The lounge was abound with ponies. There were five uniforms from Seaddle PD, Lila Barb and her flatmate, a police psychologist, and Shell and Spyglass themselves. The room was not designed to accommodate ten ponies, let alone ten ponies and the forensics equipment the SPD brought with them. The midday sun was relentless and shone through the two windows. It was hot enough to boil lobsters. Nobody wanted to be there, and Lila Barb didn't want anyone to be there. Not even the psychologist. Especially not the psychologist.

The police tramped about the flat in their hoof covers, ignoring the traumatised pegasus who was sat legs-up on one couch while they went about looking for traces the offender left behind. They wouldn't find anything useful.

Lila felt a little more comforted when Shell and Spyglass introduced themselves, if only so she didn't have to talk to the probing psychologist anymore. The agents shooed away the nosy pony and sat on the sofa opposite her.

Shell and Spyglass learned of Lila Barb when they looked into Blackthorn. They made plans to inform her of her father's passing, but news that someone assaulted Lila reached them first.

"Do you feel you can talk about it yet?" Spyglass asked. Shell always left it to Spyglass to placate scared victims. He had a soft touch that Shell lacked, eroded by years of service. Spyglass would be the same in a few years.

Lila nodded. Her flatmate sat next to her with a hoof on her knee.

"What did he look like?"

Lila sniffed and spoke softly. "He was grey, light grey. Brown mane. Wore a, uh, wore a jacket."

"Anything else?"

"It was uh, it was hard to tell. With the jacket and everything." she said. "There was also a uh, a stud. In his left ear."

Spyglass looked at Shell, who nodded. It was their unsub, no doubt about it. The ear stud was a good descriptive factor. They had a good idea of what he looked like now. A pony like him must stand out.

Spyglass cleared his throat. "What did he say?"

"He said he was looking for my dad." she said. "Said he'd-"

Lila coughed and her flatmate squeezed her knee. Her eyes were reddening and her bottom lip curled.

"Whenever you're ready, Lila." Spyglass said. Lila took some breaths in through her mouth.

"He said he'd cut me if I didn't tell him where dad was."

Shell scowled. He had never laid so much as a single hoof on a mare in his life. He intimidated, but he never hit them. Spyglass was the same. Their unsub had an enormous rap sheet to answer for when they caught him. If they caught him.

"Do you know why he wanted to speak to your dad?" Spyglass asked.

Lila was silent for a moment while she mustered the strength to replay those memories. That's the hard part with talking to trauma victims. They want to forget whatever happened, so the challenge lies in getting them to remember.

"He said my dad had, uh, something. Something that didn't belong to him." she said. "He said he was going to take it back."

"Were those his exact words?"

"Near enough."

This intrigued the agents. In his letters, the unsub said the victims were linked in some way. Shell wondered if it was something they possessed that linked them. Something worth killing and dying for. That would make their unsub a kind of lethal debt collector.

There was also the conundrum of how the unsub found Blackthorn. The agents found his financial records, noting that they ceased to exist a few months ago. This was a pony that didn't want to be found, but their unsub found a way. There aren't many ponies that can do what he did, which put the unsub in a very specific category of ponies. He could even be ex- or even present-ECMB, Shell thought.

Their mental picture was gaining clarity. Grey coat, brown mane, jacket, ear stud, well-versed in police and ECMB procedure. They even had a living witness. After weeks of no progress, their case was rolling again.

"Did you tell him where your dad was?" Spyglass asked. She nodded.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

Shit, thought the agents. Did nobody tell her yet? It then occurred to Spyglass that SPD had no idea what happened up in Las Pegasus earlier that week. The agents shifted quite visibly in their seats and looked at each other. All of a sudden, they wanted the psychologist back.

"I have some very bad news for you Lila. Your father was murdered yesterday. I'm truly sorry you didn't hear about it until now." Spyglass said, motioning with his left hoof for the police psychologist to come back in.

Lila didn't burst into tears. Her eyes just glazed over as she stared at nothing, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Her flatmate brought her arms around her, and Lila leaned into them. She buried her head in her shoulder and wept for a long time, until she shouldn't have had any more tears to shed.

The agents did their best to look sorry.

I rang the doorbell and waited, bobbing my head to an Earth song to pass the time. Rainbow Dash kicked at the dirt. My leg had stopped aching, for the most part, and all my wounds were healed except for the half-inch hole in my leg. I'd changed Maddie's dressing early that morning, replacing the bloodied gauze with a sterile sticking pad. It was less conspicuous than a red-stained bandage, something that I could explain away as a graze.

I glanced at my watch. It was six in the morning. Celestia would raise the sun at six-thirty exactly. Neither I, Applejack or Rainbow Dash would be in Canterlot to watch the event take place, but we could watch it from the train.

Applejack had to tend to her crop yesterday while the rest of her friends took the train to Canterlot. Prepping the crops for two days of her absence took a whole day in itself, and she wanted to put it off for as long as possible because it was the most profitable course of action. This meant not being in Canterlot for the raising of the sun, but earning something like an extra 10 bits per kilo of apples.

Rainbow Dash, being the element of loyalty, opted to stay behind and take the train with Applejack and I. Her company would be welcome on the train. She could talk to Applejack while I amused Applebloom.

She warmed to me in the last couple of days. In the end, I did take her up on her boozing offer. Soarin' was everything I expected, I could see why he and Rainbow Dash get along. He seemed to respect me as I respected him, though maybe only because I beat not only him but also Rainbow Dash in a drinking contest. That was a good night. I recall being hit on by a mare with a taste for bad ponies. I think she had her eye on me for a while and decided I was most vulnerable when drunk, as most are. Rainbow Dash stepped in and, very drunkenly, proclaimed that I was gay and therefore not interested. I hadn't laughed so hard in my life.

Rainbow Dash was not laughing this morning. She had a vicious hangover, describing it like her head was 'in a washing machine'. I told her to stop complaining. She told me to eat shit.

"AJ, you there? Let's head!" I shouted at the upstairs windows.

Rainbow Dash covered her ears.

"Don't shout." she said. I spared her a glance. She was a zombie walking, a zombie with a drinking problem. "I extend my friendship and this is what happens..."

"I recall that it was you who wanted to make a contest out of it." I said.

"I should've guessed someone like you could hold their drink." she said. "Whatever. It was good at the time."

"Same again tonight?"

She gagged. "No."

We heard hoofsteps from inside, two sets of them. Rainbow Dash forced an unconvincing smile. A good try, but it's obvious how awful you're feeling right now, I thought. Perhaps Applejack would be so kind as to play us a tune on her banjo while we're on the train. Good hangover cure, I heard.

The door opened and Applejack stepped out, followed by Applebloom. Applejack made arrangements for Winona to stay at Fluttershy's cottage where Discord would tend to the animals in her absence. Big Mac was staying behind to take care of Granny Smith. Applejack saw how delicate Rainbow Dash was, so like any good friend would do, she talked a lot louder than she normally did, very near her ears.

Applebloom raced to my hooves. It had been a few days since I'd seen them and it didn't sit well with me. Ever since I lost Zecora, the Apples have become my anchor in this world, and I needed to moor with them every so often to feel safe. If I take good care of them, they'd take good care of me. That's our relationship, one that I'm keen to keep alive.

There's also something about Applebloom that makes me happy. I think it's because she makes me forget about the world. When I play or speak with her, I'm overwhelmed with happiness. Some might look at me and think I'm forcing a smile for a foal, but Applebloom and her sister are more perceptive than others. I taught Applebloom how to look for signs of dishonesty, and it's somewhat of an innate skill for Applejack. They know I cherish the time I spend with them.

Twilight looks at me and sees an injured wolf, snarling and bearing its teeth at anyone who dares approach it. Rainbow Dash looks at me, and sees an ordinary pony of the light that lives in the dark. The Apples look at me, and see a fierce friend.

I look at myself. I see a beast guarding a delicate heart. A beast that allows passage to the Apples, and no others.

Why I enjoy the time I spend with them, I've thought about at length. I think living in an unsavory world rots the soul. The Apples, and Sweet Apple Acres, is the only place in the world where I can truly forget about my troubles, the only place I can take refuge. Applejack and Applebloom help me forget all that is wrong with my life and Equestria, at least for a little while.

Why all that should be, I didn't know for sure. Perhaps it was because I lived with them at one point. Maybe it was because they were the only ponies to ever offer me a good-natured smile. Or, it was something else, something I couldn't place. Being unsure of one's feelings is an odd feeling in itself.

The internal beast is not concerned with the why. It cares only for the fact of the matter, and the fact is, the Apples complete me. That is why it permits them. This is what it takes for me to be happy. Few people, ponies or otherwise, know what it would take for them to be truly happy.

The Apples are what makes my life worth living. The beast will do its utmost to see no harm comes to them.

Applebloom smiled so wide her head might have fallen off.

"This is yer first Summer Sun festival right? Y'all're gunna have the greatest time! There's like a million food stalls, a loada cool magic display things, even the Wonderbolts are gunna do a show!"

I saw from the corner of my eye Rainbow Dash wincing while Applebloom shouted an exhaustive list of everything that was happening in Canterlot. Applejack didn't stifle her sniggering. I thought Rainbow Dash might have an aneurysm at any second.

"That's great Applebloom. And we're gonna do as much as possible while we're there." I said. Rainbow Dash took her hooves out of her ears. "Apple pie for breakfast though?"

She cocked her head to begin with, then her mouth curved into a smile.

"How-"

"There's pastry on your teeth."

"Applebloom!" Applejack said. Rainbow Dash grimaced again. "Y'all said yer done gone and brushed yer teeth this mornin'. D'ya lie ter me?"

"Volume, AJ." I said. I looked at Rainbow Dash. "Some of us aren't feeling too good this morning."

