Saturday, April 16th, 9am, Fluttershy’s Cottage, Ponyville

Gently scratching the bottom of Harry’s massive jaw, Fluttershy giggled at how the gigantic bear rumbled with delight at the simple attention. When he scooped her up and squeezed her tightly, she laughed brightly, feeling like a filly in his massive arms. After a few moments of the bear’s soft hug, Fluttershy pressed her hands into his coarse chest hair, pushing against him to give herself a little free space as she giggled at the cuddly giant. “Enough, enough! I don't need any more kisses, Harry! Go on your silly trip and have fun! It's not like you'll be gone so long that I forget your face!”

Releasing a murmuring grumble that made him sound like an oversized cub, Harry nuzzled Fluttershy’s cheek one last time before setting her down at his feet. He then lifted his snout into the air, sniffing aggressively at the wind, hunting for a promising scent. Pausing to gaze over at her one last time, Harry growled a sweet-natured goodbye and padded off towards the Everfree, following a half-remembered scent from a mountain stream he had successfully fished from in the past.

Waving as enthusiastically as she could, Fluttershy picked up her abandoned garden hoe and leaned on it before finally calling out to the bear as he began to disappear into the treeline. “Enjoy your fishing trip, you big galoot! Just try not to hurt anyone you don't have to!”

Returning to work on her summer garden, Fluttershy began to softly whistle along with the birds. Enjoying their song as it filled the air, she carefully adjusted her phrasing just a little bit to remove the lewd meaning of the bird’s song. After all, she wasn't like her bird friends, she wasn't looking for a mate, she had already fou-

“Fluttershy! Oh Fluttershy, darling!” Rarity’s melodic voice carried clearly through the open clearing around Fluttershy’s cottage. Peeking up from her hoeing for weeds, Fluttershy wished she had taken Dash up on at least some of the extra training she always offered. In situations like this she'd have loved the extra clarity of vision Dash treated so casually. Turning away from the garden a moment, Fluttershy stood on her toes and spread her wings before waving at Rarity, happy to see her beloved mistress, whatever her reason for visiting may be.

Rarity’s striking purple hair made her stand out clearly, but Fluttershy was sure the mare was being followed by a small group of other ponies. Nervously shifting her grip on the hoe, her wings folded in against her back. Reminding herself to stay calm, Fluttershy studied the distant ponies, but was unfortunately unable to make out any details from so far away. The one pony - or dragon, as it were - that Fluttershy could see accompanying Rarity was adorable little Barb. The small dragon was asking a question that carried through the clearing easily, and Fluttershy could hear the hesitant tone in her normally sweet voice. “But Rarity! Are you sure she won't mind?”

Shifting down to scoop up the short-legged dragoness in one arm, Rarity’s voice softened to a more private tone, but it was still just loud enough for Fluttershy to hear. “She's her own pony, Barb, but if I sweeten the deal enough for her, I don't see why she'd say no…” Shifting her free hand to begin scratching deeply under the curve of Barb’s jaw, Rarity giggled, loudly whispering into the dragon's earfin. “Besides! I convinced you to go gem hunting with me, despite the bargain you wanted! Fluttershy is a real softie in comparison!”

Blushing, Fluttershy called out to her lover, pouting only a little bit. “I'm not that much of a pushover, Rarity! But if you need a favor, you know I'll try to help. Just don't expect me to host a party for all of your friends behind you! I've got gardening to do, and Angel Bunny is off on a date with Lady Argyle; the lovely bun-buns are getting along so well!”

Something caused Rarity to hesitate, before the fashionista finally crossed over to the garden wall and placed Barb down on it. Smiling, Rarity shook her head before speaking. “Oh, no no, Fluttershy, darling. I promise you don't need to host any parties. You see, the thing is, today is my turn to host the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ weekly sleepover, but just this morning, I had a surprise visit from none other than…” Rarity’s voice went soft, filled with awe, and Fluttershy could see the stars in the mare’s eyes as she went to continue, “Sapphire Shores, the Pony of Pop! She saw the designs I made for Hoity Toity a few months back and literally begged me to make a dress for her new tour! Now I’ve hired Barb to come help me find and dig up sapphires for the design I've got in mind… but I can't just go dragging four innocent little foals all over Equestria hunting for gems to make my masterpiece!”

Nodding her head along with Rarity, Fluttershy went through a rapid series of emotions, including shock, joy and remorse, as Rarity spun her tale. Frowning, Fluttershy reached out to scratch Barb's spines to soothe her own frayed nerves. “Oh my! That's just so wonderful, Rarity! It's so lucky you got to meet a pony as popular and majestic as Sapphire Shores! So who did you find to foalsit the girls for you?”

The audible sound of Barb's open palm impacting her brow while she softly groaned just loud enough to make Fluttershy gasp with worry. “Oh dear! Are you alright, Barb, sweetie?”

Struggling not to burst into laughter at the innocence of her friend, Rarity took her hand from Barb's scales and stroked Fluttershy’s cheek with a thumb. “I'm sure she's fine, Fluttershy, really. But as for the foals, that's where I need your help. You see, my parents are away on a business trip to Trottingham, and Applejack is hosting Rainbow Dash and Bronze’s ‘training session’ in the apple orchard, and we both know that's just not something young foals need to see or get involved with.”

Nodding along with Rarity’s explanation, Fluttershy started counting off the foals’ families along with her mistress. “Oh dear! And I know that Derpy and Amethyst asked Big Mac to do the mail for them while they're in Canterlot for Ame’s checkup.”

“Exactly, Fluttershy!” Rarity’s voice sounded relieved. Fluttershy herself was glad that Derpy and Amethyst were going in for a checkup - the thought of little Dinky potentially having a baby sibling was almost too adorable! Rarity continued, seemingly unaware that Fluttershy had withdrawn into her own thoughts for a few seconds. “Thankfully or not, it turns out that Peppermint Twist’s family went to visit relatives over in Fillydelphia, so we only have four foals to find a sitter for…”

Frowning heavily now and her brow lowering, Fluttershy didn't even notice as a small pair of calloused hands politely took the hoe from her hands, so focused was she on Rarity's problem. Sighing, Fluttershy said, “Oh dear, oh dear. That really is a shame! Well… what about Dusk? He’s only a little bit absent-minded, but I'm sure with Barb's help… oh no, that won't work either! You need Barb for your sapphire hunt! I don't know who to suggest, Rarity! I love Pinkie, but… well, she is Pinkie…”

Shaking her head, Fluttershy could only offer Rarity and Barb a sad smile. “I'm really sorry, I don't know who else to suggest to foalsit for you, Rarity.”

Fluttershy nearly jumped out of her skin when an arm wrapped itself around her waist. She had already taken a half-step back before she looked over with wide eyes and saw that Dusk had apparently been one of the ponies following Rarity. Relaxing with a sigh, she stepped towards Dusk, wrapping her own arms around his waist as he squeezed her against him gently. She pressed her face in against his shoulder, glad to see he still seemed to be doing so well after Cloudsdale.

