Grey smoke billowed as the train advanced southward.
Well my mane didn’t deflate, so I guess that is good at least. Mean old unicorns said I had to third class. Well fuck them! I am who I want to be—they can feel all good about themselves, but I’d bet they can’t even read. Bunch of ignorant—
“Papers dirty.”
With a toothy, fake smile, I handed him my ticket and identification. He glanced, handed them back, and moved on.
Pick your battles—what Fluttershy always said—pick and choose; a contest of wits can only be won if both combatants have them. I took out a book, in Prench mind you, and started reading.
L’idée, c’est moi,
plein de bruit et de fureur.*
~*~
Tha trees were buddin in the hideout; later in tha evenin when Scoots, Sweetie, an ah was sittin in the courtyard sippin on some cider.
“Teacher said that I’m supposed to start lookin at schools for when I’m done here in a couple a years.”
“Sweetie, you already been in school too long,” ah chirped, “how come you got te go for more?”
“Rarity said it’s cause I gotta be good for marryin, all them rich colts want a wife that’s gone to college.”
“Ah’m pretty sure she is well aware that you don’t like colts.”
“I told er bout us a long time ago, she ain’t got a problem with it, but she still wants me to get married. But not til I’m done with college—Lord knows another six years in school.”
“Well least it leaves us time to plan somethin as an alternative—” Scoots beamed.
“Gonna rescue me from mah sista?”
We both nodded.
“Good then,” she said, swiggin on tha cider bottle.
~*~
Since twelve noon I’d been drinking bourbon. I paced, myself, so I was not drunk, but still—my nerves were, in spite of myself, not as calm as I’d hoped. Rainbow never asked why I fidgeted so much, of course, she already knew. I’d spilled it to her the night before, far more intoxicated then. She too had indulged herself some, a few glasses of white wine—oh she’s more of a lady than she lets on.
I figured that it would be better to meet and to talk to her at length before the lecture. Of course Dr. Fluttershy was more than happy to introduce us beforehand, and Rainbow seemed equally intrigued by the idea.
So dinner and drinks at Golden Oaks Plantation it was. I had suggested that perhaps another venue, but Fluttershy and Rainbow insisted otherwise. She may think ill of me because of—hardly time now to consider; I’m sure she will understand.
Oh, and Miss Belle and her little sister will be joining us as well. What of it all… Sweetie’s going to run off to the slave shack to curl up with Applebloom… Until Scootaloo shows up, by the time we’re serving tea they’ll be peeking in the window. I’ll amuse them, pretend not to see them. No… maybe I’ll invite them in for tea and whiskey, show Dr. Fluttershy’s student a real time.
~*~
It hadn’t felt too awkward leaving the train station, oh but I’m sure that Pinkie felt nervous… but of course she didn’t show it—she never did. I’m glad she’s doing well in Manehattan, keeping up tabs on her show hall and pub. She had taken in interest in political economy—reasonable, her father had some money… out in the mountains they don’t care too much, prospecting… saloon culture never lends itself to sophistication, but it did well for her—accounting and economy in tow.
“Uh… ma’am?” a large red earthgro stallion greeted us as we descended the platform,
Oh boy! Oh boy! A carriage; this’ll be fun. I always liked carriage rides.
“Oh, you must be Mac, Twilight’s… chauffer.”
“Eyep.”
“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you; this is my former student Pinkamena.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said gripping his front hoof and shaking maybe it a bit too rapidly.
“Same.”
~*~
“So Mr. Mac do you have a family?”
“Pinkie—”
“Eyep, got a pair a sistas and mah grandma.”
“They also owned by Professor Sparkle?
“Pinkie—”
“Eyep.”
“What? You always told me to inquire; not like the irony of this whole damn thing isn’t obvious.”
“I did say that, but—”
“I looked her up, even read some of Twilight’s papers—it’s fun how much she writes between the lines.”
~*~
Mah sista an ah was checking up on the peach trees, bein as they started buddin.
“So who’s commin over?”
“Someponies that the Professor works with—ah think.”
“We gonna meet’em?”
“Ah don’t know Bloom, depends if the mastas need us to help Granny and Milly—”
We both turned an saw Mac was leadin in the Professor’s guests through the front gate.
“Is that them, Jackie?” ah asked.
“I believes.”
“Is that a dirt pony?”
“Wha?”
“The pink one Jackie—”
“I’ll be damned.”
There was a silence fer a time, we just watched em as they made their way up to tha porch. Did that earthgro work at that fancy school?
“Girls,” Granny said, walkin up behind us, “Mistress Dash and the Professor said they want you both to inside.”
Ah looked at mah sista; she looked back.
“Te help wit tha cooking?”
“Didn’t say why; also, wanted me to tell you that the Belles and that Scoots will be there also”
“Granny,” mah sista aksed, “has the professor been drinkin?”
“No more than usual. Why?”
“Ah’m a bit confused, sis, wh—”
“Later, sis—go get cleaned up.”
Ah took a slow walk towards the wash house, usually ah washed in the stream, but that didn’t seem appropriate now, sides, still too cold out.