Sometimes you just blow it (Snowflake Mystery)

Loyal focused her attentions on the guard. "Yes, deputy?" she said in a short sharp tone. She was thinking of resting right there and then, but the guard had snapped her out of her reverie.

Renaultar took a moment to consider her response. He assumed she had worlds worth of things to say to him. Perhaps it was too much for her to say at the moment, or she was overcome with too much fury to speak for her own good. Or maybe she was thinking of something else entirely. Either way, he opened up the can of worms by initiating this conversation.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say? No questions to ask? No condescending remarks?" He sighed and stared ahead at the wall, head resting on a pillow. He could feel his energy leaving him so quickly now that he was comfortable.

"Why would I have anything like that to say?" she asked, tiredness creeping into her voice. Not that she was tired, or any silliness like that. She had experienced much more tiring things in her past. If she was tired of anything, it was this guard. At least the evil, corrupt ones can be dealt with promptly. It was the good ones that were a pain. "But, if you are wanting a question so badly, this should suffice: Were those friends of yours willing to die for you?"

Renaultar knew he was digging himself a hole by speaking to her. Her question drove him to rage. Oh how much he wanted to verbally assault her. How much he wanted to tell her off. But he was tired, and so much had gone wrong enough today.

"If they survive, ill be sure to ask them. Actually if it matters so much to you, you can. I don't ask life or death from anyone. Last i checked, it was earned, not asked." He grumbled and slumped his head back down on the pillow. His fatigue was really getting to him. At this rate he might shout any kind of nonsense. That with what Mr Herald said was enough to make him go crazy.

"And your condescending remark for today is: You are either a masochist or an idiot, possibly both," Loyal continued, "I can say more, actually, but I feel it would mean more if you're more awake. Instead, I'll just let you think about master's preposition. Not many see that side of him."

She stretched her neck. Herald's preposition to Renny brought back memories. Dark memories. Memories that were extremely precious to her. There was a reason she respected him, after all.

"I'll think about it." He grunted and whisked his tail. Though he invited this conversation, there was some satisfaction to ending it. His energy was draining away from him so quickly, it nearly scared him, as if he were dying.

If not much else happen, he would be dead asleep soon enough.

Loyal fell silent as well, escorting Remedy out when she was done. Then she made some tea, drank, and went around looking after the household while it slept. She would sleep when she wasn't required. Now, she was needed awake.

She checked her two colleagues. Both were stable. Both were slumbering. She allowed herself a tired smile. Good old Remedy. She checked the clock. With only one maid, she would have to work three times as hard. She considered making the next day's breakfast, but decided against it. She started cleaning the place, checking Woods and Nameless every so often.

She wasn't tired. She had longer stretches of time awake. Plus, she wasn't on the run. She could handle this.

There was so much cleaning to do...

Renaultar sighed happily as he awoke to a nice glass of cold lemonade. The beach provided a nice breeze. Nameless was off making a sandcastle shaped like a kitchen and Peach rubbed lotion onto his back.

"You wanted something Master Shielder?" Said Loyal as she answered the bell he rang for her.

"Yes, could you fan me on this side please? I like to feel a breeze on both sides."

Loyal nodded before she grabbed Renaultar with incredible strength and threw him into the sand oven Nameless made. It was all too soon a real oven and began to heat up to Renaultar's panic.

"What? Let me out! I'm not food!"

Peach looked through the window. "But we have to feed all the ponies we have." And on cue, hundreds of baby ponies rose out of the sand like ninja's and began to fight themselves with yoyo's and clocks.

Then all at once the oven was the giant gaping jaws of a dragon that roasted him alive before swallowing.

Darkness, before suddenly, he was there again. The rundown store in the poor district, the pony with a mask on held a little filly in his hooves with a knife to her throat.

"G-get out! Or I'll kill her. Cut your losses and go officer!" He said.

Renaultar stared at the scene. He couldn't react fast enough. He knew he could do it, but he froze. The knife sliced. Everything went red.

Renaultar woke up with a start, catching himself screaming. A quick look around the room told him that it was a dream. He sighed with relief but the morning was just getting started.

It hurt. Everything hurt when Nameless awoke. She stared at the roof, thinking about what had happened the night previous. Slowly, achingly, she turned to her right, where she saw Woods still slumbering. She could barely move with something hurting. She could only think about things. Like the household, chores, and vanilla ice cream. It helped, a bit. A welcome distraction came in the form of Loyal stumbling through the door, pushing a cart of breakfast. The filly looked at Loyal's tired face suspiciously. "You didn't make this, did you?"

Loyal looked at the cart, then at Nameless. "Even I cannot screw up cereal, Nameless," she retorted. Nameless raised her eyebrows. "Okay, except for that one time." Stare. "Okay, more than one." Staaaaare. "Oh come on!" Loyal exclaimed, motioning wildly to the open cereal box on her cart, "All I did was open the box! There's no possible way I can mess up this morning's break-"

A scream then echoed throughout the house, causing Loyal to upset the cereal box, spilling its contents. There was a long pause.