Smiling down at her, Dusk’s voice was playful, and Fluttershy knew from his tone that he’d heard her earlier. “Say! Fluttershy, would you be willing to foalsit the girls with me? I'm sure you could keep me focused on them and we could use it as an excuse to spend the day together.”

Blushing at how he was teasing her now, Fluttershy gazed up into Dusk’s eyes, her wings shuffling on her back in nervous excitement. Considering Dusk’s suggestion, Fluttershy leaned her head against his chest for a moment, eyes closing as she sighed contentedly. Her eyes opened in surprise when she heard the hoe hitting dirt, and turned towards her garden, discovering that Applebloom was weeding her garden with a happy smile. “Apple Bloom? Why- when did you get here?”

Rolling her eyes, the filly gathered the weeds she'd removed from the large carrot and lettuce patch, tossing them into Fluttershy’s compost pile before leaning on the hoe. “I came with everypony else, but since y’all were taking so long talking, I figured the least I could do is help you with your gardening. So will you host our Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover? Please?!”

Finally realizing she’d been set up the whole time, Fluttershy looked over to find the remaining three Crusaders already trying to look as pitiful as they could. Their eyes were all big, and lower lips were pushed out in a cute little pout on each face. Laughing softly, Fluttershy walked out of Dusk’s arm and pulled out her hankey, brushing dirt off Apple Bloom’s cheek. “Oh, of course I will! I'm not some monster, how could I refuse somepony so cute and willing to help me garden?”

Jumped by all four fillies at once, Fluttershy fell to the ground under their combined weight, giggling and struggling against the overexcited fillies. Dusk turned to Rarity, shaking his head. “Just, be careful while you’re out there, alright? We don't need some hole caving in on your heads.”

Dismissively waving his worries away, Rarity grinned. “Oh, pshaw! I found a decent-sized collection of sapphires on Applejack’s land years ago, and just never needed them enough to dig so many holes in… dirt until now. Even if I split them fifty-fifty with Barb, there are easily more than enough to make Sapphire Shores’ dress!”

Beaming from where she sat on the fence, Barb nodded enthusiastically. “Besides! We’ll be nice and close to the orchard, so if we do need extra help, Applejack, Bronze, and Rainbow Dash will be just a few minutes away!”

The fillies that were piled on Fluttershy finished thanking her, and finally let the pink-haired mare stand. As she stood up, she brushed her dress off, trying to get any dirt and dust off the fabric. Watching as the fillies ran off towards her cottage, Fluttershy smiled at their carefree attitudes. Turning back to Rarity, her soft voice lacked any of Rarity’s casual confidence. “Well… I suppose so… just, keep Barb or somepony close by? That way if you get stuck in a hole, she can go find help, okay?”

Helping Barb hop down off the fence, Rarity turned and stroked Fluttershy’s cheek tenderly. Giving the nervous mare a strong hug, Fluttershy was forced to stand up a little taller in the process. Standing on her toes to kiss the mare’s cheek before letting her go, Rarity’s voice was bubbling with joy. “I'll be fine darling, really I will. Now you two keep an eye on the fillies!”

The fashionista turned to Dusk to give him a hug. Standing on her toes once more, she kissed his cheek before whispering into his ear. “You had best be nice to her, Dusk Shine.” Winking at him, she turned away, brushing her tail against his leg before taking Barb’s hand and turning towards the bridge to leave.

Stepping into Dusk's side once again, Fluttershy wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him close. Resting her cheek on his shoulder, Fluttershy asked, “So how was your visit to Canterlot with Dash?”

Smiling as he placed his hands on her upper arms and began to knead softly, Dusk couldn’t help but chuckle softly with amusement. “Exhausting, but in a good way. You know Dash... she doesn’t do anything by half measures. She also, um…” Dusk broke off for a moment, and when Fluttershy looked up at him, he was blushing slightly. “Dash also decided to join the herd with Rarity, Applejack and I.”

Fluttershy smiled at him, and squeezed him again. “Well that’s fantastic, Dusk! I’m glad your trip went so well!” She placed her head on his shoulder again, and shuffled her wings on her back. She’d been meaning to preen them for the past day or so, but something always came up that seemed more pressing. Maybe she could…

Fluttershy felt the hot blush as soon as she thought of it, and tried to hide her face against Dusk, breathing in and getting a strong whiff of Dusk’s familiar scent. Trying to distract herself from even just the thought of asking Dusk to help preen her wings - What would he even say? - Fluttershy decided to change the subject. “So, Dusk, um… how is your back doing? Rarity said that spell of yours made it seem like it was fine. Do you need something extra, or is Redheart’s tea taking care of the pain?”

She felt as much as she heard Dusk’s chuckle. When he replied, he sounded almost sheepish. “Well, my back is doing as well as it has been. It was better after Cloudsdale, but… well, like I said, Dash went all-out. My back flared up in Canterlot, but it’s been manageable.”

Sighing, Fluttershy shook her head where it lay on Dusk’s shoulder. “Oh, Dusk. You have to put your foot down with Dash sometimes, or she’ll just walk all over you. She should know better, too, with your back. Are you sure you’ll be up to watching the fillies with me? I-if you need a rest or something, just tell me, and I’m sure-”

Dusk cut her off by placing a hand on her chin and turning her face to look up at him. Her blush returned full force when she saw his smile, and the caring in his eyes. “Fluttershy, I’ll be fine, don’t worry. We’re just making sure the fillies don’t do anything too crazy. It won’t be all that bad.” Raising an eyebrow, he winked at her, and she broke eye contact when she felt a hot shiver go down her spine and through her wings at his look. “Besides, if they do get out of hand, you have some of Redheart’s tea on hand, right? I’m sure that’d calm them down.”

Looking back up at him sharply, her eyes going wide, Fluttershy’s soft voice was indignant and reproachful. “Dusk Shine! We are not going to drug those poor little fillies simply because they get out of hand, and- oh, Light, you.” She broke herself off when she saw Dusk laughing softly at her, and she pressed her forehead against his clavicle. “You are just awful sometimes… even if it would probably work.” She felt Dusk’s arms tighten around her for a moment, and she let out a happy sigh before she turned to see what the fillies were up to.

Sweetie Belle was sitting on the hem of her dress, trying to help Applebloom out in Fluttershy’s garden, while Scootaloo and Dinky were running laps around the short wire fence that protected the chicken coup.

Suddenly, Henrietta, the bravest of Fluttershy’s chickens, apparently ignoring the noise of the frollicking foals, wandered out of the coop, just far enough down the wooden bridge to begin pecking at a patch of grass that some part of her mind saw as promising and tasty.

