The last flakes of glitter gently floated down upon the blent back of Apollo Sinistra who was absently chewing on some strawberry licorice as he put the final touches on the final body in a line of plastic ponies, all neighing softly in the morning sun - the morning sun for this Sinistra meaning high noon. His project was finally complete. Below the fashion god were twenty five My Little Ponies all living and breathing and small enough to fit in anyone's pocket. Little ponies of various colors all gazed up at their maker adoringly, who had just introduced them to the marvels of strawberry licorice.

It had been a long week. To long. Artemis had gotten if possible more square since their night at the ministry, the night that had caused Apollo to resort to creating the glittering miniature rainbow stable that was currently being set up in the shop's front window. The world needed more happiness, not death. No one has told Miniature Pinkie Pie this news however for she was currently attacking Scootaloo with great gusto in an attempt to get at Scootaloo's portion of the strawberry licorice.

"Now Pinkie Pie Jr. is that the way we treat our fellow pony kind? Love and glitter my ponies, love and glitter." Rainbow Dash, Toola-Roola, Cheerilee, Sweetie Belle and Starsong all neighed in agreement to Apollo's delight. These ponies would make the world a better place he knew they would.

Jumping down from his perch Apollo gave the empty store a calculating look. His pony display needed something more. Rainbow Dash nestled into Apollo's neck, neighing softly, blinking its large plastic eyes.

"Indeed Rainy I think you are right!" Apollo cried out, his cowboy booted feet flying purposefully to the cash register, where he had last placed his wand. A moment later the Pony display has an enchanted rainbow - and a warning system for when Pinkie Pie Jr. got a bit to aggressive with her fellow pony friends. This time she had been trying to maul Tolla-Roola (version 3) for no apparent reason other than having multicolored hair. Who knew Pinkie Pie Jr. could be such a little devil?

"We are going to have to fix your behavior young lady or you are getting a paint job that shows your true colors. Black and red, which will not fit with color plate of your sisters." Apollo scolded, Pinkie Pie Jr. looking up at him innocently from her perch in his hand. "You might say you like my new jacket but that will not excuse your behavior. Bad Pinkie Pie Jr. bad!" The fashion god was oblivious to the going on around him, so intent was he on making Pinkie Pie into a better pony - if he could do it to a pony then maybe he could fix Logan enough to bring a smile back to his twin's face.

This was a bad idea.

But that was foolish. Logan didn't have bad ideas. His ideas were always forumulated after examining all rational possibilities; under such circumstances there was no right or wrong, there was only most logical progressing to least logical. But Logan wasn't foolish, either. He could never be accused of lacking in judgment; in fact, it was far more likely that he be accused of too much judgment, too much logic, too much rationale and not enough emotion.

Well, that used to be the case, Logan thought as he stood across the street from Sinistra's Secondhand Shop, feeling very foolish embarking on such a bad idea. It had been weeks since the mess of September 28th and the subsequent trial. He had been released in exchange for his testimony against Edward Garrow, a narrow escape for him. Logan supposed that if anything good came out of his business with the man, it was the intimate knowledge he'd gained that led to Garrow's conviction.

But at what price? He'd helped to put a very dangerous man in prison, where he belonged...but he'd lost the woman who had shown him, for a very brief time, that there could be more to life than numbers and charts. The memory of her face when he left the room on Level Nine haunted him. It was the first time he'd seen such a look of hurt and disappointment, and it was made worse by the knowledge that it was his doing. Was there a hope of undoing that damage? Logan had stayed away from her because of that very question. Though he loved answers, he feared that the answer was worse than not knowing.

But even Logan couldn't avoid finding an answer. He had tried to work it out on his own, but he was missing information; there were variables that he could not control, and they lay with Artemis. It was therefore unavoidable; he must go to her. He had to find out what she thought, however terrible it might have been. He could not subsist on hope. If she hated him, he would withdraw and move on. To what, he didn't know. He would conquer that unknown when he came to it. But if there was a chance that he could make amends to her...he had to take it.

