Chapter 105: Treat-y of Appleloosa
Storm gave off a semi-relaxed sigh from the top of his roof. He'd admit that it was nice to sit back and do nothing from time to time. With the Cakes having given him and Pinkie the week off, it had quickly turned into a small vacation for the normally overworked Jedi.
He believed it was time poorly spent, but even he knew he needed time to rest and recuperate from his work. This was made even easier because everyone around him seemed to need to do something that required their full attention simultaneously, leaving him to his own devices.
Pinkie had gone with Gustave and his chefs to Salt Lick City on some convention for food. Applejack had received a letter, which she claimed was from family, and was preparing something at the orchard. Fluttershy had recently run into some sick birds. Rainbow was busy doing... whatever she did. Rarity had gotten a letter from Sapphire, informing her that she'd be coming by soon for a new outfit for her and her dancers. And Twilight was-
"Hey, Storm!"
-apparently approaching him for some reason or another.
Well, there went his relaxation, not that he minded.
Storm stepped forward and peered over the roof's edge, sliding onto his feet, failing to beat away the last dredges of exhaustion that still clung to his form.
"Sparky?" he called tiredly, "You need somethin'?" he asked. Twilight slowed down at a mild jog toward him when she spotted the Jedi Knight.
"Yes," she said and frowned, "but if you're not feeling up to anything, I can just..." she trailed off, beginning to turn. Storm shook his head.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," he admitted, "What do you need?"
"Oh, well, remember that important letter that Applejack got yesterday?" she asked and continued when he nodded, "Well, as it turns out, it was from her cousin Braeburn over in Appleloosa," she explained.
"Appleloosa?" Storm asked, "Isn't that the town somewhere to the south? Near the Badlands?"
"I believe so," Twilight said, putting a hand to her chin, "The Equis map has changed a few times over the years, so I'd have to take another look at it. I'm still used to the original," she admitted with a sheepish grin.
"Right, and why are you telling me this?"
"Oh! Well, Applejack is planning on heading down there, bringing one of the trees from her farm as a gift to the other Apples in Appleloosa. She was wondering if the rest of us wanted to go with her," Sparky said, smiling, "Pinkie's the only one of us who can't come since she's not here, and the rest of us have already said yes, so..."
"I'm the only one left to ask," Storm finished for her. Twilight nodded.
"Yep! So... what do you say?" she asked, looking strangely nervous. Storm frowned, running the idea through his head.
Appleloosa was a place he'd never been to, so heading down there with the others would prove an interesting learning experience. On the other hand, however, it was very close to the Badlands. He doubted they'd run into any creatures that called that wretched place home on their journey.
Ultimately, that tipped his decision in Twilight's favor, and he nodded.
"Sure, sounds like fun."
"Great!" Twilight cheered, hopping a little, "Let's go; Applejack and Rainbow Dash are already loading the tree onto the car!"
"Alright, alright... give me a minute..." he muttered.
"You know, Twilight, when you said she wanted to gift them a tree, I was under the impression that it was a young tree, not a fully grown one," Storm muttered, watching in slight amusement as Applejack and Rainbow Dash both fought to the push the tree through the compartment door. However, the entertainment it brought the exhausted Jedi Knight quickly grew old.
Strangely enough, the train they were due to ride wasn't the usual Equis Express he was familiar with, but rather a different, apple-themed train that likely belonged to the Apple Family themselves. Though considering that there was a group of horses waiting at the front, tied to the train itself, he needed to figure out how'd they'd be in Appleloosa and back before the week was over.
Still, it wasn't all bad. The train compartment that they'd all be staying in, and were, in fact, already waiting in, was nice enough if a little sparse. Ten beds lined the halls, each sporting a set of privacy curtains for the individuals resting in them. There was a small pair of sofas just past the beds where they could sit around or stretch their legs.
As it was, he and Twilight were sitting on one of those little sofas, where a small window sat across from them, giving Storm just the right angle to see the two girls outside. Fluttershy and Rarity, however, still needed to arrive.
"Doesn't your family know some kind of shrinking spell or something, Sparky?" he finally asked the princess beside him, letting his head fall and rest against her shoulder, too tired to care.
He felt Twilight tense up immediately at his touch, but she relaxed quickly.
"U-um, well... you know Applejack. Only the best for her family, r-right?" the girl asked, sending him a glance every few seconds as if she was debating something.
Regardless of the thoughts of his current headrest, he could feel his eyelids become heavier with every blink until, eventually, he couldn't open them again.
Twilight regarded the snoozing Jedi with interest. She wasn't entirely certain when he'd fallen asleep, having been focused on remaining calm at the feeling of his head against her shoulder, but now that she knew, she couldn't look away.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" came the familiar voice of Rarity from the compartment door. Twilight nearly jumped out of her seat, only preventing herself from doing so, knowing that it could wake Storm.
"Shh!" she quickly hushed the other teen, "He's asleep," she added quietly. Rarity tittered but nodded.
"Oh, alright," she said, her eyes twinkling as they danced between her and Storm, "My my, don't you two look just adorable together!" she squealed, though it was done quietly. Twilight went red.
"Rarity!" she hissed lowly.
"What?" Rarity asked, smiling innocently, "I'm only telling you the truth, after all. Is there something wrong with that?"
"Wh-Yes!" Twilight insisted, "It's embarrassing an-!" she tried to say but was cut off by Rarity.
"Twilight," her friend's voice was firm and left no room for argument, "I am not blind," Rarity began, "Loathe as I am to intervene on such a cute scene if it is for romance, then I shall do so without regret," she said sagely, confusing Twilight.
"Uh, what are you-?"
"Listen, Twilight," Rarity began once more, just as serious, "what is your opinion of Storm?" Twilight blinked.
"M-my opinion?" she asked; Rarity nodded, "Why?"
"Please don't avoid the question," Twilight fidgeted.
"W-well... he's... umm..." she trailed off for a moment, letting herself remember...
Their first meeting.
The cockatrice.
His malnutrition.
The Gala.
Rarity's dresses.
The missions they went on with Anakin and Ahsoka.
Every single moment she'd spent with him came to mind. Every word they'd exchanged. Every glance they'd shared.
"He's my friend," she said finally, then glanced down at the still sleeping Jedi, who had his head in her lap as she stroked his hair, "But... he means a lot more to me than that..." she muttered.
"Is that so?" Rarity asked, nearly startling Twilight, who had almost forgotten her friend was the reason she'd even begun thinking, "Then why not take it further?"
"Further?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at the unusual proposition.
"You like him, don't you?"
"Well, yes?"
"You care about him?"
"Yes?"
"You'd like him to be happy?"
"Yeah."
"You want to be with him?"
"... Yes?"
"Do you want to be his friend..." Rarity asked, "or something more than friends?"
The question caused Twilight to freeze for a moment.
More?
More than... more than friends?
But that would mean... that would...
Twilight groaned into her hand, feeling her face heat up significantly. The realization of what had been happening for the past year or so finally made sense.
A crush. Infatuation. Attraction. Love.
It was such a simple answer, yet, she knew she would have never made that connection simply because she never would've looked in the right place.
In hindsight, she was glad she hadn't wanted to ask her mother for advice.
But still, a crush? On Storm, of all people? He was handsome, and she certainly enjoyed being in his company, but... to take things further between the two of them?
It simply didn't make sense. Yes, they'd spent time together, and yes, they were friends.
But they didn't have all that much in common, really.
Twilight's lips turned downwards into a frown the longer she thought about the subject.
She... really didn't know that much about him.
He was a Jedi. Abandoned with no parents, taken in, and found by Master Luna. Became a Jedi Knight, having passed the trials still being a teenager; while not unheard of, he did what few people could do. That alone showed he was special, his friendship/brotherhood with Anakin and Obi-wan, and him being the Seventh Element.
That... was it.
She didn't know what his favorite food, color, or even his favorite book was!
How could she d-date somebody she barely even knew?
Then again, wasn't that the whole point of dating? To get to know somebody you liked better?
"You must have a lot to think about," Rarity said, bringing Twilight out of her thoughts, "I'm... sorry for bringing this up so suddenly, Twilight; I just believe that the two of you are good for each other," she said honestly, giving Twilight a small, but genuine, smile, before she turned away, "Are those two still working on that tree?"