"Whatever." Applejack said. Rainbow Dash mouthed a silent thank you in my direction. Applebloom looked sheepish. "We should get gone. Train leaves in a half hour."

We walked the dusty dirt track leading from town to the farm. It was quiet out here, save for the chattering of birds and grass rustling as the wind meandered over the hills. Applejack, her sister and I talked about the farm, the weather, the festival. Small talk. Rainbow Dash didn't speak much. Brisk winds had not yet blown away her cobwebs.

I checked my watch as we hit the edge of town, and saw it was ten past six. Twenty minutes until the raising of the sun. The bustling of Ponyville was audible even from there, despite the daft-o-clock hour. As we got closer to the train station, more and more ponies filled the streets, all heading in the same direction as us. Everyone told me the Summer Sun festival was a big occasion, but I hadn't appreciated how big until then.

Twenty-past six. We stood on the platform, one group among many others. Some ponies looked like they were making a week-long vacation out of the event, others seemed to be day-trippers like ourselves. This was an auspicious time. I was glad I had some to spare for it.

The train arrived and ponies piled in. Being element bearers, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were able to bag private carriages near the back of the train, for them, their guests and their families. I didn't envy the rest of the passengers who would be sharing a carriage with at least twenty others. Sunlight would soon pour through the windows, turning each carriage into a gaggle of heatstruck ponies. I made a bet with myself that at least three fights would break out during the ride.

We were talking for a few minutes about how great everything would be once we disembarked from the sweaty carriage when Applejack told us all to shut up and look out the east windows. I glanced at my watch. Six twenty nine and thirty seven seconds.

We saw the dawn of the longest day break upon Canterlot Mountain. First light tinted the snow-capped peaks and spread over the landscape, promising to touch every shadow before the day was gone. The snow was so white and so even. An icy mirror that reflected the radiant sunbeams to all corners of the land. This was before the sun was even above the horizon.

The plains out the east window were enormous. Enormous and flat, one or two large hills between the train and the sun. There were no clouds. The pegasi of Cloudsdale made sure of that. When the sun did tease above the great sea, there would be nothing to block its brilliance.

Celestia. Say what you like about her, she knows how to turn something as everyday as a sunrise into the greatest spectacle I'd ever seen. I'm not one for nature, most days. I found that out during my spartan time at Sweet Apple Acres. I preferred the city, the concrete jungles of civilisation. At the moment, I changed my mind.

Straight sunlight came down like theater curtains on the carriage. I narrowed my eyes and the curtain hit my iris's expecting it to sting. We all narrowed our eyes, but the pain didn't come.

Oh, Celestia is clever. She could control the sun. She could control the sun! Of course she could control its brightness. It was like looking through a polarised lens. It flared and shone, but you could look at with without averting your gaze. A blood red light over the sea.

Blood red. A little too familiar.

We watched its slow ascent above the horizon. Nobody talked. To do so would be a disservice to Celestia. Our carriage was silent all the way to Canterlot. The adjacent carriage wasn't. I could hear the occupants exchanging angry words over the sound of the engine and the wheels on the tracks. Two more fights and I'd win my bet with myself.

The train screeched and we covered our ears. We had arrived at Canterlot. We stepped out into the chaos of the station, standing still for a moment while the populations of at least five cities moved around us. Even non-ponies were in attendance in appreciable numbers: gryphons, minotaurs. Even breezies floated through the crowds. All came to thank the princesses for their service to Equestria, and indeed the world.

The sun was beginning to edge over the mountain when we exited the station into the madness of the streets. We were going to meet with the rest of the elements, minus Twilight, at the gates to the castle's south courtyards.

First of all, I needed to meet with Maddie to inform him of the latest developments. It would be hard to keep him in the dark about Twilight for long, so I decided to tell him straight out. It would also make communications easier once they knew of each other's involvement. Their mail wasn't intercepted by Python, and could speak freely to each other.

I told everyone I wanted to drop in on an old friend, and went ahead of the group in the direction of the Bull & China. An excuse that got past Applejack's inherent lie detector - he was an old friend after all. My fourth oldest after the Apples.

I passed by a stall selling olives and bread, where I stopped for a moment to eat, before rounding the corner to Maddie's place. He'd done a remarkable job of cleaning up the mess from two days ago. New windows, new door, new furnishings as I peered in through the new windows. Even the little light-sensitive bulbs were new. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought he was actually going to turn the place into a functioning bistro.

I pushed the door open and entered, accompanied by the soft ringing of a bell. My gaze wandered to the bar. I managed to stifle the most raucous laugh I'd ever felt into a shit-eating grin. I didn't want to leave with a rebar sticking out of my skull.

Maddie was stood behind the bar, wearing an apron. A lonely cup of black kept him company. He'd had a mane cut, but it didn't suit him. He looked out of place. He looked employed. His eyes left the newspaper on the counter-top and he nodded at me like it was the most natural thing in the world. The smell of food wafted through from the kitchen.

"What the fuck is this?" I asked, gesturing a hoof at him and the rest of the room.

He laughed. "Welcome to my humble abode Anon. Like what I've done with the place?"

I looked around myself, at the walls, and then at the floor. The floorboards were waxed. Not so much as a single shard of glass or bloodstain anywhere.

"Are you actually running a damned bistro now?" I said.

His grin disappeared and the old Maddie shone through, his face taking on that perpetual scowl. He offered me some liquid from the percolator. I nodded, and kept nodding while he poured.

"That stunt Spirit Sight pulled a couple days back. It forced some changes 'round here." he said while I sipped. "Until now, I've been quiet enough to keep the Royal Guard from pesterin' me, but after the attack, they got real interested in me. They ask some tough questions, y'know, and I don't got answers that make 'em go away. So what's a Maddie to do huh?"

"Don't tell me you're retiring." I joked. I immediately regretted putting that thought in his head.

He shook his head. "No, but I've had to make some investments to make this front more believable. Since yesterday, I'm runnin' two businesses full-time. I still got my old customers, ponies like you, y'know. But I'm gonna have new customers too. Ponies that just want a fuckin' latte and fuckin' pastry to go with it. Hence the apron and the mane cut and the rest of it. It don't change nothin', by the way, our deal still stands. I'll just be workin' a fuckin' cash register in the meantime."

I sniffed the air. "And the cook?"

"Stoke." he said. "Used to be a chef-for-hire. Went to ponies houses, cooked for couples with more money than sense. Then he'd nick all their silverware."

"That's pretty funny." I smirked. "Anyway, ponies are waiting on me so I'm gonna be brief. There's a new player on my team. She's very smart and very capable. You'd like her. I've got a file with me today that holds everything she and I know about the Grey Arbitress. I'm giving a copy to you."

I produced the document from my saddlebag and pushed it across the bar. Maddie looked at it, but didn't touch it.

"That's impressive." he said. "Give me a condensed version would'ya. That thing looks like Canterlot's unabridged."

I looked around me, and then to the windows. Some ponies passed by outside, none that looked familiar or shifty.

"It's Ashen Smoke. Remember her? She's the Grey Arbitress."

"You're kiddin'."

"I wish I was. It's a tenuous link she found, really tenuous. It's weird. The more I think about it, the more I think we're wrong, but it becomes more believable at the same time. She fits the profile of the Grey Arbitress so damned well that it's hard to think it could be anyone else." I said. "Whatever. The investigation into her identity is ongoing. That makes whatever you can find in the archives all the more important."

He laughed and said: "You sound like a government official."

Maddie rubbed his chin and looked at the file some more. He picked it up and felt the weight for a while, before dropping it back on the table.

"Who compiled this?" he asked.

"I don't think you'd believe me."

"Try me."

I sighed. I was about to drop a bombshell on Maddie and hope for the best. Perhaps I should have thought twice about telling him.

"Twilight Sparkle." I said.

His eyes widened and he looked between me and the file, several times.

"You told a fuckin' princess about all this!? Did you tell 'em about me!? D'ya know how much shit you've just dropped me in?"

I put one hoof up and said: "Relax, Maddie, she doesn't know you're involved. As far as she knows, it's just me and her. None others. That's gonna have to change though. The easiest way to lose a war is to lose the lines of communication. We all need to be able to talk with each other, and that means she's gonna need to talk to you at some point. She doesn't need to know who you are, she just needs to be able to talk to you."

"What's her percentage in helping you?" he asked. "This sounds too fuckin' suspect. I don't care how well you think you know 'er."

"I'm having trouble figuring that one out. She said she doesn't want me to die. I dunno why, but that's what she said. Anyway, that's besides the point. Her involvement increases my odds of success a thousand-fold."

"She's a damned princess, Anon! They don't just give out their help like it's goin' outta fashion. I ain't even seen her in the flesh and I can tell ya now, she's hidin' somethin'."

"Why does it fucking matter? She's cooperating with me. That's the end of it."

"It is NOT the end of it Anon! Ask yourself, what does she stand to gain from interfering? Until I know why she's helpin', I ain't movin' a hoof to help ya."

I pushed my coffee around on the counter top. It was cold now. It was cold when it went into the mug.

"Remember, she doesn't know who you are, you'll be safe." I said. "Even if she did know you, it wouldn't make a difference. She fucking despises me, Maddie, and she still tolerates me. If I'm safe from her, so are you."

Maddie said nothing for a time. I spun the newspaper around and began skimming through it, gulping coffee at the same time. My best effort at looking indifferent. I could see him shifting his weight around out of the corner of my eye.

"This is big." he said. "It's us against one of the best tactical minds in Equestria. One of the best tactical minds in the world, even."

"Is this your way of saying you're out?"

He took a massive breath in and released it through his nose.

"No." he said. "We made a deal, remember? Long as you hold up your end, I'll hold up mine. I'll meet with Twilight. The first sign of trouble, though, I'm fuckin' gone."

