//------------------------------// // Blood and Cinnamon // Story: Suri's Suicide // by Octavia_Melody //------------------------------// The two ponies stood across from each other in a dimly-lit empty studio, a would-be purple-maned fashonista and her former blue-maned assistant. "Suri, please don't go into Snow Alley." Coco begged, "Don't go into Snow Alley." "What's Snow Alley?" Suri asked. "I can't tell you." Coco said, "Just don't go. Don't go. Don't go! DON'T GO!!" Coco's sorrow-filled eyes wept blood as her screams echoed deep inside Suri's ears. Suri Polomare awoke with a shriek of her own and wiped the cold sweat from her brow. Her nightmares were growing worse each night since she had been forced to move into the ratty little apartment in the bad part of town. The plagerisitic little stunt she had pulled during Prim Hemline's contest had ruined her credibility and now the only job she could manage was a double shift as a barista at Marebucks. Suri dragged herself into Marebucks with a splitting headache and put on her green apron and hat. Another grueling day of serving ungrateful customers awaited her. "Suri, you're late again!" her manager, Daily Grind, barked, "You've been dragging all week!" Suri desperately wanted to splash a cup of hot coffee in her boss's face but thought better of it and struggled to put a smile on her face. "Sorry, Ms. Grind." she managed to say, "I've been getting migraines." "Get a prescription, then." Daily advised. Suri had to remind herself of the silver lining that Daily couldn't afford to fire her. Compared to everypony else, she did most of the hoofwork in the shop, and she was the only one pulling a doubleshift. She put in more hours than Daily. The constant nightmares over the past two weeks didn't help matters though. The dream was always similar, yet different. She was in a dark room staring at somepony else, Coco Pommel, Prim Hemline, Hoity-Toity, Rarity, anyone related to her failed rise to stardom. They would always warn her not to go in Snow Alley, but she had lived in Manehattan for years and as far as she knew there was no street called Snow Alley. Then something horrible would happen like they would cry blood, vomit blood, shed their skin, or grow a second pair of eyes. The worst part was there was no reason or explanation for it; Suri wasn't taking any medication, and she didn't watch horror movies. Suri had only made it an hour into her shift when the one pony she wanted to see least of all stepped through the door, Coco Pommel. Suri loathed her former assistant turned traitor and the one blessing of living in the rough part of Manehattan was not having to see her. What was she doing here? This was the run down Marebucks frequented by diamond dog construstion workers, not the hoity-toity (pun intended) Marebucks near the design studios. Coco pranced right up to the register as if she were happy to be there and looked at the menu board behind the counter. "Hmm..should I try the Zap Apple Spice or just get my old standby, the Coco Mocha?" she said with a giggle. "I think you should leave and never come back." Suri whispered without thinking, but loud enough to where Coco could hear it. "S...Suri?" Coco asked awkwardly, "Is...is that you?" "Welcome to Marebucks. May I take your order?" Suri asked, trying to pretend that Coco was just another customer. "Ms. Polomare?" Coco continued, trying to make conversation, "How have you been? It's been months, hasn't it?" Not long enough. Suri thought, Just put in your order and go. "Suri?" Coco asked, "Aren't you going to say anything?" "May I take your order, Coco?" Suri repeated. "A small Coco Mocha, to go, I guess." Coco decided. "One small Coco Mocha to go!" Suri shouted to Cuppa Joe, the barista on duty. "No wait!" Coco gasped, "Can you make that a Zap Apple Spice, after all?" Make up your stupid little mind, Coco. Suri thought. "Scratch that, make that a small Zap Apple Spice to go, m'kay!" Suri corrected. Now she's got me saying 'm'kay' again, brilliant. Suri groaned inside her mind. Suri had painstakingly trained herself to stop using her verbal tic because she hated how her co-workers made fun of her for sounding too uppity. Coco's presence brought everything back. "Your order will be ready in just a minute, m'kay!" Suri said, trying to swallow her resentment. "She's tryin' ta sound like one a' them hoity-toity types again." Cuppa Joe said in his gruff lower Manehattan accent, not caring if Suri heard him. I'm better than Hoity-Toity, you talentless bum. Or at least, I could've been. Suri wished to herself. Joe passed a cup of what he thought was Zap Apple Spice to Suri who passed it along to Coco. Coco stirred it long enough to let some of the heat escape and took a few sips. She instantly started coughing and to Suri's abject horror, weeping blood. "This is Cinna Spice!" Coco realized, "I'm allergic to cinnamon!" "What happened to your eyes?!" Suri shouted in terror, thinking her nightmare was coming true. "My bad." Joe admitted, "Gave ya tha wrong cup." "It's a rare condition." Coco explained, "It only happens with cinnamon though. It's mostly just irritating, kind of like a nosebleed." "What do you know about Snow Alley?!" Suri demanded, "Say something!" "Suri...are you okay?" Coco wondered, "It was an accident. Maybe I should leave." "Suri's scarin' away the customers!" Joe commented. "You're the one who gave her coffee she was allergic to, you dolt!" Suri argued. "What's going on?!" Daily demanded. "Sorry, Ms. Grind." Joe conceded, "It was an accident." "Do you want some jetsetter type to sue us all out of a job?" Daily inquired, "Do you?!" "How was I supposed to know she was allergic?" Joe asked. "Joe, you take the register." Daily ordered, "I'll help make orders. Suri, why don't you take the day off?" "Ms. Grind, please! Daily!" Suri begged, "Don't fire me." "I'm not firing you, Suri." Daily said, "I'm actually trying to help you. You say you have headaches, right? Why don't you go home and rest or go see a doctor? We'll start back fresh tomorrow." "Thank you." Suri said softly, hanging up her hat and apron, and following Coco out the door. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble." Coco told Suri once they were both outside. "Just don't embarass me like that again, m'kay!" Suri demanded. "Suri...do you need a job?" Coco asked, blood still dripping from her tear ducts. "I...well I..." Suri stammered, "Hemline blacklisted me, remember?!" "I wouldn't be allowed to hire you since I'm Ms. Hemline's assistant now, but maybe I could put in a good word with Rarity and..." Coco suggested. "I'm not working for that two-bit, wannabe, upstart...." Suri fumed. I already asked Rarity. Suri secretly thought but didn't want Coco to know, She can't afford to hire any more help. "What is Snow Alley? Where is it?" Suri asked again, trying to change the subject. "Snow Alley?" Coco wondered, "I've never heard of it." "You told me about it. In my dream." Suri explained, "I keep having these nightmares. They always tell me not to go to Snow Alley." "I don't know." Coco said, "I used to have nightmares about changelings attacking Manehattan but it turns out that I just needed to change my sleep aid." "You take sleeping pills?" Suri asked, "Do those help?" "Yeah, I guess." Coco replied, "I really need to get back to work. The Marebucks uptown is closed because the manager's sick and it'll take me a while to get back. But...if you want...we could meet for lunch or something?" "I think I'm just going to go get some sleep, m'kay?" Suri said, quickly trotting away. She's still pretty mean but I feel kind of bad. Coco thought. But Ms. Hemline's decision is final.