A Penny for your thought

by Damaged

94 - Rewards

Penny watched as the guards stripped Brad. After finding him with a gun his dignity would have to suffer a little. He looked very small and sad, naked and alone. It was a fight to not want to go and give him a hug. It was another hit to Penny's formerly human self, one that she wasn't sure what to do about.

"He has nothing on him, please check his things." Celestia had to harden her heart. She watched as Penny levitated the human's things over and she let them into the bubble with them. She trusted the mare would know how to handle anything that could be dangerous.

Flicking open his wallet, Penny had to go through it, she knew things could be kept in such. And there was something. The unicorn pulled out the wafer-thin sheet of metal. "This can be dangerous, but isn't really on its own." She set that aside and kept going. There was cash in his wallet, credit cards, his license. She looked at the happy smiling face on the license and couldn't stop a pull at the corner of her lips, he would have gotten in trouble for smiling for that.

"That is everything." Penny had found a pocket knife on his belt too and set that with the credit-card sized 'survival kit'. It was a little sad to have to do this, to strip away some of the things that this man likely clutched to to keep him as he wanted to be, but she had to do it, he had given up his right to keep dangerous things when he proved he would mishandle them. "I don't want to be here anymore…"

Celestia reached a wing down and there was a burst of golden light. They were back outside the door to the room where Penny's friends and family were. "You are a credit to yourself and all ponies, Penny. This was not a fun task, but I thank you for performing it." Celestia reached a wing to brush a single tear from Penny's cheek. "Your wedding is soon, I hear there is going to be quite the celebration."

The change in topic helped to break Penny of the emotions that seeing Brad had brought on. She managed to smile. "Yeah, Pretty Cart is going all out, she is such a great mare." The tear was banished by Celestia's feathers, Penny had to wonder how many those wings had cleared from pony faces.

"It will be quite the busy time, there is a wedding in Ponyville just the day before." Celestia smiled, she really liked having her ponies find their special somepony.

"I wasn't invited to that one, but I did send the couple well-wishes." It was an odd time, Penny wasn't sure if it was an episode or not, she hadn't seen all of the season when she came to Canterlot.

"You ready?" Celestia's question had Penny puff herself up and nod. The princess opened the door and let Penny precede her inside.

Four pairs of eyes turned to the mare and Penny smiled and nodded. "That was less fun than I expected." The words were not meant to be a joke, nor even imply that she thought doing it would be fun.

Two forms rushed for her and Penny was flanked by her two loves. "Come on, lets go back home and have a good cry about this." Hay was planning out their day while Stick leaned in, pressing her cheek to Penny's.

"You two can stay here as long as you wish, please come and see me when you are leaving." Celestia was looking toward Jenny and it got a gulp and a nod from her. It was only a heartbeat or three, but suddenly she was all alone with Sablee.

"Okay, now they are out of earshot, what happened? I heard gunshots and feared the worst…" Jen was pressed against the stallion's chest, Sablee nearly sitting up straight with Jen snuggled in.

"She… Stick is not a normal pony. When she thought there might be danger, she changed herself, grew spikes and thicker bits, she told me to stay back…" It was clear that Sablee wasn't okay with that and Jen turned toward him, putting them belly-to-belly.

"And you did what she said because, apparently, she is amazing." The woman kissed the unicorn on the lips. "She kept you safe, she got me out of there. I need to do something to show her how much I appreciate her."

"Penny explained what the gun does. How it works." Sablee was looking a little pale. "Why do humans have such things?"

Jenny pressed in close, the stallion feeling the slight swell of her chest even through the blanket. "Human history is full of humans fighting each other for things. Guns are one of the more personal-level ways for humans to do that."

"'Personal'?" Sablee didn't like the sound of that. "Your people were busy with this fighting, then." Hearing all this didn't stop him hugging his mare close to him. "There was also a guard. You didn't see him because he took Brad away before Stick got you out. I think we might need to have a little celebration and invite him and Stick."

"A celebration?" Jenny raised an eyebrow and leaned up to kiss along Sablee's jawline.

"For me, to have you back and safe, is a reason to celebrate." Sablee tilted his head, caught her lips on his and the pair enjoyed the closeness.

---

Hay, Penny and Stick had Princess Celestia direct them to another room after they left Jenny and Sablee. "I understand what the knife is, but that other object, what is it?"

Penny saw the little piece of metal with the breakable tabs. "It is used by humans to help them survive if they are lost or away from safe places." She held it up in her horn and started breaking the little sharp pieces off. "This can be added to a long stick of wood, to make a small spear. These are all fish-hooks to catch fish." She continued to break little bits off the metal. "This is for removing scales from a fish…"

"Quite ingenious, but why would he have one?" Celestia tested each of the little items, finding them not only strong but sharp. Every single one could be used as a weapon in some way, but not nearly as much as what she laid on the table last. The revolver.

"That is something else entirely." Penny's nose screwed up with distaste. "Where I came from, such things were not allowed to be owned, but there is not much use for them apart from trying to kill somepony. Whether as an attack or in self defense."

"I assumed as much, is it still dangerous?" Celestia was keeping the weapon in the strongest magical field she could make, just in case.

"May I?" Penny looked to Celestia and, after a slight moment, got a nod. Penny was very careful in picking the pistol up. She found the safety on it and flicked it over to safe. She gave a sigh of relief when she rotated the chambers and found it empty. "These hold six bullets."

"He used it six times." Stick injected and got a nod from Penny.

