thunderlane spotted her, and assume the lotus clearing was just her making a special trip just for the lotus. The trail will be fresher there anyways.”

Lyra looked back at the map again and made some quiet noises before looking up. “You expect six mares to be able to survey a twenty five square kilometer area in four hours?”

Dusk laughed a little folded up his paperwork, pushing it aside. “No. I just want to keep them moving. Even with the guards, the Everfree forest is a very dangerous place. If I keep them in a grid for no more than four hours, hopefully we can minimize that danger.”

Impressed, Lyra gave a smile. “Alright. I’ll give it to you, Dusk. You plan like you’ve taken classes with the best. Shining’s influence? Or have you studied military search patterns in hostile territory?”

Rarity entered the library and placed the platter of daisy sandwiches on Dusk’s desk. “No, he just doesn’t sleep and spends his day reading, even when two mares are visiting his home.” Giving him a solid glare she pushed his shoulder. “Now eat, or I’ll make AJ come sit on your lap so I can force feed you.”

Lyra cocked a brow, picking one of the many half sandwiches from the plate, and taking a bite. “Trouble in paradise, Rarity?”

Rarity looked up from the stallion and finally appeared to relax a little when he started eating. “No, no. Dusk just gets a little too into his study when he gets caught up.” Fondly stroking fingers through the stallion’s hair, she looked up at Lyra, her voice softer. “How long have you worked for Princess Celestia? Do you think she’d set up this smuggler just as a test for Dusk?”

Lyra was quiet for a while, and Dusk watched the way she looked from him to Rarity. He could almost swear he saw the gears in her head turning, as she tried to decide how much to say. He nearly laughed at her carefully measured answer. “I was probably working for her at a much younger age, but I was first told I was working for her when I was seventeen. She needed somepony who had classes with Princess Cadence’s stalker at SSU. Turns out that was Shining Armor, and she was just being protective of her granddaughter. But from that assignment, I was given years of extra training and study, focused on sharpening my mind and body. Plus, it gave me more time to give reports on Shining Armor, even after Princess Celestia was sure he wasn’t just another stallion hunting the elusive alicorn as a prize to put above his bed.”

Rarity laughed and wrapped her arms around Dusk’s neck, holding him close and nuzzling at his cheek. “Some ponies make very stupid mistakes trying to put prizes above their beds. I’m glad Dusk’s brother isn’t one of those fools. Thank you, Lyra. Dusk might even come to bed tonight with your reassurance he’s doing this all right.”

While Lyra and Rarity shared laughter, Dusk rolled his eyes, and swallowed the last of his half sandwich. “Dash and Applejack will be back soon. Are you sure you want your cover blown with them both, Lyra? You’re going to be busy with school tomorrow, so it is not like you can help join the search anyways.”

Lyra’s laughter stopped, and she looked thoughtful for a minute, at last taking another bite of her daisy sandwich and chewing thoughtfully. “You might be right, but no reason to hide my presence from the other elements. Nevertheless, I’ll leave before anypony else comes by.”

Rarity released Dusk and walked around the desk, offering a hand to the taller mare. “Thank you, Lyra. I’ll figure out a good time for those music classes with Sweetie. Now take a few more sandwiches with you and say hello to Bonbon for me!”

Dusk looked up at the sudden, rapid knocking at the door, a half sandwich falling from his mouth as he started to rise. It was only Rarity’s stern clearing of her throat that stopped him and made him sit back down, picking up the sandwich as Dash went to answer the door. Her laughter pulled Dusk’s anticipation. “Hahaha! Alright! Somepony in charge who I can get! Even if you aren’t a Wonderbolt, welcome back to Ponyville!”

Polishing off the rest of his sandwich with two more bites, Dusk stood up again, just in time for Dash to return from around the corner with Bronze Feather right behind her, followed by two Royal Guard pegasi sergeants. In time, all three snapped to a sharp salute, and stood at attention while Bronze placed two sealed scrolls on Dusk’s desk. “Hello, Magistrate! As you’ve requested, a full wing of the Royal Guard have accompanied me to assist in your investigation. Princess Celestia has given us two weeks, but hopefully we can wrap things up in half that, aye?”