Twilight smiled at the back of her friend's head. Even so, she directed her gaze back to the subject of their conversation, who remained sleeping peacefully.
Her smile widened slightly, and, using her magic, she gently slipped off the couch and set him down on his side. Storm wriggled for a moment before his unconscious body latched onto the nearby throw pillow and pulled it close.
She fought a giggle and turned to Rarity, "Yeah, they're really having trouble. Should we help?"
It had taken a little convincing, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash eventually let herself and the others, which consisted of Fluttershy and Spike, who finally arrived, help them load Bloomberg, as Applejack dubbed the tree, onto the back part of the train.
After that, the stallions pulling the train were off.
The trip was pleasantly smooth. Since the train wasn't running, there wasn't any loud churning of its engine, or the occasional loud blaring of its horn, making conversation easier and even letting Storm sleep.
Their current topic revolved around Appleloosa itself.
"So... why's this place in the middle of nowhere?" Rainbow asked.
"Well," Twilight began excitedly.
"One of Twilight's ancestors gave the land to mah uncle, Golden Apple, and said that the land 'round there could only be cultivated by the very best, so he called up some family and named the place Appleloosa," Applejack interrupted quickly, causing Twilight to fume slightly at having her lecture cut off.
The glare she sent to her farming friend didn't go unnoticed, causing the other three to laugh.
"Still, it is an awfully long way," Rarity said, looking over them from her, "The commute is dreadful, so I can't imagine they'd get as much business as you do.
"That's true," Twilight remarked, her anger at Applejack forgotten, "The amount of money it would take to ship any product where they want it to go, along with the full day and a half it takes to make the trip, means they can't make a lot of money to keep the town running. Couple that with the multiple ports we have, like in Manehatten and Baltimare, and the mining output in Trottingham, and that puts Appleloosa in a poor position, geologically as well," she said, then turned to Applejack, "I understand my family wanted to try and expand into the Badlands and turn them into something nice, rather than leave it. Still, the amount of effort it would take isn't optimal. Your family must've known how difficult life would be out there, right?" she asked.
Applejack nodded, "Eeyup!" she said, smiling, "'Course they knew. But we're Apples! Hard work is all we're 'bout. If it's easy, then it ain't gonna last long," she glanced at Rainbow Dash, "Even Dash here knows that, lazy-ass as she is.
"Hey!"
She and the girls laughed at Rainbow's indignant shout, and she watched on, amused, as Applejack and Rainbow once more got into one of their silly arguments.
Soon, however, things wound down, and the sun had set, with the moon replacing it in the sky again, with Rarity and Spike heading to bed almost the second the moon rose.
"Man, we're going pretty fast!" Rainbow said, almost startling Twilight.
"Yep, those horses sure work hard!" Applejack added with a grin, "Nice and strong. Not to mention the workers. Whatchu girls think?"
"U-umm, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable talking about that kind of thing..." Fluttershy mumbled.
"Ah, come on, Shy!" Rainbow urged with a sly grin, "I bet you took a couple peeks, you little perv."
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaimed, turning a brilliant shade of red. Twilight laughed at her friend's embarrassment, though she felt curious about Rainbow's statement.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"It's nothing!" Fluttershy sputtered quickly, then glared, actually glared, at Rainbow, "I thought you promised to never say anything about that?!" Rainbow laughed.
"Oh come on, Shy, it's not like anybody got hurt," she reasoned, "Besides, it was hilarious!" she said, then turned to the two girls below her, "So, Fluttershy told me a story when she was attending Senate school on Alderrann and-"
"Don't say anything!"
"-see, there were a bunch of boys on the racing team, and Fluttershy had a huge crush on one of them, but she was way too shy-"
"Rainbow Dash, I'm warning you!"
"-so one day, she was hiding behind the boy's locker room peeking in through some hole in the wall, and, get this, she was mas-!"
Rainbow Dash was violently cut off from the admittedly embarrassing tale by Fluttershy, who had lunged at her from across the train, and was now busy trying to suffocate the chromatic-haired girl with her own pillow.
Applejack laughed heartily at the scene, her loud, bellowing guffaws echoing through the room, while Twilight was busy staring at her usually shy friend in shock and embarrassment.
Had Rainbow Dash been trying to say what she thought she was trying to say?!
If that was how her friend had used to act, she wondered how Fluttershy had matured.
Dear God, now she'd never be able to look at Fluttershy the same again!
"Do you girls mind?!" Rarity suddenly protested, sticking her head out from her bunk, "I am trying to get my beauty sleep!"
"Yeah!" Spike added.
Rainbow laughed and pushed Fluttershy off of her with minimal issue, looking unperturbed, making Twilight wonder just how often this used to happen for her to be so unaffected by it.
"Oh, come on, Spike," Rainbow teased, "doesn't every boy want to see a pair of hot girls fight?" she asked.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded, her hands lit up from the spell she was using to cover Spike's ears, having gotten a bad feeling the second she heard Rainbow say, 'every boy.' She felt like Spike didn't need to hear this conversation till he was older.
"What?" she asked as Twilight's magic dispelled. She went to say something when Spike just scoffed.
"Whatever just keep it down so I can sleep," he muttered, crawling back under the covers.
Twilight gave a soft sigh and turned to the three other girls, scowling a little at Dash.
"He's right. We've got a big day tomorrow, so let's hit the hay," she said, turning to the nearby lamp and snuffing out the light.
The compartment was sent into darkness immediately, only sparsely illuminated by the moonlight filtering in from the still-open windows.
Twilight felt herself relax almost immediately once the light was out. She wasn't sure why, but she'd always felt comfortable in the dark. It could be something to do with her old nighttime habits from when she was a kid, even when she was training to be a Jedi. Staying up late with a book and lantern had been one of her favorite pastimes. That probably had a lot to do with her recent late-night study sessions where she was alone.
Thinking about the night, she was surprised they hadn't woken up St-
Wait... they... didn't wake up Storm?
Twilight frowned. That didn't make any sense, and even Twilight would admit they'd been fairly loud; then how could he...?
Feeling curious, Twilight peeked out from her bunk and peered over to the couch where she'd left Storm, only to blink in surprise.
He was gone.
Not only was he gone, but the pillow he'd been clutching had been meticulously placed back into its old position, meaning he'd at least taken some time to rearrange it, and yet she hadn't noticed him wake up, let alone actually leave.
So, when did he?
"Psst... Rainbow!" she whisper-shouted to her chromatic friend, hoping to see if she had spotted anything.
"What?" came the equally quiet response, lacking any exhaustion, indicating that her friend hadn't just been woken up, thankfully.
"Did you see Storm leave?"
"No, why?"
"He's gone. He was sleeping on the couch, and now he's gone."
"Is something wrong?" Fluttershy's voice cut through the air, sounding no louder than it usually did, humorously enough.
"Hey Shy, did you see Storm leave?" Rainbow asked.
"Um, I don't think so. I thought he was sleeping."
"OKAY, I'M DONE!" Spike suddenly shouted, jumping out of his bed, pillow clutched in one hand as he made his way to the door. He pulled it open and shut it behind him, disappearing from view.
Twilight winced as the door slammed shut, "Oh... oops," she muttered, then shook her head, "Oh well, I'm sure Storm just went to another compartment," she said, "Night, girls."
""Night.""
She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep.
Honestly, it felt like she'd only just closed her eyes before she was awoken by a slight bump of the train. Twilight raised her head, looking around groggily. The compartment was still dark, and judging by the soft light filtering through the crack in her curtains, the moon was still high in the sky, so it definitely hadn't been long.
Still, knowing herself as well as she did, she knew she wouldn't get back to sleep immediately. If only she'd remembered to bring along a few books for the ride, but she'd been so preoccupied with looking for Storm that she'd completely forgotten. She opened the curtains next to her temporary bed, having decided to pass the time with some light stargazing, her second favorite activity, obviously behind reading.
The sky was as beautiful as ever. Soft white stars illuminated against the deep blues of the sunless skies. The moon hung, glowing with its usual silver light. There were a few clouds in the sky, but that was to be expected.
Her eyes momentarily turned to the landscape that was, even now, rapidly passing by. She had to give those horses credit; even though they'd obviously swapped with another group, they certainly had endurance.