"Listen carefully then." I said. "Take the 12:15 to Ponyville in two days. Bring everything you can find about Ashen Smoke. When you arrive, head straight to the back of the castle. There's an arcane-deadlocked service entrance that will be open for thirty seconds at four o'clock exactly. Walk in and climb the stairwell. I'll be waiting at the top with Twilight."

He laughed, quite loud and for quite a while. I didn't know what to say.

"This is really happenin', ain't it?" he said. "S' hard to believe, y'know. If I'd known how much trouble you were when we first met, I would've run for the hills."

I glanced at my watch. "I have to go now. It's important we can all communicate with each other." I said. I walked to the door and turned at the last second. "My train for Ponyville leaves at eight. I'll swing by before I go. Stay safe Maddie."

Eleven exactly. The time we agreed to meet up, and I was running late by five minutes. I was lucky that Twilight wasn't in attendance. Sometimes I think she's the element of punctuality. It's equally possible she could be the element of takes-no-shit-from-me-or-anyone, the element of nosiness, or the element of don't-argue-I'm-a-princess. Or all the above.

I limped through the streets, doing my best to move fast on a damaged leg while maneuvering around endless streams of tourists and stalls. The sun looked pretty out the windows of the train, but here, it made me hot and annoyed, so I hated it. I swore in a string of Earth-specific profanities and idioms at everyone I bumped into.

A minute later, I bundled my jacket into the saddlebags. The choice between boiling or feeling naked. Even after six months, going anywhere without clothes still felt wrong, but I couldn't take the heat.

I came up on the courtyard at six minutes past. Some ponies were wandering around the immaculate gardens, thoughtfully staring at trees and shrubs and exchanging dignified comments about how difficult it is to grow foxgloves in phosphorus-rich mediums. Royal Guards were posted at every corner, more focused on dealing with the heat in their armor than looking out for trouble.

Beneath the arch in the coolness of the shadows stood a mixture of friends, and friends of friends. They heard me approach.

"Anon?" Applejack asked. I looked around the group. They were all staring at me like I'd shaved my mane. I ran a hoof through it. It was still there.

"Yeah I know I'm late. Sorry." I said. I looked at them all again. They still had that look. "Is there something on my face?"

"Well, no, ah guess, but, ah can't remember the last time ah saw yer without a coat or jacket." she said. "Ah see now y'all had a good reason."

"Good reason?" I asked. Satisfying the need of an old life wasn't a good reason. I looked myself over. Same grey coat, same brown mane, same same same. Just a whole bunch of scarring.

Oh yeah, my body is scarred to hell.

"Sorry, AJ. Didn't mean to, uh, y'know." I said. "I'll put my jacket back on if you like."

She waved a hoof and said: "If it don't bother you it don't bother me."

"I think they're cool." Rainbow Dash said. She seemed to have recovered from last night's attack on her liver.

"I don't feel very cool."

"One cool thing doesn't make up for a lifetime of uncoolness."

"Who made you the master of cool?"

"Fer Celestia's sake, stop sayin' 'cool'!" Applejack shouted.

"Whoa, AJ, that's not cool." said Rainbow Dash.

"Not cool at all." I said.

"Y'all lucky the Royal Guard're about else ah'd buck y'all into a coma."

That exchange got a laugh out of the whole group, even Fluttershy.

We spent a few minutes wrapping up our small talk and introductions. The 'How was your stay at the castle?' and the 'Did you catch Twilight?' and the 'Oh boy I hope Discord doesn't fuck about with everything while the princesses are predisposed.'. I'd never met the bastard. I hoped I never would.

We made for the festivities under the midday sun, one group among many. There were some grill stalls set up for visitors of a more carnivorous nature, which taunted me as I walked by. Gryphons lined up to tear into all manner of meats. Everyone pony in a five meter radius around the stall averted their eyes except me. It had been so long since I'd eaten a steak, and even though my pony physiology detested the smell, I was salivating. The memory of meat was good.

Our day began in earnest as we ambled through the streets. Each of us held up the group for a few minutes while perusing stalls that interested us. I stopped by a gryphon military surplus stall at one point. Helmets, spears, even what looked like basic grenades. I asked the stallowner how they worked. He told me they contained a mixture of tiny metal shards and a friction-sensitive explosive, or used to at least. They reminded me of my brief love affair with azides back in an analytical chemistry module.

When I got back to the group, we agreed to go our separate ways until the closing ceremony at five in the afternoon. It gave us more time to look at the stuff we wanted to look at and do the things we wanted to do.

Applebloom sped off with Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Rainbow Dash found a series of 'test-your-strength' games, likely to keep her occupied for hours. Pinkie Pie left in the direction of the castle to try the bungee-jumping, while Fluttershy went to talk with some exotic animals from the Gryphon Empire. Very soon it was just Applejack and I, in no hurry to do anything. It was a holiday. Damned if I was going to bust a gut running around, trying to fit a whole week's worth of activities into an afternoon. She felt the same way.

It had been a long time since I'd been able to talk with Applejack without Applebloom or Big Mac around. Now that the opportunity arose, I didn't know what to say. There wasn't much I could discuss with her. Certainly not anything to do with the Grey Arbitress. We perused the stalls in comfortable silence.

We came up on a pony selling used technology out the back of a wagon. He seemed eager to get rid of it. I loved few things more than opening up equestrian devices and seeing how similar they are to earth technology. Magic stunted innovation quite hard, but recently, Equestria has seen a near-constant stream of scientific feats. Intensive care units now existed. They knew how to use bacteria to produce pony hormones. DNA profiling wouldn't be far off, I imagined.

I spied a camera sticking out of a cardboard box in the wagon. It was the same model as my first camera. My first job using it is a fond memory.

"What's so funny?" Applejack asked. I realised I was grinning.

"See that camera?" I said, pointing a hoof at it. "Same kind as the first camera I had when I started this job."

"That ain't funny."

"It reminded me of my first sleuthing job. Wanna hear it? I promise it's good."

She raised an eyebrow and said: "Go on then. As long as it's not too... y'know, grim?"

"It's not." I said, shaking my head. "This mare thought her sweetheart was seeing another mare, right? He comes home at weird times. She says he's too tired for sex. Then the strange, unexplained gifts start. You get the picture. So she asks me to follow him around, take some pictures and whatnot. Most days he was doing something really boring. Picking his foals up from school and stuff. But one night when it's her turn to pick up the foals, he heads to a motel on the edge of Ponyville. He goes in and doesn't come out for half an hour. When he does come out, he's not with his wife. He's with some pretty little thing, about our ages. I took like, a bajillion pictures and called it a night."

"I'm waitin' fer the punchline." said Applejack.

"It gets better. So because it only took a few hours of sleuthing to get what I needed, I figured I'd follow him some more, bill a few more hours. Don't look at me like that, I didn't have much money, I needed those extra hours. So I followed him some more. Y'know what I found? He was seeing not only one, but three other mares in his spare time. And he still found time to play doctors with his own wife."

Applejack snorted a single laugh.

"Who were this?"

"Can't tell you. Client-scumbag confidentiality."

"Y'all can trust me. Remember mah element?"

"Oh, you mean the element of 'do-you-honestly-expect-me-to-name-my-clients?' That element?"

I pursed my lips and Applejack sighed.

"Tryin' ter get answers outta you is like gettin' blood out'f a stone."

I glanced at my watch. It was half twelve. I suggested we find somewhere to have lunch and Applejack agreed. I thought of the gryphon's grill, and of what I would give to have some lamb or chicken. Tomatoes, peppers and the like were palatable, tasty even, but couldn't hold a candle to a decent steak.

We found a quiet alley near the west outer walls of the castle. There were a handful of eateries on either side of the street with awnings and open-air tables and parasols to mitigate the strength of the midday sun. We studied the menus of each place, before deciding on a restaurant that specialises in fresco salads. We found a table near the door and sat around it. The wind, mercifully, had picked up in the last ten minutes. It whispered through the alley and cooled us. Applejack took off her hat in the shade of the parasol. That day, I learned that hat-mane existed.

I scoffed. "That hat comes off?"

"Could say the same about you and yer jackets." she said, fanning herself with her stetson. Touche, I thought.

A waitress emerged from inside with a couple of menus, which she placed in front of us. Her muzzle came a little too close to mine, and stayed there a little longer than it should have. She had the smell of wet, cut grass. I didn't know if that was meant to be an attractive scent. She said she'd be back in a few minutes to take our orders. With a deft flutter of her long eyelashes, she left us.

"And here ah thought these Canterlites had some class." said Applejack, shaking her head.

"The waitress?" I asked, without taking my eyes of the menu. The Cilantro salad sounded good. "Not my type."

Applejack laughed. "You don't got a type."

"I do too. You calling me a liar?" I lied, lowering the menu. Cilantro it was.

Applejack stared at me. Lie-detector mode. I brought the menu back up to cover my eyes and pretended to study it.

I brought it back down after a safe amount of time had passed. She was tapping her hoof on the table and staring into the distance. I knew that look. A trance she enters when deep in thought.

The waitress came out again, walking like a runway model to our table. We both went for Cilantro salads, a beer with mine and a cider with Applejack's. She asked me if I wanted anything else. I told her that I wasn't interested in anything else. She left without another word. I didn't look back over my shoulder.

All sorts passed us by, all looking for somewhere to eat. Before long, all the tables around us were full and the idle chattering of their occupants floated through the air. I felt uneasy, exposed even. To all the world I appeared a normal pony doing normal things with his normal friend. For me, that wasn't normal. Pretending that everything is fine is an admission that things are worse than ever.

Perhaps Blackthorn was right, and I didn't know how to live an ordinary life, but I had to try.

Our drinks came and we took synchronised sips. Applejack cocked her head at me.