Dusk swallowed the last bite of the sandwich, laughing a little before waving for them all to relax. “Let’s hope so, Bronze. We can go over my plan for this mission later, but first, let’s get your troops set up for the night. You remember where the Apple Family farm is, right Bronze?”

Bronze snapped off another salute, grinning to Dusk. “I do, magistrate. shall we meet you there, or just go get set up and return when we are complete?”

Dusk slipped an arm around Applejack’s hips as she stepped in beside him, and grinned at Bronze Feather. “Meet us there. If I don’t go for a walk today I’d have at least three mares on my ass for being too busy or lazy to exercise today anyways.” Enjoying both Applejack and Rarity’s laughter, Dusk wondered why Rainbow Dash didn’t join in. Attempting to watch her out of the corner of his eye as she looked away from them all, she began to scratch at her elbow, fidgeting and biting her lip as if she were thinking about something.

Flying in the fading daylight was exhausting; extra attention had to be paid to every little detail. Weary, Derpy looked up again, and relief at finally seeing the lights of Ponyville approaching flooded her weary wings with an extra burst of strength. “Home sweet home, at last!”

Derpy waited until she had passed over much of the town, wanting a clear view of her front step, and only then twisted into a dive, folding her wings back and speeding towards the ground. “Watch this, Dash! You know, the weather ponies aren’t the only ones who teach stunt flying! Go go Derpy Divebomb!”

At the last second, she shot her wings out again, and flipped in mid air, landing a little roughly on the doorstep and losing her balance, she crashed forward, running square into the door and accidentally twisting the knob, allowing her to fall through and trip over the rug inside, landing squarely on her ass.

The sharp stab of embarrassment cut into her heart as she heard giggling laughter that could only be coming from her filly. Her embarrassment only grew when Amethyst joined Dinky in her laughter. It wasn’t until a stallion suddenly spoke up that Derpy realized that all of this had happened before a gentlecolt sitting on her couch. “Oh, my dear! Ma’am, are you quite alright?”

Off in the distance, Dusk could see the guards were already at work in one of the clear sections of the apple farm, where months before, corn or wheat had been growing. Applejack was trying to hide it, but excitement hovered in the air for her proper homecoming after the incident the week before, and she nearly jumped when she saw Apple Bloom in the middle of the pack of the guards. The tiny filly was shouting directions to both mares and stallions, all of whom would stop, listen to her directions and then continue with their work, mindful of the short filly’s demands to: “Be watchful of the soft ground over there!” or “Hey! Look out! Fluttershy promised all the gophers closed up their holes in this field, but you never know when one of them might've gotten a little lazy!” and of course, the always classic: “The latrine? You mean like the outhouse? Cause that’s just behind the big barn! Why are you mumbling and blushing so much? Everypony needs to use the outhouse sometimes, right?”

It was into this environment Applejack rushed, while Dusk picked up the two bags she had decided to bring home. “I wonder if Rarity helped her plan out just what to specifically leave behind at the library? I’ve noticed the closet in my room is rather full now. Besides, Mac brought three bags of clothing to town for her, and now we only bring two back. I suppose it is more convenient, they are taking turns staying over these days, even if I had been planning on turning that closet into a bookshelf for my bedroom.”

Granny Smith sat on the porch, and grinned her one good tooth at Dusk before speaking up. “I see my grandfoal is walking better again. Thanks for taking her in and keeping an eye on her health, magistrate. I take it these troublemakers will leave my fields in as good shape as they found them?”

Dusk wondered for a moment if she was serious, or angry, before the playful twinkle in her eyes gave away her amusement at the situation. Relaxing a little and placing the two bags just inside the doorway, Dusk leaned against the wall beside her rocker, crossing his arms over his chest and watching as Applejack scooped her little sister up as if it had been weeks since they’d seen one another, and not simply a few hours since Apple Bloom stopped in on her way home from school. “To be honest, I think she spent more time fretting about you, and the things Mac might not get finished on the farm before winter proper came, but I managed to get her to relax and sit down for a few hours here and there. And don’t worry, Granny Smith, I’ve already set aside a small payment from the budget to repay for any damage their presence might do to your fields.”