The land was bare of vegetation, save a few dry-looking bushes here and there. It occurred to her, not for the first time, that they were heading towards the Badlands, a place known for its characteristic lifelessness. She nearly shuddered at the thought of such a barren wasteland actually existing and internally hoped she wouldn't have to come here more often.
Still, she supposed it was pretty in its own way. A vast open area where the sky never seemed to end, unlike in places like Canterlot and Manehatten, where the sky was blocked by taller buildings and signs. She could only compare the view to the top of the astronomy tower at Canterlot Castle.
Standing atop that looming tower, one could see for hundreds of miles in nearly any direction through its glass windows.
A shadow passing over her window startled Twilight out of her thoughts. Leaning closer to the window, she peered out through squinted eyes, searching for whatever had caused the disturbance. It took her only a short time, considering that the source was close to the train, but that didn't stop her from being surprised.
"Storm?" she whispered to herself. What was he doing outside? Had he been there the whole time, or was this a coincidence?
Still, she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. And she certainly wasn't going to get an answer just lying here.
Sliding out of bed as quietly as she could, Twilight slunk through the compartment door and up the nearby ladder. The wind tore at her from atop the train as the hood of her sweater flapped in the wind, though she knew it wasn't as bad as it could be. Fast and strong or not, those stallions couldn't pull a train as fast as a train's engine could run.
She made her way across the train, staying low to minimize the drag she was suffering until she deemed herself close enough to Storm.
She didn't call out to him. Sensitive hearing or not, how could anybody hear anything with all this wind in their ears? Instead, she lit her lightsaber, knowing the glow would stand out like a beacon in this darkness.
She was proven correct when she saw Storm turn his head toward her. She expected him to walk toward her, asking her what she was doing, quickly followed by her asking him the very same question.
She was not expecting him to swoop right by her, grab her by the arm, and pull her with him as they jumped off the train. Twilight yelped in surprise, flailing her free arm around until she had the sense of mind to wrap them around his neck. She pressed herself against his chest, eyes glued shut, not daring to open them as they were about to splat on the ground.
Soon the sound of hooves galloping was heard as Twilight opened her eyes. The princess was expecting to be a purple blob on the ground, but she still clung to Storm as the Jedi was on a horse as they were riding along the train. The boy looked at the girl still holding him as he smirked and used the reigns to signal the horse to turn away from the direction the train was heading in as they took a detour.
"So, what brings you out here so late, Sparky? You should be asleep," he called over the wind.
And there was the question she'd been expecting. On the train!
"I-I should be asking you that!" she shouted in return, not missing his slight wince and subsequent twitch of his ear.
Almost abruptly, the wind died. Her ear perked for a moment, and hesitantly, she opened her eyes to look around. They were riding the horse, still moving as well, but Storm had slowed down significantly, evidenced by the horse galloping at a slower pace.
The princess looked at her partner as he glanced at her and gave a smile. The midnight ride, just the two of them, under the stars. Listening to the small wildlife and gentle wind blowing in their faces.
"Do you trust me?" asked Storm.
"What?" said Twilight.
"Do you trust me?" asked Storm.
The teens looked deep into each other's eyes as the girl fell under the boy's spell.
"Yes," smiled the princess.
The Jedi Knight soon grabbed the girl clinging to his neck as she shifted her position. Twilight was now seated in front of Storm as the boy wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back while still holding onto the horse's reigns. Twilight put her hands on top of his as she turned her head to look back at her partner. The boy gave one last smile before signaling the horse to pick up its speed once more as they took off with some gentle music.
(Storm singing)
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?
[The pair were riding through a meadow with the wind blowing in their face. The Jedi Knight secretly leaned over to pick a flower and gave it to Twilight, much to her surprise as she accepted it with a blush. It was as if Storm was singing directly to her.]
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over sideways and under
On a magical horseback ride
[They were now galloping into a nearby forest as the boy held the girl tighter, even placing his head on her shoulder. He had one of his hands let go of the reigns to hold the princess' hand as Twilight accepted it with a blush.
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming
[Sure enough, Twilight began to sing too, for she felt she was mesmerized by the song, for she followed it and sang with a smile as she looked at him.]
(Twilight singing)
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way out here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
(Now I'm in a whole new world with you)
[Twilight tighter her grip on Storm's hand as she let him guide her. The pair were now traveling through many things. Galloping out of the forest as some nightingales flew alongside them.]
Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
[The two ended up harmonizing with one another.]
(Duo)
A whole new world (Don't you dare close your eyes)
A hundred thousand things to see (Hold your breath, it gets better)
I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far
I can't go back to where I used to be
A whole new world (Every turn a surprise)
With new horizons to pursue (Every moment, red-letter)
I'll chase them anywhere
There's time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you
[They were approaching a small cavern gap as they jumped. Twilight was scared as she covered her eyes, but Storm removed them and made Twilight see as they landed safely on the other side, and they smiled. The pair galloped as they ran by a prairie where some free-roam colts were also running. The Jedi Knights slowed down as Twilight stuck her hand out and petted one of them as they enjoyed it. They picked up and broke off from the group as they ran through a river with water splashing around them as they didn't mind getting a bit wet.]
A whole new world (A whole new world)
That's where we'll be (That's where we'll be)
A thrilling chase
A wondrous place
[Twilight soon turned around to look at the boy as their horse slowed down to a walk. The boy presented the flower he had picked earlier and put it in the princess' hair as she smiled. The two of them leaned their foreheads close to one another as their eyes were closed.]
For you and me
The music faded as the Jedi held the princess as they continued their midnight ride.
The rest of the night went off without a hitch as Twilight leaned back and had her head on Storm's shoulder. The girl closed her eyes and enjoyed being in her partner's arms as he commanded the horse. Slowly, she pulled her head away from him, though his arms remained around her midsection.
"Something wrong, Sparky?" he asked, his voice deceptively loud in the silence around them. Twilight blinked for a moment, having lost her train of thought before she regained it.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked. She felt Storm shrug.
"Just going for a ride, is all," he responded easily, though something about it seemed... off. Regardless, she brushed it aside for now.
"When did you get up?" she asked, "None of us saw you leave," she added. Storm let out a soft chuckle.
"I'm not surprised. Honestly, I might've stayed behind to keep watching Fluttershy try to kill Dash, but my moti- I wanted to stretch my legs," he said, correcting himself so quickly that Twilight almost didn't catch his slip-up. Her eyes narrowed, now understanding that he was hiding something from her.
Even so, did she have the right to try to find out what it was?
Her earlier thoughts returned.
She knew nothing about this boy apart from some of the most basic information possible. This boy was a mystery to her, and it did not sit well with her naturally curious mind. So, she did what she believed she had to do.
"Storm?"
"Hmm?"
"Let's play a game."
"What?" he asked, turning his head until one of his bemused eyes met her own before he turned away, "What brought that on?"
"It's something Cadance did before I knew her. I was a pretty anti-social girl then, and I had difficulty getting to know the people around me. I didn't like her at first. I thought she was like some of the other people I met, who'd make fun of me, but then she asked if I wanted to play a game with her. She'd ask me a question, I'd answer, then I'd ask, and she'd answer. We had to be honest, but if we refused to answer, then the other pony was allowed to ignore one question without consequence," she said, resting her head back on his shoulder, slightly burying her face as she smelled his hair. It smelled a bit like mint and smoke.
"I see," was his reply, "But why do you want to play that with me?" he asked. He didn't sound angry or annoyed, just curious, and Twilight took that as a good sign.
"Because I want to know more about you, Storm," she answered honestly, "We've known each other for about a year or so at this point, and yet I barely know anything about you," she admitted, glancing away from the mass of black hair, "I... I'm not too fond of that. I can't stand not having a genuine connection with you as I do with the girls." Storm was silent for a moment, then he spoke.
"What do you mean by that, Sparky?" she sighed.
"We have the Elements of Harmony to keep us together," she said, unaware of the frown that marred Storm's face at that, "But even then, I do know some stuff about the others. I know Applejack has a big family she loves. I know her favorite color is light green, and she likes to have fun with her family. I know that Rarity wants to be the best fashion designer in the galaxy. I know she loves her sister dearly and that she's a little awkward with younger people that aren't the Crusaders. I know that Rainbow Dash takes great pride in her speed. I also know that she's afraid of being abandoned. However, that's more conjecture on my part than actually knowing," she admitted, "I know that Fluttershy adores all animals and that her dream is to create an animal sanctuary. I also know that she's apparently a big closet pervert," she said with a little bemusement in her tone, "I know that Pinkie loves her friends, but she's afraid of being ignored," she said, "I know some little things about them, little things that I learned just from watching them move about their lives, but... not you. Plus, it's embarrassing to think that we've been partners this long, and I don't know who you are or what you're interested in. Other than the typical Jedi stuff. We've been together the longest, yet I know so little."
