As the earth turned slowly, time passed and season followed season many times. Sunflash the Mace grew into a strong and wise ruler, under the guidance of his mother Bella. He used the knowledge he had gained from Applejack's family to cultivate the slopes of Salamandastron mountain, planting apple trees all over. As the seasons passed he became an expert farmer, and creatures traveled from far and wide to learn from his great wisdom. More and more young hares (and a few other creatures) joined his Long Patrol. Rainbow Dash visited her friend Sunflash constantly, dividing her time between Salamandastron and Ponyville.
Swartt Sixclaw and his horde wandered the land, through woodland, across rivers, over mountains, often lost and frequently sidetracked by dissent and mutiny. But his obsession, to avenge himself upon the badger who had maimed and deadened his famous sixclaw, drove the Warlord onward.
Back in Ponyville, Fluttershy tried to raise Veil to be a goodbeast. She cared for him, nursed him, and comforted him; the Pegasus loved Veil as if she were his own mother. But everywhere Veil went, things went missing. Each time Fluttershy had defended him, never able to believe he was the thief. Often he was caught red-pawed, then she would apologize for him, lectures would follow, then tears and solemn promises from Veil that he had changed his ways. Then he would go on to do the same thing all over again. When Veil was in his teen seasons, he got a job working with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner.
One day, the ponies received news that Celestia and Luna were coming to Ponyville for a visit. Pinkie decided to make an extra large order of cupcakes to celebrate. All of her friends came in to Sugarcube Corner to help her with the baking.
"Has anypony seen my little blue honeypot?" Pinkie asked.
She wandered distractedly around the kitchen, mixing batter in a bowl that she carried as she went, searching hither and thither. "I thought I left it on the counter there. Fluttershy, did you move it?"
"No, Pinkie, I'm sorry, I haven't seen it," Fluttershy said quietly.
Pinkie beat the mixture in the bowl furiously with her ladle. "That pot was really really special! It belonged to my mother, and she gave it to me when I left the rock farm. It's one of the few things I have from my family."
"Well, Ah'll bet an apple to an acorn it was that ferret Veil that took it," said Applejack.
Just then Veil came in. "Veil, did you take my honeypot?" Pinkie Pie asked.
The ferret scowled. "No. I don't know anything about it."
But Applejack was the element of honesty and she could tell when somebeast was lying. She noticed that Veil had not returned Pinkie Pie's gaze when he answered. Quick as a flash, she leapt at the ferret and grabbed him by the ear. "C'mon, ferret, what did ya do with it?"
"Yeeeaah! Let me go! Ouch! Fluttershy!" Veil squealed.
Fluttershy was between the two in a flash, pulling Veil from the wrathful earth pony's clutches. "Leave him alone this very instant, Applejack! How dare you treat Veil like that! Why should he know anything about the honeypot? You're always blaming him if anything goes missing!"
Rarity looked up. "That's probably because Veil is usually the one responsible!" she said.
Veil said, "That's not fair, I've changed! I only did things like that when I was younger! I don't steal anymore."
The unicorn rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You're wearing eyeliner that you stole from me this very minute."
"No, see, your sister Sweetie Belle gave that to me," Veil lied.
"What in Celestia's name is going on here?" Twilight Sparkle had glided in unnoticed. She had wings now because she was an alicorn now! Silence fell in the room. She looked from one to the other. "Please explain all the noise and shouting."
The explanations came thick and fast, everybeast trying to get their say in at once.
"That little robber, he's taken my honeypot!"
"No, he never, Twilight, they're always blaming Veil!"
"That's cause he's always to blame!"
"No I'm not! They're all against me in this town!"
Twilight held up a hoof for silence. "Pinkie, did you actually see Veil take the honeypot?" she asked.
"Uh, well, no, I didn't, Twilight, but I know it was him!"
"He never, Twilight, he never!"
"Keep out of this, Fluttershy! Veil, did you take Pinkie Pie's honeypot?"
"No, I never took it."
Twilight placed a hoof under the ferret's chin, lifting his head. "Look me in the eye, Veil. Now tell me and I want the truth, you have nothing to fear: Did you take the pot?"
Veil blinked back tears as he tried to return Twilight's gaze. "I told you, I never took it!"
Twilight turned to the other ponies. "Then the matter is finished and done with. Nopony saw Veil take the pot; you shouldn't have accused him without proof. I believe him when he tells me he didn't take it. As for your honeypot, Pinkie, I know how important it is to you, so we'll start searching for it right away."
Fluttershy could not bring herself to help with the search. Putting a hoof around Veil's shoulders, she led him outside.
"Why does everypony hate me?" Veil asked.
"Come on, not everypony hates you. I love you."
"Yeah," Veil said absently. Fluttershy frowned. She was hoping he'd say he loved her too.
Instead he said, "How can a Pegasus be my mother? Look around. All you see is Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and Unicorns. There's not a single other ferret in this town except for one who doesn't talk and walks on all fours. Where can I find other creatures like me?"
"Well, uh, I don't know," Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably.
"Whatever. I'm out of here." The young ferret dashed off.
Fluttershy called after him anxiously. "Veil, come back, I'm on your side, you know that!"
But Veil didn't come back. Instead he went and hid in some bushes by a pond. He pulled something out of the bush. It was Pinkie Pie's honeypot! Smiling craftily, he licked the last of the honey from the pot's rim.
"Thanks for the honey, always tastes sweeter when it's stolen. Nobeast will ever see you again. Just think, I'm the last creature on earth to touch you. Goodbye, little blue pot!"
He threw it high over the pond, drawing in a breath sharply as he realized he had thrown it too hard. The pot flashed blue in the sunlight as it splashed down on the far side. Veil stood on tip-paw, peering across the pond, not able to see the pot. Then the young ferret laughed, shrugged, and ran off. But what he didn't know was that Fluttershy had followed him and seen him do that.
It was midafternoon when Pinkie Pie found her honeypot sitting on the counter at Sugarcube Corner, empty, clean, and washed. She knew that Veil had taken it and Fluttershy must have found it and sneaked it back, but she decided not to say anything about it for the ferret could come out at any moment.