"Y'all look like ya done gone eaten a lime." she said. The beer tasted fine, but thinking about this facade I kept up made me scowl. "What's up sugarcube?"

I thought for a time before answering. Our food came, a different waitress this time. We thanked her and I pushed my salad around on the plate.

"It's...just this." I said, waving one hoof around my head, gesturing at everything. "It's rare for me to be doing things like this, y'know? I can't stop thinking about how weird it is, just to be eating and talking, you and me. When's the last time we did this?"

I took a gulp of beer while casting my mind back.

"Back when y'all still worked for me right?" she asked.

I rested my elbows on the table and slid my face into my hooves. Five months. Five goddamn months, I thought.

"Too long. Too damned long." I said. "I'm... I'm real sorry AJ. I... I hadn't thought about it until now. I don't, uh, I don't have an excuse. I'm sorry."

The realisation racked me. She'd been so kind, so accepting, and I couldn't even spare a day for her until now. I owed Twilight a massive thanks for making me attend the Summer Sun festival.

"Why'd you do it Anon?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Yer private eye thing." she said. "It's a blight on yer life. Ah mean, look at'chya. S' like ya got one scar fer every year of yer life. Y'all look so tired all the time. Y'all can't even settle down 'cause of yer work."

"Sounds like you've been talking to Big Mac."

"And he's right. C'mon Anon, d'ya really love your life that much that ya can't quit and find something that makes ya happy?"

I munched on a mouthful of salad. I wanted to tell her that the Grey Arbitress wouldn't let me quit, that as long as she was alive, I'd never be able to quit. When someone offers you the chance to unload your troubles, it's hard to resist. If your troubles are your greatest secrets, however, it's a little easier.

"I already have something that makes me happy." I said, while offering a smile.

Applejack scoffed. "Is that a compliment ah just got outta you?"

"Oh Celestia, no, anything but that." I said. Her wisecrack lifted the thickening atmosphere, and I could breathe easy again. Thirty seconds before, you couldn't have cut the mood with a hatchet.

"I'm savin' that one fer a rainy day. Y'all don't give those out like candies at the dentist."

We laughed, and ate our salads and drank our drinks in no hurry. We talked about the sultry waitress, the weather, upcoming events, the quality of the food and drink. We watched ponies pass by and the shadows as they moved with the sun. I looked at my watch. Half one. When my time is worth exactly thirty bits per hour, I took as little time as possible over lunch. For me, an hour for lunch was unheard of.

Applejack was happy to let me pick up the tab, and I had a ridiculous amount of disposable income I didn't know how to spend. I threw thirty on the table and we moved back into the sweaty streets and the hot sun. We walked in the shadows of the buildings, checking out whatever took our fancy. There was a minotaur juggling flaming batons while riding a unicycle on a podium. Applejack remarked on how hands would make everyday life so much easier. I stifled a laugh while agreeing. If only she knew the extent to how inferior hooves are to fingers.

From around a side-alley, Rarity and two-thirds of the crusaders emerged, also enthralled by the minotaur's display. I fished my jacket out of my saddlebags and put it on, mainly for Rarity's sake. She had the worst reaction to my scarring. I called to them as Applejack and I approached. Applebloom ran to her sister's hooves, and Sweetie Belle shifted to behind her sister. That filly probably hears some bad stories about me.

Rarity, somehow, managed to remain dignified in the sweltering heat. Her mane, underneath an enormous woven sunhat, looked starched enough to snap.

"Crusaders didn't wear you out then?" I said, grinning at her. I didn't do small talk with Rarity, even when I went by Carousel Boutique to get clothes repairs. I'd go in, give her my tattered coat, decline the offer of formal wear, pay, get out. Come back in a week to pick it up. We both liked to distance ourselves from each other.

"As if a mare such as me would allow herself to look tired." she replied. I caught a hint of scorn in her voice, but then, she was always scornful of me. Everyone's got to dislike someone. Might as well be me.

"How's Applebloom been?" asked Applejack.

"Oh, just excellent darling. I must say I don't know where she finds such energy on a day like today." she said. "How has your day been? Have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah, we found this salad place near the west walls a' the castle. Kinda expensive but Anon were payin' so it didn't bother me none."

Rarity leaned into Applejack's ear and whispered something. Applejack's eyes narrowed.

"Hi-larious." she said, in a tone that indicated it was not in the least bit funny. "Ah got two words fer ya. Prince Blueblood."

Rarity gasped. "We do NOT talk about that darling, that is completely different!"

"It's the same Rares. Just kinda switched around."

"Well I never! I demand you take that back!"

"Can't. Element a' Honesty. Ter take it back would be lyin'. You wanna make a liar outta me?"

Rarity groaned, more interested in conserving her energy than winning the argument. Applejack pushed her chest out. If her pride swelled any more she would have burst. I thought better than to ask how that debate got started, like how you don't ask a woman where they're going when they get up to leave the table. They're going to the bathroom, obviously, but like Rarity said: you don't talk about it. Just wait until they come back and pretend nothing happened.

"Isn't it a bit hot to be arguing?" I asked. Applejack ran her arm over her forehead and inspected the glistening. We all made similar movements. I took my jacket off again.

"We should find us some shade." said Applejack. "And some drinks. Ah don't care how much a' the festival ah miss."

"That's the most intelligent thing I've heard all day." said Rarity. "Not to be insubordinate, but I do wish that Celestia would ease back on the heat."

We exchanged murmurs of approval before foraging for a suitable watering hole, walking in the shadows of the buildings where possible. After a few minutes navigating the streets and crowds, we came upon a plaza. In the center was a huge fountain, at least thirty feet in diameter. Foals were splashing around in the water while their parents looked on, with what I suspected was envy.

Around the edges of the plaza were a series of shops, bars and restaurants. Some had outside seating. Some had outside seating with shade. Our group gravitated towards the latter. There were enough tables for us now that lunchtime had passed.

I sat with my back to the bar window, behind a table. There was an adjacent table about three feet from me, around which the Apple sisters and Sweetie Belle moved to sit. It was a three-pony table, and there were five of us. That meant Rarity and I were sharing a table.

I spared a glance for Applejack. She shot me a glance back and winked. The whole motion took less than a second, so only I caught it. That seating arrangement was her design. I wondered if it was me she was trying to torture, or Rarity. A bit of both, in all likelihood.

"Would you like me to pull your chair out for you Rarity?" I mocked. I heard a laugh disguised as a cough from Applejack. Rarity raised an eyebrow at me before setting her saddlebags down.

"A lady is quite capable of taking care of herself." she replied before sitting. There were already some menu's set around the table, which she began inspecting. "Unlike some beaten and scarred louts around here."

I looked down at the burn marks on my chest and said: "Would you like me to put my jacket back on?"

"I would like for you to sit quietly and look respectable." she said, and lowered the menu. She folded her arms. "But we both know you're below that."

"I am respected. Just not by you."

A waiter came by our table. I ordered a tea with milk. Rarity ordered the same. The waiter moved on to our friend's table.

Rarity spun her hoof though her mane. She opened her mouth a little, and closed it again. I was about to speak when she interrupted me.

"Why do you hate me so?" she asked.

That was a good question. I hadn't thought about it much. I always put it down to us having nothing in common, but having some of the same friends. 'Hate' was somewhat of an overstatement. I disliked her.

"This might come as a shock but, I don't hate you Rarity. It's just-" I thought for a moment. "-there's not much common ground between us."

"Yet you hit it off with Applejack and her sister quite spectacularly."

I said: "To begin with, we had our differences. Even today, she does things that make me kinda irritated, and I guess I do as well, but the good times we've had together make me see past that. I'd guess it's the same for her. I hope so, or she's done a great job of putting up with me."

"'Differences'." she echoed. "That is certainly the most flattering way of describing your life compared to hers."

"AJ knows all about my less than spotless reputation." I said. "-and I couldn't tell you why, because for the life of me I don't know, but she calls me a friend. There have been times when she made me feel like family. All in the face of the rumors about me, both true and false."

Our drinks came, and we put the conversation on hold while we fiddled about with teabags and milk. I liked to brew mine for about five minutes before adding milk. More builders tea than English breakfast. Rarity stirred her tea with a short spoon while she looked into space. Either she was thinking hard, or not thinking at all. It was much too hot to be thinking.

I glanced at the adjacent table, where the fillies were play-fighting with the menus. Applejack was still studying the drinks list. Since she had already ordered hers, I figured she was trying to eavesdrop on us and look nonchalant about it. I watched the teabag spin in my cup for a while.

"So the brute does have a heart." Rarity said. I grunted and looked at her. "I'd always wondered."

I didn't comment. We both removed our teabags from the cups and poured a little milk in.

"Five minutes." I said.

Rarity was mid-sip when I spoke. She put her cup down.

"Pardon?"

"Five minutes." I restated, gesturing at the cup. "Perfect strength."

Right then, I thought I saw a shadow of a smile grace her features. It disappeared fast, if it was even there to begin with. I drank some of my own beverage.

"At least we can agree on that." she said.

I snorted a laugh and said: "'And I said, what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's?'"

Rarity raised her eyebrow, for what I thought was the tenth time in the last ten minutes. That song described our relationship quite well at that moment in time. I do my best never to allude to anything of Earth origin, but that reference was obscure enough.

"What in Equestria are you talking about now?" she said.

"It's a song." I said. "A couple are on the verge of breaking up because they don't have much in common anymore. Then one of them, desperately trying to find something, mentions a film called 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Despite all their differences, they remember that they both liked the film. The stallion argues that's enough reason for them to try to settle their problems."

"What does this have to do with us?" she asked, with a heap of skepticism.

"We both like tea, don't we?"

"Hardly the cornerstone of amiability, I would say."