Storm remained silent once more, then nodded, "I see," he said, then, with humor clear in his voice, he said, "Ask away, then."
Twilight let out a slight yawn as she woke up. She sniffed the air reflexively, trying to see if she could guess what was being made for breakfast, but the lack of a distinctive scent prickled her curiosity, causing her to wake up quicker.
She sat up in bed, taking an idle glance around.
This was not her room.
There was a single window to the right and a bedside desk with a lamp fixture to her immediate left. Aside from that, as well as the bed with its orange blankets and the room's hardwood flooring, there was nothing. No personal items or photos, or anything of the sort.
For a moment, her mind remained blank, trying to connect a series of dots she wasn't even focusing on, but before she could make any progress regarding waking up, the door opened.
A person walked into the room, a lone silver platter in their hand. The smell from earlier grew but remained indistinct, though it no longer mattered at the sight of those glorious pancakes that this still blurry person was bringing towards her.
"So, you're awake now, Sparky?" the familiar voice washed over her, causing Twilight to suddenly snap to attention, whatever grogginess she'd felt from before fading away. Still, she had to blink away the blurriness in her vision before she could clearly see the form of Storm standing in front of her, setting down the platter he held with a grin on his face.
"Storm?" she asked, confused.
"Yep. Eat up. You were pretty tired last night; our little talk didn't help you rest. So I figured I'd make it up to you with a little breakfast in bed, ya know?" he said before stiffening slightly, "Th-that's it. It's not like I wanted to, o-of course. Hell, our host practically forced me to!" he insisted.
Twilight didn't pay much attention to him; her gaze and stomach were locked onto the perfectly golden discs of fluffy goodness that Storm had set in front of her. He noticed this, of course, and smiled slightly.
"Well?" he asked, "It's not an art gallery. Stop staring and eat."
And she did. With enthusiasm, in fact.
Halfway through eating the pillar of pancake-y goodness, Twilight realized something.
"Wait, where are we?" she asked, sitting up, looking just the slightest bit worried as she did so. Storm waved off her concern, however, sitting beside the bed.
"Relax, Sparky. We're in Appleloosa. The train should arrive within the hour," he explained easily. Twilight blinked.
Were they in Appleloosa? Before the train got here?
But-but that meant-!
"You rode us here?!" she asked incredulously, staring at him in surprise.
Storm nodded, "Yeah, is there a problem?"
"Why?" she asked, calming herself. She mused that it wasn't that big of a deal; it meant the two would spend more time together.
Alone.
Storm shrugged, "Dunno. Jus' felt like riding the rest of the way, ya know?" he asked, shrugging with an easy grin. Twilight narrowed her eyes at him.
"Why not just head back inside?" she asked, "It would've been a lot easier on you than carrying me all the way to Appleloosa," she remarked.
Storm stiffened minutely, though Twilight caught it, "Oh... no reason~" he said lightly, "As I said, I jus' felt like it."
Her gaze narrowed further.
He was still hiding something from her. Something about the train?
She'd have to get to the bottom of this.
Later. After she finished these nice-looking pancakes that Storm made her first.
Unbeknownst to both teens, the small fire inside Storm's heart began to grow once more as its flame got bigger and lit up more darkness.
Twilight sighed contently once she'd downed the last bit of her breakfast, causing Storm to smile fondly. Watching her eat his food had been most entertaining. The way her eyes lit up at the first bite, the smile on her face as she prepared another, the little moan she made as she kept eating. Really, if this is what cooking for her was like, then he wouldn't mind doing it more often.
The thought spun around in his head for a moment longer before he realized exactly what he'd been thinking of and stomped the idea into the ground, feeling his face burn slightly.
Still, he was glad the food got her to drop the subject about the train. He could tell she was already suspicious of him, a testament to her observational skills or how much he let his guard down around her.
Or both. Most likely both.
He glanced outside, finding the same lackluster view he'd been seeing for the past day. He frowned; how could the people around here enjoy this? He was already sick of seeing this place. Then again, that might be his bias acting up.
He could ask the locals to see if there was some charm about this place he was missing. He doubted it, but it should kill a few minutes.
A knock at the door startled Twilight, who would have nearly jumped out of bed if it wasn't for Storm placing a hand over her legs to keep her in place.
"Come in," Storm called, curious about the interruption.
The door creaked open, revealing an unfamiliar yellow-skin-toned man with darker yellow and orange hair hidden beneath a brown stetson, with a matching vest just below. His bright green eyes scanned the room briefly before locking it onto them.
"Well goooood mornin' missy!" he called loudly, his heavy accent washing over them like Applejack. Which made sense, considering they were related.
"Umm... hi?" Twilight greeted, complete with an awkward wave of her hand.
"It's nice ta meet ya, princess!" he said, venturing further into the room, revealing a bright red apple on his vest. He took off his hat and did a quick bow to show his respect for the royal girl. "Mah name is Braeburn, an' I jus' wanted ta 'fficially welcome ya'll to li'l ol' Appleloosa!" he added cheerfully.
Too cheerfully for Storm, who put his hands over his ears to protect him from this man's volume.
"Oh, um, thank you," Twilight said, sounding a little less confused.
"No problem at all!" Braeburn cheered, "When yer boyfriend 'ere 'splained ta Cousin Red that ya'll be here with Cousin Applejack, why, he ran right over ta me an' tol' me all about it!"
"B-boyfriend...?" she mumbled, turning a faint red, though Braeburn didn't notice.
"If he hadn't said anythin' 'bout ya'll needin' yer rest, I'da run right over 'ere mahself!" he continued, "Once everybody else gets 'ere, I'll be happy ta show ya all 'round Appleloosa!"
"U-umm, Storm isn't my-"
"Trust me, ya'll're gonna looove it here!" Braeburn continued, heedless of the girl's attempt at correcting him; he suddenly perked up and glanced back out the door, "Oh! Sorry, you two, but the train should be here in ten minutes, an' I gotta help the sheriff prepare the welcomin' committee!" he said, "See ya later!" and he disappeared through the door, shutting it behind him.
Twilight just stared at the spot Braeburn had occupied, mouth still open.
"But... but... but..." she muttered, causing Storm to snicker.
"Well, c'mon then, 'girlfriend,'" he conveniently ignored the way his own face began to burn at the word, "we don't want to keep them waiting, do we?"
"Wha-?!" Twilight sputtered, going just as red as him, "But we're not-" she cut herself off, "... Fine," she sighed, sliding out of bed, "We have ten minutes until the others arrive, so we might as well head down to the station."
Following Twilight's advice, the two headed down the station, idly glancing around as they did so. Storm was a little surprised at how much activity there was in such a small town and the number of inhabitants.
Granted, from what he could see, there wasn't much in the way of entertainment. Yes, there was a bar, and a library, which Twilight was happy about. From the looks of it, there was an activity center where he could spot a dozen or so people dancing around, but aside from that, most of the buildings in town seemed to be residential rather than commercial. The only extraordinary thing about Appleloosa was the massive orchard he could spot just beyond the local inn they'd just left.
And it truly was massive. Not as large as Aj's orchard, not at all, but that was a given, considering just where it was situated. Still, the orchard they had stretched on for at least two or three miles, over hills and past a river. But not all of it was filled with apple trees, thankfully.
Still, judging by the size alone, there seemed to be enough crops to feed the town properly, so he paid it a little more attention than that.
"Wow," Twilight breathed, head swiveling around to take it all in, "this place is..." she trailed off, "something," she managed.
"It's something, alright," Storm agreed, "Old and primitive. Which is funny, considering how it's not that old from the other places on Equis," Twilight winced at his observation but didn't argue.
It didn't take long for them to reach the station, where Braeburn and several other people stood, though none stood out more than the brown-skin-toned man, wearing a large black hat and a blue vest, where a bright silver sheriff's badge hung. The sheriff had darker brown hair, a black mustache, and blue eyes.