Outside the fence, Scootaloo let out a loud whoop and bounded over the short wood and wire wall, crying back at Dinky. “Ohhh! It's a chicken! Bet you I can catch her first!”

Caught up in the moment and laughing excitedly, Dinky vaulted the fence and bolted off running in the opposite direction of Scootaloo, laughing happily. “No way will you catch her first! Have you ever chased a chicken before? They're good dodgers and really quick!”

The hen, quickly encountering not one, but two larger creatures interested in chasing her, threw back her head and let out a terrified cry for help as she began to run wildly around the tiny fenced yard.

With a powerful cry, a towering rooster burst out of the small hen house, his wild, red-tinged eyes snapping rapidly around to find the source of Henrietta’s panic. Leveling a sharp glare on the young fillies, the young, but prideful rooster cried out a challenge before launching into a chase. Nearly three times the size of the hen, his sharp beak shot out in rapid snaps, attempting to snatch either girl's tail. Before they knew it, the fillies were fleeing the rooster, their game of chasing the hen entirely forgotten.

Collapsing flat on her back, Applebloom kicked her feet in the air as she burst out in laughter. Attempting to speak between sobbing gasps, she finally managed to cry out. "So much for being the Cutie Mark Crusaders Chicken Chasers! Now you're gonna get your cutie marks in losing a game of chicken with a chicken!"

Barely able to hold in a laugh at the sight of the two fillies running from the rooster, Fluttershy squeezed Dusk before letting him go and walking towards the chicken pen. “C’mon, Dusk. Charlie is usually such a good-natured rooster, but if he thinks one of the hens is in trouble, he'll peck holes all over those girls.”

11 a.m., Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville

Dash soared high above the clouds where her weather team was hard at work dispersing the darker masses. Something about the way the wind blew through her wings made Dash pull her lance in close to her, enjoying the coolness of the metal shaft while flying high in the air. The thrill in soaring freely in the sky over Ponyville with her mother's weapon made Dash shiver in excitement. As she passed the edge of town and entered the sky above the Apple’s orchard, she could easily spot Applejack and Bronze pushing an awkward wheelbarrow loaded full of purple velvet blankets into a secluded corner of the orchard. As she turned to end the joyfully lazy way she had been flying, turning into a steep dive for the ground near their destination, she could make out Winona talking to Big Mac and Zecora by a corner of the orchard bordering the Everfree Forest.

Watching her stallion turn an apple bud slowly between his massive fingers, Zecora envied Macintosh’s casual connection to plant life. She knew well enough how to make nearly every plant grow, and what two to combine to cure any kind of fever or flu, but if a plant turned brown and wilted, she was as helpless as any other pony to care for the dying flora.

Turning the tiny bud over with his thumb, Mac gave a slow sigh and shook his head before giving a single, slow wave to Winona. Instantly the dog girl bolted into the trees as if she had been waiting on the edge of her nerves for whatever his message was. Feeling a little left out of their world, Zecora stepped closer to her stallion, hugging his free arm, enjoying the powerful muscles against her flesh. “I heard no decree, why did she flee?”

As stoic as ever, the titanic stallion watched the spot where the pup had been in silence for a moment, before releasing the tree bud and turning to cup her cheek, rubbing her jawline with the rough skin of his thumb. “She likes to be around when Applejack starts training with Dash and Bronze. And there was no message to pass on to Applejack. There is still no change with the fruit growing on the trees for Appleloosa. The trees are growing their roots deep to conserve water in the hot sun of the desert around Appleloosa, but they store too much water deep underground, and their fruit suffer. Finding a balance is difficult. Frustrating.”

Leaning into Mac’s powerful hand, Zecora kissed his knuckle before gazing deep into his eyes. “Despite your talent, you can't force a tree to be a bird. To do otherwise would simply be absurd. Don't be too hard on yourself, find balance in what you need, and ask no more than that of the seed.”

Smiling softly, Mac leaned down, and pressed a kiss to her lips. Zecora smiled and drew her arms around his shoulders, her lips drifting to his ear after the kiss broke off. Her next words were a whisper just for him. “If you're finished with your trees and seeds, there’s something you can do to satisfy my needs. I've fertile land for you to plow, should you have time for me now.” Blushing brightly, Mac accepted Zecora's hand, and found himself being led into the Everfree Forest.

Watching the way Mac and Zecora looked at each other as they wandered away into the Everfree Forest, Dash decided she knew what they had in mind and left them alone. She adjusted her grip on her lance to use it as a walking stick, pushing between the tightly interwoven branches of the Apples’ trees and doing her best to avoid damaging any of them. The last thing she needed was another of Applejack’s lectures on how important each and every tiny branch in the orchard was to the Apple farm.

Following the winding path further into the orchard, heading straight for the clearing, Dash nearly jumped into the air when Winona popped up from out of nowhere, standing in a bush and grinning like a fool while wagging her tail eagerly. “Caught you, Rainbow Dash! Caught you sneaking in the orchard! Caught caught caught! Betcha AJ will wanna know if you're here to steal cider again, ain't you!”

Groaning at the giddy puppy’s insistence on making noise, Dash sighed. Reaching out to scratch the dog's ears, she chuckled and said, “Okay okay, you caught me, but do you gotta be so loud!? Besides, you know I come here to spar with AJ and Bronze. If I wanted more cider, I'd just buy another keg from Mac!”

Visibly confused by Dash’s answer, Winona pouted a little, tilting her head sideways as if trying to look at Dash from a different angle while backing up a few steps. “I suppose you do come here for wrestling a lot. And you almost always bring that metal stick when you come to wrestle with Applejack these days… well, just promise you won't hurt her, or I'll bite you so hard!”

Winona barely waited for Dash’s nod before grinning to herself and giddily prancing away into the trees, disappearing from sight even as she proudly barked loudly, announcing her presence to the world the whole time. Shaking off the dog’s protective behavior, Dash rolled her eyes and followed the path, glad to see the thicker wall of trees that marked the border of the clearing.

As Dash entered the clearing and moved to strike a casual pose while resting the weight of her lance nonchalantly over her shoulder, she couldn't help but feel her eyes drawn to the massive pile of velvet bags piled between Applejack and Bronze, despite her attempt to appear disinterested in it. She was also shocked to see the impressive heavy platemail armor that the royal guard was wearing, along with the sword clipped to her belt. So far as Dash was aware, Bronze had always only shown an interest in lances and spears.

Shaking herself and doing her best to present an air of disinterest and act far more casual than she felt, Dash gave a clod of loose grass a kick. “So? I'm here, but it'll be awfully awkward for you two to spar with so much stuff to trip over. Is this all just here to make a two-on-one fight even more stacked in my favor?”

To Dash’s disappointment, neither mare took up her boastful challenge. Instead Bronze lifted one of the smaller sacks, tossing it squarely at Dash’s head. “Oh, just shove it, you blowhard! I had this set of armor commissioned for you since you made it clear you were serious about helping me protect Dusk. Rarity did the silk linings and provided Shining Armor’s blacksmith with your measurements for the chainmail, so now you can stop stealing my damn spare shirt of lighter armor.”