"Come on Rarity, I'm really trying here. What do I have to say to make things right between us?" I said. She didn't say anything, so I continued. "Well, what about when you first met AJ? You must have have at least one thing in common and worked on that, whatever it was, to get to the friendship you have today, right? Can't we do the same, even if it is built on something as insignificant as tea?"

When I finished thinking out loud, I became aware of the silence I'd been talking in. I looked to my right, where Applejack, her sister, and Sweetie Belle were sitting. They were staring at me, their drinks untouched. Their gaze wandered to Rarity, as did mine. Her eyes flicked between all of us.

"Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop!" said Rarity.

The Apple sisters and Sweetie Belle returned to their drinks, but they were still listening. Rarity seemed to know this as well.

"Should we take a walk?" I asked.

Rarity finished her tea and set it on the table. I glanced at my watch, it was quarter-past two. The day would get cooler from then on.

"I think that is a good idea." she said. She stood and said to Applejack: "Excuse us for a moment."

I got up and dropped six bits on the table. Rarity motioned in the direction of the plaza and began walking. I walked a small distance behind her, saying nothing until we reached the fountain repurposed as a paddling pool. Foals were still splashing around while their parents sat nearby, talking about the heat and confessing their desire to join their foals in the fountain.

Rarity and I stopped by the edge of the water. We watched the reflection of the sun morph and tumble as the liquid mirror writhed. I took a bit from my pocket and held it in my hoof, before tossing it into the fountain. Rarity saw the gesture.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, looking at the coin sink and settle.

"It's a tradition from my homeland." I said. "They used to think that water contained the spirits of deities, and if you made an offering, they'd grant you a wish."

She considered my words for a moment and said: "What did you wish for?"

"I wished for what I need most." I said, leaning against the stone edge. "Whatever that is."

"You don't know what you need?"

"I was hoping they'd know." I said.

I turned and sat on the edge, just watching the world go by for a few seconds. Applejack and the fillies were still seated around the same table, chatting, laughing, sipping on their drinks. Perhaps I should have asked Applejack what I needed before asking the water deities. I knew what she would say though. She'd say I needed to quit, to move on, to settle down before I got myself killed. She'd be right, but I couldn't yet. I promised myself I'd avenge Zecora.

"Why do you hate me?" I asked. I didn't look at her.

She didn't say anything for so long that I thought for a moment that she'd gone off somewhere. I turned my head, and saw her staring into space. She met my eyes after a few seconds.

"I don't." she said.

"You don't?" I echoed. I wasn't expecting that. "Care to elaborate?"

She cleared her throat and said: "I dislike you Anon. I think you're rude, overconfident, arrogant, and worst of all, savage."

"I'll cede to that."

"But-" she continued. "-it takes a certain kind of pony to help Applejack and Applebloom like you did almost two months ago. I do not believe a bad pony would do such things. I think that only the most selfless of us all would willingly commit themselves to the dark so that others may live in the light."

I tried my best to look unsurprised, but it was a vain effort. She knew what I did. I wondered if she knew about Shrike and Bouros. Twilight or Applejack, one of them told her.

"You-" I began, and swallowed. "-you knew. How did you know?"

"Promise not to give her a hard time." she said. "She doesn't like to unload her problems on you. She doesn't like appearing weak in front of you. She needed someone to confide in. She does that for you, Anon."

"I-"

I cleared my throat, waiting for the rational part of my brain to kick in. It wasn't happening. Applejack is the strongest pony I know. I didn't know why she wouldn't talk to me about her problems. I didn't know if it was a fault of mine or Applejack's. I didn't know a lot of things.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry. I-" I stammered some more. There wasn't anything I could say. I buried my hooves in my face. My eyes burned. I sniffed and snorted, forcing back the tears. Rarity was silent. She could have made it much worse for me, but she suspected I was doing a fine job of it myself.

After half a minute of self-loathing, I took my face out of my hooves. The world was blurry.

"So-" I coughed. "-so why are we like this? After what you said?"

"We?" she asked. "You're asking why I dislike you?"

I nodded, and she said: "I can put up with your brutish mannerisms. That's fine. What I don't like is the connotation that comes with knowing you personally. I've seen your scars, and do you know what goes through my mind when I see them? I wonder how long it is until someone close to you gets hurt as a result of your activities. And it's not a question of 'if', no Anon. It's a question of 'when'."

Everyone seems to be taking this mindset, I thought. If only they knew the catch-22 I was in. I couldn't quit. It would only end when either I or the Grey Arbitress were dead.

I was about to offer a counterpoint - that being an element of harmony is more dangerous than knowing me. It wasn't much of an argument though. As I heard, that responsibility was thrust upon them, and it's not a part-time job they can just quit. I chose to let the subject go.

"You've gotta keep what I'm about to say between us." I said. It might not have been the most intelligent thing to ask of the gossip Goddess, but she was too smart to incur my wrath by betraying me. "I'm not very trusting, so this is a big thing for me."

"Of course."

"I want to quit. I really do." I said. "But I can't. Not yet."

She didn't say anything for a time. I dragged my hooves through the water. My last sentence sounded like the words of an addict. That was a possibility I hadn't explored. Maybe I loved the job too much.

"There would have to be an astoundingly good reason for you not to do so." she said.

"There is." I said. "I'm asking you to trust me Rarity. Please."

"I shall trust you to do the right thing." she said. She took a bit from her saddlebags and tossed it in the fountain. "That's my wish."

"Thanks, Rarity. Sincerely."

"For what."

"Talking with me. I'd figured you for an ice queen. I was wrong."

She pursed her lips for a moment and said: "This does not make us friends, Anonymous. I still dislike you, but not as much as before. That said, thank you, for being earnest with me."

"Likewise."

"And-" she continued. "-I never thanked you for what you did for the Apples. What you did for all of us. I cannot bear to think how things would be now if you hadn't brought Applebloom home. So, thank you. I realise my gratitude probably means little to you, but it is all I have to offer."

I shook my head. "It means a lot to me Rarity. I'm not just saying that. It does."

I caught the gentle smile again. She didn't try to hide it, because that time, I earned it. I could get used to that smile, just as long as her tittering doesn't accompany it.

Sensing we'd both said all we wanted to say, we began walking back to the shaded cafe. Rarity walked by my side as though we were a couple. I guessed that was probably the best result I could have got. It would be too much to ask of her to change her perception of me over a short conversation, even if it was the longest conversation we'd ever shared. First, she wanted me to the right thing. She trusted me to do that.

The right thing. What is that, I wondered.

Both agents stood back from the wall. Shell was rubbing his chin while Spyglass ran a hoof through his mane. Their eyes flicked all over the mind-map while they regarded it in silence.

Pinned to the wall were pictures of every pony involved in their case, directly and indirectly. The Apple family, Shrike, Bouros, Blackthorn, Lila Barb, Viola. Placeholder photographs of Grey Arbitress and the unsub. Spools of multicoloured string connected them in various combinations. Underneath each photo was a table of information about that pony: appearance, location, affiliates, other. Surveying the map, one thing was clear to both Shell and Spyglass.

It all began with Applebloom.

She was directly connected with every pony except the Grey Arbitress and Blackthorn's family. Shrike, Bouros, the unsub, Applejack. She'd been in contact with all of them at one point. Such a little filly, but also the point of origin for their case, indirectly connected to everything. The beginning of a great mystery.

“We've gotta make 'em talk.” Shell said. “We need whatever they're hiding.”

Spyglass said nothing. They already tried once, and got nothing. Further questioning wouldn't get them anywhere, unless Shell wanted to get nasty.

“I know what you're thinking Shell.” Spyglass said. “And it's a bad idea. You could get fired if it goes south.”

“I didn't even say anythin' yet.”

Spyglass ignored the map, turning to Shell, who turned to him in kind. Spyglass had two years of experience in his job, enough to know when cases needed some illegal pushing and shoving to solve them. This case needed some of that, but not of the calibre to which Shell alluded.

Spyglass gave his best hard-eye. “You were thinking it though. If you get suspended, this case is good as dead. That won't help either of us.”

“We have to.” Shell said. “We can't be countin' on the unsub's messages. We need to learn these things for ourselves.”

Spyglass rubbed his face. He let out a huge sigh and hung his head.

“There has to be another way. It's too dangerous.” Spyglass said. “It's one thing getting rough with just some random witness. It's another thing getting rough with an element of harmony. You do this and it goes bad, it won't just be the ECMB you'll have to answer to, it'll be the princesses as well. At that point, there won't be shit I can do to help you. They'll make an example of you, they'll ostracise you. They'll make sure everyone knows that you tried to fuck with an element bearer. Life as you know it will cease to exist.”

Spyglass took a long, deep breath, waiting for Shell to decide what he wanted to do. It took a lot to change Shell's mind once he'd made a decision, and if he thought going after Applejack and Applebloom was the way forward, there'd be no stopping him.

Shell found an interesting point on the wall and stared at it for a while. He cleared his throat and walked to his seat. He sat on it like he expected a push-pin to stab him in the rear.

After a long time without so much as a grunt, Shell spoke.

“Y'know, for any other case, I'd just drop it at this point. I've made a big mistake with this case though.”

Spyglass cocked his head, waiting for Shell to elaborate.

“It's not professional interest anymore.” Shell said. “It's personal interest. I gotta know, Spyglass. I gotta know the truth. I dunno where it came from, but it's like I got this... overriding directive, tellin' me to keep goin', that my answer's just around the corner. I'm gonna find the truth, Spyglass, whatever it takes. If that means I run the risk of losin' my job, so be it.”

Spyglass sighed. If someone's thinking logically, you can change their mind with your logic. But what if they're not thinking with their brain? What if their convictions come from the heart? There's no arguing against what the heart feels. If they truly believe that what they're doing is right, they'll continue to do it, because in their soul it just feels right. They'll do it in the face of adversity, against the will of their peers.

