“Oh my gosh, you guys! Look!”

Before Cadance can reorient herself, or convince her wings that the reason the room is spinning is not because she is locked in some death spiral, Silverstream’s shrill shriek echoes in her ears.

“Trees!”

With one hoof firmly keeping her brain from leaping out through her horn, the other steadying herself, Cadance wrestles open one eye. On the other side of the Apple’s kitchen the pink hippogriff, face squashed against the window, tries to point outside. But there’s a window in the way.

“And what’s this? It’s, like, glass!” Silverstream’s grin fills the pane. Cadance, head throbbing from exertion, doesn’t want to begrudge the joy of discovery, but finds it increasingly hard to stay upbeat, especially for something so mundane. “In a window! I mean, we had windows, and we had glass, but this is so much bigger!”

“Indeed,” Luna replies dourly, clearly as exhausted as Cadance from the teleport and less inclined to hide it. She gazes longingly at Doug’s master bedroom, then glances back at the hippogriff scratching up the latch. With a brief flare of her horn she opens the window, and one might be able to construe her light prod as a more forceful push.

Silverstream certainly doesn’t need to be told twice. She bolts for the closest red-flecked tree. Satisfied scarfing sounds soon resound throughout the orchard, and the crash of breaking branches, and the occasional heavy *whump* of a body slamming into the ground with an accompanying exasperated screech.

“Well, I suppose that’s that,” Cadance remarks, stretching out her legs and wings. She moans in delight, low and long, glad to be on the ground and finally resting. It’s not the longest she’s spent in the air, not by far, but to not take breaks on a cloud? Yet stretching out doesn’t quite hit the spot. And not just because she’s missing her Shiny pressing against her.

Two things prevent her from that relaxation she so desperately desires. Her stomach rumbles, fiercer now that food is in plain sight; better yet, the Apples wouldn’t mind her sampling, even gorging on their stores. But even more so, her coat itches something fierce; the gunk of the clouds came along for the ride. That’s expected from a side-along teleport with an unfamiliar passenger, but not appreciated. She grunts as she sits back up, purple wings flaring out, only to catch Luna’s sidelong, querying gaze.

“We did not wish to question thy decision in front of the others,” Luna starts, her manner clear that she does have some critical questions. Cadance nods with a touch of hesitancy. “But our departure seemed… abrupt. Premature. Did we accomplish what we were sent out to do?” Luna scowls, but at herself. “Did we correct the mistakes left in our wake? How do we know our mission is, if that is what it is, complete?”

Cadance sighs, preening a bit of gunk from her wings. Comfort first. Luna spreads her own plumage; it’s not as bad, but still there. “We can only trust in Harmony,” she eventually replies. “That she has some plan for us.”

Luna glances at her cutie mark, which remains unchanged, as an alarmed bark from Winona comes through the open window, then answers her own question from earlier. “We could check this ‘map’ you spoke of. Perhaps it holds the answers.”

“We could.” Cadance locates a particularly deep mote, digging it out with her teeth. Hundreds remain, if not more. “I feel no need to doubt.”

“Did this ‘mission’ not commence with a rush of passion?” Luna points out. “It stands to reason, then, that we would experience a similar thrill when we are done.” She waits a beat; Winona’s bark rings out again, sharper and more urgent. Both of them glance outside, but see nothing amiss. “This has not occurred.”

Cadance nods. Her wings feel heavy, and she lets them fall to her sides. “As I said before, we must trust in Harmony. When I was with the hippogriffs… It was a lesson they needed to accept themselves. If we held their hoof, or claw, through that challenge? That would have ruined it. The goal is for them to learn to make decisions, not for us to make them for them. That they would be a spark inciting a blaze, not a fire we would need to continuously fuel. Maybe we’ll get some indication when they follow through.”

She stands, takes a few steps, and lays ponyloaf next to Luna, barrels touching. She tentatively rests her head against her Aunt’s. “I hope it was the right move.”

“Indeed,” Luna states pensively. She leans into Cadance, returning the affectionate gesture. “We hope so as well.”

They both glance up when the front door opens, revealing a sour-faced Applejack. Winona guards her side, growling. Doug stands behind her, wearing a heavy apron and loosely holding a long crystal spear. Cadance smirks at his choice of armament; it wouldn’t do much except deter an uncommitted assailant, but perhaps that’s all he needs before reinforcements arrive.

“Either’a y’all,” Applejack states, torn between mirth and reproach at the sight of the alicorns cuddling, “care’ta explain why there’s a hippogriff frolickin’ about mah trees, samplin’ our hard labor?”

“Also, it stinks in here,” Doug adds, his nose wrinkling as he glances around, as if there might be some other source.

“...She’s a cultural ambassador?” Cadance tries, beaming at Applejack. She ignores Doug’s thoughtless remark.

Applejack chuckles at the explanation, shaking her head jovially; perhaps the rambunctious youngster reminds her of her own curious foals. “It ain’t that Ah mind or nothin’. It’s, just, the trees’re still recoverin’ from makin’ so much cider yesterday. So-”

“You have cider!?” Silverstream exclaims from a perch on the open window, red-stained claws digging into the wooden frame in her excitement. Applejack startles backward at the unexpected visitor, Winona’s growl growing fierce. “We never had cider! I mean, that’s because we didn’t have trees. Or apples. We recovered this blue agave drink from the wrecks, but they never let me try it for some reason. And fish oil really doesn’t ferment into anything. Well, not anything you want to drink.” She gags, as though this is something she has tried, while something red and sticky drips from her beak.

“How’s about,” Applejack starts, then notices the viscous red. Which is most certainly not the red sheen of an apple. Her eyes go wide as dinner plates. “What the-?”

“Silverstream!” Cadance shouts, aghast at the blood-stained claws. “What did you do?!”

“What?” the pink hippogriff asks, surprised at the unforeseen outburst. She lifts up a hefty brown rabbit, limp and still dripping blood from a grisly wound at the back of his neck. “I caught a snack!” Her once-irrepressible cheer fades as she realizes the shock on everypony’s face, Doug only with a slight frown. Her eyes widen to match Applejack’s in horror. “Oh, no! Did I catch somepony’s pet? I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

“I-it’s okay,” Applejack stammers out, her stomach a bit queasy.

Cadance can’t believe it; how could she have given a predator, a hungry predator, free reign? How could she have been so careless!? She tries to clamp down on her vexation, but it comes out with a whole heaping of barely-restrained wrath. “That could have been somepony’s foal!”

“What? No!” Silverstream’s pink coat fades to as white as a sheet. “I would never! I-I just saw the critters roaming about!” she explains, sniffling loudly. Her head sinks against the windowsill, despondent. “And I thought, ‘Well, we’ve hunted desert hares’, my dad and I, when nocreature was about.”

“Good riddance,” Doug mutters, Winona seemingly agreeing with a low whuff.

“Ah get that,” Applejack says with a pinch of sympathy, reserving her glare for Doug.

“A-and we keep schools swimming around Seaquestria. So if you ever need a bite to eat, well, all you have to do is catch it!” Silverstream attempts a grin, though beaks aren’t terribly great at smiling; Luna and Cadance have recovered, and nod apprehensively, while Applejack merely gulps. “So I thought that you had something similar, you know? But with rabbits! Since, you there, there’s all that food strewn about?”

Applejack takes a deep breath. “Look. Ah get that’s how you did it back in Sea-questria. But this is E-questria. We don’t go ‘round… harvestin’ whatever critters we come ‘cross. There’s’a time an’a place.” She looks over Cadance and Luna, debating how to best defuse the tense situation. “Now, how's about Ah show you the ropes; what ya can’n can’t eat, that sorta thing.”

Silverstream nods, contrite, though that only lasts for an instant. She offers a cheeky grin and holds up the carcass. “So, you don’t mind if I finish this?”

Applejack closes her eyes, poorly hiding her revulsion. “Long as ya don’t... in front of me. And apologize to the rabbits for scarin’ ‘em.”

Silverstream frowns, mostly in her eyes, her wicked beak still bloodstained. “But they’re food.”

“Eenope.” Applejack fixes Silverstream with a hard stare. “Ah’ll take ya ta Pharynx’s if’n yer still hungry. But that ain’t how we treat the critters ‘round here. Got it?” After Silverstream nods, if grudgingly, she glances at Doug, then motions at the alicorns. “Why don’t ya help them clean up? They look worse’n Dash after she loses a bout o’ mudwrestlin’.”

“Yeah, sure,” Doug replies. He rolls his eyes as Applejack’s unamused snort. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Better.” Applejack and Winona trot out the door, Silverstream following.

Doug peers at the two alicorns, like he’s having trouble making up his mind, both of whom return cheeky grins.

“If you prefer,” Cadance starts, a hint of regret in her coy tone, “we can go to Aloe’s instead.”

That serves to jolt Doug into action. “Mm, but then I’d miss out on this.” He rubs at Luna’s head, but his jovial smile turns to a grimace as he tries to pull his hand away. “Eww, it’s all sticky.” He points at the front door. “Now, both of you, come outside.”

“But it’s nice inside,” Cadance protests, grinning.

“It’s nice outside,” Doug counters. Cadance frowns when he steps out for a moment and returns with a large washtub and shampoo.

“...Dost thou believe we will both fit?” Luna asks, skeptical as to the capacity of the tub.

“We’ll make it work,” Doug answers, hauling the tub through the door; he has to go sideways so it fits. “Even if your rumps hang over the edge.”

“Mm, you’d like that,” Cadance teases mercilessly, Doug winking back at her. The two alicorns follow him outside, removing their ornate shoes and Luna’s peytral as he fills the tub from a hose. “Also, I’m hungry.”

“I’ve got lunch made at the other house,” Doug offers, turning off the water and dumping the shampoo inside.

“Oh, you were baking with Applejack?” Cadance teases; reeks might be too strong, but he smells of sex (when doesn’t he?) and she wants to get back at him for his earlier comment about them stinking.

“Making sure the batter is good for the next batch,” Doug confirms, nodding. He strips off his apron, leaving himself just as naked as the alicorns.

Cadance snickers while Luna rolls her eyes. Neither protest as he leads them into the tub, water sloshing out as they fill the confines with only some wiggle room to spare. It feels good, but Doug seems unsatisfied as he scrubs at Luna’s side with his hands.

“Hold on a moment.” He disappears, returning with a pair of sturdy brushes and a bottle of extra-strength shampoo. “Rarity claims this worked wonders on the sand,” Doug explains as he pours out a thick bead, then works it into a spot on Luna’s shoulder.

Cadance, unhappy with being second, filches the bottle with her wing and drizzles it along her back. She revels in Doug’s exasperated, if exaggerated, sigh, music to which she wriggles her rump back and forth.

“So,” Doug starts with what must be a desperate plea to distract himself, especially as he squeezes in between them and scrubs at both backs simultaneously. “How was your trip? Anything exciting happen?”

“You could say that,” Cadance says, absolutely loving it as Doug works his way around her wings. The rough brush against her skin, how he carefully yet fervently digs out every mote? She knows he spends a lot of time with his mares, and loves the physical side of affection, but this? She’ll have to distract herself, too!

She does so, swapping back and forth with Luna, the two regaling Doug with their tale, and certainly not wrapping both their tails around his legs.

Next Chapter: Ch. 86 - Coated Shrapnel, Part Two Estimated time remaining: 18 Hours, 22 Minutes