Something felt almost right about it when Granny used the word magistrate, not like the others, using a title of office. The way the words left her lips, it was like she too saw the real joke in giving him, a student at heart, and by no means a properly versed politician, such power. Dusk felt none of the worry of failing somepony when she said it, nor the guilt that he might simply have been given the title as some part of Princess Celestia’s secret games with those who considered themselves power brokers in the kingdom. For a while, Granny snickered to herself, her tongue making the oddest clicking sound as she flicked it against the back of her single prominent good front tooth. “I suppose you’ll be wanting Applejack to settle down and move to town next? It’s not so far a walk for a healthy mare like her to come work at the farm anyways.” As Dusk spun to face her directly, Granny lifted a hand defensively, and grinned up at him. “No no, foal, calm down and think about it for real, if only for a minute. My grandson’s a quiet boy, and his relationship with the sweet filly one field over went sour because they rushed things. But you know how outgoing a mare Applejack is, always putting herself out to help other ponies, never thinking about herself. Think on it, colt, and I’ll stop meddling, before AJ hears and gives me an earful for getting into business that ain't my own.”

The old mare meant it too, even as Dusk began to roll the idea over his lips, the plump matron of the Apple clan wandered inside and fetched up the bags Dusk had tucked behind the doorway, easily picking them up despite her poor back. Just turning at the noise of her walking upstairs, Dusk felt guilty the mare had felt the need, but then realized again, this was Granny Smith. If she’d wanted him to handle the bags, she’d have given him quite strict orders about how and when to do just that. Leaning against the wooden fence of the porch and watching the guards, Dusk lost himself in thoughts, until Dash’s voice cut through the quiet night.

“I still say I could have hosted most of them. My place has two spare bedrooms and a large enough yard. Why’d you have to just accept AJ’s offer and push mine aside right away?”

The mare was still surly, and Dusk could feel it in her voice, and the way she leaned her back against the deck, looking away from the organized insanity of setting up camp in the distance. Resisting the urge to sigh, Dusk drew up the list of reasons he’d prepared earlier, hoping he had been able to avoid this conversation, but here it came. “Dash, you know why your place could never have worked. I doubt even AJ could stay over, and you two enjoy sharing a bed together. Look, one of your spare rooms is also your clean laundry closet, because as you put it, it’s: ‘The one closer to the shower and bathroom, so the perfect place for a clean shirt.’; let’s not even mention the fact that you’ve got dirty clothing piles lining the hallway from the master bedroom to the bathroom, and wet towels from the bathroom to your clean clothing room. Have you ever been in the third bedroom? Do you even know where the key is?” Getting carried away with himself, Dusk ignored the way Dash curled a lip in and bit it while he continued down the list. “At your place, they’d all be sleeping in tents just like here, and the noise would have pissed off your neighbors, no matter how good natured of ponies they might be. Your bathroom is fine for one pony, and should work fine for a normal family, maybe even a small herd. But with Bronze and the the four squires included, we’ve got twenty-one ponies to accommodate, so we’d have to dig a latrine for them instead of simply allowing them to use the existing one here.”

Even as dense as Dusk was, he wasn’t so dull as to miss the way Dash’s cheeks turned red, or the way she stomped a foot. When he finally cut himself off, she was fuming, and shot back at him right away. “That? That’s just because it’s some crappy little house the town provided me when I moved to town. I’m a weather captain! I’ve been to flight school. I could build a proper pegasus home in the sky over Ponyville if I really cared! So don’t talk like I chose my home, it’s just been convenient is all!” The embarrassed mare sharply huffed, and bolted off the deck, rushing over to the guards and pushed past those who got in her way until she found Bronze Feather, and suddenly the two mares were airborne, all before Dusk had really realized what had happened.

Leaning forward against the railing, Dusk rested his head in his hands, shaking it a little, while talking to himself. “I’m sorry, Dash. I didn’t mean it personally.” With one mare returned to her home and happy, Dusk was beginning to realize that he was now probably trapped in the middle of Dash and Applejack’s competitive relationship.

Derpy gave a little flustered wave at the stallion as he closed the bedroom door. She turned around, rushing back to her room, and locked the door behind her. Undisturbed, Amethyst continued to read, lying in bed and casually turning a page. “Well? What did you think of him, dear? He’ll make a fine tenant, right?”