Just barely managing to snatch the velvet bag out of the air before taking it full in the face, Dash nearly fell backwards at the surprising weight of the bag. When she’d righted herself, she tried not to look giddy as she pulled the knot free on the drawstring and opened it. “Wait, what? You had Shining Armor’s smiths make me a suit of real armor?! Just tell me it's not that crazy plate stuff you and those other earth ponies that pretend to be pegasi wear, right? ‘Cause that looks way too heavy! There's no way I'd be able to pull off any cool moves in stuff like that!”

Admiring the thin light silk shirt and pants that she tugged free of the sack, Dash didn't even notice Applejack until she got nudged in the hip from the side. “How’s about you try it on first and make jokes after you try taking flight? ‘Cuz she got me a nice and shiny shoulder plate... shield... thing, and I need practice gettin’ used to the heavy scrap of metal; it makes me feel so off balance."

Both mares were surprised when Bronze started laughing so hard she needed to bend over. Bronze was forced to support her weight by resting her hands on her hips, the heavy, layered plates of her armor nearly throwing her totally off balance as she shook her head. “I already told you, Applejack! You were wearing it, but not holding your hammer. It's designed to help you keep balance while swinging your hammer! It works, you'll see, I swear.”

Too excited to be subtle, Dash rushed to change into the light silk shirt and pants, not minding changing in front of her two lovers. When she’d finished, she enjoyed the soft materials’ perfect fit for only a second before she practically skipped over to Bronze’s side. Fishing through the bags at random, she asked, “So… is there some order I need to open these in? Or is it just kinda one package at a time?”

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Bronze grabbed a larger sack from the side of the pile, giving a slight grunt as she hoisted it at Dash with an under arm toss. The effort Bronze put into her throw and the clanking of metal rubbing on metal warned Dash to take catching this bag a little more seriously. Even then, when she caught it, she was shocked at how heavy the bag felt.

Setting it down and eagerly ripping open the knot and draw string, the enamel-washed chainmail shirt inside was not as simple as the shirt Bronze had let her wear. Instead, it was woven over a thick and rough cotton tunic dyed purple, with Dusk’s sigil emblazoned on the chest. Holding it up, she noticed the tome and scroll emblem Dusk had started using as a magistrate. Ignoring her momentary confusion at the presence of Dusk’s sigil, she began the struggle to pull the heavy cotton lined vest on.

After a few moments, Applejack finally took pity on her blind, flailing efforts, and helped pull the bunched up tunic down over her wings, letting the pegasus fidget until she could get her wings out the back. When Dash was finally able to see Bronze again, she tried striking a pose. “Well? What do you think? Is this the second best suit of armor I'll ever wear before I earn my Wonderbolts outfit?”

Businesslike, Bronze grumbled lightly and walked over until she could grab Dash around the hips, drawing a leather belt up that Dash had totally missed in her excitement. She fastened it down tightly before repeating the process with a leather harness that ran around the base of her wings and across her chest, securing the loose chainmail tunic tightly around the athlete's slender frame. With those straps properly done up, Bronze circled around Dash and gave her another, more detailed inspection, slowly nodding her approval. “It's nowhere near as flashy as a Wonderbolts uniform, but at least if the three of us show up somewhere in our armor, we won't look like three idiots in rusty scrapmail. I doubt the purple and Dusk’s sigil will ever be remembered for any epic military uniform, but at least we'll look like we belong together.”

Waiting for Bronze to finish her inspection before finally breathing out, Dash fished through another of the bags, not bothering to bug the guard mare with anymore questions. Finding heavy plate mail boots that resembled Bronze’s old impact greaves and matching gauntlets. They were all enamelled in a dark purple lacquer that nearly matched the purple dye on the cotton lining for her chainmail shirt, as well as a matching pair of chainmail pants.

Trying to dress as quickly as she could, Dash could only stop and stare when Applejack started strapping on a massive piece of plate mail that covered her left arm and shoulder. Its sheer size reminded Dash of the bigger shields the royal guards had been carrying during the Summer Sun Celebration. With a matching lacquer to the rest of her outfit, and engravings that radiated so much magic that Dash’s wings were tingling, she couldn’t help but wonder how Applejack didn’t find it overwhelming.

Straightening up after tightening the straps on the greaves, Dash flexed and shifted, walking around in a few small circles to try to identify and adjust to the ambient magic in the metal on her feet. Breathing out a slow sigh, she turned, only to meet eyes with Bronze as the guard lowered her steel helm into place. Grinning and fetching up her lance, Dash dropped into the ready stance they had drilled into her at school. “So, do we finally get to fight? Cuz all this feels fantastic, but I just gotta try them out to really be sure.”

12pm, the road to Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville

Rarity was only too delighted to pause and wave to Granny Smith as the old mare sat in a rocking chair on the farmhouse patio. It was an excuse to let the darling old mare admire her fine tan excavation outfit. It came complete with knee-length shorts that clung to her hips and ass tightly, a showpiece aluminum and teak wood pickaxe, and a cargo sack with sorting bags and a very expensive gem appraisal monoscope. Blowing Granny a kiss while adjusting the silk handkerchief that held down and protected her hair, Rarity turned to follow the old mare’s directions, even though she hadn't really needed them. Where else would Applejack and Dash be with Bronze but in the orchard?

Waving a second goodbye, Rarity giggled when Barb adjusted her weight and grip just as Rarity pivoted on one heel, before the dragoness complained lightly. “You could walk a bit more slowly, Rarity. This is exactly why Dusk only carries me if he's in a hurry!”

Dismissively waving away Barb's complaint, Rarity stroked at the dragon's jaw. “Oh, hush! It was hard enough adjusting Sweetie Belle’s Filly Guide outfit to fit you. By the Light, there is no way I'm going to let you get it any dirtier than absolutely necessary! Besides! We're practically wearing matching outfits; it's simply adorable!”

Jerking in surprise, and now really confused, Barb shifted her weight again, gripping the back of the mare’s wrapped hair for balance. Clearing her throat before approaching this with logic that Dusk would have found impeccable, she voiced the question that Rarity’s words had brought up. “Err, Rarity… you made me wear this outfit to go digging for sapphires… but you don't want me getting it dirty?”

There was an audible gasp of woe as Rarity placed a hand over her heart with a genuine sigh of sorrow. “Well, of course! It's her Filly Guide outfit. They have a meeting on Tuesday, and keeping it clean is part of her duties as a Filly Guide.”

Deflating into Rarity’s hair, Barb gave a frustrated groan. “See, this is why I argued so much! I don't want to break Sweetie Belle’s heart! She's just too sweet!”