"That was probably the deputy's marefriend," Loyal grumbled, pushing the cart into the gap between the two beds. "I'll have to check up on them. I'll be back soon."

As Loyal tottered out the door, Nameless thought of telling her that she probably needed rest. She knew what the response would have been though.

"The household must run indefinitely," Nameless muttered to herself as she tried to clean Loyal's mess.

Peach Dream was snuggled against something that was big and warm. Sometime in the night she had wrapped her hooves around it holding it tight against her. As the sun peaked threw the window she had turned to hid her face against it.

Normally Peach Dream would have been up with the sun getting ready for class. But because of how worn out she was she slept until her warm snugly thing started to scream.

Startling Awake Peach Dream Let out her own Shreek when she realized that her warm snugly was a stallion. "OH Celestia Where am I?" Moving to throw herself from the bed her back let out a nasty twang." Ahh" She moaned.

While she was cringing in pain she managed to remember some of her surroundings. "Renaultar Shields you had best tell me what is going on." She said in her disappointed School marm voice.

Renaultar just about screamed again when he realized there was another pony latched onto him. He quickly identified Peach Dream and blushed, remembering they had slept in the same bed together.

"Oh, h-hi there Peach. Umm....Well we kind of blew up the other night. And, well...You refused to let me sleep on the floor." He gave her a wide smile, hoping to disarm her disappointed voice. "Be careful with your back.."

THUNK went the door, as a pony slammed into it. There was a pause, then aformentioned door opened with one of those long, drawn out annoying creaks that instantly drew the attention of everypony around to hear it. This was followed by an even longer pause, before Loyal walked in looking as cheerful as she possibly could.

That is to say, looking as though she wanted to kill somepony.

"Oh, good," she said with a voice that matched her expression perfectly, "Sir and miss are awake and well. Good morning, and I hope you had a good, restful sleep." She tried to smile, but just ended up looking psychotic. "Sir and miss are not in the best of conditions, so I suppose you will be both having breakfast in bed. What would sir and miss want this fine. and. wonderful. morning?" She had difficulty getting the last words out.

As a servant of the household, it was Loyal's duty to serve the guests to the best of her ability, and even though she hadn't slept after almost being blown up, she was going to stick to that duty. She tried to smile again, this time showing her teeth. The effect was probably not what the maid had in mind.

Peach Dream Flinched very badly, letting out another groan as another pang shot up her back She hid herself behind Renny.

"Oh I'm not hungry, healing always leave feeling ill." It was a like, healing left her starving. But she would start life as a working mare before she ate anything that mare cooked for her. But the Mare looked like a murderer.

Renaultar winced as he heard the thud on the door. He knew that sound all too well.

I hate it when that happens to me. He thought. A look at her reaction though got him to shudder. That was the kind of pony he would not want to touch with even a squad of other guardponies behind him.

The offer of food, however, was hard to resist. "Breakfast? Oh that sounds great I...umm.." He Looked at her smile and thought about what Peach had said more carefully. "..Uh...actually, i think I'll pass also....And don't you think you should get some rest?" He forced a very wide and nervous smile. Oh how much he feared provoking her wrath.

Loyal shook her head. "The others are resting, my duty is to keep the household running until they are ready. If sir or miss would like anything, then sir or miss should not hesitate to aaaaask." The maid closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to ten. When she opened them, they were as sharp as usual.

Taking her place in the corner of the room, Loyal stood, waiting for further instruction.

Slowly slipping out of bed Peach Tested her back. If she moved slowly it didn't hurt. With a deep breath she took a few slow steps towards the door. Glancing at Renny she decided he was a big strong Guards pony who could take care of himself. Her wanting to runaway had nothing to do with the fact she woke up tangled in the same sheets as him.

"I'm just fine honest. If you could tell me the way out I will be on my way. I really must go open up the school." Despite being scared Peach used a calm and even voice, talking slowly like you would have with an animal or a child. She didn't think it would be a good idea to startle this pony.

Renaultar was about ready to tell Loyal that they did not need anything, but Peach trying to take her leave took his attention away from that.

"Peach? No no. You can't go. Not like that. You have to call in sick. Just look at your back. Come back and rest." Renny started to get out of bed now to go after her. He was not as bad as Peach, but he was still plenty sore and banged up to have a limp.

In an instant, Loyal was standing in front of the door. "Sorry, I can't let you do that, miss. I have strict orders not to let our guests leave for today, as you are officially in the care of the household. If you wish, I can escort you the master or mistress, and they might see you off, but you may not leave before then." Her voice was getting back into the realm of calm and collected speech, and her expression became more controlled, staring the teacher down intently.