Breathing heavily, Derpy looked up at her love, and tried to phrase the feeling she had into words. “It’s just… Didn’t you notice how he… or that he’s.. I mean, besides his brown hair, can you remember anything much about him?”

Confused by the flustered state that Derpy had worked herself into, Amethyst placed a bookmark on the page and looked up at her, more serious now. “What are you so worked up about? And I’d say his hair was more a fare dirty blond than brown.”

Still flustered, Derpy tried her best to again properly phrase the bad feeling she was having. “It’s just, I’m sure you noticed how he behaved, didn’t you? Time Turner, he said his name was, and he has an hourglass cutie mark. And he is good at fixing stuff. I just wish he stood out better, I am good at names and faces Amethyst! It’s why I’m a good mailmare! So how come I can’t remember his name or his face?”

A little worried, Amethyst got out of bed and gently put an arm around her lover's hips guiding her gently to the bed. “Calm down now, Derpy. And he has blue eyes, remember? And he’s so dashing! Besides, I checked his references, and he used to work at SSU Library. I’m sure if we ask Dusk in the morning, he’ll be able to confirm everything. I don’t know why you’re so worked up about a handsome and charming fellow. He even helped Dinky with some of her magic homework while I was doing the dishes.”

Leaning back into Amethyst’s arms, a nagging feeling still worried Derpy, and she chewed on her lip before asking her again. “Blue eyes? I’d have said they were more brown? Are you sure?”

Laughing a little, Amethyst kissed the mare softly, holding her close and rubbing her sides. “Look, Derpy! This is why you should wear your proper Royal Courier's suit on long delivers like that letter you took to Canterlot today! You’re still cold and tired and now you're worried about nothing! Yes, his eyes are a lovely light shade of blue. Really, you should calm down, dear.”

Relaxing against her lover, Derpy gave a sigh, and gently nodded. “You are right, he is really charming, but I feel like he’s dangerous too, you know? Like he has some strange air of excitement or adventure around him?” When Amethyst shook her head, Derpy gave in and nodded, curling up beside her love and chewing on her lower lip. “I could have sworn his eyes were brown...”

Dusk threw down the sheath of paperwork and pulled off his reading glasses, unable to keep from groaning while he squeezed a finger on the bridge of his nose. “Why, Dash?! Now I’m going to have to start interviewing ponies, and that’s only going to cause more questions to come up. Couldn’t you have just come to me and asked for help, if something was wrong?”

The library door clicked shut, and Dusk’s head snapped up, shocked for a moment before realizing from the sound of heavy armored boots in those footsteps that Bronze had returned from wherever she had been with Rainbow Dash. The tall mare leaned in the open library door, lit only by his single-shielded desk candle, and grinned at him. “My oh my, still up and doing paperwork, Dusk? And here I was just hoping to see if I could sneak on in and surprise you!”

Dusk was shocked at the flirty tone in Bronze’s voice, but pushed it aside, assuming she must have just been teasing him after the crazy day she must have had. As she approached his desk, the rich smell of apple cider on her breath reaffirmed that opinion. “No, I’d assumed you’d take up Dash’s offer, but I’m glad to put you up for the night if she didn't offer. Besides, I’ve been wanting to ask you about a few things, most of all, about Barb. Have you seen her since she went to Canterlot? Is she doing okay? Is Philo-...”

When Dusk fell silent, Bronze took it as a sign and stepped over to the couch, settling the heavy backpack that contained her armor down before sitting down on the couch herself. Dressed in the light, but stained, cloth padding armor she wore under her plate, the mare answered the last question for him. “Philomena is dying. The majority of the court doesn’t know it yet, but after the mess that happened today, I wouldn’t be surprised if most of Canterlot figures it out soon.”

This casually toned confirmation hit Dusk like a hammer, and he groaned, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. “I think I’ve known that for years, but thanks for the honesty. I think I knew it was going to happen someday, but-” He sighed, looking back up at Bronze. “How is Barb handling it?”

Bronze shook her head, casually untying the laces around her throat and pulling the armor to lay open, exposing her at the throat and chest, before lightly fanning her semi-exposed chest and the curve of her breasts with a hand. “Better than Princess Celestia expected, but she’s pouring herself into the little classes and lessons on dragon magic they’ve put together, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s keeping herself busy to avoid having to think about it.”