Pausing to tap at the curl of her lower lip, Rarity continued to absent-mindedly mutter to herself. "...though I suppose she does have those two spare outfits I made her last year when the Filly Guides asked me to try redesigning the Fillies’ uniform..."

Drooping over and hanging her head, Barb accepted her fate. Clearly nothing she said was getting through to Rarity just right now. “Fine, fine! Let's just go get this digging started. I'm getting hungry, and a sapphire or two would really hit the spot right about now.”

Shaking her head and chuckling softly in amusement, Rarity marched on to the apple orchard. “First we check in on the girls. Just because I'm not as interested in fighting as my darling Applejack or Dash, doesn't mean I don't at least want to check up and make sure they haven't gotten carried away and kicked in one another's heads.”

As Rarity and Barb came to the edge of the thick orchard, the sound of muffled crashing from deep inside told them their friends were already deeply involved in their combat expertises.

Suddenly, a powerful bang of metal rang out through the air. Barb tightened up around Rarity’s neck, slinking low and shaking her head. “That really doesn't sound good. Are you sure we should get involved?”

Dismissively waving her hand, Rarity forged on into the trees. “Oh, pish posh! They aren't so crazed with bloodthirst to ever accidently hurt us.”

As the sounds of competitive full contact battle continued, a second resounding bang blew through the woods, followed by a violent shockwave that staggered Rarity. Overhead, Dash had cried out as she was tossed high into the branches of a nearby apple tree. Clearly upset as she cried her frustration, Dash’s voice rang out from the trees above as she struggled to free herself from the branches. “Hey- F-foul! Bronze said no kicking!”

Stepping into the clearing, Rarity and Barb gathered under the tree Dash was in while the pegasus continued to struggle. After a few more moments, she gave a cry of victory before finally bursting free. Unfortunately, a branch caught her wing and she ended up crashing to the ground, landing hard on her ass. She just barely managed to keep hold of her lance despite it getting caught up in the branches on her way down.

Grinning smugly, Applejack rested her hammer on her bare shoulder before turning to look towards Bronze. Swaggering a little as she paced back and forth on the far side of the clearing, Applejack shrugged broadly. “I thought you said knock each other over however you can, Bronze. Right?”

Bronze rolled her eyes before leaning into her shield and slamming into Applejack’s armored arm, the blow knocking the earth pony off balance due to the top-heavy nature of her new armor. Arms flailing as she windmilled them, as she tried to find something to grab to catch her balance, before crying out like a filly as she fell over. “Woooaahhhh!”

Straightening up and bowing to Rarity, Bronze removed her helm with her shieldless arm, bracing the helm against her chest while smiling gently. “My lady. I do apologize, but as you can see, I am currently teaching my students how to not fall on one’s ass. I’m afraid your herd sisters aren't quite used to the weight of their armor yet. If I’d known you were coming, I’d have tried to set up something more impressive to entertain you.”

Crossing the clearing and wetting a silk hanky with her tongue, Rarity gently rubbed dirt from Bronze’s nose and cheek before kissing the guard mare on the cheek. “No no, don’t worry about putting on a show for me. I’m like Fluttershy, I’m really not the kind to be entertained by a bunch of fools running around beating each other over the head. I’m more into something more… intimate. Maybe... nude oil wrestling.” With a wink at Bronze’s blush, Rarity turned towards Applejack and reached out, grabbing her hand, intending on helping pull her to her feet. “Are you okay? We really do need to avoid you scrambling your brains, darling.”

Instead of accepting Rarity’s help standing up, Applejack pulled the dressed-up mare into her lap, powerful arms sliding around the slender mare's hips. “Hello to you too, hun. You'll be glad to know that all my brains are right where they belong for now. You got Fluttershy’s help with the fillies?”

Grinning up at Applejack, Rarity took a moment to untangle the shellshocked Barb from her shoulder, passing her to a rather befuddled-looking Bronze, who struggled to hold the now-wriggly dragoness in her arms. Then she placed both hands on Applejack’s head, pulling her lover down a little while sitting up in Applejack’s lap. She stretched up and kissed the top of Applejack’s head, despite how awkward the position was. “Oh don’t worry so much. Sweetie Belle took her school work and is under orders to go read quietly if Apple Bloom and Scootaloo become too overwhelming for Dusk and Fluttershy, and Dinky is a kind-hearted foal. You've seen how good she is despite her mother’s accident prone nature.”

Releasing Applejack, Rarity made to stand up, but Applejack’s arms suddenly tightened around her waist. The taller mare buried her nose in against Rarity’s neck, breathing in and laughing softly against her neck. “Cute outfit by the way, Rares. What’ll it take to convince you to wear it later on?” Applejack’s hands slid from Rarity’s waist and gripped the smaller mare’s ass.

Giggling, Rarity gently bit Applejack’s neck before brushing her nose against Applejack’s. “Be a good girl, and we’ll see, love.”

Laughing loudly now, Applejack stood with Rarity still in her arms, chuckling again at the surprised noise that Rarity let out. Setting the unicorn down on her feet, Applejack turned and picked up her warhammer before turning back to look at Rarity, whose face was suddenly serious.

Clearing her throat, Rarity said, “Now you understand we're here to dig up sapphires, right? I know I showed you where I want to dig, but you won't lose your cool if I accidentally dig up a couple of carrots or something, I trust?”

Frowning, Applejack cocked her head as she looked at her lover. Finally she gestured past the trees of the orchard, to parts of the distant fields she could only picture in her head. “Now Rarity, if you can't tell a field of four foot corn stalks ain't a good place to dig, I think I'm allowed to get growly at you, hun. But the places you marked out aren't part of any of the fields this year, so we can fill in the holes your lil’ expedition might leave behind.”

Smiling fondly up at Applejack, Rarity gazed across the clearing for a moment, watching Bronze as she helped Dash stand up and start to stiffly walk around to work off the side effects of Applejack’s kick. Rarity leaned up against her lover, speaking softly. “Thanks for letting me have all these sapphires, darling. Now do try to avoid hurting Dash too much. You’ll break your foot before you ever put a dent in her rock head.”

Glancing at Dash over Rarity’s shoulder, Applejack stifled a laugh, but gave a slight nod. “Don't worry, I really didn't mean to hit her that hard. I'll try to keep her intact. I've got a soft spot for her too, ya know.”

Rarity laughed as she relaxed and leaned forward on her toes, reaching up to kiss Applejack one last time. When the taller mare pulled Rarity into a tight hug, she was tempted to just linger in the comfortable spot made just for her in the powerful mare’s arms. Resignedly letting out a sigh, she drew free, whistling to Barb as she strutted her way over to the little wyvern, smiling disarmingly at Bronze and Dash. “Alright girls, thanks for the visit, but unlike you three, Barb and I have work to do. Feel free to come join us whenever you grow bored of jousting with Applejack’s trees.” Winking playfully at them, Rarity snatched up the dragoness before disappearing into the tree line.