---

Meanwhile, Nameless tried to ignore the aches and pains as she got out of bed and tried to amble to the kitchen. Every couple of metres she had to stop to rest and regain energy, closing her eyes and counting to ten just like Loyal did. Herald and Admirer would probably be still slumbering, and they shouldn't eat whatever disaster Loyal considered to be a decent breakfast. "Small steps," she whispered to herself, "Just take small steps."

---

White stared at the static covering her vision. A warbled opera filled her ears, a soprano was singing. All the while, her head danced with the squeaks of springs and the taps of pendulums. Her mouth tasted of slood. It was horrible, especially the opera if you paid attention to the words.

Up pops an Ishkin, then it pulls you in/ makes you cry, then sucks you dry and throws away the skin

She woke up, not screaming, but deathly silent and pale.

---

"Please tell me you didn't spend all night reading that thing," Admirer said softly, holding her husband tightly.

"I'm sorry," came the reply, tired and weary, "But I can't really ignore the possibility that..."

"No, Herald. There is no possibility. This must have been some gang war that we just got caught up in. It has nothing to do with your...club. Not here. You said so yourself, it's too haphazard to be aimed at you or me or any member of the family."

"Loyal..."

A laugh. "Any connection Loyal might have had, she would have killed. Besides she d..."

"White?"

"Unlikely. Not any more."

"..."

"You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"..."

"Nameless only has us. She has no other pony."

---

Loyal's eyes narrowed. "Besides, I have questions that I myself want to ask, miss."

"But someone has to show up so that the children that show up early can get in! The head teacher doesn't show up before noon." Shaking her head Peach turned and looked at Renny. "Renny you know how bad that area is! If the schools don't keep the kids off the streets who will?"

Somewhat distraught she turned back to the mare "Me? What could you need to ask me? I barely remember how I got here let alo-" It was her head that twanged this time. she must have really over done her magic if it was still hurting her the next day.

The idea of children being stuck outside the school in that place did worry him. He had only seen her so many times and Peach already knew how to manipulate him.

"Alright, the children do need to be let in, but your in no condition to do that. I would go for you if i were allowed to leave. Or someone else could see to it themselves or inform a guard..." He slowly looked to Loyal, a very nervous grin spreading across his face. There was never an honest smile between them it seemed. "Loyal....You did ask if you could do something for us right? Hehe...."

Seeing Peach in pain mid sentence worried him. "Peach? Come on. Back in bed. I promise I'll see something done about it, just get some rest. Worry no more." He nudged her gently back to the bed.

Loyal raised an eyebrow. "An interesting suggestion, deputy, trusting me with your mare's charges." A smirk formed. "However, I really don't know if she'd agree with that. I do not really care either way. Foals are no more trouble than the average pony."

She rolled her neck. You, miss are the one I am concerned with. The loose thread. The one unaccounted for. The inventor, the cafe owner...all known pieces in this screwed up game of f~ each other over. A school teacher suddenly showing up on the board? I need to know what I can do to prevent you from being a threat to the household.

"Miss should rest, however. Possibly saving two of my closest colleagues will take a lot out of a pony, so I insist. The deputy is right, for once. By the way, if you do send me off, I will be waking the master and mistress so they can host you. You are our guests, after all."

Peach couldn't hold off the look of fright that crossed her face at the thought of this mare around her children. She knew Salt addicts that had sweeter disposition. "Ah, I wouldn't want to trouble you... you look so busy."

The look she gave Renny was the look of a mare who had just been told she had to throw her foal under a bus. "If its locked when so many get there one of them will run and get Miss Lock Jaw." And Poor Quill will have to sit on the steps until another student shows up. But it was a better fate then feeding him to this creature.

Renaultar couldn't help but feel guilty. He hated to see her like this. He was such a sucker for mares.

"....I'll go and get a guard or see to it myself..." He turned and headed to the door. "Loyal. I am fine enough to walk a little. I rather you didn't stop me." He said smiling nervously in her direction. The tough attitude he wanted to put out melted away as quickly as his words came out.

"...If...you could please look the other way on this occasion...Just once."

Loyal gave Renny a very cold stare, then strode up to the stallion, raising a hoof as if to strike...

tok

A light, but firm tap on the head. The cold stare remained, but it warmed a fraction of a degree. "Whilst I was preparing breakfast, you decided to run off at your marefriend's request like the stupid white charger you are. Completely engrossed in my duties, I completely fail to realise you sneaking out. As you wish, deputy, but you owe me a favour. One more to add to the many."

Giving the smallest of nods, Loyal steps aside.

Curling up on the bed Peach looked at the wall and away from the two's moment. She wasn't Jealous, It just felt Private. "Renny... be careful." Once the biggest threat she knew of had been an overly touch drunk. But this morning, she woke up into a world where ponies blew up, and god knows what else.

Turning to Loyal Peach smiled shyly She had a feeling that nothing would happen without this mares expressed permission. "I... Thank you miss..." Peach said quietly. before quickly looking at the wall again.