Chapter 4

Ponyville was always known for its hospitality and kindness. One of the most peaceful places attracted ponies from all over Equestria. Many colts and mares moved from loud Canterlot to a peaceful, little village. So did Berry Blast.

Pink mare was walking from a teapot to the fridge, preparing meals. It's been a week since Green Grapes came in and brought a colt in coma. She could see what happened to him, this wasn't just an injury which somepony tried to heal. This was something bigger, and Berry Blast could feel it in her hooves. Grapy never told her what he was doing for living but more and more strange things happened to those who he brought to her. This one wasn't so bad – after all he had four legs, two ears and a normal muzzle. Pink mare took a quick glimpse on the colt.

Stepping Stone was sleeping in the bedroom, where Berry Blast made bedding for him. In fact she had already one. The blue-maned mare never stopped waiting for the day, when the colt she will really like, will sleep next to her. She kept dreaming about him. Now she had to take care for a brown colt, without a cutie mark.

The brown colt was already on his hooves, stretching and yawning. Berry Blast looked at him. Stepping Stone noticed her very quickly. He smiled widely in response.

'Morning', mare grinned. 'Breakfast is ready.'

'Have I ever told you how brilliant you are, Berry Blast?'

If she had no fur, dark brown-maned colt would see her blush. Thank Celestia, he had already trotted near her, heading to the kitchen. Berry Blast turned and followed her guest.

He sat next to the table full of different kinds of food. On his plate there was a huge, very rare in Equestria fruit. Berry Blast was proud she could get it the whole way from Canterlot. But Steppin Stone wasn't as enthusiastic about it, as she was.

'A pear?' he stared at it confused.

Mare looked at him sadly. She wanted her best for her guest. Green Grapes really wanted her to take extra care for this colt.

'Is it wrong?' she asked quietly. She took a bite of that fruit but it was really delicious.

'I'm not sure,' he fixed his gaze on the pear. It wasn't different than any other fruit on this table.

'But…?'

'Maybe it's silly, but I have a feeling I shouldn't have it.'

Berry Blast was now angry. That was ridiculous. She was doing her best, importing the most expensive and the rarest fruits in all Equestria just to here that those fruits could be poisoned or making any other threat to the colt.

'Fine,' she answered, smothering her anger. Stepping Stone clenched his teeth on pears peduncle. He came closer to the pink mare and gave her the fruit.

'But it doesn't mean you can't eat it,' – he said, as he put the pear on her plate. She forced herself to smile and then continued eating. He was an interesting person and she was really curious to meet him closer.

'Any information about that foreigner?' Clover looked at Green Grapes expectantly. The blue-maned colt shook his head. Working on his computer, he was analyzing the new cube they've found yesterday. Captain looked at him not very happy with the information he was given.

'You know it's over a week, since we've found him?'

Grapy raised his head, showing how much he didn't care.

'It's Colgate, who threw the forgetting chance, not me. We don't know anything about that colt, except for the sonic screwdriver he had with him,' scientist almost snarled at Clover. He had a bad day, definitely. The gray colt wondered if that was because of Berry Blast taking care for a colt more than a day or two.

'Slow down, princess,' Clover smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere. 'I'm sure he will remember everything, when we will show him his personal item.'

Green Grapes looked at the computer screen again, ignoring what Clover said.

'Why do we care so much about that colt, anyway?'

'Because he is an alien?' Clover looked at his employee but there was no response. Captain sighed. 'If you will have something – let me know.'

He stepped back not to interrupt. Torchwood building was not s spacious as an organization of that kind of government status would have. Base situated in the basement of Town Hall. Three floors just for an institution founded by Princess Luna. Clover started climbing stairs to reach first floor. Everything was made out of metal which was really rare in Equestria. But Princess had to be sure that her organization will carry out instructions. Taking care for every strange creature or phenomenon was Torchwood's duty. Captain Clover knew what he was into, when he accepted the invitation to enter the organization. Every member of Torchwood knew that, but that knowledge wasn't any easier.

'Be sure not to take it out from here,' he shouted on the top of the stairs.

'I could say the same with that screwdriver you have,' Clover heard in response. He smiled and jumped forward. It was definitely his kind of job, after all.

Passing through the room he pretended, he didn't see Paper Moon licking carefully Rose Luck's ear. They were good workers. Brutal Paper Moon, ready to chop off the head of anyone who would be a threat to the ponykind and his partner – clever and beautiful mare with a backup idea in which there was always place for an alien hunt. Gorgeous and murderous at the same time - just like her cutie mark.

Torchwood leader reached the top of another staircase and opened the trapdoor leading to a small room, always closed for guests entering the building. Next minute Captain was outside the room, breathing the clear, Town Hall air. There weren't many ponies in the building – just a few, talking to the major and laughing kindly. Nice - no one had noticed him.