Crouched down and scratching with a foot at fleas in his back fur, the sudden, distracting smell of rare jewels set his nose to wild sniffing. Nothing in the world was like it, and Spot’s keen nose for the shiny gems had earned him a high ranking in the pack despite his small stature. Now he smelled sapphires - just sitting out in the open air! Greed replaced caution, and ignoring Fido and Rover, he crept forward on his belly, keeping flat to the grass to peek over the little curve of the hill. Until today, they'd gone for weeks without discovering a worthwhile vein of shinies, and the thought of a whole pile of them being just out of sight was impossible to ignore.

He peered just an inch over the hill’s crest, sniffing aggressively at the sweet scent of sapphires on the wind. As he inched through the heavy bush, the smell grew so strong, he could hardly hold back the urge to drool. To his delight, the source of the smell turned out to be a simple picnic basket, just… sitting in the grass in the open field. Inching further forward, to the edge of the bush, he searched for who was guarding the shiny stones. To his shock, a pony stood over the basket, the glow of their magic cascading through the air. Then the ground by her feet glowed, and she turned to call at someone else.

Risking inching ever closer, Spot knew he was about to lose the cover of his bush, as the pony was easily less than a hundred feet away. Their sense of smell wasn't that good, right? It came as a total shock to the canine when a purple and green lizard, caked in dirt and mud, excitedly rushed to the pony’s side. When the pony pointed down at the point where its magic was glowing, the dragon dove into the dirt and digging with all four limbs, assisted by its tail throwing aside the dirt. Soon the little lizard had dug so deep, she disappeared from sight for a few moments, before popping back up with… a crystal blue shiny clutched in each hand! And a third gripped in its maw! “That pony owns a digging lizard that's even better than any dog! I've got to tell Fido! He won't ever believe this!”

3pm, Fluttershy’s Cottage

Setting the cot down, Fluttershy leaned the folding bed up against the couch, before dusting off her hands and straightening her back, bracing her hands on her lower back for support. Following her, Dusk carried a matching cot, eyeing the crowded room for a moment before setting his beside Fluttershy's. Straightening up, he looked at the coffee table in front of the couch. “I suppose if we put that coffee table behind the couch, that would free up a little more space to set up cots for the other two fillies, right?”

“Oh that's a great idea, Dusk!” Bubbling with excitement, Fluttershy rushed over so she could bend down to grab one side of the heavy wood table. She stopped, though, when the raspberry glow of Dusk’s magic enveloped the heavy wooden table and the awkward mess of clutter that covered the surface.

Moving with care and using two hands to help guide the table up over the little lamp beside the couch, Dusk offered her a playful wink. “No reason to risk spilling all this everywhere. Now everything is exactly where you left it, so when we put it back tomorrow, there's no need to go hunting around trying to put things back where they belong.”

The sudden crash of a chair behind them tipping over and impacting the floor of the kitchen made Fluttershy’s heart jump into her throat. Spinning around, she was flooded with relief to see a blushing Scootaloo rubbing the back of her head while getting back on her feet from where she had been leaning heavily in the chair with a sheepish mumble of, “Sorry Fluttershy. I was just showing Sweetie Belle how Dash can lean way further back in her chair than anypony else.”

Sticking her tongue out at Scootaloo, Apple Bloom snickered before commenting under her breath. “Yeah, and you ain't Rainbow Dash. She's got her cutie mark in being cool.”

Realizing she had better get the girls busy doing something soon before they got even more creative in entertaining themselves, Fluttershy turned to Dusk, her voice hesitant. “Have you got this? We still need one more cot and I think I'd better go deal with the girls before it gets out of hand in there.”

Dusk had also been watching the foals, but at Fluttershy’s question he glanced down at the simple folding cots and scratched a few fingers over the stubble on his jaw. “It should be easy enough, Fluttershy. You said the pillows and blankets are just in the shelf above the spare cots, right? I'll finish making these beds up and join you as quickly as I can before the girls get to be too overwhelming. It was a good idea for you to keep these spare cots from the hospital. You must have to host ponies who come from out of town for veterinary surgeries sometimes.”

Blushing nervously, Fluttershy paused on her way to the girls in the kitchen and looked back at him from over her shoulder. “Well, sometimes… but ever since Harry moved into the basement, most ponies feel better staying at Berry Punch’s tavern.” Shaking her head, Fluttershy was quick to rush over to the fillies, her tail gathering up to lay casually over her right hip while she put a hand on Scoot’s back, picking up the seat she’d knocked over and gently pushing her to sit down again while interrupting their conversation. “Alright girls, so what do you want to do today?”

Unsure, Dinky sat slunk forward in her chair, rubbing her chin. “Well… I don't know, Fluttershy. I suppose-”

But Dinky’s slow and thoughtful attempt at conversation dropped off as she was interrupted. Climbing up into the seat that Fluttershy directed her, Scootaloo only briefly looked at the other three foals, then sat as tall as she could when she could see none of them really had an answer, sitting forward so she could confidently declare, “We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

Gasping happily, Apple Bloom jumped up out of her seat to stand at her full height, bracing on the table with both hands, building on Scootaloo’s energy. “And we wanna crusade for our cutie marks!”

With her eyes shooting wide open Sweetie Belle stood up in her chair, leaning on Fluttershy for balance and thrusting a fist into the air as she got lost in the others’ energy. She grinned at Dinky’s shocked expression as she joined the other fillies in declaring their independence. “And we…! Um… uh… yah! What they said!”

Nervously putting her hands on Sweetie Belle’s hips to steady the tiny filly, Fluttershy looked around, eyes wide with panic at how quickly she lost control of the excitable fillies. “Uhhh… what about a nice quiet tea party instead?”

Jumping up onto her chair on Fluttershy’s other side, Scootaloo gazed out the window, her eyes wide with enthusiasm. “Or! We can go adventuring in the Everfree Forest!”

Gasping again at Scootaloo’s inspiring idea, Apple Bloom nodded excitedly and grabbed Dinky’s hands as she leapt onto her chair beside Scootaloo, joining in with Sweetie Belle as she cried out with pure foalish glee, “Yeah!”

Staring up at the other girls, Dinky was slower to catch up with their enthusiasm, but as her eyes grew wide, she started to hop excitedly from foot to foot. “Ohhh! That's a really good idea!”

Desperate to get control of the foals again, Fluttershy threw her wings out wide to separate the fillies from one another, her worried tone growing far more serious. “Oh no! Girls, the Everfree Forest is much too dangerous! It’s filled with far too many strange creatures!”

Closest to Fluttershy and blocked from seeing either of the other girls, Sweetie Belle put a hand to her chin, looking up into Fluttershy’s eyes as she frowned and shook her head. “But you and Dusk could go with us like you guys all do for Princess Celestia sometimes.” Her eyes widened, and a wide smile split her face. “And! And we could catch those creatures! We could be the... Um... The Cutie Mark Creature Catchers!”