Dusk laughed a little with both momentary embarrassment and shock. He kept himself busy by bending over to pull open the bottom drawer of his desk, removing a painted hand fan that Rarity had given him some weeks ago when the heat of summer had been at its worst. Offering it out to the guard, Dusk gave a nod. “She is a tough young lady, but I doubt she’ll handle it well when it finally comes. She might look fourteen, but she was awake for centuries inside that egg, and other than The Princess, only Philomena has been with her for any fraction of that time.

Accepting the fan with a quiet murmur of thanks, Bronze began to fan herself, enjoying the cool breeze as it washed over her naked flesh, bare nipples erect. “The poor thing. So you could say that Princess Celestia and Philomena are like her mothers, and you are her father. But that can’t be all that’s bothering you, I doubt you have any paperwork relating to that on your desk, Dusk.”

Guiltily snapping his eyes to the paperwork, Dusk winced, and looked back at the bare-chested mare, worried for a moment that she might have already read enough of the cover page to know about Dash’s forgery. But as he watched the semi-topless mare fanning her face with the the paper fan, Dusk realized she clearly didn’t care, allowing him to relax a little once more. “Bronze, have you ever had to spend much time learning how the weather team in Canterlot manages things? Are they very strict with their paperwork and note keeping?” Acting casual, Dusk tried to phrase his questions to push her towards the topic without revealing his whole hand. “Just keep her distracted, keep her busy thinking about how hot it is in here. Besides, she’s probably a little drunk, she’ll probably forget all about this conversation by morning.”

Laughing a little, Bronze reached over and pulled the cup of water off Dusk’s desk, pouring a little of it on her head, and semi-naked chest, her shirt absorbing most of the runoff. When she started fanning herself again, goosebumps began to form all over her exposed, wet flesh, while she gave a small hissing sigh and low moan before finally answering. “The guards are given basic weather classes, nothing like at flight school in Cloudsdale; sorry, Dusk. They do like their paperwork, and that always made it easy for me. Paperwork and keeping track of time have always been easy things. What’s wrong? Dash’s paperwork not up to snuff?”

Dusk watched her for a while, and laughed a little as she relaxed. “Yes, definitely drunk. Fine, that makes things easier.”

“You’re right, Bronze. I think she just rushed this paperwork together to keep me happy, but her record keeping does add up. I just worry she might be hiding something if she has so little time to do even basic paperwork.”

Bronze gave a snort, and shook her head, still fanning herself while her eyes slitted closed and she relaxed, her breath becoming warm and airy in her own pleasure. “Nah, the fall is a crazy time for the weather teams everywhere. Besides, after what happened in Canterlot today, expect Dash to have a ton of extra work to deal with. That burst of sudden extra sunlight probably raised the temperature by a good ten or fifteen degrees in most places. If her math’s solid, I say green stamp it and send it off. As long as she hasn’t gone overbudget, nopony is gonna question her half as hard as you probably have.”

Dusk shot up, finally realizing what Bronze was talking about. "Wait, what?!! What happened to Princess Celestia?!!"

Bronze Feather turned a bleary eye towards Dusk, confused by his sudden excitement. Mumbling to herself as she pieced her words back together again, groaning when she finally realized what she had let slip. "Oh, Dusk! No, Dusk, no. Princess Celestia just pulled the sun a little closer and bathed herself and Philomena in a glorious tide of light. Like- like, like, like... like the Summer Sun Celebration, just bigger. It helped make Philomena feel better, and Barb said she hasn't been that warm and toasty since the time you forgot to close the grate on the fireplace and she- she.... she. She did the thing you know? Sleeping in the coals, right?"

Dusk winced and rested his face in both hands rubbing his fingers into his eyes while groaning. "She promised me, no more sleeping on the banked coals. It's just... just too damn freaky!" Drawing a careful breath; Dusk sighed and looked back over at Bronze "She's okay, right?"

Bronze laughed and pawed a hand lazily in the air between them, a broad and foolish smile returning. "She's fine. Princess Luna made her a new dress out of bent shadows, but she's so charming and good-natured. She just felt bad about losing her old dress."