He strode across the street and entered without knocking. The small bell rang, reminding him of the last time he was in the shop--the day after Judy Baines' murder, the day he'd asked Artemis to dinner. It had only been the second time he'd seen her. But as he looked around the shop, he didn't see her. He didn't see anyone, in fact; but then he heard something. It was a voice that made him extremely...uneasy.

"Now Pinkie Pie Jr. is that the way we treat our fellow pony kind? Love and glitter my ponies, love and glitter."

It could only be the twin--Apollo. Logan seemed to recall that Apollo had been in the Department of Mysteries that night too, but that had been the first and last time he'd ever seen the man. He really had no desire to meet him at this point, either. He took a few careful steps forward, hoping to get to the back door and see if Artemis was back there without alerting her brother to his presence.

"Indeed Rainy I think you are right!"

Suddenly Apollo rushed across the store, passing a few feet in front of Logan. He didn't seem to notice the ex-Unspeakable, neither on his journey nor his return. Pinkie Pie Jr.? Rainy? Against his better judgment (perhaps he was becoming a little foolish), Logan wondered who the ridiculous man was speaking to. Seized with a sudden curiousity, Logan turned and followed Apollo slowly to the front window.

"You might say you like my new jacket but that will not excuse your behavior. Bad Pinkie Pie Jr. bad!"

Apollo came into view through a part between racks. He appeared to be talking to something in his hand that Logan couldn't see...and something was dancing around in the display. Were those...whinnies that he heard? Logan squinted, peering at the tiny moving things and realized that they were miniature ponies. He blinked. What on earth...? The man was clearly off his rocker...but his words gave Logan an idea. Perhaps it was good that he encountered Apollo before Artemis. Someone so insane didn't have the mental capacity to hold grudges, obviously. Perhaps, with Apollo's good opinion, it would be easier to begin reconstructing his short-lived relationship with Artemis.

"I like your new jacket," Logan said suddenly. "Will that excuse my bad behavior?"

"I like your new jacket. Will that excuse my bad behavior?"

Apollo looked up from the pony he had been scolding to the vision of the man he had just been thinking about. Was that a new talent? Had he summoned Logan to the very building just by thinking about him? Or was this Pinkie Pie Jr.'s doings? Apollo closed his eyes and instantly began to visualize the leggy blond he had seen walking by only moments before. He cracked them open.

Logan was still there.

Still wearing the tie he had picked out for him too... nice.

This all had to be Pinkie Pie's doing then. The evil little pony was calling in Arty's arch-enemy/lover/thing. Why had it done that? He was going to have to mark out the evil pony... after he dealt with Logan. Depending on how things went this could be his moment to defend his sister's honor!

He gave the man his best sour look... which was actually more like a rather large cheery smile. Apollo always had been helpless at expressing true disapproval. This could possibly be the reason why he always failed to recognize anything other than good cheer.

"Usually it would. For you my dear chap that might require a couple flirtini's before I am willing to go that far. She's not very pleased with you - quite a mess I would say. Now what brings you here?" His hostile glare was as hostile as the doe-eyed looked all the pinkies were giving him from their display. Best try a new approach.

"Glad to see you wear the tie." He commented, as he put down his slightly evil creation. Why were some ponies - and people - prone to wicked things? Maybe it was their diet? He would have to try to give the pony more sugar.

Apollo turned around. He stared wide-eyed at Logan for a moment or two, then closed his eyes, squeezing them very tightly shut. Logan waited, bewildered but choosing for the moment to ignore the other man's odd behavior. A moment longer and Apollo's eyes snapped open, dancing over Logan's frame gleefully for a moment. His expression fell almost immediately and Logan quirked an eyebrow. What, trying to wish me away with your magical sugary rainbows of oblivious happiness? he thought dryly.