Looking at one another on their side of Fluttershy’s wing, Scootaloo whispered quickly to Apple Bloom, then jumped up onto the taller filly’s shoulders, accepting the floor rug as Apple Bloom handed it up to her. Balancing precariously and wearing the hairy rug like a robe, she cried out in her best monstrous voice. “Rawr! I’m a dangerous creature from the Everfree Forest! Rawr!”

Giggling with delight, Sweetie Belle jumped down from her chair, running around Fluttershy, who was shocked at the girls’ boundless energy. Grabbing Dinky’s hand and dragging her to stand with her between Fluttershy and the other girls, Sweetie Belle did her best to thrust out her chest, holding up her hand and Dinky’s to stop the ‘monster’ before crying out as defiantly as she could. “Halt, dangerous creature of the Everfree Forest! I am Sweetie Belle, the creature catcher! And I am here to catch you!”

Giggling, Dinky stood up to her full height, let her horn glow idly with some magic to frame herself and Sweetie’s more assertive stance while gesturing with her chin aggressively. “Yeah! And we're gonna stop you monster, you!”

Rising up as high as she could on top of Apple Bloom’s shoulders, Scootaloo boastfully shot back at her. “You cannot catch me! I’m far too powerful and dangerous!” Then they took off across the kitchen, running around the table.

Stamping a foot, Sweetie Belle cried out, giggling and sharing a nod with Dinky before rushing after the ‘monster’, both fillies crying out defiance. “You cannot run from us!”

Hands on her cheeks as she was overwhelmed by the girls once more, Fluttershy was near tears and hyperventilating with the effort of trying to keep up with their ever-shifting game. “Ummm, maybe that’s not such a… um… how about we do some nice colouring. Ohhh…! Don’t-” Turning from their circles around the table, Apple Bloom ran towards the open door to the living room where Dusk was still setting up the cots. Yet before they could get close to him, Apple Bloom’s foot caught on the little table that held a pot just past the doorway, tipping the foals who crashed to the ground with a predictable bang. Heart in her throat, Fluttershy rushed forward to check on the pile of fillies for injuries while finishing her thought. “-break anything.”

Head hanging, Sweetie Belle rolled over on top of the pile, helping Dinky climb free before accepting Fluttershy’s offered hand while apologizing right away. “Sorry Fluttershy.”

With Sweetie Belle’s weight off her back, Scootaloo crawled off Apple Bloom, on her knees, hanging her head at the sight of the shattered pot. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Rolling over, Apple Bloom dusted off her knees and gave a little sigh, poking the broken side table with her foot, guilt full in her voice. “Guess we aren't creature catchers after all.”

Thoughtfully, Dinky gave a little shrug. “At least, not while we're inside Fluttershy’s house…”

Dropping to her knees and gently drawing all the girls into her arms and wings, Fluttershy gave a happy sigh, unworried by the broken pot or side table. “Oh girls, it’s okay-”

Interrupting Fluttershy as a sudden spark of creativity dawned on her, Apple Bloom grabbed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s wrists and stood up, dragging them both out of Fluttershy’s hug. “Wait! I know, we can be… um... Cutie Mark Crusader, Carpenters!”

6 p.m., Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville

Rarity couldn't help herself but giggle lightheartedly as she watched Barb dive headfirst into digging again, pausing to crouch down beside the basket of sapphires, counting them for a second time. “Poor little Barb, she’s already eaten... nine? Ten gems. I know she doesn't get treats like this that often, but maybe I shouldn't let her take all of hers home with her. She seems bound to gorge herself on the rest before she even has a chance to appreciate their beauty…”

The delighted cry from the little dragoness told Rarity she had found the latest clutch of jewels, and with a fond sigh, she stood, using her magic to pull a spare towel and a water canteen from her fashionable but functional backpack. Holding up one hand, she called out to the mud-coated little dragon. “Stop right there, Barb. You've been working very hard, but enough is enough! You need a wash!”

Striding boldly out of the newly dug hole, Barb dripped dirt and mud the whole way. However, when ordered to stop by Rarity, her once proudly puffed out chest deflated and she drew the handful of small gems close, clutching them tightly while pouting up at the unicorn. “What?! You never said anything about that! If you think I need a bath, just give me the towel and I'll go home and wash, there's no need-”

The splash as Rarity upturned the canteen over Barb's head mid-sentence drowned out the shocked dragoness’ complaints, with the towel telekinetically flying to work the moment the water had made contact. With some serious scrubbing and the additional assistance of a scale brush that Rarity had not-so-innocently kept hidden in her backpack, as well as a transparent oil Rarity knew to be good for the fussy dragoness’ scales, soon the growling, spitting dragon was soothed into a chirping ball. Wrapping her up in a second towel, Rarity offered Barb a modicum of privacy while handing her the modified filly guide uniform again. “There! You look simply regal again, even after all that mud! Now get dressed, you silly goof, and we can go back to town in style, not slinking along shyly all covered in mud.”

Accepting the outfit and muttering a little again, Barb started to dress in the protective shield of the towel. “After all the time we’ve spent playing dress up, and now bombarding me with this bath, we could have had all this done in like… two hours tops if you would have just let me handle it all.”

Giggling softly, Rarity reached out, pulling the towel curtain aside so she could reach out and cup the little dragoness’ cheek, before leaning in, her voice a tender whisper. “Now now, Barb, we got it all done in the end regardless, and we got to spend some quality time together. You had fun, right?”

Grumbling, Barb blushed and covered herself with the outfit in her hands despite having spent the last few hours digging in the nude, besides the layers of protective mud. Churring self-consciously at the strokes from Rarity’s thumb across her muzzle, Barb finally gave her a little nod and a sigh. “Of course I had fun spending time with you, Rarity. You’re fun. You drive me nearly as crazy as Dusk, but you’re still fun.”

Laughing at how Barb was torn between grumbles and noises of enjoyment at her scratches, Rarity leaned in, and rewarded Barb with a soft kiss on her cheek. “Well thank you, Barb. Now, finish dressing. Then we can head back to town and celebrate a job well done.”

The blow from Rover to Spot’s back drove the smaller dog to shrink away and cower down against the grass as he let the alpha dog pass him. When Spot started to rise to catch up, Fido’s paw pulled back in warning, and scared the bully would also strike him, Spot did exactly what a smart little dog had to do: press his belly to the grass and wait for the two larger dogs to pass him. Once they were past, he scrambled to catch up, panting with the effort to make up ground. With both of the larger dogs taking up all the space inside the lookout bush, Spot crawled on all fours over the crest of the hill, tail wagging enthusiastically as he gazed over to the open field to where the pony stood, the stack of shinies even larger than they had been before. Doing his best to suppress his excitement, Spot called up to the bigger dogs in a hushed whisper. “See!? The pony uses her magic, and her lizard… digger… thingy does the digging! And wherever the pony turns her magic, more shinies show up! Look at how many they found in just a few hours! This pony is the solution to our shiny drought! With her, we wouldn't even need to risk entering pony land!”