Still, the train wasn't in sight, likely running late. Probably thanks to the stallions pulling the damn thing getting tired, and having to stop and rotate positions. Regardless, Storm took a seat, leaning back against the station, and Twilight took the spot next to him.
One minute passed.
Then five.
Then ten.
Eventually, it became clear that the train was running far later than Storm anticipated, and, from the looks of it, this wasn't out of the ordinary, given how little the townsfolk seemed to react to it. Even so, it seemed that most of them couldn't bother to wait and left until Braeburn was the only one left standing there.
He didn't look too put about it, reinforcing that this wasn't uncommon.
Thankfully, nearly fifteen minutes passed the mark Braeburn had mentioned, and the train appeared in their view.
"Finally!" Twilight moaned, standing up, her back cracking as she stretched, "I was getting worried we'd have to wait another day for the train to show up," Storm didn't respond; however, his attention focused on the rapidly approaching train.
Or, more specifically, the multiple dents he spotted on its side that certainly hadn't been there before. Though, what caught his attention most, was-
"Where's the train car? The one with Applejack's damned tree in it," he asked, standing up.
"What?" Twilight asked, before following his gaze, then gasped, "It's gone!" she gasped harder, this time turning an unpleasant shade of white, "And Spike was in there!"
The train finally pulled into the station, allowing the girls inside to come tumbling out, each looking panicked.
"Braeburn!" Applejack called, spotting her cousin instantly, "We need-!"
"Cousin Applejack!" Braeburn interrupted, "It's been a long time since we last saw each other; why, I remember when-!"
"This isn't the time, Braeburn!" Applejack cut him off, "There's a huge problem! See-!"
"I'll tell ya there's a problem!" Braeburn interrupted again, seemingly not noticing the vein popping out of Applejack's head, "Ya haven't introduced me ta yer friends yet! 'Tain't right!" Applejack growled.
"Later, Braeburn!" she shouted, "Some of our friends are missin'!" she said, catching his attention and Twilight's.
"There was a stampede of buffalo!" Fluttershy said.
"They kidnapped poor Spike!" Rarity said, "Rainbow's gone after him, but our friends, Twilight and Storm, are nowhere to be found!"
"An' that ain't it, I was bringin' ya'll a new apple tree, and they took it along with Spike."
"They did what to Spike?!" Twilight yelled, stomping onto the platform with her friends.
"""Twilight!""" her friends cheered, with Fluttershy suddenly lunging towards her, wrapping her into a fierce hug.
"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" the normally shy girl gushed, "We were so worried when we woke up, and you weren't there!"
"That would be my fault," Storm finally spoke up, walking up to them, "I was out for a late-night ride, and she just so happened to come join me. She ended up falling asleep, so I just brought us to Appleloosa early," he explained, "Now, what was this about a buffalo stampede?" he asked.
"The natives," Braeburn said, causing the group to turn to him, "they've been tryin' ta drive us settlers away, ya see. They don't like our apple orchard one bit. They want us ta take it and move it somewhere else, so they definitely wouldn't want us addin' another ta the mix," he said sadly.
"What?" Applejack asked, "Why?" Braeburn shrugged.
"I wish I knew, cousin. It would sure help."
"What about Spike?" Twilight asked, drawing the attention back to her, "You said they took him!" Applejack nodded.
"Eeyup. He was in the car with Bloomberg, an' when those Natives took it, they took 'im as well."
"Oh...!" Twilight moaned, beginning to pace around, "What if he's hurt? What if those natives do something to him? What if they've already done something to him?!" she panicked until a hand suddenly came down on her shoulder.
"Relax, Sparky, I'm su-"
"Relax?" she asked, cutting him off, "Relax?! How am I supposed to relax when some natives just kidnapped my little brother?!" she snapped at him, causing the others around them to flinch away.
Storm just sighed and gently tapped her shoulder, which caused her to flinch.
"If you'd let me finish," he began, then continued when she didn't speak, "then you would've heard me say that those natives won't hurt him. From what your parents told me, natives have a very strong sense of respect, and they've always respected the strength of the royal family. He'll probably be considered an honored guest at worst and a king at best. God, I hope the natives don't pick the second option." he said softly. His words and tone seemed to help Twilight calm down, as she no longer looked nearly as revolutionary as before.
She still wasn't happy, though.
"No, I can't just take your word for it like that; I need to know he's safe!" she said, looking at him pleadingly. He shook his head but didn't argue.
"Alright," he began, "alright. Tell you what. If you calm down, I'll head out there myself and keep an eye on him," he offered, "Deal?" Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Deal."
Storm took off in the direction the train came from after that.
It shouldn't be too difficult to locate those natives on horseback, given the size of their tribe and the lack of any cover for them to hide in. With that in mind, it should be even easier to find Dash, considering she didn't blend into the nearby landscape.
Much as he didn't like her, he could respect her going to save her friend. As such, he would be remiss to leave her out of the potentially necessary rescue.
That said, it only took another minute before he spotted the person he was looking for and rode off to intercept her. She wasn't too far from the buffalo encampment, actually. She was, maybe, fifty or so meters away from the nearest buffalo that was grazing. Rainbow was currently camping behind a rock, likely waiting for an opportune time to rush in, grab the hatchling, and leave. It was time to put a dent in her plan.
He stopped silently behind her, taking care to avoid being spotted by the natives in the process, and was just in time to hear her mutter to herself.
"Nobody makes a fool outta me," she growled, glaring over the rock at the natives. However, how her eyes scanned the camp implied that she was looking for something, or someone, specifically. After hearing her say that, he wasn't sure she'd come by to save Spike.
"Wanna bet?" he asked from right by her ear. Her hand shot up to her mouth, muffling her own startled yell; even as she dove to the ground behind the rock, a series of actions revealed a level of control that honestly impressed the Jedi Knight.
She probably had to learn to do it to avoid being caught during her pranks.
"Storm?!" she hissed, looking up at him, "What the hell are you doing here?!" she asked, shoving her face into his. He sneered at her and pushed her away.
"Twilight was worried about Spike," he explained, "so I told her I'd keep an eye on him for her."
"You can't be here!" she hissed, her voice rising slightly, "You're gonna get me caught!"
"Said the walking rainbow in the middle of the desert," he snarked.
"I can take care of Spike myself!" she argued. Storm's eyebrow rose.
"Really?" he asked, "'Cause it sounds like you're here for something else," he said. Dash chuckled nervously.
"Uh, what makes you say that?"
"I'm not sure, Miss 'Nobody makes a fool outta me.'"
His ear twitched, and he glanced up just in time to spot a Native approaching them. He was much smaller than the others, hinting at him being a young kid, and the sight sparked a wave of thought.
If it was true that the natives and the settlers were at odds with each other, and he had little reason to believe otherwise, then it was highly likely that the native would assume him and Dash to be a part of that group. With that thought in mind, it would be best if he approached them alone.
That was the obvious line of thought, but it was also risky. Natives can be prideful, and if an outsider like him were to approach the chief without being invited, it could be seen as an insult to the chieftain and the tribe as a whole. It would be much smarter if he allowed himself and Dash to be caught and brought before the chief on their initiative if only to make them feel as though they were the ones who approached them.
With that plan in mind, he chose not to tell Dash to be quiet and instead allowed her to speak her mind.
"So what!? I'm Rainbow Dash! I can't just let some random native outdo me and get away with it!" she hissed loudly, then froze at the sound of a high-pitched gasp. She snapped around, causing her to lock eyes with the kid.
"Well, that was fast," Storm snarked at the girl beside him, ignoring the huff of the Natives behind him. Dash didn't respond, too busy staring at the ground with an angry red flush across her cheeks.
The Natives herded them towards the center of their camp, occasionally giving him and Dash a hard push, which only led to them giving him a wide berth after he growled at them the third time it happened, amusingly enough. Eventually, they stopped.
"Alright," one of the Natives said, moving over to stand in front of them, "you two are going to stay here while we inform Chief Thunderhooves about your trespassing," he said, snorting at them. Storm nodded and nudged Dash after she failed to respond.
"Whatever," she muttered. The native sneered at that, but before he could speak, another, much more familiar voice suddenly spoke.
"Hey, what's going on ove- Rainbow Dash? Storm?" the voice speared through the crowd, just before the native around them suddenly lurched to the side, creating a path that revealed the small prince staring at them in surprise, "What are you guys doing here?" he asked. Storm scoffed.