"Honestly, I was too scared to count. Plus you need to be very careful, there are weapons similar to this that will hold a lot more." Penny fumbled with the gun and finally got the chambers to come out to the side, dumping the spent shells on the table. "Fresh bullets can be put in here. It is quite inert now, but just know that somepony coming over, from Earth, could have some."

Celestia smiled and wrapped the weapon in her magic again, taking it gently from Penny's relatively weak grip. Penny watched as the ball of force slowly squeezed down more and more, until she knew the gun couldn't be intact within it. "There, I take it that has left it useless?" Celestia offered the now mangled weapon back to Penny to inspect and the unicorn smiled and nodded. "Wonderful."

"Celestia." Penny looked up at the alicorn, taking in the serene expression. "I am sorry, Princess Celestia."

"You don't need to call me that if you are not comfortable with it." Celestia hit on the exact reason Penny didn't use the honorific as often as she should.

The knowledge didn't stop the mare from blushing. "Princess Celestia." She looked up the white alicorn with a determined look. "It's not that I don't want to help, I really do, but I am not the best pony to be doing this. I know… bits of information, but you might want to find a human who has a much more extensive knowledge of these things, to help you."

"There is something much more important than knowledge in this regard." Celestia reached a hoof up and pointed at Penny. "You are a pony I trust, who knows enough of these things to accomplish what is needed. Until ambassador Silver Watch has returned from leave I would ask you to be ready, in case more such… devices, are found."

Penny gave a sigh, but it was nice to be told by a princess that she trusts you. Then it hit Penny how she had mentioned only that she was a 'trusted pony'. It made her blush and remember their conversation earlier.

"We have some other matters to discuss. Stick, I heard you are to be taken on by Fancy Pants as an apprentice." Celestia was giving the changeling drone her full attention, and it had Stick blushing a little.

"I am, Princess…" Stick trailed off.

"Go on, ask it." Celestia verbally poked the changeling.

"How did you know? We were keeping it relatively secret. It won't be for a while, he plans to take me on 'after you have spent a year getting your family settled'." It was clear from how Stick said it that she really wanted to start immediately.

"So you will be busy, a shame…" Celestia started to turn her attention to Hay when Stick sat up straight.

"No-no! I want to keep busy, much as my lovely mares take up as much of my time as they can, I… I like the game." Stick sighed, the poor mare hadn't really had enough to do, even her mother had only found a few scraps of work for her.

"The game?" Celestia raised an eyebrow at this. "You talk of intrigue and business?" Stick nodded. "Perfect. I have need of an adviser. The way my ponies handle funds is changing, they speak of things I have trouble working my head around. So long as Hay and Penny are willing to give you up from time to time, I would be delighted if you could assist me in keeping abreast of matters."

Stick's eyes were wide and Penny reached over to poke her in the shoulder. Hay did likewise and the pair giggled at the shocked changeling. "I think she is trying to say 'yes'." Hay leaned in, her ear tilting to Stick's snout. "Yup, you broke her." The half changeling looked up at Celestia with a mock scowl, getting a laugh from the monarch.

"That is two of your family in my employ, it would probably be a good idea to find a place for you as well. You already attend my school, what more can I offer you, Hay Cart?" Celestia smiled at the mare.

Hay blushed and looked down. "Well, I always wanted to work with trains…" The confession got a giggle from Penny. "What? I love mechanical things!"

"No, I get that. But I just thought of you working on dirty, grubby trains all day and then going to visit your mother." Penny was almost breaking apart at the seams with laughter.

Even Celestia joined in when Hay herself started to titter and laugh, the little group apparently having needed to let off a little steam.

"Very well though, I will talk with them, I am sure they would welcome a talented designer and graduate. You will need to graduate first." Celestia was most firm in that, but got an enthusiastic nod from Hay. Sometimes it was really good to be princess.

Author's Note:

Tying up loose ends nicely here, there is still one dangling, I wonder if it will get cut or woven back in?

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Comments

[Gargon94]

Cute, I like it that you used the "I like trains" reference. Can't wait to see more!

[Damaged]

7062850 Irony, I wasn't actually even thinking of Mr Ridgewell's work, although I did watch his vlog today. Hay loves building things and it has been a guilty pleasure of hers.

[Gargon94]

7062863 Hehe, that's funny that you didn't think of him while writing this chapter. Well good job there!

[Daremo]

Sablee tilted his head and caught her lips on his and the pair enjoyed their closeness.

a bit of a run-on sentence. Not strictly a typo.

breakable tags - breakable tabs
a sight of relief - a sigh of relief
was to scared to - was too scared to
giggle from penny - giggle from Penny

*****
There was so much Celestia in this chapter, I can't help but adore it. Non-dream Celestia is best Princess, followed just a whisker's width behind by Luna, of course.

Celestia had to harden her heart.

Which is a crime unto itself in my book.

I hope that Brad is serious about turning over a new leaf and doesn't waste the kindness of the ponies he has wronged.

[tsaukpaetra]

Okay, so the weddings are exactly one day apart, and Penny doesn't remember (or didn't watch up to) episode 100...
Well this is fun!
Keep going! ;)

[Damaged]

7064344 Hehe, it is almost like this is an ongoing drama or something

[tsaukpaetra]

7064433 ikr? Much life such slice!

[Cursed Quill]

"I am, princess…" Stick trailed off.

Princess…"

what more can I offer you, Hay Cart."

questions should have question marks