Fido’s right foot shot out of the branches of the bush and pressed down on Spot’s shoulder, pressing him harder into the grass while his heavily jowled lip curled up, speaking at a harsh whisper from the corner of his mouth. “Spot too loud! Hush Spot, or Rover send you back to the mine. Or maybe he let me use you like the chew toy you are, runt.”

Whimpering as the mammoth paw of Fido drove his shoulder into the dirt, Spot shut his muzzle and nervously flicked his eyes constantly back and forth from the pony’s light show of magic and the two watchful alphas brooding from deep inside the bush. Already a nervous dog, the way his alphas just stood there motionless and staring as the pony kept doing things drove him mad, and soon his hind quarters were rocking as he strained to keep still despite the sharp pressure of Fido’s claws digging into his shoulder.

As he decided he was doomed to go mad before they’d lift a paw to do anything, Rover let out a low gruff and turned his head. “And you say you couldn’t find any other ponies nearby? I smell pony on these fields. They might not be here now, but they’ve been by recently.”

Delighted to have permission to speak, Spot sat up a little as Fido’s heavy paw left his shoulder. Stretching out and extending his legs to stretch for just a moment, Spot turned to Rover, nodding once. “There are a few more ponies around. About a mile back towards the pony town and the big farm. They’re all in that big bunch of trees with a lot of metal and weapons and noise. But I scouted it out, and even ran the distance twice to see for myself. No way no pony could find our tunnels and catch us before we’ve dug in and backfilled the holes. Silly ponies make so much noise, you’d know they were coming from a mile away before they could even see you, they’re so dumb!”

Now Rover’s eyes turned to scan the fields, and when he spotted the distant trees that Spot was talking about, he gave an incredulous scowl. “No way you run as fast as a pony runs, runt. How’d you know that? You weren’t even at the tunnels when the winged ponies showed up and attacked us for ‘breaking cont-ract’.” Struggling with the complicated pony word, Rover’s eyes narrowed and he sneered down at Spot. “But ponies are stupid. To have a pony collecting so many shinies all by herself... Even if we leave her behind, it worth the risk. Fido?”

The largest of the trio had been listening, his heavy jowls wagging back and forth around his mouth as he scanned the field, head shaking from side to side. At last, when Rover questioned him, the mammoth dog gave a single low woof before speaking. “Even if Spot ran it, we much faster, much bigger. I grab pony. You grab the basket of shinies. Spot can grab digging lizard; it make good digger, or really chewy lunch if no good at digging compared to digger dogs.”

Springing up on his feet, his hindquarters shaking with enthusiasm at the idea of being included in their plans, Spot struggled to keep from yelping with delight. Prancing around the bush, his nose sniffing at the air hunting down even pony scent, doing his best to be as useful as he could be. “Oh yes! Yes, yes! I can help. I can so help. I’ll grab lizard by the throat and drag it back if I gotta! Yep yep!”

Struggling under the weight of the basket of sapphires, Barb’s cheek still burned from Rarity’s kiss, and inspired her to power on, her tail whipping happily from side-to-side. “No… I feel just fine, Rarity. Why?”

Unable to hide the worry in her tone, Rarity voiced her concerns to the little dragoness. “It's just- well, I've never had to watch a dragon before, Barb, and Dusk has talked before about how he only buys you gem shavings. And now you've eaten at least twelve whole gems. Are you going to get heartburn or something from having such an unusually fancy meal?”

With a mild rumble and an audible burp hidden behind her hand, Barb grinned sheepishly up at Rarity before putting the sapphire that she held on her hand back into the basket. “Well… I suppose you kinda have a point there. I do get the burps from too many sapphires…”

Feeling a little relieved to know that the little drake trusted her enough to admit that she had been gorging, Rarity offered a smile at the burp and gave a playful tisk tisking noise. “Well! Maybe you should let me take your share home with me. That way, I can keep your leftovers safe so you can enjoy them for a few weeks to come. At the rate you're going through them now, you'll be out by Monday!”

Blushing a little and looking down at her feet at Rarity’s suggestion, Barb was torn between her need to keep her horde of treats together and the winning smile on Rarity's face. Digging her toes in the dirt, Barb mumbled, trying to avoid making a decision. “Well… it's not like I don't know how to pace myself, Rar-”

The last thing that Barb saw clearly was a heavy mesh net as it hit Rarity from behind. Before that could even register, something tackled Barb from the opposite direction, and she felt the basket of sapphires yanked out of her grip. Thrown face first into the dirt with something on her back and another creature standing over her, Barb bit down on the first object her mouth could reach, hard. There was a howl of pain that erupted from above her as one of her attackers dropped the heavy basket of sapphires on their own foot. Gripping firmly with her carnivorous jaw muscles and breaking into the fur and flesh beneath, Barb was thrown into the air and out of the arms of the creature that had tackled her.

Shaken and panting for breath through her open mouth, Barb clung on, and the burst of hot, salty blood flooding her mouth came as a shock. Barely able to make out anything as the tail she clung to was constantly shaking around, Barb focused on the shape of Rarity’s prone body being slung across a massive dog's shoulder, wrapped up in the mesh of net, her legs kicking ineffectual blows aimed at the dog’s head.

The sudden violent impact of a tree to her back knocked the wind out of Barb. Despite her best efforts, she found her body refused to respond for a second, only able to stare unblinkingly as three strange dogs lopped away into the trees, the second biggest one still howling in pain as he rushed to catch up with the others. A thick metallic taste of blood lingered on her lips and filled the air.

After an indeterminable amount of time, as the aggressive roar of Winona’s barking filled the air, Barb finally felt her head stop spinning. Staggering to stand up with only the support of the same tree that had dazed her, Barb turned to the noise of crashing bodies rushing in her direction. Thundering out from between two trees, Bronze’s sword cut through the air, the guard's eyes wide with determination. Pointing out in the direction she had seen them flee, Barb, still dazed and voice filled with worry, cried up to the mare. “They-they took Rarity! We gotta get her back!”

There was a moment of pause in Bronze’s eyes, then she scooped up Barb’s body, slinging her over her shoulder. Her questions were quick, and to the point as she turned to follow Barb's direction, while Winona crashed into the path beside her, running on all fours. “Are you okay? Who? Why Rarity?”

Shaking her head, Barb clung on to the guard’s heavy armor with her claws, panic settling in. “Never mind me! They were dogs! Three Diamond Dogs kidnapped Rarity!”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for taking so long with this part guys. I was very sick for the first three weeks of February and am only now feeling better. Hopefully this is good enough for you all to enjoy, as the action picks up from here. :twilightsmile