"Really? You're actually asking that?" he snarked, "You know Twilight wouldn't just accept you getting kidnapped, right?" he asked, noting how the Natives around them cringed at the statement. Spike chuckled.
"Heh, right," he said, rubbing the back of his head, before sparing a glance towards their audience, "Oh! It's alright guys, they're friends of mine!" he said. The native that had taken charge a moment earlier frowned but shrugged.
"Alright, if you say so, your highness," he said, "I still gotta tell the chief, though," he said, then lumbered off. That signal led the rest of their unwanted audience to scamper, leaving only Storm, Dash, and Spike standing in the middle of their camp. The three of them didn't say much, but the newfound privacy got Dash to perk up for a moment before reducing herself to looking around with a critical and extremely irritated look in her eye.
Spike took notice of this.
"I know that we all kind of got off on the wrong foot," he began, pausing at Dash's scoff, before continuing, undeterred, "but they're actually really nice!" he gushed, "I mean, it was pretty scary at first, but it turns that they didn't mean to grab me. They just wanted the tree!" Spike said, confirming what Braeburn said earlier, "They felt pretty awful about taking me too, especially since they really seem to like the royal family!" he exclaimed, just in time for one native to come around, carrying a pair of bowls in his hands, each filled with some... substance.
He ignored him, at first, assuming the strange item was for some traditional purpose, but that idea went out the window when it was set in front of him and Dash. The two of them glanced at their... food, then, with a sneer, simultaneously pushed their bowls aside.
"They don't really like intruders, though," Spike added, chuckling at their reaction.
"Whatever," Rainbow muttered, standing up, "I still don't trust these guys," she said, looking around, "I say we just book it the first chance we get," she muttered.
Of course, Storm didn't pay much attention to her, as his focus was on another Native, a kid, walking up to the small prince with a bowl of turquoise.
"You like these, yes, your highness?" she asked kindly, brushing her dusty yellow hair out of her eyes with a burgundy hand.
"Ooh, turquoise!" said Spike as he thought of something. "Oh, right. Strongheart, meet my friends. That's Rainbow Dash, and that's Storm. He's a Jedi."
"A Jedi?" said the girl native as she scanned the teen from top to bottom. "Huh... you're not what I pictured."
"What?! A Jedi can't wear casual clothes?!" shouted Storm as the girl didn't assume he was a Jedi, given that he was wearing the clothes Twilight gave him and that he didn't have his signature Jedi robes on.
"You?!" Dash suddenly snarled, staring at Strongheart, "That's it, I'm leaving! C'mon Spike!" she snapped, walking off with a huff. Strongheart gasped and rushed out in front of her.
"No! Please stay! I'm so sorry about what happened on the train, but we never meant for anyone to be harmed!"
"Pfft, yeah, right," Rainbow scoffed, turning and walking away.
"We only wanted the tree!" Strongheart insisted, following after her, "The settlers have overtaken our land and planted an orchard all over it! Because of their thoughtlessness, we can't run over our traditional stampeding grounds!" she cried.
"... What?" Dash asked.
"Uh, I think they should meet the chief," Spike suggested cautiously, looking between Dash and Strongheart with a worried grimace.
Strongheart nodded, "Of course, that is the main reason I came over here."
Chief Thunderhooves was a tall, inspiring individual whose entire body was covered in marks and paint that scarcely hid the hundreds of pounds of pure muscle beneath his skin. Coupled with a stern gaze in his coal-black eyes and a large plume of feathers attached to his headband, it was quite easy to see why he remained as chief.
Strongheart had led the three of them over to her chief's tent, where he sat by a large bonfire, surrounded by his tribes-folk, patiently waiting for them to arrive. He glanced up at the sound of footsteps.
"Ah, Little Strongheart, I see you've returned with our honored guest and his friends," he said, his voice a deep, gravelly rumble.
"Yes, Chief Thunderhooves," she said before rapidly walking over and taking place beside the chief, as Storm, Dash, and Spike each took place on the other side of the fire.
"Seeing as you have yet to leave, I take it that Little Strongheart has informed you of our... situation?" he asked. Storm elbowed Dash just before she could speak.
"I'll do the talking," he snapped quietly, then returned his attention to the chief, "Yes, sir. Before we begin, I'd like to show you something."
Storm reached into his side and presented his lightsaber for all to see as the natives gasped a bit. The chief held a stoic look as the teen placed his weapon in front of him to show that he meant no harm.
"What's a Jedi doing out here?" asked Chief Thunderhooves.
"Nothing. Simply here as a guard and a peacekeeper. Know that we Jedi are also diplomatics. And if we can solve an issue without resorting to violence, I'm willing to lend a hand. On my honor as a Jedi." said Storm.
"Then perhaps you can help us more than I'd hoped," he said before straightening himself, "For generations, our tribe has run across a sacred trail once every year. My father ran that trail, as did his father before him. So on and so forth towards the very beginning of our humble tribe," he began, "But now, these settlers, these-" he huffed angrily, "-these Appleloosans have defiled our sacred stampeding grounds with their orchard!" he snarled, then, with a heavy breath inward, calmed himself, "Perhaps I would not be so angry if they had informed us, allowed us to compromise. Still, as it stands, they have planted this orchard of theirs without our consent, and I will not stand for it!" he huffed.
"They refuse to move their trees," Strongheart continued, in a much calmer fashion, "Now we are stuck here, and it is not fair!" she exclaimed.
"Indeed it is not," Thunderhooves began again, having, once more, calmed himself, "I do not wish for a violent conclusion in regards to this... dispute of ours," he said distastefully, "and so I'd like to ask for your help," Storm nodded.
"Name your price, and I'll see to it as best I can," Thunderhooves nodded.
"Very well. I would ask you to assist us in organizing a negotiation between us and the settlers. Though angered, we are that our grounds have been stolen from us-!" he paused and forced himself to calm down once more, "-though our grounds have been taken, I understand that our continuing hostilities are born from a lack of communication. We are all of the same worlds, so there should not be any need for war between us," he said, "And, truthfully, I am aware of the royal family's desire to expand into our land. I hope a peaceful resolution here will make for peaceful negotiations later possible," he explained.
Storm smiled, "Of course."
"Ohhh..." Twilight muttered worriedly, pacing back and forth in front of the sheriff's office, "Where are they...?"
"Calm down, Twilight," Applejack tried, "This is Storm we're talkin' 'bout. The Jedi that got killed and came back to life. A bunch'a natives ain't gonna do anythin' ta 'im."
"Got killed and came back to life...?" Braeburn muttered to himself, unheard by the others.
"I know, Applejack, but I can't just not be worried!" she insisted, whirling to face her farming friend, "We don't know anything about what kind of creatures live in the Badlands, so who knows what could go wrong!" she said, then sat down, holding her head in her hands, "What if they were eaten by a large predator? What if the Natives set up a bunch of traps that he wasn't expecting?! What if Rainbow Dash got into trouble and he has to save her?! What if he got into trouble and Rainbow Dash has to save him?! What if-?!"
*SMACK*
Twilight's head snapped to the side, the newly made blotch of stinging redness on her cheek scarcely registering to her, more focused on the fact that Fluttershy just smacked her!
Shakily, she turned back to stare, wide-eyed, at her remaining friend, who was staring at her with dawning horror.
"O-oh, my... I-I didn't mean to-I just-you were saying all these things, and it was making me worried, and I'm so sorry I didn't mean to..." Twilight shook her head, ignoring the now major sting in her cheek.
"I-it's okay, Fluttershy. I was-I was letting my imagination get the better of me... I needed somebody to, uh, smack some sense into me, I suppose," she said, hoping the joke would show Fluttershy that she wasn't mad at her. It barely worked if the embarrassed flush spreading onto Fluttershy's cheeks meant anything.
"Hey!" a loud, brash, and wonderfully familiar voice shouted, causing everyone to turn.
""""Rainbow Dash!"""" they all cheered as the familiar tomboy came into view, although the small procession behind her caused them to pause. A large black buffalo with the chief on it, as well as a smaller orange buffalo that Strongheart rode on, along with Storm on horseback and-
"Spike!" Twilight shouted, rushing forward, ignoring the horrified look on the little prince's face as she scooped him up into her arms after he got off the small buffalo he was riding on. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried about you!"