"Usually it would. For you my dear chap that might require a couple flirtini's before I am willing to go that far. She's not very pleased with you - quite a mess I would say."

Logan's sarcasm disappeared at the mention of Artemis and he felt his shoulders sag. Not pleased? Well, obviously she wouldn't be pleased. Logan had been prepared for that. A mess? Artemis was just the sort of compassionate person who would be more heavily affected by the happenings of late than others, than Logan himself. The only consolation he could draw from her brother's statements was that she was at least alive, and that was a small comfort. When one meets the bottom, the only way to go is up...right?

"Now what brings you here?"

A dilemma rose from this question. How should Logan respond? Should he tell the truth--that he was hoping to speak to Artemis? He perceived that the brother would react in one of two ways: either he would ill-advisedly attempt to play matchmaker and encourage the meeting, or he would (also ill-advisedly) become unnecessarily overprotective and refuse to allow Logan anywhere near his sister. Logan hoped to avoid both; as badly as he wanted to speak with Artemis, he somehow felt that having Apollo hovering around eagerly listening would hinder more than help his cause. So no--he wouldn't tell Apollo the truth. But he wouldn't lie. He was living an honest life now. So what to do?

"Well, to tell the truth, Apollo," Logan said, slowly and hesitantly. Well, to tell the partial truth, Apollo, very sneakily and in such a way to recommend myself well to Artemis, "I wish to improve myself. Emotionally, I mean; I've come to realize that I'm a tad underdeveloped in that respect." Deep breath.

"This isn't exactly easy for me, you see...but I understand that one's physical appearance can be a source of--of confidence?" Logan sighed again and ran a hand over his long, shaggy hair. "I'm not exactly the sort of person who worries too much about his appearance, but...well, it's just that I've heard that, that looking good can help one...feel...good," he finished awkwardly.

"Well, to tell the truth, Apollo I wish to improve myself. Emotionally, I mean; I've come to realize that I'm a tad underdeveloped in that respect."

Something about the statement didn't ring right. Why would a man come to him for emotional help? Really that was not his area of expertise - everyone including him knew that. Apollo was more material minded than the average human, in fact his emotional rage could be said to range between mildly happy to ecstatic with not much else in between. Countless people had told him so over the past two decades, so as much as he didn't want to admit it, maybe everyone was right about him... and Jasper if Artemis' rants were to be believed.

With prophet's mind being boggled there was only one thing to do - pet a pony. Which he began to do with great gusto as Logan continued on.

"This isn't exactly easy for me, you see...but I understand that one's physical appearance can be a source of--of confidence?" Oh! That's what he meant! Apollo put the pony down and gave Logan yet another appraising glance, his mind already already debating how skinnies would look on Logan verse some nice fitted slacks. Maybe even a kilt! Apollo personally didn't feel as though he had the knees for plaid but maybe Logan was hiding a set of truly fantastic knees under his gab? It was probably for the best that he didn't have time to voice the question before Logan continued on.

"I'm not exactly the sort of person who worries too much about his appearance, but...well, it's just that I've heard that, that looking good can help one...feel...good,"

"Looking good can make one feel fabulous! Artemis was feeling terrible the other day and..." Apollo trailed off, a link having been made. Artemis was feeling terrible, Logan wanted a new look to make him feel better. Artemis had been dating Logan, Logan had been dating Artemis. Both were now miserable. It was almost as if... Logan had come to the shop to see Artemis! Maybe even to apologize! As if they could solve their misery together (headlines proclaiming a flying pig sighting by several muggles was later seen in the evening edition of the papers). "...oh."

Now to see if he was right. "You know mate, changing your look only makes you feel better if you want to change. Not if you need it, even though you do..." Stay on topic Apollo stay on topic. This is for the betterment of your sister and a square man. The ponies simultaneously gave their master an encouraging whinny, only Evil Pinkie Pie snorted. "I'm going to guess you don't want a set of vintage go-go boots but would rather talk about something else. You messed things up royally - she's not even here right now."