//------------------------------// // Chapter XVIII: Out And About // Story: Four Ponies & A Time Machine // by SkelePone //------------------------------// “Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.” ― Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses * * * * * * * * * * * * * The four friends had split up halfway through their gallivant through the Classical Canterlotian shoppes and booths. The two couples had decided that it would be okay for them to split off. Maybe buy some lunch together. Go shopping for their formal attire for the Victory Ball later that evening. Carnegie Porter and Roseluck were together, a few snowflakes falling around them. Carnegie stuck to Rose's side. His nightmare had woken him up. His dreams were important. Especially his recurring dream of his future. Carnegie knew in his alcohol-fueled heart that he and Rose were meant to be. And also that he would soon finally get recognition for his brewing genius. Or at least Carnegie hoped so. He wasn't much of a genius at anything else. Rose, however, was still uncomfortable. She was glad to have Carnegie, the real Carnegie, back. But the Nightmare Carnegie, the evil and violent drunk that had invaded her mind, soul, and body lingered in her thoughts. She realized she was afraid of him. Well, not of him, but of what he could become. Carnegie could sense her discomfort. She was tense. "Rose, love, what's wrong?" "Nothing! Nothing's wrong." "Aw, Rose, ya don' havta hide anythin' from me. Tell what's wrong, love. You're uncomfortable." "Well... have you ever hurt anypony you didn't mean to hurt...?" "Whaddaya mean by tha'?" "When... you drink for a bit... what happens when somepony makes you mad...?" Carnegie was silent. "Carn...?" "If yer askin' if I beat ponies, I only beat bad ponies. Like if I was drunk, an' ya were wit' me, an' some bloke comes an' rubs all on ya, the I'd beat tha tar outta him. But jus' outta anypony who pisses me off? Well, ya've seen me when I'm drunk, love. I'm not violen'." "Okay. I'm sorry. I love you." "I love ya, too. An' what do ya havta be sorry fer? Ya jus' asked me a question." From then on, Rose walked a little closer to Carnegie. She was happier, too. More in the spirit of the upcoming Ball. Derpy was thrilled when Time Turner and her had split from the others to go off on their own. They had entered the shop of a chocolatier, spending a few bits on delicate truffles and treats that would have costed a small fortune in the present. Or if they bought them from angry Pre-Classical Earth pony farmers. They were sitting in a booth, enjoying their warm snacks. Derpy was peeking outside the window, marveling at the active city. She had never been to Canterlot in the present. And seeing it in the past was close enough. She like the past. Even though it was the past. Nopony here seemed to care that she had eye problems. Every other pony in this era seemed to have a health defect of some kind. When she had told Time Turner this, he tsked at her. "Your eyes are beautiful, Derpy. They're unique. And they're NOT a defect. Don't let anypony ever tell you that they are." After that remark, Derpy leaned into the Doctor's shoulder. They sat like that together for awhile, before they decided to go find Carnegie and Rose. "I bet you ten bits they're at a pub somewhere," Time Turner muttered. "Oh Doctor, Carnegie just likes to have fun." "That doesn't mean he has to be drunk twenty-four-seven." They reached 'Spigot's Corner", a bar that was nowhere near a corner. In fact, it was in the middle of a busy city block. But it was apparently the only bar in Canterlot at the time, so in they went to find Carnegie Porter and his marefriend. The bar was filled with ponies. Unicorns, Earth ponies, and even a few Pegasi. And there, in the middle of a large mass of singing ponies was Carnegie Porter, with Roseluck swinging drunkenly, dancing to his merry song. One would think the drunk's thick accent would inhibit his ability to sing, but it was quite the opposite. His accent became lilting, giving the song a rise and fall, like a ballad or a limerick. Carnegie noticed the Doctor and began waving a hoof frantically, as if Time Turner would somehow miss the teeming mob. The drunk choir continued singing and chanting, swaying and sloshing their drinks to and fro. Carnegie grabbed Rose by the hoof and clambered over the backs of ponies towards the shocked Derpy and Time Turner. "Blimey, Doc!" He hollered, waving a hoof bearing rum in Time Turner's direction, "I didn' know ya were one fer pubs!" "I knew you were, Porter." The tan Earth pony chuckled. Then a large, buff brown pegasus turned towards them and shouted at Porter. "Oye! Keep singin' ya Bridlish pig!" "Oye, I may be from Bridletan, but tha' doesn' mean I'm not Equestrian now. Yer talkin' to a Ponyvillager 'ere." "Don' care! Keep singin'!" Sensing a fight, Time Turner wisely grabbed the drunk Roseluck and nodded to Derpy to follow as they went into a safe corner. "Oh ye?! Whatcha gonna do if I don', mister big an' ugly? I don' wanna sing an' I don' wanna-" Interrupting Carnegie's speech, the giant pegasus 'Mister Big And Ugly' decked Porter right in the chest, sending the smaller stallion flying. Carnegie sailed across the air, landing with a painful crash into a bar table. Rum still in hoof, Porter lay still. For one moment the Doctor thought he was dead. Then Porter pulled himself up, and popped open the rum with his teeth. The entire bar was silent and watching as Porter chugged the whole bottle, glaring at the colossal pegasus. When he finished, Carnegie smashed the end of the bottle's base against a jagged table leg. Now with an improvised weapon, the drunk Earth pony let out a battle cry and launched himself at the pegasus. The bar exploded into chaos worthy of a cackling draconequus. Ponies were suddenly punching their friends and shouting as loud as possible. The battle had been going on for a good five minutes before the Royal Guard had burst in, arresting ponies. Carnegie suddenly appeared at Time Turner's side, remarkably unscathed. As they snuck out of the raided bar, Time Turner caught sight of the cuffed pegasus Carnegie had been battling. Big and ugly was right, especially with the slashes and bruises all over his face and wings. "I can't believe you did that, Porter. Do you have any idea how irresponsible that was?" "Well," the tan stallion belched, "I know that the bloke was bein' a twat. So I beat the tar outta 'im." "Yes, but did you need to?" "Prob'bly not." The mares had gone into the dress-shops. They were stuck with each other, studying various vests and jackets. So far all they had bought was a monk pork-pie hat that Carnegie had found funny-looking and a top hat for the Doctor. Time Turner insisted he didn't need a tie, since he already wore a tie and collar. Carnegie had selected a black bow-tie. Now they simply needed suits. The salespony was eagerly trying to shove them into the priciest tuxes she carried. They preferred the simpler designs however, and not the gold-embroidered purple silk. The decisions were hard for Time Turner, but Carnegie simply chose a pinstripe vest with a white undershirt. Carnegie spent the rest of their time huffing and groaning with impatience. "'Onestly, Doc! Yer worse than me mum when she goes clothes shoppin'." Time Turner didn't care. He wanted to look his best for Derpy. Derpy meanwhile, was thinking along similar lines. Roseluck had chosen a simple red cocktail dress that matched her mane and hid her tail. The hiding of the tail had helped refine the prettier mare's curves and showed off the smoothness of her plot and flanks. The dress suited her perfectly. Feisty, fiery, and flirtatious. Several stallions had stopped what they were doing to gape at Rose after she had left the changing room to show Derpy. The grey pegasus made a mental note to not mention the fact to Carnegie Porter, who would most likely go Viking warrior, like he had at the pub fight. Derpy was struggling to choose between a cocktail dress like Rose's or a full-on ball gown. One was absolutely stunning, a fluffy white dress studded with small glass trinkets. She knew that was the one. She had been worried they didn't have enough bits for it, but minutes later they were trotting up to the castle, carrying bulky bags holding the two dresses. The ball was going to be wonderful.