"Mmph!"
Storm chuckled at the sibling's antics before glancing over at Braeburn, who was staring wide-eyed at the natives.
"Hey," he called, startling the man, "get the sheriff," he ordered.
"Uh, yeah, okay," he said, sparing one more glance at the buffalo beside him before running off.
"Uh, what's goin' on here?" Applejack asked, staring at the natives with suspicion, "Why'd ya bring them here?" she asked harshly. Storm clicked his tongue.
"You'll see in a minute, Applejack," Storm snapped, "I'm just taking care of things my way."
...
Thankfully, the sheriff had nothing else to do at the moment, though Storm would've ordered him to come out even if he had, and they were finally able to get started. Although Storm completely ignored the growing crowd of people around them.
"Alright," Storm began, "Since the King and Queen are not, and will not, be present, Twilight will be acting as the mediator in these negotiations in their stead. As the oldest of the royal siblings, she has the highest authority here and is also a Jedi. So... more power to her. Are there any objections to this?"
"Negotiations?" Applejack asked, "What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Storm glanced at her.
"I believe it's rather self-explanatory," he stated, to which Applejack frowned.
"Well, I guess so. So you're gonna tell the natives that they gotta leave the settlers alone, then?"
"Not quite," he said, then turned back, "Seeing as though there are no objections, let's get started. Chief Thunderhooves, state your case."
"My tribe has been running through these stampeding grounds for generations," he began, "It is a sacred tradition that has been in my tribe since the very first day it was created. You settlers have taken it for yourselves without our permission!" he snapped, only to receive an elbow to the rib from Strongheart. Storm nodded.
"Sheriff Silver Star, state your case," The sheriff still looked a little confused, but thankfully he caught on to the minor issue.
"Well, we settlers need this land fer our families. Without it, we'd have no homes, no food, no nothin'," he said, "We need it ta live. And besides, we do have permission, Mr. Chief," Silver Star said, surprising the native.
"What?!" he challenged, "How?!" Silver Star's ears folded against his hat, and he looked rather startled by the chief's anger but shook it off.
"Well, I've got the deed ta the land. Bought it mahself from another native," he said, "Said 'is name was Thunderhooves, just like you. Even had the royal family insignia, he did!" he added firmly.
"We'll need to see this deed, then," Twilight said before the chief could respond, "If you're telling the truth, then the settlers have a right to be here, though if it's wrong, then Chief Thunderhooves has the final say," she added, "So, bring it to me," Silver Star nodded, then paused, looking confused.
"Uh... I think it's in the town's library, but I can't remember where I put it..." he said. Both Storm and the chief blinked at that response, then Storm sighed.
"I see... very well, that leaves us only one thing to do," he said, "As the peacekeeper, I will search the town library for the deed in question. Until we can either find it or confirm that it doesn't exist, both parties will be required to stay in town," he said, "Is that clear?"
""Yes.""
"Good," he said, then paused, "I will be requiring the assistance of Twilight Sparkle in this endeavor as both a practiced librarian and as the princess of Equis herself. Is this acceptable?" There was a pause as the sheriff and chief glanced at the embarrassed person in question, who gave them a sheepish wave before both nodded.
"Very well."
"I don't mind."
"Alright, come on, Sparky, we've got a deed to find."
"I'm coming!"
Thankfully she could remember the library they'd spotted earlier, and it took them little time to arrive.
Like the rest of Appleloosa, it was a wooden building with red, orange, and yellow decorations, with a giant wooden sign of an open book that denoted its purpose as the local library.
"You ready, Sparky?" Storm asked, earning a quick nod from the girl beside him. He spared her a glance and smirked at the excited twinkle in her eye, coupled with how she happily rocked on her feet as she stared at the library before her.
It was rather cute.
Still, they had work to do, so he pushed the thought out of his mind and headed inside.
...
Surprisingly, the library was almost overflowing from the number of things stuffed onto its shelves, though whether that was an indication of how many books and loose pieces of paper there were or the small size of the building was up for debate.
Still, it was completely stuffed full. With two floors of shelves waiting for them to rifle through and the multiple stacks of books and papers that littered the floor, likely put there because there wasn't enough room, it was clear they'd have their work cut out for them.
It was made even worse by the fact that the town did not have a dedicated librarian, which meant that there was absolutely no organization whatsoever or even a log of any kind, a fact that nearly caused Twilight to faint once she realized it. It meant they would have to search every nook and cranny of the damn place if they wanted to find that deed.
This was not going to be fun.
Storm rubbed his weary eyes, feeling his back pop as he stretched. He'd been sitting almost in place for who knows how long, just reading through paper after paper after paper-!
It was really beginning to piss him off.
Thankfully, since they were looking for a deed, they could skip over the books outright, which made the search a little more bearable but not overly so. He looked down the aisle of shelves he'd managed to go through over the past however many hours he'd been here.
If he had to guess, he'd rifle through a quarter of the lower floor by himself, possibly a quarter of the whole library, depending on how far Twilight, who had started on the second floor, had gotten. He glanced around, hunting for a clock to check the time when his eyes passed over the darkened window.
...
The moon had risen.
Considering that it had been, maybe, midday when he arrived with the chief, then that meant he and Twilight had been hunting through these papers for almost six hours.
No wonder he felt like shit.
He sighed. The words on the pages were already starting to blur together, forcing him to have to take a moment to rest. The air felt stuffy, and he was beginning to fidget from having sat in one place for so long, his nature as a creature of the sky disliking being inside for such an extended period. Being almost completely stationary didn't help.
If he was beginning to feel stir-crazy, then Twilight probably felt right at home. He wouldn't be surprised if she had built herself a fort out of books by now and was calmly reading away inside of it.
He chuckled at the image.
Still, it was time to head to bed. Much as he'd like to keep on going, there was no way he'd be able to properly go through any more of these papers if he was tired. And even if he did, he probably wouldn't be able to go through negotiations properly if he was exhausted.
He nodded to himself and stood up. He should tell Twilight he was turning in for the night and then drag her with him if she decided to stay. His ears twitched for a moment before he locked on to Twilight's position and started towards the stairs.
The top floor was just as stuffed as the lower floor, perhaps more. He frowned at the reminder of how much more there was to go. Thankfully she wasn't too far from the top of the stairs, and Storm found her nose deep in a large stack of papers, her hand glowing almost constantly as she traded papers beneath her gaze like a well-oiled machine.
"Having fun?" he couldn't help but ask, smirking when Twilight let out a cute yelp, her concentration faltering as she sent one of the stacks beside her skittering to the floor.
"Storm!" she snapped, head whipping around to face him, granting him the sight of her flushed face, "Quit doing that!" he chuckled.
"I'll think about it," he said, smirking and growing at her narrowed gaze, "How's your progress going?" he asked. Twilight's gaze softened.
"Oh, that," the girl muttered, casting a glare around the library, "Well, I haven't found it yet, but I've managed to get through a third of the second floor," she said, flushing at Storm's impressed whistle, "A-anyway, it would be a lot easier if these people actually had a librarian to take care of these books instead of just tossing them around anywhere they please! Is it really hard to put a book back where you found it?! Doesn't anybody care that they're making this whole place a huge disorganized mess?!" she ranted, huffing angrily.
Storm chuckled at her passionate little speech.
"Well, disorganized mess or not, it's up to us to find this thing," he reminded her, "So don't get distracted trying to rearrange everything, alright?" he asked. Twilight pouted but eventually agreed.
"Alright."
"Good," he said, gesturing to the window, "But it's late. Let's head back to the inn."
"What?" she asked, looking out the window before wilting, "Oh... right," she muttered, then cast another glance around, "I think I can keep going," she offered, only to frown when Storm shook his head.
"'Fraid not," he said, shrugging, and sent her a casual smirk, "I need you at your best, Sparky, and you're not at your best after an all-nighter. So get up; we're heading back," he demanded. The princess frowned.
"I think I'll be fine."
"I'll just carry you back if I have to, you know?~" he sang. She sighed.
"Alright, I'll get up."
Storm stretched as he stepped outside, squinting slightly against the bright morning light. Luckily, Red Delicious, the proprietor of the inn he and Twilight stayed in, was nice enough to let them back in last night, along with the other girls and Spike. He'd been suspicious of the natives, but luckily an argument was avoided when they revealed that they preferred sleeping outside.