They'll do it, even if it kills them.

“You know I can't have a part in this, Shell.” Spyglass said. “All I can do is try to convince the director to go easy on you if you fuck up. I'm sorry.”

“It's cool.”

“What happens if things go bad?” Spyglass asked.

Shell shrugged. “Close the case. Try to forget this ever happened. Move on with your life.”

We wandered the streets for a long time, with no goal in mind. The pressure in my life had relented, and though it felt good, it didn't feel right. Despite the lack of immediate danger, I couldn't let my guard down. I wanted to, but couldn't. I didn't want to remember the height, build, colour and gender of every pony I bumped into today, but I did anyway. I didn't want to be checking every dark corner and alley for danger, but I did that too. There was so much useless, unwanted information darting about inside my head.

What hope for a good life exists when you can't enjoy the good times. Perhaps that is what it means to be broken inside. If that is the case, then what must one do to repair oneself? Many have offered answers. The Buddhists of Tibet pose that the road to wellbeing beings with removing everything negative from one's life. But then what constitutes a negative thing? It's hard to define whether something is a positive or negative influence on one's life. My work, for instance. On one hand, it keeps me sharp, my senses acute, and sometimes I do enormous good for others. On the other hand, it can be stressful and unpredictable. Dangerous for me and others. Does that make it a positive or a negative? Perhaps it lies on a spectrum, a grey area where working in absolutes is useless.

It is likely that no single correct answer exists. There was, however, one glimmer of hope. I had a good idea of where my road to happiness began. It flanked me on both sides while I talked with it, laughed with it, and shared the good times with it as we walked.

Applejack and Applebloom. My road starts with them.

I glanced at my watch. It was almost four, and cool enough to put my jacket back on. Celestia's appearance at the stadium began in an hour.

"I think we should start heading for the stadium." I said, fishing my jacket out of my saddlebags. "I don't think Twilight would ever forgive us if we were late."

Rarity took her hat off and fanned herself, checking her own watch as she did. Applejack looked west, towards the mountain and the stadium.

"They're probably all waitin' on us now." Applejack said. "Ah think it's best if we're early. They're puttin' the elements in some box seat near the princesses. Powers that be'll get all nervous if we're not there soon."

I looked at Sweetie Belle, who moved back slightly. "Does that mean I'm looking after Sweetie Belle and Applebloom?"

Rarity chewed her cheek at that question. Her sister in the hooves of savage Anon. I suspected it didn't sit well with her. Applebloom drew in a huge breath and her eyes widened. Applejack spared her a glance and chuckled.

"Ah think family are allowed ter sit with us." Applejack said. "So ah guess y'all dodged a buck wi'that one."

Applebloom deflated and said: "But these swanky things're so borin' sis'! Ah don't wanna sit and do nothin' while Celestia talks fer an hour!"

"Y'all'll be sittin' an' doin' nothin' no matter what happens. Anon's gotta attend too."

"Do I?"

"Perish the thought Anonymous. If we have to sit through this then so do you." said Rarity. I looked at Applejack, who seemed to agree.

"Doesn't make a difference to me." I said. "Isn't Twilight making a speech too? I think all the princesses are. That should be funny to hear."

With four fifths of us satisfied with the plan, we made for the stadium. A lot of ponies were walking the same way. Some recognised Rarity and Applejack as their respective elements. They'd ask for a variety of things: advice and autographs among other things. Some gave their respect and offered words of encouragement. Like seasoned stars, they smiled, waved and walked. I must have looked like a bodyguard.

At the foot of the stadium, an aged mare with a trophy cutie mark voiced her displeasure at Applejack and Rarity arriving at the last minute, and tried to usher them through a staff entrance as quick as possible. I waved to them as they and their sisters disappeared through the door.

I craned my neck back and took in the size of the stadium. Ponies and other races milled about around me

"Enjoying yourself?"

That voice. So smooth and so dignified, never raised. I turned with caution. There my employer stood, her blood-red mane billowing in the wind along with her jacket. She smiled at me. My expression didn't change. What was she doing in public, I wondered. Someone might recognise her as the missing ex-director of the ECMB.

"Arbitress." I said. "Fancy meeting you here."

I checked around myself. There were no familiar faces, nobody lingering in the shadows. She came alone.

"Relax Anon." she said, noticing my discomfort. "It's just me."

"I get the feeling this isn't a chance meeting." I said. "Have you decided I've outlived my usefulness?"

"If that were the case, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Then why are we having it."

"I'm just making sure my asset is enjoying himself. Happy workers are productive workers."

"I was enjoying myself until recently."

She mocked a hurtful expression and gasped. "Come now, am I really that bad? As I recall, it was I that saved most of your teeth from my wayward subordinate. Not only that, I also gave you purpose. Before you met me, you were just a small fish in a big pond. A shady character moving through the shadows, scraping a living by serving those not much better off than yourself. Now you're part of something much larger than yourself. You said you wanted to make a difference in this world, to do something fulfilling. I'm giving you that opportunity."

"You mean the opportunity to kill your enemies? Some opportunity."

She took in a deep breath and released it through her nostrils. She said: "Did you feel that Shrike and Bouros deserved to die?"

"I wanted to kill them." I said after a while.

She smiled at me, and knew I was avoiding the question. What she said next was more interesting. "But now you've thought about it, and understand their situation, you don't think they did deserve what you gave them. From my perspective, it looked rather unfair to outright kill them."

"From a spectators point of view, maybe it did." I said. "Put yourself in my hooves for a moment. They took Zecora from me, from everyone. They had to answer for it. They had to, and who was going to make sure they did? The police? The ECMB? They'd serve a prison sentence, shortened for good behaviour. It wouldn't be enough. It had to be me. I had to do it. Maybe they didn't deserve it. Maybe. But it felt good. Better than good, it felt just. It was like everything was right with the world for a few glorious moments."

"So you do understand." she said. "We really are quite alike."

"Understand what?"

Her smile disappeared.

"Live long enough, and you might find out." she said, and sighed. "Let's take a walk."

She motioned for me to walk to with her, and I did. We began circling the stadium, trotting beside each other like a couple in love. I'll say this for the Grey Arbitress, she was very pretty, for a pony. More than once I saw stallions or groups of stallions spare her a glance, or two glances. They must have thought me the luckiest pony in Equestria. Yeah, I thought. Lucky she hasn't killed me yet.

We came upon a small quad decorated with benches, flowerbeds and exquisite topiary. We walked across the grass to a shaded seat, underneath a tree. She sat and stared across the grass, lost in thought. I sat next to her. It was a tranquil moment. I almost forgot who she was, and what she had done to me. Almost.

"Believe it or not, Anon." she said, still staring into space. "I don't mean to make your life a waking nightmare."

"Really." I said. "You sure fooled me."

She turned to me and said: "You must understand the position you've put me in. I've tried my hardest to be reasonable with you. I don't want you to... hate, working with me, I want you to work with me of your own volition. If you did, there would be no need for threats against you or the Apples. The source of unhappiness in your life would disappear overnight. Everyone would be better for it."

I shook my head. "Your ponies killed one of my only friends, and almost killed Applebloom. I can't, in good faith, work with you willingly."

"I'm not going to argue that those events weren't tragic. They were, and I wish they could have happened another way. But please believe me when I tell you that I was not responsible for what happened that day."

"Your ponies, your rules, your responsibility. Maybe not Shrike, or Bouros, they were amateurs." I said. "But Ferrite? Working for you means working for him. I can't."

She listened intently to my words, never interrupting, never tuning out, and was silent for a long time. Cheering floated out of the stadium as I glanced at my watch. Five exactly. Must have been the princesses making their appearances.

"What would it take for you to work with me willingly?" she asked.

I thought for a moment, and offered a question of my own.

"Why do you care about my wellbeing?" I asked. "You're nothing more than a glorified client. My clients don't care what happens to me as long as the job gets done."

She smiled and said: "Like I said. Happy workers are productive workers."

"One more thing." I said. "I doubt what I'm doing is going unnoticed by the ECMB. What happens if they catch up to me?"

"You're too smart to leave anything except red herrings behind at the scene." she said. "They won't."

"You're not answering the question."

"I'll do what I must in order to protect myself. Up to and including killing you." she said. "That said, this is not the most desirable outcome for either of us, since I lose an asset, and you die. All I can do is throw whoever's chasing you off your tail."

I nodded in satisfaction. She pulled up a sleeve and glanced at her watch. It looked expensive, but then so did any watch compared to mine. She stood and twirled a hoof through her mane.

"I think we have discussed all that needs discussing." she said, beginning to walk away. She called back: "Think about my offer. Remember, it's you that suffers by dragging your hooves, not me."

I watched her disappear into the general chaos of Canterlot. My Grey Arbitress, the one pony I could never suss. Did she believe she was a good pony? Did I believe she was a bad pony? I received so many mixed messages and contrasting signals from her that I couldn't be sure.

She was right. She was good at being right. We were more alike than I was prepared to admit. In her hooves, could I say I'd act any differently? We were pragmatists, survivors, predators. We didn't let the law, or anyone else get in the way of what we wanted. We believed the ends always justified the means. She was like me, and I was like her.

It was then, I realised I did not hate her, because I did not hate myself. I would not kill her out of malice. I would kill her because I needed to move on.

In another life, we might have been the greatest of friends.

It was a long walk back to Maddie's place, given the distance between the stadium and the Bull & China, and the winding streets that connected them. I was hungry, but every place worth eating at was closed for the duration of the closing ceremony. Every place except Maddie's, and I wasn't sure I trusted the food there, even if Stoke claimed he used to be a chef.

It was five-thirty when I walked through the door to Maddie's. I doubted he had the time to attend the ceremony, or that he was keen to leave his place for more than five minutes. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen him anywhere except in the Bull & China. There's no place like home, as they say.

Home. There's something I hadn't thought about for a long time.

The little bell above the door rang as I marched in. Maddie wasn't at the counter. I shrugged to myself, took a newspaper from the rack, and sat in one of the chairs. I thought Maddie must have splashed some serious cash on making the front more believable, because the chair didn't creak under my weight. The shiny, waxed floor was no longer shiny, and had a few scuff marks here and there. A sign the place had seen a lot of ponies. Actual, legitimate, hungry customers. I scoffed.

I heard a faint hum from the kitchen area. Sounded like someone wasn't expecting visitors.

"I hope you don't blast all your customers with magic." I said. "I don't think that's very good for business."

The humming stopped, and Stoke's head appeared from behind the kitchen doors. He ducked his head back in before coming through.

"Begging your pardon sir." he said. 'Sir'. That was a new one. "Thought you might've been some lowlife looking to trash the place while everyone was at the closing ceremony."

I examined him for a moment. He was different from how I remembered. Quite short, quite thin, so whatever muscle he had was defined. Sea-green mane, crimson coat. He looked like an athlete. His voice was distinctive. If Equestria had an equivalent of received pronunciation, he was speaking it.

"You're Stoke, right?" I said, he nodded. "I remember you found those two bastards with the filly a couple months back."

"I remember sir." he said. God, sir sounded weird. "Heard you did some pretty brutal things to them."

"Enough with the 'sir', it's making me uncomfortable. And yes, I did." I said. Stoke nodded again, slower this time. "Where's Maddie? I need to speak with him."

"He's out on business."

"Didn't think he ever left the place."

"Now and again."

"How long have you known him?"

"Since he started the outfit."

I rubbed my left temple and said: "When will he be back?"

"Not sure."

"Right, have you got some pen and paper? I need to write him a message."

"Certainly." he said, disappearing behind the bar. He rummaged around in there before producing a paper pad and a pen on the table.

"My mouthwriting is terrible. Mind if I dictate to you?" I asked.

"So is mine." he said. "But there's something about bits that makes it better."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. The corner of his mouth turned up as he looked at me.

"Cheeky fucker." I said, reaching into my saddlebag and took out a small sack of bits. I threw it over to him. He looked inside for a moment, and nodded. He grabbed the pen in his mouth.

I dictated to Stoke my plan for getting rid of Spirit Sight. Depending on what else Maddie could tell me about him, my preliminary plan might change, but what Stoke wrote in the message was the rough draft.

After some of my own investigation, I learned that Spirit Sight was finicky about delegating to his underlings. He liked to be in direct control at all times. He liked to tell his ponies when to start work, when to finish work, when the shifts changed, what new operations he wanted to set up, which old ones he wanted to shut down. The workload was too much for him, and so to ease the stress upon himself, he appointed three of his most trusted lackeys as heads of operations. There was the head of security, the head of information services, and the head of finance.

However, he very much disliked relinquishing this much control. So he came up with a little gimmick to make up for the loss. A whistle. When he blew the whistle, everyone who heard it had to come running to him. He claimed it to be a security measure, but in reality, it's just a demonstration of his power. A demonstration of the control he still holds, and a reminder to everyone that he was in charge. He used it for his every whim. If he needed a letter delivering or a drink made for him, he would blow on the whistle, and give the task in mind to whoever came last.

All ponies have weaknesses, and this was his. He was too much of a control freak.

A whistle is innocuous enough - how does one turn his dependence on a whistle against him?

I planned on keeping that a secret from Maddie. One day he'd open up the Canterlot Herald and see a headline that went something like 'Son To Notorious Crime Boss Found Dead'. The funeral would not be open casket.

I needed only two things from Maddie to make my plan work: One member of his crew on the cleaning team that Spirit Sight hires to dust-bust his manor, and a pea sized blob of silver azide. I told him how to synthesize silver azide, and then told him to be extremely careful while doing so. Don't ever take it out of water. Don't let it dry. Don't drop anything on it. Don't let it get warm. Don't let anything except a unicorn handle it. Finally, don't ask why I need it. It'll ruin the surprise.

"From Anon." I said, concluding the letter.

Stoke spat out the pen and held up the message. It was quite lengthy.

"You're off your rocker." he said. "I can see what you're trying to make work here. It's mad. It's ludicrous. You're mad!"

"Thank fuck for that, because if I wasn't it would probably never work."

"How did you think of this?"

"Being mad has it's advantages." I said, moving towards the door. "Tell Maddie I said 'hi'."

The train rumbled and chugged south across the darkening plains. I sat by the window with my head propped up on one hoof, staring absently out across the fields. The carriage wheels clanked out a harsh but hypnotic rhythm. I was tired. We all were tired.

Applejack was asleep on the bench opposite me, with Rarity and her sister sprawled over one another. Applebloom sat next to me, beginning to nod off. Every now and then she would yawn herself awake, only to flop sideways again and doze for a few more minutes.

I looked to the horizon. The longest day was closing, and the shortest night would soon take over. I didn't recall celebrating the winter equinox, and I thought Luna must have the patience of a saint to put up with the disproportionate amount of attention her sister receives. Perhaps she preferred being sidelined as opposed to standing in the spotlight. That's something I could understand.

I thought about waking the carriage when the sun touched the horizon, so we might watch it together. I didn't in the end, and just watched the sunset alone and in silence. Then I watched the moon rise. A celestial object much easier on the eyes.

I must have fallen asleep shortly afterward, because I next remember being prodded awake by a drowsy-looking Applejack. I turned to look out the window. Ponies were disembarking and struggling to move their luggage. We'd arrived back in Ponyville.

We stepped out into the night air. It was still, stifling, the kind of heat it's hard to fall asleep in. I checked my watch and frowned. Quarter-past eleven. My bedtime was eleven - any later and I'd wake up gone midday. If that happened, it was a day wasted. Applejack also asked me to carry her sister's saddlebags back to the farm, so there were no promises of sleep before midnight.

The elements, Twilight included, bid their farewells for the day. We stumbled through the night like a drunk trying to find their house keys. I lacked the energy to talk, as did Applejack and her sister. It was a good kind of exhaustion, though. Natural, in a word. The only times I ever felt fatigued were following a fight, where I would also be jacked up on a powerful stimulant cocktail, forcing alertness and concentration. The result was a strange mixture of exhaustion and focus. Tonight, there was a distinct lack of adrenaline in my veins. I was thankful for a day that went, largely, without stress.

We came up on the dirt path leading to Sweet Apple Acres. There were lights on in the house. An inviting glow piercing the warm night.

I slung Applebloom's bags down by the front door and went to knock, but something stayed my hoof. The smell. Something didn't smell right. I racked my brain for some small sliver of information that might place that smell. Twilight's castle, I thought. I smelt this in Twilight's castle. Was it the books? No, impossible.

I narrowed my search criteria. It was associated with books. The study. I smelt it in the study where I poured over countless tomes in search of the Grey Arbitress. God, what was it? Not knowing was maddening, like a name, or concept that you're close to expressing but can't quite.

"Anon?" Applejack asked, the strain of the day prevalent in her voice. I backed away from the door and turned to her, putting one hoof over my mouth. Silence.

"Applebloom." I whispered. "Go to Twilight's castle, bring her here as fast as you can."

"Why?" the sisters asked in unison.

"You too, AJ. Both of you, get help."

Applejack and her sister possessed senses that extended beyond the ones common to us all. A kind of sixth sense that gauged the honesty of their target. It was almost never wrong.

Through months of surviving, tracking, fighting, investigating, I too had developed extrasensory faculties of my own. Like seasoned veterans of war, mine warned me of danger. It saved my life on two past occasions. I trusted it better than I trusted my own sense of reasoning. Applejack trusted it as well, so when I told her to run and get help, she did so, and did not look back.

I waited until they were out of sight before trying the door handle. It was unlocked. I let myself in. The smell was stronger inside. It was the scent of an individual, one that I had met before. It must have been a brief meeting since I couldn't place it.

I walked, quiet as was possible on hooves, into the lounge. Two ponies noticed me, Big Mac and Granny Smith. A pale blue magic aura surrounded them, preventing them from moving or acknowledging me in any way greater than an eye movement. My eyes met Big Mac's. He looked like he'd been crying. His eyes made a silent plea for something.

I looked to Granny Smith. The poor mare was so scared, she couldn't have moved even if the restrictive spell was lifted. She too had been crying. Someone had reduced the two strongest ponies in Ponyville to sobbing wrecks. Someone was going to pay tonight. I didn't care if they were a unicorn.

"Earth pony. Grey coat." a deep voice said from above me. I spun around and looked up. Coming down the stairs was a unicorn. I linked the smell and the memory. It belonged to one Special Agent In-Charge 'Shell', one of the two ECMB agents that had been pursuing me for the last two months. Where was the other, I wondered.

"Brown mane." he said, and kept walking down the stairs. I looked to Big Mac, who was still staring wide-eyed at me. I didn't know then, but he was doing his best to beg me to run. I looked back at the agent. I didn't move, I didn't even blink. All my energy went into remaining stoic. I would give him nothing.

"Jacket." he said. Another couple of steps. "Ear stud."

He reached the bottom floor and looked me in the eyes. He was smiling an awful, sadistic smile. I stared right back.

"How's it goin', unsub?" he asked me.

"Who are you and what are you doing here." I said.

"Ah, pardon my manners. SAC Shell at your service. ECMB" he said, flashing his badge. "But you already knew that, didn'tcha?."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said. "This looks pretty illegal, what you're doing here. Off the top of my head: use of excessive force, breaking and entering, witness intimidation."