Black-maned colt knew exactly where Berry Blast lived. He didn't have many occasions to meet up with her but it wasn't hard to see that she was all about Green Grapes. Her house was just next to Torchwood's base – that's why they even knew her. It was the best place to keep all the foreign ponies they caught (which wasn't that frequent). Small house with walls painted in cream color seemed to be the best place to live. Calm, cozy and clean. Clover opened door of Berry Blast's mansion and entered the building. At once he could feel familiar scent of baked cherry muffins. He licked his mouth hungrily. It was his lucky day – everyone knew how great those sweets were.

'No, silly, you can't open the oven now!' Clover heard Berry Blast laughing. He stepped inside the kitchen to have a closer look.

Light brown colt was standing in the middle of the room, holding pink mare's hooves. He tried helping her with new baked muffins. They put them on a wooden table, laughing. Berry Blast did really seem to enjoy colt's company. Clover smiled, even though he felt a bit guilty. The unknown colt with a dark brown mane had to remember who he was. Stepping Stone wasn't his actual name but that was the best preposition from Torchwood employees. Berry Blast won't be happy, when they will have to take colt with them.

Captain came in, with a jaunty tramping of his hooves, while walking.

'Bonjour, Berry Blast,' he said with his cute and as romantic as possible voice.

'Hi, Clover,' Berry Blast replied happily, smiling widely. Grey colt moved to the side, just to stand between the table and ponies.

'Greetings, Captain,' Stepping Stone bowed his head, looking at him cheerfully. He seemed different than the pony they had captured.

Clover was clever. Standing with his back to muffins he raised his back hoof and tried to grab one of the titbits. He was trying not to look very suspicious while stealing the most delicious thing in the whole universe. It was quite difficult but those two in front of him didn't look like someone who could catch him - the great Captain Clover.

'I can see you are doing pretty well together.' Stepping Stone looked the grey colt amicably, pressing his side to Berry's.

'She is very kind for me,' Stepping Stone nodded in agreement.

'And she is not blind. Clover, leave that muffin at once,' Berry pretended to look at him sternly.

Darn it! He almost had it.

'Sorry', he murmured, stepping aside. Pink mere smiled at once. She picked one muffin and gave it to Clover.

'You could have just asked,' she smiles gently. 'So, what made you come here?'

The smell of another series of baked muffins was spreading in the air.

'I'll get them,' offered the brown colt and approached the oven.

Blue-maned mare looked at Clover carefully. She lowered her voice, suspiciously.

'I don't know what you are up to but I won't let you hurt Stepping Stone, like you did to that mare before him.'

'Star Flight was different. She has nothing to do with him,' Clover answered calmly. Suddenly he heard an odd sound. At once he and Berry Blast turned to the source of the sound. It was Stepping Stone, who has fallen, dotting most of the muffins around him, on the ground. He groaned with pain quietly, as he started getting up. He was looking at his hooves sadly.

Berry Blast approached the light brown colt. She patted him with her hoof, trying to encourage him. Clover could feel that this was a common situation here. Somehow he didn't dare to say a thing. Still muffins were lying on the ground. Well-baked and looking really delicious yelled for help. But no one took a pity on them.

'I'm sorry,' said the colt without a cutie mark. 'I just don't know when I have lost ground from my hooves.' He really tried to sound convincing but everypony in that building could hear sadness in his voice.

'Stone, do you falter a lot?' Clover looked very interested. He ignored the murderous look, Berry Blast gave him. The brown earth pony sounded ashamed but didn't lose any self-confidence.

'Yup, it happens from time to time. That's funny but sometimes…' he stopped not being sure if continuing his sentence is a good idea but Captain seemed to be curious. '…sometimes I have a feeling that I wasn't born with hooves,' he stopped for a moment, licking his mouth nervously. 'I know it sounds stupid bu-…'

'Not at all. Under some circumstances it is even possible that you are completely right,' Clover sent him a smile mysteriously. He turned his head towards Berry Blast. Mare was carefully picking up muffins from the floor. 'May I steal him from you for a couple of hours?' the grey colt smiled pleadingly. Stepping Stone started helping his new friend with cleaning up the mess he made.

'Sure,' she answered not looking at him. 'But keep your hooves off from him.'

Clover saw her, looking frown on him. He grinned to her before he has closed the door.

'Phew, finally some "colt time", he smiled again and nudged Stepping Stone to convince him that, after all, Captain Clover isn't the worse pony in the whole Equestria.

'Where are we going?' asked the brown colt, trying to keep Clover's pace.

'Martinet, are we?' Captain sighed but he didn't let his companion wait for his respond. 'I'm taking you somewhere everypony would like to go.'

'Sugarcube Corner?'

If Clover had an eyebrow he would raise one.

'No. The Torchwood base,' he answered excitedly.

'You say it like this was the most obvious thing around here.'

'Because it is. Just no pony knows that,' Clover rolled his eyes and shook his head. Those ponies... They will never learn.