Still worried, Dusk wrung his hands, and stared out the library window, and forced himself to smile a little. "That's Barb. The closest thing she has to a mother is ill, and she's worried about ruining a dress. Alright, I'll get the full story from Barb personally on Friday, but thanks for the truth, Bronze. But what about the weather team? Do we just pass it off as sunspots causing bad weather today? I will have to talk to Dash about damage control tomorrow."

For a while, silence filled the room, and Dusk avoided looking at the drunk mare, unsure if she had passed out on his couch. Testing her, he continued to talk. "I do hope Princess Celestia didn’t hurt herself taking such control over the sun.” Pushing aside Dash’s paperwork for tomorrow, Dusk looked at the list of other things he needed to deal with, and found he had only one thing left to clear from his long term to do list. “Bronze, I know you’ve never been in flight school yourself, but if I asked you to assist as a judge, do you think you could? I‘ve a young colt who just got his cutie mark in storm-making. Dash wants me to help get him tested for early acceptance to weather school, and for that I need a neutral judge who understands and can come observe his tests.”

For a while silence floated between them, before Bronze finally opened her eyes again, Dusk's voice must have distracted her from whatever happy daydream she had been busy with. Folding up the fan and putting it aside, she sat up and looked more seriously at Dusk. “I mean... if you give me a list of things he needs to do, basic maneuvering, dive and recovery, that kind of stuff, then yeah, I could handle it. What colt? And his talent is weather making or storm making? Cause either way, that’s rare.”

Dusk laughed a little, and tried to remember if there was a time the two had been together, at last giving in and shaking his head. “No, I doubt you’ve met him, but his older brother is Thunderlane, Dash’s assistant. His name is Rumble, and yes, according to Dash’s reports, he is really talented at making storms. Dash can handle the more technical side of setting up things as long as you are available to act as our independent judge.”

Quiet for a while, Dusk worried from the smooth and quiet way she breathed, that the mare might have passed out, with her eyes closed and her body limp back against the arm of the couch. Then, with great care, the mare spoke up again. “Tall for a colt, white wing feathers I think. He was sitting on the roof of his house with Thunderlane when we arrived in town, right? Cutie mark on his shoulder or something I think? Dark hair too?”

Dusk shook his head, laughing warmly to himself. “You’ve got a memory for those kind of details, just like Dash. It really is amazing that you can manage to remember and hold onto so many tiny details at once. Yes, that’s Rumble.”

Grinning to herself, Bronze flashed Dusk a crude smile. “Cute colt, it’ll be a shame to see him end up locked into a job that keeps him traveling all the time.” When she saw the worried look Dusk couldn’t hide, she laughed at him, winking playfully. “Don’t worry, Dusk. He isn’t half as cute as you are. Sure, find a time this winter, and as long as nothing suddenly comes up, I’ll come act as your judge. It’s always nice to see a pony master their cutie mark.”

At last realizing that he was alone in his home, with a half-naked mare that was probably both somewhat drunk, and just as arousing, Dusk forced himself to swallow back the thick lump in his throat and gave the mare a smile. “Thank you, Bronze. I’ll get in contact with Shining Armor and the admissions board at Weather School right away. For now, it’s late. There are blankets under the sofa if you end up needing any. I think it'd be better if you slept there rather then return to the guard camp. I’ll be heading to bed myself, after all, we’ve both got a busy day tomorrow.”

Watching as Dusk quickly retreated out of the room, Bronze lay back and put an arm over her face. When she heard the door of his bedroom slam and lock, for a moment, a lump formed in her throat and she really wanted to cry a little. Pulling the soaked shirt off, she gave it a sniff, wrinkling her nose as the strong cider smell that stuck to the fabric got to it. “Oh, Dusk. You could’ve been a gentleman and invited me upstairs instead. Did I overdo it with the spilt cider?” Quiet for a while, Bronze finally dug a dry hand towel from her heavy backpack, and poured more of the water over it, giving herself a quick sponge bath to wipe away the stink of the liquor. “Silk, you’re a good teacher, but I think you misunderstood how well the ‘drunk and casually nude’ mare would work on Dusk.”

Author's Notes:

My oh my, things are getting a little warm this week, eh?

I still love Angry Royal Canterlot Voice Luna :3

In the next part, the search for the smuggler gets serious, and we at last meet the smuggler.