"Y'know." he said. "I only came here tonight 'cause I thought I might clarify some details. Instead, I get the unsub I've been chasin' for weeks on end. Guess my luck's in tonight. You're a slippery little bastard, y'know? One of the hardest cases I've had in my time, and that's sayin' somethin'."

"You're not making any sense." I said. "If you won't leave, I'll have to act in self-defense."

He laughed hard at that one. Good, I thought. Buy more time. It shouldn't be too long. He's here illegally. Once Twilight shows up, I'll be fine.

"You earth ponies sure get full of yourselves sometimes. You think you can even touch me?" he said. I felt myself being enveloped by the same pale-blue aura. It was nothing compared to the Grey Arbitress's spells, but it was enough to immobilise me. He threw me to the floor. I could see Big Mac and Granny Smith. They were crying again.

"Lemme tell you a story there unsub, while you're listenin'." he said. "A little filly called Applebloom got lost in the woods one day. Some big mean hired muscle foalnapped her and take her to the crystal caverns. Then, somethin' amazin' happens. The foalnappers get themselves killed, and Applebloom turns up on the door to this humble little farm later that evenin'. It's a mystery, right? No, you're thinkin'. No it ain't a mystery. You know what happened, and you're gonna tell me, and then I'm gonna take you down to the finest crossbar hotel that Canterlot has to offer, and you'll stay there."

"Fuck you." I said. "You'll have to do a lot worse."

"Really now?" he said, forming a huge grin. He rifled around in my jacket pocket for a while and removed my wallet. He inspected the contents. "Anonymous Fihlnotfound. Private Investigator. Explains a lot. Well, Anonymous. To me, that sounds like a challenge."

I felt the aura penetrate my skin. I felt it inside my legs and arms, invading me. What followed was some of the greatest pain I'd ever felt. I couldn't stop screaming. I screamed so loud and for so long I felt sure that my larynx would rupture. After a while, Shell forced my mouth shut.

"I call it 'the rack'." Shell said. "It don't take much effort on my part, y'know. All I gots to do is wrap your ligaments and muscle in some kinetic magic and pull it like a rubber band."

He relented the spell for a moment, letting me sob and quiver in a heaped mess. My insides were on fire, but I held myself together. Just.

"Feel like fessin' up yet?" he asked.

"Information gained under torture-" I spluttered. "-isn't permissible in court. You're a fucking moron, Shell."

"I don't give a FUCK about court!" he shouted, stomping a hoof. "WHAT HAPPENED? What THE FUCK HAPPENED IN THOSE CAVERNS?"

"I don't know what you-"

I didn't finish that sentence. He forced my mouth shut and began torturing me again. Here was a stallion that wasn't used to being told 'no'. For all your power, I thought. For all your power and magic, you can't beat me. How does it feel?

My punishment went on for minutes. Not long in everyday terms, but it felt like eternity. I thought he'd kill me. I thought he'd get so mad he'd lose control for a brief moment and crush my ligaments completely. I wanted to tell him I had friends. Powerful friends that didn't give a fuck about the law or the legal system. Friends that could disappear him into a shallow grave. Friends that wouldn't care if you were an anti-magic agent. I wanted to tell him: if you want to be alive a week from now, you'll have to kill me.

"Anon?" a voice called. No, I thought. Oh, God please don't let it be her. I told you to run.

"AJ! Run!"

Shell shot a glance back in the direction of Applejack's voice. He trotted to the hallway. Applejack screamed while Shell grunted. Why didn't you run Applejack?

Shell came back into the lounge with Applejack in tow, suspended in the pale blue aura. He was holding down four ponies now. An impressive feat, but not one he could continue for long. He'd tire soon.

He pinned Applejack to the wall, where I had full view of her. Her mouth was bound. She darted her eyes between me, Shell, and her family. Tears were welling in them. They were welling in mine too.

Shell heaved Granny Smith's chair and placed it next to me. He sat in it and bowed over, head height with me.

With a sick smile, he said: "Y'know, I'm thinkin' there's another way to go 'bout this. Tell me what'cha think: Every time I hear somethin' from you what I think is unsatisfactory, I'm gonna hurt your little marefriend over there. Oh no, I ain't gonna do a thing to you, no siree, I can see that route don't work."

I spared a glance for Applejack. Shell said it loud enough for her to hear. Her whole body was trembling.

"You're scum, Shell." I said. "Hurting innocent young mares."

"I don't wanna hear that from you. Remember Lila Barb? She said you were gonna 'draw smiley faces' on her body with a knife if she didn't tell you where Blackthorn was." he said. "Oh yeah, I know all about that. Had to tell that mare she'd never see her father again. No Anonymous, you're the scum here."

"Takes one to know one."

He tapped his chin and said: "Sounds mighty unsatisfactory to me."

Applejack screeched. Shell could have kept her mouth closed, but he wanted me to hear. He wanted me to suffer. He was succeeding. I could see his spells going to work on her. I could see ligaments and musculature twisting and writhing under her coat. She screamed and cried until no more tears came. I shouted, begged Shell to stop. He didn't. Only once her torture had gone on for half a minute did he stop.

"Feel like talkin' yet?" he asked. He was sweating, exhausted. Not long. Not long now. Delay him. It was soul-destroying, but I had to make time. I needed a lucrative detail. Something that would hold his interest.

I nodded and said, through a wall of tears: "The crystal killer."

He raised an eyebrow. "Keep talkin'."

"I know who it is." I said. "Six feet tall. Mostly hairless. Bipedal. I can find him for you. You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"I wanna know what happened. Tell me everything, from the beginning, or you know what comes next."

I swallowed.

"Shrike and Bouros foalnapped Applebloom after they killed Zecora. I followed their tracks to Canterlot, trying to catch up with them. I found out they were heading to the crystal caverns. When I went in, I found them dead, and Applebloom unconscious. I took her home."

"Why didn't the crystal killer kill her too?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't say."

Shell rubbed his face. He looked confounded.

"What about Python. You knew Shrike and Bouros worked for them same as you."

"I didn't at the time. The Grey Arbitress found out what happened to them, and then found me. She forced me to work for her."

"What work?"

I hesitated, and Shell sighed. He glanced towards Applejack. Her eyes were shut, her shoulders twitching in time with her sobbing. She screamed again as Shell worked her ligaments. I begged and pleaded for him to stop again, and again, he didn't for a good thirty seconds.

"What work." he restated.

"Those ponies she sends me after. They've got these things."

"What things?"

I faltered again. Shell blinked once and went back to Applejack. I screamed for him to stop. Applejack screeched in pain. I couldn't do anything. When it came down to the wire, I was powerless. Earth ponies are good at blending in, staying unnoticed, creeping. I learned this quickly. It was a massive help. It wasn't helping right now, when all I could do was look on as my greatest friend writhed and twisted on the wall.

Then, the whole left side of my face stung. The world was a merry-go-round of colour and sound. I felt Shell's spell lose grip over my body. I touched my face with my hooves. There were small, sharp things embedded in my cheek. I picked a piece out. Glass.

I looked to my left. A large section of the wall had been blown in. Shell lay prone, cradling an arm with a large splinter of wood buried in it.

A maroon aura constricted Shell. He levitated for a moment before being thrown into the far wall. He was held there for a moment, and slammed into the floorboards. They splintered under the force of the throw. I heard him howl in pain. I might have laughed if I wasn't in so much agony myself.

I slid across the room to where Applejack lay. She was curled with her knees into her chest. Her eyes were shut tight, believing that if she couldn't see what was happening, it couldn't hurt her. I whispered to her.

"AJ." I said. She opened her eyes a little. "It's fine now. Everything's fine."

Nobody moved. We were either too scared or too hurt to do so. Big Mac held Granny Smith close. Our eyes moved to the smoldering hole in the wall.

"You're a disgrace, Shell." Twilight said, stepping over the rubble and into the room, closely followed by Applebloom. Her horn glowed bright and hot. The quiet fury of a princess. Calm on the surface while true wrath burned behind her eyes. Applebloom ran to her sister and me. "A disgrace."

"Princess." he groaned. "Lemme, lemme explain-"

"-No explanation is necessary, nor will it be remotely adequate for justifying your actions here tonight." she said, keeping the anger out of her voice. She surveyed the room for a moment, and sniffed the air. Her coat prickled from neck to hoof.

"Are you okay?" she said, never breaking eye contact with Shell.

"No." I said, picking out more glass. "I think everyone else is."

Twilight nodded absently, and cleared her throat.

"Shell. You have trespassed on private property, intimidated, and tortured multiple witnesses. Not only that, but you have also tortured an element of harmony, their family, and their friend. An attack on an element bearer is no less than treason of the worst kind, second only to an attack on the princesses themselves." she said. Shell was about to speak when Twilight forced his mouth shut. She levitated him, and let him hang in the air for a moment. "Which gives me permission to act at my own judicial discretion."

"Applebloom. Close your eyes. Cover your ears." I said. I forced her head into my chest. No filly should have to see what came next.

Twilight threw Shell to the ground. He shrieked as the splinter in his arm went deeper. She dragged him across the floorboards and rubble, out into the night. Like a destructive child, Twilight tossed Shell around, slamming him into the ground. Dirt and grass kicked up with every blow. Over and over, she beat him against the ground. Over and over, he screamed. Many of his bones were broken now.

"Twilight." I called. She didn't hear me, or she ignored me. I didn't know which.

I got up, an act that took gargantuan effort, and walked to her. I stood by her, watching her dole out her own form of professional justice for a moment.

"Twilight." I said, putting a hoof on her back. She flinched at the gesture, and I backed away a little. "Let the ECMB deal with him."

She looked deep into my eyes, still suspending Shell in the air just before us. With a final, defiant flick, she threw Shell into the ground.

"We need to have words, Anon." she said.

"At a time like this?"

"Not now, obviously."

We walked back to the house.