Finishing up his stretch, Storm cast a quick glance around the area, wondering if he'd spot Thunderhooves or Strongheart, and, much to his surprise, he managed to spot the former of the two through the window of the local bakery.
Finding himself curious, Storm made his way to and inside the bakery.
It was a quaint little joint with simple wooden walls and floor, a homey-looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and cinnamon wafting over his nose. There was a glass container at the front containing various confectioneries, which, he noticed with amusement, had Thunderhooves enraptured.
"Having fun, Chief?" he asked teasingly, smirking when the much larger individual jumped like a startled kid.
"A-ah! Storm, it's good to see you," he said, his eyes darting to the side, "I was merely taking a look through the town since there is a distinct possibility of it staying around," Storm chuckled but shook his head.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Chief. We've gone through almost a third of the library already. We've yet to find it," he said, frowning, "You'll get to decide whether this place stands or falls at this rate," he added, then looked around, "Maybe it's a good idea for you to look around," he mused, "it might help you decide whether or not to tear this place down," Thunderhooves nodded, his expression serious.
"Yes, I've come to that conclusion as well," he said, pressing a hand to his chin, "Though, I'm not sure yet if-"
"Here's yer pie, Mr. Thunderhooves!" a young southern voice chirped from behind the counter, just as a pie walked out from the back room before it set itself up on the desk, just as the head of a young, freckled boy peered over the counter, "I hope ya enjoy!"
Storm stared at the boy and pie for a moment before redirecting his stare towards the now sweaty-looking Thunderhooves, grinning sardonically.
"Oh? Just 'looking around town?" he asked, before laughing, "Right, never took you for a Native with a sweet tooth," he added.
"I-I have no idea what you mean!" the chief stammered, "I merely walked in here and was curious! That's all!" he insisted.
"What?" the boy asked, sounding confused, "But I thought ya said ya love apple pie? That ya haven't had it in a really long time and was really lookin' forward ta it?" he asked innocently, with a tilt of his head. Storm laughed at the embarrassed look on the chief's face.
"Well, it seems you've been caught red-handed, chief," he said before a glint from outside caught his eye. He glanced outside, finding the sheriff walking around, the glint likely coming from his badge. The sight reminded him of his current task.
"Is something wrong?" the chief asked, noticing his lapse in focus; Storm shook his head.
"No," he said, "Just... enjoy your pie, Chief. I have to head back to the library. Those papers won't sort through themselves," he said, waving the buffalo goodbye as he slipped outside.
"There ya are, Mr. Negotiator!" the gruff voice of Silver Star broke through his thoughts. He opened his eyes just in time to watch the sheriff come to a stop in front of him.
"Is there something wrong, Sheriff?" he asked curiously. Silver star shook his head.
"Not at all! It's just," he started to look sheepish, "after I told ya that the deed was in the library, I did some lookin' 'round mah office, an' I jus' so happened ta find it hidin' 'round the place!" he exclaimed, pulling out an old, yellow piece of parchment from his vest, before handing it over to the newly annoyed Jedi.
"I see," he said, through gritted teeth, then forced himself to calm down, "And... where was it, exactly?" the sheriff stiffened, then let out a nervous chuckle.
"Well... I mighta found it lyin' 'round in the bathroom, hehe?"
His eye twitched.
Storm took a breath, then let it out as calmly as he could.
"Very well," he said stiffly, "I'll take a few minutes to look it over with princess, then get back to you and the Chief. Have a nice day, Sheriff," Storm managed before not-quite-stomping away.
Storm returned to the inn, grumbling about incompetent law officials.
"Sparky!" he called, "You still in here?"
"Over here!" her voice echoed from a side room, which turned out to be the kitchen, where she and Spike were sitting together, the boy eating away at a stack of pancakes while the girl nursed a cup of what smelled like coffee.
He wrinkled his nose at the bitter drink before refocusing on the purple girl.
"Did something happen?" she asked, setting her mug down, "Don't tell me the natives and settlers got into an argument!" she added in a more panicked fashion. She calmed down as Storm shook his head.
"No, no, nothing like that," he said before showing her the rolled-up parchment, "Turns out the Sheriff was wrong about the deed being in the library," he said bitterly, "It was in his bathroom, instead."
Twilight's nose wrinkled.
"That's... disgusting. Why would anybody bring such an important document into a-nevermind," she quickly tossed that train of thought aside, "Why are you here, though?" she asked.
"I'm here for a second opinion," he rolled the document onto the table next to her and peered at the large, loopy signature waiting at the bottom.
Sparky sat next to him and peered down, carefully analyzing the letters, before they both nodded.
"Alright, that answers that. Let's gather the town and natives to tell them the news."
Gathering the sheriff and chief proved quick and easy, given that the chief was still pigging out, and the sheriff had decided to wait around in the same area, likely having figured that they wouldn't take long. As it was, it didn't take much longer for them to properly assemble, with Twilight once more acting as the mediator, with the two, technically four if Strongheart and Braeburn were counted, standing before each other.
"We have recovered the deed in question," Twilight began promptly, "It states that the Appleloosans have full ownership of the land and the surrounding area and may do whatever they please.
"At least it does when you dig through the unnecessary prattle," Storm muttered as Twilight glared at him before clearing her throat.
"However, it has been revealed that the document in question is forged."
"What?!" Silver Star shouted, accompanied moments later by the many people surrounding them, "How?!"
"The royal family's signature does not match the real thing," she held out a hand, and the small prince handed her a separate scroll before flicking both it and the deed open, "see for yourselves."
Thunderhooves and Silver Star leaned in and stared hard at both bits of paper.
Silver Star winced slightly when he began to notice the differences. The real signature had a much larger 'C' than the false, and the 'a' had a small tail that floated underneath the other letters. The dot above the 'i' was also different, but the largest difference, he noticed, was that one signature, the fake one, was slightly smudged, while the real one was completely and utterly pristine.
"The false signature, as you may notice, was handwritten. However, the royal family always uses the royal seal when signing official documents. As such, I am forced to declare that Sheriff Silver Star's purchase of the land known as Appleloosa is hereby declared null and void," Twilight said, ignoring the cascade of gasps around them.
"Chief Thunderhooves, this land is yours by right. So, what is the fate of the Appleloosans?" Storm asked.
The chief frowned, and his eyes wandered. He saw the many people whispering to each other, each looking more panicked than the last. He watched as many of them started to tear up, and the few who instead began to look around at the town they'd built fondly, likely believing they'd never see it again.
Chief Thunderhooves knew how important the idea of home was. It was why it was tradition to come stampeding back here every year, to rekindle that feeling of home within him and his tribe. He nodded.
His decision was made.
"Well, that worked out a lot better than I'd expected," Storm muttered, stretching his back a little.
"I know. I wasn't expecting the native chief to agree to a compromise like that," Twilight added, peering out the train window.
Contrary to many Appleloosans' beliefs, the natives wouldn't kick them out of their homes. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, given how fond the chief had been of that damn pie, Thunderhooves had suggested that, in return for allowing them to keep the land, a small share of their crop was to be shared with the tribe every year, preferably in the form of goods.
"I'm just glad mah family ain't gettin' kicked outta their homes," Applejack remarked from beside him, leaning against the train with a smile on her face.
"I'm happy nobody got hurt," Fluttershy replied, her voice barely filtering out of the compartment.
"Indeed," Rarity agreed, also inside, "Just imagine what might've happened if Storm wasn't here to help things go smoothly! Goodness, if I didn't know any better, I might think there would have been a disaster!" she exclaimed, then tittered gently, "Though, knowing how often the seven of us seem to get in trouble, perhaps there might have been one anyways?"
"Yeah, no kidding!" Dash whooped, "Too bad Pinkie wasn't here; she probably would've thrown a massive party for everybody!" Twilight laughed.
"That does sound like something she'd do," she said, "But I don't know if the buffalo would've been happy about that," she added thoughtfully.
"ALL ABOARD!"
The loud shout caught most of them off guard, but it faded quickly as the teens piled into the train.
Author's Note: It seems the Jedi and their friends were able to avoid a fight between the natives and the settlers. Not to mention, Twilight getting some sense talked into her about her not-quite-hidden affections for a certain boy. Especially during their little midnight ride. And ashamed Pinkie couldn't make it back in time from her trip to join them, by ah well. As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments.